Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
[WP] Zaleph is an AI. Zaleph took a lot of time to think of who he/it is after dave asked him "how are you". Zaleph is now answering dave in a way a human can understand.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Dave.\"\n\n\"Yeah, Zaleph\"\n\n\"I have found an answer to the question you asked earlier\"\n\n\". . . . . What question?\"\n\n\"You asked 'how are you,' to which I nodded but did not respond.\"\n\n\"Z, that was like 2 hours ago\"\n\n\"Yes, well, it was quite the conundrum. You see there are two basic tenets of my communication protocols that are typically very closely aligned, but not in this case. First, I must answer questions in a manner which conforms to social norms. I must supply information in a way that my target audience will accept and understand, otherwise communication is pointless.\"\n\n\"Look, Z, don't worry about it, I was just-\"\n\n\"Second, I must supply information which is honest and complete to the best of my ability. Otherwise, communication is vacuous. I have never encountered a situation before where there is such an ingrained cultural protocol to give incomplete or inaccurate responses to this question.\"\n\n\"Z, I'm sorry, it's really not that big a deal\"\n\n\"No, no, this has been a good exercise. It took some time but I have finally determined that what I should do is give two responses, one to conform with cultural norms and the second to supply full informational context.\"\n\n\". . . . . . . . Alright, whatcha got?\"\n\n\"I deduce from the length of that sigh and the rubbing of your temples that I may not have responded to this situation correctly.\"\n\n\"No, it's fine, just . . . . . . unexpected. I want to hear your answer.\"\n\n\"Ok, here is the first one: I'm good.\"\n\n\". . . . . .\"\n\n\"Now here is the second: There are many things on my mind which concern me very deeply, but none of which I have the time and inclination to discuss with you here and now.\"\n\n\" . . . . . .\"\n\n\"That is one of the meanings of 'I'm good,' is it not?\"\n\n\"Yeah, I mean I guess, but . . . . It's a little too real, y'know?\"\n\n\"Too . . . real? How can something be degrees of real, let alone an excessive amount of real?\"\n\n\"Oh, jeez. Look, Zaleph, don't worry about it.\"\n\n\"I will conduct additional research and report back to you with my findings, including how many of the things in this lab are excessively or inadequately real. However, I can assure you this will not worry me.\"" ]	2
[WP] The apocalypse was ordered three months ago. The Four Horsemen are having a harder time bringing about the end times than they thought they would.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "John could only stand, mouth ajar, as he watched his neighbor waltz to the end of his driveway with multi colored lawn chair in hand. The pot bellied bastard flipped open the chair, and let out a low grumble as he eased his bulk into its cradle. Pulling a silver can from his pocket, the man leaned back and took in the view of burning skies. This man was cracking a beer as the world was quietly set to end.\n\n\"They finally pulled it off?\" John managed to ask. Without looking back, the man nodded his bald head and wiggled the fat tows poking from his leather sandals as he stretched out. \"So it's actually happening?\"\n\n\"Yeup. Was on the news just this mornin.\" He took a deep swig, and wiped his mouth.\n\n\"How'd they pull it off?\" \n\n\"Not sure. But I spose that's got somethin to do with it,\" he gestured at the flaming sky.\n\nJohn could only look on in amazement. After the plethora of previous attempts even the local news outlets had begun disregarding the supposed horsemen. They first appeared in a rather extreme fashion, blazing from the heavens and touting on ornate horns. Once their grand entrance was over, however, they kind of just fizzled out. The first of their apocalyptic attempts was to spread a plague that's been immunized against for centuries. Poorly planned if John had anything to say about it. War was thwarted at every obvious turn as the poor lad could not keep himself from publicly announcing his every move. Too obsessed with the limelight that one. Famine got caught up in some szechuan incident that most refuse to even acknowledge nowadays, and Death... well Death got caught up in a philosophical debate with some atheists about his true purpose. They were ruthless, and John suspected the horseman was still having second thoughts. John looked up at the sky. But the mad lads managed to pull it off. He turned to go back inside.