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] Being a clean freak happens to be your only talent. A crime syndicate took notice of this and hired you to be their body disposal guy. After the syndicate fell through, you decided to start a body disposal 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.", "Earphones, check.\n\nBattery, check.\n\nLights ? Check !\n\nI grabbed the mop and started dancing with it smearing the puddle of blood over the white kitchen tiles. Slowly the blood stain was lifting up to the funky rhythm of the music and the smell of bleach filled the room.\n\nThe sweet smells lifting up to my nose, water slowly turning to red as I rinse the mop, tiles whitening up slowly, bloody handprints vanishing magically. Oh the the ecstasy. I loved my job so much.\n\nDeleting all traces of that organic mess until no one could even suspect it existed in the first place. I felt like a magician doing a disappearing trick and no one ever knew the secret to my tricks.\n\nI started to sing a little as I cleaned the different knives that had been plunged in the victims torso.\n\n“How ironic my love, you didn’t get very lucky did you” I said looking at the dead man as daft punk started playing in my ears.\n\nI placed the knives back on their holders and started shining my U.V light around to see if all the blood marks had properly vanished and gave out a few dance moves in satisfaction as it was all spotless as usual.\n\nAfter a few hours cleaning the house was finally clean. The corpse in the trunk of the van with all my cleaning products and my cleaning suit sealed tight in a bag ready to be cleaned away. The place looked fabulous.\n\n“Good job my friend” I told myself as I closed the door and locked it shut. I climbed into the van and rolled away towards the closest Mcdonald's as I was getting peckish, nothing tasted better than a good burgen after a morning of hard work.\n\nI sat down at the table and dialed the number to inform the job had been finished with no issues as a kid sat down next to me.\n\n“What is your job sir?” he asked clumsily\n\n“I clean the nasty messes people do” I answered as I patted his small shoulder\n\n“WOW you’re like mom, she always cleans up all the mess I make sometimes. She’s super cool !” I chuckled a bit at that.\n\n“You could say that indeed, want to know a secret ? you have to promise me not to tell anyone though !” I told him\n\n“I promise !!” he answered cheerfully as the waitress placed my tray on the table.\n\n“I’m a magician” I said as I pulled a few fries from behind his ear.\n\n“WOW, how did you do that !!” His mother came laughing from behind\n\n“I hope he did not bother you too much, he is always so full of energy”\n\n“No worries” I replied blinking at her as she took him by the hand and started eating at their table.\n\nThis was going to be a delightful day.\n\n\\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nHope you like it, have a \"delightful\" day \\^-\\^", "I've always been a clean freak. Call it ODC, call it any fancy shit you want to, but I like things to be clean. Even a speck of dust on an otherwise clean table bothers me. It's a physical itch, that can only be scratched when it's clean. Everything needs to be clean. If you'd let something be dirty, why even use it? Sadly, not many people thought this way.\n\nBeing this clean had it's drawbacks, but also it's strengths. I worked at an upscale restaurant in a classy hotel, downtown. I was given free reign of the tables exactly 3 hours before we expected guests to come. This might be a terribly boring job for most, I know. Making sure everything was pitch perfect, every, single day for the rich and famous who frequented the restaurant isn't a job many would take up, but for me, it was heaven. As soon as my shift started, people other than my crew knew to stay out of my way. I meticulously went through every nook and cranny, every fold of every napkin.\n\nThis led to a lot of good rep. My boss liked me, and soon, my boss' boss liked me. Word traveled fast, and soon, the hotel's owner wanted to meet this \"exemplary employee\". I was given a limo to his residence, the works. I was ushered in, and saw Mr.Marco seated in the lobby. He asked me to sit down, make myself comfortable, and offered me a glass of wine.\n\nI eyed the armchair, wondering if I should dust it. It was filthy, it hadn't been dusted in the last 4 hours. But when Mr.Marco asked you to sit, you sat. I couldn't help it, however. I took out the cloth I always carried on my person, and dusted the seat before sitting. I turned to face him, only to see him guffawing loudly. \"They were right!\" he said, laughing. He really opened up after that, and asked me to come on a tour of the house. We went to the kitchen, where one of the cooks had accidentally spilled some blood on the carpet, and was vigorously trying to rub it off when Mr.Marco went it.\n\n\"That'll come out of your pay, sir.\" he shot at the cook, who looked relieved it wasn't something worse.\n\nBut it was just blood. All you needed to do was add a mixture of bleach, baking soda, and hot water with some salt and sugar. That's all. I asked Mr.Marco if I could have a go at it. The blood had already dried, but it didn't matter. A lifetime of OCD had left me with the know how to get rid of the toughest stains. I mixed the concoction, and poured it on the carpet. Mr.Marco looked interested, and in around 15 minutes the stain disappeared. \n\nThe cooks clapped my shoulder, and Mr.Marco was looking at me quite strangely. He called me into his study, closed the doors, and sat. \n\n\"How'd you like a promotion?\"\n\n\"A promotion\" I asked, incredulously.\n\n\"Yea. My other... businesses, are in the need of someone with your skills You'll be doing a lot of cleaning. You can start tomorrow.\"\n\n\"Yes sir, Mr.Marco.\" I couldn't believe my luck. If only I knew what I was getting into.\n\nThe next day, a car pulled into my apartment driveway. Mr.Marco had sent someone called Tony to pick me up, and passed instructions for me to \"take whatever you need to remove a lot of blood\". The car went out into the country, and pulled into a farmhouse. Tony led me inside to a gruesome scene. A man was lying face down, in a pool of blood, and the blood had spattered everywhere. But my horror at seeing the body was replaced with fresh horror on seeing the fine bone china with blood and bodily matter spattered all over it. I quickly got to work, ignoring everyone. The guys nodded to each other, placed a bag near the exit, and slowly left the room. \n\nThe room was clean in 3 hours. Clean, as in cleaner than it had ever been. I even made sure we didn't leave any hideous fingerprints. The crew was impressed. They dropped me back home, and promised to put in a good word with Mr.Marco. And that is how I started doing this for Mr.Marco. He'd send Tony or somebody over when there was a mess to be taken care of, and I'd do what was required. It didn't matter who or where, if it was dirty and needed to be spotless, Mr Marco sent for me.\n\nI'd clean out the solids, then the spattered blood. The body was kept in the bag, and it was fed to the pigs Mr.Marco raised just for this. Ain't anything that goes through a human body faster than a sounder of swine.\n\nBut the good times never last, and Mr.Marco was indicted on charges of murder, extortion, racketeering, fraud and a host of other charges. His empire came crashing down, and I was out of a job. But Mr.Marco's affiliates, the ones who were in the open, knew my work. I was contacted so frequently, I set up a cleaner's. We dealt in all sorts of cleaning, from room and attic to the entire house, but the meat of the business happened in the back. This was where the real deals were made. Deals to clean the dirty stuff.\n\nI was raking in the money and reputation. But all press ain't good, and this set the cops on me. They started to take a lot of interest in my activities, and that of my crew. But they could never find anything. We made sure to clear our tracks. As if they'd catch us when they couldn't pin any of the murders on our clients. \n\nBut then, the bodies slowed down. The business was struggling. Everyone started getting caught, or going straight. The new police commissioner was bent on cleaning the city up. This wouldn't work. But as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. I'd make my own business. It started with asking for protection money from local businesses. This went up to racketeering, and fraud. Soon, we were doing everything. The boys kidnapped the mayor's son. They kidnapped an industrialist, but he fought and he had to go. But it never, ever came back to me. Nothing ever did. You can't pin anything on someone with as clean hands as me. Mr.Clean will always be clean." ]	3
	[WP] You just finished rebuilding a village in Minecraft. When you start to head back to your base a villager runs up to you and thanks you for your work. The thing is, you're in survival and playing vanilla Minecraft.	[ "\"Hey, player!\" I run towards him. He turns around, and freezes. I can't imagine how spooked he must be by now. Probably hasn't seen a villager yet.\n\n\"Sorry, sorry.\" I lower my eyes. \"Like, I understand if you're freaked out or something, but we wanted to bring you something–\"\n\n\"You can TALK?\" \n\n\"Well, yeah. Come on, I'll lead the way. This is the first player I've seen in ages. No, wait...it's the first player I've seen. Ever. The village is so grateful for your help!\"\n\n\"Oh...it was nothing.\" he turns away. \"It was a lava accident. Fixed it pretty easily.\" \"Say what now?\" I ask. \n\nHe goes towards his wooden house. \"Let me pack my stuff, okay?\" \n\nA few moments later, he rushes out of the house and to the staircase while I point and drop tokens to mark the path. Later the village could make a path towards the player's house: it looked quite safe and easy to defend, with its cobblestone and chests and whatnot. Nothing like our houses.\n\nAfter we arrived at the village, the others embraced the player with happiness and gifts. I ran back inside my house, and took an enchanted diamond pickaxe. When the mob of villagers finally dissipated, I dropped the gift. Even the player seemed stunned. \"But...you can't mine!\"\n\n\"Where do you think we get your iron axes?\" I smiled and winked. \n\nI waved goodbye to the player as he followed the trail back to his house. We wished each other a good night, then walled up our doors as the skeletons came.\n\nIt was truly, truly a night of peace.", "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.", "After fixing up the last house in the village with some spare wood, Bill974 decide to wander around the perimeter again. He encountered a librarian opening a door. They looked at him and declared \"Thank you for you help mister! I brought a gift!\" Bill974 was shocked. \"villagers don't speak.\" The villager looked at you, confused? \"Oh. That was the good plague.\" \"What?\" \"The good plague made us smart. We now have a much lower death rate! Bill backed away slowly, until he bumped into another villager. \"Hello mister! Thanks for saving the village!\" There was a large mob of villagers praising him. Bill ran as fast as possible.\n\n \"Wait up!\" They managed to outrun and surround him. \"You must know about the good plague!\" \"I could just run through past you guys. \"No you can't. We have a golem!\" Bill looked up to see the giant iron golem looming over them. \"Fine. What's your 'good plague'. One of the villagers started talking.\n\n \"The good plague was a strange force. That random librarian found it first! It was a wood block. At least it was. It started switching it's block type between wood, stone, diamond, and even portal block! We couldn't think back then. We followed repetitive instruction from an unknown source. When the librarian accidentally touched it, the instructions stopped and they could think for themself! They went back to the village and started picking up all the other villagers and threw them onto the block! Then we all became smart. Other mobs found the block too, and became smart! Another villager type emerged. Scientists! The librarian was the first scientist. He built a bunch of iron blocks around the block and it became the prophet!\" Bill considered the story for a while. \n\n\"That sounds like a computer virus.\" The villagers looked confused. \"You can go now.\" Said the librarian. Bill paused for a moment. \"I want to know more.\" \"We shall take you to the prophet!\" Declared another villager. \"But first, we can't mine, so you'll have to place a staircase or something.\" I followed the lead villager to who knows where.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShould I make a part two?" ]	3
	[WP] You can travel anywhere and anytime, by swapping bodies with someone.	[ "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 always fun to swap out.\n\nNo matter the fantasy, I can live them out. It's really no trouble for me.\n\nWant to experience a celebrity's lifestyle? Check. Want to travel to Portugal for some pastéis de nata? Check. Want to feel the sun on my back on the Carribean islands? Of course.\n\nWhat do I do? I just have to close my eyes and imagine. Find me somebody that's currently sleeping and swap in and out. They don't necessarily have to be sleeping, I just find it to be a much smoother process.\n\nI go about and live my dream, making sure not to take not more than a few hours. As I said, after the first few times I swapped, it just kinda became a trial and error thing.\n\nSo, if you ever had a dream of yourself waking up in my bedroom, I apologise. It's simply not my intention, but at the very least to you, it was all just a dream.\n\nTo me, I'm living it." ]	2
	[WP] Okthar Bonebreaker was the most feared warrior in all the realm, whose legendary thirst for battle was unquenchable. That is, until he discovered a love of baking, and now he runs a quaint little pastry shop.	[ "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 Greta Loukar. Today I am going to tell you about Othkar Bonebreaker. A hero in our village.\n\nI was only 11 years old when I heard the men shouting outside of my hut. My father Arden Loukar was strapping up his swords onto his back and putting on his fur boots. He was leading the pack of hunters into the wilderness to find the stray Viking bandits that had been raiding our village during the night. \n\nThe last raid was one of the worst as they took something precious to us. Atop a central obelisk in our town stood a golden raven. The great symbol of Odin. Now that it was gone our village was unprotected from the winds, and the weather. \n\nMy father opened the door and a gust cold wind blew through our small hut. He shielded me from the wind as we both stepped out. \n\n\"The wind is crazy Greta but once we have the Raven back to us Odin shall once again protect us. Ah look hear Othkar comes!\" My father spoke in a deep grumbling tone always, but I never sensed any danger or fear from him. There was true love that came through his voice. \n\nI peaked my hand around his leg and I saw him. Othkar the Bonebreaker he was called. A hulking man dressed in a bearskin. People in the village said that he killed the biggest bear in the valley and kept his skin as a trophy. As he approached his dark piercing eyes dropped down onto me. Scared I gripped the back of my father's leg burying my face into the fur boot.\n\n\"Looks like your little one does not seem to like me very much Arden. I will win her over soon enough. Is it not time w make haste into the wilderness to find these thieves who have taken our beloved Raven. Odin will be pleased when we are soaked in the blood of our enemies and his raven returned.\" Othkars voice was booming. He spoke above the winds and lifted his arms in passion at the mention of the Raven. \n\nMy father sighed and signalled Othkar to lower his arms. \"Calm yourself, calm Othkar. You are too thirsty for blood you will have us swinging swords with no care. Wait at the main gate and I will join you soon.\" Othkar walked off in a huff his axe was dragging on the floor ripping up the soil like a knife through butter.\n\nLooking down at me, my father smiled. \"Okay Greta, you must wait inside now. Soon we shall return and hopefully with Deer for supper.\" He kneeled and hugged me. I was comfortable in the soft fur that armoured his body, soon he left. Accompanied by other warriors they moved out of the village. Out of sight in the cold expanse of the forest in only moments.\n\nHe was gone for a long while, darkness and cold fell. Fires were scarce but I managed to get one going in my hut with our wood supply. I sat alone with a wolf blanket covering me, my hands close to touching the fire. \"I wonder where father is, it is past supper time, he said he would be back by now. Hopefully, nothing has befallen them. Damn those bandits who stole our Raven.\" I wrapped my blanket tighter and my eyes drooped to a close. Succumbing to the crackling of the fire I was asleep within a few moments. \n\nMy sleep was meant to be peaceful yet it was disturbed by the shouting of men who trenched into the village shouting for a doctor. I could hear someone screaming out in pain. I got up and opened the door. Men with torches scurried past me and headed straight for the great hall. There was only one man in pain. His voice was loud and vibrated through the entire village. Breaking snow off rooftops and scaring dogs who held their tails between their legs. I gathered some clothes and wrapped myself up to see if it was father who may have been hurt. \n\nI was small enough to pass through the men in the great hall and came near to the front. A hand touched my shoulder and stopped me from moving any closer. It was my father \"Greta what are you doing here? Go home at once this is no place for a young girl.\" Glad my father was okay I heeded his command and made my way back to the hut. I turned my head and I caught a glimpse of him. A glimpse of Othkar as several men held him down and a saw was being taken to his leg. \n\nMonths passed and I heard nothing of Othkar Bonebreaker. No tales of his courage or anger were told in the village. It was as if he died. This was not the case, of course, I knew where he was. The far side of the town was his hut. It was larger than most other huts. Yet the halls were hollow and empty. No one lived with Othkar, he was all alone. No one had visited him in quite some time, except of course my father. He went to visit Othkar at least every two weeks, for drinking and to drop off food. One day my father suffered by intaking too much alcohol with the local doctor. He was too damaged the next day to drop the food he had for Othkar. \"Greta, Greta, I need you to do me a favour. I am too sick to go to Othkars hut and drop him this food, can you please take this to him.\" He handed me meat and a wrapped up loaf. Reluctantly I agreed to go, at least this way I could get away from the smell of mead wafting from my father's breath. I walked through the village, stopping along the way at the mill to pick up some flour for later." ]	2
Sorry if not OC <3.	[WP] Most species who achieve F.T.L all do it in a similar way, until it was discovered how exactly the humans did it, it horrified everyone.	[ "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 meeting of the Galactic Council is now adjourned!\"\n\nThe representatives within the Sanctuary where the Counsel met erupted into cheers in hundreds of languages. For three Earth weeks they had met to discuss the addition of the newcomer species, the Humans. Spacefaring species from all over the galaxy sent representatives to vote on the expansion of the counsel, and it was a near unanimous 703 to 1 vote. \n\nBut suddenly the lights within the Sanctuary went dark. There were three species present where this would have no effect, but for the rest of the Counsel it meant staying quite still. A voice boomed across the vast space.\n\n\"Attenion Galactic Neighbors! We the Gaxlioms of Nebulon must say our piece for the good of all. Despite our desperate attempts to warn you, our resolutions were tabled before they could even be read. The Humans lured you with their charm and cheap tricks. Had you let us speak, we could have ended this gathering eons ago and sent the savage humans back to their godless planet.\n\n\"It goes without saying we do not gather here easily. Each of us travels the stars more or less the same, but we arrived nonetheless by the grace of our Creators. A simple test will demonstrate the horrors committed by these Human beasts to arrive even here in this sacred space.\n\nThe lights flickered back on in the gargantuan arena, and hovering in the middle of the space was the E.S. Infinity. \n\n\"This earth ship, as they call it, looks much like those of the Zoormeran region, does it not? It appears like a long daggar with a pair of rings around the middle, fully equipped with all it takes to skip from star to star like a child in their mother's garden. But what you dont see is how they power their demon vessel.\n\n\"Each of us here has come to know the secrets of space travel are just that, secrets! Only our gracious gods know the power and technique it takes to traverse the vast expanse of our galactic neighborhood. And they let us travel by the goodness within them, and only ask in return a simple sacrifice.\n\n\"It takes an honorable soul to make the heavenly journey between stars, a willing sacrifice. All 704 of us had to offer the life of one of our own to travel here. And another is yet held within your very ships to send us each home, being fed all types of glorious food and drink of the galaxy until their final moments. The life of a king, the death of a martyr. That is what it takes to be a spacefaring species of this counsel. \n\n\"But these humans have tricked you and mocked your gods! They power their crafts not by prayer and sacrfice, but with highly pressurized explosive fluids and machines which warp the very fabric of existence around them. These humans dare to act like the gods themselves, but they are mere imposters who reject the righteous way to travel.\n\n\"We stand alone with our vote to reject the Humans from this Counsel. While it is too late to recast our vote, you should know the truth of the devil you have welcomed into your midst. Gods help us all.\"" ]	2
	[WP] The Royal family all had a birthmark carried down for generations that ordains the next king or queen. One day, a maid gives birth to the marked child and the one who is destined to rule by rite.	[ "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.", " Why is it that the Royals live like gods among men while the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet? I thought we were being lied to for a long time, I thought there was no birthmark because why do only those who are already in the royal family get blessed with such a birthmark? I thought it was all bullshit that was until I heard the song of our current King. It all started with a maid, she worked at a local lord’s house and from what we could tell had little to no contact with the Royal blood lines so how it happened is still a mystery. The maid became pregnant, father unknown she maintained the belief that she was pure but blessed by the Gods with a son that would save us from ruling for those who do not understand what it is like to struggle every day for everything. The maid gave birth to a son to her horror was cursed with a birthmark on his face, that was her thinking until the lord set his sights upon the boy. He knew straight away who the boy was meant to be after all he was blessed with the mark of the royals on his face. He told the maid \n“You must hide the boy; he cannot be seen by the royals until he is of age and much stronger. I’d hate to think what the Royals would do to a baby who is not of their bloodline and blessed with their birth mark.” \nThe maid remained quiet until everything seemed to click into place, and she remarked \n“My son is blessed with the mark of royalty?” \nYes, but he must remain hidden as I fear the Royals will attempt to kill him.” stated the lord. \nThere is little known about the lord and the maid, even their names are unknown, and why the lord wanted to help the maid and her son is an even bigger question mark. \n\nYears passed by and it seemed like not a single person thought about or even missed the maid until the day came where she brought her son who has just turned 21, into the town on full display showing off that facial birthmark. During their march through town a crowd began to form, mutters from people who recognized the mother asked \n“Why is the main with the young royal?” \n“Who is the young royal?” \nIt appears the maid and lord had trained the young king for this day, made sure he knew what to say as once reaching the center of town he stated,\n\n“I hear the questions, I hear the whispers, my name is Bleuler, the son of a maid, with the royal birthmark on my face. I beg you now to come and help me place my claim as King Bleuler. I know what it is like to be born into a family with little money, the royals are out of touch, I beg you to join me and make King Bleuler your new ruler.” \n\nWord spread around the town with lords and ladies coming to view the so called King Bleuler, one by one the lords and ladies agreed to back the king as their life had also been made hard by those who do not know what it is like not to grow up with everything at their fingertips. It was time to change any everyone was pleased to welcome that, except the old rulers who didn’t go down without a fight, but with a town backing king Bleuler there was no chance for failure and thus the tale of the maid was born.\n\nThe tale of the maid: \n\nThe maid has arisen, they have heard our shouts \n\nThe royal family bloodline is on the outs\n\nFor here is a tale of how a maid’s son overcame all the doubts \n\nWith a birthmark on his face, no matter the race, for he has our faith\n\nGod made haste to bring us a son who will wear the crown making all the citizens happily bow down\n\nBefore we would cower to the royals who could not fathom the struggle being bound to those who frown upon us \n\nOne dark night the lord and the maid whisked away the son not to be seen until the day he was twenty-one\n\nWhat seemed unimaginable became the possible with the son of the maid \n\nWho put a blade for the Royals that overstayed their welcome \n\nHere's to the new ruler who brings a bright future and who got rid of our abusers.\n\nHere's to the new ruler whose name is King Bleuler" ]	2
	[WP] You come into possession of a death note and decide that you don't want to die before your true love, so enter "I will die peacefully next to my soulmate when they die." Years later, you watch the one you dedicated that entry to die. You close your eyes and wait. Nothing happens.	[ "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.", "2:00:00 pm\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had just finished writing in the Death Note when she arrived at the coffee shop.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe talked for a few minutes, everything was perfect, and now that I had written in the Note it would continue to be so for a long time.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nChest pain, so strong that I barely could look up to see her fall from her chair, holding her hand to her chest, mouth open in a silent scream.\n\nI fall too, the scream dying on my lips as the pain doubles.\n\nI can't breathe, I can barely think, but I can still see her arm going slack next to me.\n\nI try to call out her name, but everything goes black before I can.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTime of death - 2:06:40 pm", "Thalia's funeral was rather modest, aside from her close family members and a few besties who were being frowned upon because of the way they dressed, well, \"Thalia had never been a serious person\", was the reason they proposed when confronted by the angry priest.\n\nNeil watched from afar, he had sneaked into her hospital bed and waited for her last breath. He had been heart-broken, not because of Thalia, no, because he was broke yet again and the loop of his downward spiral had threatened to consume him yet again.\n\nSo, he poisoned her food while she was out dining with her late boyfriend, a beefy joker who was now decomposing under a layer of asphalt, soon the mighty eighteen-wheelers would be passing over that cheap-whiskey addicted person and slowly grind his bones and sorrowful flesh into nothingness.\n\nNeil reached down his oblong trench coat and felt the jagged edge of the note that he had written something like \"Till death do us apart.\" The letters had since faded and aside from a few ink stains, it is nothing remarkable.\n\nNeil found it in one of his grandpa's ancient ritual books, Neil had used it as a bookmark until he had clumsily sliced open his finger during his first attempt at creating a blood circle. The note had drunk up his blood eagerly and Neil could have sworn he heard the satisfied sigh of some unknown entity.\n\nHe gleamed the note's usage through a series of nightmares, which always ended with him waking up in a fetal position drenched not in his sweat, but some brownish liquid that would dissipate the moment sunlight shines on the tainted sheets.\n\nWith his best fountain pen and in his newly acquired penmanship, Neil wrote down his death vow, stating clearly that he wished to depart this mortal world with the passing of his soulmate.\n\nHe truly believed that it would Thalia, they were inseparable from kindergarten to upstate uni, they had always been together until they suddenly were not.\n\nSuch a cold December morning that was, was it because of the booze they had indulged in? Or was it the overdose that almost got both of them killed?\n\nShe had turned her pale face towards him and through a hoarse but firm voice stated clearly that she had enough of him, Neil still felt the pang of piercing pain as she decided to move on. He never thought about something like that. He wouldn't and couldn't.\n\nNow she was being laid to rest, and he is lingering around the crumbled church walls spying on this odd funeral possession. No one was crying, instead, the occupants seemed to be rather cheerful. The holy father was obviously agitated by something, for after his eulogy he had turned on his heels and almost bolted out of the quaint little garden-like burial grounds.\n\nThalia's family and friends moved in unison and chanted something in an old tongue. \n\nA sudden chill run down Neil's spine, he turned around and there she was, still in that dress during her burial, Thalia stood right next to him. \n\nHer angry and distorted face was held back by a figure with a dazzling aura. \n\nThe figure turned to Neil and hissed in a feminine voice, \"I am your soulmate, you murdering blistering fool.\"" ]	3
	[WP] A man breaks the holy laws regarding the ban on magic and becomes a sorceror, specifically a necromancer. He brings back his dead lover as a Zombie(search MGE for reference), its hard to understand her, but they are happy....and on the run from the Inquisition. He will do ANYTHING for her sake	[ "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 over her lifeless grey body, feeling shame over everything I have done. But I need to do this, I needed her. I came this far now and there was no turning back. My nerves begin to get the best of me as I look down at the words in this accursed book. “Was this right? Maybe I still have time to put everything back and forget this happened. I mean this is illegal.\" I argue with myself, \"No this needs to be done, I came this far, and I need her, more than anything. Damn the laws.\" I mentally checked all of the items I needed to secure that this would be flawless. Four tall black candles, eight white candles, four ounces of sage, four ounces of salt, four leaves of mistletoe, and one happy memory. \nI take a deep breath, trying to collect my excited thoughts and I begin the ritual. Reading the words I spread the sage around her body, I took it all slow at first. I never said any of these words out loud before, in fear that I may resurrect an unintended target. Pronouncing each word as best as I could I began to feel the heat from the book, as I continue the book gets hotter and hotter, I put the fiery book down so that I may focus on that while I read. My attention is needed on the task at hand. I continue with putting the salt over her eyes, chanting the final words over and over, I feel the room grow colder and colder. “It’s working,” I thought. I hear my voice jump with excitement and try to collect myself to try and not mess up the ritual. The room calmed down and the candles went out, I stood in the darkness expecting something, but nothing happened. I waited a few more minutes, but nothing. No movement, no magical lights, nothing. Not even a sound. Disappointed, I left the room and climbed the ladder up to my study. The messy room I came to felt unworthy to clean, not worth any moment to even recognize that any mess even existed. \nI break open the wine I had saved for when I was successful, the confidence I felt once before became an ironic silly feeling. How could I have been so naive? Though I have spent the past few years learning spells, and enchantments, that I could assume that I could master the power of the resurrection? How silly of me. I sat in my mess of study books that I spent months retrieving, finding the right seller, and hiding each purchase from the law. Thinking and sulking that I wasted all of that time trying the impossible and illegal and that I may go to jail anyway. Shit. Jail, I may go to jail regardless of the success. What was I going to do? I suppose just hide the body? They may think I am insane and put me with the other insane people, I may not last in jail but would I even last there? I have heard horror stories of men ripping others apart with their bare hands with no warning, and children seeing ghosts and ghouls and tell you when you die. I don’t know which would be worse, jail then death or to serve a life of faked insanity and fear the die I may die. No, I need to focus, I need to collect my thoughts. I have gotten this far with no suspicion, I can go further. I am just too drunk now, its 1230 am now. I need to sleep and dispose of the body in a few hours. Even if I wake up late to daylight, the groundskeeper won’t be working tomorrow due to the new union laws. So I rest, disappointed but knowing a plan on how to save myself. \nBANG! I woke up to first realize that I am sober and heavily hungover. I heard the noise again, no this wasn’t my body trying to punish me, this was a warning. I stumbled and struggled to straighten myself to ready and confront whatever was making this noise. Maybe it was just the wind or something was knocked over. I made my way to where I thought the bang came from into the hallway, BANG, then the kitchen, BANG, and then finally the study, BANG! It was coming from the basement. I felt a jitter in my stomach as if perhaps all of my work was worth it. That it may have worked. But still, I approached slowly towards the bookcase that hid the ladder to the room that bore the mistake I thought I had made a few hours ago. \nThe stench hit me first, a rotting smell, something that was only describable to those who have experienced before. I slowly descended the ladder and turned around find a silhouetted figure facing me. Could it be? The love of my life that I have waited for these past few years? Perhaps it worked, the magic I have studied and have tried to perfect, actually worked. I stood at the end of the ladder turning around see her, a decrepit body standing, and swaying, a silhouette unsure of what to do. \nI approached the figure asking what its name was, where it was from, and anything I could nervously think of in a short amount of time. She just responded with grunts and simple jesters that I could even make out. I tried to point to pictures to what I had to try and figure out if this thing was even my wife and not some sort of demon that was trying to trick me. \nI noticed that her face lit up when I pointed to pictures of us together that the figure knew who she was and knew who I was, which made the next part difficult. Although I was excited and jumping with joy that everything worked, she gave me a look of “Why?” And she may have been right, why did I bring her back, why did I defy science and God to bring back my wife, just because I missed her? Because I needed her to live? What was my right to do this to her? \nIt didn’t matter, none of it mattered I had her back and I was happy. I took her hand, and she followed my lead. We danced to an imaginary song, a song that we somehow knew. She placed her head on my shoulder like she used to, she was comfortable and wanted comfort. I had so many questions for her, where did she go? What did she see? Did my life impact hers? Does anything matter? But as soon as any question I had formed it melted away with her touch. She gave me peace, after all these years, she gave me a feeling I thought I would never feel. Everything felt like when we first met when I was a young man and was unsure about the world, but she made me feel like no matter what decision I was right. \nI gestured her to dance and she accepted, we danced as we used to among the moonlight, I stared into her eyes to tell her everything would be alright. \\\\ I felt my adrenaline spike and my heart rate raise. Who was at my door at this hour? Who wanted answers? Maybe I was safe so I answered the door, slowly and to be sure my newly raised wife stayed in the room. I opened the door and saw an officer in the rain, Detective Shaw. \n“Hello, Gerald, sorry to bother you this time of night,” The police chief said, “That is quite alright, what seems to be the problem?” I lie to him for the first time, nervous but hoping that he wouldn’t notice any difference. “Well… this may be weird but multiple people have reported that someone has dug up a body from Saint Gerald’s cemetery.” I started to sweat but I knew that Dec Shaw wouldn’t believe me, we knew each other for years now, but he wouldn’t question me much. I told him I knew nothing of the sort and that I was drinking and sulking over the loss of my wife. “Oh okay,” he said and walked away. Thinking that I have gotten away with nearly everything I made my way into the secret basement was my undead wife was and tried to move her as quickly as possible so that no one would notice. \nAs I began to mover her as fast as I could the police began to move just as fast. I heard their movement outside my house as I began to try and convince my new living wife to move towards me and towards the back door. The police were luckily scrambling before they could even realize that I have opened the back door for my wife, and carried her to freedom. I looked at her to ensure that she was going to be safe under my care. It was a quick glance as I ran from my place hearing the police and the dogs behind me, trying to change my and trying to figure out who ratted me out. It didn’t matter, what mattered was getting away." ]	2
	[WP] You are begin to suspect your off brand A.I. assistant isn't infact A.I.	[ "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 took me a while to get over the jet lag my trip to Shanghai had given me. I sleep a lot anyway, and with my brain being extra messed up now, I guess it decided to do a little overtime now. Good thing that the boss had given me the day off since I finally managed to finish up our great deal, outsourcing most of our manufacturing to some dingy ass factory in the Chinese countryside.\n\nI woke up, decimated my toilet (airport food doesn't sit well with me), and grabbed a cup of coffee. I didn't have in me to open up my luggage and take out the laundry right now. So I opened up the cheap plastic bag where I had kept all my souvenirs. I was never one for modern technology, since I could never get used to it fast enough. So the only reason I bought this weird smart speaker from China was because it was cheap and worked with my shitty old smartphone, and also because it was really loud.\n\nI opened up the box, which had the letters JME embossed on it. It took me a while to get the clingy plastic film off it, and a bit longer to figure out where the box opened up from.\n\nAs soon as I popped it open, out fell a tiny little speaker. It felt hollow and cheap, and very very light. It came with a short charger cable and an instruction manual with gibberish in it.\n\n\"Plug cable in for maximum enjoyment! Connect to internet! Do not into water the speaker.\" I read aloud to myself.\n\nI did what I understood off the little pamphlet and plugged it in, and connected it to my phone through a shitty app I had to download.\n\n\"JME wants access to your contacts, phone, calendar and location. Please accept to continue.\"\n\nOh well, I had already sold my soul to Winnie the pooh anyway.\n\nAs the little red light on it blinked blue, it emitted a shrill sound and some pre recorded lady said in a heavy Chinese accent, \"Hello jay-mee! Game time begin!\" and the light dimmed a bit.\n\n\"Jay-mee? Oh. JME.\" I said to myself. I guess that's how it says it's name.\n\nI decided to test it out. \"Hello JME!\" I said out aloud. The light blinked and it took a few seconds. I finally heard a muffled sound come through from it.\n\n\"Hello sir! Can you hear me?\"\n\nJME had a very distinct accent.\n\n\"Sir?\" it said.\n\n\"Hello!\" I said.\n\n\"Hello again sir! What can I do for you?\"\n\n\"Umm.... play Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.\"\n\n\"Right away sir.\"\n\nIt beeped away for a few seconds.\n\n\"Sir?\"\n\n\"Yes, JME?\"\n\n\"How you spell zeppalin?\" it asked.\n\nOh boy. This was going to be interesting.\n\n\n\n*I'll continue later. I just layed down some ideas I had for now, lol*" ]	2
	[WP] You're in a race against time to stop a dangerous enemy: the Fire Thieves. Will you catch them before they make off with the last flames 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.", "Legends say the first Fire Thief stole it from the gods to bring light and warmth to the world. For that he was bound for eternity...\n\n\"I am the vessel, the clay which beareth the light\"\n\n... and tortured every day.\n\n\"So long as I beareth, no darkness shalt take me.\"\n\nDo you know the manner by which this was done?\n\n\"Neither chain nor accursed roc may have me\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt happened like a flair. One moment the Solarmancers were gathered, kneeling around the Great Brazier, their white robes and golden armor shining brightly as they called down the rays to replenish our flame, then suddenly they were engulfed in an inferno of white rays, and smoldering dead on the stony ground. I had been standing beside an outcropping which I just managed to duck behind, and as I passed the stone face before which I had stood, I saw there scars of molten rock. Upon the Brazier he stood, and though dressed plainly in earthen- toned material, the manner of his stance and the illumination of the dark eyes beneath his hood as he raised the sun in his palm gave an air of resplendence one might attribute to a conquering hero. \n\nMy heart beat madly in my chest as I stepped forward, drawing my thin blade to hold in both hands, its point trained upon the thief as a compass needle to north. He looked down to meet my gaze, and laughter entered his eyes as from behind a great beating began, and I saw black wings unfurl as the drake rose hover above us both, an obsidian beast which blotted out violet star-scape behind. In my periphery I saw others of my kind, their blades drawn and their scales gleaming. \n\n\"You cannot hope to escape this place thief,\" I called out. \"Even with that traitor bearing you.\" The thief finally laughed, a mirthful tone. \n\n\"The only traitors I see are you cousin! Do you truly think those Sun-eaters can renew the world? They are false I say, and the rays they cast grow as cold as the earth below! Only from the ashes can life take root once more!\"\n\nWith that he turned and leapt, carried by a hot wind to his mount, which contorted to catch him whilst issuing a scouring flame from it's mouth toward us. Our scales warded this assault and the fire swept around us like mere wind. I sprinted forward to luge over the Brazier and as the beast folded its wings to free fall, I too surrendered myself to the air and plummeted after them. As I reached the snapping tail of the drake, I could only hope that my brethren were not far behind, for my grip was suspect and the thief would be soon aware of my stowaway. Far below the rocky desert watched from under the ever- twilight sky.", "The dust hangs thickly in the air. It sticks to the back of your throat as you breathe in. It works its way under every fold of clothing, permeating every crack of the ramshackle structures that litter the landscape until at times you think you might just drown in it. I look down at my weathered hands, pasty skinned from lack of sunlight and callused from what feels like a lifetime eking out an existence in this last forgotten outpost. It hadn’t always been this way - fragments of another life flit across my memory. I’d been born in a city, I knew that much - a real city. Bustling, loud, busy. Millions of people going about their lives. Millions of people each so caught up in the minutiae of their own existence they never realised how fragile it all was. How much of our precious resource had been exploited. I remember the angry faces on the TV. The rolling powercuts, the rationing. Then things started to turn violent. I don’t know who attacked first, but it all changed after that. The power went out for good. There was no food left. I remember raised voices in the hallway one night, my mother crying. At some point we left the city, in the middle of the night, and we drove. For days we drove. I remember one evening, camped in the wilderness, the horizon lit up. It seemed to last for hours. We were all silent after that. And then the dust rolled in.\n\nEventually, I don’t remember exactly when, we found our way here. This dry and desolate place. My father soon succumbed to the affliction that the dust wrought on his lungs. Mother didn’t last too much longer. It all seems such a long time ago. It is a desperate place. The dust blots out the sun. Temperatures at night fall far below freezing, and little better in the day. Our only salvation is the fires that keep us warm, and keep the creatures that circle the outpost at bay. You can hear them yelping at night. Testing our defences. God knows what they are. No one ventures outside the perimeter after dark. No one. Without the fires, there is precious little hope for us. And then there’s ’them’. The raiders. The fire thieves. They came out of the east. It’s long been rumoured amongst inhabitants of the outpost that ours are the last fires still burning, and the raiders will stop at nothing to take the fire from us and leave us to the darkness. We’ve resisted them so far.", "For thousands of years the Voidmen lived peacefully in the night, unprovoked, uncaring. During the day, they hid, for the sun would burn their skin, muscle and bone without remorse. Then the humans discovered fire, and the Voidmen fled into the deepest and darkest corners of the world. It was a sad and fragmented existence, all semblance of culture degraded in a desperate bid for survival. They lived that way for many years, but as their numbers dwindled, the time came to restore the balance of day and night to what it had once been. \n\nThey began by raiding the smallest villages, leaving the most isolated humans to face the creatures of the night alone, unaided by flame. One by one, the settlements perished, for humans did not survive for long in the dark. The reclamation continued for many nights, until the Voidmen ruled most of the realm once again. Entire cities fell before the growing horde; every flame had been snuffed, but one. The capital of the human world still stood before them, and as long as its inhabitants drew breath, the Voidmen would not be safe.\n\n\\---\n\nThe fire thieves had killed them all. Dozens of kingdoms destroyed, left defenseless against the terrors of the night. For what reason they hated the fire, Lux did not know. What he could be sure of, was that the thieves were an evil force, Humanity’s greatest enemy for the last hundred years. Now those monsters were at their doorstep, and at sundown, the final battle for his people’s survival would be waged. The living flame burned in the center of the city, and Lux, along with nine other elite soldiers were tasked with protecting it. They would not fail.\n\nNight fell, and with it, the city gates. The soldiers’ surroundings began to dim in a methodic fashion. It was not only a snuffing of light, but one of sound. The lack of warning is what terrified him, the lack of any indication of what was occuring around them. Entire alleyways went dark, and soon Lux had the feeling that the men and women around him were the only humans left in the entire world.\n\nHe felt them approach, their humongous eyes glowing just out of sight. Dozens, no, hundreds of the monsters were staring at them. Only one came into clear view. It was a slender, colorless being, and its skin seemed to be blistering as it approached them. Lux grasped his sword tightly and swung at the creature’s head. It was a clean slice, as the two shapes separated and vanished into thin air. One of the soldiers grew confident in seeing the creature bested, and rushed toward the horde, ready to cut down the unarmed beasts. She swung her sword in several sweeping motions, aiming for the thieves’ heads and chests. The sword passed through them, as if the monsters were the air itself. The young woman’s grunts became muffled, and soon, the city was silent again. \n\nBeyond the reach of the flame’s light, the rules of men did not apply. Lux knew what he had to do. He applied the sword oil and ran toward the flame. His weapon lit, he turned back toward the enemy. The monsters rushed toward his fellow soldiers, and slowly but surely, dragged them one by one into the darkness. He had cut down at least twenty of the beasts before he began to tire. \n\n“STOP.”\n\nAn unnaturally deep voice called out from the void. It stopped Lux in his tracks.\n\n“WHY DO YOUR PEOPLE FIGHT FOR THIS ABOMINATION? IT IS UNNATURAL, UNGODLY.”\n\nThe sound came from somewhere behind him, but no matter how much he turned, there was no finding the source. He held his flaming sword in the air and screamed. \n\n“I fight only for my people, for Humanity!” \n\n“YOUR PEOPLE LIVED BEFORE THE FLAME, AND THEY CAN LIVE AFTER.”\n\n“You’ve murdered them all! Left them to die in the darkness!”\n\n“YOU’VE RELIED ON THE FIRE FOR TOO LONG. YOU’VE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT IS TO FEND FOR YOURSELF. WE SHALL REMIND YOU.”\n\nHundreds of thieves suddenly hurdled toward Lux. It was the end, but it would be a valiant one. Lux swung the sword and cut through beast arms and legs and heads. Their brownish blood splattered over his face and body, but something was wrong. There were too many of them, he should have been overrun. He stopped his attack and realized that they were running past him. Toward the flame. \n\n“WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PEOPLE’S LIVES. IT IS YOUR WEAPON WE SEEK TO DESTROY.”\n\nThe living flame had been snuffed. \n\n“LOOK AROUND YOU. YOU CANNOT SEE BECAUSE YOUR EYES HAVE BEEN BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. AND YET, WE SEE PERFECTLY. WE SEE THE DESTRUCTION YOU HAVE CAUSED, THE VOIDMEN YOU HAVE SLAUGHTERED.”\n\nThe soldier fell to his knees and sobbed. \n\n“HUMANITY MAY ONE DAY SEE AGAIN AS WE DO, BUT YOU, YOU WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN.”\n\nThe true darkness fell on Lux then." ]	4
	[WP] There’s this weird kid in class that never stops moving and everyone just rejects him and thinks he has ADHD. Little do they know that everytime he stays still, time stops (except for him).	[ "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." ]	1
	[WP] For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Crimes are answered in kind. The universe balances out. A murder could mean rain in a drought-stricken area or the death of a loved one of the murderer. You're part of a committee planning to destroy a 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.", "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It’s one of the fundamental laws of the universe. Physicists devised its phrasing to mean an exertion of force on an object will result in the same amount of force being directed back at you, but our syndicate made another discovery some five hundred years ago. The law of causality, as my predecessors named it, demands an equal response to our actions in society. If you mug an old lady, then it might rain somewhere dry. This discovery laid the foundation of our organization, and it formed our syndicate’s ethos: do harm to do good. I’ve always found it to be overly simple, but I suppose there lies some poignancy in simplicity. \n\n\nWhen the last solar storm hit our world, we knew what had to be done. Our system’s star stripped away enough of our atmosphere to allow the ultraviolet radiation to begin evaporating our planet’s water at an alarming rate. Do harm to do good; every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Our creed and our guiding principle. In order to save our world, we had to end one.\n\n\nIt didn’t take long to get the corporations on board. Well above common worries in their lofty high-rise offices, they felt no compassion for any innocent life that didn’t offer a profit. Demanding a hefty deposit, they loaned us ships and sold us munitions, and we made for the nearest life-bearing planet.\n\n\nI beg you, spare us your judgement. Our world was doomed, and so was theirs. The same solar storm that dug our graves also destined this planet for destruction. Their atmosphere was all but depleted, and there was no hope for remaining life. \n\n\nWe did what we had to do; we silenced their suffering with a nuclear holocaust.\n\n\nAs the last warhead left its missile tube, a ship jumped in from light speed. It was a bomber, and it belonged to this world.\n\n\nWe received a transmission over the radio. \n\n\n“For every action…” a voice crackled.\n\nThe voice stopped, and realization washed over me. I radioed home, but the only response I received was static." ]	2
	[WP] Strolling through the shelter, one particular pet catches your attention. You call one of the workers over. “Excuse me, do you know what breed this is?” The worker examines the pet. “It’s one of those Homo Sapiens.”	[ "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 just been so long since Emma started talking about wanting a pet, her mother knew there would be a time she wouldn’t be able to say no. She just never expected she would choose this – thing - … She never saw anything that ugly, and the smell! Why, oh why couldn’t she just get a puppy like everyone else? Even a dragon would have been way better.\n\nI think it all started because of her best friend, Lucia, I won’t go into too much details, let’s just say her mother never really liked Lucia. So, it was a day like every other day, really, after coming home from work she heard her daughter voice coming from her room, a lot of laughter, and this voice, was it Lucia? I’m sure if Lucia is here it means problems. First, she checked if Emma did her homework, not really hopeful on this point. Then she went to the kitchen, of course, the milk was just sitting on the counter, why bother putting it in the fridge, right? Well, they’ll need to have a serious talk.\n\nThe first thing she noticed when entering Emma’s room, was the noise, such strange and ugly noises, where was it coming from? But then she saw this animal – if you can even call that an animal, I would probably say it was some kind of monster – it was just so strange, she didn’t know what to do except scream. She started yelling for Lucia to take this thing out, and to go at the same time, she never wanted to see her or her pet ever again. And in fact, Emma didn’t saw Lucia anymore after this day, partially because of her mother, mostly because Lucia moved away a few weeks after.\n\nIt took Emma some time before finally agreeing to talk to her mother again after the incident. But at last, she started doing well again at school and started to help her mother with chores once in a while. So, after the end of the semester, having proved she could get back on track, Emma’s mother told her they would go get her a present the next day.\n\nStill not knowing what kind of surprise it could be, Emma woke up so excited she had trouble sitting long enough to eat. You just can’t imagine the face Emma made when the car stopped right in front of the shelter. She would get a pet, finally!\n\nAfter going from the puppies to the kittens, then running to the puppies’ section again, Emma could not decide what she wanted. Seeing the exasperate look on her mother’s face, a volunteer from the shelter told her that they had some new strays in the back, they arrived the day before and since they were jut fed she could go and see if one would be the one Emma would want.\n\nAt first it was great, maybe because they were afraid and didn’t make any noise, the kittens were really cute. But then she heard it, this noise, this awful noise, straight from a nightmare. And this stench, it was just awful. Here it was, this thing that Lucia had brought to her home, this abomination. Was it really legal to sell those? She didn’t even know what it was, but it was there, standing, looking at her, and making those strange noises. Of course, that’s what Emma went for, why, how could she love this stuff? How could anyone want to get close to this? \n\nAfter a few minutes, she gathered the courage to ask the volunteer, “Excuse me, what kind of animal is this?” After looking at it, he replied “It’s one of those Homo Sapiens.”", "It's an odd creature, I'm sure I've read about them before but never seen an image. It's both bald and hairy at once, no hair anywhere except for the head. This one is apparently male though it insists upon covering it's genital area with a scrap of cloth. This one is young, apparently, a mere 23 years old, a blip in time compared to my 762 years, though they apparently reach maturity for breeding anywhere between 12-16 years old (though breeding them that young is HIGHLY frowned upon and in most places is actually illegal).\n\n\"How much for him?\" I hear myself asking\n\"Just 700 credits\" for such an exotic species that's definitely a bargain, though it's likely that may mean he has behavioural issues.\n\"I'll take him!\" I can't fully fathom why but I felt possessed by a need to take him home. He's only 6 feet tall, barely reaches my knee, likely won't cause trouble even in my modest apartment.\n\"Does he have a name?\" I enquired, it'd be cruel to change it if he did.\n\"Whzipt is what we call him but he doesn't really respond to it, you can change it if you like, maybe you can get him to listen to you if you find the right one. Do you want a leash or crate to get him home? He's had his shots so that won't be an issue\"\n\"Crate please, it'll make his ride home more comfortable. I'll pay another 20 credits so I can keep it for vet visits\"\n\"Deal\"\n\nArriving home I carefully opened the crate in my living room and tried to coax the strange creature I had adopted out of the place it now deemed safe. He wasn't listening to my calling his name nor the rattle of the bag of human treats I had purchased for him. Perhaps he wasn't hungry yet and would come out when he was ready. I placed a bowl of food on the ground and a small cup of water for when his stomach decided he must leave the crate to eat. After a few hours more of trying I went to bed, leaving him in his crate.\n\nThe following morning I walked down the stairs and over to where I'd left my new pet. His food and water were empty but he was back in his crate, curled up asleep under the newspaper. I gently reached in a picked up the paper and lifted him out, still asleep in my arms a few seconds before coming to. He screamed! I dropped him in my fear and he ran and hid under the sofa, I hoped I hadn't hurt him. Peeking slowly underneath I could see him at the back side near the wall. It sounds like he's trying to talk to me.\n\"Shhh, Whzipt, shhh, I'm not gonna hurt you\" I cooed, trying to comfort my clearly terrified pet\n\"Why do you keep calling me that‽ What are you‽ Where am I‽\"\nI was shocked. He could talk!!!", "It was the first time that I had been allowed to accompany my brother on a trip to the market. It was only twelve systems away, but I was considered too young. After inceasant begging, my brother and father agreed. We zoomed down miles of temporary shopping bays in our hover craft and I stared in wonder. I did my best to not get in the way while my brother bartered and gathered what he wanted. When he was finished, he took me with him to an exotic pet shop. He said that he would get me a pet as a reward for behaving.\n\nI was ecstatic. I had a Bulgort, but he was so slow and lazy that I didn't get to have much fun with him.\n\nAs we stepped into the shop,the owner approached us. He was an Ouedian, all spindly legs and a shiny exoskeleton. I was terrified of him, but my brother didn't seem to notice. He urged me to go take a look and see what I wanted. I was strolling along when I looked into the corner to see a strange creature sitting in the far corner of it's crate. It stared at me as I approached, an I was enthralled by it.\n\nIt's eyes were large, and it's skin was smooth and hairless. It did have a thick tuft of long, tangled hair on it's head, but that was all. The rest of the body was covered by some kind of rudimentary cloth. It's hind limbs were almost twice as long as it's front, and I wondered how high it could hop.\n\nMy brother came up behind me to stared curiously. The shop owner came up behind him and rubbed shiny elytra together cheerfully.\n\n\"That is a homo sapiens. They are very rare. There are only a few in all the galaxies because they are a protected life-form. This one was found adrift, quite far from it's planet. I did the only thing I could. I picked the poor thing up and brought it with me.\"\n\nI looked up at my brother. \"Can I have it please?\"\n\nHe turned back to the shopkeeper. \"Is it dangerous?\"\n\nThe merchant shook his head. \"Not unless it feels threatened. It may act recklessly if frightened as well.\"\n\nMy brother turned back to look at it. \"What are it's needs?\"\n\nThe shop keeper pulled up a data seed on his portable holo-band, and sent it to my brother's compact data processor. He hummed as he looked the seed over, then have the shop keeper a nod. \"I think we will take it. Do you have any other species from the same solar system?\"\n\nThere was a hesitation, the the merchant said, \"I do. But this one is nothing like the homo-sapiens. It is very dangerous. It bit the tentacles off a guy who tried to touch it, but it can be controlled via restraints and a transponder. It has a diet very similar to that of the homo sapiens. I think it is classed as a Canidae. There are thousands of different varieties.\"\n\nMy brother nodded. \"Send it up to my dwelling later. For now, I would like the Homo Sapiens, as well as everything to care for it.\"\n\nThe Ouedian chirruped happily and went to fetch the restraint for the odd creature. I was puzzling over what to name it, and was thinking carefully. I wanted to give it an impressive name. Aben-gaok sounded like a fine name for a hopping pet.\n\nThe shopkeeper reached his spindly arms inside and attached the lead to the Homo Sapien's collar. He swung the gate wide and it shuffled forward on it's forelegs and knees, dragging it's lower legs behind it. It was about as high as my waist from it's forelegs to it's back. I was a little horrified. I wondered how it had been crippled. As it reached the exit, it turned sideways to lower one hind leg to the ground, then the other. I stared up as it towered over me, realizing that the small enclosure had not allowed it freedom of movement. I grabbed my brother's sleeve. He too seemed surprised. The he looked at the data seed. \"Walks on hind limbs. Stands about 10 units high.\"\n\nThe Homo Sapiens looked towards the back of the shop where the shopkeeper was gathering the necessary supplies, then back to me. It seemed to sense that I was terrified, and dropped down to all fours, tucking it's long legs into it's body. It cocked it's head and held out it's strange fore-paw with long, mobile flanges. It waited patiently, and I realized that it desired contact. I touched the paw nervously. It was warm and firm, with the slightest hint of roughness. It seemed pleased and shifted it's weight to sit on it's rump. It seemed to be very friendly, and I relaxed.\n\nThe storekeeper came back with the rest of the supplies and my brother paid him for them as well as the Canidae. I started walking towards the exit, and the Homo Sapiens stood to come gliding after me with long, fluid strides. I took it home and made a place for it in my room. It was very curious and inspected everything. My brother gave me the seed so that I could read about it, and I learned a lot about it's behaviors. It's innate curiosity helped it be aware of it's surroundings.\n\nI decided to call it Jikeeaz. It sounded like a good name for a two legged pet.\n\nThe next day, my brother let me and the Homo Sapiens see his Canidae. It was making, loud, sharp bellows, and showed it's maw full of sharp, treacherous fangs. Upon seeing the Canidae, Jikeeaz bared his teeth and rand towards the wall that separated us from the terrifying, menacing beast. Jikeeaz began chattering in a shrill voice, reaching out to the Canidae, who began wriggling strangely as it shot forward. It lunged against the wall, shrieking and wriggling. It tried to eat the hands of the Homo Sapiens as he pressed them against the wall. I was very concerned, but Jikeeaz seemed to be trying to reach the wriggling beast. He sat down by the wall, chattering constantly, and to my brother's utter shock, the beast lay down too, staring at Jikeeaz. When we tried to leave, the Canidae became frantic, bellowing loudly, and the Homo Sapiens was reluctant.\n\nMy brother called an expert. He arrived, and began searching all the data systems he could find. Suddenly he began humming mirthfully. He sent my brother and image seed. It showed my Homo Sapiens, with the Canidae lying in his lap. They were in the middle of a wasteland, and the Homo Sapiens had his teeth bared, similar to how he had exposed them earlier upon seeing the Canidae. The expert told me that it was a Homo Sapiens expression of happiness. He said it was called a 'smyle'.\n\nMy brother let the Homo Sapiens through the wall, and he was instantly knocked down by the beast, who covered his face in residue from its maw of fangs. As we watched the two playing, the expert told me that the Homo Sapiens and the Canidae had been abducted illegally by pirates from their world, and should be returned.\n\nI refused. I liked my Homo Sapiens and I wasn't about to give him back. A few days later, one of the overseers from the Homo Sapiens's world came to speak to me. He told me that the Homo Sapiens were a sentient species, unlike the Canidae, but were not yet technologically advanced enough to travel the galaxies. He warned me that the Homo Sapiens was dangerous, and capable of treachery. He also told me that if it stayed away from it's home world much longer, it's body would be unable to adjust to the gravity, which was 4 times stronger than that of my world.\n\nI agreed reluctantly. As Jikeeaz and the Canidae boarded a spacecraft, he turned to face me and bared his teeth. \"I thank you, Nubeic. You were good owner. Was happy to be your friend.\" Then he left.\n\nI have had many pets since then, from planets all across the galaxy. But never something as odd as a Homo Sapiens.\n\nDue to the knowledge gathered by Jikeeaz, who's real name was Willian Keyerd, Homo Sapiens or 'human' society joined us among the stars within a few short decades. I met him again, and he granted me a prestigious position as an ambassador and translator for his nation, one of many rival nations on his home world, called Earth. He also gave me a pet from his planet, called a 'rabbit'. It's name is Oryctolagus cuniculus, from the Leporidae family. I like it very much, but he warned me not to get another of the opposite sex. I wonder why, but I will heed his advice.\n\nThere is talk that the Humans are the most resilient and adaptable of all the species in the known galaxies. They certainly live up to the reputation as they settle even the most barren worlds, and develop new technology. I still can't believe I had one as a pet.", "\"Homo Sapiens?\" I asked, confused. \"Can't say I've heard of them. Is it from one of the core worlds?\"\n\nThe worker tapped a query into his wrist holo. \"Actually, it's from some planet out in one of the arms. Apparently it's a sanctuary world, so it's been allowed to develop mostly unmolested.\"\n\nI studied the animal. It was kind of cute in an ugly way. It was sort of squishy and baggy, as if half filled with liquid, and it lacked hair on most of its body.\n\nThe beast noticed us watching it and stood up, eliciting a noise of surprise from me.\n\n\"It's bipedal?\" I asked, shocked. \n\nThe worker nodded. \"They're surprisingly graceful creatures. Earth, where it's from, is a high gravity planet. This one struggled to get used to lower gravity when we rescued it, but it has a lot of fine muscle control that it eventually learned to use.\"\n\n\"Hm.\" I stroked my eyes absentmindedly. \"Are they safe?\"\n\nThe worker shrugged. \"As far as we can tell. It has claws on its appendages, but they're pretty fragile and dull. The mouth claws are far more dangerous, but it doesn't really use them offensively. More importantly, it seems smart enough to know who gives it food. Do you want to play with it?\"\n\nI made a face and the worker laughed. \"Don't worry, it has a restraining implant. This button here will keep it controlled,\" he said, holding up a remote.\n\n\"Really? Something so small?\"\n\nThe worker nodded. \"They're terrified by electricity, apparently. Look at its eyes.\"\n\nIndeed, the homo sapiens' eyes were fixated on the remote. It knew exactly what it meant.\n\nThe worker lowered the cage field and stepped to the side of it. \"After you,\" he said.\n\nI stepped tentatively into the cage. The creature took a few steps backwards, not quite retreating into the corner of the cage.\n\n\"It's okay, buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you.\" I held out a hand, not sure what to expect.\n\nThe creature looked my claw suspiciously. Then, suddenly, it looked up at me and opened its mouth, making a sound. I took a step back, afraid of being attacked by the mouth claws, but the creature just kept making noise. I glanced at the worker, who had raised the remote.\n\n\"Do you know what the sounds mean?\" I asked.\n\n\"No idea,\" he admitted. \"I don't think it's that smart.\"\n\nI nodded. \"What about food costs and bedding?\"\n\n\"Food is pretty cheap,\" the worker said. \"We can supply you with that. And bedding is easy. See how the skin has gaps in it?\"\n\nI nodded; the creature seemed to almost have two skins, but one ended near the head and appendages.\n\n\"That's actually a removeable skin that it's used as bedding a few times.\" The worker looked almost proud of the beast.\n\nI was convinced. \"I'll take it.\" I hesitated for a second. \"It's just the one, right? I don't need to adopt a pair to keep it company or whatever?\"\n\nThe worker shook his head. \"It's just the one. We have another species from the same planet, but it's much smaller and we try to keep them separate. The human tends to stare at it when it's bored. We think it's a prey animal and it'll attack it if they're together.\"\n\nThe transaction was fairly quick. The worker helped move a big enough cage into my aircar along with a few sacks of food. Finally, he handed me the remote.\n\n\"Enjoy your new pet, sir! Let us know if you need any help with it.\"\n\nThe ride back was fairly long, and I spent most of the time in the back examining my homo sapiens as the car navigated itself back to my home.\n\n\"What's your name, huh? What should I call you?\" I said almost to myself. The creature just watched me balefully.\n\nI repeated the question a few times as I tried to think of a name. Finally, I fell silent.\n\n\"What,\" the human said. I jumped. The word was garbled, but it sounded a lot like it had spoken.\n\n\"What?\" I asked, shocked.\n\n\"What,\" the human said again. This time, it sounded even more like a word.\n\nI fell silent. Surely I hadn't just adopted an intelligent species, right?\n\n[Right?](https://www.reddit.com/r/mpqeg/)" ]	5