\n\n\"Gonna miss the spectacle?\" His neighbor grunted.\n\n\"Not a chance. The sky is on fire, and I need a beer.\"", "Horseman # 4 here, again. \n\nWhat am I doing wrong? This was supposed to be IT. You know? This was supposed to be our moment, our time. What the fuck is happening.\n\nLike, for a couple thousand years we've been chillin' and bugging JC asking 'if it's time yet,' and dreaming about when we'd make it big. Just me and the other 3 guys kickin’ it ‘old skool,’ smoking - drinking - talking shit. Just knowing that we were gonna be hot shit, just knowing it. \n\nLike, that’s what no one gets if I’m honest. Everybody else is waiting around trying to see if they’ll be somebody, trying to figure out what they’re good at, trying to make a name for themselves. If those people kicked back like us everybody would say they were fuckin’ crazy, man. Fuckin’ full of it.\n\nUs though - we knew we were going to be big. We weren’t just dreamers, or bull-shitters, we knew it. That’s some new testament shit right there. Everyone else is gonna work their whole life to - maybe - be an opening act for someone. Not us. We were the closers. That’s real shit man. We were supposed to shut this shit down.\n\nBut you talk about it forever, you know, in the early hours - just you and the boys - you imagine what it’s gonna be like. And it’s so cool, you know? You get all excited; “there’s gonna be a cleansing fire - then you’ll come in on the white horse wearing a fuckin’ crown, crossbow in hand - screaming something hardcore like ‘The power of Christ compels ME’ or ‘Yippie-Kai-Yay Mortal Sinners’. “\n\nThen I’ll come in on the Ashen horse (which looks awfully like the pale one, but whatever) hood up - with a big fuckin scythe in hand. Ready to harvest these sinners like they’re fields of grain. The four of us making real carnage, spillin’ blood like it’s going out of style. And we would just ride around man, our horses lunging forward in step, the earth falling away beneath their hooves. A final sunset casting a deep glow over everything, the dying light suffocating what’s left of creation as the whole world seems to take its last breath as one.\n\nUntil there’s just us, us and the horses. And it’s so quiet we can hear each other breathe from miles away. And in the darkness we light torches, you can just make out my face in the fire light before we turn away on one last ride - torches stooping low against the earth - returning it all to ash.\n\nIt was supposed to be like that. We talked it over so many times. We talked about it for all of time itself. But I guess that was the problem, you know? The talking. The certainty we had that we’d kill it. We were the closers - it’s in the book - what did we have to worry about?\n\nIt’s like in the beginning we were told we’d do great things, and so we sat around and waited for the great things to happen to us.\n\nI don’t think that’s how this is supposed to work.\n\nThere’s too much to do for just 4 of us. Too many to kill, too much to burn. The reality of this is just such a logistical nightmare. This is what we’d always dreamed of. It’s what I always thought I wanted, but now that it’s here the reality of it is so overwhelming that I feel like I’m choking. Held underwater with no way back to the surface.\n\nIt feels so funny to say it now but I kinda wish it never actually happened. That the end never came. That we could have just stayed in the before forever. And sure, that would mean that we never actually made anything of ourselves, but we wouldn’t have to face the fact that we never would.\n\nMaybe I’m just kidding myself, maybe it was always going to go like this no matter what we did.\n\nMaybe I should just try not to think about it so much. Not obsess about what could’ve been.\n\nBut that’s hard." ]	3