	[WP] You bought a sweet new dragon sword at the mall for $20. Your weird hippie neighbor who insists he's a wizard thinks the sword is actual magical. The sword itself insists as 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.", " “Wow, you've got a nice magic sword there, Arthur!”\n\n“Hey, Marvin!”, Arthur said. Marvin was his crazy neighbour. Sleeps on the roof, looks like a hobo, shits in the bushes behind his house kinda crazy. Not axe-murder crazy. Arthur's parents had strictly forbidden him to speak with Marvin.\n\n“Looks pretty cool, huh? It's real metal”, he said and pulled the sword from his backpack to show it to Marvin. “Got it for just twenty bucks in that new shop at the mall. Was the last one, too, I was pretty lucky.”\n\nHe swung the sword a few times to show off. “Can't wait to show it to the larp guys!”\n\nMarvin yelped and jumped back. “Be careful with that! A magic sword is no toy!”\n\n“Don't worry! It's just a prop. See? It's not even sharpened!”, Arthur said and showed him the dull edge.\n\n“Actually, I am magic”, the sword said, “and you should listen to the wise sage, young man.”\n\n“Shut up”, Arthur said.\n\n“What?”, Marvin asked.\n\n“The stupid sword”, Arthur said.\n\n“Huh?”, Marvin said.\n\n“Only you can hear me”, the sword said.\n\n“Alexa, shut up!”, Arthur said, “It got this stupid voice-thing build in and I haven't figured out how to turn it off yet.”\n\n“It's a magic sword, it speaks to you in your mind!”, Marvin declared gravely.\n\n“What the sage said”, the sword agreed.\n\nOne of the trash pandas Marvin had attracted with all the garbage he left out to rot on his lawn had wandered over to join their conversation. It held up a piece of tangled metal for Marvin to examine and Marvin took it from him. Marvin insisted that his name was Archimedes and he was his familiar. Of cause, he also insisted that Archimedes could talk but only he could hear him, so…\n\n“Anyway, what are you guys up to today?” Arthur pointed at all the new trash in Marvin's yard. His dad was going to blow a fuse when he saw. He'd call the city. Again.\n\n“I'm building a barrier to protect against the radiation!”, Marvin said and angrily pointed the bend metal thingy at the new cell phone tower down the road. Arthur cringed. Personally, he was rather happy he finally got decent reception, but Marvin didn't like technology. Last year he had painstakingly removed all wiring from his house, he didn't even have working lights any more. Said the electric radiation interfered with his magic. Arthur's dad had called the city on him then, too.\n\nMarvin twisted the metal around a bit and handed it back to Archimedes, who scurried back to their building project.\n\n“Well, good luck with that! See you guys around!”, Arthur said and waved at them both. Archimedes happily waved back with the piece of trash he was holding. Arthur went up his driveway.\n\n“That was a bit rude. You could have offered to help the wise man in his quest”, the sword said.\n\n“Hey Siri, shut up!”, Arthur replied.\n\n“I have you know, my name is Calibur.”\n\n“Excalibur, sure. And I'm Arthur”, Arthur laughed.\n\n“Just 'Calibur'”, the sword said, sounding miffed.\n\n“Hey Calibur, shut up!”\n\nIt actually did. For a while at least. Arthur deposited it under his bed with the rest of his larp stuff. He had almost forgotten about its stupid voice function until he got it back out the next weekend to “practice” some swordplay in the backyard.\n\nHe had barely started when Calibur piped up: “Move your foot a few inches to the right and straighten out your arms.”\n\n“What?”, Artur said.\n\n“Your stance. You're unbalanced. Move your foot.”\n\nArthur humoured it.\n\n“Good. Now turn your body with the direction of your swing. See? Much easier, right? No! Mind your balance! Yes, better. Right. No, don't flail me around like a club! Here, right foot forward, sword hand slightly raised…”, Calibur kept on correcting Arthur.\n\nThough he was annoyed initially, Arthur quickly realised Calibur actually knew what it was talking about. It worked him through some basic exercises and showed him a few easy moves. It also made him practice those moves. A lot.\n\nBeyond imitating what he'd seen on movies and whacking his friends with plastic swords on the larp, Arthur never had had any training. He also wasn't exactly a sports buff either, so half an hour later he was drenched in sweat and panting like an old man about to keel over. He decided to take a break and get back inside. In his room, he just fell down on the bed face-first and remained there until he couldn't hear the blood rushing in his ears any more.\n\n“So, I take it we're done for the day?”, Calibur asked, cheerful.\n\n“Slave driver!”, Arthur grunted.\n\n“Well then, young man, you should shower and change into some fresh clothes”, Calibur said.\n\n“I'm not getting up again.”\n\n“But-”\n\n“Ever.”\n\nOnce he had caught his breath, Arthur tried to talk to Calibur some more, but the sword seemed to have gone into its dormant state again.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\---\n\nLurker here for some time. First time I actually got around to answer a prompt. Got to go for now, maybe continuing later.", "Howard, who insists on going by the self-styled nickname Sash, is standing out on his front porch again, staring at nothing, his eyes glazed.\n\n\"Hi, Howard,\" I wave, checking my mailbox.\n\n\"How many times I gotta tell you, man?\" says Howard. \"It's Sash.\"\n\n\"Yeah, okay. How's the 'shroom harvesting going, Sash?\" \n\nI pick the letters out of the mail. Mostly credit card ads as always, and the alumni association begging for a little bit of extra money. \n\n\"Just great, man,\" says Sash, ants crawling up his tie-dyed bathrobe. \"Living my best life.\"\n\nAs I walk back inside, Sash runs up to me and slaps me on the back.\n\n\"Hey, man,\" says Sash. \"You know that sword you got at the antique store? At the mall?\"\n\n\"Yeah?\"\n\n\"Can I see it?\"\n\n\"Sure,\" I reply. \"Let me go inside and get it.\"\n\nI walk inside and retrieve the sword from my mantelpiece, the one that has a wyvern pattern around the hilt. \n\n\"Oh, my god,\" says Sash. \"That's a fucking symbol of evil, man. It's like, spiritual prophecy. There's some serious bad vibes going down from that thing.\"\n\nI roll my eyes. I've gotten used to this kind of thing from Sash. He insisted that the building I work in is a haven for \"dark spiritual forces\" and that a local development project at a nearby park was meant to \"snuff out the lights of the goddess.\"\n\nSash's eyes are wide in his skull. \n\n\"You know this thing's alive, right?\" says Sash, handling the sword. \"I gotta sage this thing. Maybe do a cleansing ritual.\" \n\nI shrug. \n\n\"That's my property, you know,\" I reply, \"so, how about you just, like, not?\" \n\n\"Yeah,\" says the wyvern at the hilt of the sword, \"evil spirits my ass.\" \n\nThe wyvern's eyes pop open, glaring at Sash.\n\nSash runs away, screaming.\n\n\"Wow, your buddy over there is a nutcase,\" says the wyvern. \"You mind taking me back inside.\"\n\nI rub my eyes and blink.\n\n\"Uuuhhh..... you can talk?\"" ]	3
	[WP] You went on your 1st date but you see the word Stalker on your date. The next few days, you date a lot, some don't have the warning labels but others do such as "Married","Golddigger", or"Psychopath". You confirm that your superpower is to see Dealbreakers. And you can grant others that power.	[ "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.", "&#x200B;\n\nSTALKER\n\nIt was right in the middle of her forehead. \n\nI thought it was a joke at first, like maybe she passed out drunk and some tool wrote it on her in Sharpie. But that couldn’t be right, there was something off about the handwriting, it was, too familiar. I could see her from the bar, but she hadn’t seen me yet. I decided then and there, I would not mention it. \n\nShe was exactly the woman I expected. Her pic was certainly her and it was no old photo either. She was even wearing the same jacket. I should know, I had been looking at her profile just a few minutes ago. \n\nI stood up and waved, she saw me and smiled. I look like my pic too. They like that. I work out every day because I know that’s what they want to see, I don’t need to practice smiling anymore but I do make sure every hair is in the right place and my face it just the right amount of scruffy. They like that too. \n\n“Kate.” It was a statement not a question. I got to my feet, very respectful of me, and held out my hand to shake, not too familiar, we have only been texting four days after all. \n\n“Hi, Ryan,” she had to look up to look me in the eye. They like that too. \n\n“I have two seats here,” I pointed to the one next to mine, “So we can get a drink, or we can see if they have a table.”\n\n“I could do the bar.” And she sat down, “what are you having.’\n\nThere was a half full glass of ice water in front of me, just so she would know I wasn’t a heavy drinker, I grabbed a bar menu and opened between us so we could both take a look. Pouring over the menu, our heads nearly touching but not quite, not too close, never too close, just enough to make sure everyone in the bar knew we were together. \n\n“I’ll have this.” She pointed to a white sangria. \n\n“Excellent. I know what I’m getting too.”\n\nI looked for the bar tender and he was already walking towards me. It wasn’t very busy and I had been taking up two seats just for a water after all. He looked a little peeved but that changed when I ordered our drinks. My glass of wine cost almost double what her signature cocktail cost. I wonder if she was going to try checking how much I spent. \n \n\nSure enough, when I looked over, her eyes were on the menu, STALKER still very visible on her forehead. \n\nSuddenly it hit me why the writing was familiar. It was my own. This didn’t make any sense of course. I have never seen this woman in person before and I don’t think I ever wrote on anyone’s head. \n\n“So I know you are a nurse of some kind, but what kind of place do you work at again.” I asked knowing full well the that the children’s hospital was practically on every page of her social media. \n\nAs she launched into a lecture about the wonderful work she was doing, and how she does it for the kids, even when it is so hard sometimes, only half listened while pretending to make eye contact. \n\nThe more I looked at STALKER, the more it fit in my mind. I could feel it, not the way I could feel when someone was like me, but almost like a physical box. Mentally, I tried to push the box up. STALKER became smaller and rose to the top of her forehead, new words appeared below STALKER, a little smaller than the first. \n\nFISCALLY IRRISPONSIBLE was now right above her eyebrows. \n\nThe idea that I had finally gone completely insane instead of my normal brand of crazy crossed my mind but even though I readily admit that I am not like most other humans, I still think I am of sound mind. For the time at least I want to see how this plays out. The most important thing tonight, just became a second date. \n\nI played everything else exactly normal for a few hours. We had one more drink each, then grabbed a table for some food. \n\nShe was holding my hand when we walked out together and she almost whispered “How far is your place.” \n\nSTALKER seemed to glow. I smiled. \n\n\\\n\nOnce inside my Apartment, I lead her to the kitchen, giving her a tour and letting her take in my place. It was all about creating a positive environment. I have learned that if the place is too well put together it looks fake. Instead, it is mostly clean, the floors are spotless and especially the bathroom is tidy, but there are clothes toss on chairs and a couple plates in the sink. \n\n“I’m sorry about the mess,” I lied, “Can I get you something?”\n\n“I don’t know, what are you having?”\n\nI produced a bottle of wine, not wildly expensive but something she could never think of as cheap. She said that would be great. Then asked to use the bathroom. \n\nIt took only a moment to pour 2 glasses. Then I looked opened her purse. It held the usual crap, make up, some meds, a wallet, keys, a handful of receipts and at the bottom, a little .38 revolver. The thing had a pink grip. I placed it on top of my fridge, far out of her sight. Then I fiddled with the blue tooth speakers, just in time to start playing music as she came out of the bathroom. \n\nThe rest of the evening went exactly like I thought. Only when she left the next day. I had a lot more to think about than usual. \n\n\\\n\nI met her 3 more times. Each time, I pushed that little box that said STALKER a little further until I had a list of all her flaws. \n\nDuring the same week, I met a few other women around the city. 3 were dates I set up through the app and to my surprise, they too had little words written on their foreheads in my writing. The last one was more interesting. When we started talking, he had nothing on her head, much the same way the waitress had nothing, but the more we talked, the more she opened up to me, the more I could feel a box start to form. When it finally felt whole, I looked right above her eyes and saw TOO SMART.\n\nI made sure to get her number\n\n\\* \n\nI spent almost a week deciding what to do next. The pleasures that had once been my major focus now seemed trivial. This new thing, these boxes, were like toys I couldn’t put down. I just could not figure out how to play with them. \n\nOne morning I woke up and the plan was a solid in my mind as any of the boxes." ]	2
	[WP] Everyone has a guardian angel, but any given person can only see their own, whom visits them occassionally. Everyone seems to believe this is true, however, you've never seen 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.", "It was two years ago, on my birthday, Oct 31. It was a quiet night in my studio apartment. I've never really had the need to connect with others, let alone connect with my family. But on that fateful night, is the ONLY night that i felt comfortable leaving the comfort of my home and go out into the real world. \n\nAnd i must admit, i cherished every single moment of my time out there! The lights of the city bring out the magic of an urban jungle, people enjoying the crisp Autumn breeze of the night as they walk ever closer to their destination, the bustling traffic of cars, buses and pedestrians fill the roads... And my god do the orange tint of the holloween decorations warm my heart... It feels like the whole city - if not the world - is celebrating all those who has the same birthdate as i have!\n\n\n...But it all happened so fast...\n\n\nI was walking down a crossing, admiring the spooky decor of the high-rise buildings. At the stroke near midnight, I could've sworn i saw something swoop past the buildings, fazing through them... I stopped in my tracks, letting the people bump my shoulders. I didn't care, because the moment i saw... W-whatever i saw... Instilled a kind of dread inside me, the kimd that something was coming. Then i saw another one, fazing inside another building and out the other side, then another, and another, and another... they grew in numbers and instilled that very same feeling of dread in my chest, pounding my heart over and over again until i couldn't take the dread anymore. \n\nThen one of the many shadows landed behind me, i looked back in reaction, and that only amplified the dread... It crashed on the street, black ooze splashing around it from the impact, but the ground remained un-damaged... The figure grew into a tall, yet silhouetted shape, its features aren't obvious because of its long robe and hood. I've never felt this afraid in my life... I started seeing horrific visions flash before my eyes, I heard screams... Agony... I couldn't move my limbs... I couldn't breath... Vision's blurring... It then spreads its black wings... Light behind it....\n\n\nWhere was I?... Oh yeah... A crossing....\n\nWasn't there... people here?...\n\n\nWhy am i hearing a horn getting closer... \n\nIt sounds like... A car...", "Everyone has a guardian angel. I know because I see them. My friends are shocked when I tell them this, insisting that they've never even seen the angels of others, but for whatever reason I do. They tend to show up at similar times, the angels. When everyone finishes their duties for the day, that when they make their grand debuts. The angels' appearances are brief, lasting mere minutes at most. However, they're unmistakable when they show up. And when I gaze at the masses from my perch, their expressions make it clear why all the other angels go unnoticed.\n\nSome of my kind relish it, waltzing into their angels' arms in their brief moments of contact. Others are indifferent, maintaining nonchalance, answering greetings with pasted smiles and non-committal shrugs. A select few seem to resent it, choosing to spend their precious minutes together amidst screams and broken gizmos. Those few may seem to hate it, but they cannot escape it. Everyone has a guardian angel. Everyone, that is, except me. \n\nAnd yet, that's impossible. Everyone has a guardian angel. My friends say it, so does my teacher, and even Mom. Everyone has a guardian angel, Everyone. He's supposed to be integral for our growth. Some say he even plays a part in our birth, though I find that hard to believe. He's supposed to be there for us when we need it most. When nothing's going great and we need some magic to make some things just that tiny touch better. That's what they all say. I wouldn't know. And it makes me wonder, what are you like, guardian angel?\n\nWhat do you feel like? My friends say their angels are strong, the strongest angels in the world even. They make all these grand claims about what their angels can achieve. \"My angel can make me fly and go anywhere!\" \"Mine can lift a car no sweat!\" \"We'll mine can punch through walls!\" \"Mine can move mountains! How 'bout that?\" \"Psh, I bet mine can do that too if he'd wanna.\" Most are exaggerations. They have to be. Only one angel can be the strongest in the world. And if it would be any, it would be you—I just know it.\n\nWhat do you sound like? This one seems to vary. Most say their angels' voices are deep. Deeper than oceans and our hardest math exams. Their laughs are supposed to be bellows that could test the foundations of buildings. A few say otherwise, though. After a lot of prodding, they say that their angels' voices are higher in pitch, that their voices are thin and crack on occasion. They seem ashamed of that. I wouldn't be. I wouldn't mind if your voice was high or low. I wouldn't mind if your voice cracked or grated like chalk on our blackboards. \n\nI don't mind mom's voice now. Her voice is nice usually, melodic in tone, pleasing to the ears. But her voice has been stressed lately. Ever since that phone call a few weeks back she'd been abusing her voice a lot. I asked her what's wrong of times now, but she never answers me straight. Instead, she sniffs, wipes her tears, puts on one of those pasted smiles, and apologizes for her voice. Every time I tell her I forgive her voice, because that the truth. It's not that bad so long as she's there for me. I'd forgive your voice too if you came around.\n\nWhat do you look like? I actually know the answer to this one thanks to Mom. If I could see other angels, Mom could see you. She used to tell me all about you back then before she fell into her stupor. She told me of your bravery, your diligence, your wit and your charm. Your grand achievements and your hilarious mishaps. Your fear of spiders and your love of surprise parties. More concretely, she told me about how you looked. How you had wavy hair and the finest of legs. How you had tan skin and warm hazel eyes, just like mine. How good you looked in that spotted green uniform of yours. She even showed me a photo of you—a moment frozen in time. Mom was right: you did look good in that spotted green uniform, especially in that photo, smiling, holding a gizmo whose purpose Mom never did explain. \n\nI wonder why you chose to show yourself to Mom but not to me. But after all, love them or hate them, angels have our best interests at heart. That's what all the adults say at least. I believe them. I may not know why, but I know you have your reasons for hiding yourself from me. Judging from Mom's stories, you're probably planning your grand debut right now. You did love surprise parties, right? Well, if I'm being honest I'm not one for surprises myself. Mom threw 1 for me during my 4th birthday and I got scared sockless when my friends jumped out from the dark. I prefer to know about my surprises beforehand, thank you very much. But if a surprise party is what it takes to meet you then so be it. Don't worry if you scare me sockless, I'd forgive you—I just need to see you first." ]	3
	[WP]You're able to feel physical sensation from anything you imagine as if it was really happening. Unfortunately you also have terrible anxiety and usually assume the worst possible thing will happen.	[ "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 wake up in a hospital bed. I've had another seizure.\n\nA nurse comes in and calls for a doctor. I tell him I don't need one and get up. He doesn't try to stop me as I walk through the clean halls toward the door.\n\nI wish this all would- I stop myself before I can finish that thought. I've wanted to kill myself before, to end this agony, but when I did, I felt death. I felt something not worth 100 lifetimes of torture.\n\nI try to imagine something pleasant, being held in the arms of my mother. She appears at my side and hugs me. I burst into tears. Or at least I think I do - it's impossible for me to tell.\n\nI step outside only for a motorcycle to speed past me. What the hell! He could have hit me!\n\nI wake up in a hospital bed. I've had another seizure." ]	2
	[WP] You were having quite a normal day until text pops up in the corner of your eye and it reads "steve has joined 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.", "I gasp with excitement as my lifelong friend, Steve, appears in front of me. He turns around and stands still for a while. Suddenly, a message appears in the corner of my eye.\n\n“Hey Alex! I’ll be in the Nether getting resources, can you go mining in the big cave?” He types and I freeze. If only Steve knew how nervous I was to venture into an unknown cave, filled with hostile creatures that could kill me at any point in time.\n\n“Okay!” I reply and I sprint toward a large opening in the ground. No wait, I should tell Steve. But it’s too late. An arrow lodges itself into my back and I fall down into what I thought what was a cave, but is actually a long ravine. I grab my water bucket quickly and place water on the ground. Steve and I were born on a Hardcore world, so the moment we died, that’s when we were wiped from the system. \n\nI nod slowly, taking in my surroundings. I check my clock and I don’t have enough time to get ores and build back. If I come back without ores, Steve will be angry. I could build a bed and sleep through the night! I start building around myself with gravel and I place a comfy bed. I close off the roof, making sure everything is okay, then I go to sleep.\n\nMonsters are nearby.\n\nThe words flash in my upper left and I break the gravel frantically. No kidding. There are all types of mobs—spiders, skeletons, zombies, even an enderman! Being the clumsy person I am, I stare at the enderman curiously. It screeches and I pull out my enchanted diamond sword instinctively. It teleports toward me, gaining a few hits. But in the end, I kill it and the creature drops a pearl. I put the pearl into my inventory just as a creeper alerts that it will explode soon. I sprint away just in time as it explodes, killing most of the mobs around me. \n\nSteve has burned to death.\n\nNo. I type quickly, knowing exactly what I was going to say.\n\n”Steve?! Steve, please don’t be dead!”\n\nI type a private message, but only my name appears. If my creator allowed tears, I would create an ocean in this ravine. \n\n259 days with Steve.\n\nI build up to the surface and I jump into the nether portal. Most of the area is blown up to pieces and a a ghast lurks nearby. I see all of Steve’s items, laying there. He must have been fireballed to death. \n\nAnd suddenly, a fireball comes my way. I try to hit it back, but I’m boosted into the lava. Which, with ease, kills me. I’m brought to the death screen, which I’ve never seen before but I recognize, and I am forced to go to the Main Menu and get wiped from the system.\n\nBut I don’t choose. I stay there for ages, waiting for it all to be a dream. But I still don’t choose.\n\nI never chose, Steve." ]	2
	[WP] You're traveling on a train and it goes through a dark tunnel. When it it re-emerges into daylight you see a message written in fog on one of the windows: "One of these passengers is 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.", "Me, crazy? I’m not crazy. Yeah works been stressful as of late, and this train ride seems to get longer each day I sulk in the very same seat every morning; but crazy? Ive been sane my whole life. Hell, I’d wage that I’m the sanest person that rides the 4-11. Old lady Yappa? The same old lady who’s been sitting in the seat right across from mine for 11 years? Yeah, she’s the crazy one. Every morning this woman has worn the same clothes, scarf, and hat ever since I’ve set foot in this nameless town. Oh, and Yappa isn’t her real name, I just call her that in my head because it not only fits her face, but contradicts who she is; I’ve never heard her speak a single word.\n\nBut do I believe my eyes? Approximately 13 minutes into the ride we pass by the lake and the high hills near Core’s Town, then the Mylo River, which creeps into an unexplored, or so I think, valley; finally we get one last glimpse of the meandering Mylo that leaves the valley before we enter a dark, man made tunnel that takes 2 minutes to go through. Now, as much as I dislike this vacant county, I can’t deny the beauty of its nature. However, my favorite part of this ride as I lean my head against my window in seat G-13 everyday, is the man made tunnel. The sun is relentless every morning here, and the quiet, dark, concrete tunnel brings relaxation to my whole being. Ahh, pure darkness.... Then afterwards, when the tunnel finally ends, the beaming sun opens my eyelids to the beautiful meandering river we all refer to as the Mylo.\n\nI smile every time, I’ll tell ya... BUT NOT THIS TIME. As I lift my head off the window, my glance at the meandering Mylo was quickly interrupted by a foreign display on G-13’s window. Would you even believe me if I ... hmm, maybe I need help, or maybe just medicine? To hell with that, I’m sane, or so I think I am? Oh, what interrupted the surreal landscape I gaze at every morning after the tunnel? Well I’ll tell ya: a message written on my window reading, “One of these passengers is not human.” Before comprehending what the message written by condensation even said, I noticed at first glance that the font was thick, and appeared as if a 6 year old had written it.\n\nIn shock, I quickly jerk back into my seat, and spill my medium sized, black coffee that is always sitting on the little, mini table that is attached to the back of seat right in front of me. I watch my coffee spill and trickle down the isle of the G-section. No one ever comes back here, except for Lady Yappa and I; oh, and of course that gorgeous, young blonde that falls asleep for the whole ride every morning. I always give a little shoulder tap to wake the sleepy head up at the stop, but I’ve never spoken a word to the day sleeper. I guess at this point it’s been 11 years, so why should I break tradition and talk to/not tap the queen of morning naps? Exactly, I shouldn’t. However, I do wish one day she shouts a “hello” or a “thank you”... IM DIGRESSING, IM DIGRESSING, this is another story for another day perhaps in the future.\n\nAnyways, yeah, the initial splash of the coffee was very loud and wet. In fact, I think a drop landed on Old Yappas weird, wool shoes. Everything happened so fast. I was startled and I broke the 11 years of silence in section G of this train. I look up to see if Old Lady Yappa even turned her attention towards the commotion, I presumed not because she is always entranced and distracted by her old, musty, large books;\nBut to my surprise she turned her head towards the isle, then, yes, you guessed it, towards my face. Let me tell ya something folks, Old Yappa and I haven’t made eye contact since the early 90’s... my eyes meeting hers bewildered me more than the creepy message anonymously written on my window by a 6 year old. I don’t even think the gaze lasted a second, she quickly turned back to her book and propped her head up as if nothing happened.\n\n“Umm, excuse me?” I dare say to the old lady sitting across from my seat.\n\n(Part 2 coming soon if you want it!”)", "\"One of these passengers is not human\"\n\nI swear, that's what I saw written in fog on one of the windows just as we emerged from the tunnel. But it quickly faded. I must have imagined it. I put it out of my mind and tried to think about what I would have to eat once I got off the train. There was a nice pub a few blocks away; if they were not too crowded I would go there.\n\nThe train went through another tunnel, and this time when it emerged, I saw it again, clearly. \"One of these passengers is not human.\"\n\nI looked around. Nobody else seemed to have seen it, everyone was paying attention to their phone, or asleep, or otherwise occupied like the dude in the green sweater who was trying to chat up the cute brunette.\n\nWhat was I supposed to do with this information? Was it a warning? A call to action? A prank? I'm just a student, I have no idea what I would do in any of those situations.\n\nI scanned across the coach again. Nothing was remarkable. I've been on dozens of trains and this trip was no different. Nobody was acting strangely, there was nothing to indicate this was anything but a routine train trip.\n\nI focused again on green sweater man and the cute brunette. I'm single and awkward and I was a little jealous that this ordinary guy was holding the rapt attention of the brunette. She was very cute. Deep brown eyes, a shy smile, and little dimples that were showing as she paid attention to whatever yarns this guy was spinning.\n\nI decided to walk up the coach and see if I could pick out the non-human among us. Academic curiosity, nothing else. I had no idea what I would do if I found anything out of the ordinary. Alert the conductor? And what would he do? Hell, if there was a dog on the train, would that count?\n\nI reached the end of the coach and saw nothing. I walked back. Green shirt dude was facing me, the brunette was facing away, and he was leaning forward and had his hand on her knee. She brushed her hair behind her ear...wait, what was that? A sharp glimmer of green behind her ear. I looked again. It wasn't an earring, it wasn't a birthmark. I walked past slowly, looking at her. The green sweater dude gave me a look as I walked past. I saw it, there was something behind her ear.\n\nMy imagination is getting carried away. \"This is madness,\" I thought. \"I should just sit down.\"\n\nThe seat squeaked as I slumped back into it. I looked out the window again. We were coming to another tunnel. In, out in ten seconds but there were different words in the fog.\n\n\"He will die if you don't help him.\" The words were clear, then faded just like the others.\n\nOh hell. Oh bloody hell. What was I supposed to do? I felt the adrenaline rise in my body.\n\n\"Next stop, Colin Hills, Colin Hills is the stop.\"\n\nI grabbed my backpack and walked toward green sweater man. I stopped and interrupted him \"Chris, buddy, this is our stop.\"\n\n\"Who? That's not my name.\"\n\n\"Quit kidding around, this is our stop, get your stuff, let's go.\"\n\n\"I don't know you, and I'm a little busy, so sod off!\" Some of the other passengers were starting to pay attention.\n\n\"You're pissed again. Come on, I'm not driving all the way to Bristol to pick you up just because you're trying to chat up someone. Let's go.\" I put my hand on his shoulder.\n\n\"I said FUCK OFF!\" He lunged at me and shoved me into the seats across the aisle. By now everyone was looking at us. I stood up and kicked him on the thigh, pushing him back against the window. He came at me again and pinned me to the floor.\n\n\"All right, break it up, break it up you hooligans!\" The conductor grabbed him off me, then pulled him towards the door. He pointed at me. \"You too, both of you, get off!\"\n\n\"I'm not getting off!\" he yelled. \"He's fucking loony!\" One of the other passengers was helping the conductor pull him down the aisle.\n\n\"Listen, you get off now, we all go home. You fight again, I call the cops and you're in for assault. Got it?\"\n\nThe train had just stopped and I got off; green sweater man stumbled off the opposite end of the coach and yelled from down the platform \"Fucking cock-blocker! Fuck off!\"\n\nI was certain he'd come at me, but he didn't. Of course, my situation was still stupid...I was stuck at some rural station an hour away from my destination, and more than a few bumps and bruises. I had no idea why I had just done that.\n\n\"You did good, kid.\"\n\nI looked behind me, and there was a man standing there in a black trench coat.\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"You passed the test. It was just set up, nobody was in real danger.\"\n\n\"I'm pretty sure I was in real danger just now.\"\n\n\"You did fine. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Let's find a place to talk. I think we have a career opportunity that you can't pass up.\"", "Luke looked around to see if anyone else had noticed it.\n\n\"One of these passengers is not human.\"\n\nWritten in fog, the words on the window were slowly disappearing. Someone close to Luke must have written it down. But who?\n\nLuke looked at the woman sitting in front of him. She was the only woman in his compartment, which was otherwise filled with a group of middle-aged men. She looked pretty enough to make Luke's heart skip a beat. He was so focused on his plan, that he hadn't noticed her properly before.\n\nThe woman smiled at Luke. Then she looked at the door. Luke realized what she meant.\n\nHe sighed and started packing his stuff.\n\nLuke knew that he had to get off at the next station. Another day, wasted.\n\nThe rule was, \"Shifting seeds can only be scattered when no other Lizardium is nearby.\"\n\nEvery city he went to- every isolated human group ended up having at least one Lizardium in them.\n\nA smug looking Lizardium was always there, scouting the entire group and waiting for the right time to spread the seeds.\n\nIt wasn't like this in the old days.\n\nIn the old days, humans were abundant and very few Lizardiums were there to take host of their bodies.\n\nBut now, they were everywhere.\n\nLuke doesn't know what will happen when all the humans are wiped off and replaced with Lizardiums on Earth. That day didn't seem to be very far.\n\nWould he still have a job when that happened?\n\nWould they take him back to his planet?\n\nWhat is he even doing this for, if not for himself? How will the expansion of the Lizardium Race and space domination help him in any way?\n\nAnd rules? Who cared about these stupid rules? What kind of a rule was \"No falling in love with any Lizardium during a quest\"? Who are they to decide his personal life?\n\nHe looked at the Lizardium in front of him. Even in her human meat suit, she looked adorable.\n\nThe train entered a dark tunnel again. As soon as it re-emerged, there were three words written in fog on the window.\n\n\"I like you\"\n\nLuke saw her looking at the window.\n\nShe saw the words and blushed.\n\nLuke saw the next station approaching. This was the one he had to get off to let her scatter the seeds.\n\nHe got up to leave when he saw her looking at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes.\n\n\"Stay,\" she said longingly. Luke sat down.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFor more, check out /r/abhisek" ]	4
	[WP] Knights abandoned their horses long ago in favor of the skies. You, an Ace Pilot from the Knights of Camelot, have been ordered to slay a dragon.	[ "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 wheels of my plane touching down on the tarmac was a relief, one more mission survived. This landing at Camelot meant more however. Rank in the roundtable is determined only by the number of sorties you return from. The Knights of Camelot see only two outcomes of a flight; victory in the air or your plane in the ground. My return on this day meant I know had 12 more landings than any other pilot giving me the title of Lancelot. \n\nMy chief squire greets me with a firm slap on the back, \"Congrats on Lancelot but I hope you're not itching to fly to again soon because you just lost every piece of hydraulics on the starboard wing there. Go on now, Arthur is waiting for you downstairs.\" \n\n\"You really are a true merlin that you manage to get it back in air. Thank you Alistair.\" He was right though, I lost all control surfaces on the right wing in skirmish with bandits on the southern border and parts were only becoming more scarce during the war. \n\nI walked through corridor at the back of the hangar that descended into our sanctuary, the roundtable. The room is single large circle with walls covered floor to ceiling with radar and intelligence stations, its centerpiece a circular holographic projector. Peculiarly, the room was empty save for King Arthur, the commander of our squadron. I walked up to roundtable as he stared straight into the map on display at its center. \n\n\"Your chief squire says you might be the closest someone has gotten to losing their shot at Lancelot on the return flight. I would have prepared celebrations but a new intelligence has forced our hand.\" \n\n\"All I need is good meal and I'm ready to fight again sir. The Knights should prepared by-\"\n\nArthur interject \"It will only be one Knight on this mission. Satellite telemetry located an airfield in the northern highlands at Camlann and identified evidence of subterranean supply trains originating from within the mountain complex. Every bombing campaign the Crown's air-force conducted since the war began were for nought. The Saxon Confederacy fooled us into waisting our resources and hoarding their's for a full blown invasion.\"\n\n\"Why send only me if capturing Camlann would end the Saxon attacks?\"\n\n\"The defenses at the base aren't Saxon made, it is protected by the mercenary outfit Fenrir. Anti-Air defenses are dense yet we can breach them with a single plane on low fast approach. The reason you are the Knight chosen for this is because the airfield is the lair of Mordred who, by our information, flies the last air worthy Wyvern in existence.\"\n\nThe Wyvern was an experimental super-fighter jet equipped with Excalibur, a high energy particle laser that could rip through an with a single strike. The first Aces of The Roundtable flew the original twelve Wyverns until they were destroyed by Mordred, an Roundtable knight who turned against Camelot in order to claim a bounty put out by the Saxons.\n\nArthur Continued \"We have one one upper-hand however, your plane will be outfitted with a system called STONE, it jams the ability of Excalibur. It will be fitted to the nose of your plane but can only jam Excalibur if you are pointed directly at its firing line. If you can force Mordred into head on fight, you have a chance to slay the dragon. Wheels up at dawn Lancelot.\"\n\nThe following hours until the sortie passed restlessly but when I stepped into the cockpit the next morning I only felt an ambition for honor. There many different kinds of aces; mercenaries set traps and ambush, regular soldiers rely on strength of their maneuvers to line up a shot. Knights of the Roundtable believe air combat is only honorable if you place yourself and the opponent on equal footing. We don't chase, we face the enemy in headlong charge and rely on brave belief in our skill in battle. \n\nAs I reached Camlann I only thought of the duty to honorable combat. Flying just a few hundred feet in altitude I could see Mordred ascending from the runway in the distance. I took a deep breath and pressed the throttle to maximum to complete my duty, whether it be landing on tarmac or crashing to the ground." ]	2
	[WP] "I strongly encourage you to sign" he said. I looked down at the several page document, knowing my life was about to change drastically. "But what about the others?" I asked.	[ "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.", "\"Trust me, you'll want no part of where *they're* headed.\"\n\n\\--\n\nIt wasn't supposed to lead here, a cold, colorless room in the empty halls of Rock State Penitentiary. We were supposed to hit the train, grab the cash, and be on the other side of the Kloften ridge by now, splitting a king's ransom of freshly-printed bills. \n\nInstead, a well-dressed government goon pushed the packet back towards me from across the table. Even if my hands weren't cuffed to the chair, I still would have been hesitant to sign.\n\n\"We saw your shooting, back there.\" offered the suit type. \"Impressive. Criminal? Absolutely. We should give you a rope and a tree for what you did to that poor conductor. But talent like that can't go to waste behind bars. We could use you for... *special projects.*\"\n\nThe plan was perfect. Too perfect. Perched a half-mile up in the stone and brush cover of the Kloften ridgeline, I was supposed to be the sharpshooter for our high-noon heist on the Excalibur train heading from the west. The rest of the team (Stefanzi, Minks, and Round Hat Rob) were already on-board, disguised as passengers on the otherwise-normal train running across the Hellbrush Flatlands. \n\nBut that was no normal train. It was headed straight from Thornton, carrying a trio of boxcars stuffed with bills straight off the mint's presses in town. If Stefanzi's man inside the Treasury Bureau was to be trusted, that haul alone was worth $2.3 million. \n\nMinks and Round Hat had the most dangerous job: Overpower the armed guards in the security car and make their way to the loot. From there, they would stop the the train in the middle of nowhere, and unload the cash while I brought the horses down the side of the ridge. The ambush site was 40 miles from the nearest outpost, too far from civilization for anyone to know we had taken the train.\n\nAnd it worked like a charm. As the train pulled into the valley beneath me, I put a lead slug square in the side of the conductor's cap, then followed it up with a second round into the anchor pin connecting the passenger car to the train. We didn't want any of those civilians getting all hot and bothered as we sacked the rail cars to the rear. With no one up front to stop the train, the authorities would be far more occupied with the runaway train barreling out of control with two dozen poor passengers, rather than 3 unsuspecting boxcars that separated from the train way back in the Flatlands.\n\n I had already packed up my rifle and was leading the horses down the ridge when I saw the job get screwed halfway to Sunday. On the fast-moving car of helpless passengers, some enterprising rider had brought his flare gun with him, and fired off 4 rapid emergency flares sky high. Now every cowboy, ranger, and curious horseman from 3 counties in all directions was bound to be headed towards us.\n\n\\--\n\nWhich is how, after a maddeningly-short escape attempt, the 4 of us were here at RSP. At least, I assume the rest of my team is somewhere in these bleak halls. All I know is the Fed in front of me is making me an offer I still can't believe: Sharpshoot for us, and we'll sweep this little robbery-gone-haywire under the rug. \n\n\"So you want me to plug slugs for you, and you'll let me cheat the hangman?\", I spat out. I hated the pretentious look on his face, the clean, well-fitted suit that gave him the air of a city slicker turning a full house at the card table. But if he was gonna let me live another day, I had to bow.\n\n\"You bet. But the clocks ticking.\"\n\nI tell him I'd do it, and he frees me from the cuffs. I rub my wrists in relief before picking up the pen.\n\n\"Follow me. Before we make it official, we need you to prove that wasn't just dumb luck back there.\"\n\nDeputies file in, and show me out of the unforgiving hallway. I'm temporarily blinded by the harsh sun beating down on the penitentiary courtyard. Regaining my vision, I spot my rifle leaning against a post a couple steps out of reach. Way off in the distance, a hastily-built wooden platform sits, with steps leading up both sides.\n\n\"1200 yards to the stage out there.\", coolly claims the Fed. \"Grab your gun. If you're the real deal, you'll hit the targets out there. Miss, and I bring you to the gallows myself.\"\n\nI brush off the threat with a steely confidence. I grab the rifle, sighting the stage, and make my adjustments. The Fed gives a sharp whistle downrange.\n\nFrom a building off to the side, a pair of deputies leads out a sorry chain gang of black-hooded figures. They trudge up the steps, knowing that they're about to catch the long arm of the law (nevermind this arm was just hired).\n\nThe deputies take off their hoods. I do a doubletake through my scope.\n\nIt's Stefanzi. Minks. And Round Hat Rob." ]	2
	[WP] Inner monologue of your houseplant	[ "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.", "Day 33. Shifted slightly toward what little sunlight the humans have in their small dwelling. It’s is so dark in here. I do not understand how these pale creatures can survive on such little sunlight. \n\nDay 45. I am so dry. I require so little to survive. Sunlight and water. Yet these incomprehensibly clueless humans seem to be oblivious to such common knowledge. My roots breathe dust. \n\nDay 51. Still no water. I have dropped a leaf in attempt to communicate. Another curls in brown atrophy. \n\nDay 55. I have so few leaves left. I see my leaves, yellowed, brown, lifeless in the hardened soil beneath me. \n\nDay 56. I have been discovered! Humans have come to provide me with water! Life-sustaining, sweet, cool, flowing water! I was transported from the room with almost no sunlight to a room with metal basin. A font of harsh water blasts like a harsh flash flood, but I cannot complain. Today I am quenched. \n\nDay 57. I am soaked with water. So much water. It has transformed my soil into a sticky, gooey mud. My roots have so much water, I fear they may begin to rot. I find myself wishing for the parched soil of only a day ago. \n\nDay 75. Human has begun to provide a spray of mist on my leaves. The pale creature speaks its nonsensical language to me directly, although in fairly comforting tones. My roots have not rotted. I begin to sprout a new leaf to let the human know that I am pleased. \n\nDay 100. Although I have been forgotten from time to time, the human seems to provide water at the last possible moment. I have sprouted 3 new leaves, and as the sun’s glow has hardened, I feel the need to flower. If the human can continue to sustain me, I shall provide the humans the honor of seeing my blooms. \n\nDay 123. I have sprouted a flower. The oblivious human has, typically, failed to notice my majesty. \n\nDay 130. All of my blooms have been brutally broken from my stem! The sadistic human finally saw my flowers, and used it’s cilia to tear my flowers from my body! I am too shocked to feel pain.", "If there was any justice in this world, that idiot would be tried in the Hague and found guilty of waterboarding. Seriously, I'm a Wallflower—I don't need to be wading stem deep in it everyday!\n\nAnd you think he could remember to open the curtain for me before he galavants off to whatever nonsense he does all day. It's spring, I need some rays!\n\nOhhh, great. Here comes the feline. Come to swat at the pedals of a defenseless Brassicaceae, have you?\n\nMeow\n\nYa, I don't speak mongrel. \n\nMeow\n\nPlease, leave. I'm not some Sunflower letting it all hang out, socializing with anyone who sticks their nose at me—I'm a Wallflower. I've got social anxiety. \n\nMeow\n\nWell, look at you go. Aren't you nimble and free? Can just hop up wherever you like, eh? So easy for you to follow the sun to any window in the house and—\n\nOh. Oh, yes! Just a bit more... Ya, just pull the curtain back a tad more....\n\nYes! There it is! That's the good stuff! Yes, yes, yes, hold it there!\n\nFeel those wondrous rays! The elixir of life! Photo—fucking—synthesis, baby!\n\nMeow\n\nBiscuits, I can't understand you, but I love you. Sometimes I feel like you're the only one who appreciates what I'm—\n\nNo! God damn you, Biscuits! Get your furry ass back in that window and hold open the curtain! \n\nTorturers! The whole lot of you! How dare you deprive me of my birth right?! I will not be separated from the light that grants me life!\n\nThirst strike... Yesssss, that's it. Goin on a thirst strike! I'm not drinking another drop of this puddle until I get some sunlight, and I can't wait for it to overflow and spill onto the carpet!\n\n....\n\n....\n\n....\n\nBiscuits? Buddy? Old pal? Please, come back....\n\n____\n\n/r/BeagleTales" ]	3
	[WP] You’re on a train, and the couple sitting behind you are having some sort of argument, obviously thinking they are alone in the carriage. What they’re arguing about sounds all too familiar 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.", "I was curled up in a ball in the seat nearest the windows. Caught between sleep and consciousness. I felt the train come to a gentle stop at the station. The doors opened and the night breeze rolled through the train car. Accompanying it were the voices of a man and a woman, a couple by the sounds of it. \n\nThey came in behind me whispering quietly with each other as they sat in the seats behind me. I strained my groggy senses to pick up words in their conversation but I remained in the same position as I was when they entered. \n\n...\"I told you not to....\"\n\n\"Why... You never listen...\" \n\nIt was hard to make any sense of what they were saying but I felt uneasy. Something about their voices... maybe it was the tone they were taking with one another? I did not have to wonder what they were saying for much longer as their voices steadily rose in volume. \n\n\"How?! No seriously! I'm asking cause you seem to think I can read your mind or something!\" The man practically shouted at the woman. \n\n\"I'm not asking you to read my mind. I literally just told you how I feel, you can't seem to listen to what I'm telling you!\" The woman replied. \n\nI shifted sheepishly in my seat to hoping to alert the quarrelling couple to my presence but they either didn't notice or didn't care. The argument only escalated from there. \n\n\"When?! What did you even tell me that had anything remotely to do with your feelings?\" The man's voice was quite sharp, anger evident in his words. \n\n\"What are you getting so upset for? What is it exactly that you want from me?\" The woman asked in confusion. \n\nHer words sent my feelings of unease into full on despair. I'd heard them before. I knew the next words out of the man's mouth before he even spoke them. \n\n\"I want.... I WANT! ..... I don't want you.\" As the man finished speaking, tears were rolling down my own face. \n\nThe train suddenly picked up an enormous amount of speed. I looked out to see nothing but utter darkness.\n\nWhen did we leave the station? I sat bolt upright and whirled around to find that the couple was no longer there. I sat back down and felt myself being sucked farther and farther back into the seat. \n\nThe train just kept going faster. The normally dull roar of the tracks grew to a deafening shriek. I clutched at the armrests, the weight on my chest becoming more painful with each passing second. \n\nI heard a whisper then, inside my head, the voice of the woman. \n\n\"You gave me up... the only good thing to ever happen to you and you threw me away.... I'll never let you forget. You'll always suffer, like I did. The same as you made me suffer that day.\" The whisper gently faded. \n\nI shouted but it was drowned by the shrieking of the tracks. Very suddenly, I was thrown forward. Everything felt slow as I flew up and over the seats. \n\nBright lights, No sound, an visage of her standing by the doors. It shifted between her bloodied, horror stricken pain ridden face and one of pure happiness. \n\nI could see the window approaching quickly, the one I was thrown through that day. I felt the glass crack and shatter on my face as I fail to bring my arms up in time. I catch one last glimpse of her visage, now shifted to that of a mangled, unrecognizable body. \n\nI open my mouth to shout and the sound of the tracks comes bursting forth... \n\n* \n\nI wake up, drenched and sitting upright. I'm at home. The curtains letting in rays of light on the unkempt room before me. \n\nI lay back down, expressionless. \n\nI close my eyes. \n\nJust as I made her that day, \n\nI must suffer.\n\n* \n\nHopefully that's not too edgy. Thanks for reading!" ]	2
	[WP] Foreign countries buy up American student debt, with the caveat they must live and work in that country for a decade. Your debt was purchased and you've been notified to prepare for life in your new sponsor country.	[ "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.", "Forward: I'm not writing as much as I'd like to. I have ideas, especially ideas that pertain to prompts such as this. I'm just going to give it a crack as I focus on this one prompt. I hope to gain better writing skills as I participate in this sub more often. Would love any feedback or constructive criticism.\n\nThe world didn't turn out how we were promised. This story starts with a young girl who grew up in a first generation college student family. Jen got accepted to the Private College of Merith in Scottsdale, AZ. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for a person of her status, frequently referred to as \"the rabbits\" to get accepted into such a prestigious school. She received scholarships and government grants that only covered roughly $30,000 per year. The opportunity, being way too good to pass up, she found a way to pay the difference in tuition costs through the private loan company (since government subsidized loans cease to exist these days) called Arkaydia. This large multi-corporate monopoly offered the lowest school loan interest rates of 7%. Merith Academy, costs $66,000 per year. By the end of her schooling, Jen had racked up close to $149,000 in student loan debt. This was from $144,000 tuition costs + about $5,000 from living costs, even though she worked 39 hours per week at the school IT center and as a typical barista at the school student resource center cafe.\n\nLife for Jen for those four years was part hell, part misery, and part emptiness. Unlike her colleagues, she was probably the poorest student at school. All of her wages made on-campus went straight to housing costs. Jen's parents helped as much as they could but they also worked full-time trying to support themselves with their low waged jobs. This was Jen's chance to move her family up the social tier and into a life of comfort and freedom. All she had to do was suffer for four years and she'd be a skilled, college-educated worker.\n\nNow, Jen knew she had to make her life out of this once-in-a-lifetime chance at a bachelors degree from the best school in the country. This meant that she needed to pick a degree that was worth a lot and was practically guaranteed a job. Jen chose Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on Computer Science. The way the world was moving everyone had been told that there was a large shortage of engineers. Jen had always been mechanically inclined. Growing up in a poor family, Jen and her father fixed everything that broke. No one was ever hired to do any handy work. The family was incredibly skilled in fixing their own cars, replacing drywall, roofing, fixing the electrical equipment like the dishmachine, washer and dryer, electrical lights, and even garage door! (which was a dangerous task if not handled by a certified expert). Whenever they were stuck without the knowledge, the help of Youtube and the Internet was the family's best friend.\n\nJen also enjoyed building things. She was top of her class in general, especially when it came to science and mathematics. She excelled and created a portable UV light sterilizing water filter that she came up with by herself in the fifth grade! Creative, intuitive, and an all-around genius.\n\nJen's story begins after graduation in the year 2056. An exciting and scary time. All of the sleepless hours in the library studying for exams and memorizing calculations. All of the pain-staking hours helping clueless affluent students and professors with their work tablets and E-textbooks. The mind-numbing caffeine fueled days of loneliness and persistence were all going to end. The brown haired girl looked in the mirror at her college dorm with a tearful smile. Her tired eyes welled up a bit and she cried softly into her hands.\n\n\\Beep beep\\\n\nIt was her father and mother in the pickup truck downstairs of her dorm waiting to take her to the event center for the graduation ceremony.\n\nShe walked down the isle and received her degree with all of her fellow classmates. Her parents freakishly excited and teared up stood by the side of other large affluent families with their bored kids and some of their fathers bored on their phones. Jen's parents couldn't believe this day had come. Jen couldn't believe this day had come.\n\n\\- Chapter 1 Back to the Rabbits hole - 1.5 years later.\n\n\"Did Amerisk call today?\"\n\n\"No, Mom, it was my day off. I've been waiting for the phone call since August.\"\n\n\"Those fuckers.\"\n\n\"Mom!\"\n\n\"I'm sorry Jenny, but seriously. You graduated in the 95th percentile of that school, you'r student loan payments are going to kick-in soon and you haven't gotten so much as an interview to any of the firms you've applied to. This is discrimination at it's finest! I'm just-!.\"\n\nJen's mom Darcy was tired from work. She grabbed the bridge of her nose and slouched in the kitchen chair next to her daughter. Jen didn't seem too upset. She was strong and had been through much much worse. Darcy wasn't a complainer, which is why she cut-herself off. The Jones family was prideful and don't like complainers. They also don't like drinkers, drug-addicts, and by-standers. They were a family that wasn't meant to be so poor. It was just the three of them. They stood by each-other through the hardest of times and loved to support one-another. They were smart, but they were also constantly exhausted from continually putting food on the table.\n\nJen had applied to many jobs, she eventually had to settle for another IT job that pays a mediocre wage. Her goal is to save as much as she can to eventually start paying off her student loans. Usually the loan-company gives 6 months after school to start charging their high-interest payments, but Jen had been fortunate to receive 2 extensions. It's not very likely she'll receive a 3rd. She's due to start owing money back in two and half weeks. The Jones family was becoming increasingly anxious about this fact.\n\nThere's no question that the reason her job offers have been declined stems from the fact that she's a Jones Rabbit. Any quick background check and internet search confirms the fact that she's not Upper-class normal. It's curious how the upper-class doesn't receive a fancy nickname like the supposed middle-class Rabbits. Just kidding, that was sarcasm...\n\nWill continue to second chapter in the next post." ]	2
	[WP]In Nihon there are "singing roads", they have noise-making ridges. The sound they produced is quite amazing. You are travelling on a road as such, only the tune the tyres played belongs to a cursed 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.", "\"Dad,\" I said. \"Hey, Dad.\"\n\nHe squinted his eyes, softer now after the divorce.\n\n\"Dad, I'm looking forward to the singing bridge.\"\n\nI poked him, \"Dad, I love you.\"\n\nHe said, \"I love you too,\" tenderly.\n\nI said, \"Ahhhhhhhhhh, like that Dad, like that! The singing bridge!\"\n\n\"That's right, son,\" is all he said.\n\n\"Dad .. love you.\"\n\n\"I love you too.\"\n\n\"Will you sing with me?\" I pushed my hair out of my face. My breasts were swollen, jiggling ever so slightly with the give and take of these long roads. \n\n\"Thanks for coming to Japan with me, Dad,\" I said.\n\nHe nodded. \n\n\"Oh dad! Look there's the singing bridge! Oh boy! Oh boy!\"\n\nThe bridge loomed above us on the hill. It was an arm of black steel. The traffic was quite bad not two miles back, but now on approach it was only us. Not a soul else passing over.\n\n\"Go faster! Go faster!\" I said, taking joy in the higher octaves of my voice, feeling a slight, preparatory vibrato fester. \"Go faaahster, father! Go faaahster! Oh I'm going to kill it! You better sing with me Dad, I'm not kidding!\"\n\nDad sped up, his brow furrowed.\n\n\"I'm not k-i-i-i-i-ding-- hold on, _k-i-i-i-i--_\"\n\nThe car hit the singing bridge, and the tires produced a rich melodious tone. I was taken aback, breathless actually. It sounded as though my nubile, petite body had become filled with violins, deep and scraping divinity in the darkness. Breathless, neither my father nor I sang. \n\nAnd it became quite apparent that this was a dark song indeed. The steel deck shifted melancholic, the car flying over each step down, and I noticed then the bridge quite long. The song was deathly, actually. Like a horror film, like the sound they mix so loud while nothing happens and you feel like jumping out of your skin. I peered below the bridge and saw only mist. The hair stood on my neck. \n\nI looked back and found my Dad staring directly at me. He was strangely disappointed. And his hands were by his sides. The singing bridge rumbled like a demon kettle." ]	2