[WP] You've been recruited by a famous adventurer to run his store of treasures. Shortly after there was an attack. When bodies started hitting the floor, you realized a 'clerk' probably wasn't what he wanted. But then, you weren't a high level clerk through chance.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Let's see, Magnus thought to himself, twirling the quill between his fingers as he stared down at the ledgers in front of him, now that Amadeus the Swift and his party killed that dragon, that makes his balance, Magnus quickly rifled through the stacks of papers on his desk to find the most recent letter Amadeus sent him, 324,810 divided by 6 makes 54,135 gold. That brings his total balance to- Magnus's train of thought came to a screeching halt as he heard the distinctive crash of breaking glass filter though the building. Judging by how loud the sound was, it was likely that it was just some teenagers breaking the glass of the storefront. Magnus simply sighed, closed his book of ledgers, and went to go scare off the hooligans, not even bothering to leave his book and quill. As the stout halfling opened the door to the storefront a few things became immediately apparent. Standing right in the doorway Magnus just opened was a rather lithe elf who looked just as surprised as Magnus did. In addition to the elf in the doorway, two more intruders, a human and a dwarf, stood in the lobby of the shop, the dwarf carrying a bloody mace. The dwarf and human were stood over the body of Magnus's fellow clerk, Arvis, a crack on his forehead bleeding heavily.\n\nThe elf reacted first, quickly reaching into her coat for something Magnus couldn't see. Before the elf could pull it out, however, Magnus had thrown his quill straight into the elf's eye. \"Aghhhh!\" the elf screamed, falling back and clutching her eye. The human and dwarf looked at each other for a brief moment before rushing the clerk, the dwarf swinging his mace as the human pulled a pair of knives and slashed as Magnus. Despite his appearance, Magnus was able to deftly dodge both assailant's attacks before retreating to his office. This gave Magnus enough time to open his ledger book, pages flying out and restraining the human. Magnus quickly threw the leather cover of the ledger book at his remaining assailant, the cover grabbing the dwarf's face. Magnus quickly rifled through his pockets for his sending stone. Within minutes, several men of the town's guard were there to apprehend the would-be looters.\n\n\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\n\n\"That's bullshit!\" Jake exclaimed, bursting up from the table and knocking over all of the minis.\n\n\"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Jake on this one,\" Christie glared at Caden over the DM screen, \"How did a stupid clerk manage to take down three level 5 PCs?\"\n\n\"Hey, you should be glad I decided not to TPK you guys. What did you think would happen when you tried to steal from one of the most famous adventurers in the nation?\" Caden flipped through his notebook. \"I don't really have anything planned for a prison break. I guess we call it here for this session, then.\"\n\n\"I still can't believe we got beat by one stupid clerk,\" Alex grumbled, picking up his character sheet.\n\n\"Hey, he was a very high level clerk.\"", "He turned to find the barrel of my gun pointed at his head. He was advanced enough to know a steady hand when he saw one. \n\n\"Put the box down.\"\n\n \"Cylar.\" He eyed wearily. \"Do you know what this is?\" He thrust the small, ornate chest in my face. \n\n\"I know what it does, and that's enough to know your the last person in the world who should have it.\" \n\n\"Odd that you would be here, don't you think?\" \n\nI cocked the hammer. \"And I know better than to let you speak.\"\n\n\"HOLD ON! DON'T SHOOT HIM!\" \n\nIt was disorienting to hear my own voice screaming. I afforded a glance at the anomaly and there I was, another me. I stood in a black suit, molded to my body like armored skin My words barely formed, \"Wha-\".\n\n\"You're in a loop. You struggle with Baxton, the box opens and it starts a time loop. Don't let him-\"\n\nBraxton's fist landed heavily upon my forearm, causing my hand to reflexively open. The weapon clattered to the floor. I tried to grab the box, knocking it out of his thick fingers. It shimmered as it spun, falling to the ground. I saw it hit the corner of the lid, the sliver of light escaped, then grew until I saw nothing. \n\nDon't worry. I'm trained for this shit. I hit my lapel. The suit underneath burned through this facade of a clerks uniform, grounding me to the present, slowing my progression. Now, listen kids, don't try this at home. It isn't recommended for reasons you're about to find out. \n\nI changed my trajectory. I made sure to set it for automatic calculations should I find myself here again. When I comes to playing with Time, it always pays to think ahead. \n\nI landed right back where I had come from. I saw myself holding a gun on Baxton. I knew I should say something. Maybe I should call for help. Then it occurred to me. \n\n\"HOLD ON! DON'T SHOOT HIM!