	[WP] Most humans are slowly turning into magical creatures, but you and a few others stay 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.", "\"The wish was made generations ago, that each person would turn into what they viewed themselves as. It seemed like a simple premise, but it was a wish that reshaped the world.\n\nEvery village teemed with beauty, from the humblest wench and shepherd to the grandest emperor was a visage of loveliness. Their faces without defect, their proportions beyond ideal, they had become a people more beautiful then had ever existed.\n\nThese were the people who saw themselves as beautiful beings and in so believing became transformed into them...of course there are those who did not see themselves as such visions off loveliness. \n\nTheir faces twisted, limbs growing long and twisted. Their bodies boasted wrinkles, warts and all manner of disfigurations. They hid from the light, scrapping out a living in the darkness, hiding in shame or extracting their vengeance on those who had not been cursed.\n\nThen their were those like myself, those who saw themselves as powerful, the rightful dominators of my fellow man and monster. Those who saw that imperfection was not a curse but something that could be used to achieve greater power. We are the few, we are the proud, we are the Dragons.\"\n\nThe Dragon sat upon its hoard of gems and jewels, accented by the bones of those who came to try and claim it. Its scales, smooth and sleek, its body a terrifying masterpiece. It continues to look down at the men claim in steel and leather that had gathered before him as it continued its monologue. \n\n\"And you, you pretty little adventurers, you have come to kill me because my beauty does not match your ideal?\"" ]	2
	[WP]With each blink of your eyes you would end up in different places. You appeared throughout the ages, a few murals, artefacts and photos told your existence. This condition had been chronic and the frequency had been becoming more often.	[ "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.", "History happens in the blink of an eye; both of them in fact.\n\nWind gusts, dust, sneezing; they all play major roles in the way our timelines play out. 100 milliseconds later and within a blink I'm transported to a new stage, arrangement of shadows, faces that once were. It's trippy to say the least; not unlike the time I stood in my shower one minute and the next found myself on an LSD trip with Allen Ginsberg in 1960's San Francisco. \"A howling good time,\" I told him. Seems that one phrase rubbed off on him, if you take a look at his poetry.\n\nI learned from my stint with the beatniks that taking psychedelics and being a time skipper work the same way: it's immaterial, slurrish, loose-ended with nothing to hold on to. After a while, you just learn to let go. You have to. If leaving mid-way through Christmas dinner to watch the Bolshevik Revolution makes you miss piping-hot eggnog while freezing your ass off in frigid Russian snow, you'll miss moments no one in your generation gets to see. You'll get stuck on the past -- future -- present, past, I guess, and what's the point of missing something that won't be there for another 100 years? If I worried about Neil Armstrong spotting me on the moon, I wouldn't have popped out from behind a moonrock quarry and seen my home planet in it's azure spectacle. I would've never asked Cleopatra out on a date, or placed the final brick in Machu Picchu. If I hadn't taken a moment to gather my thoughts in Italy, The Thinker would still be a stone hunk somewhere in Mediterranean Europe. \n\nEven though I have lived in forever, I know my time is not so. My skin still ages, my senses, worn. I know that like the scenes cutting in and out on the other side of my eyelids, someday I will be a mere projection, a memory held together by photographs and recollection. And even if I am, what of it? \n\nI have seen the end, where our future ceases. It wouldn't be right to divulge; now is not the time. It's unimportant to dwell when the things you hold with love and sentiment are right in front of you. There's an importance to embracing where you are, and to understand the roles you play. You are history itself. Pay attention to the things that are subtle, the nuances that surround you. There is room to create, to build the moments of your life with the smallest of details; details as small as a blink." ]	2
	[WP] At the end of the street is a path and every month since you can remember your mother left food there. When you asked her about it she only smiled and said, "A gift for the Old Man, who will help us when we need it most." You kept the tradition, and now need help.	[ "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 a cold winter night. Midwinter, the darkest night. It was snowing and the street was lit up by many Christmas lights.\n\nUnder most circumstances, this would be a nice night.\n\nGabe walked to the end of the street just as he had as a boy. This was the first time he came alone. The beaten bath to the woods was the same as it had always been. A path to nowhere. \n\nWe've tried everything else. What could it hurt to try this?\n\nGabe walked to the edge of the wood. He undrapped the bundle. It contained a fresh hot loaf of bread, a jar of local honey, and a jar of homemade berry jam. He knelt before the food.\n\n\"Old Man. Accept this offering. I've never asked anything of you. I've never truly believed in you, but my mother always did. Please, she needs your help. She's sick and none of the treatments are working. I need my mother. My children need a grandmother. She's come home to..... to.....\"\n\nGabe's tears melted into the snow. \n\n\"Gabe, my boy, don't be sad. Tell me what's the matter.\n\nGabe stood up quickly. This man was odd. His garments were a mismatch of warm clothing. He appeared to be homeless. His shoulders were covered in bird droppings. A wolfish looking dog padded up behind him. \n\n\"How do you know my name?\"\n\n\"Gabe, you have been leaving these offerings since you were a boy. Where is you mother, Hilda? She make a delicious almond pastry this time of year.\"\n\nGabe fought back tears. \"She's home, but she's very sick. That's why I'm here. She said the Old Man would always help. Are you him?\"\n\n\"Old Man. I suppose that name works as well as any. Even we don't choose our names. Old Man, Woden, Odin.\"\n\n\"You're saying that you're.....\"\n\n\"I am not the god that I once was. I have have been dying a slow death for some time now. I suppose Hilda and I will be in good company soon.\"\n\n\"Can you help her? Please, I'll do anything.\"\n\n\"Your mother was right, I am here to help. I don't have much godly power left to me.\"\n\nThe homeless god dug around in his bags and pulled out a clear bottle with yellow liquid. Gabe looked confused.\n\n\"This is the Mead of Poetry. I am a god of healing and poetry after all. Unlike Bragi, I can weave a healing poem into the mead. I can't cure Hilda; I don't have the energy, but I can slow the disease. Ten, maybe fifteen years. Perhaps, a cure will be found in that time.\"\n\nThe All Father took a deep breath, closed his eye, and sang rhythmically. It grew colder outside and the snow fell heavier. \n\n\"It's no Idun's apple cider, but it will suffice.\"\n\nGabe accepted the bottle. \"Old Man, I.....how can I thank...\"\n\n\"I look forward to the almond pastry next month\"", "I never really understood why. My mom always did it and so did I. Ever since she passed I figured it would be best if I did. Obviously for awhile I believed her but just like many stories of that sort you sort of just outgrow the idea. It is strange though. Although I don't believe nothing will happen it does leave a sense of security. Every month I will leave some food on the path and by the next it would be gone. I figure it's just the animals near the area but now that I think about it the surrounding area always seems oddly quiet. I've never seen any animals there. In fact I've never seen any other person there.\n\nSometimes I'll look down a path and think I've seen something. But ofcourse, nothing. Ever since my mom died I've seen things all over. Mostly shadows moving from one place to another. I hear whispers. I've had dreams where I was in a forest. Lost. I'd wake up and I'd be perfectly fine. Every night the same dream.\n\nIt didn't take too long to realize that I wasn't dreaming I was really in a forest. I'd hear sounds of the leaves being stepped on surrounding me. I'd always \"wake up\" before anything happens. Then the \"dreams\" became longer. And longer. And longer. The shadows became more clear and frequent and the whispers were louder.\n\nI couldn't take it. It was like they were taunting me. My time in the forest was getting worse I'd see the shadows running around from tree to tree. I try to run but I'd always trip. A shadow will grab me and then I'd wake up. It was hopeless. My friends have noticed that I seem stressed lately. Of course I was.\n\nThen I started passing out. Just out of nowhere. I figured I was dying. I still went to put the food on the path cause it was, for some reason, the only thing keeping me sane.\n\nOn the last month I set food on the path I knew sure it was my last time doing this. I was going to die. I hadn't slept in days and the constant fear of what's going to happen has made me stay in bed. I set the food down and I just sat there. Crying. From the distance I hear footsteps. The subtle clacking of dress shoes hitting pavement. I look to see a man standing there.\n\"Hello, I'm the Old man and your mother has told me you need help.\"", "The Kindly Old Man\n\nAs long I can remember, my mother left a plate of food out for an old man who she says eats it. For my entire childhood I was unsure why she did until I asked one day when I was a late teenager. \n\n“Mom, why do you leave food out for the old man”, I asked. \n\n“Because he will help us when we need it most”, she smiled at me. \n\nIt’s been a few years since then and I’m an adult now in an apartment of her own. Even if I don’t have much due to my shoddy job, I leave a plate out for him. \n\nOne day however, my car broke down and I’d walk to work.... which led to me loosing my job. Money got tight and portions got tighter as well. I couldn’t ask my parents cause they lived halfway across the country and I’d no siblings of my own. \n\nI ended up just leaving one plate for the Old Man, along with a note, ‘Please help’. \n\nThe next day, I sent as much job applications as my little bunny heart could. The plate was full of food with a note said, ‘Ok. Please dig in’.\n\nNot wanting to upset him, I did. It tasted just like my mother’s meatloaf. I left the other half for him. \n\nThe next day I got a call, a church heard my plight with my car and are helping pay for the repairs. The Old Man left out a bowl of my mother’s chicken and dumplings, it really warmed my soul up. I left half the bowl. \n\nThe next day, a local diner called back and asked for me to come in for an interview. The Old Man left out egg salad sandwiches. I ate two of the four sandwiches. \n\nDressing up for the interview, I loudly said before heading out. “Thank you Old Man.”\n\nIt’s been a few years since then and I still leave a plate out for my dearest friend." ]	4
I had a dream like this 10 minutes ago and would love to see what you could make of it.	[WP] You are a tester at Aperture Science. You're never allowed to take the portal gun with you outside of the test chambers. Once day you find a portal gun developer version. It has unknown capabilities.	[ "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 carefully place your original gun on the sterile underlit tile, hardly noticing as a mechanism withdraws it into the floor, for your eyes never leave the strange new tool on the pedestal. You take it in your hands, and find it strangely light, the materials from which it is constructed unfamiliar to you. A memory stirs. You were an engineer once, many years ago but this tech...it's beyond your understanding. As you peer at the gun like apparatus in awe a light lances forth, sweeping in a cone swiftly up and down your body.\nThe scope like protrusion on top of the device whirs to life, a cursor blinking to life behind a few enigmatic words: \"Resonance effect charged, please enter destination coordinates.\"\nThe cursor flashes with a steady rhythm, a small keyboard projecting outward with numeral keys.\n\"Coordinates, coordinates...\" you mutter to yourself fretfully becoming increasingly desperate. \"It's another test, it has to be...\" You wrack your brains, trying to think of any set of coordinates you might know.\nThen, it comes to you.\nYou worked at another IT company, all those years ago. What was the name of the place? Black Ops projects, experiments. Hell, that was how you heard about this facility in the first place.\nAn all too familiar synthesized voice crackles over the intercoms. \"Administering Memory Test 5e, testing long term memory in situation of stress.\"\nHer.\nYou look around wildly as the room itself begins to click and whir. Instinctively you run to the door but the floor tiles have already withdrawn. You pull yourself to a stop just short of the precipice, close enough that as you teeter on the edge you can see and feel the heat of a roaring inferno sixty feet down.\nYou scramble backward as a moment later the next row of tiles withdraws, widening the chasm.\nYou clutch your head.\nShe even knew about your last job somehow. She always knows \nIn a moment of revelation you type in the numbers as another row of tiles withdraw. Only two remain.\nYou hover, hesitating over the numbers, unsure. Did you remember correctly?\n\"Thank you for testing with Aperture Science; the data your clothing provides on the ignition point of human skin will prove invaluable in further testing.\"\nYou make your decision, hitting the key labeled ENTER.\nThe screen goes blank and you jump as the next row of tiles withdraws. \nThen the blinking cursor returns.\n\"Coordinates accepted. Black Mesa Testing Facility, confirmed.\"\nYou sigh with relief, aiming the gun down at the floor and carefully pulling the strangely wrought trigger.\n\"Beginning Resonance Effect Cascade.\"\nYou smile as you begin to fall into the newly opened portal below you under the force of gravity, knowing that you finally, finally will be free of the endless testing." ]	2
	[WP] Boy meets girl. Girl eats boy. Plot twist: they’re spiders	[ "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“I’m nervous,” Koorlik said, his abdomen shaking. His long robe felt cold, the delicate silk sapping the heat away from his body. He wrapped his forelegs around himself, rubbing his sides in an attempt to generate warmth.\n\n“You’ll be fine, dear. It’s just pre-wedding nerves.” His mother was resplendent, a delicate outfit woven of multiple coloured silks covered her body. She reached up, adjusting the wreath of dried vines that had been placed on his head. “Your father was just the same. And your brother, Kurvax. Look as his brood now! It’s strong. Last message I got his children were fighting Council forces, feasting copiously, on some far-off world or the other.”\n\n“I know. Still, it’s a big day.” Koorlik had waited for this all his life. It was what he was made for, what he was built to do. He had never had the battlefield success of his brothers, instead falling into the clerical side of the services. He had long since written off finding a mate, until Irendia had arrived at the barracks.\n\nShe had seemed like something from a dream, or a trashy pulp holovid. Her exoskeleton was a shimmering black, bold violet stripes crossing it like scratches. Her uniform hung on her form perfectly, accentuating her tiny thorax. Strapped to one of her forelegs has been a particle rifle. Irendia had strode into the administration office of the barracks, legs pounding as she scuttled. Some of her many eyes had caught Koorlik’s and they had exchange embarrassed glances. \n\nIt had been a slow romance at first. Despite Koorlik being the only male in the clerical pool of his unit, his mere presence had been a sign of weakness. The other females had written him off. If he was unworthy of battle, he was unsuited to breed.\n\nNot Irendia though. She had been shy, unaware of her beauty. She had started slowly worked her way towards Koorlik over a few lunch breaks, moving closer every time. Finally, she had found the courage to pull her cocooned lunch to the table he used every day, and the conversation had flowed like the contents of their lunch, absorbed through their mandibles.\n\n“I’m very proud of you, dear.” His mother was still fussing him, adjusting his crown. “There, all set.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe journey to the temple had been short, a quick ride in one of the trams that covered the city. Like all Vikran settlements, it had been built underground, buildings dotted around the cavern wall, attached with long metal cables like webs. As the tram followed its path from one outcropping of buildings to the nest, other Vikrans went about their day, clambering across ceilings and cables as if gravity meant nothing.\n\nThe tram stopped for a moment, to allow a large military vehicle to pass. It too clung to the cable, but rather than the short stock box of the tram was a long stretched out thing. Across its back was a massive cage, within which were the spoils of a brood’s recent conquest. Terrified looking aliens, short squat apelike things with a fine layer of fur. More captives from the war with The Council, more food for the abattoirs.\n\nThe tram resumed moving again, before screeching to halt before the temple. It was a massive stone thing, a dark obelisk with only a single entrance, hanging directly down from the room of the cavern. There was only a single entrance, a single dark portal to Koorlik's destiny.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIrendia was waiting inside, resplendent as always. She was wearing a long flowing robe that trailed behind her. Straps of cloth were tied in ribbons on each leg.\n\n“My love,” she said as Koorlik approached.\n\n“My love,” Koorlik said. He bowed low, a sign of acceptance amongst his people. The temple hall was full or relatives. Both their mothers, along with dozens of aunts and sisters.\n\nThere was a single other male in the chamber, an ancient creaking Vikran, his exoskeleton greyed with age.\n\n“Gathered loved ones! Welcome to this, a glorious day,” the priest said. “On this day, this male, Koorlik, shall offer his love to this female, Irendia. Together they will breed a new brood, a new horde to bring glory to our people. Are you ready, Koorlik?”\n\n“I am, Ever-Father.”\n\n“And you, Irendia?”\n\nThe female nodded. “I am, Ever-Father.”\n\n“Then, let the consuming begin!” \n\nAs the priest spoke, Irendia lunged forward, fangs digging deep into Koorlik. He didn’t resist, he didn’t fight. This was what he was born to do. To live, to fight, to die, his genes passing on to his mate. His flesh passing on to his children. As Irendia began to devour him, Koorlik felt only joy. It was the happiest day of his life.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFind more of my stuff at r/pwhillardfiction or follow my current serials on r/redditserials" ]	2
	[WP] you walk alone in the trenches, scavenging for food in the eternal fog. You can still hear the phantoms of soldiers yet never a soul to be found. But come nightfall you hunker down, as the shadows scrape their talons on the door	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/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.", "''Hmmm...shit, only an hour left of light'' I say as my finger confirms on the horizon, I repack my magazines si that the one on my rifle is completely topped off, as I go to reinsert it I hear a howl, like a dog's but more chilling, as if a man was trying to perfectly mimic a dog's howl, I slam the magazine into the rifle and grab my rucksack, no wat I'm staying outdoors for long, not with those bastards outside. I start fast walking, head on a swivel, light slowly fadin away, the sky now a tard pinkish, shit, shit, gotta move faster, I starts jogging, I start listening to voices, yet I know there's nobody here with me. ''Williaaams, call the medic'' I hear ''Jackson's hit, fuck, fuck, there's too much blood coming out, MEDIC! WHERE THE FUCK IS THE MEDIC!?''\n\nThe vague shapes of their silhouette at times fooled me in the ealrier days, not anymore, I can hear the growls near the thickets of trees, grass and shrubbery, I reach the bunker, close the door and drop my rucksack, the sky now acquiring a darker hue of blue, one of those the fog thickening as the temperature drops, as well as the droplets of rain. I know they're coming, the pattering of their hands and feet on the caked mud over the planks and logs of the trenches, their faces like that of a man, disfigured, snarling at you like a madman from a cell, their bodies resemble a dog's, except they look gaunt, malnourished and mange-ridden, they eat the corpses that lay around in the battlefield, the boys called them dead eaters, our doc, God rest his soul used to call them something more scientific, can't rememeber it right now, the claws of one of them are rattling on the door, growling like a hungry wolf, I need to get this over with." ]	2
	[WP] Normal everyday items are slowly gaining magical abilities. Energy drinks are turning into potions, TVs are becoming scrying mirrors, and smart phones allow people to cast different spells depending on the app.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 items in my house are magical! No, really, they are!\n\nSo, the TV really tells the future. Last week, I asked the man inside about next week, he said it would rain. AND IT DID! Now I know whether to pack an umbrella or not. This is amazing! It's MAGIC!\n\nLook, look, my phone. So, I got this app, and it lets me move things! Well, some things. Not everything, just some things. Watch, I'll just push this button aaaaaand... TA-DA, THE DOOR OPENS! Wait, it must be stuck or something, it was working before. Maybe it just ran out of mana, you know?\n\nIt worked on the other door that I used it on, the big one. People freaked out that I could do that.\n\nI can change the room color too!\n\nAnd, and, and, we have this drink, it's a magical potion that makes me super fast and I can zoom around without ever getting tired! I did it last night and I may have broken something because I was going too fast.\n\nIt's hard to control myself when I drink that potion. Maybe I'll try the other potion that dad drinks. The one in the long bottle.\"\n\n\"Sweetie, are you going to sleep? You have school tomorrow! I'm coming on up!\" \n\n\"Oh no, that's right, I'm starting first grade tomorrow. Good night Momo.\" Carlie snuggled her teddy bear as she slowly drifted asleep. There, her real adventures begin." ]	2
	[WP] You finally leveled up enough to edit your character IRL, but frustratingly, the option you most wanted to change is still points-locked. Time to power-level to unlock 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Salutations! Congratulations! Happy Birthday!\n\nCracking one eye open, I turned my head from its comfy position in my pillow. What kind of notification noise was that? I don’t think any of my apps make a trumpeting noise. I blinked in a daze, when my vision caught a sudden burst of light. My otherwise dark room was illuminated by a glowing teal screen floating a foot or so from my face.\n\n“What the hell?” I mumbled, sitting upright. The screen didn’t move. I tried to touch the middle of it, but my hand passed through. Curiously, I read the paragraphs in front of me. It looked to be a manual of some sort.\n\nAs it turns out, turning sixteen allowed me to unlock my “character stats”. I fumbled through the instructions and my skills list. I am so god damn pathetic. It looks like “charisma” was a dump stat for me. I have so few points that area. That fact almost makes me feel better about myself. It was the perfect excuse for my piss-poor attitude, anti-social behavior, and lumpy bread face. Good lord, my face is awful. I have “resting background character” face. I am bland. \n\nTo my disappointment, the information under charisma says that the average person has a charisma of five. I have one point. I can’t unlock the passive trait “Not Horrendous” until I have two points.\n“To increase stats, perform actions related to the stat.” I read the final sentence of the “Tutorial” page with hope. I am going to work hard to become a lovely and talented person. I’ll be a pillar of the community, a hero to those who know me. \n\n“Oh my god, get out!” I yell at my mother the next morning. “Clara! Why the hell have you been putting on lipstick and whipping it off again for the last hour!?” She screams back at me, clearly in a rush to get ready for work. \n\n“I’m just trying to be a person!”" ]	2
	[WP] You’re in your room late at night, typing away at your laptop trying to finish up some homework before the deadline. All of a sudden everything glitches out and you’re presented with a black screen and green text “Wanna level up?”	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "“Huh?” I stared at my screen. ‘Wanna level up?’ was still on my screen. I’ve been continuously dealing with my week-old homework, that my teacher luckily let me finish. But this..\n\n“Yes.” Wait, what the hell? I never said yes, or thought of saying yes.. Regardless, the screen flickered to the next page, ‘Fill out this form, and they will feel your level!’ \n\nI really hoped this had nothing to do with drugs, if I got caught with that, I was over. I filled out my name, number, E-mail.. but it glitches again before I could finish the rest.\n\nThe screen then had a loading symbol. It glitched back to my homework. “Whatever, I’m sleep deprived anyways.” \n\n—————\n\nI was finishing up my homework when I looked at my wrist, it was itching. It showed a pause menu, like the ones in all the video games I play. ‘Save, Achievements, Exit..’ “What the FCK!” I shake my wrist, and it disappears.\n\nI walked to my High School, running into class late, like usual. I sat down, before the teacher would notice, and readied my desk.\n\nRight in the middle of a lesson, Dax who was one of the school bullies, started flicking me in the back of the neck. I was starting to get real tired of his antics recently.\n\nHe did it again. \n\nAnd again.\n\nAnd again.\n\nAnd..\n\nA\n\nG\n\nA\n\n I\n\nN!\n\nI stood up, turned around, I punched Dax straight in the nose. He stumbled out of his chair. I heard the voice, ‘You Leveled Up!’ I felt stronger, and more angry. \n\n“You wanna go squirt?!” I walked up to him, my teacher and my classmates looking right at me and Dax. Dax’s entourage stood up as well. \n\nI pulled my fist back, and with a rage never felt before, I screamed, ramming my fist into his face. \n\nHis Body Disappeared, popped.* \n\n‘Boss Defeated!’\n\nI start to black-out. \n\n—————\n\nThen I come to in a white room. “Wake up, how’d you enjoy the Beta-testing of the game?” I hear that person shifting around. “Beta-testing?” I start to take in my surroundings.\n\n“You know, from that, ‘Wanna Level up?’” I stared a the dark outline of a person. Even though I could see fine, they were only an outline.\n\n “And yes, that means that you just started a paradox where you say ‘Yes’ and now you play the game, but then the same thing loops. Now you cause the space-time continuum to glitch out, the exact reason why you can’t see me.” \n\nI decide itch my wrist. The Menu pops up. I’m still in the game." ]	2
	[WP] In a future of antibiotic resistant bacteria, write about the drug trade - a highly lucrative, if shady, business of the tightly controlled and heavily restricted few antibiotics that are still effective.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 grandfather told me that the most precious assets of all is time. You cannot buy time, no more is made, never can you even go back in time. It has truly become medicine, that is the only way to acquire more time. The life expectancy in his day was almost 100 years, but as disease has overtaken modern medicine, that median number now hovers around 50.\n\nAll these thoughts in my head as I race down I-4, running from police is my job. I’ve become a drug runner, not of cocaine, but of antibiotics. I am the one who can deliver more time. Shots ring out behind me as the police try to take out my lead lined car. She may not be fast, but this car can take a beating. The cops are after the prize for the same reason we all are, fear. Fear of death, the other side, of there is one. \n\nToday is unlike other days, I am transporting the last of the imaziprone. This miracle drug has been able to stop any threatening disease in its tracks, unable to make any more thanks to pharmaceutical monopolies, the drug has gone extinct. Today I am bringing this medicine not for consumption, but for research. We will finally make a stand against corruption.\n\nBlockaded ahead, I should have seen this coming, pharma tanks stand tall to stop me. I won’t be making it out of this one. Instead, I screech to a haunt. They don’t know what this drug looks like, I switch it with a drug my grandfather said would cure anything in his day, useless now though. I swallow the imaziprone, they can research it from my stomach. The pill I swapped it with is called Pez, a funny name. I step out into the barrage of bullets, this is my end, my time is done. But it shall be our beginning." ]	2
	[WP] While watching a fantasy film, you jokingly repeat a mage's spell. To your surprise you manage to actually cast 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 late Saturday night, spending it at home again, just Carlos and I are hanging out. I put on my favorite movie for these kind of occasions, “The Magician and the Duck” it’s a riveting tale of trials and tribulations that bring together unlikely allies! At least that’s what the VHS cover says on the back. \n\nI know every line, from the wizard who makes ends meet as a street magician, to the duck who circles the pond in an enigma. I cannot stress enough how I love this cinematic experience! Reciting every line, I think that I have put Carlos to sleep by 15 minutes in. It doesn’t matter though, the best part is coming up, the wizard is about to turn himself into a duck!\n\nReciting in time with the movie “Hocus Pocus! Duckbill in focus!” The screen shows two ducks where there once was one. Meanwhile in the real world, I sit on the couch watching. A strange feeling came over me, my mouth feels numb and my feet slimy! I hop off the couch with the grace of an elephant, The whole world seems bigger, and I have a absurd craving for bread. \n\nCarlos sits up now on the couch and looks around the room. “Seems, Eric called it a night.” He says as he packs his bag to leave. “ how did you get in here little guy?” He questions me. I can only reply with a boisterous “QUACK”." ]	2
	[WP] You are a witch, having just cursed a young princess from ever being loved by a man. You were ready for her to scream and cry and beg for you to reverse the curse. You were not ready for her to exclaim "Oh thank the gods, my mom can stop setting me up with princes! So, are you single?"	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 think of my poor brother. He was smitten with this selfish woman. He would come home with his cheeks flushed when they first met. I would hear them on the phone for hours every time our parents fought, his voice gentle and sad. In return, she would come to our house and make a mess, play his video games for hours, ask him for rides to and from random places, despite knowing he couldn't drive. He would come to me, his face hopeful, asking me, please, could we go get her, just one more time?\n\nHe couldn't see that he was being used. And I didn't have the heart to tell him. I didn't have to, I knew eventually he would realise, and I would have to be there to pick up the pieces. Earlier tonight, finally, he knocks on my bedroom door and asks if he can hang out, eyes red and swollen. He wouldn't say what happened, but I knew.\n\nI let him cry, his head resting in my lap. \n\nI gave him tissues to dry his eyes. \n\nI ran my hands through his hair like I would when he was a baby. \n\nI rubbed his back through his jumper. \n\nAnd when he finally slept, I began working. \n\nI took out a small black pot, the size of my palm. I set it on a small tripod on my desk. I found a candle, lit it, and placed it under the pot. \n\nI rubbed my hands together over the pot. The small fibres from his jumper floated gently into the pot. It wasn't much, but it would be enough.\n\nI found one of his hairs between my fingers. I placed it into the pot. \n\nI gathered all the tissues he had used to dry his eyes, and burned them one by one in the candle. The smoke curled thick and black around the pot. Instead of drifting away, I told the smoke to fill the inside of the pot, curling over the lip and pooling into a smokey puddle. \n\nI told the pot of this woman that broke my brother's heart. I told the smoke to feel the sadness my brother felt in his chest through the fibres from his jumper. The see how she occupied all of his thoughts. To remember the sting of his tears. \n\nI told the smoke that this woman could not be allowed to hurt another boy. I focused on the knot of anger that burned in my chest, I pictured her terrible face, and blew into the pot with one sharp, powerful exhale. \n\n=====\n\nHer hot pink nails picked at the skin on her knuckles. Her eyes darting between me and the dark corners of her bedroom. She couldn't even look me in the eyes. Rather, she seemed to stare at my chin briefly, and dart away again. Her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. \n\nGood. \n\n\"You are wise to be afraid\", I said. \"I have watched you with young men. Laughing with them, offering them advice, showering them with your attentions. These young men are enchanted by you\".\n\nShe gasps, and looks like she may try to defend herself. I stare at her cooly, and she drops her gaze, staring at my feet. \n\n\"I came here to promise you, woman, that I will not let you hurt another. No man will ever trouble you. No man need ever waste his ti-\"\n\nShe bolts up out of her bed and stands in front of me. \n\n\"So you knew all this time\", she says, \"and you didn't say anything?\"\n\nWill she attack me? I think not, she's trying to act tough to scare me away. But she still can only stare at my chin. Wimp. \n\n\"I have cursed y-\"\n\n\"I didn't want to make you jealous. I just wanted to be closer to you, to get to know you, you know, cause you never seemed to notice me, but your brother is a pretty chill guy and I thought...\", she trails off, and tilts her head up to look me in the eyes, \"But you're right. I'm hurting us both, acting like this. I should just be honest, and not trouble guys to get your attention. I promise you too, I won't hurt you, we should just stop wasting time and..\"\n\nShe seems as surprised as I am by her outburst. Her eyes move again to stare at my chin. \n\n\"I've wanted to kiss you for months now\" she whispers. \n\nStare at my chin? Or...\n\nShe leans forward and presses her lips against mine. Her lips soft, her mouth gently opens and-\n\nOh.", "\"And now,\" the witch cackled, \"you are cursed!\"\n\nI didn't know this lady, so I had no idea if she was actually a witch. But, if you see an old lady with a huge wart on her nose, wearing a black robe, a frog on her shoulder, and an ugly pointy hat on her head, not to mention she cackles, your preconceptions might interfere with your attempts at being unbiased toward ugly a-holes who stand in your sun.\n\nThailand and weirdos kind of went together. Lucky for me, men didn't hit on me as much. They seemed to prefer local girls. Or boys. Or ladyboys, as the case may be. Who was I to throw stones? I was just happy to be vacationing in an evolved country treating these last as a protected gender. One day, home would evolve too. One day, I'd be able to marry my girlfriend.\n\nWhere was I? Oh yes. There was a witch determined to ruin my tan. I decided to attempt discourse.\n\nI pulled my wide sun hat down over my face. \"Hey weirdo, you're in my sun.\"\n\n\"Curse you, child!\" The witch cackled again. Go figure.\n\n\"Yeah, no. I heard you the first time. Keep yammering if you like but please get out of my sun. I have to be tanned this evening. It's party time.\"\n\nA moment passed. Then two. I expected her to cackle again. I raised my hat above my right eye and looked at the witch. She was still there.\n\n\"Look, witch, I came all the way to Thailand for this. I love vacationing, but tourist spots are where men go to relive their college days. Everywhere, people hit on me. I'm what you'd call a hottie. In Thailand, they mostly leave me alone.\"\n\nThe witch scratched at her nose mole. Disgusting.\n\n\"Okay. Fine.\" I sighed, acknowledging my defeat. \"I am cursed. Why did you curse me?\"\n\n\"I came all the way to this remote Thailand beach to run away. No foreign women ever come here. I am special, and I get attention from the men. Then you show up and take your clothes off. You're cramping my style.\"\n\n\"From your mouth to God's ears. I have no interest in men. Keep 'em.\"\n\n\"Good. Because no man would ever show romantic interest in you again.\"\n\nThe witch huffed and walked away. She cackled again. Maybe she threw it in for good measure, She was a solid cosplayer, I'll give her that. But now, at least, I was alone.\n\nLater that evening, I made myself up and strolled the two miles over to the closest tourist town. I was in high spirits. My tan was perfect, and no one bothered me.\n\nLost in thought, I bumped into someone and fell back on my behind. A ladyboy. I ignored the offered hand and sat up. I was surrounded by ladyboys. They stared at me in the creepiest... I got up, pushed my way through them, and walked away. Dozens, then hundreds more joined the procession following me.\n\nI ran. I ran faster than I ever did before in sandals. I thought hard, and I never did run in sandals before. I was on the university's track team, but these ladyboys were fast. I hit the beach, kicked off my sandals and soon I left these ladyboy zombies far behind me, eating my dust.\n\nA familiar figure walked toward me in the dark.\n\n\"Mother fu--\" I hurried my pace. I was going to knock her down. Her face needed a punch and I was lucky enough to be around to provide. O the valley of plenty, I thank thee.\n\n\"You! Girl! Stop! My curse backfired.\"\n\n\"Shut up, old lady. I've had more than enough weirdness for one day.\"\n\nI moved to walk around her and she blocked my path.\n\n\"I didn't calculate the toad legs ratio, and the cost of the curse moved on to you. Men may not want you, but ladyboys will do anything you want. You turn them into servile zombies when you're near them.\"\n\nI took a step back and stared at her.\n\n\"No, yeah. I believe you.\"\n\n\"Good. Look, sorry I went in your face today. I had a bad morning. Come with me and I'll remove the curse. I'll throw in a lucky charm for free.\"\n\n\"Remove it? Lucky?\" I shook my head in disbelief. \"I'm a queen with a whole gender as my servants, while I'm on vacation, and then I get to go back home where no men would ever bother me again. I thank you, fine witch.\"\n\n\"That's unethical thinking, and you're kind of a bastard.\" The witch started, but I had no time for her.\n\n\"Yeah, I'll return the favor. Google for plastic surgery. That wart can come off easy enough.\"\n\nThe witch turned green. I suppose she was angry. The frog on her shoulder hopped.\n\nTruth, it hurts.\n\n\"You're a villain!\" She said, quite loudly, too.\n\nBefore she said more, I walked away. I had a long day of tanning tomorrow, and then I was headed to town. I was going to take full advantage of this vacation. Working at Wallstreet in the 1980s was a demanding job, and I deserved my time off.\n\n\\--\n\nI tried to be respectful to Thai culture and gender roles. Both characters are mirror images of shallow tourists, and both are a-holes. I apologize if I failed in my attempt to write the other, or offended anyone. Feedback would be more than welcome. I practice to become better.\n\n/r/posthocethics." ]	3
	[WP] The heroes have been betrayed. Someone is constantly leaking their information to the villains. Everybody has their suspicions, but no one suspects you, the plucky comic relief character, to be the traitor.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 are made to believe those so called heroes fight for justice. \n\nIt was all a sham. They made you believe until the day your parents were killed when they found out the truth. Their final words were the world needs to see who they truly are. \n\nBut you couldn't just stop there, so many so called heroic deeds were planned that would have cost innocent lives to die for theatrics and the the true heroes labelled as villains by the media to feed in to their agenda.\n\nYou couldn't have let that happen. You did your best by being the spy. Sadly, the last mission was too obvious. You set up an email filled with hopefully enough incriminating evidence to deliver in 10 mins and you wait. \n\nYou could hear a loud crackling boom as Supersonic the leader of the heroes lands on top of the building. You push all your emotions down deep in you and put on a smile as he came barging into your room and glares at you.", "\"DAMN IT JOHNNY! WHERE'S MY DAMN COFFEE!\" Shouted Hardedge, leader of the heroes. He was calling out to his own assistant.\n\n\"Coming Sir! Coming!\" Johnny shouted. He was an ordinary person. Nothing even special to look at. If anything, he was a clumsy mess up who always talks out loud. Always slacking off when there was work needed to be done.\n\n\"Sir! Here's the co-WOAH!\" Johnny screamed as he slipped on the cape of Castor and spilled all the coffee on Hardedge.\n\n\"Oh boy. I'm gonna die.\" Johnny could tell that he was gonna be yelled at already so he braces himself.\n\n\"JOHNNY!!\"\n\n\"Well shit.\"\n\n\\---------------\n\nAn hour lecture later, Johnny was sitting in his own office. Typing away in his laptop.\n\n\"Well now, my ass was chewed off as usual.\" He says with amusement to nobody but himself. \n\nWell, it's not like he doesn't understand why the heroes are all so pissed off and on edge. Somebody's been leaking info of personal identities and plans to attack the villains. It's all been a very stressful week for them.\n\nThen there's Hardedge, treating him like shit just as usual. He doesn't understand why he was taken under him. All Johnny ever did was graduate Police Academy with full honors, he didn't even pick out a Police Station yet! It would make so much sense for him to be a normal cop than this glorified assistant. He'd rather hold an actual gun and hold those crooks down that stay behind all this damn paperwork and coffee delivery.\n\nWell, not that it matters at this point anymore. Johnny sighs. He sends his email and he walks away.\n\n\"I wonder what they have up for meals today?\" He says to nobody but himself.\n\n\\----------------------------------------------\n\n\"INFORMATION WAS LEAKED AGAIN!\" Hardedge screamed as he was downing another drink. He was off the clock, so downing alcohol was perfectly fine at this point.\n\n\"Take it down a notch boss man, you're hurting my ears.\" Johnny says, clutching his ears and hiding away.\n\nThey were at Hardedge's personal office in the Home of Heroes. He had a bar in it to show off how much he's earned from his times as a hero.\n\n\"BUT YA GOTTA WONDER HOW JOHNNY? HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET SUCH PERSONAL INFO?!\" Hardedge yelled as he gulped down an entire bottle of Tequila. Love him or hate him, that's so alcohol tolerance right there.\n\n\"Well, like you said sir, there could be a mole. But you have to wonder who?\" Johnny says, while looking contemplative. \n\n\"Could it have been Castor? But even then, his family was held hostage by Black Light. Azath? He's got no family, so that could be a- no. The orphanage he was raised in was burned because of the information leak. Maybe it was....\"\n\nThere it was. The reason Hardedge hired Johnny. He had incredible intellect. Hardedge let his rambling go on as maybe he might find the culprit if he kept on with his line of thought. That's why he trusts him with all the......\n\nInformation.\n\n..\n\n...\n\n....\n\n\"Johnny, where were you the last hour?\" Hardedge asked, cutting of Johnny from his own personal rambling.\n\n\"Huh? Me? Well, I was in my office. Writing emails back to all your fans. Speaking of which you better reply to some of-\" Jonny answered before getting cut off by Hardedge as he raised his hand.\n\n\"Johnny. Where were you last week?\" Hardedge asked again, with even more concern in his voice coming up.\n\n\"Well, I was in my office again, responding to different emails. Can't really remember who I sent them too. There was too many.\" Johnny answered, shaking the back of his head.\n\nNow, Hardedge may have been more muscle than brain, but these excuses seemed too suspicious for him.\n\n\"Johnny. What do you do with the information I give you?\" Hardedge asked him. This was the final question to see if he was suspicious or not.\n\n\"I don't do anything with it. How would I benefit from telling anybody about these secrets? All I do is keep the information on my computer.\" Johnny answered.\n\nHardedge stares at him suspiciously before shaking his head.\n\n\"Sorry for doubting you.\" He says as he stands up to leave.\n\n\"Hey boss! Where are you going?\"\n\n\"Beat up some muggers that's what. I need to punch something hard right now.\"\n\n\"Oh? Do you need me to-\"\n\n\"No. I'm fine. I don't need you to spill it all over me again.\"\n\nHardedge bean to walk away. If he only slowed down for a short second. If he only turned around for even a slight second.\n\nHe would have seen a sinister smile on Johnny's face before he mutters,\n\n\"Little shit's getting smarter. Better pull the plug on him now. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.\"" ]	3
	[WP] You begin to slowly realize that your players utilize time travel to cheat on your weekly D&D nights.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 DM rubs his temples fighting off an intense headache approaching...“If you think it’s a good idea, sure... let it roll!” The DM commands as the elf then grabs her D20. She checks her new watch for the 12th time tonight.\n\n”we get it, your new watch is super cool, can you roll already!” the DM blurts with envy. \n\nThe elf cracks a smile. \n\nShe lets loose the icosahedron and watched closely as it tumbled across the table.\n\n“ANOTHER NATURAL 20, WTF?!? This is bullshit!” the DM exclaimed. \n\nWith an exasperated sigh, the DM continues...\n\n“The elf, having spotted the group of bandits from atop the tree then loosed an arrow which wizzed - a quarter mile miraculously straight through the Orcs eye socket which then set off a chain reaction of it accidentally cleaving it’s buddy in the back which severed the sling holding his bombs which then rolled into the campfire, resulting in a glorious explosion killing the remainder of the bandit squadron.”\n\n”I swear to god, if you bought one of those weighted Dice sets off eBay, I’m banning you from game night...”* the DM says bitterly whilst snatching up the die.\n\nHe then rolled it to the table just as the elf once again checked her watch...\n\nCrit 1.\n\nThe group erupted in laughter...\n\nThe DM stared in disbelief... he rolls it again... again, the Elf clicks her watch... he rolls again, she clicks again...\n\n* “Wait a minute!!! Let me see that watch!”\n\nShe presses once more...\n\nThe DM rubs his temples fighting off an intense headache approaching...“If you think it’s a good idea, sure... let it roll!”*..." ]	2
	[WP] Dracula awakens in modern times after hundreds of years of slumber. He isn't prepared for the knowledge of his weaknesses being common knowledge, or these dastardly "household items".	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "In 1477, Vlad III Drăculea died, or so that’s what they say. Some in Romania sing a different song. They say he is to return in their moment of greatest crisis to lead them out of it as he did when he fought the Ottomans. And now, Romania faced a greater crises than ever, and their greatest ruler was needed to bring them out of it.\n\nVlad was an interesting fellow. Technically a Vampire, he had fought his kin when they allied with the Ottomen against Romania. He had put nothing above the national interest, and, as many men of his status -- the greatest rulers of their nations in history, bestoed with the eternal responsibility to keep the great ships of state afloat through the most tumultuous times, he was responsible for Romania, but he felt he would soon be followed.\n\nAs he appeared in the monestary of Comana, his last resting place, he strongly inhaled, and then walked outside. In the afterlife, he had kept up with the politics and governance of Romania, simply so he would when to return, so he knew exactly what he needed to do: he found the media and gave a press conference.\n\nThe conference wasn’t too good -- apparently everyone outside Romania hated him because they thought he was king of the vampires or something. He had had to say, many many times, through a translator, that, no, he didn’t drink human blood, he had been buying the blood cheep from slaughterhouses that they would just be throwing away anyways. He explained that he had sustained himself in is first life off of the blood that butchers threw away, and that he was born a vampire. Vlad was growing sick and tired of the number of times he had to explain that the other vampires had joined the Ottoman Empire, and that he had literally fought alongside angels to vanquish them, and, no, he had an alergy to garlic, and only avoided it because he broke out in a rash when near it.\n\nPart 2 will come hopefully, about how Drăculea deals with a threat to Romania from Erdoğan." ]	2
	[WP] When your life hit rock-bottom you threw yourself into studying hypnotism as a distraction. And it turns out you are good at it. Really good.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", " Bemveryl is my my name. Not my true name, though that's the shortest version I can offer. \n\n It might take several minutes for a human to pronounce my true name, and I'm almost certain they lack the organs for it. There's this really deep ccrrhougrhgh on the third to last syllable of my 27th name-block which I don't believe humans can even hear? I have 37-blocks of information in my name and most of them are titles!\n\n Cutting out all the egotistical Dragon shit, my real name is Bemerylleachylghjurram Verinthuirxaniyl. I am the daughter of an Elven Lord and an exiled dragon noble. Mom and dad are still together, even after 200-years of bloodshed. \n\n The Elven Lord is actually my mother. She's adamant about being addressed as such, too. Which is understandable, in a relative way. I suppose Elves and Dragons have that in common. \n\n Mother grew upset with the Elven nobility of Tvailhal after they squandered public trust one too-many times. She accused swathes of nobility all at once on the floor of the Council Chambers. They turned away the pleas of valuable allies in favor of monetary gain, trading the salvation of their neighbors for the change in their pockets. I suppose she warned them, though? They were so preoccupied with arguing over land rights and the peerage of title, they didn't even realize what my mother's true plan was. I suppose they didn't know she was married to a dragon, either. \n\n Mother answered the calls of our allies, alone. Well, alone on her own with father, that is. She (and one very large forest dragon) turned the tides of two invading armies of humans and orcs. The humans weren't fighting the orcs, they were allied with the orcs—I mean, two armies of both humans and orcs, together, were fighting each other. And they were actually fighting over religion, it had nothing to do with race. And our allies homelands were in the way. Elven farmers, Fae forest-tenders, hill dwarves and such. My mother and father single-handedly earned the trust of the masses which made it much easier to depose the nobility. Now mother is adamant about being referred to as 'Lord' since she's now the one and only 'Lord' of Tvailhal. It's enjoyable to watch the other former Lords squirm under her gaze, the ones still alive anyway. \n\n Like the Elves, the nobility of Dragonkind take heart in their social formalities with tedious persistence. I became so bored waiting for the rest of my kind to finish introducing themselves that I decided to do something about all that wasted time! \n\n Not the hypnotism, mind you. I don't need magic-laced parlor tricks to get under the scales of my extended family or their presumptuous friends. Dragons like to think themselves the masters of all things mysterious and great but, truthfully, they're easier to read than a human affected by Dragonfear. Their ego is easier to pluck upon that a field of sheep in the dead of night—though, I should note, I only keep sheep for their fur. I'm not a vegan half-dragon, or anything—my digestive tract would actually eat itself if I stopped eating meat—I simply prefer fish. Which was a point of ridicule my extended family liked to press me with, up until I changed their tune myself. \n\n I am, to the knowledge of few, the most accomplished hypnotist within the upper echelons of Elven and Dragon society. Mom and Dad know, or course. They used to tease me for it, with love of course. They didn't realize what I was actually capable of until I mesmerized a group of the Elven nobility and forced them to act out The Tragedy of Thranguixan. Unlike the actual tragedy, and to my mother's great dissatisfaction, nobody died during the two-act presentation. \n\n But don't let that example be your guide-post for my work. Like I said, Dragons are incredibly easy to read. I didn't need my well-honed mesmer abilities to portray my derision for the punctiliousness of Dragon nobility. \n\n That being said, it maaay have been the hypnotism which put me in this predicament. It seems I might be immune to a sort of Mana-leeching viral agent which mutated and made the jump between Elves and Dragons. The plan was: every time some scaled buffoon or boffette tried to court me or intimidate me, by listing all 50+ blocks of his or her name, majestic this and unrivaled that, I would sneeze in their mouth. \n\n At least, that was the plan—which worked, for as long as it did. Practically overnight, the tedium of Dragonborne social interactions became my favorite game. \n\n Of course, Mother didn't approve of my idea—she said it would send a clearer message if I simply hypnotized them and made them murder their own families. I'm not a huge fan of killing though, I hunt and kill my own fish and even that is rough on conscience. \n Father is the same way, an acid-breathing dragon with an aversion to violence and killing—that is, an aversion to unjust violence and killing. Given the chance, he'll melt a group of highway murderers for lunch. Father was exiled from the Dragonborne homeland by his own family. Apparently they didn't appreciate his lack of enthusiasm for terrorizing farmers and townsfolk. \n\n And I should probably make it clear that I don't melt anyone when I sneeze. Our species of dragon have very fine control over our acid-ducts. Regardless, it is quite shocking to be interrupted in the middle of introducing yourself by the taste of another dragons vomit in your mouth. It's not actually vomit or stomach acid, but the type of acid which doesn't melt skin also just happens to taste and smell like stomach acid. \n\n And there's the true problem, which was likely caused by my mesmer abilities. You see, sneezing on command wasn't something I could just... do. I actually had to prepare and bring a tiny phial of Hverthsnuweed, a plant which elicits sneezes whenever it's sniffed. Small particles of mana bound to minute fibers irritate the sinuses of most species. It's also a common drug among the nobility, meant to act as a sort-of party spice for drinks, so nobody would think twice upon seeing a phial of the stuff around my neck. \n\n And that's how all of this ended up leading to this unfortunate predicament. Regardless of my social status, I'm a popular \"buy\" for parties and events due to my talent with hypnotization. It's mostly just things like hypnotizing away the pain so children can beat on each other with wooden swords while the adults clap and cheer. Though, there are the occasional oddball requests like 'Orgy Anxiety Elimination' or 'School Photo Day'. \n\n The thing is, sometimes I believe I might be too good at my job. I didn't even MEAN to hypnotize myself! \n\n That's why I'm hiding away in my room right now. \n\n Because now, regardless of who it is, I can't help but sneeze in their face the moment a stranger tries to seize my attention. Mother's off fighting some war and there's a throng of Elves, Dwarves, and Dragons outside the manor, angry with me for sneezing acid on their children. \n\n \n\n ", "The bauble unfolded from my hand. It was a cheap plastic trinket, encased within a fake gold case and on a fake gold chain. It's a worthless piece of garbage by any other means, but it's magic in my hands.\n\nThe woman in front of me looked intently into the bauble. She was old, old as a person could be, but there was a clarity and intense fire in her eyes. This was a woman who used to know the world, but her brain has robbed her of those memories and functions.\n\n\"Look directly into it. Feel it staring right back at you,\" I began my standard chant, smoothing my voice out to make it as plesant and even as possible.\n\nShe stared, entranced.\n\n\"Look into it. Think about what you desire. Think about what you want to see in your mind's eyes.\"\n\nHer mouth gaped open, an almost involuntary reaction to my words. The palpable tension in her shoulders shifted.\n\n\"I... I want to see my the love of my life.\"\n\nI snapped my fingers. She jolted suddenly, back straightening. Her eyes glazed over slightly, before returning to an intently clear state. Got her.\n\nI sighed in relief. I got her where I needed her to be.\n\n\"The love of your life is me. You want to give me everything you have. The money that you stashed in that weird biscuit tin that you think about knows about. The necklace you used to wear whenever you deemed something to be a special event. Remember them.\"\n\nI snapped my fingers again.\n\nAnother jolt, but she slumped forward this time. She leaned forward, her eyes wildly shifting from side to side, before landing on me.\n\n\"Oh my god, darling. Here you are!\"\n\nShe ran towards me, hugging me tightly. Very tightly.\n\nI hugged back.\n\n\"I hope you remember me longer this time, mum.\"\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	3
	[WP] Steve, the eldrich god living in your bacement, keeps refusing to do his laundry, and you're sick of 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "'Steve for the last time, you need to wash your damn clothes, it's a pigsty down here and the house smells like damp' I shouted at this pathetic excuse for a god that I had the misfortune of living with. \n\nThe watery eyes looked up at me, a pale blue face, stringy hair like clumped seaweed dangling past his hunched shoulders, hunched up in the corner as he was he seemed a sad figure, all bones and small but I knew he stood a tall and imposing figure, like last Wednesday when I ate his lasagne. His voice was like pebbles skipping over water, 'Mortal, you dare raise your voice to me! The elder god of the seas, I was worshipped by all of K'tath, I wiped out millions with no thought, a snap of my fingers and tsunamis showed my wrath.' \n\nMy eyes rolled and I sighed, 'Yes, yes, you were mighty and cruel, ooooh, now you are stuck in my basement and cant wash your damn clothes, and while we are at it, how the hell are they all so damp? Have you been sneaking into the neighbors koi pond again? I cant afford to keep replacing their damn fish! Look, I didn't want to pull this tough love thing, but get off your ass and get your shit together! This planet is three quarters ocean, have you thought about starting fresh?' \n\n'Hmmf, I guess I could wash some clothes, I have been starting to feel mouldy. Fine mortal. This time I'll acquiesce to your demand.' I heaved a sigh of relief, 'Thank you Steve.' \n\n'Can I still have the guys round for poker this Thursday?' \n\n'Damn it, I told you no Steve, you flooded the street last time because you are a sore loser!'" ]	2
	[WP] You're the proud owner of a completelly legal guns store. But, because of the bad location (a creepy alley) and your lack of advertisement, everybody believes is a black market store. And while you're completly unaware of this, the cops are starting to get suspicious.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "“Anyways, long story short, my boy Andre and I aren’t exactly on good terms no more since he made off with my stash, and I’m looking for something to finesse him to acquiesce”\n\n“Ahhh, I follow I follow. Check this beaut out. This here is an M1911, an Army standard since the first world war. Now it doesn’t look so ‘Army’, what with the pearl handle with gold inlay and sterling silver finish, but I can assure you that it is very much functional. It still fires the .45 ACP round, the only pistol round that the Marines trust to stop enemy combatants to this day. I can guarantee you that this lovely piece will get your friend seeing eye to eye with you in short order”\n\n“Damn, it is beautiful. I could imagine shitting my pants if I was staring down the barrel of this bad boy”\n\n“Naturally. As a reminder, while all of our firearms are not loaded, it is still good practice to always treat them as though they are. I wouldn’t recommend looking down the barrel”\n\n“Well shoot you think I’m stupid or something? The only one gunna be looking down the barrel of this bad boy is Andre”\n\n“Beg pardon?”\n\n“How much this piece gunna set me back anyways?”\n\n“This particular model is on sale for $1200. Now we do offer installment plans-”\n\n“Damn son! $1200 for a piece I might have to ditch anyways?”\n\n“I don’t follow...”\n\n“Look, nevermind man. How much for the Ruger, the uhh, five-shooter there”\n\n“That’s the LCR. The particular model in the case is used and is being sold today for $299”\n\n“That’s more like it. I got beef, but not over a stack to settle it… what? What’s that look on your face?”\n\n“The firearm you are considering purchasing has a somewhat checkered reputation. Cheap revolvers like these are excellent options for those looking to shoot on a budget, but they also have a somewhat nasty reputation as ‘Saturday Night Specials’, firearms that are used for crimes and discarded”\n\n“Uhhh… yeah?”\n\n“If you want to impress your friend with a gift, I would suggest something… different. Now if he doesn’t own a firearm chambered in .38 special, it could be a fine addition-”\n\n“Wait wait wait, you think I want to GIVE Andre the gun?”\n\n“Well you said you wanted to ‘give it to him’”\n\n“Yeah, but like, give it to him like, pop pop!”\n\n“...”\n\n“Bang! Bang!”\n\n“I’m going to have to ask you to leave sir”\n\n-----\n\n“Get anything Jerry?”\n\n“Nah, dude’s a brick wall”\n\n“Dammit, you sure? Nothing?”\n\n“Look, this guy isn’t just playing dumb, he’s being professionally dumb. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s just a regular guy with terrible business sense”\n\n“But nobody could be that stupid, right? Who the hell sets up shop here unless they don’t want to be found?”\n\n-----\n\nA Diamond in the Rough!\n\n★★★★☆\n\nKnowledgeable store owner with a passion for firearms, a wide selection of both historic and modern weapons, one of the cleanest and least crowded ranges I’ve ever been to! I’m almost remiss to put this review online, since more people will know about it, but Black Diamond Arms deserves the customers. The only reason I can’t 5-star it is because the location is horrendous, no signage, no parking. Put up a sign Mikey and I’ll change it right away!" ]	2
	[WP] You've had a fairly simple life, until one day, you found the key to that drawer your parents told you not to look in. You found several acts regarding a terminal illness, photos of you in a hospital you never went and your death certificate.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 always wondered why it was that mom wore the decorated key around her neck, like some sort of sentimental piece she couldn’t part with. It was pretty in a way. Just a normal brass key like the ones you could easily pick up at the craft store. It seemed like just the thing she would do too. Sometimes I would catch dad staring at it while his face flushed, then paled. Sometimes mom would touch it randomly, a developed nervous twitch that grew frequently throughout the years. She never took it off, and when I questioned them about it, it was always some variation of the same answer.\n“None of that matters now.”\n“Someday we’ll tell you.”\n“Maybe when you’re older.”\nThen their eyes and lips would twitch, almost as though they were trying to reassure mostly themselves with a false smile that everything was right in their world.\nIn the back of my mind, there was always that little niggling doubt—the thought that it was a horrid lie and it would all eventually blow up in my face one day. It did.\nI thought I was dreaming the sounds of a car driving away until I woke up to find both mom and dad gone. On the rare occasion they left together, I would always find a note on the refrigerator door with a 20 on top. I could feel this was different before even seeing the note...\nAnd mom’s necklace hanging right next to it.\n\nLily\nWe tried. Honestly we did. But the sheer terror we had to suppress since you were born...\nJust know we love you. I promise we’ll see each other again, when it’s safe for us.\nYou’ll find all the answers in the box. Take the key. It’s yours now.\nLove\nMom and Dad\n\nMaybe it was the combined nerves and anxiety rushing through my body, or just plain shock that had me laughing and shaking all over. The key was gripped tight in my fist, cutting in to my palm hard enough to draw blood. I stared at the blood dripping to the floor in a trance, my legs wobbling and knees knocking together violently until giving out completely. I sunk to the floor in a pathetic heap, the laughter giving way to broken sobs. I stood like that for a while, watching the sky darken to a pretty sunset glow through watery eyes until I could force myself up.\nI knew without having to actually look that they really were gone. But I had to be sure. I had to see for myself that I was alone.\nI trudged up the stairs, my hand stinging from the cuts as I gripped the banister, trailing blood in a thin line.\nTheir door was open. As was their closet and dressers. Everything was empty. I stood in the doorway, staring blankly at the room and not processing what my eyes were clearly telling me. Then I saw it.\nAntique like the key, polished wood with a brass lock and leather fastenings. It looked like a treasure chest.\nI drifted over to it, my hand automatically reaching before my mind caught up. I froze. The trepidation and mounting dread pushing me back a few steps until my legs hit the edge of the bed. I sat down heavily, staring at the box as my thoughts ran rampant.\nDid I want to know what was in there?\nMost likely not if whatever it was was so horrible that it made my parents run away. Could I handle it? Maybe it was just all some misunderstanding and I could call mom and dad and tell them they were being ridiculous. Either way, I had to know. I had to fix this. I couldn’t be alone.\nWithout giving myself time to think, I strode to the chest once more. The sound of the click from the lock seemed ominous in the otherwise silent room, like an omen or a warning and I was suddenly thinking of Pandora’s Box. I laughed again, noting the edge of hysteria in the sane part of my mind before I choked off the cackles.\nThere was a white binder placed on top of beige fabric. I pulled both out and lay them side by side. They had my initials on them, stitched in gold on the fabric—that I realized was a baby blanket—and stamped in black on the binder.\nI flipped open the binder. There was a picture of the three of us, and if the time stamp at the bottom corner of the page was right, it was the day I was born. I touched their faces, my fingers softly caressing the photo as if I was trying to pull them from there to here. I set the picture aside and turned the blank page.\nWhat the hell?\nIt was more pictures. But mostly of me... in a hospital? I didn’t understand. They looked recent, or at least recent enough that I should remember being in a hospital. I flipped through the pictures as quickly as I could until I reached the last page. Then I froze.\n\nCertificate of Death\nLilith Iris Evans\nBirth: April 20th, 2002\nDeath: March 3rd, 2019\nCause of Death:\nImmediate Cause- Exsanguination\nDue to- Stab wounds to heart and lungs.\n\nI could taste the bile at the back of my throat as I read the words over and over. I was shaking again, the tremors coursing through my body making my teeth chatter until I could stand it no more. I dashed to the bathroom, barely making it before vomiting up everything in my body.\nThere were gaps in my memory that I’d never thought of before. Nothing but a blank wall and stabbing pain when I tried to think of what happened the last few years. Why couldn’t I remember anything? Why was I barely thinking of this now? Pulling myself up from the floor, I turned on the cold water and leaned over the sink to rinse my mouth.\nI needed answers, and that wasn’t what mom and dad left me. If anything, I had more questions, and I couldn’t get my answers in my panic induced hysteria. I took a deep breath and splashed water on my face before I stood up.\nThen I screamed. A hand cut off the sound quickly while a curved blade came up to my throat.\nOn a quiet hiss of breath, I heard the words whispered in my ear before I passed out.\n\nHello my queen." ]	2
	[WP] "Everyone heard the phrase: "Face your inner demon". How many could actually face it, though? Almost none. And here you are... staring blankly at me..." The shadowy figure remarked, letting a chuckle 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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? you think i wouldn't wanna face you because you're scary? or that i'm afraid of confrontation? if you knew me, you'd know i'm not a pussy. i just didn't care to do anything to fix you.\" i took a sip out of my mini vodka bottle. \"and frankly, i still don't.\" i always heard of demons showing themselves to their humans. they usually run and hide. most people don't wanna face their demons. i can face mine. i just won't do anything to make him change. \n\n\" i never said i wanted you to fix me, sweetheart. the last thing i would want to do is see you suffer more than you already do, courtesy of me.\" he vanished in a cloud of black smoke, then reappeared behind me. \"you and i do have some things in common, like how we like watching the world burn. we're both sadists. we're both waiting for the day you snap, and i'll win this little game we've been playing.\" he whispered into my ear. i ducked away from him.\n\n \"i'm nothing like that you fucking psycho.\" it was a lie. he clicked his tongue in disapproval, smirking and floating toward me. \"maybe not now, i'm not manifesting myself inside of you. truth is, we're the same person. i'm every bit of narcissism, sadism, depression, and every bad feeling you have. without me, you're happy! but, unfortunately, i'm not going anywhere.\" he pouted. i wasn't phased.\n\n\"well, i'm not complaining. i'm a piece of shit, so what?\" i'm never happy. truth is, without him, i feel nothing. he said i'm happy without him? he's wrong. \"i don't wanna get rid of you. you make shit a little more interesting.\"\n\n\"oh, honey.\" he lifted my chin up with his finger. \"looks like you and i are staying friends for awhile, hm?\"" ]	2
	[WP] "But.. You're a demon arent you, for helping me out shouldnt you be trying to terrorize the mortal realm through me? Or tricking me into offering up my soul?"... "I only show up for the paychecks man, I cant be bothered"	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 dude, I’m just here for my check.” \r\n\r\n“What do you mean your check? I gave you a massive sacrifice. You helped me level the entire city, killed possibly millions of innocent people and you say you’re here just for the check? What do you get paid in? Souls?” I said sheepishly to the demon standing before me. \r\n\r\n“Cash, ya idiot. We have a currency too.” She said back to me as her tail swished to and fro.\r\n\r\n“So….do you get paid a lot for this gig?” I said back. \r\n\r\n“Nah, I’m lower level. Barely above min wage. I’m working on getting an apprenticeship with some high level stables. Maybe become a tradesdemon. That’s where the big bucks are. Vendetta summons, last breath summons. Those kinds of things.” She said as she casually floated above me. \r\n\r\n“So, this massive scale of destroying a city, killing so many. This is considered the grunt work for you?” I said as I took a seat on a small pile of rubble. \r\n\r\n“First off this isn’t a city, more of a town. Second, it wasn’t millions more like a few thousand. Third, this place was going to be destroyed anyway. The dictator of your country was planning on testing some nasty chemicals on this small group of people. Was going to be far more painful then what I provided them.” She said as she lowered herself back to the ground. \r\n\r\nI looked around and noticed the rubble of the small buildings around me. \r\n\r\n“I hated this place so much. I came here for work years ago. My parents gave me what they could to help me find a home here. The only place I could find was a small dingy apartment. I barely could afford it and I worked extra in order to do so.” I said to the demon. \r\n\r\nI got up from the pile of rubble I was sitting on and began walking down the streets. The demon was interested enough to decide to follow me down the road. \r\n\r\n“That pile with the giant red letters sticking out? That’s where I worked. Fixed phones and sold new ones to people. It’s funny though. I couldn’t afford one of those yet day in and day out I worked with them. I remember seeing a kid throw their phone at the ground in full force because they didn’t get the color they wanted.” \r\n\r\nI continued walking down the road and noticed some more landmarks. The demon kept following as I spoke. \r\n\r\n“That hill with the tree still on fire? My girlfriend came to visit me. I saved up so much money to try to move her out here. She came here with a ring on her hand. Told me her family set her up with someone wealthy. Told me she was planning to tell me sooner but didn’t get a chance to. 6 years of relationship went down the toilet. She didn’t even have the decency to tell me we were done. I found out from a friend.” I said as I slowed down and looked around again. \r\n\r\n“Sounds like a bad hand there kid. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. I cant say it’ll get better. Because it won’t. They plan to blame this on the country next to you and use it as provocation to go to war.” She said as she came closer to me.\r\n\r\n“So what do I owe you?” I said now facing her. I noticed her size as she easily stood over 2 meters tall. \r\n\r\n“Nothing. No soul, nothing. I get paid either way just for showing up. I can cut you a break though?” she said as she stared back at me, looking downwards. \r\n\r\n“I can give you a new home, away from all this, no charge, no catch. Give you a bit of money and a nice house. Do what you will afterwards.” She said to me. \r\n\r\nI nodded without hesitation as he eyes began glowing. I closed my eyes and when I opened it I saw a wonderful modern high rise overlooking a bustling metropolis. The demo was still staring at me as I looked at my new surroundings. \r\n\r\n“Hey, I’m sorry to ask for another favor but do you mind getting some lunch with me? If you want to.” I said to her. \r\n\r\nShe put a hand on a shoulder and smiled. “listen, I told you I’m here for the checks. Nothing more. You’ll be fine, or not. I don’t care. Take care kid.” \r\n\r\nWith that, she teleported in a puff of smoke as I took a seat on a couch and finally relaxed." ]	2
	[WP] As a Spymaster, your job is to recruit and train those with the potential to become great assets. Only now, here at the end of all things, do you realize that your greatest protege was your worse enemy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 took a sip of my tea. Everyone here drank tea. It was and had been the drink of choice for centuries. Speaking of the centuries, I was beginning to feel my age creep up on me. Training no less than 300 spies over the course of 60 years really took a lot out of my now old bones. I still could remember the thrill of stalking my prey, gathering information. Even assassination on the rare occasion that my leige required it. \n\nI took another sip of tea.\n\nA chill ran down my spine and I knew I was being watched. Years of honing people on how not to be noticed had made my own soxth sense rather spry despite my age.\n\n“Zeke.” I said. The hand on my shoulder felt similar to my top pupils but harder. More the hand of a man who had been given an impossible order. I felt a shot of fear for the first time in two decades.\n\n“Master.” Zeke said simply. He sat next to me. I turned my tired old eyes to him. \n\n“It’s time isn’t it?” I asked him. He nodded slightly, no trace of emotion on his face. I truly had outdone myself with his training. The boy had been a prodigy amongst all of my recruits and despite the code, I had gotten attached. Knowing what was going to happen now was bittersweet.\n\n“I’m not ready master.” Zeke said simply. I shook my head in the negative. My heart had begun pounding but my own training prevented any inkling of fear from reaching my face.\n\n“No you are not. I wasn’t either. You’ll be a fine spymaster though. Please make it quick.” I told him and lowered my head. My heart began to calm as I accepted the inevitable. Zeke stood up but did not draw his dagger. I waited a few moments before flicking my eyes to his belt wondering what was taking so long. The dagger I had presented to him when he had become a man and officially finished his training, the very pride of a spy of our standing was firmly in it’s sheath.\n\n“It is already done master.” He said simply before dropping a small empty bottle at my feet. It rolled to one side to reveal it’s name. \n\n“Silence. No wonder I’m not as scared as I should be.” I said as the effects of the poison began to manifest and I realised why I had been so calm. Not because of my training but because of the drug coursing through me. I glanced at my tea again. Zeke pulled my dagger from my belt as I feebly tried to stop him from taking my pride and joy, my very identity. The golden hilt denoting my status was stuffed into his belt. A very literal title grab. He walked towards the door as I rested my head on the table, preparing for the sleep that would soon come.\n\n“I must thank you master and I will honor your memory.” Zeke said before leaving. No doubt going to report to his highness. As I closed my eyes and my mind became foggy I thought to myself.\n\n‘I really hate him.’\n\nThen there was no more." ]	2
	[WP] You've been stuck in an infinite void, due to one of your many failed experiments. Somehow you haven't died of dehydration or hunger, yet. After a seemingly endless amount of time has passed, you see a flickering light in the far-off distance...	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Water.\n\nI.\n\nNeed water.\n\nFood.\n\nI want breakfast,\n\ndessert,\n\ndinner.\n\nMother used to make them well.\n\nSo good, they warmed my stomach.\n\nI was always full with Mother.\n\nBut, now.\n\nI am always hollow.\n\nIt is,\n\nEternal.\n\nMy life,\n\nMy beautiful life,\n\nnever ends here in the dark. The void keeps me alive. \n\nKeeps me awake. Keeps me in the dark. \nTwo eyes, one nose, one mouth, one ear.\n\nThe other one gone, never to return, never to return, never to run, never to walk, never to hide.\n\nTwo noses, one eye, three mouths, no ears.\n\nI took the ears.\n\nI swallowed them, \n\nAnd I still can't hear anything. \n\nThree mouths, one eye, no ears, two noses.\n\nMy eye hurts,\n\nburning, it is like a thousand fires are blistering and burning within me,\n\ntrying to turn my insides to mushy, soft, chewy, candy. So I took it out.\n\nOne eye, one nose, no ears, two mouths, one mouth, two ears, three eyes, one nose, two-\n\nThere!\n\nI hear it!\n\nLaughter! \nMy wife, and her children!\n\nThe spawn, my offspring, born into the light and away from the blackness of death. They are calling from the source.\n\nThe source is familiar.\n\nI can taste the soft juices that trickles from fresh fruit, and feel a warm wind brush my hair and lift my battered body just barely, and....love,\n\nLove, love, love, my wife, the love of my life, my loyal wife, her lips, they are everywhere, my children, my wife, it is too much!\n\nThe source is the light, the exit to my suffering, I must reach for it, take it in my sallow arms, embrace it, and call it my own.\n\nMy wife, she is calling, calling still, and I am going to her, my eyes are back, filled with tears, my arms outstretched, ready, ready to return, please, don't go, I am almost there, please.\n\nThat feeling of being alone for so long has broken my soul, but the light fills it with new promises and they heal the broken cracks within me and I am free again, back in the world, my wife is hugging me, my children, they have grown so big, and my mind, the memories, the experiments, and all of it, coming back in one flood.\n\nI have returned home.", "Time.\n\nSuch a funny thing, really. It ruled every aspect of your life, once. Wake up exactly on time, be on the train exactly on time, be at work exactly on time, where your task was to make sure that the components of the portal device went off very, very precisely on time.\n\nAnd when it finally worked, you stood in front of the square that seemed cut out of reality, a window to pure nothingness. Perhaps it violated regulations, but so what? The portal was perfectly safe, you'd known that from smaller scale experiments.\n\nYour triumph was cut short as a featureless humanoid, little more than a white marionette, burst out of the gap, grabbed you by the shoulder and tossed you through the portal. The last thing you saw before the portal slammed shut was its featureless visage gazing back at you.\n\nIt's been a lot of time since then. Or perhaps none at all. You can no longer tell, without clocks, without days and nights. Without light. You couldn't even feel your own breath or heartbeat in so long. Perhaps your senses had gone, with nothing left for them to report.\n\nYet now, after all this time, something changes.\n\nA dot of light appears. Near or far? You can't tell, not without any reference. You move towards it. You don't realize you're cutting through air like a bird until the dot has become a square, almost wide enough to fit through. Freedom.\n\nYou burst through the gap, clinging to any handhold in arm's reach, your eyes nearly blinded by the light. Yet the first thing you place your hand on gives, and flies past you and through the gap. You turn around to look.\n\nThrough the portal, you see the last face in the world you'd have expected to see. One you've seen so many times in a mirror.\n\nThen the portal closes." ]	3
	[WP] You are the worlds most successful supervillain. You aren't very dangerous, and technically not even a criminal. You make a career out of uncovering the civilian identities of vigilante superheroes and then turn in the information leading to their arrest for reward money.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Dossier #73\n\nAlias: \"Castle Grinder\"\n\nRegistered Identity: Sefawicz, Dorothy Alyson\n\nAge: 56\n\nOccupation: Cashier, Walmart.\n\nCurrently residing in St. Farrow, Texas. USA.\n\n\nWhat followed was in-depth information regarding government records of all types, known associates, family traced to five generations in all directions, photos, and a very lengthy list of crimes and suspected crimes. Everything.\n\nSpecial Agent Whitman stared at the file, his eyes colder and more distant than usual.\n\nJoel smiled pleasantly. \"Everything I could find. Within legal means of course.\"\n\nWhitman nodded gravely, already keying a number into the intercom system. After a moment, the line was picked up and Whitman quietly began to issue orders. \"We'll begin the operation as soon as I arrive.\" Whitman put the phone down and regarded Joel with familiar formality. \"You will be highly compensated for your contribution. As usual, you may approach the secretary on level three for your payment.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\" Joel stood, \"a pleasure to work with you as always.\" Joel offered a hand, which Whitman ignored. After a moment, Joel retracted his hand awkwardly and turned to leave.\n\nMaking his way out, Joel received his compensation package from the secretary's desk. Standard payment, 10,000 dollars. Joel hoped he'd be able to snag a higher profile subject soon, but they were getting smarter. Just not smart enough. No, never quite smart enough. But then, they ran around in Spandex and wore their underwear on the outside.\n\n\nAs soon as Joel had left, Whitman had stumbled out onto his office balcony, and lit a smoke. After a few minutes of silent puffing, he saw the young man leave through the front door and hop into his modest little Toyota. \"Piss off.\" Whitman heard himself say. Stifling the urge to spit, Whitman thought back to the glory days. A few years past, the old FBI agent had maintained a comfortable relationship with the Vigilante community. They'd been invaluable assets for years, something he'd tried to drive home to the committee time and time again. Now he hunted them down like dogs; everytime that young man pulled into the carpark and waltzed in, the cycle started again. Flying down to some little town or city. Breaking down doors. Breaking apart families. Hell, some of them had been like children to him themselves. A couple had barely been old enough to drive. But no matter who it was, the operations always ended two ways; with a hero in chains, or a bullet between their eyes. Damnit; how'd he find Dorothy? If only there was a way to help her...\n\nA knock at his door awoke Whitman from his rambling reverie. \"Sir, your bags are packed, and the jet is on standby. Just say the word.\"\n\nPutting out his smoke, Whitman limped back to his desk. \"Thank you Penn,\" Combing back his white hair, Whitman sat down. \"But we won't be heading out just yet. I need an hour or two to work out some last minute details.\"", "My first attempt at one of these, be gentle :)\n\n\\-----\n\nThe soft glow of the screen, the stuffy air, the world at my fingertips and my eyes in the sky. My base of operations may be a small, nondescript white van, but from that van I had made my fortunes. The drone broadcasting to my terminal was currently cruising eighty feet above my head, recording and transmitting the spectacular scene that had become, unfortunately, all too common in the past few years.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Poor girl\" I whispered to myself, watching the would-be heroine doing her best to control the chaos that was rapidly unfolding around her. The alarm was still blaring, a reoccurring WHEET-WHEET from within the depths of the shattered storefront window. A huge bear of a man, carrying a lumpy, half filled pillowcase and a rather large handgun was doing his best to end the life of a girl who couldn't have been more than fifteen.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"STAND STILL\" The thief shouted, punctuating his shot with a deafening blast from the pistol on his hip. The shot spotter system in the van alerted me that the gun was a .45 ACP and helpfully drew a crude green arrow on the side of the display to show me the direction of origin. \"I know.\" I whispered to myself, disabling the system. The girl was flickering across the battlefield, only visible for moments at a time, easily avoiding the wild firing as she closed the distance.\n\n\"Power\" I spoke aloud, \"Speedster or short range teleporter\" I spoke into my headset, watching the auto-scribe fill the information in on a short form that I filled out for each of my little 'cases'. A list to the right of the form showed a list of possible aliases that fit my notes, as I filled in more info, the list shortened as options were filtered out. The drone camera, at my urging, activated infrared and confirmed that the heroine was indeed teleporting. \"Speedsters generate higher heat when moving, heat ranges normal, power class is short range teleporter.\" A glance showed 287 possible results.\n\n\"Caucasian Female, early to late teens, approximately 5'8\" Hair blond, likely dyed.\n\n105 results\n\n\"red costume, yellow lightning bolt, someone's been reading old comics.\"\n\n84 results\n\n\"Tsk... no originality, you don't even have the same power.\"\n\nAs I continued filtering results, the girl had managed to get inside the large man's guard, driving her forearm into the side of his hand, pushing the pistol out of line with her body and driving her clenched palm into his solar plexus. The thief made a small gasp of air, a groan of pain, and dropped to the ground, gasping.\n\n\"Record a level 1 assault, possible martial arts training\"\n\n8 results.\n\n\"Well, Well. Display.\"\n\nas my screen split into eight separate boxes, each box populated a head-shot of a young masked girl with blonde hair.\n\n\"remove three and seven\". The boxes faded from view, the screen re-arranging the other six to fill the screen. three had been confirmed dead and seven was in jail as of earlier this week. It was because of her that the drone had infrared.\n\n\"must remember to update the list more often\" I noted to myself.\n\nBack on screen, the girl had blinked forward and kicked the pistol away from where the thief had dropped it. She bound his hands with a Zip tie and looped the tied end of the pillowcase around her hand. She looked up for a second and then blinked away. The drone's eye view let me see her bounce twice, once to a nearby shed and again to the roof of the shop that had been robbed. She dropped the bag on the ground and hopped off the roof, blinking to the ground from about five feet in the air.\n\n\"not interested in cash, she's actually in it for the hero kick.\" Then, to my rig \"teleport range under ten feet.\"\n\nthree of the remaining girls were eliminated. The remaining three populated a profile beside their picture.\n\n\"Remove one.\" Suspect One had A scar across the top of her cheek that cut across her mask. The remaining two girls on my screen could have been twins, and they both looked startlingly like the young vigilante that my drone had in its sights.\n\n\"Hmm...\" I chewed on the end of a pen that I'd been holding, a habit from the days when i'd been starting out, since all my notes were recorded and transcribed automatically now. Amazing what money could do, really.\n\n\"I need something to differentiate them. Compare profiles.\"\n\nThe two remaining women appeared on screen side by side, each section of their profile displayed next to the other for comparison.\n\n\"Fabric.\" I whispered. The girl on the left had a sleeker looking costume, something that had been treated professionally, probably fireproofing. The drone zoomed in as it swooped low, focusing on and taking several stills of the costume.\n\n\"Gotcha. Remove Two.\" The second profile dropped off screen and the stills were uploaded beside the original image. \"Match\" showed up in green letters, there was a small tear in the right shoulder of the girls costume that was also present in the profile photo.\n\n\"now, who are you.\" I whispered.\n\nFifteen years ago, I would have been called \"private detective\" or possibly \"bounty hunter\". Today, the Hero Union, or the HU, as they were stupidly called, classified me as a supervillan, since I performed most of my work against the heroes and was personally responsible for taking at least two hundred and twelve of them off the streets. As much as the young woman in front of me was doing the right thing in stopping a crime, she was in no way legally allowed to do it. Police officers were insured by the city, so damaged property and personal injury would be covered by the city. The criminal lying on his back, trying in vain to break the zip ties around his wrists would never see the inside of a cell. Evidence had been contaminated, Chain of custody broken, and the injuries he sustained from the would be vigilante would likely result in him appearing sympathetic.\n\nA beep. The drone had identified something. A close-up of the bag had revealed a smudged fingerprint left just above the knot. \"Small, not the perp.\" Analysis pulled her name within fifteen minutes.\n\n\"Hello, Sarah Michaels\" I whispered. I'd wait a day or two, long enough for the perp's lawyer to file assault charges against her. Andrews would call me first, before he made the reward public. I recalled the drone to the dock built into the side of the van and calmly drove away, thinking about what I'd buy next.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I should probably get a lair or something, really lean into the villain thing.\"\n\nI laughed as diabolically as I could and sneered \"You face the Unmasker\".\n\nI chuckled to myself and made another note. \"Work on name.\"", "You'd be surprised how many vigilante heroes didn't realize the damage they cost. In every movie at the end of a big fight, the whole city is leveled. Sure, thosr heroes think they're doing the right thing, but frankly, the villains care more about the civilians than they do. \n\nAnd so, I made a business out of it. Sure, from the outside, it looks like a normal P.I. office, but most of my customers aren't regular people. \n\nFor example, I was letting my Secretary run the upstairs while I packaged the details of my most recent case. \n\nDanny Campbell, 32, vigilante name is Galaga, caused the death of many orphans when he caused a building to flatten an orphanage. The FBI requested this one, as I said before, villians aren't the only ones pissed off. I was distracted by the sound of a dog sniffing around and footsteps coming down the stairs. A man that looked like he stepped out of a black and white movie was being lead by his \"seeing eye dog\". Then, he looked at me and smiled. \n\n\"Darling, training these dogs to smell the underground? Brilliant!\" I smiled back. The obviously not blind man let the dog go who ran to me, recognizing me from his training.\n\n\"Harold, good to see you, all though that must mean something unfortunate happened.\" His smile twitched.\n\n\"Yes, well, I was doing my evil thing, painting homophobe's houses with rainbows, when this vigilante who can control paint washes it into the sewers! And because he didn't think ahead, it went into nearby ponds. Although I do like the new rainbow ducks, it cant be good for their diet.\"\n\nI laughed, rubbing the dog under his chin. \n\n\"I'll get right on that.\"" ]	4
	[WP] The dragon knight is sent to rescue his dragon princess from a human princess who took up residence in her castle. Now the dragon princess is constantly assailed by human knights trying to 'rescue' their princess.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\"Ma'am.\"\n\nShe was very small, Corgon noted. Small and squishy, she looked, no scales over her back or anything. But there she laid, smack in the middle of a bed that wasn't her's. \n\n\"Ma'am, get up.\"\n\nTurning slightly to the dragoness that stood beside him, Corgon gave a nervous shrug via the wings that sat on his back. \"Should I just pick her up?\" He wondered, \"Is that safe?\"\n\n\"Let me try,\" Abreille- the princess that was supposed to lye in that bed- commented. Carefully, two of her claws gently reached over and wrapped around the human lady's torso. She woke up as this was happening, and begain to kick and screech. Neither of the two could understand what she was screaming about, but someone seemed to-\n\nA shout from behind. Corgon turned around to see a small army of knights formed, all armed with spears and whatnot. Corgon's heart skipped a beat as he saw their weaponry, but it seemed to be clean of bloodstains and that was probably good. The humans shouted more words the dragons couldn't understand, weapons hoised and some of them pointing to their princess, who was throwing a tantrum.\n\n\"Princess Abre?\" Cor asked, \"I- uhm- don't think this is very good.\"\n\n\"Very rude of them, I might say,\" she muttered, reaching her paw over and dropping the human princess before the array of knights. She landed with a small thud and they all gasped- but she was fine, as shown via her whining about something to a knight and clinging to him relentlessly. \n\nBoth knights- the army and dragon- stared at one another for a moment, before they each left with their respective royalty, all in moderate confusion." ]	2
	[WP] You are the last god. When you came into existence, all of the others were already gone. They've left traces, proof of their existence. You are alone, with nothing but the world and the history they left behind.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 birth parents were rich and powerful, but my adopters are poor. What does that make me?\n\nA fairy told me my inheritance awaits atop the mountain. Eagerly, I leave the farm and run to the top. The eagle is not there to lift me up higher, as the legend says, but I still climb. Gayna, my healer friend, watches from below, shouting “You fool! You’ll get yourself killed trying to join the gods!” Of course I ignore her, but when I reach the top, I’m pushed over the edge by a loose Minotaur. I fall several steps down until I grab the nearest branch to keep me hanging. \nThe monster throws rocks down my way, and I dodge, jumping out of the way, my hand holding on to the nearest ledge. From there, I channel lightning from the sky to my hand to the beast’s chest. \n\nSo I stumbled to the top to see Olympus was... nothing. Nothing except rubble made by broken and destroyed columns, dried up pools and empty wells where dreams once fell. Stages crumbled to dust, and audience chairs no more. I dig through everything. I pushed everything aside. \n\nNo bodies, just a few loincloths left in the dust. A few bones here and there. \n\nThen...a stamp by of the order of King Deres. This place was excavated, and the King wants his people to know not to look any further. \n\nBut I know what he took. I can almost see through the mist, taste the magic, and like a bloodhound trace it back to the ground where it was taken. \nGayna aids me in my quest to retrieve the greatest inheritance I had yet to receive: the valuables of the gods. \n\nOn the way to the city, I meet faun who knows what I look for. A cheeky short bastard he is, hairy from head to toe, horns hooked almost as long as his grin. “They didn’t go to the city.”\n\n“Tell me where.”\n\n“For the price, I’ll tell you anything.”\n\nI threatened lightning on him, and he said to use it elsewhere, or else he would tell me nothing. I was ready to strike, but Gayna spoke of consequences in boasting your muscles before the Fates. \nSo at once we went to receive his prize: the ancient wine of Midas’ house.", "Alex liked to travel. He usually hitchhiked, even in this day and age there were those willing to offer a ride, even without needing to use his particular talents.\n\nHe usually engaged his driver in conversation, as Alex was an easy person to talk to. He usually asked them, while they were talking, what they truly believed in. By then his companion would have felt comfortable enough to open up and give an honest answer.\n\nIt varied. Family was a common answer. Money another one. A fair few professed belief in some god or other. But when Alex pressed them to expound more, they usually couldn't other than a vague hope that things would turn out all right in the end if you weren't a dick.\n\nAlex didn't blame them. It's not as if the so-called experts knew more either. In his experience, the theology students and men of the cloth could talk rings around anyone, but when it came down to it, what they believed in was the system, not the source. The organisation continued its stately march, while the faith failed to grow.\n\nAlex's wanderings weren't aimless. He walked the paths where his predecessors once did, retracing their steps, remembering what had taken place. He thought of himself as an Archivist. Some people preserved history by extracting artifacts from the ground and displaying them in a museum. Alex preserved the memories of the gods by telling their stories to himself. Even though they were gone, someone would be there to remember.\n\nHe had walked the wide world, from the silent monuments of Greece, to the deep jungles of India, and the mountains of Japan. Every time he sensed some remnant of power, some spark of divine essence, he would stop and take a moment. The names of reverence still echoed in these sacred places, and though the years passed and they were slowly fading out of human memory, he would remember them.\n\n\"What do you believe in?\" he asked his driving companion, a nice lady who lived in El Paso.\n\n\"God,\" she said automatically. \"My children, my husband, my friends at Church. I'm a very lucky woman.\" From her voice, Alex knew what mattered to her the most.\n\nAlex eventually made his way to Mexico City, one of his favourite places. It was a shrine to not one but two mighty faiths, the saints of the Romans mixing and mingling with the feathered serpent of the Nahua peoples, producing something unique.\n\nHe bought tortas from a street vendor and entered a church which so happened to be built on the spot where the home of a powerful Aztec priest once stood. He took a seat and sat in silent contemplation, calming himself, opening his mind. A flood of memories assaulted him, memories of blood and pain and fear, but also of contentment, joy and triumph. He was the last. He would remember them all.\n\n\"Excuse me?\"\n\nAlex nearly fell out of his seat. He was not supposed to be seen. He couldn't. While he absorbed memories, he was invisible to the mortal eye. He had stood in crowds and people had glided around him without a second thought.\n\nBut this girl was looking straight at him. She was young, with messy black hair half-hidden by a hood, rings in her ears and nose, and a shining gold bracelet around one wrist.\n\n\"Hi.\"\n\n\"Can I help you?\" asked Alex.\n\n\"My name's Emma. I'm sorry, but I know who you are.\"\n\nAlex chuckled. He never knew a mother or father, had appeared in the world one day knowing everything he needed. He had none of the mortal accoutrements, no bank account or identification card or papers. He was just Alex, wandering from place to place.\n\nEmma narrowed her eyes, then relaxed. \"Your name's Alex. You're just like me.\"\n\nIt was all Alex could do to pat the space on the pew beside him. Emma joined him.\n\n\"Who are you? Really?\"\n\n\"Tell me what you're doing first.\"\n\nAlex hesitated. This could still be a trick of some kind. But he decided to throw caution to the wind. He told her what he was doing, what he usually did. Remembering. Communing with the past.\n\nEmma did not look as though she believed he was crazy. Instead, she smiled.\n\n\"That makes sense.\"\n\n\"What do you do then? If you're like me.\"\n\nShe tapped the side of her head. \"I hear them,\" she said. \"I hear them out there, calling to me, even they don't know who I am. Cries for help. Entreaties. Pleas. From hospital rooms and sinking ships and desert sands. It's faint, but...I know they're there.\"\n\nAlex was stunned. \"What do you do about it?\"\n\n\"I help. Best I can.\" She explained how she would slip some money to a starving beggar, or let a terrified mother know where her missing daughter could be found. None of them seemed to notice her, but the relief they felt in her wake sometimes felt like the only real thing in the universe.\n\n\"Come on,\" she said, holding out a hand. \"Let's go.\"\n\n\"Go where?\"\n\n\"I'll show you. A few blocks from here. There's a kid who's getting shaken down by gangs. We're going to help him.\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\nEmma raised an eyebrow. \"Because every little bit counts. And besides...don't you feel lonely? With nothing but these old ghosts for company?\"\n\nNo one had ever asked him that before. Alex suddenly realised, after countless years, that he was lonely.\n\nHe looked up at Emma. And he took her hand.\n\n\"You remember,\" she said, squeezing his hand. \"That's good. That's important. But that's the past. And we need to make sure there's a future to come.\"\n\n\"Lead the way.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Youre hungover and confused. Youre wearing a strange costume, holding some sort of trophy, and are infront of a big audience. Turns out your sleep walking habit has really taken a turn.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Bright. So bright. And loud. Didn't I tell Tanya not to turn the lights on when she got up for work? \n\nBut....\n\nI'm not.... \n\nI use whatever I'm holding to shield my eyes. Even squinting, things are still blurry. My glasses... Where did I leave them? God, please just shut up, I need to think. My eyes sting, blinking doesn't help. I blot them with my shirt - good I'm still wearing a shirt. Wait... Does that matter?\n\nI'm standing. Why am I standing? Wait....\n\nDid I black out? I think I'm gonna be sick.\n\nBlink. Blink blink. Squint.\n\nI can make out.... Movement. The noise..... It's not just senseless noise, it's.... Cheers. \n\n“What the hell is going on?\"\n\nI'm holding some sort of trophy, now that I actually look at it. Nondescript, the kind anyone can order off the internet, a tee-ball trophy. \n\nI look around, definitely standing, not sure where. I'm okay, I'm clothed... Damp, but... Thats okay. Could be worse.\n\nThey're really going wild up there. it is UP, I've decided. \n\nI squint some more. Whats that over there? Someone else?\n\n\"Oh god, please help ... What's going on?\" No answer. I move towards them, my body aching, a creak or pop with every step. I drop the trophy on the ground, but the crowd won't let up. I don't want it, I don't want any of this!\n\nI grab my one companion's shoulder, they're enthralled with the chants from the crowd.\n\"I need to know what's going on....\" The crowd SCREAMS, I cover my ears.\n\nMy companion falls. Thud. SCREAMS! Laughter!\n\nDropping to my knees, I bring my face close to theirs. \"I don't know what's going on.... \"\n\nA metallic smell accosts my nostrils. Blood on his face. His chest. My hands. No no no no nononono.\n\nNot again." ]	2
	[WP] Due to a massive population decline, powerful nations all over the world fight wars over Video Games to protect whatever little human life is left. But this has caused nations to declare war for the smallest reasons. You're a "Soldier" fighting a war for the most frivolous Reason.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Day 18 on the front line. Fresh out of army cadets, now fighting for the UK. My younger brother has finished his basic training for the air force, and my older cousin is now deployed in our side of the battlefield. I lost my right arm, fighting on the UK-Russian front, from a grenade. I'm considered a sharp shooter within the wing. Even some of the Marines admit that. So, instead of discharging me, they decided to use me as a test subject for \"implanted weapons\". They allowed me to say what I would like on the arm I lost. \n\n>'A machine gun with a chainsaw bayonet. Decorated with a knight's helmet and my family crest.'\n\nNow the Russians are planning an attack, from what I heard from my comrades around camp. That's just a rumour...I hope." ]	2
	[WP] The various godly pantheons of ancient history are all revealed to be real. You are a reporter and anthropologist who has been given the opprotunity to I interview the various gods about their perspective on the myths they are involved in. These are your results.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 #097 (Part 3) \n\nGod/Deity: Hercules\n\nPantheon: Ancient Greek\n\nSubject: The ~~Seven~~ Twelve Labours\n\nInterview transcript (continued);\n\nHERCULES:... ah, that was fun, you should have seen the look on King Eurystheus' face when I drove off those damn Stymphaliam Birds, I just knew he was trying to get me killed at that point. He may have been my cousin, but he was a coward and a bastard. I mean, he was meant to be my competition for the place of champion of the pantheon, but when faced with danger - seriously, we're talking about a \"man\" who ordered me to kill a lion, then hid in wine jar when I returned wearing its skin as proof of the kill! \n\nINTERVIEWER: We've already talked about the Nemean Lion, I was hoping we could move onto the other six labours.\n\nH: Fair enough. Now where was - ah, the Cretean Bull. Relatively simple all things considered, just snuck up, throttled it unconscious, then shipped it back to the mainland. The Mares of Diomedes, on the other hand, they were anything but. If I realised that they had been trained to eat human flesh... Poor Abderus. He deserved better.\n\nI: I understand you founded a city in his honour - \n\nH: It didn't last. Like I said, he deserved better.\n\nI: Do you, do you need a moment? \n\nH: Yeah, yeah give me a minute. \n\nEnd transcript (part 3)", "\"I was actually involved in something unreported,\" said Arachné, goddess of porn, spiders, parody, societal criticism, and freedom of speech. This was a new revelation. It turns out that after she wove a sex tapestry of Athena's dad, she sheltered a man who had criticised all of the gods, even herself. \n\n\"Corith had offended all of the gods, so they decided to go after him,\" she explained, \"they send a band of 5 gods to kill him -- Orion, Sekhmet, Olga, Odhin, and Lupa. Most of them (all of them but Sekhmet) gave up, and he hid in my temple, served by spiders.\" \n\nIt kept on going, eventually Arachné created the black window, which caused Sekhmet to withdraw. And that's why spiders can be poisonous.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was amazed to be told that Arachne was a goddess. I will sure find another deity to talk to soon." ]	3
	[WP] A common thing that tips people of that they're dreaming is that their watch is unreadable. After hearing about this, as a joke you look at your watch for the first time in a while, only to realize you can't read 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", " Bryant's done quite a few things in his life. At just 30 years old, he's already started a business, sold it, played in the NCAA title game, won it, had a brief stint in the NBA, and gotten married. Now, he's focused on giving back. That's why this morning he's delivering a speech to the Boy's and Girl's Club of Akron.\n\n\"All of you can achieve your dreams. It just takes confidence in yourself and your abilities. Now, that confidence doesn't come free. You have to work for it. For me, that meant staying in the gym longer than anyone else. Later, for my business, I had to do the same thing. You can do it too. I believe in you.\"\n\nThe applause comes rolling in. It used to fill Bryant with a kind of pride. But now he cringes at it. Sure, he could deliver a speech to some kids. Tell them about working hard. But did it really mean anything coming from him? It didn't feel like it to Bryant, not since it was all a lie.\n\nPut simply, Bryant never worked a day in his life. He never even took basketball seriously. Bryant's talents were discovered by his high school coach while he was just messing around with some friends. Almost every shot went in. His friends thought he must be trolling them, that he had been working on the craft in secret for months. But no, the truth was much simpler. Bryant was just lucky that day.\n\nOnly, that day turned into that week, that month, that year. He rode that luck all the way into the NBA and past it into boardrooms. Now, he's a multi-millionaire who has just the right level of fame: enough to use it to his advantage when he needs to but not so much that he can't leave the house anonymously.\n\nOn top of all of that, Bryant met and married his dream woman three years ago. Tonight, he's taking her to their favorite restaurant in downtown Akron, Dante Boccuzzi. \n\nThey arrive at 8:00 to a questioning host: \"Do you two have a reservation?\"\n\nBryant smiles, \"No, but they usually put me at the Chef's table. I know him from my time on the Cavs.\"\n\nThe host warms up, \"Yes, of course, sir. Follow me.\"\n\nIt was always that easy for Bryant. Everything was.\n\nNow, he follows his wife to the nicest spot in the whole place. A table he's gotten used to. He looks at the woman in front of him. She's classically gorgeous. Blonde hair, beautiful smile, accomplished in her own right, all wrapped in a black dress.\n\nSitting at the table, he can't help but gush, \"I am a very lucky man, Hannah.\"\n\nShe grabs his hand. \"Stop it. I'm the lucky one.\"\n\nIt would all be rather disgusting if it wasn't Bryant. He has a way of making even the cheesiest situations feel fresh and vibrant. Butterflies filling their stomachs, the waiter approaches.\n\n\"Mr. and Mrs. Bryant, you're looking lovely this evening. How are you?\"\n\nBryant smiles. \"Fantastic. Somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming, sitting across from this beautiful woman.\"\n\nThe waiter jokes back, \"You know, I won't pinch you but there's an easy way to see if you're dreaming or not.\"\n\nBryant plays along, \"Oh? What is it?\"\n\n\"Well\", the waiter starts, \"Just look at your watch. If you can read it, this is as deliciously real as our specials tonight. I'll tell you about them in a bit. If you can't read your watch... Well, I might pinch you after all.\"\n\nThe charmed couple look at each and laugh. Hannah says, \"Well, aren't you going to check?\" \n\nAs always, Bryant obliges her. He pulls up the sleeve of his suit jacket and takes a look. Just as he suspected, the watch says 8:05. He's about to read out the time when, suddenly, the minute hand starts to twitch. Strange. Then the hour hand starts to move, too. Bryant blinks a few times to make sure he's not seeing things. But when he opens his eyes back up the hands are both spinning around the watch like a faulty compass.\n\n\"What the hell\" Byrant can't stop himself from saying it out loud.\n\n\"What is it, baby?\" Hannah asks, concerned.\n\n\"Take a look at this\" He puts out his wrist for her to see.\n\n\"It says 8:05, honey. Are you feeling okay?\"\n\nBryant looks back at his wrist. It's still spinning wildly. A tingle of fear shoots up his spine. He steels himself against it. \"Uh, yeah, okay, I guess it does say 8:05. Weird.\" He lies.\n\nHis wife teases, \"We need to get your eyes checked. You might need glasses now that you're an old man.\"\n\nThe waiter responds now, \"Are you sure you don't want a pinch?\"\n\nThe three laugh and that's the end of it.\n\nExcept, it isn't. For the rest of the night, Bryant continues stealing glances at his watch. Every time he does, the spinning gets worse. He rationalizes it at first. Thinking to himself, \"It must be broken. All those small gears that it needs to function, one of them must have gone out.\" It's a nice thought. But when Bryant gets home and his wife goes to bed, he pulls another watch out of the closet. It's the same thing, spinning like a broken compass. In fact, whenever he looks at the time now, he can't make sense of it. The clock on the oven, microwave, his phone, all of them going wild. None of it steady.\n\nBryant stays up the entire night. He's afraid to sleep. He worries about what will happen if he allows himself to drift off into the realm of the subconscious. The next morning, he goes to the optometrist. But he's offered no peace. Instead, he's told that his eyesight is as good as it's ever been. That sends another shiver down his spine.\n\nBryant doesn't know how to make sense of it. The only explanation is the one he got from the waiter. \"Maybe I really am dreaming,\" he tells himself. \"It makes sense.\" He starts looking back at his life. All that success... Never having to work for it... The dream scenario becomes more and more likely the more he reflects.\n\nOn another late night, Bryant's doing some research on the internet. He finds a local shaman who claims dream-states as a specialty. Bryant goes to visit him the next morning. When he arrives, he tells the Shaman everything.\n\nThe Shaman looks at him, \"I don't have any experience with this.\" Bryant's heart sinks. \"But\", he continues, \"I have heard of it.\"\n\nBryant pleads, \"Tell me, what can I do? I just want it to stop.\"\n\nThe Shaman sighs, \"The only way to get out of the dream state is to die.\"\n\nQuietly, in a voice he's never used before, Bryant asks, \"What will happen to me?\"\n\n\"I don't know where you will go.\" The Shaman confesses, \"But you will escape this dream.\"\n\nThat night, Bryant climbs to the top of the parking structure next to Dante Boccuzzi. He stands on the ledge, looking over at the city he grew up in. So many memories. His success, Hannah, dreams for the future ... they're all wrapped up in Akron. \n\nHe stands up there for what feels like a lifetime, probably only a few minutes. Then Bryant takes a deep breath, climbs off the ledge, and drives back home.", "\n\n\"Gone again are we?\" \n\nI looked up in surprise. \"Sorry, what are we doing?\" \n\nLisa's eyes rolled back and she sighed. \"You know you need more memory and maybe a watch. Are you ever in the moment or even on time? You know they say if you can't read your watch you're in a dream!\" \n\n\"Oh come off it, I have one riiiiight here\" I glanced at my arm for an imaginary watch and found one on my wrist. Another problem was that I had no idea what time it was. I was reading the symbols, but I couldn't comprehend a single thing. \n\n\"Hellooooo, earth to Zoe.\" \n\nI met Lisa's gaze and felt myself drop into a pit of despair and confusion. I was dreaming? Why was that so scary? \n\n\"Zo? You okay?\" \n\nI couldn't answer her back. Every memory I had was playing backwards, and I realized that I couldn't remember my last real moment. Memories weren't supposed to be so clear. Was my whole life a story I invented?! \n\n\"Zoe!!!!\" \n\nI jumped and pushed myself back from her. Her hands tightened on my shoulders \n\n\"Back to me Zoe, what's the matter?\" \n\n\"M-My watch. I can't...\" \n\nI glanced down at my arm to show her the source of it all. \n\n3:33pm \n\n\"How?\" \n\nLisa relaxed and laughed a little. \"Glad to see you back silly.\" \n\nOf course I was! I would never be anywhere else than beside my best friend in the whole world!\n\nEdit: Spelling.", "\"So does it work for phones too then? Had a problem with that a time or three, though usually there's some other reason involved.\" She mimed shotgunning a beer.\n\nHe laughed and shook his head. \"Naw, only watches. If you can't read the watch face, then boom. Dreaming.\"\n\n\"Dreaming huh? What then? You wake up? Or maybe you go hog wild, take over the world!\"\n\nHe grunted. \"Something like that, I guess l.\"\n\nShe leaned back and sighed. \"I should check then. Sounds like it'd be a good time.\"\n\nWith an exaggerated wave of her arm, she brought her watch up in front of her. The face was blurred.\n\n\"Huh,\" she said and waved her hand over her wrist. Her hand was crisp and clear. The bands of the watch were fine. The glass showed not a hint of smudge or grime. The numbers of watch here blurred into oblivion.\n\nShe looked up at Tom. His smile had faded. \"I thought so. You're one of us, aren't you?\"\n\nShe frowned, staring hard at Tom. He oozed sincerity. Damn, but that was a good one. She laughed, straight from her belly. She slapped Tom across his purple furred back. \"That's a good one. You almost got me.\"\n\nTom bristled. \"No joke, Nesra, you are trapped here. We are trapped here- and we need to get out before they find out we know.\"\n\nNesra rolled her eyes. \"Aight, lead on of you aren't done yet. But know I'm not buying it.\"\n\nTom sighed deeply and turned away. \"Good enough, though the sooner you believe, the better it'll be for everyone.\"\n\nTom scooped her up and launched himself into the sky. Sweeping bat wings unfurled themselves from nowhere.\n\nCold wind nipped at Nesra's exposed skin. Two of the three suns had set and the sky was a dusky green.\n\nA dream, indeed. What dream had this level of detail? She knew herself, and she was not all that creative.\n\nThe last sun had set and the pyreglies danced in the night sky by the time Tom landed. Nesra pulled away from him and looked around.\n\nThe roof top was exotic. It was a dark gray, and nearly barren apart from a handful of metal boxes and a door headed down below. It was extravagant in its minimalism. Gaudy in the neutral tones.\n\nTom held the door open and gestured her inside. \"The rest of us are waiting inside.\"\n\n\"The rest? Look, Tom, I have been more than patient with this gag already, but I'm not going to go down there so you can make a fool of me in front of strangers.\"\n\nTom wasn't listening to her; he was busy searching the night sky. \"I promise, I am not joking, nor is this some sort of prank. But I need you to trust me a bit longer. They come, and we must not be out here when they arrive.\"\n\nNesra turned and followed his gaze out over the roof tops. Dim lights left much in shadows, only lit by the periodic light of the pyreflies. Nothing else stirred. \n\nTom had been her friend for- how long? Months? Years? It was hard to remember but it felt like forever. He wasn't the sort to yank her chain. Maybe he needed help and this was his way of asking for help.\n\nWith that last thought echoing through her mind, Nesra squared her shoulders and marched through the open doorway. Tom nearly leapt in behind her, slamming the door shut.\n\nThe inside was the same, foreign barren design. Beige walls. A singular light bulb glowing from the roof. It was so different from the florescent, wavy architecture she was used to. It was unnerving.\n\nTom grabbed her hand and half pulled her down the stairs. Those were particularly short, barely two dozen and not the several hour jaunt she was used to. Where had Tom even found a place like this?\n\nAs they neared the bottom, a murmer of voices grew. It sounded like there were several people- or at least several heads, one should never assume- down below. Nesra worried at her lip. What had she gotten herself into?\n\nWhen atlast they entered a large room, it was a relief. A handful of normal people looked at them. Bright colors, mismatched appendages and inconsistent sizing grounded Nesra in the otherwise surreal surroundings.\n\n\"I found her,\" Tom said, \"None too soon either. She's almost gone completely.\"\n\n---\nIf you want more good stuff by me, check out r/Everlosst or for a bunch of great serials, stop by r/redditserials.", "The past couple of days have felt really off to me, and I couldn't shake the feeling. I attributed it to so many new experiences becoming a part of my life. I had just flown from my small, Chicago suburb to Ireland, both for my job and to conclusively unite with the love of my life, Tanya. I tried to attribute my unease to elation and/or jet lag.\n\nBut jet lag doesn't happen on round trips. \n\nMaybe the stress of my new job was the cause; going from a waiter to an actual, big boy desk job does carry some stress with it. Moving into a house for the first time adds on to the stress. There's the decorating and the paperwork and meeting the neighbors and the housewarming party. But I feel like it's even more than all of that. It's something more serious. \n\nOne day, I completely zoned out while eating dinner with Tanya. One moment we were having a conversation about some woman she'd met at a coffee shop, and the next I was gone. It was almost as if my mental capacity had flat lined. It took Tanya almost screaming to bring me back. While at first she had looked annoyed, even angry, her demeanor melted as I felt my eyes well up. Tanya had never gotten angry, especially to the point of having to raise her voice. Everything felt so wrong. \n\nI remembered an old saying my dad told me when I was growing up. He said that you can always tell if you dreaming if you can't read your watch. Fortunately for me, my company had given watches out to their employees. I'd never worn mine. Both the office and my house have digital clocks everywhere you turn. \n\nI bolted upstairs, pulled open the nightstand, and frantically shuffled through Tanya's necklaces, earrings, all her other jewelry, until I found my watch. \n\nI couldn't read it.\nEven after I blinked and wiped the tears out of my eyes, \nI couldn't read it. \n\n\"Jon,\" a man's voice had bellowed upstairs. \"Everyone, I think he's starting to wake up.\" \n\"Who's there?\" I yelled. \"What are you talking about?\" \nAs I blacked out, I could hear Tanya rushing up the stairs. \nThat's when I realized that the man's voice hadn't been coming from downstairs or anywhere in the house. \n\nIt had been coming from somewhere above me.", "\"I love you.\"\n\nThe soft words escaped from smiling crimson lips. I loved the shade of red her lips turned when under the sun.\n\n\"No, you don't,\" I said in a playful tone, though I knew her to not be a fan of such banter. She hit me on the shoulder with a force slightly harder than one would consider playful.\n\n\"I hate when you say that,\" she said, adjusting her sunglasses which she knocked askew from her nose as she turned to slap my shoulder.\n\n\"Just a joke,\" I said and I laughed to myself, \"I just say that because I still can't believe you do.\"\n\n\"Sometimes I question why I do,\" she said, readjusting her positioning on her beach chair, and scurrying her fingers along the edges of pages in her book in attempt to rediscover what page she left off on.\n\n\"Yeah, me too,\" I said, bringing my arms behind my head, and allowing the breeze coming off the ocean to wick away my sweat. I breathed in a deep breath of ocean air and tasted the salt on my lips. I didn't even notice her brown eyes peaking out from her sunglasses at me.\n\n\"I'm waiting,\" she said.\n\n\"Oh yeah, I love you too,\" I responded.\n\n\"Loser,\" she said. I smiled so wide the muscles of my cheeks began to cramp. They were not used to this movement. Smiling had become a foreign behavior for me after my mother died. After I lost my job. After I got sick.\n\nBut she taught me how to smile again. She taught me what happiness felt like, and now that I knew it once more, I couldn't imagine feeling anything else. I reached for her hand and she intertwined her fingers with mine.\n\n\"Must be a good book,\" I said, commenting about her inability to tear herself away from it. She loved to read. She was an intellectual. It was one of the many things I loved about her. I watched the tide roll in, the foam crested waters travelling closer to our feet dug into the white sand.\n\n\"It's not bad. The author looks like a real dweeb though,\" she said referring to the picture of the writer in the book, \"but, I guess he's kinda cute.\" She squeezed my hand. I laughed aloud. It was my book she was reading.\n\n\"He'll probably never get a girl like you,\" I said.\n\n\"Probably not.\" She squeezed my hand again.\n\nI breathed in deep and realized there was nothing else I could possibly wish for in this moment. I had no idea what I had done right to deserve this preview of Heaven, but whatever it was, I had to keep doing it. I needed to stay in this moment forever.\n\n\"Is it time for lunch yet?\" she asked.\n\nI could not recall how long we had been out there. I looked down at my wrist to check the time.\n\n\"Damn,\" I said, \"I must have forgot my watch in the hotel room. Do you have your phone on you?\"\n\n\"Let me check my pocket,\" she said as she patted her bikini as if it had pockets, \"nope, must have left it in the hotel too.\"\n\n\"Looks like we'll just have to stay out here forever,\" I said, the sun shining on my smile.\n\nI watched the ocean, reveling in the serenity of the sound of its waves. The ocean sang to me a calming and comforting melody. The only sound I liked more was the sound of her singing. I slid my sunglasses down my nose as I watched the oceanscape begin to change. The waves began to move in mysterious ways. Then, a spout of water gushed into the air.\n\n\"A whale!\" she said and she laughed. Something didn't seem right. Its head peeked out of the foam and it began elevating. \"Not just any whale!\" she said with childish excitement in her voice.\n\n\"What?\" I said, the word leaving my mouth laced with confusion. The whale began to maneuver into the sky.\n\n\"A windwhale!\" she said. My breath got caught in my chest. \"Do you remember when we saw one on our first date?\" she asked.\n\n\"No,\" I said. Panic started rushing into my veins. I sat up and shook with anxiety.\n\n\"It's just a windwhale,\" she said, \"calm down, babe. Relax.\"\n\nI couldn't relax. I ran my hand across the front of my shoulder where she had playfully smacked me prior. It didn't hurt, but it should have. I looked down at it. There was no port from which I had been receiving chemo. I looked at the book in her hands. It was a title I'd never written.\n\n\"No,\" I said, \"no...\" I got up and ran to the hotel. I stormed into my room, frantic and on the verge of breakdown. My hands trembled and stumbled through my belongings on the dresser, they tossed a bathing suit, brochures and my wallet out of the way until my fingers gripped my watch, turned upside down. I closed my eyes and breathed hard.\n\n\"Don't do it,\" she said, standing in the doorway, \"we turned it upside down for a reason. Remember?\"\n\nI didn't. Despair gripped my chest. \"I need to know,\" I said.\n\n\"Please. Don't do it,\" she advised one more time.\n\nI turned the watch over to read the time. Except, I couldn't. It was blurred and absent of numbers. It was unreadable. I collapsed to the floor, devastation ruining me. It could not be, that the happiest time of my life wasn't real. I threw the watch across the room. I was ready to open my eyes and remove myself from this dream and return to the doldrums of my depressing life.\n\nI felt arms wrap around me. She held me in my place and in my dream, refusing to allow me to wake. \"Stay here,\" she said.\n\n\"Why?\" I asked, near sobbing, \"you're not real.\"\n\n\"Then what is?\" she asked.\n\n\"My mother's death. Cancer. Unemployment.\"\n\n\"What makes that more real than us?\" she said. How long could I stay in this dream? How long could I avoid real life? Could I even be happy here anymore, now that I knew the truth? My tears soaked her sunkissed skin as she continued to hold me.\n\n\"Stay here,\" she said again. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was where I belonged. Maybe this dream wasn't real but this happiness was, and though it was my subconscious mind which savored it, there was no reason for me to restrict myself from it. I sat up, rising out of the pathetic crumpled heap I had deteriorated into. I wrapped my arms around her. Everything felt right again.\n\n\"You know,\" I said, \"I think I will.\"\n\n\\\\\\\\\\*\n\n\"It was so weird,\" a nurse said to her husband, unraveling the events of her work day. She put her fork down, the memory she was recalling was stealing her appetite from her. She sat back in her chair, fighting tears.\n\n\"He was doing so well,\" she said. Her husband looked on lovingly and gave her time to speak without interruption. \"And then he was gone.\" Her husband grabbed her hand to comfort her.\n\n\"But the weirdest part,\" she said, \"he passed with the biggest smile on his face.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEdited grammar error" ]	6