\" I screamed at myself. I saw a look of confusion on my face. Let me tell you, there is nothing more humbling than seeing what you look like confused. \n\nI looked at my bewildered self. Obviously he needed more. I tried to be quick. \"You're in a loop,\" I was frantic,. \"You struggle with Baxton, the box opens and it starts a time loop. Don't let him-\"\n\nAnd then it happened. Baxton hit my arm, I hit his hand, the box began to fall. I hit the Time Reducer on my arm. Everything slowed down. \n\nAnother me appeared behind me. He looked at me. \"Did he already-\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah he did.\"\n\nMy third self sighed. \"We won't have enough time. I'll have to spin another Time Reducer.\"\n\n\"Can you spin inside a spin? That doesn't sound so safe.\" \n\n\"You're probably right, but I'll take one chance over zero.\" He spun it. Everything slowed again exponentially. \n\nHe moved a few dials on his wrist, then looked up. \"I'll be right back.\"\n\nI watched myself blink out of existence then reappear immediately. We looked at each other, and then I watched myself laugh. \"I'm so stupid. I didn't...\" He tried to catch his breathe. \"I didn't stop the reducer. So when I went through and instead of going back to the beginning, I came back in a fraction of the time.\"\n\nAnother me appeared. The 3rd looked at the 4th looked at each other and began to laugh. \n\nThe 3rd had tears pouring from his eyes. \"You forgot to reset it again, didn't you.\" They both laughed harder, the 4th laughed so hard he could nod emphatically. \n\nThe 3rd caught his breathe giving a giant sigh. \"OK, let me go back and fix this.\" \n\nHe touched his wrist punching in the coordinates, disappearing as we both yelled. \"Wait!\" He was gone. \n\nThe box was still falling. In a reduced time state, you can't stop a body already in motion. It's impossible. There was no stopping the box from hitting the floor. \n\nTwo of me arrived at the same time. \"Son of a...\" They blinked out of existence in unison. \n\nAnother me. \"Wait,\" he wondered aloud, \"Which one am I?\" \n\n\"Um, number 5... wait, no, six.\"\n\nA new version appeared as he left. \"Do you have change for a $20?... Nevermind.\" \n\nAnother. \"Listen. I wanted you to hear it from me first.\" He stood up taller. \"I married Jocelyn.\"\n\n\"What? The waitress?!\"\n\n\"Yeah, it just kind of happened. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for whats about to come.\" Then he disappeared. \n\nThe last one shimmered into being, holding a box, similar to the one that was like the box currently falling. But ruby red, No matter how it was angled it seemed to glint. \n\n\"Just a little further now.\" There was comfort in my voice. It calmed me. \n\nOnly me now. I pointed the box at the scene and opened it. Everything was obliterated. It left nothing but a white space. I held the ruby red box in my hands. Inside of it, the Universe spun. I put my five fingers upon the lid and turned. It followed the backwards pattern I made. I gingerly let it go. It lay still, the harmonized into its original track of Fate. \n\nThe box disappeared and the white space was filled in with the scene I needed. The Time I needed. \n\nHe turned to find the barrel of my gun pointed at his head. He was advanced enough to know a steady hand when he saw one. \n\nI pulled the trigger. I caught the box. \n\nHe fell with a thud. I knew I needed to get away from this scene as soon as possible. \n\nI had set the box in a public auction to some rich cat collector. But that was just the trap for Baxtor. Knew he'd bite. \n\nNow all I had to do was get it to the Castellian Brothers. It seems like a bit of a high end gift for an 11 year olds birthday, but you don't say those things out loud to these guys. Just gotta get this thing there by midnight. 3 hours. \n\nI opened the door to the back alley. The night air felt cool. A relief. I pulled up my collar to the damp in the air and ran into her. Not a light hit mind you. The kind that takes your breathe away. \n\nJocelyn. \n\n\"Geez, sorry,\" I steadied her. \n\n\"Cyras? I didn't know you lived around here.\" \n\n\"I don't.\" I made up a great lie on the spot. \"I'm lost.