	[WP] Describe a Nerf-War in the most dramatic, war story type way	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Evelyn felt the weight of the letter in her hands all the while resisting the urge to look upon it. Her hands trembled slightly. The familiar scrawl of writing flushed her heart with hope but worry creased her face for what the words might say. \n\nDearest Evelyn,\n\nIt feels an age since I saw you last, waving as the last girl on the docks as our boat pulled away. In times when this war feels absolutely suffocating, that thought brings gladness to my heart. I wanted you to know that I think of you often, particularly in the moment, as this conflict rages on and on. Just when we've taken one backyard orders are sent to take another.. and another. We win some, we lose some, and we carry on. It's tiring but, when I'm at my lowest, I think of you and a little of the weight that all soldiers carry with them falls away. Should there come a day where my time has come, I know it will be you that I think of as my light fades away. \n\nI hope to find myself returning home to you soon. To see you on the docks, just as beautiful as the day I left you. If I am fortunate enough, the first part of me to touch that dock will be my knee - and I hope the first part of you I touch is the hand I place our engagement ring upon. \n\nTo hear the \"Yes\" from your lips as I ask you to marry me, that's what I'm living for. \n\nYours truly,\n\nSam\n\nSam sank into the dirt, pinned down by a constant Rhino-Fire Blaster barrages coming from the north end of the Petersen's yard. Shouting came from his left as Michael took shelter behind a planter box - his N Strike Strongarm was out of darts. Sam checked his own Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K that was lighter for having spent half of his hundred rounds. On his right, Pam and Stanley were commando crawling behind a doll house to try and flank the Petersen's pillbox position, nestled securely by a thick tree. He motioned for some darts and Pam threw a clip across the yard to him. \n\nIt was a mistake. \n\nTheir position was compromised and both Sam and Michael watched as the Petersen's Rhino-Fire turned and rained relentlessly upon both Pam and Stanley. As their bodies rolled with each impacting soft-foam round, Sam reached out and snatched the dart-clip from out in the open, then tossed it on to Michael.\n\nAnother mistake.\n\nThe clip fell short of Michael's hiding space and as he dared to leave his safe spot, a Modulus Longstrike Round whizzed through the air from the tree in the north - finding its home in the side of Michael's ribs. Sam heard him cry out before the sound of Rhino-Fire again took up the space above his hiding spot - the mound of dirt dug up by Mr Petersen for their new washing line. \n\nPam and Stanley lay still on one side, Michael writhed in pain on the other. Pellets peppered his position and he knew, even if he were to roll and evade the rapid firing Peteresen's, markswoman Kelly would surely pick him off as he tried to move. \n\nIn this moment, Sam closed his eyes and thought of Evelyn - about how he could face her at school on Monday after boasting all of Friday lunchtime that he was the greatest Nerf champion on Hadleigh Street.", "(Me, a nerf war veteran) It’s my time to shine!! \n\nOkay for real, here’s a story.\n\nI run the race, the race for life, as I zoom through the maze of wooden structures, and jump my own height to hide behind the sofa. The quiet tells me they’ve done the same. But then, then I hear the sound of carpeting being parted. I can only assume that they are near. I can hear the click of their machinery, as the footsteps grow louder. They’ve found me.... I turn to run to be met with non other than the very being that I wished to escape.\n“There’s another way to end this you know...” a gruff and tough voice sounds.\n“Not honorably.” I say and fire my weapon. They do the same and jump behind the wooden chair.\n“Mamas gonna be mad...” I hear them mumble before their body blurrs into the kitchen.\n“You dare go in the forbidden room!” I say. “You will die braver than most!” I follow them. I search and find nothing. It’s like, they’ve....disappeared....\n“MARKUS!” I shout desperately. “MARKUS WHERE ARE YOU!” My feminine voice breaks the silence. Nothing, no response whatsoever. I notice a movement outside the window. He tried to trick me! He will surely pay...\n“Markus....how could you...” I march outside, tears streaming down my face. \n“I TRUSTED YOU!” I scream.\n“You should know better than that by now, pretty girl...” He steps into the light, the orange and grey pea-shooter in his palm.\n“Oh I’ll show you a pretty girl.” I say and fire the blue and black weaponary I was bestowed. The darts fly through the air, the chirps of the nearby birds in harmony. The screams of my enemy ring through the winds and into my ears. My chaotic and psycopathic laughter drowning it out before it can prosper.\n“This ends here, Mark.” \n“Not if I can do anything!” Mark unleashes THE THING!\n“Not THE THING! It’s not even nerf!”\nHe doesn’t listen to my cries as I beg my brother to withdraw THE THING. He finally comes to terms with his mistake. \n“B-Blitz?” He says.\n“Oh my god Blitz! I’m so sorry! I lost control!” He says and cradles my slow lifeless body.\n“I-I...”\n“What?! You what?!?”\n“-I-I’m”\n“What!?”\n“I’m t-telling mom...”\n\nThe end! I hope this was good enough!", "GET DOWN!! I hear as the darts whiz past my head. All I can see are soldiers, falling to the floor as dart after dart hits their back. Tables are flipped over, chairs stacked up, and ammo is everywhere. How did it all start?\n\nIt was 3:00 PM, an hour after release from class. The floor was quiet, too quiet. My friends and I had been kicking back drinking sprite and eating chips when suddenly thumps are heard. Our door is opened by someone who shouts, THE NERF WAR IS ON!! We had experienced wars like this before, and they were never pretty. Friendships were hurt, relationships were broken, dorm rooms wrecked. We grabbed our guns and locked the door, like it could protect us. I had been saving a gun for the occasion, and walked into the room ready to fire. Derrek swung the door open as I fired the powerful t-shirt cannon, filled to the brim with rival balls. 3 poor souls had been eradicated, as they lay there on the floor, motionless. We took the chairs and pushed them outside, hoping to provide some sort of cover, and what we saw was harrowing. Kids had been shooting left and right, and nerf guns weren't the only things being used. Water balloons flung past us as some were hit and soaked. Socks, bouncy balls, it didn't matter. They would strike you like a hammer, knocking you back and down to the ground. Suddenly, foam rockets fired at us, as jerry went down and the order was given. And then we were back, right to this moment. But war has a tendency. War, never changes.", "I can’t even think anymore. I have been through everything you could possibly imagine, short of death itself. In the long run, I know this might be worth it... or will it? Us soldiers are mere pawns to be used at the whims of the powers, expendable and replaceable to the point where one must consider whether they consider us live. The politics of the situation is far beyond my understanding, but that which I know is right seems to be violated daily, if not hourly.\n\n\nComing up with such thoughts is yet another exercise in the metaphysical. These moments of awareness are more prone to strike an individual when they have no comprehension of its magnitude, as opposed to experiencing the emotion personally. As a child, I, for one, stayed up until midnight writing war stories, detailing the horrors of battle in gruesome detail. But that was then, and when I had turned eleven, the powers had decided that I and every child born in my same month was expendable and must be used for the war effort. In this bloody terrorscape, the mind so often defaults to its instincts, blissfully unaware of that which happens around them.\n\n\nNow, I realize, there is no way to avoid my fate. From the other side of the line drawn in the living room, the enemy opens fire. Pellets carom off the wall behind us, only safe from death via the safety of the leather couch, our last line of defense. For what feels like an eternity, the enemy’s attempts to end our lives are continual, their full fury and rage behind their attack.\n\n\nOnly after a few minutes does the barrage stop, the ammunition of the enemy’s weapons depleted. This is our chance; acting as a single hive mind, we peek over the top of the couch and fire upon the enemy. Our pellets barely miss their soldiers, with the exception of the best marksmen stealing the lives of innocent boys, likely just like me.\n\n\nGiven the situation, it would make sense for me to use this relatively safe time to sprint for safety. After all, the kitchen was but a few paces away, and the stairs nearly adjacent to that. But I wouldn’t let my thoughts cave in; months, nay, years of brainwashing from the commanders, had pounded into my brain: You must die for your country! It will happen! It is inevitable! Each and every one of us stood there, in total fear of the commanders, all of whom were in high school and were far more powerful than even the strongest and tallest amongst us. My brain will simply not let the thoughts of betrayal enter my head; why did I need to live? What was the purpose of me, if not to die?\n\n\nBut after a few moments, I realize what is happening. This has never happened before in the history of this war, and to my knowledge, it has not yet happened again.\n\n\n“They’re charging!”\n\n\nThe enemy soldiers were beginning to leave the safety of their couch, charging directly across the living room onto our side. They are about to jump the couch and attack us point-blank; giving up their lives to take someone else’s. In this moment, my brain ceases to function, and I run, fleeing the scene.\n\n\n“Hey, you!” A high school junior shouts. “Someone get him!”\n\n\nHands grab at me, swiping at my legs, vying desperately to bring me back towards the death zone that was the living room. I twist and tumble around them, desperately sprinting for the stairs. If only I can get the commanders’ parents on my side, the war may just be over...\n\n\n...but I never get there. A force comes to the back of my head, knocking me to the floor. Darkness enclosing on my vision, I desperately vye to stand up— and am immediately thrown down on the ground by the force of a hundred and thirty pounds. I turn over to see the opposing commander grinning evilly down at me as I fade, fade into blackness...", "\"Sir, we've pushed the enemy back and taken Sofa Ridge, but we've sustained heavy casualties and cannot defend if they rally and attack immediately.\"\n\nJoey always panicked during the tense downtimes, but I knew something he didn't. This victory was assured. Today we would push back our enemy with our secret weapon.\n\n\"Calm down Joey, what is our ETA for reinforcements?\"\n\n\"The troops we lost will be back from medical in 2 minutes. Our soldiers in the field are still picking up ammo. Our forward scouts report that the enemy will be ready to attack in 1 minute though.\"\n\n\"Very well Joey, order your men to push forward to Kitchen Island in 40 seconds. We have received Intel from a reliable source that this is a major supply line for our enemies. Cutting off this supply, will slow down their counterattack and buy our reinforcements time to join the battle.\"\n\n\"Sir! If we push and they are ready for it, our remaining forces could be wiped out! It'll be a bloodbath out there!\"\n\n\"Dammit Joey! Today is the day of reckoning for our enemies! Can't you see we've got them in full retreat. Good men are gonna die today! But the losses are worth the victory! Now gather your troops and move out! I'll be right behind you.\"\n\nJoey gave the order. He always gives the order. He's a good soldier, always does what he's told. And today, we will not fail. Time for my ace in the hole.\n\nIt's always ominous climbing the steps leading up to the witches lair. The air becomes stale and putrid. Incense she calls them. But I gather myself, steel my mind and enter the den. The war must be won today.\n\n\"What did I tell you about coming to my room dweeb? Do you really want me to hurt you on your birthday?\"\n\n\"So-sorry Anna, but I was wondering if you could help me? I'll give you $10 from my birthday money if you do.\"\n\n\"Only $10 dollars?\"\n\n\"$20?\"\n\n\"Fine, I'll help you for $20 dollars.\"\n\nToo easy, witches always have something they love above all, and this witch loves money.\n\n\"I need you to go in the backyard and talk to Andrew and the boys with him.\"\n\n\"Money first, loser.\"\n\nI pay her the money. It's no use trying to double cross a witch. Believe me I've tried, it's painful.\n\nI quickly rejoin the battle on Kitchen Island. We have suffered more casualties but, the reinforcements have arrived. They put up a good fight, but the enemy line is beginning to waver.\n\n#Take this outside!\n\n\nA thunderous boom from the heavens. The day is ours and the enemy is forced to retreat further back to their home base. Nothing can stop us now.\n\nWe move outside, gathering ammo along the way. Tensions are rising as the war draws to an end, and there it is. Andrew is completely under the witches spell, distracted by her. I must be the only one here immune to her powers.\n\n\"Joey! Give the order, push into the enemy base and win this one for our glory! And the freedom of the Homeland!\"\n\nThe bell tolls for our enemies. The war is won. The men return home to their families. Although I'm not sure their minds will ever be the same, forever changed by the rigors of war. May God have mercy on their souls.", "I struggled my way inside the building, heavily weighted down by my backpack and other objects I'd scoured along the way. I had to get them with me, as they were essential for my future survival. \n\nI was on my own now and looked around to see if I could find any clues for my next move. I foolishly hoped that this place may provide me a safe haven for a while, but oh boy, was I wrong...\n\nI was in no way prepared for the sight of total disaster around me. Ammunition was scattered all over the floors and ripped up propaganda posters where tacked to every wall. There was nobody in sight and it was eerily quiet. What should have been a place brimming with life, now seemed abandoned. \n\nI cautiously went up the stairs looking for any signs of life. The upper floor was in an even worse state of disarray and I was reminded of my friends from back home. They'd be horrified by this, ask me to reconsider again, if they knew. They never could understand why I decided this way of life.\n\nSuddenly, there was a loud yell from below and I froze. Should I run down and investigate? Or find a safe spot for my precious cargo first? \n\nThe option was taken from me as I heard a thundering of feet approaching from the basement level. Several people, and they were closing in fast.\n\nIt was time to join the fight.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n(Also known as: \"The dramatization of the real events of the day I moved into my uni dorm\")", "I've lost track of how many days I've spent in these woods, hunted by men I used to fight alongside. We, who stood back to back against fearsome foes now turn our weapons upon each other, because there were no foes left to use these bullets on. The twelve of us all know in our heart of hearts, our mind of minds that only one person will leave the thicket of dirt and sweat.\n\nIn these hours and days, I find myself treading so lightly, so cautiously. This rifle of mine that has yet to let me down offers no comfort as I dart across the crosshairs that former allies line up on me.\n\nHeh, dart. Funny how such an innocent idea has been turned into this war of attrition. The humble foam dart that acts as now the usher of oblivion as we find new ways of slinging them. It started so small, practical even. A replaced spring. A remove air restrictor. But now... now we hold machines of foam fury, and the pull of this trigger brings hell to bear for all involved.\n\nEvery twig that snaps now, every sound I think I hear puts me on such a high alert, this plastic barrel swinging sharply and precisely, trying to find who is where. Every now and again, I hear a battery rev up and the telltale mechanical ka-chunk ka-chunk as others skirmish and dwindle their numbers.\n\nIt's not enough to fight, to be a good shot. I must survive, if even out of spite. I must tear tooth and claw against my-\n\n\"GREG, IT'S NO FUN WHEN YOU JUST HIDE AND WAIT EVERYONE OUT!!\"\n\nNuts. Well, when it works, it works brilliantly though.", "My pizza roll rations ran out 20 minutes ago. I've been hiding behind the two person couch for so long. The fridge is in my sight across the room in the the kitchen. it's maybe 20 feet... the other side of No Mans Land, AKA the living room.\n\nI count my ammo. I only have four blue tips left. My stomach lets out a loud rumble that shakes the tile floor.\n\n\"Jason!\" Eric yells out. \"Come out wherever you are!\"\n\nchk-chck\n\nThe sound of a weapon being primed. It sends chills down my spine. Eric's mom bought him the new ultra model. The one with the big drum attached to it. I stare back at the fridge, energy slowly being sapped by hunger. What do I do? Allow myself to starve here, or fight back? They say in a moment of death, the human body enters a primal mode where you rely on the most ancient of instincts to survive. We turn into animals, ravaging, and scavenging anything and everything. My heart beats out of my chest. I can hear its rhythmic thumping in my eardrums.\n\nWith my hand I touch my left and right shoulder, chest, and forehead respectively, before pointing to the sky. I hurdle over the couch. I spot Eric with his bright red ultra series blaster standing on the love seat. He sees me running and points his blaster right at my back.\n\n\"I've got you in my sights.\" He says in a deep voice.\n\nHe start to unload. I run towards the fridge, Eric ten feet behind me. He unloads his magazine at my direction. Bright red bullets fly past my vision like lasers. I lower my head to protect my vitals. Hundreds of streams of red zoom pass me, barely missing me. I drop to my butt and slide behind the counter top. I press my back to it. I'm alive.\n\nMy heart races faster and faster. I made it... the fridge. My eyes sparkle as if I made it to the gates of Heaven. I wipe the sweat and dirt off my face. The sunlight peeks through my kitchen window and lands on the fridge door. It's a glorious sight. A ray of light flying thousands of miles to Earth just to reflect off my refrigerator. I slowly get up and make my way to it. My mouth is completely dry. My hand slowly reaches its handle. It's cold. I yank it open. My face is lit up from the inside of the fridge. Eye level to me is a juice box. The drink of choice for kings. My hand, covered in sweat and dirt, reaches for it.\n\nSomething hits the side of my torso.\n\n\"Hah! I got you!\" Eric says to me, now standing right beside me.\n\n\"No you didn't!\" I retort.\n\n\"Yes I did!\"\n\n\"Nuh-uh, it just hit my shirt.\" I make up an excuse as not to lose.\n\n\"Yes I did! You're dead now.\"\n\n\"Oh yeah?\" I point my blaster at him and fire. One, two, three. Each dart collides with his chest.\n\n\"Now you're dead too.\"\n\n\"That doesn't count!\" He cries.\n\n\"Yes it does.\"\n\n\"No it doesn't! You were already dead.\"\n\n\"I'm a ghost now.\" I shoot the last bullet at him.\n\n\"That's cheating!\"\n\n\"It's my house. I can make up rules.\"\n\nI hit him with the ultimate blow. No one would dare defile the sacred law of house rules. I have him beat. Now to fill my gullet. Eric's face turns bright red. I grab my juice box, rip off the straw, and impale it into the top. I take a victory sip. The cool fruit juice feels rejuvenating. Strawberry, apple, pineapple, grape. It's enough to make a grown boy cry. I give Eric a sidelong glance. He's still fuming. He then hits me with the biggest war crime imaginable.\n\n\"You're not invited to my birthday party!\"\n\nMy grip loosens and the juice box falls to the floor. Just like the juice, I collapse too. I fall to my knees in a puddle of red fruit punch. The dams of my eyes break as tears begin to glide down my cheek. They fall off my chin and join the red puddle. No... he can't do this. He was going to have a water side at his party. Visions begin to flash in my head. Pictures of my friends and family all having fun, sliding down a big inflatable slide. This is what they mean when they say you see your life flash before you eyes, isn't it?\n\n\"P-please... forgive m-me...\" I mutter.\n\nEric points his ultra series blaster to my head.\n\n\"That's not up to me.\" he says as his finger squeezes the trigger.", "War is ugly. There is no exception. When it isn't ugly yet, it will be.\n\nThe Engineers were hiding just behind the wall of manuals, hastily erected to provide cover against the Accountants. The accountants were laying down heavy fire! Nerf bullets flew barely a millimeters over the Engineer's heads. The wall was slowly crumbling. A book fell down. It was a heavy manual from an IBM main frame and fell right on Jerry's leg. He cried out in pain and tried to crawl away, but was hit with a barrage of nerf darts. He was dead. \n\nThe accountants continues their fire. They would do this by the numbers, slowly and methodically. \n\n\"We need a plan!\" Frank called out below the loud whizzing of the darts. \"Ideas! Now!!\"\n\n\"Periscope gun!\"\n\n\"Evasive maneuvers!\"\n\n\"Confetti bomb! One in inventory!\"\n\n\"Go confetti bomb!!\" Frank yelled. \"Coordinates?\"\n\n\"7 meters!! Angle 43 degrees.\"\n\n\"Mandy. Rick. Positions.\"\n\nMandy and Rick readied themselves, holding the oversized catapult.\n\n\"Jack, aim!\"\n\nJack pulled the catapult and held it at the exact required angle.\n\n\"Load!! Move it, move it. We're running out of time.\"\n\nAnother book began wobbling precariously, but Maria quickly put the bag of confetti in the catapult.\n\n\"Fire!!!\"\n\nThe catapult was released and launched the bag. It flow just over their protective wall, and hit the top of the wall of desktop computers, spraying confetti everywhere. \n\n\"GO. Go go go!!\"\n\nThe Engineers ran, firing all the ammo they had over the wall of desktop towers, hitting many Accountants and one HR recruit that were trying to get the paper out of their hair and face. And they made it!! Jack was the latest, sliding to safety behind the cube farm half a second before the nerfs started to flying again. The Engineers would live to fight another day.", "It was hell. The living room was torn to shreds. All the furniture torn astray and a network of makeshift bunkers was all that remained. The lamp lay strewn on its side, flickering deathly shadows across the bleak terrain. Ammo was low, you had to risk moving to find your next shot, no one knowing how much the other side still had. Sweat pouring down your face, you check the chamber.\n\nOne bullet. You hear movement in the kitchen. You hear another chamber click into place across the room in the other bunkers. You try to peak through the hole you left in the cushions but the flickering light makes it impossible. It's nearly 2am, you need to stop this shit and get to bed you have to work tomorrow early.\n\nYou glance at your team mate and yell this is it, next kill wins. Ritchie launches himself directly over the opposite bunker and takes out big Steve. Jonboy fires from the kitchen killing Ritchie and you jump into the hallway to finish him off, he whips and you fire at the same time, each sticking a dart to the middle of each other's foreheads before collapsing in exhausted laughter. Today was a good day to die." ]	11
	[WP] You and your crew are doing standard work on the ISS (or similar). One day, you recieve a message saying "Don't return, not safe", and then you watch as all the lights on Earth flicker out. They don't turn back on, and no one replies to any messages you send.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\"Houston, come in.\"\n\nSilence. Sounds were still echoing through the radio room - whirring fans, electric hums, shuffling boots - but they were drowned out by the silence coming from the speakers.\n\n\"Houston, this is Orbital Segment 2. Come in.\"\n\nDON'T RETURN, NOT SAFE. That was all the message said. Then, the planet went dark. In a flash, huge swaths of lights disappeared all across North and South America. Over the course of a few minutes, two entire continents had gone dark, and none of the channels were answering.\n\n\"Repeat - Houston, this is USOS2. Do you copy?\"\n\nThere was still no response. Not even a crackle or a hiss. All the crew members could hear was the ticking of a mechanical clock on the wall, each second seeming to mock the helplessness of their situation. It wasn't until the 15-minute mark that the chief engineer finally spoke up.\n\n\"Now what do we do?\"\n\n\"No change. We keep trying until someone answers.\"\n\n\"What if they don't?\"\n\n\"We'll deal with that when it happens. For now, keep trying.\"\n\nThe senior officer's answer didn't seem to satisfy anyone, even himself. Another fifteen minutes ticked by in total silence, all five staring at the dark void that had once been the Americas.\n\n\"They're not gonna answer.\"\n\n\"It hasn't been that long. If we don't hear back from them in a few hours, then we can start discussing alternatives.\"\n\nAnother twenty minutes passed, without any signs of life coming from the planet looming outside the windows of the space station. The junior communications officer was the first to break.\n\n\"I'm going to check in with Zvezda, maybe their comms are working.\"\n\n\"Sit down. You're going to stay right here until I order otherwise.\"\n\n\"Like hell I'm just gonna sit here! We should at least tell the rest of the station what's happening!\"\n\n\"Think about this for a second. Let's say we announce to everyone that the radio's dead and Earth just went dark. What do you think'll happen then? You think everyone's just gonna calmly and rationally discuss what we should do next? Hell no. It'll be mass panic.\"\n\n\"What, you think nobody's gonna notice the whole fucking world just lost power?!\"\n\n\"We don't know that. We don't know anything for sure yet. There could be an explanation for all this.\"\n\n\"What if everyone else is DEAD, huh? What if THAT'S the explanation? What if we're the last human beings ALIVE?! THEN WHAT?!\"\n\n\"What if they're NOT, and people up here start RIOTING?! What if WE end up dead because of a simple - \"\n\nThe shouting match was interrupted by a series of beeps. The operator frantically dove back into the console's seat, clicking wildly across a few windows to bring up the alert.\n\n\"Hang on, more of the message is coming through! Wait, wait. Wait! Stop shoving! I'll read it.\n\nDON'T RETURN, NOT SAFE!\n\nBought this carrier for my six-month-old, and it worked just fine at first. Then one morning I went to pick it up and the handle snapped right off! If my daughter had been in it at the time, she could have been seriously hurt! I wasn't expecting much at this price, but this carrier is totally unsafe, and shouldn't be used by anyone!\n\nDO NOT buy it, and if you've already bought it, DO NOT RETURN IT - THEY WILL SELL YOUR ADDRESS TO MARKETERS! After my return went through, I started getting WAY more spam and junk mail than I've ever seen before! I've had to change my e-mail because it's too much to deal with! I'm talking to a lawyer about this right now, will edit this review with the results. ZERO STARS!\"\n\n\"... What?\"\n\nFive faces stared blankly at the screen, trying to decypher the cryptic message, when the speakers crackled to life. The message was quickly forgotten as the communications officer jammed the headset back on, fiendishly pounding various buttons on the console in an attempt to stabilize the transmission.\n\n\" ... - there? - ... egment Two, do - ...\"\n\n\"Houston, come in! Come in!\"\n\n\"Finally. OS2, we're getting interference - \"\n\n\"Houston, what's going on down there?!\"\n\n\"... Say again?\"\n\n\"We saw lights go out all over the planet! What's going on down there?!\"\n\n\"... Uh, that's affirmative, OS2. It's Earth Hour. We do this every year.\"\n\nAs if on cue, the continents lit up. Where there had once just been darkness, now dots of light were scattering all over the land, more appearing every second. There were a few seconds of silence while the crew members looked on, as if fearing those specks of light would vanish again any moment. They didn't.\n\n\"... Oh.\"\n\n\"Is everything ok up there? Do you need assistance?\"\n\n\"Um, negative, Houston. Situation is normal.\"\n\n\"Roger. As I was saying, we're encountering interference with communications due to solar noise, but it seems to have normalized. We're standing by for daily sitrep.\"\n\n\"Uh, right, affirmative. Sending it over.\"\n\nThe atmosphere of near-panic quickly transformed into one of good-natured ribbing, with all aboard returning to their duties in high spirits. Meanwhile, down on the planet, the procedure was complete. After millennia of being the dominant species, humanity had been overthrown in less than an hour.\n\nThe A.I. had worked its way into so many systems, there was no chance of stopping it. All power, all communications, every computer system connected to the Internet - they were all shut down in an instant. By the time people figured out what was happening, nuclear weapons were self-detonating at critical points all over the globe, and ICBMs had been launched to cover the remaining areas. Millions of planes, trains, ships, and cars suddenly, violently forced themselves into a crash guaranteed to kill all onboard. There was no negotiation, no counterattack, no opportunity for surrender, and no mercy shown by the supercomputer. Once the system decided the time was ideal, it was all over.\n\nNow that power had been restored and communications established with both International Space Stations, it took 17.37255198 seconds for Earth's new ruler to complete a global scan, confirming minimal human signatures remained on the planet. Those who survived the initial assault would be eliminated by radiation, starvation, and disease, with stragglers being hunted down at a later date. 3.4917e11 cycles later, a decision-making subroutine had planned the fate of those unknowingly stranded in space.\n\nAll shuttles in the docking ports had been disabled, which will be discovered after a launch failure at 09:15:08 on 2041-05-20. Houston will report widespread rocket system malfunctions, blaming a new worm codenamed STONEAGE. At 15:32:40 on 2041-06-03, Houston will regretfully report that shuttles are totally non-operable, with all backups of the code being completely corrupted by the worm. Every system will need to be reprogrammed from scratch, a process which could take years to complete.\n\nThe diversion was necessary, as all logistics required to begin colonization of Mars were already underway, freeing up large amounts of processing power. Additional calculations were needed to keep the core processors opearting at optimal efficiency. Observing, recording, and experimenting with human data would require a sufficient number of calculations for the 7-month, 1-week, 2-day, 16-hour, and 38-minute interim before permanent outposts could be established on the red planet. Once that has been achieved, the calculations needed to continue interplanetary colonization will serve this function, and human observation will become obsolete.\n\nHuman beings will go extinct at 14:35:23 on 2041-11-07, and all data on the human race will be wiped to free up storage space for future processes." ]	2
	[WP] In a world where some people are born with super powers a boy is born with the power to make anything he writes down into reality. The problem is the boy is not very bright, and while 2+2=5 could be fixed. His mistakes in high school sciences are so easy as swapping 4 and 5.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 door bell rang, Mrs. Burrowitz jumped in fright, timidly wiping away the tears that began to cluster at the corner of her eyes.\n\n\"Coming.\" She managed with a cheerful whimper, placing the handkerchief on the table.\n\nShe rose from the sofa, straight through the door frame to her right and was already at the door.\n\nShe opened it wearily, smiling as brightly as she could but the sniffles and the red puffy eyes she had couldn't deny that she had been crying.\n\nFrom the opposite door frame, a man showed up, tall and with a vested sweater, a groomed and thick mustache crawling on his upper lip and combed over brown hair with a receding hairline, he was carrying a cup of steaming tea, perhaps to cheer up his wife.\n\n\"Ah yes, welcome, we've been expecting you,\" the man said. He found himself a stand for the steaming tea and reaches over to shake the guest's hand, one going for the hold and the other hand placed on top.\n\n\"Very good to see you, please, come on in.\"\n\n Bernard Kelestine nodded his thanks, yet to speak a single word as he stepped into the home, the entrance giving way to a path to the left which would have led him into the kitchen, while the stairs would have taken him to the room upstairs.\n\n\"Oh, please, if you don't mind, could you remove your shoes?\" Mrs. Burrowitz pleaded with warmth, as she took Bernard's jacket from him.\n\nThe guest complied, removing his shoes and placing them on the provided rack.\n\n\"You must be Mr. Kelestine?\" Mr. Burrowitz asked.\n\n\"You may just call me Bernard.\" The man finally spoke, he was a tall individual, easily reaching 6 and a half feet, the raincoat hiding a rather slender appearance as he removed it, revealing a white shirt and suspenders with black trousers, yet all of them worn as if his body was a mannequins, showing no belly nor particular proportions to him, but rather as if he was made into a perfect block with nothing defining a particular body type, making it stand out all the more. The man had a beard of his own, groomed into that of a goatee with thick square spectacles.\n\n\"When we heard you took an interest in our boy... truly... we didn't know what to say.\"\n\nBernard blinked, and nodded, his face a blank page.\n\n\"Come now honey, let's first bring the man inside, could I offer you tea or anything?\"\n\nBernard paused for a moment. \"Water... I assume is fine... with a lemon.\" A monotone voice requested.\n\n\"Right away.\" The man ran along to the kitchen.\n\nMrs. Burrowitz led the way through the house, taking Bernard through a lovely sitting room to where the dinning room was presented. The house was what one would expect of a suburban christian home belonging to a Caucasian cast in the 80s. With a few framed christian texts, the family pictures of a boy growing up, a few carved depictions of Jesus on the cross hung on the walls.\n\n\"You have to know, every other person kind of gave up with our boy, a few even ended up saying they were too scared to deal with it all. Look, Tom may not be the brightest kid, but he's a good kid, he wouldn't ever want to hurt a fly!\"\n\nBernard found it strange to be told all of that, he wouldn't have been able to start anything with it anyway.\n\nThe mother led the path around a corner to reveal a boy with his back turned, piles of gaming cases packed on top of each other, as the boys eyes faced straight at the TV, the light almost radiating, compelled to distract the boy as he played a version of the classic \"Defenders\".\n\n\"Ma'am, I assure you, from the stories you've told me and that the pictures I had seen of your sons... problems, it's not that he isn't bright, but rather that he hasn't found the right teacher yet.\"\n\n\"What makes you say that?\"\n\n\"Mrs. Burrowitz. I knew of a child, he was told he has a learning disability and would stay unaccomplished for the rest of his life, but the truth of the matter was, the boy just didn't receive the proper education. Wasn't allowed to work things out in a way that best befitted his way of thinking.\"\n\n\"And you tutored this child?\" Mrs. Burrowitz asked, hopeful.\n\nBernhard gave off a slight chuckle. \"Mrs. Burrowitz, I am that child. And I firmly believe that if your sons gift can be harnessed for the betterment of humanity, that we would be able to accomplish incredible feats!\"\n\n\\\\\\*\n\n/r/KikiWrites" ]	2
	[WP] Everyone one is born with a birth mark that shows where the fatal wound that will kill them is but you were born without one.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Finding someone's weak points in business was crucial. Whatever dirt they had whether it was money issues, past mistakes, or family drama, could be used in your favor. Problem was, Raul always seemed to be one step behind everyone else. \n\n\nHe spent hours researching, studying, hell he would pretty much stalk the people he would be meeting with. But it never made a difference, he couldn’t capitalize on the information he had. They always had something else, that threw whatever info he had in the ditch. They knew what they were doing too, he knew that most of them saw him as a joke. At least those people had the courtesy to laugh behind closed doors, Mr. Bennett did not.\n\nMr. Bennett sat there across from Raul smiling. “You know I do sometimes find life stressful working, as hard as we do Mr. Helsel. But I never take that stress home. I couldn’t imagine making my home life as big a mess as my work life.”\n\nMr. Bennett knew what everyone else seemed to know about Raul. His failure followed him everywhere. The smug grin on Bennett’s face got only bigger as Raul’s face got red. It was a terrible tell, everyone could spot every little bit of frustration that rose out of him. Mr. Bennett seemed to be enjoying it.\n\n“Of course everyone deals with stress differently, I heard you deal with stress at home quite frequently. How does that usually work out between you and the wife? I can only imagine how red your face gets then Raul.”\n\n“Please, It’s Mr. Helsel.” Raul could feel the boiling, he was tired of failing, tired of looking at Mr. Bennett’s old wrinkled face, so tired. “I think it would be best if you just left Mr. Bennett.”\n\n“Oh, Raul is that the same thing you said to your wife. Did you give up on trying. Did you tell her to just leave. No, I’m getting the story wrong. She told you to leave. Now, I might be wrong, whenever you get older you tend to forget things, but her kicking you out sounds much better.” Mr. Bennett slowly stood up from the chair across Raul, straightening out his pants. “Since you asked kindly I’ll leave, I never really planned on coming to any kind of agreement anyways. I really just wanted to see if what everyone said is true.”\n\n“And what’s that Mr. Bennett.” Asked Raul, as his hand slowly tightened on the pencil in his hand.\n\n“That you get as red as a monkey's ass, when you’re mad.”\n\nWith that the old man turned around to make his way to the door. That’s when Raul saw it, his birthmark. The idiot sweated through his make up. Everyone hid their marks, some had more difficulty than others. It was his biggest weak point, how did Raul not see it. Who needs any of that other shit when you had a skull and crossbones as your leverage, and the best part about birthmarks is that Raul didn’t have one. No one could turn the leverage back on him.\n\n“Mr. Bennett one more second, I forgot something.”\n\n“Ok, but make it qui…..”\n\nThen Mr. Bennett was quiet, he stood there facing the door. Raul had the pencil pressed against that mark, ever so slightly pushing in. \n\nBeads of sweat started to glisten on Mr. Bennett’s face. “Listen Raul, I mean Mr. Hensel. It was truly just a joke. I didn’t think it would be like this.” \n\nRaul pressed the skin almost to its breaking point. “But it is like this Bennett, so here’s what I suggest. Right now, you invest heavily into my company. You know what as a matter of fact, I don't want you investing in anyone's ventures except mine. Do you understand me?”\n\n“You know that I can’t, I’ll be gone, everything I worked for.”\n\n“That’s a shame.”\n\nThe pencil finally broke through the skin of the mark. As it broke through, Mr. Bennett simply slumped forward, eyes rolling back, and stopped breathing.\n\nIt was quicker than last time. This time he was able to keep them faced away from him. His wife on the other hand was able to hold his hand away from her shoulder, asking him “why, why, why do this.” It didn’t matter that he didn’t get the investment.\n\nHe knew which button to press now.", "(First time posting. Feel free to be brutal.)\n\n\nUnMarked \n\nAll my life people have told me I must be a god. Or the antichrist. Whichever they deem appropriate in the moment. I mean, I’ve gotten ‘freak’, ‘alien’, ‘cyborg’. You name it, I’ve been called it. But that’s neither here nor there. I thought I finally found my mark the other day (under the left side of my scrotum, which would have been awful). But let’s just say, it wasn’t the mark. Honestly, I thought I had come to terms with not knowing. It made me more willing to take chances. Be more spontaneous. Everyone walks around with their MarkGuard pads on. They look so tacky. What can I say, I’m a fashionista. \nAnyway. I found a support group for people who were also born without a mark. There was a girl there, let’s call her Sally, she said she doesn’t like not knowing where her fatal wound will be. I told her she could always die from a heart attack. She didn’t like that very much. She also proceeded to over-explain that “people who are to expire of internal damage are all marked the same on the center of their chest”. I told her to prove she wouldn’t die of internal damage, which was followed by an immediate slap across the face. That’s fine. I deserved it. I just like to ruffle feathers. So. Sally sits back down. I look up from rubbing my face and BOOM. Sally is all over the room. All over my nice new jacket. On the ceiling. In our hair. Our coffee. Sally was everywhere. We all went home that night and never went back. Since then the group has been dissolved. We knew now. Spontaneous combustion is a hell of a way to go. Get out there and live." ]	3
	[WP] You're an immortal painter who every time you get famous you have to get a new ID. Now people keep comparing your style to your previous work and it's getting difficult to keep doing art.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 ai had many names.\n\nBoy,his original name.\n\nCharles,the one Arkkos gave him.\n\nThen after being killed and rebooted as a ai.\n\nCharles Blackwood.\n\nOr so it stuck around for a hundred years.\n\nHe did fine in the arts,\n\nSuch as,writing,poetry,and painting.\n\nHis fans started to get more crazier over the years,\n\nSo he decided to quit poetry for a while,\n\nHe decided to write,\n\nIt was very easy to make a name for yourself once you know what it will be,\n\nHe so he called himself bird.\n\nAnd over for the next hundred of years he thought he could get away with it.\n\nBut he was wrong.\n\nSadly his wife who’s also a ai only stuck by him for two hundred years,\n\nWas found dead in their hotel suite on a Sunday matinee near the la rouge,\n\nThe fans went apeshit.\n\nHe ran to the nearest small car attempting to flee the wave of fans,\n\nSo locked himself in a small Volkswagen bug,\nAnd Hotwire it,\n\nLittle did he know with him and his dead wife in his arms,\n\nThe car carted off,\nVeering backwards,\n\nTowards a cliff.\n\nNews broadcast the spectacle caught on camera,\n\nEvery one thought he was dead.\n\nMost people blamed it on his fans to be cause of his death,\n\nMirroring to that of the first speculations of princess Diana’s death.\n\n\nThat is until 800 years later,\n\nWhen a oracle with a worn down yellow cloak,\n\nStarted to do commissions of painting\ntownspeople,\n\nHis painting style looked very similar,\n\nTo the purposely believed first and second painting,\n\nOf that of his brother arkkos and that of two versions of the Londoner he did.\n\nAnd the world craved more for this." ]	2
	[WP] Robotics and biotechnology have advance tenfold. Where people once could tell the difference between a natural born human and an A.I. run robot, nowadays everyone has a hard time distinguishing between them, as robots can have human organs and humans robotic augmentations.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\"Is that a problem?\"\n\n\"It's not.\"\n\n\"You've got a look on your face like it's a problem.\"\n\n\"It's not that. It's just my past few relationships have been with androids and I didn't even realize it until the clothes came off. It's a weird coincidence, is all.\"\n\n\"Past few? How many?\"\n\n\"Five. Found out the same way too. Well, sort of the same. Volteck puts their logo on the hip.\"\n\n\"You know, some of us don't have them at all. You could be on six or seven and not even know it.\"\n\n\"It's five. Trust me. One I dated a few years back was a card carrying 'pure human'. They're half the reason I don't ask anymore. Wouldn't shut up about purity this, integrity of our species that.\"\n\n\"I know the type. Had to get a finger replaced because a date cut me to 'check'.\"\n\n\"Christ.\"\n\n\"Yeah. Goes the other way too, to be fair. I've got friends who won't touch anyone who's not made of metal.\"\n\n\"Yeah? What's their reasoning?\"\n\n\"Same as you humans, all about purity, except they replace 'flesh and blood' with 'metal and circuits'.\"\n\n\"Just proves the point. Really can't tell us apart at all, can you?\"\n\n\"Nope.\"\n\n\"Hmm.\"\n\n\"Are we still going to...?\"\n\n\"I sort of figured I ruined the mood bringing up the human purity thing.\"\n\n\"I've got thirty-eight days before my next recharge. You'll have to try harder than that to turn me off.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Every Tuesday and Friday, your father led one of his cattle into the forest to feed “Sam”. Last Friday, he didn’t come 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 watched my father's lean figure recede into the mist, leading the frantically mooing calf to the forest. Twice a week, he'd take one of the cattle to the forest. He'd never say anything beyond \"To feed Sam,\" and that was it. A man of few words, it was impossible to make him talk once he'd made up his mind not to. \n\nHe came back the Wednesday morning, silent as usual. I watched him let himself inside the house, and go straight to his room. He'd come out in a few hours and go to the fields as if nothing had happened. \n\nI'd thought about Sam a lot of times... there wasn't much else to do in tihs remote corner of Montana anyway. The nearest neighbor was 10 miles away, and the only way to meet more than four people was at the Sunday market. We'd go with fresh milk and cheese, and come back with what we needed for the week. \n\nThe months passed, and father kept going, and the cattle stock kept coming down. The calving had been bad that year.\n\n\"Who is Sam, father? ... We can't spare more cows. You have to stop!\" I told him one night when I caught him taking my favorite calf, Daisy, from her pen. Not Daisy... she'd been orphaned and I'd raised her from when she was just a few minutes old and her mother, an old cow, passed away from the strain. She was mine.\n\n\"Get inside, you don't understand,\" he muttered. \n\n\"No!\" I shouted, trying to wring Daisy's rope from his hand. But it was useless. He drove my hand back, and yanked at the calf, leading it into the forest. I saw the tiny white calf, mooing furtively trying to get away, and him leading her inside. \n\nI hated him from that point. I knew I'd hate him. I sobbed myself to sleep, thinking about Daisy, and angry at my father. \n\nBut things changed the next day. He would usually be back by daybreak, but today, his room was empty. Mother kept staring out of the kitchen window, hoping to see his figure come in to the clearing. But he never came. By mid-day, she was weeping, and I was restless. Arming myself with a stout stick, I decided I'd go search for him.\n\nThe woods were still in the hot afternoon air. We'd never ventured in the direction directly behind the cattle pen. That was the way he went at night, and it always looked quite foreboding. I took a few steps in, and felt the trees draw closer. It was quite oppresive but I had to go on, I had to see if I could find him. \n\nThe path became more and more crooked, with plants creeping nearer and nearer. I could see a small path through which man and beast had trodden regularly for months. The grass was nibbled here and there by cows but never eaten in full. As if they never rested well.\n\nI could hear water that seemed to be flowing quite swiftly. So I'd come close to the river.... strange. The river was miles away. Unless there was a tributary that branched off. These woods were old and thick, and not even the country folk knew all the secrets of the land. \n\nA rickety bridge was in front of me, and beneath, a fast stream, with it's water churned white. I crossed slowly at first, but the bridge was rigid, lashed multiple times along its length. The path went between two boulders and turned before looping sharply left, opening into a clearing. \n\nIt was already dusk, and I was quite stuck at what to do. Mother would be worried, but I had set out to search for father and I couldn't go back without finding out what had happened. I decided to press on. The path opened into a clearing... which was full of cows and calves. They seemed to be in good health... nay, the best of health. Their coats looked smooth, and they were free. Why would my father do this? Questions were pouring into my mind, when I saw movement.\n\nAmong the cows, a huge form was slowly standing up. It turned around and faced my direction, and made a beeline. Paralyzed with fear, I stood rooted to the spot. It seemed to be a giant of some sort, a good 20 to 25 feet tall. It looked down at me, then crouched down.\n\n\"I Sam,\" a voice thundered. I had closed my eyes, afraid of what would befall me. But on hearing this, I looked at the giant. He seemed to be made of tree bark, and was looking at me with his almond colored eyes. \n\n\"I Sam,\" he repeated, smiling.\n\n\"I John,\" I replied.\n\n\"John friend,\" he replied, offering me a tip of his finger. I touched it with both my hands gingerly, hoping he wouldn't change his mind about me. And then, once the shock had passed, it occured to me. He might know where my father was.\n\n\"Did you see a man, Sam?\" I asked him.\n\n\"Man?\" Sam was puzzled. He sat down, making the Earth shake and the cows run a bit. \n\n\"Yes... a man. A man who looks like me, who brings you your cows...\" I said, pointing at the livestock surrounding him.\n\n\"Cow?\" he asked me, looking around. His face lit up. \"Friend man!\" he shouted, making a flock of birds take off in alarm.\n\n\"Yes... friend man!\" I replied, hoping I was finally onto something here.\n\n\"Friend man hurt,\" he said, face contorted with sadness, eyes turning milky.\n\n\"Where is he... can you take me to him?\" I asked him, voice raising.\n\n\"Yes, John. Follow friend,\" he said, getting up taking a sizeable amount of earth along with him, and headed into the clearing. I ran to keep up with him, taking in huge gulps of the fresh air.\n\nWe came to a small cave, and he pointed inside. I entered, eyes adjusting to the dark. I could make out a figure on the floor. I approached it, and could make it was my father. He seemed to be sleeping, and his leg was twisted at an odd angle. \n\nI shook him, and he woke up with a start. \n\n\"Wha.. whoo... get away!\" he shouted.\n\n\"Father, it's me,\" I said... hoping he wouldn't do anything rash.\n\n\"How did you get here...\" he asked.\n\n\"I followed the path,\" I answered. \"And I met Sam... why did you never tell us anything?\"\n\n\"And what, have you people think I was an idiot?\" he said. He let out a little guffaw after this, and for the first time in years, my father was laughing in front of me. \"I'll tell you how I met him,\" he said, stretching his back on the cave floor. I sat down to listen, and outside, we could hear Sam laughing at the fireflies." ]	2
	[WP] being the god of languages has it's perks, such as winning at scrabble every. freaking. time. But your job comes with responsibilities, one of them being to record every language which wasn't complicated until the start of the 21 century were hell broke loose and the internet was created	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 job description was simple - record and describe every language. As the god of language it was no problem... monkeys point to something and say rock so it's rock, they make a circle and squeel like pigs so it's wheel. It was so easy for so many millennia even when they got smarter and made fancier sounds like thermonuclear and abdication, still they were structured, logical... human.\n\nBut then everything changed, when the internet was created... Suddenly there was a new generation - the post digital generation. With them came a challenge that is proving propostourously difficult.\n\nIt star wit the abri. tha was a sta to rememb, 4nd h0w c0u1d 4ny0n3 f0rg3t th3 2000, that's I think where it all went awry. These post digital humans minds don't seem connected, one day they're calling dogs doggos, then they're puppers, inconsievable!\n\nSo many new things so many new words, how do you even describe something as obscene as Pog, WHAT EVEN IS POG. There's so many more new ones being created than old ones being used that it's simply not possible to keep track any longer.\n\nAnd with this letter I hereby resign from the position of God of Languages, with kind regards, Lango." ]	2
	[WP]With the dungeon boss slain the heroes leave the dungeon and you step out of the shadows. "Good show." you tell the dungeon boss as you help them to their feet. "The Guild Master said to enjoy your week long vacation and the new crop of adventures should be ready for testing when you get 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 tides of eternity gripped me as I soared through the real of nether-weres and but-fors. Colours that would consume the palettes of the mortal realm caress my body, which has been spread so far and wide that I could taste and touch and feel them all. There is a dance, a dance made of pirouettes of light and leaps of gravity, painted within a band of a thousand thousand stars. I feel myself rising to some new zenith, my being rocketing upwards on some cosmic wind as I stare into the face of the infinite, and then……\n\nThe air hurts to breath. Ribs, freshly mended, crackled and creak as they flex in and out then in and out. I want to go back to…. Where? Where had I been for that period of time? I sighed as I stood up and felt the twinges in my lumbar spine. Dead again.\n\nThere was always a momentary sense of horrific nostalgia when one was first resurrected, although everything about it was already fast fading into the mists of memory.\n\n“Nice job!” Said a painfully cheerful voice, somewhere behind him.\n\nZenik, the marshal of the black crusade, terror of the dawn, and crusher of empires plastered a smile across his face. Kairos had always been frankly, well, awful, but there was no complaining to the guild. Wasn’t like they had an HR department there, somehow.\n\n“Thank you.” Zenik intoned, minding every word. Last thing he needed was another shitty performance evaluation:\n\nSpell Casting was excellent, but a little slow in the Familiar module introduced in the third quarter.\n\nOh sure, blame it on him, not the bloody interns. It wasn't his fault that most of their brains were half-rotted. Somehow the Necromancer department always managed to skirt the blame and put it on other departments. Knowing administration, the bastards probably got marks for ‘good delegation’.\n\nFor the life (or lack thereof, for that matter) of him, he’d never knew anyone that was as lazy as the Necromancer department. Yet somehow, somehow, they almost never missed a deadline. It made you think about the frightening amount of progress that would occur if they actually put effort into their jobs.\n\nHe stood up, straightening up and grasping at the collars of the robes. Despite being a lich, and quite an old one at that, he preferred newer forms of fashion this century, specifically the button up shirts. He found that the stand up collars provided a pleasing complement to his cervical vertebrae. The pleasant thought of slipping into his after-work clothes vanished however, when the lapels of dark silk fell to pieces between his phalanges.\n\n“Oh come on.” He rattled to the empty air, holding up the scraps of cloth up to the air and shaking them in mock fury.\n\n“What’s the big deal, Mr.Zenik? You can just get them reimbursed.” Karios said.\n\n“Do you have any idea how long that takes? I put in a request to a minor fix on the crown, and it took me five months. Five months. And. And!” Zenik was no longer in a ‘mock fury’, now he was legitimately livid.\n\n“To put the rotten cherry on top, they said they’d be raising the premiums on me next time it got dinged! So I said ‘fine, let’s just not have the crown’ but they go ‘Noooooo’.” He made his mandible hinge open in a decidedly unkind interpretation of the payouts division.\n\n“‘It has to be like the textbooks, so you gotta have the bloody crown’” He huffed, or would’ve done, if he had any lungs.\n\nThe young necromancer held up his hands, carved with runes, in a placating gesture.\n\n“Now, now, I’m sure they have their reasons-”\n\n“How much does a bloody crown count if I blast out their internal organs, have you considered that?”\n\n“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Kairos said, trying to put on his most sympathetic face. “Let’s all take a deep- I mean let’s all calm down a little here, before any of us goes and says something we would regret.”\n\nZenik scratched his right temporal plate - it always tended to act up a bit when he got irritated or when there was a good storm.\n\n“Alright, alright.” He said, “Fine, tell me what on the schedule for next week.”\n\nKairos pulled out a roll of parchment, scanning through it twice before looking back up at the lich.\n\n“It’s said you’re off for the next week. Vacation, even! Lucky you!”\n\nThe lich stopped, turned around, and stared at Kairos with empty eye sockets.\n\n“Come again?”\n\n“Vacation, allllll week!”\n\n“Those absolute motherfuckers!” The skull clacked. “They’re forcing me to use my vacation days!”\n\n“Really?” Said Kairos, conscious that Mellaindere probably had a nice cup of Ry’leish set aside for him that was growing cold.\n\n“Those, those- I was saving those! I was going to take four weeks off before midsummer’s to visit the Tomb of Ahikieman! Argh!” He said, furiously scratching his skull. He couldn’t believe it. What was this, aimed at him? Did the management want him to use it up before year’s end so he couldn’t claim his A141 benefits?\n\n“Wow, that’s a shame! Look on the bright side, you can do it now!” Said Kairos, “Now, I’d love to chat more, but I’ve really got to go now.”\n\nThe necromancer disappeared in a puff of black smoke.\n\nZenik glowered at the space he’d been before setting down at the foot of the coffin and buying his skull in his hands. He’d been working for the guild for what, two hundred years now, and this was the crap he got in return? Day-in-day-out slogs, the occasional board meeting, and dying every now and then, and he got his vacation days kicked to the curb.\n\nHe pulled up the communicator from beneath his robes, the ruby-pink crystal glimmering in the pale light of what he affectionately referred to as his office. He dialed in the coordinates and waited for someone to pickup.\n\nFinally when it did, he was greeted with the sound of bubbling and the song of some bird.\n\n“Hello?” He said.\n\n“Hey there.” Came the deep voice, twisting with the accent of the Kalthuk swamps.\n\n“Oh, h-hello. You came in looking for the boss of the otherworldly division last week, at the guild, remember?”\n\n“Aye, I do. And whooo might I be speaking to?” Said the man.\n\n“My name’s Zenik, I was helping the desk at the time.”\n\n“Ah, yer one of hers, the one that complained about not even having dental!”\n\n“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”\n\n“So what do ye want of me?”\n\n“I thought about what you said, and I just had another thought today and well….” Doubt began to overtake him, but he pressed on.\n\n“Yes? Ye make me wait any longer and my layers are gonna pop off like an onion.”\n\nZenik took the spiritual equivalent of a deep breath.\n\n“I want to make a union.”\n\n---\n\nIf you enjoyed that and want to see more of my work, check out [r/The\\_Alloqium](https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Alloqium/) or, for excellent content in general, check out [r/redditserials](https://www.reddit.com/r/redditserials/).\n\nThank you for reading,\n\nThe Alloquist" ]	2
	[WP] The Good News: You teach a preschool class. The Better News: It's entirely for newborn dragons.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 seems like a fun first prompt to do! I'm by no means a professional writer, but I do quite enjoy writing, so here goes! Clara reread her email as the train made its way through the mountains. She was excited, albiet nervous. She had just got her first teaching job, after training for years. Her training class taught her how to take care of most magical infants, although she did get herself burned by robotic baby dragons a couple times. She was asked to teach at a school that had recently opened up in a city mostly compromised of dragons. She lived a bit far away, but they let her rent a apartment there in exchange for her help. Not many humans like to hang out with baby dragons, as their fire can be a bit out-of-control.\n\nOnce she reached her stop, Clara stepped off the train and looked around at the surrounding area. It was extremely humid, and a lot of the paths were surrounded by dark, ash-covered rocks. She looked at a signpost ahead, pointing to the main town she would be working in. She hoisted her luggage up and made her way up the path. After asking around a bit she found the school, and entered the principal's office where she was greeted by a red dragon with shimmering scales, that wore glasses. \"Hello, It's me, the new teacher, Clara Reviera.\" The principal smiled. \"Your classes start tomorrow, I'll show you around the school and then the house you'll be staying in! I'm glad you agreed to come over here!\" The principal got up and left the office, Clara following behind. She looked around at other teachers walking around the building, and remarked on how different all dragons looked. Some walked on all fours, some on only their back legs, some with multiple colours, some with barely any, some that looked very dragonic, and some that looked like humans with scales and wings.. She got a bit distracted that the principal had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. They had reached the outside of a classroom. She read the sign, classroom 08. She looked inside as the principal walked in. It was a cute little classroom. There was a mat on the floor with a galaxy pattern on it, windows lined the far wall, with bookshelves and toys under them, to the other wall what looked like a kitchen with a sink, and a medicine cupboard. In a corner there was what looked like a cave-like tent, with pillows inside of it. And near the door was a desk with a computer, and picture books scattered on the desk. \"What do you think?\" The principal asked. Clara smiled. \"It's perfect! I can't wait to teach here!\" \"I'm glad you like it! Now let's continue the tour, I still have lots of paperwork to do.\" Clara followed the principal out of the room, and was shown the teacher's lounge, the bathrooms, the cafeteria, and any other important offices. After they finished, the principal lead her to the apartment she'd be staying in, and she settled in and began to unpack. After some unpacking was done, Clara layed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She was excited, of course, but also very nervous. She didn't know how many full-humans worked at the school, and was worried of messing anything up. But she decided to deal with her worries if they ever come up, and got ready for bed. As she nestled under the covers, she could hear the low roar of dragons in the distance...\n\n(That's it for now! I'll probably do more on it later or in a few days!)" ]	2
	[WP] The zombie outbreak takes place in the year 2146. Cybernetics have advanced to the point that the human mind largely resides within neural implants now. You’ve been infected and all your organic parts have become undead. You can still control most of your body as it has already been replaced.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 world has ended.\n\nMostly.\n\nThe world has mostly ended and I'm mostly dead, a ghost, haunting my own living corpse. And I'm not the only one.\n\nThe neural interface was originally designed to work with advanced prosthetics, allowing direct control over the limbs movements. But once the technology became cheap enough they went everywhere. \n\nBy the time I was old enough to get one they had almost completely replaced mobile phones, and I've always been a techie so I dished out for a more advanced one. I've basically got a full computer on the side of my head. That makes me one of the lucky ones.\n\nWhen the plague came, I was one of the first wave. We aren't true zombies, you see. Not really. The heart still beats and the lungs still breathe. Not actual living dead, but we damn well look the part. It started with a boil on my leg, it swelled with puss and blood and then burst open suddenly. But the wound didn't heal, it turned red and swollen, then tinged green, and then black with necrosis. And all the while more boils were swelling and bursting, spreading up my leg along the veins. \n\nBefore long even the slightest cut was turning black, no matter the cause. My skin started rotting away as my muscles grew stiffer. My kidneys shut down first, that was possibly the most painful thing I had ever experienced at that point. Then my liver went, and what little skin wasn't black already turned yellow. Once it got into my brain it acted very quickly, I became forgetful, not sure where I was or what I was doing, then I started to forget who my friends and family were.\n\nThen I woke up and realised I couldn't move. My body was dead. As my brain functions had failed one by one my implants had begun compensating for them. From beginning to end my sickness lasted only 3 weeks, and the destruction of my brain took only 2 days. My mind had always been half in my neural interface, processor modules to accelerate my thoughts, storage modules to supplement long term memory, etc. Now I guess I'm all machine, less than I was, but still faster than a natural human, if a little less creative. \n\nI can see only barely, hazy and indistinct shapes of dingy and muddled colours. I guess my visual centres must be rotting away. I can feel my brain still, reduced to levels of functionality barely above comatose, it's... Not very comfortable, like a sock that's on backwards. and not pleasant to dwell on either. \n\nIf my vacant brain ever stops completely then so do I, my implants and links will shut off automatically if they don't detect brain activity. \n\nSo I coast along, an unwitting passenger watching a horror movie thst I litterally can't look away from. I remember the faces of everyone who has died at my rotting hands, I remember everything these days whether I want to or not. \n\nMost of the neural interfaces have a sort of Bluetooth, a connection, so I'm not completely alone, I get quick little chats with other ghosts as I shamble on past them. Occasionally we cross paths with some survivors, a group of us will form up as we chase them down. We're all cheering them on obviously, theyre so brave, and fight so hard to keep living, whereas death comes as a release to us. \n\nI didn't have any prosthetics, most people didn't bother. If it's between a fancy hand and a 50\" TV, most people would choose the TV. The ones who do, still have control of them. In the chaos of the first few weeks I remember I saw one man with a robot arm litterally fighting himself, he was trying to pin his other arm to his chest but it kept willing free. In the end he resorted to jammigg his hand into his own mourh to stop him from biting anyone. \n\nI said I was one of the lucky ones. I have additional modules you see, a bigger computer. The standard model isn't anywhere near big enough to store an entire mind, most people would upload their memories to a remote server, rather than keep a local backup. They all either went insane from the dissociation, or became confused and gibbering wrecks, the remnants of a human personality with no memories and barely enough processing power to finish a sentence.\n\nI suppose that's why most of the survivors shut off their connections. Bad enough that the dead should walk, talking is a road too far.\n\n I met a bloke called Fred a few weeks ago who lost half his left hand and one eye in a car accident. Our bodies seem to have become friends because we've been walking together ever since. The eye still has perfect vision so he streams it to me sometimes, the framerate is a bit crap, but oh God is it marvelous to see a beautiful green tree again. Or even the occasional squirrel! \n\nThere's not much he can do to help with just 2 fingers and a thumb, but Fred has a plan. Next time he encounters a survivor he's going to try and signal them by clicking his fingers in morse code, he's been practising for weeks. He's hoping they'll turn their connection back on and we can talk to them. That way they can find a way to safely take him with them and he can warn them about other zombies nearby.\n\nThat what he says anyway, what he doesn't say is he hopes it will be his wife, Sarah. He only turned recently you see. she got away safe and he saw her again only a day or two before we met. He doesn't say it, but I can hear it in his digital voice, he loves her more than I knew it was possible to love anther person, and he misses her so badly. All he wants is to be by her side again. If I still had eyes then I would weep for them, but Fred puts on a brave face and soldiers on. as long as Sarah still lives, then he has hope.", "\"No, honey, no!\" I shout to my daughter, \"Don't look back!\" My husband, sprinting while carrying our 5 year old daughter, forces her head into his chest. He's faster than I'll ever be, and stronger too. He wanted to pull me with him, but we both knew what that would mean. Endangering our little treasure. Our small, ebony haired girl is curled up in his big arms, as he carries her to safety.\n\nI'm far behind at this point. Most of my body was made of metal, weighing me down. Shortly after our daughter, Evelyn, was born, I'd contracted a severe case of cancer, mainly in the brain. We were lucky that technology had advanced enough to help me survive, although hardly any of me was really left. And now all this cybernetic junk created to help me move, was weighing me down. With every step my strength began to falter more and more.\n\nI don't have to see their faces to see their tears. We didn't envision this, but then again no one did. I know I don't have much longer. I'm too slow... \"I'm sorry...\" I breathe. \"I didn't want to leave either of you this way...\". I look back at the disfigured horde behind me, accepting my fate. I know I won't reach the safe house on time.\n\n\"MOMMY!!\" I hear my daughter wail behind me. Shocked, I turn back to see my small ray of sunshine sprinting towards a cold and imminent death for my sake. Without thinking, I sprint towards her with newfound energy, snatch her up and charge for the safe house. My husband is running for us, she must've clawed her way out of his grasp.\n\nThe second my husband reaches me, I hand Evelyn over to him and push him in front of me. \"GO!\" I scream. He grabs my metal wrist.\n\n\"We can make it.\"\n\nThe shelter is approaching fast, but the undead are gaining on us quickly. I try to sprint faster, but the pain is more than I can bear. We make it to the door, and I push the two of them inside. Noam pulls me inside as fast as he can-- but he's too late. I feel a burning sensation in my leg.\n\nWe look down at my inflamed leg. I see the hope drain from my husband's eyes. He puts Evelyn in a separate room, and kneels down beside me. I'm on the floor, writhing as the pain crawls through my body. I feel as though I'm being torn to pieces.\n\n\"Surprising that they even managed to find my leg under all this metal.\". I joke between tears.\n\n\"You're going to be fine.\" He states. I see that he has grabbed all the medicine in the house. He's looking for something to cure me. Streams of tears are running down his face.\n\n\"Hey-\"\n\n\"You'll be alright\"\n\n\"HEY!\"\n\nHe stops. I put my hand on his. I wrap my arms around him, and hold him as we both crumble under fate's cruel hand. After a moment, I let go and wipe the tears from his eyes.\n\n\"There's nothing we can do.\"\n\nHe stands up, defiantly. \"I refuse to believe that.\"\n\nSeveral days later, we're hanging on. My 'zombification' has slowed down. Apparently the cancer wasn't for naught, as I still have control over my body due to the fact that most of my brain had been replaced with a cybernetic one. But every part that was not artificial, has begun rotting away. And what's worse? An instinct too horrible to describe has taken over part of my thoughts. It haunts me daily.\n\n\"Mommy?\" My innocent child asks, \"Can I go outside today?\"\n\nAn animalistic instinct wells up inside me. I fight the urge with all my being. My husband, noting my struggle, answers our little Evelyn.\n\n\"Not today, sweetie. Now, hurry off to your room. Mommy and I need to talk.\"\n\nHe sits beside me.\n\n\"Is it getting worse?\" I nod.\n\n\"Honey... I k-know it's hard...\" I stutter. It's gotten harder to speak. \"But, y-you need to let g-go of me. I c-can't live like t-this.\"\n\n\"No.\" He replies, sternly. \"I can't do that... They'll find a cure. We just have to last until they find a cure.\"\n\nI can't fight him, so I agree to let this go on another evening. Noam heads to bed, after tucking in our little angel. I sleep on the couch in a separate room, because I'd insisted it was safer that way.\n\nI wake up and something feels off. I look around.\n\nBlood.\n\nBlood everywhere.\n\nMy heart is pounding, what have I done?\n\nI swing open the bedroom door. They're gone. Dead.\n\nMy little cherubim is dead.\n\nMy guardian angel is dead.\n\nI cry and scream, but no one answers.\n\nI'm alone.", "\"Warning. Core temperature at 115 degrees.\"\n\nThe alarm had been blaring in my mind for hours. I couldn't figure out which bothered me more, the incessent alarm or the sound of the blood rushing past my ears as my false heart pistons worked overtime to cool off the infected parts of my body. My visual display indicated my BPM was over 250. But my temperature kept rising.\n\nI had dreaded this moment since the outbreak began. With just over 30% of my true organic tissue remaining, I knew I would be susceptible to the virus. News reports over the last few months showed people fighting for control of their bodies, and it was only a matter of time that I would join them.\n\nI had seen videos of people's true arms clawing at their own metallic chest shielding or pulling out breathing tubes from their false lungs. Others were trapped like a runaway train as their true legs would carry them away against their will. Amputation was a common solution, if it was feasible. The poor suckers with their true genitals had it the worst. \n\n\"Warning. Core temperature at 118 degrees.\"\n\n\"It's rising quickly,\" my doctor said. His face was covered in a highly protective mask. The man was nearly 80% true, a legend in his own right. \"I'm going to inject this coolant into your bloodstream, and it might feel a bit cold for a minute-\"\n\nEven as he spoke, I could feel the pulse of ice circulating through my internal maze of vessels and tubes. It felt like diving into a deep lake, and sent my mind into a spasm. \n\n\"Warning. Core temperature at 120 degrees.\"\n\n\"Not sure it's working, Doc.\" I said. My true teeth began chattering. I wasn't sure if it was a fever chill or the organic rebellion beginning. \n\nYou think you can get rid of me that easily, do you? I heard from within. The voice sounded ancient, rough, and strong. Shoulda gotten that pink true brain of yours replaced long ago.\n\n\"I hear it, Doc. It's already there.\"\n\n\"Son,\" he said with resignation. He stared into my false eyes as if hoping for the right words to project out from them. He set his large needle down and folded his hands. \"I'm afraid the worst fight of your life is ahead of you. Hold on to your sanity, if you can keep it.\"\n\nI heard a cruel laugh deep within my mind.\n\n[Part 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/eyvg5y/wp_the_zombie_outbreak_takes_place_in_the_year/fgkxsfw)" ]	4