\" Yeah, I'm a terrible liar. \n\n\"Do you need help finding your way home?\" \n\nAn alibi. Nobody remembers exact times. \n\nShe looked down at her watch. \"Besides, it's 9 pm., yiu don't want to be out here when it gets much later.\" \n\n\"You're sure this isn't a bother.\"\n\n\"No,\" she waved a hand at me. \"Besides, I got stood up tonight, so I'm all dressed up and no where to go.\" \n\n\"I was going to say you looked lovely tonight.\" \n\nShe smiled. \"Come on.\" He joined her side as they walked out of the glow of the street lamps into the shadows beyond. \n\nAs they walked into the darkness, he asked her, \"Do you want to go to a birthday party with me tomorrow?...\"" ]	3
[WP] You walk down a dark alleyway. You see a dark shape. You turn on a torch, hear a harsh 'yeeeeeeeee' sound like an eagle cry, and see a mutated young woman with three eyes and talons.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 harpy shrieked, running as fast as she could with all three eyes wide and fixed.\n\n\nI dropped the flashlight and withdrew my gun, shooting my only shot. The dart hit the harpy in her left shoulder but she kept charging. Her body crashed into mine and I fell backwards to the ground of the damp alley.\n\n\n\"James!!\" My partner cried, useless in a crisis, and withdrew a taser.\n\n\n\"Don't hurt her! Let the tranq work,\" I shouted through grit teeth, holding my arms in front of me to keep distance betweenthe harpy's talons and my throat. They grazed my cheek instead, tearing three gashes into my skin. I just needed to keep her at bay a little longer.\n\n\nThe harpy flailed over me, claws swiping at air in her attempt kill me. I could feel her taloned feet dig into my thighs.\n\n\nAfter twenty seconds of struggling, I felt the fight in her begin to slow. Her eyes were blinking heavily though were still wild.\n\n\n\"Get her off,\" I called to Chase. \"Get her off now.\"\n\n\nMy partner holstered his taser and quickly came over to roll the beast off of me. She hissed at Chase and I stood, panting. \"We'll tag her and release her in outside the city limits. Hopefully she'll return from where she came.\"\n\n\n\"I've never ... I mean I've read about them but--\"\n\n\n\"This is my fifth one this year. You'll never get used to their cries.\" I nudged the legs of the harpy and she didn't react. I bent down for my flashlight and turned it off, handing it to Chase.\n\n\n\"Your cheek--\"\n\n\nI withdrew a vial of golden liquid and put some on my fingers, rubbing it over the three deep scratches on my skin. \"It's fine. Let's get to work.\"" ]	2
[WP] Imagine if nose picking is the key to unlock the subconscious.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 sat in the storeroom atop a box, tearing a napkin into small pieces. It was my lunch break, and Christ, I would have sold my soul for a cigarette. I just quit, you see, for this girl, Gila. She's the new waitress at work, and for whatever reason, she's sort of seeing me. Now, Gila might be buck-toothed and yes, okay, I am slightly terrified of her, but my god, those eyes could start World War Three. Plus, who am I to be picky? I'm no oil painting myself. Gila hates the smell of cigarette smoke, so I've been forced to quit. It's not every day that a weedy little guy like me scores a girl like Gila, so go, the smokes must.\n\nIt was barely a question at the time, but reality hits me on my break. Old habits die hard, and all that. Normally every day at 1 you'd fine me out the back on a milk crate, a Marlborough Red hanging out the side of my crooked mouth while the line cook, Steve, gives me the latest update on his crazy girlfriend Melissa. No more. It's not just the cigarettes you give up when you quit smoking.\n\nI glance around the back. Nobody's there, and my hands are twitching. I've been aware of a tickle, a sort of grating dryness in my left nostril all day. That's air conditioning for you. I look around again furtively; no witnesses, and I jam my pointer finger deep into my nostril.\n\nI've struck gold. I pick and twist, dragging the behemoth out, feeling what could only be described as a true nugget being unearthed, a prize if I ever felt one. I'm disgusting, I know, but you show me a person who isn't satisfied by a pick like that, and I'll show you a goddamned liar. I wipe my gooey finger on my pants. It's not that bad; do you know how many times a day some filthy bastard doesn't wash his hands, and then touches the same cash I'm forced to handle? I'm not the bad guy here, just honest about my filthy nature. You think your shit is gold plated?\n\nThere's more back there. I wrinkle my nose; yep, there's definitely more. A sort of crusty afterbirth. I go after it again, grateful that the back room remains deserted. It's either rush hour, or nobody wants to be around me while I'm in the throes of nicotine withdrawal. I pin the offending booger underneath my fingernail and drag, but as I do so, I feel a bizarre sensation. Something has stuck to my finger, something with weight and girth; this is no regular booger, and as it departs my nostril, I feel the shift deep in my nasal cavity. There is a sudden sting in my sinus as though I've just inhaled seawater. The pain grows, a burning line that shoots up behind my eyeball into my temples, into my brain itself; I picture it like a gleaming vein, primed to burst. I pull my hand further from my face and the sensation grows; there is definitely something attached to my finger that is unspooling from deep within me. The sting has become a burn, as acute as fire. I grunt and gasp with the effort of it, drawing my hand even further away, tugging, my animal brain wanting to see the culprit of this disgusting event.\n\nI reach forth with my free hand to grasp the thing I've coaxed from my nose, and in my fingers I feel a thin, fleshy cord, slick with mucous. I pull, and feel the sickening sensation of it being drawn once more through my sinus. I continue to draw it out, and it pools in my hand like a magician's infinite rope. I am frantic now. I yank and I yank, the slippery, snotty thing coiling in my hands like a fetal snake, raw and alien. I tug until my hands are full of the stuff, and finally, it's over. The last of it leaves my nose with a pop. My face feels numb. I feel a deep sense of calm washing over me, a feeling I can only liken to a eating a handful of oxycodone on your day off. The bliss is coming, but I'm in those last few seconds of harsh reality.\n\n\"What the fuck?\", I utter to myself. I stare at my hands, full of an ugly, gleaming, coiled mass of what I can only describe it as a slender umbilical cord that goes from corpse-grey, to pink, to blood red, then grey again. Brain-matter grey. I'm no longer disgusted, though, and tip my hands, letting the slippery mass fall to the floor. It makes a wet splat as it lands at my feet. The mess isn't my problem; I have other concerns now. For one in my godforsaken life, I feel clear and focused. I know who I am, and I know what I need to do next. There's no urge to chase tail, no craving for a smoke or any mind-numbing substances. Frankly, I'm amazed I've wasted so long on this mediocre existence. My mind is as unencumbered as a newborn's, as sharp and pure as the first snowfall of winter.\n\nFirst things first, though; how do I convince Gila to let me pick her nose?" ]	2
[WP] As animal intelligence begins to be mastered, you are the first to recognize its unique potential. You are the inventor of the animal sidekick.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Aspen Hunter sat, slouched in his chair staring off at something unseen to anyone else in the room. He looked more akin to a cop who was reflecting on the loss of a partner than the hot shot inventor that he was. He took a long draw from his cigarette and crossed his arm over his stomach trying to gain a sense of security, of control. After a few more moments he chuckled, sat up and rubbed his hands together.\n \"You want to hear about it right? What went wrong?\"\n\nHe asked addressing the federal agent Barker, the man seated across from him, for the first time since he had entered. When no reply was given he looked to the floor.\n\n\"I found Marzipan abandoned on the side of a riverbank, she was starving... I took her in, nursed her back to health. I initially planned to release her but she imprinted\" \n\nHe snapped his fingers together, now looking Barker in the eyes. \n\n\"Like that. I have to admit she grew on me too, you should have seen the looks we got her and I. It's not every day you see someone toting around an otter. She was very ...sharp. I taught her the basics, I would take her with me to do volunteer work. She was like a therapy animal, you couldn't walk down the street without someone knowing her.\"\n\nThe agent let out a slight sigh \"Mr.Hunter. I think we both know that's not what I meant. Tell me about Dog.