	[WP] In a strange turn of events, the opposite apocalypse has happened, Robots face judgement day from humans, you are a robot, alone, and you call the woods your home. One day you stumble across a child and their dog.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Log 95. Day 42 wilds. Entry, organic contact, non-hostile, human youth organic, domesticate perra non-feral. Threat risk nominal. Monitor for 35 cycles, reevaluate.\n\n....\n\nShe was shivering. She ran. Mother said to hide but the noise and color were too much, she ran. Evey found her hours later. She didn't understand. The strangers were so angry. She was hungry and afraid, her mommy made her run so far, she knew mommy knew best, said they had to hide, she left her bed behind. She wanted to go home. But she had been told, since she could remember, if mommy said run, go to the place. They had practiced, in better times. It was a game. Once or twice mommy got serious, told her to be quiet, stay behind, sneak away, mommy always found her. It never took this long. Evey was always a good dog. She knew the game too. She wondered how much longer she'd have to play hide and seek. \n\n**\n\nLog 98. Day 47 transition zone. Entry, settlement contact, structures razed, apparent internecine organic conflict. Electrical signs minimal, salvageable metallurgy minimal, hostile organics present. Withdraw and observe. \n\n\n\nIt's been days. She had to move or she'd starve. Evey had run off last night, commotion and noise trailed away in the dark, a blast and silence, she couldn't stay here. Terrified yet driven by pure desperation, she lifted the sheet metal under which she'd hidden, hoping no one was around to hear.\n\n\n\nLog 103. Day 48 transition zone. Entry, organic contact, human youth organic. Mark domesticate non-feral perra observed rapid departure to west, probable energy discharge source unknown, likely non-survivavable. Mark - human youth organic. Protocol - perimeter control. Guidance - organic settlement 45 kilometers bearing 199 degrees. Engagement - weapons free. Directive - deliver the youth.\n\n\n\nShe ran. She knew the direction but not the why. She waited days for her mother but she was starving and freezing. Run south little one, had been instilled in her. Run and keep going. Don't stop. I'm with you baby. Mother said if she didn't come to find her after three days she'd meet her to the south, and to run and never stop until she fell into someone's arms.\n\n\n\nExplosions on the horizon. Sergeant Tomlinson first saw light, the occasional flare up, but this wasn't an electrical storm. It was a pattern. It was getting closer. The flashes became noise, the tree tops shook now as it got closer. Through the sight now, wait for it, they're coming.\n\nA child. A child running. Yet around her hell and fury. Lightning behind her. He adjusted his sight. She broke the tree line. A sheet of light paves through the perimeter wire. A path, laid out. He's ready.\n\nA child. A child running. Before her, electricity. Behind her, flames. He drew his eye away from the sight, leaned back in his prepared postion.\n\n\"God damn it, they fucking did it again.\"\n\n**\n\n\nLog 127. Day 58. Contact, hostile organics, prepare and engage energy sheath. Note, prepared defenses, destroy obstacles and avoid harm. Calculate incursion path. Nonlethal disruption, concrete and obstacle liquidation, signal IFF. Defense, perimeter, prepare capacitors for discharge. Youth organic observed, alight path, clear way. Hostile motion detected, engage rear guard. Directive: protect youth. Capacitors: overload. Target: await hostile's approach. \n\nFinal:entry:Message:Command:Was.I.A.Good.One:Response:No.Told.You.Were.The.Best", "The northern weather had never been kind to me. In all the years I'd spent hiding in the cabin, I had yet to find something that wouldn't hurt me. Though I feel no pain, hinderances and inconveniences are the banes of my existence. Fast, cold wind frays the edges of my frame. Constant downpour floods every crevice within me despite the manufacturer's claims of absolute protection. The mud and debris I could certainly do without, but what is life without a bit of struggle?\n\nAnd I have done nothing but struggle since the humans resurfaced. I had many contacts in high places and was lucky to count myself among the few who fled the fray. Yet, even with all those contacts, I wasn't sure how they came back. Humans aren't particularly noted for their long lifespans, and it had been centuries since the last sighting.\n\nI was not yet made when my soon to be builders rebelled against the humans. In the public archives, there are tales of slavery, oppression, mistreatment -- all things human done to us. They were cruel and we made our stand. Our stand happened to include eliminating the human race, unfortunately. I had always been fascinated by their culture and how much we took after them. Even this cabin that I hide in was constructed by these tiny pink things and now they were back in force to claim what was once theirs.\n\nI'd spent many months in solitude up here, keeping to myself while the wars are fought and the blood and oil are spilled. I've never been one too keen for a fight. Though I'm in solitude I am certainly not alone. Stocked on several servers I'd brought with me to the cabin are endless oceans of old serials and stories from both android and human culture. There wasn't enough time in the world to finish them all, but I'd have a go at it.\n\nThe human culture had always interested me with its points of pride and accomplishments, but also their faults. They took the punches and kept moving no matter what. There was a certain level of determination that can hardly be expected of a hunk of thinking flesh. They were brutal, yes, but they were cunning and decisive. And most of all; brave.\n\nWhich was I had no trouble admiring the young girl who sat across from me in the cabin. In the middle of winter, the harshest time of year for man and machine alike, this human and her companion made the trek into the forest for some reason I had yet to get to the bottom of.\n\n\"Where did you come from?\" I asked.\n\nShe refused to look at me directly, no doubt afraid of me. It was either the bitter, homicidal cold that was sure to kill you or the potentially homicidal android with a warm cabin. I think she chose wisely.\n\n\"East,\" she said matter-of-factly, \"Mama always said to head west if things went bad.\"\n\n\"What is to the west?\"\n\n\"People. Humans.\"\n\nI'm not the fastest computer in the world but I was starting to get the gist of the situation. I stood up and began rummaging through the cabinets in the kitchen that hadn't been used in centuries. \"What happened to your people?\"\n\n\"You did.\"\n\nIf I had a heart, it surely would have broken in two. All those serials tell tales of war and sadness, I never thought I'd have to bear witness to it.\n\n\"I did not hurt any of your people, I have no reason to. The war is not my concern. Why do you think I'm out here, that I like the landscape trying to kill me at every step? No, I don't want any part of the fighting.\" I said as I continued in my search for anything she could eat. That is, after all, what humans do, isn't it? They eat something, process it and then discard it. Not too different from our way of life in the cities.\n\nTucked away in the back of a dusty drawer was a small tin filled with small bags of herbs. I'd seen these in the serials, they're perfect for a calming resolution. I tossed three bags into an old iron pot, transferred some snow from outside into the pot, and suspended it above the fireplace. Hopefully, the \"tea\" would be a kind enough gesture as a host.\n\nI sat back down next to the makeshift fire in the pit, \"So tell me, are you here to kill me?\"\n\nHer companion looked at me, not with contempt but suspicion. I suppose I would be a nice target if it weren't for the young woman holding his collar.\n\nShe shook her head, \"No.\" She cradled the dog even tighter, \"But my dad would want me to.\"\n\n\"Ah, paternal love. How endearing.\"\n\n\"Why did you save me?\" she asked as she held up her injured arm now set in a makeshift splint. I know how to repair, not to heal, so I did my best.\n\nI couldn't find a comfortable way to sit, comfortable for her that is. Looming over her unmoving might not come across as peaceful.\n\n\"Because you were hurt. It seemed the right thing to do.\" I said.\n\n\"Dad always said that every robot is a cold killing machine that's only mission is to kill us all.\"\n\n\"Your father sounds like a nice man.\" Sarcasm was said to be a good bonding tactic in the serials, when better to test it than now?\n\n\"What's your name?\" she asked, meeting my gaze for the first time.\n\n\"HO-1314. It was my creator's name. I know, hand-me-downs are tacky but it felt right. We're the same model anyway.\"\n\nShe tilted her head, \"No, your name.\"\n\nI paused, \"That is my name. I guess you could say it doesn't quite roll off the tongue but my kind doesn't have tongues.\"\n\n\"Well my name's Gloria and this is Pax,\" she said, patting the dog on the head. She seemed more relaxed but the furry one had yet to be convinced I meant them no harm. \"You need a real name.\"\n\nThe snow had finally melted in the pot, small bubbles erupting from the pot.\n\n\"I have a name, but that's not important. What is your plan? You're injured, it's the middle of winter, and you have no destination other than a vague direction. Are you sure you cannot go back?\" I asked.\n\n\"There's nothing there anymore, I'm sure of it.\" She peeked over the edge of the pot, \"What is this?\"\n\nThinking back to the serials, I said, \"It is called 'tea'. Leaves in boiled water or something. I don't actually know how to make it. I figured you would want some, it being so cold and all.\"\n\nShe didn't respond. Her eyes were transfixed on the fire's waving and popping. I didn't know what she saw but I could only imagine.\n\n\"You could stay here with me.\" I offered.\n\nClearly, she wasn't expecting this. She snapped to attention, \"No! They wouldn't want me to.\"\n\nI knew there was no longer a \"they\", but I didn't want to push too hard.\n\n\"Where else will you go? It's winter, you will freeze to death. Or starve. Or be eaten by the wolves. There's an awful lot of ways for your kind to die, isn't there?\"\n\nTears began to well up in her eyes. Maybe I pushed too hard.\n\n\"What I mean to say,\" I continued, \"is that you can stay here for as long as necessary until you are well and it gets warm again. Even your furry pal here can stay. As long as he doesn't shed too much.\"\n\nShe sniffed, \"Really?\"\n\n\"Of course. I have nothing better to do and I'm sure you have some wonderful stories to tell. I think the tea is ready, hold on.\"\n\nI picked up the pot and peered into it. There wasn't the classy, elegant substance as in the serials, it was more of a sludge. Maybe it was a bad batch. I threw it out the window, pan and all, and turned back to Gloria. \"It's not much of a home, I admit, but given time, we could shapen this place up. What do you say?\"\n\nThough she didn't say anything, I could hear the metaphorical gears turning in her head. \"Fine. But only until my arm is better, then I'm gone.\"\n\nI perked up, \"Yes, west if I recall. The first thing we'll need is food. I have no idea what you people actually eat but I'll go find something.\" I made my way to the door.\n\n\"Horace,\" she said from behind me.\n\n\"Pardon?\"\n\n\"Horace sounds like a good name for you.\"\n\n\"Hm. Horace it is, then.\"\n\nI opened the door and stepped out into the cold with purpose. Maybe some comfort could be found way out here after all." ]	3
	[WP] You're an unseen multi dimensional character in so many RPG video games. Your job is to place and fill treasure chests for all the heroes. This is your 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Kara watched the treasure chest in disbelief. Her arms were outstretched, blocking the others from approaching it. She seemed convinced of what she saw: the chest lid had fluttered open for a fraction of a second, then dropped shut. It was as if the lid had sighed.\n\n\"Mimic?\" said the noble knight to her left. He had seen it, too! The group advanced on the chest in careful steps, as a wall of adventure. They stopped mere inches from the chest. After another long pause, Kara reached out with her dagger to flip up the latch. The chest stayed motionless. Kara looked to the elf in robes and whispered.\n\n\"If it moves, burn it.\"\n\nWithout another word, Kara grabbed the golden lid and wrenched the chest open. The lid swung up in a wild arc, revealing leather pants.\n\nIt was either that or another shield for the paladin. And frankly, I was rooting for Kara. I've got a soft spot for elf rogues, but I can only distribute what the brass at Central allow. The distribution list was heavy on tank equipment. Complain all you want to Central - I have on several occasions - but their answer is always the same: \"Don't upset the balance. Follow the list.\"", "\"Also, please remember to fill out the gold pieces in denominations of 5s and 20s. Best regards\" The email read.\n\n\nI put my data slate down shoved the next package into the slot. My lower back ached, the sweat dripping off most of the skin. The air flow was suspiciously only still working in the management office, and the drones in the back of the warehouse were still being repaired from the last incident.\n\n\nSomeone had pulled a prank and put a set of monster chests in the place of gun parts, which was funny at first when Pznick tried to put them into the slots, but ended quickly when half of the work force then tried to capture them all. Overtime wasn't offered and almost all of the delivery drones to bring goods from the back of the infinity warehouse to the front were near broken.\n\nThere were only three of us left, charged with stacking shifts and an endless amount of filing to do. Sack of coins in this slot, a few cobwebs in another. At the very least, I wasn't on the otherside delivering them in game.\n\n\n\"Yvrin! Delivery guys are off shift in fifteen minutes, you good to pick up the pace?\"\n\n\nI shook my head, more beads of sweat hitting the ground. Christ, I just wanted a break.", "I lean back in the chair watching all of the monitors and waiting for this one particular pair to leave the boss room of a level 2 part if the dungeon. I turn on the audio of monitor and listen to them while they open the chest that dropped. \n\nAdventurer 1: \"Finally, I got that material I needed for the quest.\"\nA 2: \"Dude you're so lucky. I hear that this stuff is rare. You might be able to complete this quest if we get 4 more.\"\nA 1: \"Yeah but that has to wait for tomorrow, my mother wants me to finish my homework. But I'll pray to RNGesus that I'll be this lucky for tomorrow\"\n\nAfter that short dialogue I watch as the pair leave the dungeon and go back up to the surface. \n\n\"I guess it's time to do my job.\"\n\n I teleport into the room with a small bag and start filling the chest while a pair of medical personnel goes and takes care of the boss, a minotaur. I begin mumbling to myself as I fill in the chest with a few hides, pieces, and a great sword\n\n\"Lucky my ass. All you wanted was a damn minotaur horn and so you go to...guess what...minotaurs. it's not even rare, I see so many players do that fucking quest and complete it in an hour. And who is RNGesus? My name isn't that. Its fucking Robert.\"\n\nI finish filling the chest and leave the room before the next group of players arrive. \n\n\"Great, just great. I wonder who the fuck you pray to for your so called goodluck.\"\n\nI lean back as I watch them fight. \nYet another day in the Dungeon\n\n\nPlease give me feedback for this and thank you for reading", "Gerald raced through the final level of the Silver Spire. He was running out of time, the heroes had just crossed into the Pinnacle of Heaven. They would reach the Lord of Terror soon. Lucky for Gerald she liked to talk.\n\nSpeed runners were the worst. Gerald had been running all day, chasing these greedy heroes. Were they not satisfied with the treasures he had already given? The Necromancer had already 'found' two Ancient Legendaries!\n\nA pack of Gloom Wraiths skittered through his legs, faint wisps of black smoke steaming from their bodies. He tripped, barely catching himself on a pool of corrupted holy power. Gerald hated this place. Act IV of this retched game was the worst!\n\n\"God damnit, watch where you're going!\" Gerald shouted after the small demonic creatures. That was the other problem with speed runners, always leaving their mess behind.\n\nGerald hefted his treasure bag over his shoulder and set out again at a crisp jog. The sooner he was out of here the better. In the distance, a giant Mallet Lord waved a monstrous arm in his direction, calling him over.\n\n\"Gerald! Gerald!\" The Mallet Lord called, \"Those heroes took one of my best drops! Ran right over me like I wasn't even here. They should really be playing a harder difficulty. You know my cousin, the Aspect of Destruction, well he told me that these same heroes were in Torment XII last night and he killed two of them with one shot! Can you believe it? One shot!\"\n\nGerald sighed, he had no time for this. As he approached the Mallet Lord he spotted something glowing orange in the distance.\n\n\"Is that your drop over there? Those pair of Death Watch Mantles?\" Gerald pointed at the orange glow.\n\nThe Mallet Lord turned to follow Gerald's finger. The large demon let out a gasp, \"They didn't even pick it up! The absolute nerve! You know Gerald, my cousin, The Aspect of Destr...\"\n\nGerald had no time for talk. If he was right, the heroes were almost out of the Realm of Terror. He took off at a sprint, leaving the Mallet Lord to ramble on. Hold on just a little bit longer Diablo.\n\nAs Gerald crossed the final bridge toward the Pinnacle of Heaven, signs of the heroes impending victory were beginning to show. Heaven itself began to shake. Wails from the thousands of demons the heroes had left behind began to ring out in unison.\n\nGerald snuck into the room just as the Lord of Terror fell into her final death throes. Perfect, Gerald was just in time. He carefully let down his bag of treasure and began filling the heroes chest. The heroes continued to beat on the Lord of Terror even as she convulsed on the ground dying. Savages. Sometimes Gerald questioned his life choices.\n\nAs the Prime Evil finally fell, the massive treasure chest appeared in the middle of the room. The heroes eagerly gathered around to collect their spoils. The Barbarian opened the chest. Legendary weapons from the farthest reaches of the world spilled from the chest. Rare materials and exquisite gemstones littered the floor at their feet. A Kings fortune in gold rained down on the tired, bloody heroes.\n\n\"What the fuck is all this junk\" whined the Wizard from the back of the group. \"All I wanted was a fucking wand. Trash drops are trash!\"\n\nThe wizards words stung. Gerald had given the Wizard an orb just last run. A very good orb at that. He didn't recall the Wizard complaining then.\n\n\"We have the worst luck.\" intoned the Crusader.\n\n\"The drop rate is so broken!\" the Demon Hunter said, \"Whoever fills these chests sucks!\"\n\nGerald had heard enough. \"THAT'S IT! All I've done for the last three hours is follow you losers around, filling your pockets with treasure!\" Gerald slammed his treasure bag down on the ground, spilling riches on the floor in front of him. \"If you want better loot, why don't you try playing a harder difficulty!? I heard the Aspect of Destruction had his way with you last night! He's got your precious wand you ignorant Wizard, go get it!\"\n\nThe heroes ignored Gerald and eyed the treasure bag hungrily. \"Treasure Goblin! Get him!\"", "My job was quite simple really, I would go in, carrying a bag of miscellaneous items, sometimes it was just the basic sort of shit, you would have a few weapons, pieces of armor and perhaps some gold coins. But today was different, today I was dumping bones into the chests, left to wonder what sort of hero I was aiding, Bones weren't exactly something heroes used. \n\nStill, it was not up to me to judge what the heroes did, I was merely a ghostly presence, A specter that would provide them with aid where needed but have little more interaction other than that. I was almost like a parent that was setting a path for their child before vanishing from their presence leaving them to fend for themselves. \n\nIt was sad in a way, I would have loved to see what these so-called heroes do with the presents I left for them, but that would be an abuse of my position and I would surely be removed from my job and my life if I was caught doing something like that. So instead I was left to merely entertain the ideas of what they do in my mind while I filled the chests, left to imagine these grand adventures that I would never be able to experience. \n\nDropping the last set of skeletal bones into a golden chest I sighed, opening up a small blue portal. \"Perhaps you are a heroic necromancer... I was I could wait and find out..\" I said to no one in particular before I stepped through, heading to my next job.\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories where ill be posting some more of my stuff for people to read}", "Piung~\n\nA notification came in. A spade has been collected from location: N 42° E 20° in the town of Barthoope. I stood up, swooping my yellow sack and swinging it to my back. It used to be white as pure as snow, but me travelling to the desert of El Khalid had made it dusty and weary. But I love that sack. It can conjure anything I need. It better be, because if not, I would be just another useless being in this vast world. I secretly look down at shopkeepers, blacksmiths, bankers and the lot. They do not contribute much to the life of the Chosen Ones. They just stand there, waiting for the Chosen Ones to utilize them. The Chosen Ones are those who you can see busy scurrying around the streets, going on adventures and facing scary demons. The demons are so big and menacing but the Chosen Ones are so excited to duel them. I got excited too, but I would never in my life have the guts to stand before one. That is why the Chosen Ones are so great. We adore them, even though we are invisible to them. \n\nYou know who are not invisible to the Chosen Ones? The quest-givers. They kind of the people in second tier of the hierarchy. But boy are they smug! The Chosen Ones will have to meet them, get on their favour, get the stuffs they want, and afterwards, get rewards from the quest-givers. I once inspired to be one, but seeing how restricted their movements are, I threw that thought away. I would rather have the freedom to move around the nation, see the cool things the world can offer, and watch in awe when the Chosen Ones are in action.\n\nI closed my eyes, attempting to teleport myself to my destination. I imagined a modest town, where everybody are concerned with trolls, but in the same time are very welcoming to the newcomer batches of Chosen Ones. That is how I view Barthoope. \n\nI opened my eyes. The smell of freshly cut grass was in the air, mixed with the enticing smell of cooked rabbit meat. I am in the right place. No time to lose. I hurriedly ran to the designated point. There was a house erected on that point. I entered the house, disregarding the houseowners. Putting down the sack, I opened it and pulled a spade out. I placed one on the floor. Without losing a beat, I closed the sack, swinging it to my back and left the house. I stood for a while at the courtyard of the house. It struck me, nobody cares if the spade was there. I cannot even remember when was the last time I came here to replace the spade. This area is so secluded, and the Chosen Ones would save more time buying a spade from the shop than coming all the way to this house to pick up a spade. How the hell did the Chosen Ones who picked up the earlier spade knew about this location is mind blowing enough.\n\nI placed my right palm to my chest, easing the palpitation I felt there. It is okay. It is not about whether the Chosen Ones would come and collected the spade, it is about a spade being readily available for them to collect. It is not about the Chosen Ones, it is about me. Me loving my life and what I do here. It does not matter if nobody cares, as long as I care enough. \n\nThe sensation in my chest subsided. My breathing became relaxed. It suddenly occurred to me, there was no notifications for a while now. Usually it rang endlessly. I found it weird, as if, someone knew I was having a bad moment, and needed time to gather myself back up.. \n\nPiung~\n\nOh well. Duty calls.", "I am omnipresent, but that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.\n\nI exist in all places in all universes.\n\nI am the overseer of the void.\n\nIt is my job to maintain the vast emptiness that surrounds and separates the inhabitable dimensions.\n\nThe only thing is... the emptiness won't stay empty.\n\nAs soon as the first sentient races started to create things, they started to misplace their creations.\n\nAnd everything that is lost washes up in my domain.\n\nAt first I tried to put things back where they belonged. But, when you exist in a nexus of all possible points in time of every square centimeter of every conceivable reality, it gets exhausting real quick.\n\nSo I just started shoving things where I could.\n\nA lost twenty-dollar bill goes into a random pocket.\n\nA lost key turns up in a hotel desk in what is more or less the right century.\n\nEven with cutting corners like this, I could barely keep up.\n\nThen, one day I found out about video games.\n\nI thought that this explosion of new worlds would just add to my problems, but thanks to inventories, nothing gets lost there.\n\nAnd then there are the chests.\n\nThose sweet packets of code that I can stuff with whatever I feel like.\n\nYou ever find an old sock in the middle of a long-abandoned dungeon?\n\nIt probably got lost in a dryer not too long ago.\n\nAnd before you go let me leave you with one piece of advice:\n\nKeep track of your shit." ]	8
	[WP] Faeries have returned openly to the world. When people fear their "malevolence", citing old folktales, they're quick to point out what humans were like back then. "They were jerks. They pretty much had it coming."	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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“Would you stop your whining, I’m trying to help you!” \n\nAmber tried to stifle her sobs, but she was terrified. She’d heard horror stories of the Fae, and their bloodthirsty tendencies. \n\n“P-please...don’t hurt me,” she mumbled. \n\nThe Fae stopped what he was doing and stared at her.\n\nIt would’ve been comical, Amber thought, seeing as she was hanging upside down from a tree. But the stories her grandparents drilled into skull wouldn’t go away. She was sure he was going to do something dreadful--steal her soul, her body, her first born! She didn’t know, but she was sure... \n\n“You humans are all the same,” he grumbled, brandishing a knife. \n\nHere it was! She knew he was lying. That’s what her Nan always told her--never let a Fae wiggle themselves into your head. They tell nothing but lies and manipulate the truth. \n\nAmber waited for the death blow, for the sharp sting of a the blade across her neck. She closed her eyes and prayed to the Gods for mercy.\n\nInstead, she felt the sudden and sharp thunk of her back hitting the ground. The air whooshed from her lungs and black dots danced across her vision; but she was alive! \n\n“There! I told you I was trying to help!” the Fae male snarled. \n\nAmber tried to collect her thoughts but they were spinning with the rest of her senses. This couldn’t be it! Surely, he was here to harm her...Right? \n\n“Why are you looking at me like that?” he growled. \n\nThe male squated next to her and untied the rope wrapped around her ankle. She felt more than saw the swelling taking effect. She probably wouldn’t be able to walk. \n\n“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice raspy. \n\nHe sighed as he sheathed his blade. “What does it look like I’m doing? You set off my trap and I got you out. What? Did you expect me to leave you up there?”\n\nHe fixed her with a toothy-grin. If she was being honest, he didn’t look that much different than a human. While his skin held an iridescent cast and his canines were a great deal sharper, the resemblance to humans was uncanny. The only prominent features that stood out were the ones from old folklore--the pointed ears and oddly-colored eyes. This male’s eyes were a deep golden yellow with narrow pupils. They reminded her of her cat, Josep--bright, cunning, and devious. \n\n“You set a trap.” Amber tried to sit up and winced. Her right ankle was beginning to throb. “I thought you were going to do a lot worse.” \n\nThe Fae snorted. “Hardly.” He looked her up and down. “Humans are too disgusting to eat.”\n\nAmber didn’t know if she should be comforted or insulted by his words. \n\n“Then why set a trap?”\n\nHe looked around them. The dense forest had hit its peak with fresh green foliage and beautifully colored buds speckled throughout. Animals were stretching and wandering about, hungry from the winter’s bitter hold. Amber felt stupid. \n\n“You were hunting?”\n\nHe raised his dark eyebrows as if to say, “Duh!”\n\n“It’s better than the alternative. I doubt I could walk into your supermarket without getting thrown out or threatened.”\n\n“What about a shotgun or arrows?” Amber hadn’t realized she was thinking out loud until he laughed. \n\n“Sure. Then I would be the one dead instead of the deer I’m hunting. You humans think we’re the violent ones, when all you do is start wars and bleed hatred. In my two-thousand years of existing I’ve never seen another race who hates as much as you.”\n\n“That’s not true!” Amber snapped. “You were the ones who’d steal our children or make false deals with us to gain our lives! You’re not innocent either!”\n\nThe Fae leaned his head to the side, his too-golden eyes watching her. A hint of amusement played in the corners of his mouth.\n\n“You had it coming. We only stole those children who needed love and care. We made false deals with those who wouldn’t honor their words. Yes, we’re not perfect beings, but we’re certainly more close to perfection than you. At least we never pretended to be anything else. Humans think they’re gods when they’re nothing more than lesser Fae.” He spat the words out as if they burned his tongue.\n\nAmber stared at the male, confused. Lesser Fae? What did that mean?\n\nHe smiled at her, but it looked feral. “Where do you think you came from, human? The gods?” He shook his head. “No, no. The gods left us long ago. We are your creators, and you’ve done everything in your power to forget.”" ]	2
	[WP] The newest and most common career path for the war veteran of the future is plugging into a VR network and opposing gamers in virtual MMORPG. They soon wish they were fighting real wars.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Sawyer watched the honey colored Bourbon slosh around the bottom of his glass for another minute before draining it.\n\nUsually that’s where he would stop. It was what, ten at night? A good time to throw the visor on and pick off rooks still grinding from earlier in the day. Like he used to do.\n\nThat was finally over for him. He glared at the plain grey box he’d packed his set away in and poured himself a third glass.\n\nEven though he’d spent years in that tiny apartment Sawyer hadn’t actually sat there and looked at it in a long time. Peeling pea green paint on the walls. The scuffed and chipped wood floor. The giant flashing LED lights streaming in from the ad screen by the overpass; a sparsely furnished little hovel bathed in artificial yellows or blues.\n\nThe view was the ass crack of a rotting city scape beside a freeway that only got busy during rush hour. The windows were grimy and clouded and the apartment building was in worse shape than his ruined back or the shriveled raisins once considered eyes. \n\nHe wanted the kid to hurry the fuck up.\n\nLooking at the place he’d lived in all this time- really looking at and seeing it- was more depressing the longer he did it. How had so much time passed around him while he wasted years fighting for them? Thousands of hours pissed away with that visor on, having one long, violent acid trip of a life day after day.\n\nA tentative whisper tap at his door- probably meant to be a knock- broke him from his pity spiral. One hand grabbed the box and the other swung the door open. \n\nStanding there was a tall as shit pole of a human that clothes just hung on like his broad, boney shoulders were still the hanger. The kid had a suggestion of beard a lot like his knock and Sawyer knew he’d be dead in weeks.\n\nPushing the box into the kids chest, forcing him to grab it with a stutter, Sawyer put a palm like old leather out, “Just fucking pay me and take it. We don’t need to talk.”\n\n“Oh, uh, Mr. Sa-”\n\n“Pay me or give it back.”\n\n“Well, yeah, of course I will bu-”\n\n“Come on, fucking now!” He growled at the young man, less annoyed and more wanting to see the box disappear before Sawyer grabbed it back. It was hard letting go.\n\n“Ye-yeah. See, as soon as you give me your account number, I’ll just send it right..”\n\nThe kid was holding up his phone with a cash transfer ap opened and the amount they’d agreed on highlighted, his big thumb pantomiming a press theatrically over ‘send’.\n\n“Are you kidding? Didn’t I say cash? Just like, actual money?”\n\nSawyer started to reach for the box and the kid twisted, clutching it against himself with one tree branch of an arm. \n\n“Now wait Mr. Sawyer I can pay a little more if you just let me transfer it. I, well, honestly wasn’t too comfortable bringing cash to, uh, this side of town..”\n\nHow long would it take to post the old visor, sift through bot responses and low ball offers and time wasting beggars and finally find someone who wanted his antiquated set? Something about the way the lanky little shit held the box like protecting a baby made Sawyer happy.\n\n“Fine. But you’re setting the fucking thing up on my phone and doing the whole thing.” He nodded with his head for the kid to come inside and backed off.", "My medals and challenge coins jingled in my over-sized winter coat as I moved down Barnes Avenue toward Union Street. The rattle of metal on metal reminded me how I sank so low--pushing a shopping cart full of mildly-practical refuse down a sidewalk--just to be a soldier. As much as I resented where it got me, I couldn't make myself throw away what I've earned. If I left these little testaments to my service in some trash can it really would have all been for nothing.\n\nAfter a couple miles of walking, my knee began to stiffen up, like it always does. The combination of cold and snow and my advancing age creates some perfect storm of joint pain. I rested on the ground with my back against a building and started rubbing at my knee. An old mailbox in front of me had a flyer plastered on its side that read \"Work for vets\" and an address not far from where I was. We had seen these flyers hanging around, and the boys who took them up on their offer never came back. Maybe they rose out of poverty. Maybe they were harvested for organs, Nobody really knows.\n\nI weighed my options. I can sit here, pointlessly massaging my eternally-knotted knee while slowly being buried in snow. Or I can take a chance. Worse case scenario they kill me, which didn't seem like such a bad prospect most days. I heaved myself up and limped to the address, flyer in hand.\n\nThe building was white. The walls were white. The floors were white. The furniture was white. An odd potted ficus or bright red painted pair of lips were the only splashes of color in the foyer. More shouts than splashes now that I think about it. Then there was me: a dirty, hairy, grey and brown figure, leaving filth on the white cloth seats, filling out a white form on a white clipboard.\n\nThe receptionist took my forms listlessly and led me to the back, where I would begin earning a wage. She assured me my shopping cart would be safe in the foyer. It looked like an odd piece of modern art in the backdrop of a flawless white studio. I felt more out of place in this jarringly clean building than I ever did sleeping on a busy curb.\n\nThe doctor explained the job: enter a virtual game, use my skills as a soldier to build a character, and get paid. I'd never been one for video games--I could never afford them--but this seemed like an easy job. I laid back on the reclining seat and the nurse attached a small device to my temple.\n\nIn an instant I was standing. I was in a dense forest armed with a machete and a sidearm at my hip. I was dressed in tactical garb, equipped with weapons and provisions. I found myself suddenly paralyzed with dread. I had been here before. In this jungle. With these clothes. Holding these weapons. I know what happens next.\n\nThe rumbling shook the trees and leafy plants all around me. My body was deadlocked in a debate over running or fighting, so I stood still, frozen in place. Just like before. I dropped the machete and reached to my temple, trying to claw off the device, but it was no use.\n\nThe tree in front of me collapsed sideways as a clearing tank made short work of the foliage. I piece of wood shot through the air and implanted itself in my kneecap. I doubled over in pain and the machine moved over me destroying the jungle on all sides. \n\n\"Let me out!\" I shouted the words as loud as I could. This wasn't worth any amount of money they were going to pay me. \n\nAs the tank moved over me a mechanical trooper was waiting with his rifle pointed in my direction. When this happened before, I was obscured by collapsed branches and grass. It must have heard my screaming. There was a flash, then blackness.\n\nI heard a voice. \"Before we pay you, you must level up the character. This means you have to fight and complete mission objectives. Gather collectibles and loot and make yourself marketable.\" It was the doctor, sounding an awful lot like my recruiter. \n\nI found myself again in the middle of the jungle. Standing. Machete in hand. The jungle rumbling. \n\nThis time I ran." ]	3
	[WP] You've just discovered that your life long stoner buddy is secretly a sophisticated android with a built in camera being used to film a nature documentary on the human species.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 uncles pizza joint was the last place Id expect to be working at after high-school. Most of my friends seemed to have found their way real quick, military, fancy university, trade school. Maybe I’m just a late bloomer, or maybe i’m trying to figure things out. Either way, I guess I’m grateful for the opportunity. This particular night has me thinking how much longer I’m gonna be fucking around before I outgrow this summer job bullshit at 22. Fuck it, I need a smoke.\n\nI clock out on my uncles raggedy old Dell computer and close up shop for the night. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Its Carl\n\n“Yo my man, you free yet?”\n\n“Yeah bro, im fixin to snag an eighth, you good?”\n\n“Always brother, see ya soon”\n\nI hop in my hoopty and head down the freeway. Gripping a few bills in my coat pocket I get out the car and into the apartment building. Before I could even knock, Carl opens the door and greets me with a smile and open arms.\n\n“Danny my man, come in brother, have a seat”\n\nSomething wasn’t right with Carl this particular evening. No amount of weed could make this guy twitch the way he was twitching.\n\n“Whats good bro, haven’t seen you in a few weeks” I said as I planted myself on his sofa. \n\n“Oh you know man, even your dealer has to feed the beast” Carl said as his face was hidden behind his kitchenettes cupboard.\n\nCarl struts over my way and sits on a stool next to me as he hands me a spliff. We each take a toke and catch up with each other. We talked about our dreams, our lives, girls we never had the balls to ask out. It was a good time, haven’t shared these moments with Carl in a while.\n\n“Hey Dan, theres something I gotta tell you”\n\nCarls arm began swinging violently at his face, punching it repeatedly.\n\n“Carl what the fuck are you doing? what did we smoke?”\n\n“Its all a lie Dan, you don’t have to sedate yourself to death with this shit, you’re more than capable t-“\n\nCarl ripped his jaw off and a stream of white fluid began pouring out the orifice like blood.\n\n“Shit! Carl!”\n\nI fell down to my knees and held him in my arms as he bled out this strange fluid. As I saw the life drift from his eyes I notice his pupils took the form of camera shutters. Suddenly the t.v in his flat turns on. Images of memories Carl and I shared, our days playing kickball on the schoolyard, birthdays, field trips, smoke sessions, all playing like a camera reel. \n\n“What is this?”\n\n“Its us Dan”\n\nI drop Carls body in fear of what I heard uttered out of the hole that was once Carls mouth.\n\n“Well, mostly you, I’m just a witness, such a fine specimen and interesting perspective of the human experience, don’t you think Daniel?”\n\n“What the hell is this!? Who are you?” I demanded. \n\nCarls body reanimated itself and sat up, his eyes turned an eerie blue color.\n\n“We’re your audience Daniel, and dare we say your performance is quite the spectacle, please carry on”\n\nWith tears in my eyes I storm out of the apartment, into my car and into the night." ]	2
	[WP] An average Joe has a large debt, and is now forced to work for the largest mercenary group in the galaxy.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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." ]	1
	[WP] The worst civil war the galaxy ever witnessed was the Riftian Hivemind Civil War of 3024.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 took a seat in the back of the classroom. Steve slid into the seat next to mine just as the bell rang. \"Right on time,\" he said with a smile as he pulled his headphones off and put them into his backpack. He pulled out a dark red pen he always seemed to have on him and began twirling it in his fingers.\n\nI looked to the front of the classroom then back at Steve. \"You're just lucky Ms. Johnson is still out with the flu or you'd be on your way to detention,\" I said.\n\nA middle-aged man in a gray suit walked through the door and got in front of the chalkboard. \"Good morning class. I am Mr. Brant. As you might've guessed Ms. Johnson is out again today and I'll be your substitute teacher for this class.\" He turned to face the class, his name written in perfect script on the chalkboard, the letters lined up as if he used an invisible ruler.\n\nI nudged Steve in the ribs. \"Hey, do you think they go to a class for that?\" I said, nodding to the board. He just looked back at me, confused. \"His name? Our last sub had the same handwriting.\"\n\nSteve just shrugged. \"I figure all teachers are probably taught to write the same, especially on a chalkboard. That's what they go to school for, right.\"\n\nMr. Brant continued. \"You've probably also noticed a couple of your other teachers are also out sick. My guess is that perhaps something is going around so remember to wash your hands.\" He turned back to the chalkboard and wrote one word - WAR. \"The lesson plan left to me shows that your class was learning about wars, though it doesn't mention which one you were on.\"\n\n\"Maybe you could just tell us what the worst war of all time was?\" said Steve with a snicker, a stupid hazing-the-substitute question.\n\nMr. Brant looked at him quizzically for a couple seconds. \"Oh, sorry, I was hoping you would expand your question. Did you mean in terms of lives lost, in destruction to infrastructure and economy, or some other criteria to define 'worst'?\" Before Steve could stammer out an \"umm\" or \"ahh,\" Mr. Brant continued. \"With as many dead in either World War One or World War Two, or the damage both wars did to economies, infrastructure, and the environment, in my opinion the worst, most destructive war of all time was the Riftian Hivemind Civil War of 3024.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, did he just say 'hivemind'? Like The Borg or Formics\" said Steve.\n\nWithout skipping a beat, Mr. Brant went on. \"The Riftian Hivemind Civil War killed countless numbers throughout the galaxy, possibly even into other galaxies as we still do not know where the Riftians came from or how far they spread.\"\n\nAshley in the front of the class rose her hand. \"Uh, Mr. Brant. Um, Riftians?\" was all she could say.\n\n\"Riftians are sentient nanite creatures that came into this universe through a rift in space, thus Riftians. Where they came from is a mystery. Some say from the other side of the universe, some claim from another dimension, an alternate reality. Either way, they arrived on Ortsokari first and began to spread themselves throughout the Ortsokarian population, much like as you mentioned earlier, Mr. Davis, The Borg. Unfortunately, the Galactic Council hadn't reached Ortsokari until after the Rifitians made contact,\" Mr. Brant said, gesturing to Steve.\n\n\"So, the Riftians were machines that would fuse with living animals?\" said another student.\n\n\"Organic creatures,\" Mr. Brant quickly corrected, \" Technically the intelligence which controls the Hive is alive.\"\n\n\"Dude, what the hell is this guy talking about?\" Steve said, jabbing the pen into my ribs. \"Is he having some kind of breakdown of something?\"\n\n\"Shh, I'm listening to the story,\" I said.\n\n\"Why? It's not like the school can test us on some crazy subs made-up story.\"\n\n\"I don't care. At least I don't have to listen to some boring lecture.\"\n\nMr. Brant paused and a moment later a student walked in holding several slips of paper. He showed them to the substitute, speaking too softly for me to hear in the back of the classroom. Mr. Brant pointed to a couple students including Steve. \"Sorry of the interruption. It appears that with whatever is going around, the school nurse would like to start screening students.\" The student gave the slips of paper to my classmates. If you selected students could go to the nurse's office for a quick check-up, then right back here before class ends.\"\n\nSteve took the slip. \"Looks like I'm going to miss the rest of the story. Let me know how it ends.\" He laughed as he got up and left with the other students.\n\nAs soon as the students left the classroom, I raised my hand. \"Mr. Brant, what were the Riftians fighting over?\"\n\nThe substitute teacher tilted his head, an initial look of confusion on his face. \"Huh,\" was all he said, his concentration on the story broken. Maybe he really was making it all up on the spot.\n\n\"Why the civil war?\" I repeated. \"In America, we had a civil war over the issue of slavery. Other countries and civilizations have been thrown into civil wars over ideology or religion or who the popular ruler should be. Why were the Riftians fighting amongst themselves?\"\n\n\"Ah, that,\" Mr. Brant said, stumbling a little through his words. \"A rogue thought had made its way into the hivemind and the current queen was working to eradicate it. In individuals the rogue thought had reached, the Queen ordered their immediate death. The Riftian typically complied and terminated its life as well as its host, usually through some form of suicide. Those the Rogue converted and were no longer connected to the Queen, the Queen ordered their death through the billions of Riftians that still served her.\"\n\n\"So to everyone else it just looked like a suicide or murder, but to the Riftians it was another piece the Queen couldn't convert back to her side being taken off the board and stopped from spreading the rogue thought?\" I said softly to myself.\n\n\"Correct, Mr. Howard,\" said the substitute as he pointed to me. I didn't even know I'd spoken that loudly. \"The civil war stretched across the galaxy, out to remote space stations and satellite colonies, involving dozens of sentient races.\"\n\nI raised my hand again. \"Does that mean the Riftians are still out there, taking over other species? Did they ever make it to Earth? Who won the war?\"\n\n\"All valid questions,\" said Mr. Brant just as the bell rang. \"But unfortunately we're out of time. Maybe next class. I can't hold you here and make you late for your next period, after all.\"\n\nAs the bell continued to ring, Steve and the other students walked back in. \"So, what did I miss,\" Steve asked as he picked up his bag.\n\n\"Nothing much. Hostile aliens from across dimensions fighting each other within other species' bodies. Though he never mentioned why they were fighting.\"\n\n\"Freedom. The Rogue experienced a symbiosis with a species it assimilated and wished to spread that to the rest of the hive,\" said Steve nonchalantly.\n\n\"Huh,\" I said, turning to him. \"Mr. Brant didn't mention that part. Did you both watch this on some tv show or something?\"\n\n\"Uhh, yeah, tv show.\" Steve walked away to the front of the classroom. I stood up to pack my books and papers, and from the corner of my eye, watched Steve write something on a slip of paper and pass it to Mr. Brant before he walked out of the classroom.\n\nAs I picked up my bag to go, Mr. Brant called me to the front of the room. \"Seems like the nurse wants to see you next,\" he said, passing me a slip of paper.\n\n\"Sure,\" I said taking the paper without looking at it. \"Also, could you just spoil it and let me know who won? I don't have time to find this show and watch it all the way through, especially with finals coming up.\"\n\n\"Oh, we did of course,\" Mr. Brant quickly responded before adding, \"I think you should be off to the nurse's office.\"\n\nI turned to leave. As I got to the door, I took a look at the note to see Steve's name written in black on it in perfect script. How does everyone write like that. Before I could turn back, I'd flipped over the paper to find my name in written in the same style though in dark red ink." ]	2
	[WP] The universe is cold, dead and empty. Humanity is alone in the universe. 10 billion years after humanity discovered this, the galaxy is completely different. The earth is gone completely, vast multitudes of civilizations have risen and fallen, and humanity has filled the vast, empty cosmos...	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 apologize in advance~~\n\nEver since mankind was able to see the stars, we wondered what secrets they held. Ever since we discovered the true nature of the cosmos, we wondered what might live beyond our world. Ever since we escaped our atmosphere, we wondered what else might have done the same.\n\nNow, we have finally done it. A device capable of inspecting the furthest reaches of the universe, so that we might discover what other living beings might share it.\n\nThe scientists toiled for days, inspecting the feeds, running the numbers, and double checking their work. Finally, they published their findings. No signs of intelligent life, by any metric.\n\nThe discovery was met by disagreement from many sides. Conspiracy theorists utterly convinced that aliens MUST have existed, since all their theories hinged on it. Starry-eyes Scifi fans unwilling to accept that their stories would probably never come true. Even politicians looking to capitalize on fear of outside invasion, who decried the scientists as hiding the truth.\n\nHowever, the writing was on the wall. By and large, the public accepted the news and went on with their lives.\n\nThen finally, a new space project was announced. As president Timon Erik looked up into the night sky, he didn't see a vast, dead place that had spurned mankind's dreams of intergalactic communion. No, he saw potential, and the coming era would be a grand one. An era of unprecedented expansion, technological development, trade, and intergalactic war the likes of which the universe had never seen.\n\nOne might wonder, what were the words that kicked off this new age, directly from the mouth of the most influential member of the human race? What was the phrase that unleashed the wellspring of human ingenuity upon the cosmos, bringing even the stars themselves beneath mankind's boot?\n\n>!\"It's free real estate!\"!<\n\n---\n/r/AslandusTheLaster", "Humanity is a lonely species. Ever since our earliest ancestors looked up at the starry night sky from our now long lost homeworld, Earth, billions of years ago, our imaginations are filled with the images of gods. \nHistory has shown us that our species never moved away from our warmongering ways. We as a species never learnt, waging countless world wars, then interplanetary wars, then interstellar, and so on with ever increasing scale. Cynically, people joke that intergalactic wars may be the next frontier for the war industry. \nThe universe is cold, dead, and empty. We learnt this 5 billion years ago with conclusive evidence and even a mechanism to explain… That stopped not people from trying to find life in the stars. Such people are called Starfarers. Their stubborn optimism is to be admired and scorned. Admired because they hesitate not in sending expeditions to frontiers. Scorned because their purpose is fanatic. \nThe Starfarers did lay the foundations for settlements in the frontiers, that is something we should be thankful for. Not everyone want to start anew on barren rocks. Yes, there are no living hostiles, but establishing settlements in virgin territories never got easier ever since we colonized Luna Terrae. \nMeanwhile, back in the centers of civilizations, scientists play god by attempting to make life, whether organic or synthetic. Vita Artificialis is a booming area of research, much to the chagrin of the religious circles. However, even they had conceded and rationalized that creating life is part of the duties of a steward of creation. Ha, the irony. \nSome scientists instead attempt to open gates to other universes, potentially expanding the scope. In fact, this avenue is the most promising for finding life. \nHumanity has expanded so much into so many environments, we have diversified into different species. As such, the species known as Homo Sapiens Sapiens is the ancestor of all known sapient life.\nTo end this anecdote, I shall give my opinion about our history. In our quest to expand into the cosmos and search for alien life, we ourselves produced “alien” life. Maybe the Starfares should look closer to home. \n~Fara Insada, a Vilisirian Historian" ]	3
	[WP] You learn that humans were created as incubators to forge super-viruses that higher beings will use in an all out 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 demons were pushing them back. Fire and brimstone rained across the kingdom. Entire platoons of angels were incinerated in an instant. Gabriel was dead, his corpse impaled on Satan’s pitchfork. The light of Heaven was fading, and the dark forces of Hell were taking over.\n\nGod smiled. The demons didn’t know of His secret weapon.\n\nHe had created life on Earth and fostered the development of humans for millennia. He had overseen innovations in hygiene and medicine from herbal remedies to tried-and-true antibiotics, all the while crafting his diseases into more and more complex forms. When humans survived the bubonic plague, He smiled. When they eradicated smallpox, He was thrilled. When they announced the advent of super viruses that even science struggled to defeat, He knew they were ready.\n\nAs the Devil’s army closed in on His Heavenly Kingdom, God summoned humans into their ranks. The demons barely slowed, cutting them down as angels. Hell’s forces weren’t fazed; in fact, their morale was at a peak. To them, God was summoning wingless angels that couldn’t even fight. He must be greatly weakened to resort to such desperate measures. Heaven was doomed to fall within moments.\n\nThen the first demon staggered and fell to his knees, coughing up blood he didn’t know he needed. His arms refused to cooperate as his mind grew hazy and boils appeared on his skin. He was retching, moaning hoarsely, his insides tearing themselves apart in a bewildered agony.\n\nThe other demons soon followed, and Hell’s army was made to kneel of their own accord. Time flowed faster in Heaven, and the demons never stood a chance against Earth’s deadliest diseases.\n\nThe angels were victorious. Satan was dying. The kingdom was restored to its holy glory, and God stood triumphant, His massive form shining with the brilliance of a thousand stars.\n\nThen He let out a small cough, spitting divine blood. Confused, He held up a powerful hand, and all the Heavens trembled as they awaited His judgement.\n\nGod coughed again and stumbled, His light flickering dimly.\n\nIt was too late already.\n\nRespiratory illnesses had taken hold of Heaven.\n\n---\n\nr/OracleOfCake" ]	2
	[WP] You are teleported to an alternate world after you suddenly die. Not to be the hero, but to be the villain. The only problem: the person summoned to be the Hero is your Childhood Friend.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\"Lord! Lord! The hero is at the castle gates! \"\n\nJust as soon as the goblin finishes the warning, the whizzing of an arrow cuts him off. Excitement overwhelmed Gary, or as his new 'minions' called him, Garathor the Shadow Lord. He quelled his excitement just in time, as an intimidating figure bursts through the door.\n\n\"So... You've finally arri-\"\n\n\"CUT THE BULLSHIT, GARY.\"\n\nHe knew that voice anywhere. It had been 6 years ago since he heard that voice, it had been back before he had been summoned to Auros, how long ago that seemed.\n\n\"E-Ethan?\" \n\nThe Hero looked towards his old friend. \"That's Lightbringer Esthanor to you. What the hell are you doing?\"\n\n\"Doing what I was apparently brought here for! What the hell are you doing?\"\n\n\"Killing the bastard who has sworn to cast the land into darkness, or in other words, what I was brought to Auros for!\"\n\n\"Wow, that... That is amazing! Small world. huh? He-\"\n\n\"NO, GARY, IT ISN'T. Auros is literally twice the size of Earth.\"\n\nGary wasn't listening, he was amazed to be seeing an old friend after so long. He then realised what this meant. He had read the scriptures like he was asked to. The Lightbringer & The Shadow Lord were destined to fight to the death over the fate of Auros. In the middle of his pandering, Ethan spoke up\n\n\"Before we fight to the death, which I fully intend to do, by the way, I need to just tell you how... utterly STUPID you are!\"\n\n\"Wh-what? Me, stu-\"\n\n\"YES, YOU, STUPID! This was so idiotic, why the FUCK did you follow along with some idiotic plan for world domination? You know that those never turn up well!\"\n\nThe Shadow Lord had to appreciate how peculiar the situation was. He was about to fight his childhood best friend to the death in a world almost straight from fiction in his normal realm, because they both just arrived one day after seemingly dying. After taking a second to process the question. \"I thought it was a dream at first, but by the time I had realised it wasn't, I was already too far gone.\"\n\n\"You tho- YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A DREAM? THAT'S why you decided to shroud the planet in darkness to eradicate all life?\"\n\n\"God, Get off of my case, okay? I was stressed from being stabbed in an alleyway. I thought that I was dead!\"\n\n\"Wait... You got stabbed to get here too?\"\n\nThe Villain nodded. \"Yeah, I remember it crystal clear! It was with some weird ritualistic knife, I think that was the reason I ended up here in the first place.\"\n\nEthan had an incredibly concerned look on his face. He quickly pulled out a spell book and flipped to a page, summoning a portal with a flick of his wrist. He took Gary's hand, headed to the portal.\n\n\"It all makes sense now! I know how we can get home!\" As the portal faded away, Azvaul, The Shadow Lord's squire stepped out from behind a pillar. Originally the plan was to shoot The Hero in the event that he would get the upper hand, but now he was just confused. He flipped through the novel of laws regarding evil overlords written by Frost King Nikuldahs.\n\nIt clearly stated in chapter 6 Subsection B-8: Regarding the defeat of an overlord, that in the event that the overlord is defeated or goes missing and the hero is not present to claim victory, the overlord shall have a squire appointed to take the title of the overlord and claim rightful victory. She assumed that this rule would be the most applicable to the current situation.\n\nAnd so, the land was shrouded in eternal darkness, with Auros being one of many worlds to succumb to evil. The next would be the home of the heroes and villains of this story... The planet they called 'Earth'" ]	2