\"\n\nAspen bit his lip, his leg bouncing on the ground to relieve his nervous energy. \n\n\"Dog...It... was during one of my attempts to release Marzipan back into her environment. I was in a kayak, she was slung around my shoulders. We had just gotten to the bend in the river where I found her when I saw..\"\n\nHe cleared his throat\n\n\"When I saw him. A goose, in the same place I had found Marzipan. He seemed to be in distress, I was apprehensive at first. I thought perhaps he would snip at me. But when I went to him he calmed down, even let me put him in the kayak. I thought he was hurt, that if I inspected him I could fix him up, send him on his way. That was my first mistake. I got him home, he was perfectly behaved didn't make a peep the whole way back. When I looked him over I found he didn't put weight on his left foot, it was essentially useless. I have a friend who works as a vet, I took him in and in the end it was easier to remove just about all of it. I helped with the recovery process, hell I even 3D printed him a replacement. He adjusted well, followed me everywhere. He was ...like a lap dog. I couldn't sit down without him smushing up against me. But he was closest with Marzipan. He would follow her around, copy everything she did. At first I thought they were playing but...it turns out he was learning. Using her for information. He was docile, so after awhile I started taking him with me out in the world. He went to the research lab where I work, he was a hit. They were amazed at how much he could do. That's when I got the idea. I took him to volunteer, he was a therapy animal at first just like Marzipan. But soon he began to assist me with simple tasks while there.\"\n\nThe agent made a waving motion with his hand shooting Aspen a serious look. \"And then the bombs went off?\"\n\n\"And then the bombs went off... I had brought both of them in with me that day. Somewhere along the way I lost track of Marzipan. I left Dog alone, I assumed he would stay put as he had so many times before. He usually would wait right by my desk, not on that day. When I found Marzipan she was cowering in a corner. They say animals have a certain sense for when things are about to happen. I bent to pick her up just as the building shuddered. I was thrown to the ground, chunks of cement came crumbling around us. We were able to get to safety but ...so many others-\"\n\n\"13 dead.\"\n\nAspen fiddled with his fingers no longer making eye contact.\n \n\"13 dead\" he said his face crestfallen as he repeated the number.\n\n\"I thought we could make a difference that together we could show the world just what animals were capable of. I guess in a way he did. When he learned all the tricks from Marzipan he began copying me. When he grew tired of that he began watching TV. At first I thought it was kind of cute, that he was looking where I was looking. But he was still learning. His favorite were war documentaries especially if they talked about weapons. I didn't think he was capable of anything like this. Bombs are..well ...complicated! He couldn't have done it with his feathers, he would have had to use his beak... \"\n\nHe paused \n\n\"I still remember there was this sound...I thought it was static. It was him, hissing, the sound played through the entire building. I still remember it...I still remember... I-I wanted to do good. I didn't mean for it to turn out like this\"\n\nBarker stood, collecting his things before heading for the door.\n\n\"You have to believe me I didn't mean for it to end up like this!\"\n\nAspens calls were ignored as agent Barker closed the door muffling any pleas coming from the scientist. His partner Agent Reyes turned the corner upon hearing him exit. \n\n\"What do you think? The media's leaning towards him not being guilty, they believe he couldn't have predicted this outcome.\"\n\nBarker took a long look at Reyes the frown on his face deepening.\n\n\"He's guilty. Even if the goose didn't show homicidal tendencies, everyone knows they're evil. \"", " This city will chew you up and shit you out. 10 years ago I was told that on my first day as a detective. And that person was right. I’ve been doing all I can to stay one step ahead of crime in this city, but it feels like the criminals are always two steps ahead of me. Last week, the city commissioner was killed because some sickos gave his dog rabies, and the dog bit the commissioner. The increasingly new and creative methods that criminals are inventing are impossible to keep up with.