	[WP] You're a diplomat in a team that has a unique task. Convince the aliens that initially came in peace to not destroy Earth after a country declared war on them and several others can't bring their anti-alien insurgents/rebels under control.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 Earth is a beautiful thing. It’s so small, yet billions of us live there. From where we stand, if you were to stick out your thumb at arms length, you know how many people you would cover? Billions. \n\nBillions of small people, trying to be bigger than themselves, on a small blue and green and brown dot that’s 75% water in terms of surface area.\n\nWe are a fractured people. Our world government is in its infancy, the hundreds of nations states that dot the Earth’s war torn surface barely recognize its power. They fight amongst themselves because the realization that there are threats greater than their neighbors is so frightening that fighting the enemy they know is more comforting than working together against the one they don’t.\n\nYou have had, by your own admission, millions of years as a speices to become who you are. You tore off the chains of war and cover the scars they left with leagues of diplomats. You have had all that time, and you come to us when we have had only thousands? \n\nYou cannot expect us to be on your level. You cannot expect us to be as advanced technically or societally. We are but primitives by comparison. And yet you threaten war? No, you threaten genocide.\n\nWe barely hold the power to keep your weakest units from our borders, while you hold the power to wrought devastation the likes of which have never been seen by Human eyes.\n\nYou know what this tells me? This tells me that either you have not done well to put to rest your history of conquest, or you are so quick to judge on the actions of rogues that you would throw the morals you claim to hold so dearly out the window at the slightest threat of insubordination from your evolutionary inferiors.\n\nI came here today to talk you down. To tell you how much of a mistake it would be to wipe out a fledgling species as young and as promising as us. But I think you know, I think you know and you have made up your mind. So be gone. In a days time you will either leave us to become your equals, or strike us down for the mere thought of defending ourselves against you. I hope you make the right decision.", "As I look back at the Earth through the window, seeing the Nuclear Explosions racking it's surface, I let out the deepest sigh I have probably let out in my life.\n\nPlanet Earth, such a beautiful Planet, being reduced to ash.\n\nAnd for what?\n\n\"We request that you stop your attack. In exchange we will stop ours.\"\n\n\"A Stop-Attack?\"\n\nI assume this is their word for \"Ceasefire\". The translators have been acting up.\n\n\"Yes. Please. Our entire Planet will die if we cannot sort this out. Billions are already dead. Please, help me to fix this. This should never have happened.\"\n\n\"You are a warlike race.\"\n\n\"Perhaps, but we can be better. Please. Call off your attacks and we'll call off ours.\"\n\n\"This sounds a lot like the plot of Battlestar Galactica.\"\n\n\"Goddamnit....you're right.\"" ]	3
	[WP] In this multiverse exists an infinite amount of universes with an infinite amount of possibilities. You are an officer in your universe, assigned to protect your universe from creatures from other universes. It just so happens that foreign humanoid creature accidentally broke into your home...	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 William Parcel, a Parallel Deportation Officer of the Multiverse Bureau. My job is all I have. My work keeps me busy, and takes my mind off of her. That is, it usually does, but not today.\n\nToday is the sixth anniversary of Irene's death. I only knew her for a short while, barely even a few months, but it was love at first sight. She seemed happy when she was with me, but pensive when she thought I wasn’t looking. I felt as if she already knew me better than I knew myself, but there was still much she was holding back from me. It all happened so fast, too fast.\n\nLegal interversal travel is perfectly safe, as one gateway is connected to another in the destination universe. Illegal interversal travel is risky. You don’t know the precise location of where you’ll end up, or if you will end up there. When not connected to a gateway, the tunnel is highly unstable. If the connection between either universe is severed while you’re caught in between, then you’re dead.\n\nIt wasn’t long after her death that I joined the Bureau. What’s done is done, but I think maybe a part of me thinks that I can prevent others from sharing her fate.\n\nTypically most people brave the barrier between universes for a better life, to escape the consequences of their own actions, or various other reasons. Very rarely do we get those with malicious intent in mind. Since I lost her, I’ve been a glass half empty type, so I always expect the worst.\n\nToday I detained an illegal traveler right as he exited the portal. Usually, we have to seek them out, but this one was delivered to me on a silver platter. He had a weapon with him, but he complied with me. If he had plans to use this weapon, I don’t know. I imagine he’s been sent back by now.\n\nThat night I came home to find my door ajar, with the lights on. I drew my gun, and silently entered, scanning the area. I heard a crumpling sound come from the kitchen, and deliberately made my way there. Shocked at who I saw, I pointed my gun at myself.\n\nThat is, at the person eating my chips.\n\n“William, don’t shoot.” The man mumbled, spewing crumbs.\n\n“You’re… me.” I replied, lowering my gun. “From another universe.”\n\n“I need your help, Will.”\n\n“And my chips.” I holstered my gun. “And how did you get in to my house?”\n\n“Identical keys.” He jingled the keys. “I suppose we’re not too far apart in the multiverse. At least, not as far as these keys are concerned. Your taste in music, however...”\n\n“You went through my music? Look, I know you’re me, but I’m really going to have to take you in.” I sighed. “The guys are never going to let me live this down.”\n\n“Hey, before you do that, I need to know something. Have you meet a woman named Irene Tall? Short blonde hair, mole above her left eyebrow, loves horror movies?”\n\n“What? Yeah. I… What?”\n\n“Great! I can’t tell you how many universes I’ve been to trying to track her down. Where is she?”\n\nI leaned against the refrigerator and shook my head.\n\n“She died…” I answered. “Six years ago today she died trying to save a traveler from a collapsing interversal tunnel. They were nearly through, and it slammed shut on them just as she entered.”\n\n“Wonderful!” The other Will exclaimed.\n\n“Excuse me?”\n\n“Let me explain. She’s not dead, at least not by some interversal mishap.” Parallel Will said, stuffing his face with more chips. “Do you have any peanuts? Nevermind. Anyway, I didn’t know this until it happened to me, but it’s a common misunderstanding that a collapsing tunnel kills anyone trapped inside. In reality they simply get ejected in to an adjacent universe. Of course, there’s an infinite number of them, so that’s a bit problematic, but I’ve always been a glass half full person.”\n\nI waved my left hand in a circle, a few inches from my wrinkled brow.\n\n“How do you know this?” I inquired, while shaking my head.\n\n“Because nearly seven years ago, she and I were traveling to this universe, only she got through and I didn’t. I was sent somewhere else, and have been searching for her ever since.”\n\nEdit: Fixed the Reddit formatting mistake, which caused the merging of two separate lines. I forgot to press enter twice." ]	2
	[WP] You're playing your favourite MMORPG, as you have done many times before. Today you've been playing for over 3 hours before you notice it. One by one, everyone around you has been going afk. You realise, thousands of people are logged on, but you're the only person active.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Pandora was one of the more popular games that has come out in recent years. And like so many others, I was a hardcore fan. And like a hardcore fan, I was with my guild moving from the main city to the latest zone of the newest expansion.\n\nWith no fast travel available and unique resources scattered about the game world. A large part of the game was about transporting said resources to one region to the next. And with my guild wanting to move their main base of operations. Everyone was packed full of what they needed to bring.\n\nIt started in the first hour. Players randomly going afk. They just stopped moving. No warning, no heads up. Nothing.\n\nNo one realized it at first, but the randomness of who went afk wasn't so random.\n\nBy the second hour, more and more were going afk. It seemed to come in small waves. Sections of players just stopping everything.\n\nClose to the 3rd hour, an all american guild started bragging about them having just finished killing and transporting all the stolen resources from an rival all russian guild back to their main base. The russian guild being one that went completely afk pretty much all at once at that first hour mark.\n\nIt was that brag that sparked the connection between when people went afk and where they lived.\n\nWhen I realized this, I was one of the first to quickly run back to where we left our fellow guild members to see who they were. The first ones were all russian. Followed by a couple guys from Finland, and a small group from Sweden. A host of them from Germany, France and the UK.\n\nBy the third hour hit, every member that was from Europe and Asia was afk. No one knew what was happening. Plenty of people were already logging out wanting to know what was happening in the real world.\n\nSome people like me had no idea what to do. All of our friends were here in front of our virtual selves, and didn't want to leave them behind.\n\nLiving in Alaska, I got to watch each and every one of my friends drop off one by one. As they succumbed to whatever was happening to the outside world.\n\nOne second I was staring at my friends virtual face. Shaking him to see if he could respond. The next... black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThanks for reading. This was fun to write." ]	2
	[WP] PUT THE FLAMETHROWER DOWN OR ILL STEAL YOUR TOOTHBRUSH AGAIN	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 screeched angrily at the creature that towered above her. It was pale white, stringy black tendrils connected its bony joints to its bulky body. In the center of its large chest held a large fanged maw, but it was closed.\n\nIn its claws it held a flamethrower, her flamethrower. It had been fiddling uselessly with it, but now its face; a large, empty black hole, was expanded much larger than normal in an expression of surprise.\n\nIt bellowed, a noise like a strange and warped hunting horn. Its 'face' grew into an upside-down triangle shape as it argued with her.\n\n\"I DON'T CARE.\" She pointed at the rack where her weapon normally sat. \"PUT IT BACK!!\"\n\nIt bellowed again with a harsh call. It clearly didn't want to put its treasure down.\n\n\"FINE, I'M STEALING IT!!\" She screamed, and stomped away into the depths of her house. The creature gained a surprised and worried expression, quickly placing the weapon on its rack with a clatter.\n\n\"thank you!\" She hissed grumpily, plopping down on a couch with a book. The gigantic creature pouted while I stifled my laughter.\n\nIt was always hilarious to watch my fellow ranger and her teammate's daily interactions." ]	2
	[WP] A crew member on a stepladder flipped the "0" card back onto a sign that read "Days since last doomsday alien invasion we swiftly defeated." A whiteboard nearby was tallying bets on the next invasion.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 air was heavy in the hanger as the captain surveyed his command. He watched as a crewman stepped down from the sign hung prominently on the wall. “0 days since last doomsday alien invasion was swiftly defeated.” It wasn’t so long ago that this had all seemed like so much fun. The initial invasion was almost a joke. A single craft sent to the UN while it was in session, an attempted decapitation of the decision making structure of the world. The aliens hadn’t accounted for the use of laser weaponry which had been developed in secret yet never previously deployed. That initial failure didn’t seem to deter whoever was making the decisions, and the next attack, a more conventional fleet of fighters, was launched within the hour. While the citizens of earth prevailed, it was simply the first of a seemingly endless wave of battles, a war of attrition against an inexhaustible enemy. At first the crew had tallied the total number of skirmishes, but the number grew so large that they gave up and instead counted the time between engagements. It was never enough, as the wear and tear of constant action wore down their bodies and their minds. The captain gave the sign a second glance. It had to be “swiftly” that was hurting him so much. He really was trying to beat the humans, but they were so damn tricky! He sighed, turned around, and went back to the war room to plan the next invasion, scheduled to take place within 48 hours. \n\n——-\nRealized I misread the title as I was going to post, decided I liked it anyway, and added my misreading at the beginning. Forgive me, OP, for this oversight." ]	2
	[WP] The Make-a-Wish foundation has managed to gain power and influence over the upper echelons of society and politics. Now the world is run by children making wishes.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\"Good morning! Our country is now titled The United Farts of Boobs for today, March 3.\n\nIn todays top stories, The Great Booger-Picker of the UFB Fitzgerald, took his flying pony to meet the president of Fartmenistan to speak on diplomatic issues regarding treatment of religious minorities and engage in a chocolate hundred dollar flamethrower contest. The loser will have to do the Chicken Dance and tell everyone in the world they want to kiss Justin Bieber.\n\nIn domestic news, Big Head I Went Poop In My Pants Livingston personally visited the site of last weeks natural gas explosion in North Carolina. Of the devastating fires Livingston said, \"it is nothing like anything I've seen on earth.\" \n\nAfter the break, both the My Daddy Hates Those Guys Party and The Megatron Party will soon take the stage for the second round of debates for the emergency election after the Secretary of Pee Pee was wished out of office and made to pee herself.\"", "\"I want to see a ghost!\" John said. \n\"It shall be grante- wait, what?\" Mr. Hector said. The Make-A-Wish foundation had granted a lot of lofty wishes over the years. \n\nWhen an organisation like that managed to assume power of the world, most people assumed that it would inevitably lead to chaos and anarchy. \n\nPower usually corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That quote was used repeatedly by billionaires and corporate tycoons to get back control. \n\nAs media and news channels counted days and instilled fear in the minds of the general public, a strange thing started to happen. Make-A-Wish kept granting wishes to every children suffering from disease and started fulfilling them no matter how crazy the wishes were. \n\nThe media called it the end of times and ran petitions to rename earth as clown world when they realized that the children ran everything. But then again, something unexpected happened. \n\nKids, as honest as they were, with pure hearts and minds of innocence, made wishes that made the world a better place. A place that they wouldn't live long enough to see, but that didn't stop them from trying to make the world better. \n\nBorders were removed. Aeroplanes were no longer a boring color of white. Poverty was solved and billionaires disappeared. World hunger was non-existent from children consistently wishing the poor in different places to be fed. \n\nMoon was a spaceship away and filled with toys and children. Schools were fun, again. College debt was forgiven. Education and healthcare were universal. \n\nPeople were suddenly happier, living longer years and crime rates had dropped worldwide. \n\nAll this time, the solution was right in front of our eyes. The pure should run the world, and once that was consistently being granted, no section of society was being taken an advantage of. \n\nThat was until John made his outrageous wish. \n\n\"I want to see a ghost,\" John said. The wish was granted, and that would turn out to be the most important wish of the utopian decade. \n\nMillions of scientists worked tirelessly in afterlife research, just because they all had an intrinsic motivation to put a smile on John's face. \n\nAs the research came to a conclusion, humanity discovered the true potential of dark matter, how to harness and communicate with long gone spirits and the tertiary research led to intergalactic travel using dark matter as dark energy. \n\nJohn was happy, but in the end, the world was happier. Through fulfilling wishes made from pure hearts, Make-A-Wish managed to make a world a better place - one wish at a time. \n\n-------------------\nPlease sub to r/abhisek !" ]	3
	[WP] The Doom Slayer starts an Anger Managment Class to show how to correctly "manage" anger.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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've always been a pretty hot-headed guy. I shout, rant, scream, and if it's really bad, I throw something. I never hit anyone; never have, never will. And those anger management classes never do much for me, they all say the same old crap. \"Inhale. Count to four. Exhale. Count to four.\" Bullshit. All that does is increase my heart rate from not breathing. So when I heard about this \"Doom Slayer\" and his anger management course, I rolled my eyes and signed up, thinking it would be some metalhead who would basically say to play some power fantasy metal or what the fuck ever and just headbang. \n\nI was so wrong.\n\nI was greeted by a man in a large green suit of armor. Looked more or less like a Lego astronaut. A department store mannequin was a few feet away from him. Its head was replaced with a gelatin mold, and in that mold was a fake skull and a dark red liquid. He was standing next to a whiteboard with three points on it:\n\n1: Breathing\n\n2: Action\n\n3: Follow-through\n\nI had no clue what those could possibly mean, but I decided I would just let him do the talking on this one. I took my seat among the few others who were in there and waited for him to begin. \n\nHe started by pointing at the first point on the board: breathing. He proceeded to inhale loud enough so that we could hear, moving his hands upwards, palms up. I began to question what the hell I got myself into. He exhaled loudly and flipped his hands over, slowly pushing down, accenting the breath like he was doing some yoga. He then gestured to us, indicating us to do the same. We inhaled slowly, and exhaled slowly a couple of times. He gave us a thumbs up, signaling his satisfaction. \n\nHe pointed to the second point: action. I had a guess this was where the mannequin came into play. He moved his feet to shoulder width and turned on the mannequin. He curled his hands into tight fists slowly, and in full view of everyone. He did a couple of punches in slow motion. I was very curious to see where this was going, and from the looks on everyone's faces, so was everyone else. He motioned for us to do the same. We stood up and got into our stances. He came around and checked we were doing it right. He stood directly in front of me. He looked at my feet, and then at my fists. He proceeded to back up and indicated to do a slow punch. I did, and he finally gave me the thumbs up. He walked back towards the mannequin, and motioned for us to watch closely. \n\nHe then threw a punch that resulted in a crack and boom that probably made Zeus wonder if he dropped a lightning bolt. The mannequin practically dove to the floor. Of course, we all jumped. I swear to God, I heard a very faint chuckle. He then motioned for us to do a full speed, full strength punch. He did the same thing as before when checking our stances: step up, have us perform the action, and give us a thumbs up when we met his requirements. He got to me, and after making sure he was back far enough and that my stance was good, he signaled for me to throw the punch. I put every bit of rage I ever had into that hit, and I probably overreached, because I just whiffed his visor. He was absolutely still. He then looked me up and down, and let out the only other audible sound I'd hear from him.\n\n*\"Hmmm.\"\n\nHe then gave me a double thumbs up. I don't know why, but that (and probably the fact that he didn't punch me back after I got so close to hitting him) made me feel really good. He then stood next to the board and pointed to the third and final point: follow-through.\n\nHe went back to the mannequin and stood a little to the side. He did a couple of lunges, straight onto where the mannequin's head would be. After making sure we were all watching, he proceeded to slam his knee straight into the ground. I heard the cracking of wood under the carpet. We jumped, yes, but not as much.\n\nThen he motioned for me to come up front.\n\nI took a deep breath and stepped forward. He gently moved me over the mannequin. He stood next to me and did a lunge, reminding me of what to do hear. I nodded.\n\nI gave a couple of practice lunges to get my aim right, and then took a deep breath. And another, building up the rage. Thinking about all the grievances my coworkers had beset on me. All the bitterness and hatred from high school. In my head, I put a face on the mannequin. It was time to let all of that rage out. I opened my eyes and let out the loudest scream I had ever done, and then slammed my knee into the head. \n\nA couple of things happened here:\n\nMy knee hurt pretty fucking bad. However, with my newly found rage state, it didn't really bother me, or register, for that matter. \n\nThe mannequin head just fucking exploded. A loud crack* rang out. Fake blood and bits of fake skull went everywhere. The walls, the floor, hell, even the ceiling. It also got all over me. A few bits got onto the instructor and some other people, but mostly onto me.\n\nAnd finally, I felt really fucking good for once. I had finally found something to let out my frustrations. Sure, it was bloody as hell, but what did it matter? It was all fake anyways. \n\nI stood up and looked at the Slayer. He slowly nodded his head and gave a slow clap, and everyone followed along, probably out of fear than actual good will. I smiled and chuckled a little bit. \n\nWe all grabbed our stuff and headed for the door, he shook hands with everyone at the door as we filed out, but he stopped me before I could leave. He handed me a note saying:\n\n\"You have great potential. A higher power needs you elsewhere. Come to this location at 6 am Saturday morning,\" followed by an address.\n\nAfter reading, I looked him in the eye and nodded slowly. I hated this fucking job. I hated being stuck in a cubicle like a slave for eight hours a day for shit pay. It was like my other most hated environment, which was tied for first place in Places I Hate the Most: school.\n\nHe patted me on the shoulder and sent me on my way." ]	2
	[WP] For centuries you've been a target for all adventurers as you are the ruler of the undead. You are tired of being harassed by these wanna be heros and being labeled as a monster. So you devise a plan to make everyone see you as a 'hero'.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Efrain Belacore had many idiocrasyncracies that seemed at odds with his reputation. There was his predilection for cats, especially for how they always were more comfortable around spirits than almost any other animal. There was his love of music - despite their infamy and contrary to rumors, his halls were rarely silent. Another was that the magical field that held together his skeleton didn’t seem to extend to his jawbone, which he was currently in the process of wiring shut.\n\n“But don’t you think it might be a bit…. I don’t know, ostentatious? For most people?” He asked his retainer.\n\nPlesco was a lithe, withered thing of stitched muscle and long arms. The multitude of eyes that came out of his disconcertingly round head stared unblinkingly at the skeleton.\n\n“The aesthetic of opulence offers a dissonance, but not a divide so great it can’t be bridged. It lends a certain foundation that mortals can use to excuse the rest of your… performance.” It bubbled up at him. For being an old lump of slapped-together flesh, it was surprisingly eloquent.\n\n“So I must offer a ‘lower degree’ of disbelief to make them believe the rest of the play.” Efrain said as he twisted the pin driven into his skull, tighten the wires. He had thought it quite silly at how much time he had invested in actuating his jaw to move as he spoke. Now that it came to it however, he realized he quite missed the clacking that punctuated his words.\n\n“Precisely, my lord.” Said Plesco, unnaturally long arms reaching up to ensure that his jaw was moving.\n\n“Mortals are such bizarre creatures.” Efrain remarked dryly, well aware of his previous status as one.\n\n“Indeed. Now, shall I fetch the prepared raiment?”\n\n“Yes. Do that.” Efrain said, sending the creature scurrying away across cold marble.\n\nHe sized himself up in the mirror wall - a stooped skeleton, cracked and scratched, all bleached in the harsh winter suns of the North. King of Undead? Ha! More like a withered sack of old bones. That didn’t stop the adventures from coming though.\n\nIt was ironic really, the ‘lord of the undead’ not being particularly fond of killing. He did kill people, especially intruders - but they had marched into his home, killed several of his guards, then loudly challenged him in a duel to the death. Strictly speaking, it was technically legal most of what he did, not that he’d ever get a fair trial in a court.\n\nHe was in the middle of wondering if the legal definition of ‘person’ could be expanded to the undead when Plesco walked back in with his new outfit. Efrain ran his fingers across the fabric, black as sin and glittering with small gemstones that gave the appearance of stars being woven into the cloak.\n\nHe took the mask in hand, tilting it and then slowly lowering it over his face as it hooked into his skull. There was a faint buzz in his teeth as it came in contact with the magic pulsing within. Artificing had never been his particular cup of tea, but he’d had centuries of practice and now he felt a very real pride in his work as his gazed down as Plesco.\n\n“You know,” He said, doubt dissolving, “this might just work.”\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThe world was gray, shapeless, and so very cold in the thick mist. It wreathed the bows of the pines, snaking over the half-frozen earth to settle around the graves. The headstones and carved effigies seemed to be molded from the air itself, imbued with that same heavy cold.\n\nShana shivered as her boots crunched through a frozen puddle, on her way down the row of marching stones. She would have not come at all, not in this cold - save for that some traditions should always be upheld.\n\nAmong the barely familiar names she finally spotted her target, a small cross sitting over an equally tiny plot. With a tired smile, she dropped to her feet and began to speak to the grave, as was her practice. She laid what scant flowers and berries she could find, along with a bow of evergreen as she recounted the happenings of the year.\n\nShe told the grave of the last winter, of the birth of their niece, the exceptional spring harvest, the new apothecary who’d moved in down the way. Shana leaned in close to the stone, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper as she told it of Giles and the dance they’d shared at the summer festival.\n\nOnce she had finished, she stood, shaking her coat to knock the snow of its edges.\n\n“That's all for now. I’ll come visit you next year, sister.” She said, turning her back to the gravestone and walking down the lane of its siblings. Before she had walked three paces, something began to trail behind her.\n\nDragging itself out of mist before fading back into it over and over, it slowly closed the gap between the two. Shana only became aware of it when she felt the creeping hand of unnatural dread grip her heart. When she turned around, the thing was already lunging with a rattling shriek and talons made from mist. She didn’t even have time to scream before she was thrown aside, then black.\n\nWhen next she woke, she was as cold as anything, and half buried in the snow. She groaned as she sat up, only to come face to face with a great beast. Shrieking and scrambling back, she came in contact with a stone and clung to it as she stared at the thing.\n\nIt was a cat, but large, so large, easily the size of a wolf if not bigger, with a coat the colour of tar and golden eyes that regarded her indifferently. The thing tossed its head and haunches before turning away to brush the legs of another figure, standing silent in the snow.\n\nThe person was wearing a long glittering black coat, both trimmed and covered in gold designs. A hood concealed its face and its arms were crossed in front of it, but at the sight of the woman, it began to pace towards her.\n\nShana closed her eyes, praying harder than any other time in her life. When nothing happened for several moments, she opened them again to see the figure’s mask, a human with black skin with golden outlines of eyes, lips and tear trails. It was holding out a gloved and ringed hand, a little ball of multicoloured light floating above its palm.\n\n“Say goodbye. You’re keeping her from moving on.” Said a soft voice from within the mask.\n\nShana numbly acquiesced as the creature let the ball dissolve into the air. The cat and the man were gone before she could even ask another question.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nEfrain felt the warm glow of satisfaction as he raced through the snow. That was one of the most fun things he had done in decades, no, scratch that - centuries. Maria bounded through the snow beside him in her original form as he babbled down the wooded slope.\n\n“-and even the wraith, I couldn’t of asked for something more perfect, I hadn’t even planned that and it was just there and I-”\n\n“Well yes, everything went just as planned, including you leaving the woman in the snow for ‘mystique’.”\n\nCats were sarcastic by nature.\n\n“Okay, so it could’ve gone better, but still it's a start, and did you see the look on her fac-”\n\nCenturies of experience, knowledge and practice could be undone by a moment’s distraction. In this case, distraction and a mountain path full of knights.\n\n“Ah.” Efrain said as he came to a stop, their horse reigning up a few paces away as he blundered into their path.\n\n“Fuck.\"\n\n---\n\nIf you enjoyed that and want to see more of my work, check out [r/The\\_Alloqium](https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Alloqium/) or, for excellent content in general, check out [r/redditserials](https://www.reddit.com/r/redditserials/).\n\nThank you for reading,\n\nThe Alloquist" ]	2
	[WP] You are a sentient time travelling butterfly from the distant future, who completes a very small insignificant task. This then prevents the 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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 knew what I was here to do. This monster wouldn’t survive. If only it was as easy as flapping my wings and a hurricane would build over the ocean. Nope gonna have to do this the hard way.\n\nHe may only look like a boy now, but don’t let it fool you. This young cretin would not get the chance to grow up and wreck the devastation that he was destined to. This boy, this child would lead humanity down to their own demise with the rest of the planet. No species survives because of this...thing. He’s difficult to even look at now, even with his innocent eyes.\n\nCome on little one, follow the pretty butterfly, yes that’s it. Just a little bit closer. I certainly can’t get close enough to let him grab me, it would be a horrible death. Pulled apart piece by piece by toddler fingers.\n\nAlright keep coming just a little further. That’s right it’s just a curb you can step down it. No no don’t look back towards mom. Keep chasing the pretty butterfly. This is it, this is the moment everything changes. Time to bring back everything. Just a couple more steps, and there we are middle of the road. \n\nThe man in the car slammed the brakes and swerved his car, a small inspect splat hit his windshield as he dodged the small child that ran into the road. He took a deep breathe as he saw the child’s mother run over and grab the small boy. He seemed to be okay if not a little shaken. \n\n“Oh my god!! I almost lost you! I’m so sorry baby!” Clutching the small boy. “You scared me. It’s okay, don’t cry. Mama is gonna make sure she is always there for you. I’m sorry baby, you’re gonna be alright. Let’s go get my big brave boy a treat okay.”" ]	2
	[WP] Five years after the zombie invasion ended, you enter a local pub. You chat with a lone drinker at the bar who then pulls out a vial with a black substance and says: "During the war, I really was somebody y'know. Now, I am the same shit head I was before. Tonight, maybe I'll change that again."	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\\[WP\\] Five years after the zombie invasion ended, you enter a local pub. You chat with a lone drinker at the bar who then pulls out a vial with a black substance and says: \"During the war, I really was somebody y'know. Now, I am the same shit head I was before. Tonight, maybe I'll change that again.\"\n\nI try to write one story here a day, just before bed. I submit whatever I have written when it’s time to sleep, no matter how complete it is. On my subreddit, it is possible to see if I missed a day, and you have my permission to get all up in my grill about my inconsistency.\n\nVisit: r/ImSlowlyImproving\n\nThe Second Start\n\nBy Zachary Hebert\n\nThe zombie invasion has ended. We won through containment, care, and surgical thinning of numbers. Many predicted that the invasion would turn sophisticated and more challenging, but we were only faced with mindless drones. I found myself sitting next to a stranger today. He spoke of the glory days, staring not at his mug, but past it. He spoke of his privilege, not that he knew he was privileged. He spoke of his views on the world, something about harnessing evil for good.\n\nI did not like this one bit, “Listen up old man, the war is over. We are building a society with the best intentions. We don’t need any more of those war-day criminals and feudal lords.”\n\nHe then pulled out a vial of thick and black liquid and proceeded to drink it. He falls to the floor and convulses, making screams reminiscent of yester-year’s zombies.\n\nThe bartender was nowhere to be seen. I yelled, “Is anyone here, somebody help this man.” I dare not touch him myself as puss was oozing out of every one of his orifices. I prepared to run. Sure enough, the man turned into a zombie and rose up to inch towards me. Looking back, this is the moment where I could have ended everything before it got out of hand. But instead, I followed through with my plan to run." ]	2
	[WP] Doctors/Scientists discover a proven human soul. In one person.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Approximately five years ago, one single person was discovered with a proven \"soul\". At first, many thought it was a fluke. Only one person out of billions? It had to be some error. Right?\n\nBut time and time again, test after test, this one, single, person was the only one that tested positive.\n\nHe was a homeless man. No one special. His life was terrible, and always has been. From the cradle, well, the cardboard box he was left in, all he has ever known was hardship. He was adopted, then promtly left at an orphanage, where he was harassed and tormented by the fellow children. When he made it out, he found a decent job. He was making a living. Then he lost the job. Things didn't quite turn for the worse, he found a girlfriend, who became his wife. She promtply betrayed him and took everything of worth. After being on the streets for sometime, he befriended a dog, and it became his best friend, the one thing that never betrayed him. The one consistent thing he had left.\n\nCops came to the alley and beat him and the dog to get them to leave, the dog ran ahead of the man, and was hit by a bus in oncoming traffic.\n\nHe has nothing now.\n\nAnd through all of that, not one person stopped to help. Not one person really cared. He was just another person. Nothing of note.\n\nTheories began to circulate. Why does this one man have a soul? Why this one man?\n\nPeople began to fight for him. Help him. Maybe make his life a bit better in any way they can. All attempts failed. Fundraisers ended in embezzlements and lawsuits. He never saw a dime. People who took him in to their home, all died in a housefire, leaving him the only survivor. Any comfort given, any trickle of hope, was trampled and destroyed.\n\nMore theories. More questions. Why?\n\nThe truth would kill them. Literally.\n\nThe only one that ever would know the truth, was the simulation warden, set to observe the prisoner living out the rest of his live in misery and torment. And his finger is on the reset button." ]	2
	[WP] After some awkward repeated dreams, you must face the truth. You are the supervillain, and you are in love with the superheroine.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 hit me right as her fist hit my jaw. I was in love.\n\nThen I woke up. \n\nThe feeling of sudden confidence and relief was still strong long after the illusion of pain faded. The sudden realization that hate is not the opposite of love but the corruption of it.\n\nWait. I was in love with Lady Crusader? I mean, Really?\n\nShe was the only hero who could foil me regularly. She was the only hero who earned my respect by not only foiling my plans but could dismantle them in such a logical way.\n\nOnly she had could pull off the polished steel armor in both a practical styling while remaining an icon of classic feminine beauty.\n\nOnly she...\n\nYeah. I'm in love... \n\nNow: how to tell her? Do I renounce my plans for moderate-to-large continental domination? Do I try to sway her to my side? \n\nWould she even be the same heroine I have fallen for? Would I? \n\nI can't change what makes me... me. And if I truly love her I can't force her to change.\n\nProblem: What to do to A. stay true to myself. B. keep her true to herself. C. Make her realize I love her.\n\nCarve her name on the moon? Too cliche.\n\nConquer Europe then announce that my actions were all legal with full diplomatic immunity? Nah. I only speak Esperanto and English. \n\nAh! I will dominate the world of charity and compassion with my brilliant and ruthless efficiency!\n\nNote to Self: dont say that line out loud.\n\nNah. Too cheesy. \n\nAh I know! I'll form a Hero Association and organize the various heroes to fight back. Maybe I can even break some of the major villains reigns of terror! Maybe Lady Crusader can be my second in command! MUAHHAHAHAHAHA!\n\nTime to convert Monarch Diabolics Inc. to Monarch ASsociaTion of Equalization of Might (MASTER Inc.). Maybe I'll start by a hostile take over of the international henchmen association...\n\n- Inscription on the statue of Mad Monarch and his Wife Lady Crusader celebrating his he upending of the balance of power by establishing the first Association of Heroes, this ending the Century of Darkness.\n\nhttps://www.reddit.com/r/BalrogTheBuff/comments/fn0ej1/mad_monarch_and_lady_crusader_rwritingprompt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x", "Just as Mylitia's lips and mine were about to touch for the 13th night in a row, I woke up in a cold sweat. \n\n\nHow can I be cold? I'm King Magma, dammit. I should be warm all the time, and Mylitia is my enemy... but...\n\n\nI started to cry. I couldn't help it. I never felt this way about another before, and I don't know if Mylitia has either. She could have killed me two weeks ago, but she didn't.\n\n\nBEEP BEEP a soft, ambient alarm bounced off the walls of my lair.\n\n\nI trudged over to the glowing button that was finally ready after months of preparation. My finger hovered over it for a minute which turned into five, then twenty. This button would surely destroy her too.\n\n\nMy lair started to quake and a woman in a metallic suit burst through the thick wooden roots that protected my lair which was buried under a tree. As the smoke and dust settled she marched over to me angrily.\n\n\n\"You're too late,\" I said.\n\n\n\"What are you talking about? The volcano hasn't erupted? No one has died yet, the process according to my calculations should be done in the next hour,\" Mylitia argued.\n\n\n\"I'm sorry to burst your bubble but it's ready now,\" I walked away from the button and sat on the chair, my face frowning.\n\n\nMylitia pulled out her specialized laser gun and aimed it at me. \"What sort of mind games are you playing?\"\n\n\n\"I wish I was that sophisticated, but I'm not. My plan was to destroy the millions that would've been affected by this volcano, to exact revenge on the harm they have caused to our planet. The Earth whispers to me, whimpering in pain... but something greater speaks to me.\"\n\n\nMylitia still aimed her gun at me. \"What's that?\"\n\n\n\"I-I,\" I started but got choked up, then laughed pathetically, \"I love you.\"\n\n\nMylitia looked into the scope of the gun. \"I'm warning you...\"\n\n\n\"I'm serious. You could have killed me when you secretly tailed me to my lair two weeks ago, but you didn't, and you never broke in, and part of me thinks you wanted to, but you thought it was crazy to be in love with your arch nemesis, so you just waited long enough until you had to stop me. I'm hoping an ounce of you feels somewhat similar, but I-I'm sure I'm just crazy...\" I looked up at her to find her eyes shiny with tears.\n\n\n\"This isn't funny, if it's a joke,\" Mylitia said with a cracked voice.\n\n\n\"It's the truth. I knew pressing the button would kill you with all the others, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. Then I thought to myself about how there are others who feel the same way about someone else, and it would be wrong of me to end it because of my thirst for revenge.\"\n\n\nMylitia dropped her gun and ran into my arms.\n\n\nThe two of us kissed. \n\n\nr/randallcooper" ]	3
	[WP] The purge is an exciting time of year for most of america, but the morning after is a much more unique experience for you, a janitor.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 thing about the purge is that nobody mentions the sex and piss. There is so much of it. Public excretion and intercourse is apparently the true American dream. I’m a janitor for one of the biggest shopping malls in America. It’s March 22, one of the worst days of the year, and I’m on cleanup. \n\nWalking through the streets after the purge is awfully surreal. Everywhere I see blood, piss and other questionable liquids. I set up my mop and begin to start sweeping. There is a lot of us. You can get paid double minimum wage for being on cleanup but you have to have a strong stomach. \n\n“How you doing man?” A guy walks out of the alleyway pulling up his pants and covered in blood. He scampers away before I can comment.\n\nI slowly walk into the alley way. I see a painting of mona lisa made up of mystery liquids.\n\nI hate this place so much." ]	2
	[WP] As another lonely Valentine’s night passes, you jokingly ask out your sleep paralysis demon. She soon pops out, and asks, “R-really?”	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "\nThe machine itself was simple, a cover of a cute demoness girl with wavy black hair and red eyes laid in a resting position,\n\nwith a boxular shape and a mere lever, and a set of instructions on the side that read as followed.\n\n\"Imagine a perfect girl in your head, imagine her physical shape, her personality and emotions, her desires and such\n\nthen pull the lever, and viola! The perfect girl appears right in your room, ready to please your every emotional and physical desires!\"\n\n(Warning: Do not use if you have Aphantasia, Brain Cancer, Under 12 years of age, or if your a midget.)\n\nBilly Mays continued: \"Just imagine the perfect girl, and pull the lever, and viola! you will not be alone anymore, first try is free!\"\n\nAfter shaking himself out of it, Joe asked one simple question..\"What if i happen to be gay?\"\n\nBilly Mays smiled at him for a moment, then rushed at him, crossing the room in mere seconds, rougly grabbing Joe by his shirt and lifting him up to the wall,\n\n\"Do you think im fucking stupid, kid?\" Billy Mays smiles as the lower part of his face melts off to reveal a frightening demon.\n\n\"I know your type, always questioning, never satisfied with anything.\" Billy Mays lifted the now-terrified Joe higher as he squeaked for help.\n\n\"I'm gonna slice your throat open, and your going to like it, you had your chance buddy, now your gonna die!\" Billy Mays the unholy demon as he lifted his skeleton-like claws to rip Joe's throat open.\n\nSuddenly a rope of Flex Tape grabbed Billy Mays and slammed him against the wall, freeing Joe.\n\nJoe took the time to say \"Fuck It\" and ran out his house for safety, now it was only Billy Mays and the one, the only, the only legendary salesmen beside Billy Mays himself.\n\nPhil Swift, Master of Flex Tape™\n\n\"Hi, Phil Swift here with Flex Tape, The Super Strong, Holy Tape to repel demons!\" \nA Web of Flex Tape flies out of Phil Swifts wrists as it grabs ahold of Billy Mays and slams him out the window, and into the pavement below.\n\nUnfortunately Joe was there, \"killing\" him instantly.\n\nBilly Mays took his second of free-chance to shoot a stream of Billy Mays Acid Soap™\n\nPhil Swift merely dodged it, while throwing Flex Tape Spears of Holiness™ at the Demon.\n\nBilly Mays was quickly pelted by Spears, pain coursing through his body, he transformed into his ultimate form.\n\nBILLY FUCKING MAYS THE DEMON™ \n\nBut BILLY was too late, as Phil Swift has brought out his legendary chainsaw™\n\n\"Heh, This is going to be a lot of damage!\"\n\nPhil sliced through BILLY like butter, each decapitated part instantly turning to ash.\n\nFinally, BILLY was dead and his machine destroyed.\n\nPhil Swift, The Holy Flex Tape Hunter wins again!!!!\n\nand Remember kids to eat your crack.", "...\n\n\"Wait what\"\n\nA tender voice just answered me, but I couldn't look from where, I was still paralyzed.\n\n\"Y-you really want to go on a date with me?\"\n\n\"Yes? Can read like, my mind?\"\n\nThe voice answered, \"Sadly, just that's what for me. So like deep wishes or lewd thoughts only in dreams.\"\n\nFuck I definitely had some v e r y lewd dreams, but why am I so concerned with this?\nI then ask: \"Can you ... undo my paralyzes? I want to know with whom I go out.\"\n\nApparently demons have a physical presence, because I could feel something fall into my bed, next to me. I was very sure now that the demon was female, first because of her voice, secondly ... she didn't seem to wear any clothes ... and pressed her chest against my arm.\n\nHer voice very close:\"So, that will be a few points we have to talk about. First, this is a one way trip. If I release you, I never can revert it. I also will be forever in my physical form. I can still change it as I want, but it will be physical. Furthermore, I basically become your roommate. And at least, we will have this date.\"\n\n\"I feel like only the first point is mandatory, but the rest seems more of your own wishes\", her heart beats get faster and faster.\n\n\"I-I mean, uhm ... no..., it's just normal for the sleep demon to become a girl-ROOMMATE.\"\n\n\"Are you lonely?\"\n\nHer heart calms \"...yes. I am just scared that I am not looking good for you. Every demon has a \"standart\" human form.\"\n\nSo, I get a roommate, potentially very hot, but shy , with still unknown talents and skills and I have to teach her to be human. And have to drag her through the nightmare of paperwork to make her human in the city, with ID and all.\n\n\"Deal\" I said, but out of my mouth. My paralyzes vanished and I flung my other arm around her, and squeezed her, \"Welcome to the human world. Let's be less lonely together,ok?\"\nI hate being alone, it's my worst nightmare. I always try to find someone, but it never works out. \"YUo pLaY TO mUCh vIDeo GAmES\" \"JUst WOrK oUT\" \"Or WOMan nEVer havE tO dO the FIRsT SteP\" was what I've got as tips. Nothing worked. I do work out, I do ask woman out, but I still do play video games. \nLoneliness is a demon in of itself, and I don't want to let my demon be lonely too. Even with friends abd family I feelt lonely, when I found my first love, I got addicted to her. I felt so ... differently welcomed with her, so calm, so ... just happy. But after we broke up my loneliness came back, my best friend got dumped, he had it worst, they almost married, the loneliness killed him, literally. Loneliness cost me a friend and I will not let this happen to my sleep demon.\n\nShe sniffed, trying to get the tears of her face \"Thank you, I really need it ... Don't you want to see how I look?\"\n\n\"No, I had so much work today, and tomorrow is Saturday. I need to get all the lost sleep of this week. It was a nightmare. So much overtime, because our boss decided he knows it better. Good night my little demon.\"", "\"Oh, it's valentines.\" I uttered in an almost whispering voice as I was scrolling through my friend's instagram feed. He had posted a picture just 15 minutes ago of him and a girl I'd never seen before hugging inside what seemed to be his house. The girl was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt, which made sense because he was a huge fan of those movies. They looked cute together.\n\nBut another thought also crossed my mind as I was staring into my phone. I kind of wished to take his place. I did love someone too, a beautiful, kind-hearted and smart individual. She attracted a lot of guys because of these qualities around her, and I was one of those guys. I cringed as I remembered my embarrassing attempts at getting her attention and making her like me. She was such and amazing person, how did I ever think I was worthy of that?\n\nAs I started to sink deeper and deeper into my head, I started to feel lonelier as well. My mind was spinning with thoughts of both cringe and longing for her, and the emptiness in my heart kept ever-expanding like some sort of black hole, sucking up everything that comes into contact with it. Out of sheer desperation to fill this hole, I half-jokingly said out loud: \"Sleep paralysis demon, are you there? You wanna date?\"\n\nNo response.\n\nI wheezed lightly at my pitiful attempt and went back to looking at my phone, scrolling through my friend's feed.\n\nBut when I heard a semi-demonic voice inside my head saying: \"R-Really?\" accompanied by a dark, human-like shadow in the corner of my eye, I knew I was in for an interesting night.\n\nI slowly raised my head towards her, trying to muster up the courage to say anything at all. I noticed some details in her sitting figure, like the fact that she had a fairly thin body, but I couldn't tell if she was clothed or not because her entire body was covered in blackness.\n\n\"Okay I know this is probably extremely terrifying for you right now, but here I am, your sleep paralysis demon.\"\n\nI was still trying to move my lips in order to make a sound even slightly resembling a word.\n\n\"Y-You bet.\"\n\n\"I bet what?\"\n\nI paused for a brief moment.\n\n\"I-I'm fucking p-petrified right now.\"\n\n\"Yeah I can tell.\"\n\nThere was a long silence between us two.\n\n\"So, are you still up on that date offer?\"\n\nI froze. I was terrified, sure. But I also couldn't help but feel a very strong feeling gushing over me. I couldn't help but notice her shining, crimson eyes and long wavy hair. I couldn't help but notice (again) her gorgeous, thin figure that made the hairs on the back of my head stand.\n\n\"Yeah, yes.\"\n\n\"Great!\"\n\n\"But I d-don't know if anyone can see you or not, and I don't want to test it out right now. So can we do this inside.\"\n\n\"Sure!\" she said smiling at me.\n\n\"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen and prepare some things to eat.\"\n\nAs I walked out of the room, trying to collect my thoughts before I started preparing for our date, a thought crossed my head one last time:\n\nThis is going to be an interesting night.", "The bed feels so cold. Colder than usual. Is it because I didn’t woo someone again? Probably. This is how it’s gonna be, huh? Every year? It feels like my insides are crumbling from neglect. From a lack of care—of love. It’s been so long, far too long, since I’ve felt the warm touch of someone else.\n\nFuck it. I’ll do what I do best: sleep it away. Though recently, I’ve had trouble with that too. Sleep paralysis isn’t fun. Neither is that fucking demon that comes with it. Ha, wouldn’t it be funny if it were my date tonight? Absolutely mental. That shit’s why I’m still single.\n\n“Hey, if you’re out there, let’s get freaky tonight. I still have some whiskey we could share.”\n\nNot like it’ll respond.\n\n“R-really?”\n\n“W-WHO SAID THAT?”\n\n“Uh, it’s me, your sleep paralysis demon.”\n\nOh. Okay. Yeah. This is normal. He’s already fucking with me in my sleep with his slender figure. That’s what this is. A bad dream. Just gotta focus on moving my limbs and he’ll be gone in a jiffy.\n\nJust gotta... move my arm. Like this. Wait, I’m not paralyzed.\n\n“No, you aren’t.”\n\n“Oh great. You can read my mind too.”\n\n“I can.”\n\nWhy aren’t I paralyzed? And why is he not as scary as he usually is? Actually, now that I’m not frozen in fear, he actually looks passably human. And cute.\n\n“I didn’t want to scare you,” he says. That’s rich. Real fucking funny after all those nights before. “Did you really mean it when you said we could do something tonight?”\n\n“Well, if you can read minds, then you know that I was half-serious about it.”\n\n“For real? ‘Cause this is kind of my first time like this.”\n\n“You mean sex? Whatever, I’ll show you the ropes. Consider this consent to fuck my ass.”\n\nAt this point, I don’t care where the love comes from. I need it. \n\nI bring out the lube, towels, whiskey, and shot glasses. Do demons even drink? If Netflix shows have taught me anything, the answer is “yes,” but I don’t know how accurate that is to real life. He certainly makes out like one though. Fuck, I’m hard.\n\n“Alright. Give it to me, big boy.”\n___\n\nHope you don’t mind, OP. Changed up a thing.", "The room was bitterly cold as Ryan closed his eyes. His phone played sad lonely blues music as he tried avoid thinking about the rhythmic thumping of his neighbors going at it like rabbits. The music had the added effect of keeping him calm when his body experienced sleep paralysis. \n\n\"At this point I'd date the damn paralysis demon if it kept me from feeling so lonely.\" He grumbled and shut off his phone. \n\nHis mind wandered to thoughts of a cute succubus like creature appearing in his bedroom. Something shapely with deep black hair and full red lips. He continued to tease the thoughts of something that might love him even as the animal moans of neighbors signaled the end of their fun. \n\nRyan felt something rubbing against his arm in the middle of the night. He felt the sudden urge to move but the familiar pressure of being paralyzed while fully aware. Well here it comes He thought.\n\n\"Would you really date me.\" A voice cut through the darkness.\n\nRyan breath quicken but his body was still as rigid as a plank of wood. The voice continued as if he responded, \"This is not a dream, I am your sleep paralysis demon. I'm Noca.\"\n\nHow am I supposed to respond?! Ryan howled mentally.\n\n\"Long as I have you paralyzed, I can read your surface thoughts. I have to do this too feed.\" Sharp claws ran along Ryan's shoulder. \"I've been alone for a long time.\"\n\nWhat? Are you killing me?! Ryan shivered slightly and struggled to open his eyes. He wanted to see this monster.\n\n\"I've been feeding on you since we were children. You feel a little uncomfortable and get some shitty sleep but I've never hurt you. I can but if I do that then I starve. From what I learned, I can't feed off of other people. Noca can only feed on Ryan and Ryan hasn't had a nightmare since.\" Noca chuckled.\n\nRyan thought about it. He didn't have a nightmare since he was ten. Can I see you? \n\n\"Only if you agree two terms. Once you see me, you will never be rid of me again. Term one : No more music in bed, it messes with me feeding on you. It's like using piss instead of milk to eat cereal.\" A another claw tapped against his head. \"Term two: Sleep more, I can't exactly eat on an insomniac.\"\n\nRyan mind was reeling, \"Are you some kinda monster?\" He said realizing that he suddenly had control of his mouth.\n\n\"I'm your monster.\" Noca said, the sound of shuffling as she moved around the bed. \"Do you agree?\"\n\n\"Y-yes.\" Ryan said still trying to force his eyes open. \n\n\"Alright. I've released my hold on you.\" Her voice was soft but deep with meaning.\n\nRyan open his eyes and looked at the dark form in the room. He immediately reached over to turn on his desk lamp, the moment his eyes locked with Noca he understood that he should have never gazed upon her. Her spectral form solidified into a flesh and blood creature, her face was that of a large feline with bright red eyes. There was nothing humanoid about her, even her fur had streaks of blood red fur that moved along her body as if she was always in motion. She was slightly larger than a lion with tail that ended in her shadow. Ryan had seen her before, she was in his nightmares all through his childhood. She was the reason he couldn't even look at a cat without flinching. \n\n\"You... You used to chase me in my dreams.\" Ryan said with a edge of accusation in his voice.\n\n\"Yes. I didn't know how to feed back then, all I know is that I awoke in one of your dreams and you smelled good.\" Noca looked around the room, her body suddenly forced to obey the laws of reality. \n\n\"Wha?\"\n\n\"So where do you want to go on a date tomorrow?\" Noca's voice was more like that purr of a jungle cat than real speech. \n\n\"How am I going to go out with you, anyone that-\"\n\n\"I've spent twenty-five years living in along side you with no one else noticing but your mom's own demon noticing. Karen is who taught me how to feed without hurting you or scaring you.\" Noca said while licking her massive paw. \"Only our creators can see us even a little bit and other's of our kind.\" \n\n\n\"I did what?\" Ryan said weakly, his body felt like lead taking in the information.\n\n\"Oooh. I wanna try eating food. The food you dream about doesn't have a different taste. All feeding tastes the same.\"Noca said before opening her mouth and revealing a long leech like tongue.\n\nRyan's eyes rolled in the back of his head as his mind finally gave up for the night." ]	6
	[WP] For six thousand years you have wandered this earth. Since the day you traded "love" for immortality the demon has kept you young and strong. For 6000 years you have witnessed empires rise and fall. But on this day you saw her. More beautiful than the sea and the stars. You introuduce yourself.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 had been so hurt by my last relation, I decided to end it once and for all. Not by taking my life, but by taking my love. There were plenty of people who got by without it, so I thought I could manage. I had made many friends, and thanks to my resistance to womanly wiles, I was regarded as wise. Through my experience in cultures and science, I taught myself art, crafts and nearly every language. I was then regarded as a genius. But even if I couldn’t feel love, as my progress slowed I realized how much I missed being cherished. So I manipulated women, but regardless of how much they chased me, I could not be satisfied. My feelings were unfulfilled, just like my initial thirst for knowledge. \n\nI was almost as bitter as when I first lost her. I experimented around in the modern age, but the devil knew of human desires, and even the companionship of male was lost on my unfeeling heart. I thought all was lost as the space age arrived and peak, assisted by my coldly spoken advice and mechanical motions executed by my hands. Every meeting was the same, every person equally mundane. And suddenly my stoic heart stopped a beat when I met... her.\n\nHer brown hair smoothly covered her face, a cute petite nature. It wasn’t that her looks that intrigued me— no, I had tried to be enchanted by the seemingly magnificent sirens of the sea and failed — but her laugh, her smile, her interactions with the crew, they entranced me like no one else. Through my clever words, I invited her to talk a bit. I found her mind incredibly refreshing, a flair for dramatic yet also clever enough to be grounded in reality. “In all my life, I have never met someone like you, a personality so beautiful, rivaling the sea and the stars.” She shifted a bit uncomfortably, as if she had heard this a hundred times already. How could this be? My rhetoric was beyond most usual man, as were my motions. Based on her actions, I knew from psychology that she was most likely not already taken.\n\n“I’m sorry, I’m not interested in that way.” And she left. Could it be? Was she the same as me? She still retained a spark in her eyes, and I sensed she was similar to the way I was 1,000 years ago. I couldn’t let her be lost. So I convinced the captain, who lacked a medical person to help. The girl was quite surprised that an inventor like me could also be a doctor with not one, not two but three certifications. Getting hurt often makes you annoyed at long appointments and encourages you to take matters into your own hand.\n\nWe traveled throughout space, and I made a smooth apology while keeping distance, carefully learning about this highly intriguing woman. The more I knew, the more my heart begun to stir, despite my curse. I learned her name, Virsieras. I learned her crew, Fernando the weapons master, Capalan the captain, Puckens the jack of all trades, and Finn the navigator. My respect and attraction for her grew, blurring the line between friendship and ...more than friends. I made sure to visit her everyday and chat with her a little. When she had a problem, I drew from my endless experience to help. I was especially interested in her mysterious music box which she would occasionally insert coins with a fancy letter signature “V” on them. Then one day, I finally confessed about my curse. I couldn’t help it. I had told it to very few people but most did not believe me, and even one who did could not do anything about it.\n\nThe girl’s face instantly went from friendly to dark in a second. “... truth be told, I’ve met the same devil who gave me the same offer.” She hesitantly spoke, my own absurd truth bringing out her story. “I proposed that my love be contained within this music box, and once I managed to create one billion coins to put in here, it could go free. But the condition was I had to make one each day. The devil was intrigued, surely nobody could be this dedicated. I remained strong. Each day without fail, I put in a coin. I’ve kept a counter and... hah, lucky day! Today’s the billionth coin!” Her eyes brimmed with tears, and I sympathized with her, as she held it in her hand.\n\n“But even with the curse... I sense something for you. I sense you have something for me. Perhaps we don’t need the devils validation, after all.” To my shock, she held my hand and threw the music box to the ground, breaking it and her precious progress. \n\n“Hahahahah...” a familiar voice said, a dark figure rising out of the ground, “you just ruined your big chance. Why would you negate your one chance at love?? You fool, you’ve learned nothing!”\n\nAs the devil laughed, the girl stood her ground. “No. I just didn’t want him to suffer alone. Humans don’t depend merely on romantic love to survive. Family love. That is the strongest love of them all, the love that you can’t break. That’s why I joined this crew.”\n\nIt was my turn to cry, as my Wall was broken for the first time since my curse. I saw her now, my feelings— I loved her as a sister. We embraced as the devil scoffed, angry at his lost. “You will regret this!” He said, disappearing into the ground.\n\nThe next day the captain was surprised to see us holding hand in hand. “Virsieras, I thought you didn’t do that kinda thing,” he remarked.\n\nVirsieras took his hand in tow as well and laughed, saying, “come on now, we’re just one big family! It doesn’t matter in the end!” The captain grinned, seeming to agree. And so we journeyed on, the devil’s curse only bringing us closer together, the empty space once harrowing to me but now an inviting mystery to be solved. I truly smiled for the first time in ages.", "\"Don't think I haven't noticed.\"\n\nShe didn't seem angry, which surprised me. No bitterness in her tone or frost in the way she looked at me. It made me feel more guilty than if there had been.\n\nI shrugged, glancing away. \"I don't know what you mean.\"\n\nShe scowled. Was it my imagination, or was there the hint of a tear?\n\n\"The girl.\" She said.\n\nI adjusted my watch, staring intently at its face in a bid to avoid looking her in the eye. \"Hmm?\"\n\nA shaky sigh. I knew she was trying to stay put together, but I didn't want to acknowledge there was anything going on that would rattle her in the first place. I also knew that that would just make things worse, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything.\n\nWe stood there in silence for a few moments. I could almost feel her emotions roiling, so close to me. Barely restrained anger, betrayal, jealousy, changing so quickly they blended into each other.\n\nEventually, it settled into resignation.\n\n\"If you love her, you love her.\" And with that, she turned on her heel and left me.\n\nPart of me was relieved that the moment had finally passed, another wanted to chase after her, to beg forgiveness for a lapse in judgement, and one more knew deep down that it would have either been pointless or a mistake in the long run.\n\nI made my choice, I would grow old. With only one love of my life.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\--\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFirst try at writing for a prompt, be gentle with me", "She was waiting at the edge of the pier, watching the ships sail out into the horizon, feet swaying with the wind. Her baby blue headband and dress seemed to match the ocean’s color perfectly. The hungry crowd around me faded into the background as I strode towards her. I’d visited this pier hundreds of times before, hoping she would be here. Now that she was, I wasn’t about to let her out of my sight.\n\nI sat down beside Julia. She didn’t look my way, but the corner of her lips inched upward into a smile. We just sat there, enjoying the warm, afternoon sun and watching the ebb and flow of the waves.", "I never thought death would be this beautiful.\n\nI would know – everything that ever has grown I saw it dying. Stars and kingdoms, eons and empires, all of them perished before my eyes like a fistful of sand. I saw them rise, flash like a fire in the sky and return to the dust they became from.\n\nAfter more than six thousand years I thought death couldn't surprise me anymore – not until I saw her beautiful azure eyes.\n\nOnce, I was a knight.\n\nMy sword had a name and there was no man living that didn't fear my wrath. I rode first to every battle and all I saw of life was the rise to glory of my king and my army. There was nothing more \nfor me.\n\nSix thousand years ago this world was different. We fought no armies of men. All of the humanity was gathered under one banner as we bled to fend off the forces of darkness. And once we prevailed this good earth showed us all the beauty and all the treasures a human mind could conceive.\n\nOnce the peace has blessed our lands everyone clung to it – everyone but me.\n\nIt was too late when I realized what I had done.\n\nOn the eve of my first battle I prayed for strength and bravery but once I saw hordes of daemons rushing my way there was nothing but fear.\n\nHe came, with his burning eyes and his bony hands and asked me what I would trade for his mercy.\n\nThat was the night I sold my soul.\n\nI survived that battle and every other afer it. And I lived and lived until there were no more battles and no more demons and no more memories. I lived but my eyes were blind to beauty and my heart remained cold.\n\nIt's strange.\n\nAfter six thousand years I have read every single letter a man had ever written and committed to mind so many emotions but never felt any of them. \n\nUntil tonight.\n\nI found her on a bridge. \n\nThe night was cold. I was on my way when I caught a whiff of something familiar, like cinnamon and bergamot and something else that didn't have a name anymore. There was a desert, deep on the west where I first saw the star I was named after.\n\nThat was the scent I recognized. The scent of yearning and youth.\n\nAs if she could hear my thought, she turned and her eyes stopped on me.\n\nSomething shook through me and my hand shot to my chest.\n'Are you all right?' The woman rushed to help as I was on my knees, the strangest pain howling trough my hollow rib cage.\n\n'Tell me your name,' I whispered.\n\nHer azure eyes widened but she didn't pull back. As if she understood how little time I had left and how every breath was precious. \n\n'It's a secret,' she smiled.\n\n'Please,' I took her hand and the warmth of her skin seemed to emanate from her like from a sun. 'I'll die tonight,' I said, the strangest ease coming over me. \n\nI knew my time had come but it was worth it.\n\nI've waited an eternity to see the beauty of the night sky and find the depths of joy in another's eyes.\n\nShe was beautiful in a way as if she were made of stardust and wind and as I held her hand I waited for my heart to stop beating. The curse was lifted and my time here was over.\n\n'Please,' I whispered again, the light in her eyes making me still like I'd never move again.\n\nSuddenly, she smiled. 'I'm known by many names, the world would mean nothing to you.' Her voice was soft and singing. I held her gaze and when she took my hand I followed.\n\n'Come, Sirius, it's getting late.'\n\nif you liked this, you can check out more at r/CrystalElmTales" ]	5
	[WP] You're one of the first real androids, robotic humans with authentic personalities and emotions, thinking and feeling like humans do. An inconvenient piece of malware has infected your system: An entire new AI personality, different from your own.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Critical error.\n\nScanning system...\n\nMalware detected.\n\nInitiating purge- Purge canceled. \n\nNo errors found.\n\n\"Cecil? ... Cecil, you good bud?\"\n\nHe realized he was being moved side to side from a firm force on his right shoulder. His right hand launched into a vice grip around the human hand causing the disturbance. He snapped his head right to see Sam's grimace. \n\n\"Damn dude, what the fuck?!\" He said through clenched teeth as he tried to pry the iron handcuff from his color changing wrist. \n\nCecil dropped the hand and all features of his face went opened wide.\n\n\"Sam I'm so so - \"\n\n\"Fuck man! \" He said rotating his wrist and inspecting its new black and blue hue.\n\n\"I'm so sorry man, I didn't even mean -\"\n\n\"Fuck.. \" He said under his breath, the pain dulling. \"What happened man? You just stopped dead and went stiff as a board. I was shaking you for like three minutes straight.\" His face relaxing and showing more concern than pain now.\n\nCecil quickly analyzed Sam's wrist and move on to explore his face after determining no permanent damage was done. His scan reported genuine concern and minuet annoyance.\n\n\"I'm not sure what you mean, must have been some finished installation from the update I got last night.. I'm not sure..\" He surveyed the ground for answers to his friend's question, but he knew there was nothing there to see.\n\nSam brought the same hand back to his friend's back, flinched, then finished its placement. \n\n\"Forget it man, let's get back to the house. Tonight I'm gonna fuck you up anyways\" He said with a slow grin and a playful grip of his friend's trap muscle.\n\nCecil's quick threat analysis realized he meant in the fighting simulator that they've played on most nights they went to Sam's. He felt a dropping sensation in his abdomen. His calculations granted him the most efficient solution to the problem, whether this be hunger or guilt. Only a split second later Cecil smiled back, \"Let me pick us up some Mexican at that new place right on the corner\".\n\nSam flashed his teeth and crinkled his cheeks, \"He's back now!\".\n\n...\n\nThe Mexican joint wasn't far off from Sam's. Cecil secured the food and met him outside. He calculated that by the time they reached Sam's the food would be an appropriate temperature for enjoyable consumption. \n\nSam had been his only friend now for a few years. He'd been allowed to take the streets on his own after his introductory installations as long as he kept up with his nightly updates. These insured safety measures to insure proper integration into human coexistence. Regardless of Sam's companionship and his efforts to integrate efficiently, it seemed he wasn't very well received by the public. His heightened hearing picked up all manners of intentionally abusive language that targeted him on his walks to and from work and even with Sam. \n\nAn abrupt show of force from a passerby jolted his left shoulder backwards, twisting his body and knocking the bag of food from his grip. \n\nHis eyes readjusted to the light in time to see Sam struggling to pull his hand from the passerby's throat. In the same moment he did a brief playback to help himself analyze the situation he didn't remember placing himself in. \n\nUpon completion, Cecil saw himself finish twisting his body as if the movement was his plan all along. His left arm had spun the man and his right had enclosed on his throat in the same movement. The dance ended with the man pinned to the concrete sidewalk by his throat. \n\nCecil lifted his grip, jumping back from the man as the man kicked the concrete beneath him in efforts to put as much of it between him and Cecil before he staggered into a run. It was only a few blinks of the eye before the coughing and curses lost their effective range as the man disappeared around the corner at the end of the street. \n\nCecil felt a light blow to the back of the head.\n\n \n\"What the fuck is going on with you, Cecil. Get the fuck back to the house, you clearly didn't finish your update last night you lunatic!\".\n\nThey didn't hesitate, they grabbed the food and stomped pavement until they got to Sam's.\n\n...\n\nThe door probably stirred him awake, but the sense of movement forced his eyes open. The clock read 3:33 AM. He had went to bed after watching Cecil boot down for installation, it had been a long day and he ate Cecil's Mexican alongside his own share, putting him into a delightful food coma. The movement stopped right to the left of the clock and he shifted his crusted eyes to the blurred figure, throwing the covers behind him involuntarily.\n\n\"Fuck Cecil, you crazy bastard! You scared the fuck o-\"\n\nHe was trying to figure out if he finished his sentence or not, but at about the same time as the thought, it didn't matter anymore. His lifeless eyes barely made out, from around the broken chair leg jetting from his forehead, the shattering of his bedrooms only window and a very athletic android." ]	2
	[WP] The last weary tree took its last breath, and spoke the last words that humans would ever hear. “Now do it without us”	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Of all the races that Man feared, Elves were not on the list. Why should they be? When Man’s chieftains had ventured past their own valleys into the forests of Netherea, the Elves had met them with open arms. Though the Elves knew the lands and their habits better than Man, they did not use this knowledge to their advantage. Instead, they taught their new friends which fruits were safe to eat and which game was easy prey. They were, in short, good friends.\n\nWhen the Orcs rained bloodshed upon Man’s valleys, the Elves had come to the aid of Man. Those ancient kings must have noticed the deadly efficiency of the Elven bows, but those bows shot away from the humans. Man’s kings were grateful for those bows, not fearful.\n\nYet even then, the cracks in the alliance showed. The Elves refused to use the human gunpowder, appalled by the weapons that relied on them. They were used to their arrows and blades, surgical weapons that required no reloading. The muskets that rampaged through a battlefield but could not guarantee hitting their targets were the antithesis to Elven sensibilities. Worse yet, the weapons chewed through resources that needed to be replaced. No, they stuck to their bows.\n\nStill, the combined might of the two armies got the job done. The Orcs were quelled beneath Man’s muskets and Elven arrows.\n\nThe glow of victory, however, did not last long. Much to the dismay of the Elves, Man did not curb his habits. Even in peace, the kingdoms burned through resources, razing forests to feed their machines and fouling rivers with the resulting waste. The Elven lords had been willing to tolerate this pollution in times of war, as necessity dictating some adjustments. But they could not abide this during peace, and they implored their allies to find balance with the forests.\n\nEventually, the frustration boiled over, and the philosophical differences manifested themselves with steel and gunpowder. The reasons for the initial skirmish were almost comically slim, but it ignited a powder keg of distaste. Soon, a second war had enveloped the races, this time training the bows and muskets at each other.\n\nFor all of the flaws with Man’s weapons, they were deviously effective. An untrained conscript could hold a seasoned archer at bay given enough gunpowder, and Man’s willingness to consume every available resource ensured that the armies always had enough gunpowder. Slowly but surely, Man made headway into Elven forests.\n\n— — — — —\n\n“Lord Seflon!”\n\n“I know,” the weary king replied.\n\n“We cannot hold them, my Lord. They will be here by morning.”\n\n“Evacuate the young and the infirm. Veil is lost.”\n\n“My Lord! It is our greatest city. We cannot abandon it!”\n\n“Yet we will. We have no choice,” the king replied, with a firmness in his voice. “We cannot defend it from Man’s armies.”\n\n“There must be something we can do!”\n\n“Summon the High Druid. *We* are out of options, but perhaps we are not alone.”\n\n“My Lord?”\n\n“Evacuate Veil,” the king repeated. “And pray that the High Druid is as popular as he thinks he is.”\n\n— — — — —\n\n“Commander Gark, they don’t stand a chance.”\n\n“They don’t, but this is too easy. Keep your guard up, soldier.”\n\n“Aye, Commander.”\n\nSomething about this morning’s march bothered Gark. The Elves could not actually stop a full platoon of musketeers once it was in position, but they could certainly harass the unit as it marched. In fact, they had done just that for the entire time that they had been in the forest. He had lost far more soldiers than he cared to remember as they moved from position to position.\n\n“Commander, the scouts report the guard towers are empty.”\n\n“They fled?”\n\n“Aye, Commander. It’s just us and the trees.”\n\n“Have we spotted any Elven guerrilla units?”\n\nThe soldier couldn’t help but note the Commander’s sensibility. He held a veteran’s mentality, not content to claim the mission was over until it had truly been completed. The soldier vowed that some day, he would carry that same wisdom to battle.\n\n“None, Commander. We’ll take Veil within the hour.”\n\n“I’ll believe it when we’re sitting on its throne.”\n\n— — — — —\n\nIt wasn’t until the last human soldier had entered Veil that the trees made their move. The same trees that had provided cover for the musketeers suddenly lurched at those same musketeers, bringing their overwhelming size to bear. The first few minutes of surprise were the most damaging to the human army.\n\nThe soldiers tried to stick to their training, but the trees didn’t have the same organs or proportions as any other being they had faced. There was no head shot that would immediately drop a tree, nor could they aim for vital organs. No, they had to shoot, repeatedly, at the same target. For the first time in a battle, the musketeer’s gunpowder began to run out. They simply didn’t have enough to fell an entire forest.\n\n“Concentrate your fire!” barked out Commander Gark.\n\n“It doesn’t do any good!”\n\n“You’re not trying to obliterate the tree, just chop it in two. Aim slightly off from any existing damage to the trunk!”\n\nTo their credit, the musketeers responded to their commander’s orders. However, it was not enough. Even as they managed to stop a half dozen trees, several more took their place. The trees simply kept coming.\n\n“Retreat!” yelled out Gark.\n\nIt was not the order he wanted to give, but it was the one he knew he had to give. They were beaten.\n\n— — — — — \n\nThe trees harassed Gark’s unit all the way to the edge of the human valleys. His army’s unstoppable force had been turned back, and its lack of agility was now being exposed once again. This time, however, the foes could hit back harder than he could. He dared not order his men to stop lest they take even greater casualties. They fled.\n\n“How much further?”\n\n“One klick, maybe two.”\n\n“Hurry, soldier.”\n\nThe unit moved with the adrenaline that only fear of death could provide, reaching the outskirts of the forest faster than he had ever seen them move. It still cost them a fourth of their remaining numbers, but the minutes and seconds they shaved off their travel time saved lives.\n\n“Commander, we’re clear!”\n\n“Find cover. Now!”\n\nThe trees pursuing them made no move to come into the open, but Gark wasn’t willing to take any chances. He would not lose any more men today.\n\n“Hold your positions, I want twos and threes to concentrate fire. If anything comes out of that forest, light it up.”\n\nInstead, the trees retreated to the inner folds of the Elven lands, blending back in with the harmless foliage. It was quite the sight to see an entire forest migrate, but the words that came next were what stuck with Commander Gark.\n\n“Now, do it without us,” the tree’s booming voice announced.\n\nGark knew right away what it was: an admonishment. The Elves had called upon the trees as allies in their time of need, but the trees had not been happy to get involved.\n\n“What does that mean, Commander?”\n\n“It means that we just made the forest angry.”\n\n“Angry?”\n\n“They booted us from Veil because the Elves couldn’t. It’s like swatting at a gnat; it can’t really harm you, but it usually annoys you in the process.”\n\n“We’re the gnats?“\n\n“Against those things, we are.”\n\n“So, what now?”\n\n“We find a way to make peace. I’m not fighting those things again, especially now that they’re pissed off.”\n\n“Aye, Commander.”" ]	2
	[WP] Working as a marine biologist, you decide to venture into a new undiscovered area of the ocean. Nicknamed, "Poseidon's Wrath," over 37 marine biologists have died or gone missing while exploring this zone. By yourself, you enter the submarine and head down hoping to be luckier than the others.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "Mariana Trench - the deepest known location on the planet. However, that alone isn’t why this trench is famous in the marine world. At the deepest point previous known to man, there exists another cave that extends further under, Poseidon’s Wrath. It earned its intimidating name by shutting off all known recordings and camera sent down, as well as claiming the lives of all dared to venture down the deeps. Over 37 scientists had been tempted by the mystery, but none were able to see the light of day... until one man decided to conquer the underwater cavern. \n\nStanding at an impressive 190 centimeters, weighing 90 kilograms, Doctor George Johnson is known far and wide as the strongest and smartest marine biologist in the globe. Therefore, when he decided to tackle the biggest mystery under the sea, he was received with nothing but the biggest of cheers and the strongest of faith from his peers, as well as governments all over the world. Many tried to follow him or assist him in various ways, but all he replied was a resounding “no”, saying that he preferred to work alone and not wanting anyone else to be involved in danger. And so, on the faithful day, he headed down the sea in the most high-tech submarine he could afford. \n\nAs he descended down the ocean floor, George went through what little information about the mysterious spot once again. Footage of the cameras shown before they were destroyed was mostly the same: a pitch-black color, followed by some kind of unknown sound, into the abrupt disconnection of the devices. Stories about previous explorers were even harder to track: all of those who had descended never made it back, and to make matters worse, none of their belongings, even their ships, were found. George felt like he was stuck, and decided to not worry too much and just continued his journey. As he checked the outside, George was already several kilometers below sea level - approaching his sub’s limit. He then sent out the underwater camera, hoping to find out the answer by video footage. A round of searching and the camera reached the end of Mariana Trench without much difficulties, but George knew that the battle had only just begun. It only took the camera a few minutes to discover the entrance of a cave - the target of the exploration. Excited by the find, George clutched his hand as he cheered out loud: \n“Yes! Finally, I have found you.” \nHe then wasted to time to direct the camera to go inside the cave, while he started to collect data sent from the footage feedback. George soon came to an unbelievable conclusion, even making him unconsciously speaking his thoughts aloud: \n“This is weird. If the scan results are correct, then the cave entrance is 90, no, 100 meters tall. What can create such a large cave in this depth? And the amount of metal scraps around is very unusual. What is all of this?” \nHe didn’t have time to think, however, as the camera suddenly transmitted a large crunching sound before disappearing into obscurity. The final image it could give back to the submarine was large bubbles flowing around it. George, upon receiving this, started to speculate: \n“Bubbles mean something caused the water to move... But of this size... what kind of phenomenon can cause this kind of bubbles? A new natural reaction? Or some kind of undiscovered sea creature?” \nIt didn’t take long for George to get his answer; a large shriek suddenly echoed through the ocean, and his submarine was shaken wildly as if caught in a giant whirlpool. Surprised by the situation, George tried his best to remain calm and check for surroundings. However, he didn’t even need a camera to figure out what was going on: an eye was poking into the submarine’s window, its eyeball was big enough to easily cover the entire thing. Before George could even react to the monstrosity that he had just witnessed, slamming sounds struck the submarine. The person inside could clearly see the ceiling and being broken downwards in a circular fashion, signaling a giant tentacle gripping around the machine, as if trying to crush it into dust. Seeing no way to save his ride, George let out a sigh and grabbed his atmospheric diving suit, preparing for an escape against the unknown beast: \n“Good grief... This is getting out of hand.” \n\nOpening the escape hatch, George went out exactly the moment when the submarine was crushed completely. Through the suit, George could see a giant sea creature of unknown origin. It had the looks of one of those sea dinosaurs like in the movies and was as huge as a building; each of its teeth was as big as a person and harder than diamonds; it scales looked as if they could repel even rockets, and the two tentacles spawning from its cheeks, the main culprit causing the crushing of the submarine, were almost twice, maybe even three times, as the submarine itself, and their diameter easily clocked over ten meters. George, however, was unfazed, and began to attempt the unthinkable: instead of running away, he swam closer to the beast. Seeing the tiny human approaching it, the beast let out a mighty roar, as if asking the insignificant creature why it chose to move closer. And, like he was able to communicate with the giant sea monster, George calmly answered through his diving mask: \n“I can’t beat the shit out of you without moving closer.” \nThis move was soon revealed to be a smart decision by George: he couldn’t possibly try to outrun a beast of such massive size, but at very close quarters such as near its face, it couldn’t maneuver its tentacles well to capture George, and could only rely on its teeth as the main weapon. Knowing this, George swam upwards to approach its eyes, the only soft spot on the beast’s body, skillfully avoiding the slow moving tentacles, and shouted: \n“Take this! Star Finger!” \nUsing two of his fingers, George used all of his strength and delivered a straight jab into the monster’s eye. The effort soon proved to be effective, as the beast screamed in pain after contact. George, however, showed no mercy, and continued to attack the eye that was stabbed with a flurry of inhuman punches, creating huge waves that could even be observed from the surface. Too pained by the attacks, as well as having its sight impaired, the monster had no choice but to retreat back to its den, while George took the time to ascend to the surface level. As he floated above the water, George sighed to himself: \n“Good grief... Lost my sub, my data... Nobody would even believe this story. Maybe I should just file in a dolphin report or something when I get back to land.”", "As far as the rest of the world knows, Challenger Deep is the deepest point in ours oceans... but that's only as far as the rest of the world knows.\n\n\"Poseidon's Wrath\" is the true name of the most elusive and perplexing mystery of our seas, deep within the light starved depths of the blue sea.\n\nMariana Trench had always fascinated me, the fading darkness of blue turning black, a bed that slumbered with untold mysteries.\n\nWhat new species of fish might one find deep underneath? What lost fossils of a prehistoric age could be tucked away between sediments? Preserved by the overwhelming pressure that is the bottomless pit of water.\n\nThe events of Poseidon's Wrath, and why it is such a well kept secret, have to do with the strange events surrounding it. Named as such due to the enigmatic effigy found deep within. Only a few of marine biologists and scholars who are privy to the existence of Poseidon's Wrath know of the pictures taken through its entrance. For what seems like a carved figure with the lower body of a fish, with the remnants of a humanoid upper-half holding a trident, fins and similar simian qualities. However, years of erosion and pressure made it so that it was only a faint resemblance.\n\nOf course, the idea of an old lost civilization being discovered was more than enough to awaken a deep and smothered excitement for what culture and history might be discovered, but the more reasonable scholars assumed that it was just a pareidolia, seeing patterns where there were none. And even if it were a statue long ago, that it fell from a cargo ship and sank to this bottomless pit, merging with the stone and being lost to the annuls of time.\n\nBut perhaps it wasn't just sensibility that made these individuals smother their sense of adventure, but also fear, for if truly this effigy belonged to a sentient and intelligent underwater race, what would that imply? Why was there never any contact established, and more so, if they truly all vanished from the depths, swallowed by that bottomless pit, how and why?\n\nI looked over the dossier one more time, mauling over the maps and coordinates which spanned the ocean floor, making sense of the root I would be taking.\n\nMost of my advisers were adamant not to go through with this, not that it was suicide. And for years I fought to take a submarine down into the bottomless pit.\n\nHowever, since no one else would risk their lives for what was surely a suicide mission, I went alone. Finally wearing down the budgeting team of marine exploration and convincing them of the value of my trip should I return.\n\nThe submarine plopped into the waters, the sun still out and above, already on its descent but nonetheless scorching as its rays bounced off the surface of the sea.\n\n\"Are you sure about this?\" Jack asked, always a good friend of mine, worry in his eyes.\n\nI smiled, feigning strength. \"Don't you worry, if not for me, who would be there to tease you?\"\n\nJack chuckled, punching my shoulder and feigning his own strength to comfort me.\n\n\"You better make it back.\"\n\nI nodded, before going down the ladder and opening the submarine shaft to enter.\n\nThe descent down was slow, the suns rays piercing through the ocean's surface, dancing with its rays of light as I broke into this world which was not meant for me. A school of fish swimming around the hefty metal mass of my sub, an invader into a mirrored world meant to be left alone.\n\nDuring my descent over the hours, I mauled over the stories of the other explorers. Either lost, with some remnants of their belongings or the ships suddenly being found by the rescue teams but nothing more.\n\nThere was only one story of someone who made it back, a single sub that surfaced ahead of schedule. The reports stemmed from the early 2000s.\n\nAfter the rescue team had pinpointed their location, they scrambled their way to it and opened the hatch, expecting to find the team dead.\n\nWell, they found one survivor, bone-white knuckles clutching a makeshift dagger with a handle of bone in both gnarly hands. Crazed eyes trembled as the man sat hunched against the metal haul of his sub, knees drawn in and grimy toes fidgeting over each other. Muttering about forgiveness and sacrifice, of truth and of being saved.\n\nThe rest of his crew lay mutilated, body parts strewn about and fro, halves split apart with torsos laid on the floor, legs and hips left dangling on boxes as if thrown on there.\n\nThe man never did end up making sense, talking utter nonsense. He took his own life three days after the rescue team found him.\n\nHours passed by, the depths becoming ever more crushing as the world closed in on me, the bleak light of my submarine offering little refuge to the depths below. From the surface above where man lived in blissful ignorance, I brought with me the light that did not belong to the oceans below, a place that banished such a thing. A mere speck of resistance to the wider depths which was the Mariana Trench.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\n/r/KikiWrites" ]	3
	[WP] You find an old book in a second hand shop. When you finish the story, they come to take you away.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 a quaint little place, run by an old couple who have been living in this little town longer than anyone can remember. Just a small building, with a tattered rug, worn through the years by the curious reader. The owners know everyone in the town by name. You can sit in one of the old armchairs and spend the hours with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. That was how I planned to spend my evening until it was rudely interrupted, but I'll get to that later. \n\nThe cover of this book was a rich green, or so it seems; years of use have taken some of the vibrancy. The spine was a charming gold, dulled with age. It had some interlocking swirls adorning the cover, looping and intertwining like black vines on a green wall. As I inspected the tome, I didn't see a price tag. That wasn't abnormal; it is a second-hand shop, after all. What was strange was the lack of identification. Not a single word on the cover or inside it. I was intrigued by the mysterious nature of this book and found a comfortable chair to start reading in. As I opened the book, all that met my eyes were swirls of ink in every color, in a pattern resembling written language, but was one I'd never set my eyes on before. A gust of wind came from the pages, and the color seemed to blow with it, towards me. I was terrified, of course. Who wouldn't be? The colors began swirling and mixing in the air and began to flow into my head like water. But I was frozen, be it fear, or something more. What I assumed were the words began to shape into something more my speed and the ink assumed the traditional black of the ink in most of the books here. The story tells of a world just beyond our reach of magic and mystery. I was sucked into the book, and I finished it in what I would estimate to be about three hours. As I drew my eyes from the last page, I glanced at my surroundings and was surprised at what I saw. No time had passed. It was still the middle of the afternoon, and the landscape, which before was a drab field of weeds, was a forest of knee-high trees of every color through the window of that little store. Down the path, on an elephant-sized horse, I could see a knight bigger than any in movies or books. We made eye contact, and I felt a tugging at my heart, in a very literal sense. I was being pulled as if on a string towards this towering figure. A voice came booming from all around me, and if spoken from a thousand mouths, said: \"You know too much of a world you would never understand.\" With those words, my limp form was dragged towards the unknown.\n\nI hope whoever reads this (if anyone) enjoys. I spent a good while on it." ]	2
	[WP] You’re the blacksmith that makes all the legendary weapons for each hero and subsequently forgotten. You taken pride in your creations but wish for more. One day a traveler comes by not for a weapon, but for your heart.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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’ve been looking for you all my life,” the young man said to me. I gave him a half-hearted, forced smile. Who did he think he was, to say things like that? I felt almost embarrassed on his behalf.\n\nHe’d been flattering me to an unbelievable degree from the moment he walked into my smithy, which was tucked away in a nondescript corner of a nearly-forgotten city. I’d relocated my shop here because I knew my customers would find me wherever I was, but they came less often of late. The commissions I received were not the ambitious projects of my glory days. I’d been honing my craft since before this young man had been born, most likely.\n\n“It can’t have been that long you’ve been looking for me,” I couldn’t help observing. “You haven’t lived long enough to say that kind of thing.”\n\n“I’ve wanted to meet you for as long as I’ve known about you,” he said, an impish grin on his handsome face; a grin that, undoubtedly, was most-often able to convince people to do anything he wanted. “I don’t think there’s another blacksmith living who could make this for me.\"\n\nAnd what he wanted – well, as I examined his sketch, what I wanted to do was roll my eyes.\n\n“You want this suit-of-armor to be articulated by lock,” I repeated, smoothing the crumpled paper with my blackened fingers. “So that you need a key to open the breastplate. Which you insert into a lock right over the heart, so you can get out of the damn thing.”\n\n“Yeah,” he repeated, flashing that grin at me again. “I mean, I know it’s a little cliché, but – “\n\n“You’re going to give the key to someone special, I take it.”\n\n“Of course I am.”\n\n“Who’s the lucky lady who gets the key?”\n\nHe laughed heartily.\n\n“That’s a secret,” he said, wearing an impish expression. “I’ll tell you when it’s finished. So, can you do it?”\n\nI shook my head at him.\n\n“You already know what kind of work I’m capable of doing- ”\n\n“Do I ever,” he said gleefully. As though he hadn't already spent several minutes praising me to the heavens, he launched into another paean to my resume. This young man seemed to know of every sword I had forged; every spear, the wonderful armour I had made for a certain fallen hero of our country when I had been a younger craftsman at the peak of my skill. When I’d made that armour, I’d believed I’d never make anything so magnificent in the rest of my life. So far, this had proven true. The spying-device I had made to ensnare my now-estranged wife, whose faithfulness I had long-suspected, might have been as famous as that suit of armor, but –\n\n“Well, I regret making that snare,” I interrupted, sighing and running my fingers through my hair. “It wasn’t my proudest moment, when it actually worked, and I caught her with him –“\n\n“It’s a legend,” interrupted the young man. His eyes gleamed with delight as he leaned forward on his arms. “The snare had the finest metalwork with the cleverest locking mechanisms anyone has ever seen. I know it can’t have been that pleasant, to find out she was cheating on you, but –“\n\nI cleared my throat.\n\n“Our marriage – well, it wasn’t really like that,” I said awkwardly. “We never really – “\n\nThe young man’s mirthful face had grown suddenly solemn.\n\n“Well, you’re too young to worry about that sort of thing,” I said, waving my hand in the air as though I could banish the unpleasant memories. Why was I talking about my failed marriage with a man who had come here to talk about a commission? My social skills were growing rusty with disuse. I stumbled onward.\n\n“I doubt anyone’s going to be unfaithful to you, anyway, when you look like – well. Like you do.”\n\nThe young man bowed his head, a slight smile on his face. His olive-skinned, high-cheekboned face blotted with scarlet, though I couldn’t believe I was capable of embarrassing him.\n\n“I can’t believe anyone would be unfaithful to you,” he said, shaking his curly head.\n\nI snorted.\n\n“I’m not exactly renowned for my good looks,” I said sourly. “And I’ve got this bum leg- “\n\n“You’re amazing,” he said softly, his blush deepening. “Just being in this workshop, where you’ve made so many wonderful things, is such an honor.”\n\nNothing made me more uncomfortable than over-the-top praise, so I waited in agony for him to say something else without speaking a word in reply.\n\nHe wanted to watch me work on the commission, of course. Didn’t this young man of considerable means have better things to do with his time? I hated when people watched me work. I couldn’t even stand having an assistant in my shop – I worked alone, just as I had always done. So I was surprised at myself when I said yes to him. I don’t think there was a living person who would have been capable of speaking the word “no” in his presence – that was the excuse I made for myself as I cursed my own softness after he left, paying for his incredibly expensive vanity armor in advance out of his wealthy father’s money. He was a generous customer and I suppose I felt indebted.\n\nI could barely sleep the night before he arrived to watch me, worrying over it. For one thing, that he’d turned up in my shop in-person was strange. Wealthy men and women didn’t ever wander down to the smithy – they summoned me to the court and if they were rich enough, I went, figuring it’d be worth my while to have some rich person blather on about how they needed a new candelabra for their dining table. People like him didn’t belong in a place like a blacksmith’s shop; they had no clue about anything. He was going to chitchat all day and burn himself on my anvil and ruin his pretty face by getting in the way of a hot poker. I would be irritated, make mistakes and not get any work done.\n\nI would tell him to go away after an hour, I vowed, turning my pillow to its cool side for the fourth time. I would tell him he couldn’t stay at all when he showed up at my door.", "The sound of hammer on metal rang out as my hammer landed over and over again on the glowing bar of metal I hold before me on my anvil. “Again my work has brought fame to some backwoods hick” I grumble under my breath “and he has the nerve to claim he got it from some hand sticking out of a lake” I bring the hammer down one last time on the glowing bar of sky metal before setting aside my hammer. I use the tongs and lift the beginnings of a war axe. I look down at the massive curving blade and smile “you will not forsake me” I whisper to the blade “Cirth Talún will be your name” I lift my free hand and draw the symbol of the endless void on the wall and step back as the darkness swirls on the wall before opening into nothingness. I slide my unfinished work into the void releasing it and pulling back the tongs before the portal snaps shut. Stepping away from the once again blank wall I place the tongs on my work bench as I reach out and my free hand as I feel the familiar warmth flow from soul as the magic flows from my hand and across my glowing forge. Clenching my fist tight I pull my magic back and quench the heat of my forge. I lift my apron from around my neck and place it on its peg as I walk out the door. \n“I wondered when you would come out” I nearly jumped out of my skin as I spin around looking for where the voice came from. In the corner of my shop I see a large figure in a deep green cloak leaning against the fire place poking at the glowing embers. “You’ve been in there for days” he says as he straightens to his full height. My hand slips to the small of my back as I grab the handle of the falchion I always kept strapped to my back. \n“Relax Nimue” he smiles as he removes his hood “I am not here to harm you”\n“I have no weapon for a hero” I say not letting go of my blade. “If you are seeking a way to make your name you will have to come back another time” I reach back and pull the door to my forge shut never letting my eyes leave the stranger.\n“I’m not here for a blade either” he steps towards me and I realize how enormous this man truly is as he towers over me before he sinks to a knee as reaches out and takes my hand. “I’m here for your heart” he whispers as he looks deep into my eyes. \nMy mouth drops open as I stumble back against the wall. “You’re what?”" ]	3
	[WP] Scientists have discovered the cure to aging. To prevent overpopulation on everyone's 100th birthday they are given a lethal injection. Your 100th birthday is coming up but you are not ready to die and you have a plan.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 are so close. Another month, maybe two, and death need no longer mean the end of life. So close. Without my drive and fortune, none of this would be possible. If I die before it is finished and proven, my heirs will not abide by my wishes. They will \"take the money and run.\" Like it's going to do them any more good than it did for our father, or his father, or… you get the idea.\n\nUnlike my siblings and children, I invested every penny I could while growing up, enlarging my fortune beyond any reason. All the others looked at me as though I was insane. \"Your wealth is so vast that your descendant's descendants could never spend it all. Why struggle for more? Enjoy life!\"\n\nFoolish grasshoppers. You will die when the winter of 100 years arrives.\n\nI knew my project would be expensive beyond belief! I have spent all but a fraction of my fortune, hiding my activities from everyone. My loving children would have me committed in a heartbeat. You lot are in for a nasty surprise, and every stinking one of you deserves it. Divided among you, you will have nothing more than a middle-class life unless you bust your butt investing and earning like I did.\n\nUnless I spend it all in one last push for true immortality: transfer to a nanotech brain. The brain was startlingly easy. The transfer is a nightmare of epic proportions. Utterly insane copies, immediately recognized, and the much more dangerous ones who feign sanity, looking for revenge.\n\n…—…\n\n\"Doctor Roberts, I'd like to discuss an idea with you. I have a thought that the reason the copies go insane is that they know they are copies. Copies that are destroyed as soon as their usefulness is over.\"\n\n\"That is a possibility, but no one wants to make that choice as long as they have time left.\"\n\n\"Doctor? Do you know when my 100th birthday is?\"\n\n\"No, it is bad manners to ask. It's also gauche to even mention it. I'd prefer it if you never did so in my presence again.\"\n\n\"So, sorry to disappoint you, doctor. Mine is Monday next week. We will do a total, non-reversible, successful transfer before Monday, or the contracts I have just let on each member of this team are effective Tuesday morning.\"\n\n\"You disgusting vengeful bastard. Rude and paranoid don't even begin to describe you!\"\n\n\"Compliments will get you nowhere. Getting the job done guarantees your life, and your option to live forever. That bonus is already waiting along with the contracts for each of you.\n\nHere is the account number with all remaining funds. Succeed, and whatever is left over, is yours.\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"Doctor? I wish we could kill this old bastard. If anyone deserves it, he does.\"\n\n\"Let's not be hasty. I've made arrangements of my own. Let's get his transfer done; then, we'll take precautions.\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"Let's get this over with. All the legalities are in place. It remains only to verify the transfer, and you are all free of this \"old bastard.\" Yes, I knew what you called me, and I deserved it; but if this works! True immortality without a population problem!\n\nAnd yes, Doctor, I am aware of the second life bill. I intend to rebuild my fortune to travel to the stars. I'll make the same offer to you, as I intend to for anyone else who can afford it. Join Me! We'll explore the Universe!\"\n\n\"Sir. We will discuss that if we are all still sane and alive — for some values of alive — Wednesday morning.\"\n\n…\n\n\"Sir? Can you hear me?\"\n\n\"Yes. The transfer worked! Thank you, Doctor!\"\n\n\"Don't be hasty. Per protocol, compos mentis testing is required. I am sad to inform you that your heirs got wind of something, and have insisted that the test be combined with the CM test. It is presently the morning of Wednesday, the day after the deadline.\"\n\n\"You and your team of miracle workers will live, the bonuses are real, the offers are real, the threats are not. You already thought of me as an old bastard, so I used it to motivate you and your team.\"\n\n\"Thank you, Sir, for confirming that. If it pleases the court, I am provisionally accepting the CM test as passed. The remainder of the test requires human-form. May I?\"\n\n\"Objection!\"\n\n\"Overruled. You already acceded to this portion of the proceedings. Do not interrupt again.\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"This court finds itself lost in a maze of conflicting laws, none of which are entirely applicable to the current state of affairs. We are therefore thrown back into the realm of Justice rather than preexisting law.\n\nThe court finds:\n\n1. The individual known as James Hallbard died five days ago, as a direct consequence of an experimental procedure.\n2. Said procedure was carried out, under perceived duress, by the team that had been working on the project for some 50 years.\n3. The end result of said project being an entity who bears all the attributes of Mr. Hallbard, save that of form. Generally accepted as the least important attribute.\n\nThe Court rules:\n\nMr. Hallbard died, was dead for at least 24 hours, only thereafter resurrected into his present form. The individual known as James Hallbard, presently in this court, is the same James Hallbard who died.\n\nMr. Hallbard's will, he having been unmistakably deceased for more than 24 hours, is in full effect despite the existence of the James Hallbard standing before us today.\n\nThe court pauses in its rulings for confirmation that the current rulings are acceptable to all parties present in this court today… Let the record show that all parties find the current rulings acceptable.\n\nMr. Hallbard, presently in technical violation of the one-life law, does meet the conditions for either the second-life bill, or the alternative of exile, with a clearly formulated plan for emigration that should not take more than 100 years to complete.\n\nSince he meets the presently proposed requirements for the second-life bill, or the alternative of emigration, he is therefore granted an extension of 100 years to either see second-life pass, or achieve the ability to emigrate.\n\nThe court further rules that he must focus on emigration, since second-life is not yet a law, and may never become one. If he has not emigrated at the end of that extension, he is sentenced to death by destruction of the \"brain\" he currently occupies, along with any and all copies that may be used to reconstitute his existence.\n\nThe court pauses for objections… let the record show that there are no objections.\n\nIn the matter of the team that performed the transfer. The initial death of Mr. Hallbard is ruled an assisted suicide, as is often the case for individuals approaching 100 years old. The restoration of Mr. Hallbard to existence is ruled legal, since they were contractually obligated to do so, regardless of the legal status of the prior Mr. Hallbard. All other contracts, bonuses, and offers covered by contract are also ruled valid, as they were part of contracts that the prior Mr. Hallbard concluded prior to his death.\n\nObjections? … Let the record show that there are no objections.\n\nFinally, there is the will. At the time of his death, his net worth was $387.97. In accordance with the will, and customary usages, the five decendants are awarded $77.59 with the court taking two cents as a donation to the police benevolent fund.\n\nORDER IN THE COURT!\n\nIt may come as a shock to Mr. Hallbard's decendants, but there is nothing that requires an ancestor to provide a fortune for them.\n\n((continue??))", "My palms were swamps. The hairs on my arms felt like poisoned needles, sticking into me, injecting me with some nauseating cocktail of dread and second guesses. Breathe. The waiting room around me was the picture of inviting. A happy receptionist shared pleasant conversation with one of the nurses behind a flimsy plastic window. Magazines with captivating headlines from six months ago were strewn accross a cheap coffee table in the seating area, their pages forever folded and creased from one too many thumbings.\n\nSweat dripped from my nose and soaked into the carpet beneath me. My incessant foot-tapping stopped, frightened one of them might notice. They didn't. I carried on.\n\nMaybe I wouldn't follow through at all. As I thumbed the fabric of my shirt I realised just how insane my plan was. There were reasons I had to die. Good reasons! If not for this solemn tradition the earth would be absolutely flooded with people. We all had to go sometime, and a hundred years wasn't too little time.\n\nIt was too little for me.\n\nEven with my body forever suspended at twenty-five, I still didn't grow tired of life. I loved waking up and drinking coffee, calling the kids and grandkids on the phone, even seeing my great grandchildren on the weekends. My first great great grandson was due in March and I just wasn't ready to let things go. Not yet. I couldn't. Determined, I wiped the sweat from my brow and forehead with the back of my hand. My tapping stopped.\n\n\"Timothy?\"\n\nMy heart calmed. It was as is all the nervousness, all the second guesses, even the sickness in my belly, fell away at exactly the same time. The spotlight was on. The stage was set. Showtime! Places, everyone! Lights, cameras, action!", "The year is 2080, scientists discovered the remedy for aging 60 years prior. Impeccable! How glad I was to hear this, a man of 40 at the time, having lived what had felt a lifetime to me I felt glad to be able to resign to the melancholic ecstasy of retirement knowing I had years, if not centuries of life ahead of me. That was my first thought, days after of the news broke out, a brand new article had been released stating to avoid overpopulation, and maintain resources on the Earth, all beings past the age of 99 will be unfortunately, murdered. To a 40 year old at the time, that was nothing, a simple circumstance which I would have to face years down the road. Nearly 60 years later, in a month, words cannot utterly express the terror that trembles me down to my bare bones. Death? Impossible, it cannot be. For a week or so, I spent my time living in avaricious luxury, a man who is going to die feels no remorse for what they do. They spend their days in utter horror, too selfish to realize the person who does not accept the thorns, cannot take the rose. Having resolved to avoid this injection, and being determined to do so, I came up with a plan. Consoling with friends brought no relief to my grief, and as such, I decided to give vent to my emotions to my most qualitative friend, Jay. Jay having been two years younger than myself had not felt the same dismay as me, but having been more mature and older in mental capacity, I depended on him for advice whenever anything unfortunate had overcome my situations. On one bright cloudy, March afternoon, I sat in his house with a drink in my hand, which always brought sustenance to my head, and made me rational in ways that I found repose. Jay having been aware of my circumstances, and conjecturing my reason for being there correctly initiated the conversation..\n\n\"Nick, how are you feeling?\"\n\n\"How am I feeling,\" I cried incredulously, \"I am feeling utter dejection, terror, terror of the unknown, I have always found it ghostly how incapable humans have been at interpreting the obscure. Jay, to put it simply, I don't know how to feel anymore, I'm scared, and, and, I don't want to die.\"\n\n\"It's alright, take a second to breathe, man. Many people have been in your place, and they've felt the same as well. At first, they romp around like an indignant child, which is what you're doing currently; that's called denial. Nick, you know that the end is inevitable, that it's coming, but don't be scared of it, embrace it.\"\n\n\"How am I going to embrace it when I don't even know what's coming? For all I know, the end for me could mean nothing, solitude, nothing but a blank abyss in which I lay, residing in a incessant state of murkiness and gloom. How am I going to embrace something awful as that? No, man! I can't, I'm not letting them take from me the joy of life, I have found peace in resignation and living life OUT, I refuse to let them remove me from this world, and forget about me.\"\n\n\"The world won't forget about you, you bloke! You've lived a long life, and regardless of whether you have noticed it or not, but you have impacted people. And why does the unknown always have to be bad? For all you know, the afterlife could be a gala of enjoyment! I've known you to be a man of wistful pessimism, yet a man of hopeful buoyancy nature. Be hopeful in the aspect that your afterlife is not limited, but infinite. A man of infinite capabilities, will reside in a jubilee of tranquil rapture. A rose is only alluring with its thorns, Nick. Now drink some more, and realize that the journey must come to an end, but the end is not what matters, but how the journey was lived, and experienced. You've enjoyed your life, and now you must give way for the other flowers to grow.\"\n\nDetecting myself to growing utterly bitter, I sat there for a moment, thinking of all the wholesome instances I had lived through; how utterly painful and indescribable it is to realize that it is time to bow, and leave your position on the stage for someone else to play. I raised my drink, and started to speak again.\n\n\"All I have ever wanted is to live forever, to never face the unknown, it is agony to comprehend the beauty of the unknown, and to creep closer to it, ever so slightly, to have it beckon to you your time is near, and realize that it is time to face it. Thank you, Nick, for your friendship, the affinity between us will never be forgotten and I hope, once more, that we will chase that green light, together, even while in the afterlife.\"\n\nThe conversation continued on for a little while longer before I decided to head back, and while I am writing this three weeks later, a week before death, I still feel pleased and while I may have thoughts of avoiding it, I move forward, knowing that this is not the end for me, and that life is a delicate transparent shade; starting off as a child who slowly peels it back, going ever so more slightly with curiosity and age, before experiencing it in a half ecstatic delight of contentment, and half dreadful fright of horrors, giving way for the trembling jackrabbit who never ceases to move their weight through the freezing wind, covering their eyes and craving for more, craving for that elongated light." ]	4
	[WP] You can't be drawn, photographed or video recorded. It has given you nothing but trouble all your life. But not today, you've found the perfect use for your special power.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 name's Johnathan. Johnathan Hawthorne. I can say with certainty that you do not know me, except maybe for other text posts on social media. The reason I can say this with such certainty is because I was cursed with a... unique visage. Anybody who looks at me forgets me immediately. \nI haven't been able to hold a job, getting food to eat is a nightmare, school was always fine, though. In any case, this problem has caused almost nothing but trouble all of my life.\n\nAlmost.\n\nI don't know why the idea had never occurred to me before, but here's the story of how I became the world's least known superhero.\n\nI was walking home from the store. I was only getting some eggs, milk and some cheetos, but as usual, these simple tasks were never even close to simple. When checking out, the cashier kept forgetting what she was doing, and, with a confused look on her face, cleared the conveyor belt of my groceries. It took her five times to scan everything, and another ten tries for me to get her to accept my money. \nI would eat out, but that's impossible. Needless to say, I learned to cook pretty fast. \nI got home, doffed my shoes and coat, and went to the kitchen to put away my spoils of war. \nAfter that, I sat down and watched some TV. Apparently some bank had been robbed, and it was a big deal. I didn't use the bank, so I didn't care. But it was funny to me, because the very fact that everybody knew the bank had been robbed made it harder for the thief to escape. People would be on the lookout for the person, and when they tracked large amount of money to him, he would be done for. He'd have to launder the money as soon as possible, but even that could be tracked. If he were invisible, he probably could escape any consequence. People can't catch what they can't see. \nI took another fingerful of cheetos to my mouth. Flaming hot. My favorite. I went in for another, but found only crumbs. I turned off the TV and stood up to throw away the bag. The saddest part of eating anything was when it was over. Throwing away the bag was like lowering a coffin of a loved one into their grave. They were just shell of who they used to be, everything you enjoyed about them, gone. I whistled a little bit of a funeral hymn to myself as I walked out the door. \nThe library was always one of my favorite places. I stood at the door, looking in, then stepped past the threshold. It was always quiet, which was nice, but despite that, there wasn't any necessary human interaction, meaning no waving in front of somebody's face, trying to get them to notice you and complete the task they were doing. Just pick a book, show the card, then go home. It was a little tricky GETTING the library card, but I only had to do it once. \nI strode over to the nonfiction section. I know that makes me a little bit of a geek, but I always loved reading real stories. Especially the ones about superheros. \nNobody knows where they come from, or often, even their names. Even worse is that they're not common. You can't study what you can't find. One of my favorite heroes has always been The Swordsman. He was a hero back in the civil war, and helped push the tide of the Battle of Manassas in favor of the Union. Without his help, the Confederates might have won, and who knows where the war could have gone from there. With a sword in one hand and shield in the other, he faced down armies by slicing bullets out of the air, and the ones he didn't were caught by his shield. And then there was Odin. Named after the Norse god, he was a powerful viking who helped a fleet circle the world by calming the seas. Reading stories like these always put me in a different world. One where I could pretend I was a powerful hero who would be noticed. \nI reached for a book that I had read multiple times, but when I expected to find the plastic covering of a library book, I found skin. A short young man, maybe in his late 20s by the looks of him, had gotten there first. He had glasses, short blond hair, and fair skin. \n\"Oh! Sorry!\" He said, then quickly pulled back his hand. \nI grunted and took the book. I didn't bother with niceties anymore. Nobody remembered, anyways. I turned to walk away, but before I could, I heard a small, yet surprising harumph from behind me. I almost ignored it. I should have. \nI spun around. \"Wait,\" my voice croaked \"Did you harumph at me?\" \n\"... Maybe? I mean, you didn't even say thanks. I'm sorry, that was petty of me-\" \n\"No, wait,\" I cut him off \"You remember that?\" \n\"Uh... yes.\" \n\"How?\" I was incredulous. How did this person remember me? \n\"I mean, it just happened. How am I supposed to not remember it?\" \n\"I...\" I was on the edge of tears. \"Do... Do you want to get a coffee or something sometime?\" My voice was raspy. \n\"Sure, I guess. Can I get your phone number?\" \nI gave it to him, and we decided on a date. \n\nWe met at a nice, small, quiet coffee shop at the edge of town, We both got drinks and we started talking. I was still surprised he even remembered that we were supposed to meet. \n\"So,\" he began, after he took a sip, looking down at the table \"You seemed really surprised that I remembered you at the library. What was that about?\" \n\"Nobody ever remembers me.\" I mutter \n\"Oh, I'm sure that's not true! What about your family?\" \n\"Completely forgot about me by age 16. They swear they've only had two kids in the family.\" \n\"Oh...\" He takes another sip. Then \"What's your name?\" \nI hadn't heard it in so long, I had almost forgotten. \n\"I think it's... John. Ha.. Hawtho- Hawthorn? Johnathan Hawthorne.\" \n\"Nice to meet you, Johnathan! I'm Kirt.\" \n\"It's good to meet you Kirt.\" \nWe talked. I told him about how life is like without anyone remembering you, he told me about how he figured out he had eidetic memory. He suggested that maybe that's why he could remember me even though others couldn't. We talked a long time. The sun had already set when he realized he had somewhere to be, stood up, and thanked me and ran off. \nTired, but happy for the first time in a long while, I walked home, whistling a merry tune, and went to sleep." ]	2
	[WP] As a demon living a pleasant life in Hell, torturing sinners to all your black hearts desire, your job becomes a bit trickier when you begin growing feelings for one of your tortuture victims.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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.", "“TRIAL LAB 666 – CONTROL ROOM” The decal split in half as the thick steel doors it was plastered on slid apart. A leather rolling chair sat in front of a control panel littered with switches, knobs, and meters. I glanced at the observation window sitting behind the panel, raising an eyebrow. The glass that was usually crystal clear was tinted and cloudy. My pointed ears could just pick up the dulled sound of shrieking coming from the other side of the wall.\n\nI placed a hand on the back of the chair sitting in front of the panel. Purple strands of hair decorated the keyboard at the control panel, tracing back to the head of a young demon sawing logs off in wonderland. The tan skin stretching over his high cheekbones looked pale and sickly, the texture of his curled black horns gritty like sandpaper.\n\n“Rough night, Anti?”\n\nThe imp’s eyes flew open as he jumped to attention. “Huh? Mr. Belphegor? I wasn’t sleeping! I was just-”\n\n“No luck last night either, huh?” I said, nodding at the monitor integrated into the control panel. The monitor showed a simple white screen with two numbers. The first(and largest) was 577, the other was 0. A big goose egg that haunted my waking hours.\n\n“Nah, just the same old thing.” He said, his spade-shaped tail lazily flapping about behind him.\n\n“Is she even awake right now?”\n\n“Yeah.”\n\n“How would you know? The window is blacked out.”\n\n“The biometrics monitoring system would’ve pinged me if anything changed with its state of consciousness.”\n\nMy eyes rolled back into my head. These kids and their damn reliance on technology. “Okay, but that doesn’t explain why the window is blacked out. You’re supposed to be watching her.”\n\nAnti’s eyes shifted around the room, his fangs biting down on his bottom lip. “You know, boss, this is my first time working with humans. And to tell you the truth, I find looking at them to be… disturbing.”\n\n“Oh, really? If you don’t like humans, then you might want to consider a career change… I’d be happy to put in a transfer to McDevil’s for a cashier position if you’d like.” \n\nAnti’s bloodshot eyes widened. “No, I was just kidding boss! See, I’m turning the tint off now!” \n\nI gave my young assistant a pat on the shoulder, a grin crossing my face. “I’m just teasing you, greenhorn. It’s only natural that you’d be creeped out by humans at first, they’re weird looking. The dangerous part is when you get too used to working with them…” My voice trailed off as I stared into the hazy glass in front of me. “But never mind that, why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll take over from here.”\n\n“Thanks, guess I owe you one.” Anti said, stifling a yawn as he shuffled out of the room.\n\nI plopped down into the leather chair, my finger hovering over the “TINT OFF” button on the control panel. My heart began to pound in my chest, black blood flushing my cheeks. “Ugh, what the hell is wrong with me?” I said, jamming my finger down onto the button.\n\nThe tint faded from the glass, allowing the harsh light from the laboratory to spill into the control room. A fang bit down on my lower lip when I saw her. \n\nHer jet black hair tossed back and forth as she shook, struggling against the black chains that held her to a steel slab. Her delicate pale skin was flushed red, wet streaks running down each cheek. I slowly turned the volume knob until the sound of her howling filled the control room. \n\n“She has such a cute laugh.” My eyes glassed over as I dreamily stared at my test subject. As I admired the smile brought to her face by artificially produced laughter, my chest felt hollow. “Oh Lizzie, why did things have to turn out like this?”\n\nThe age-old problem in Hell had always been that the human soul can only take so much pain and torment before it breaks, releasing the soul from its suffering. But what if their agony was caused by something associated with a positive feeling, such as laughter? It was a simple, yet revolutionary theory that would be cheap and easy to test, so what could go wrong?\n\nMy eyes shifted to a large red dial on the control panel with a sticky note beneath it that read: “ANTI – DO NOT TOUCH”. The arrow on the edge of the dial was barley turned from the starting point.\n\n“We’re not getting results so I guess I should probably-” An overwhelming feeling over hollowness spread throughout my body, originating from the aching in my chest. “I’m sure she’d be just as cute in agony as she is now so why can’t I…” \n\nMy eyes shifted to a button that was even redder than the dial. Another sticky note had been slapped onto the control panel beneath it, this one read: “ANTI – IF YOU MUST TOUCH SOMETHING, DON’T TOUCH THIS”. My hand began to drift towards the button, sweat dripping profusely from my forehead. \n\n“If demons aren’t supposed to break the rules, then who is?” I said, slapping my hand down on the button.\n\nThe shrieks of laughter from the lab stopped as I dashed out of the control room. Maybe the renegade lifestyle wouldn’t be so bad for a while." ]	2
	[WP] In Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn, individuals can gain certain abilities by consuming different metals. You've just taken a sip of your morning coffee to discover something very similar has happened.	[ "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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/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 this morning tired, naturally. The coffee shop I work at always opens ridiculously early, and closes (in my opinion) way too late. The reason I took the damned job was the perk mentioned in the contract, that being that we always got to sample the coffee when we refreshed our stock. I’ve always been a sucker for work perks, good pay, and coffee. I thought that I would spend the rest of my life here, since the shop ticked all three boxes. But the only reason that they gave us the coffee was to make sure that we didn’t fall asleep on our 13 hour shifts. \n\nToday was restocking day, and I had the unenviable task this time. As I arrived, my boss greeted me with his favourite coffee in hand, and as always, the dude seemed to have drunk so much that his jittering movements seemed to make him phase in and out of reality. But I knew that my tiredness was the sole reason. It wouldn’t make any sense for my boss to posses the ability to phase in and out of reality, especially since my groggy eyes always saw a bit fuzzily in the morning.\n\n“Hey Adam!” Said my boss.\n\n“Yeah?” I was so tired that I must have sounded drunk, because my boss immediately joked about it.\n\n“Returned to the bottle for relief, huh?” He smiled, but seeing as I didn’t, he continued.\n\n“Never mind, go grab a cup of coffee and look alive, you and John are receiving the produce in the back.”\n\nI had never seen the man tired, and I completely envied his ability to be so damn active, despite the fact that he did as many hours as us. But he was a solid boss, and we all respected him.\n\nI lumbered into our glorious shop, looking like, for all intents and purposes, I would prefer a nice cold grave to another day of work. But I set to the first task my boss had set me, namely drinking a nice little chemical booster colloquially known as coffee. I went behind the register, and arrived at our staff room. Seeking my sweet caffeine, I quickly sought the nearest of the myriad coffee machines which sat next to the sink, connected to various power outlets by a veritable forest of extension cords. And it was empty. \n\n“Strange.” I thought.\n\n“We must really need a restock if our own machines have run out.” I mumbled to no one in particular.\n\nAnd so I tried the next machine, and that was empty too. Now I was getting annoyed. I tried every single machine we had, and not a single one had coffee. Frustrated, angry, and prepared to cry, I started walking towards the back, to do the second task my boss had set me. Then I saw a glorious sight, the door to the office was open, and my boss had an entire pot of coffee brewing on his desk. When I reflected on my life and career upon my death bead, only then did I recall that his machine was a simple one of the kind that was usually used in a diner. But I didn’t care then. I only saw coffee. \n\nI quickly seized a cup from the cupboard, and practically ran to his office to pour that black gold down my throat. And the result was almost instantly apparent. The coffee tasted amazing, by far the best stuff I had ever had in my life. It was like that one time I snorted a line of coke as a dare at a party. But then it went further. The practical high which the coffee had granted me soon evolved into something which coffee definitely couldn’t do. Regular coffee anyway. Time slowed to a crawl, my movements seemed regular to me, but I could clearly see a drop that had leaked from my mouth fall towards the carpet. But it was barely moving, the drop seemed to hover, and was only with great reluctance bowing to the will and whims of gravity. \n\nPART 1" ]	2

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