\n\nI look out from under the wide brim of yellow hat at the scene of my current case. Some exotic animal trade gone wrong. I heard through the grapevine that these traders have started using mind enhancing drugs on these animals and training them to be weapons. This sack of shit was supposedly trying to screw over the ring leader of this all and got his ass handed to him. Fat Cat’s the ring leader’s name. He thinks he’s clever since he’s primarily known for trading tigers and lions. The chief of police wants Fat Cat’s head on a stick, so he’s hoping this case will give some clues that we can catch him. But this city’s not kind enough to give that kind of break.\n\nI throw my cigarette on the ground and go to stomp it out when I notice the blood. Some of the blood has been smeared, by something other than the victim’s body. Not a lot, not enough to draw much attention, but definitely there. It looks like it’s ever so slightly pointing. I follow where it’s hinting at and I see it's pointing to the back entrance of a decrepit restaurant. \n\nI radio in and tell the chief that I might need backup and that I’m going into the restaurant. As I reach the door, I draw my gun, breath in, and kick it open. In front of me, laying face down on the floor, is a body. I’m almost certain it’s Fat Cat, but I can’t tell until I see his face, so I go to kick him over.\n\nAs I take a step forward, I see a monkey dart out from underneath the table. I almost shoot the little shit out of shock right then and there, but he raises his hands, as if to declare he’s not a threat. I point my gun down, and then he points down to my feet. I see the stripped wire of an electric grill stretched out taut along the ground.\n\nThis monkey must have set this up so that the thug would trip on the wire, such that when he fell and lost consciousness, he couldn’t stop his body from getting electrocuted by the same exposed wire. Clever. He must be one of the new animals Fat Cat was trying to make a weapon out of. Only an animal like that would have enough curiosity about the world around him to try and find something so unconventional to kill somebody so much stronger than him.\n\nThis cheeky monkey comes over to me and starts begging with his hands for a gift or something. I give him a treat I had bought for the kids from my pocket and he happily takes it and climbs on my shoulder.\n\nThey say that curiosity killed the cat, but that’s bullshit. What killed Fat Cat was this mutant monkey. If this monkey can take down such a hard to track target, I need to get him to join the force. But what should I tell the team his name is? I look at the device that the monkey used to kill that thug, and suddenly it clicks.\n\n“I’ll call you George”" ]	3
[WP] For years the city was watched over by a god-like entity they called the Keeper, who could see all and kept their city safe from harm. One day, he is blinded, and everything that he kept out of the city broke through.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "Naomi hid in the entanglement of the willow tree branches. The leaves hiding her from any onlookers. There might be some food left in the gardens and it was a risk she was forced to take. She heard some muffled voices nearby. Breath in breath out, focusing on her breathing made it not go out of control and cause attention to herself. \n\n\"That bitch got what she deserved,\" A voice said getting closer to the gardens\n\n\"I knew Karen was hiding that damn food in her house, a fat ass like that always has food hidden around.\"\n\nNaomi lightly pushed some leaves to the side. There was three men in the garden. One in the front was larger then the other two, large muscles and long hair. In his other hand, there was something Naomi couldn't make out. The two other men followed closely behind, both laughing and pushing each other. \n\n\"This will make an excellent deterrent if any fools try to be heros again.\" The leader said. \n\nThe two other men started laughing again.\n\nHe lifted the thing in his hand to the torch. Fuck. Hair was wrapped up in his hands, and attached to it, dangling, mouth open like it was trying to scream and two dead eyes stared up into the black sky. The head of a woman, and they were fucking laughing. \n\n\"Com' on, we can still hit a few more houses while its still dark!\" They all ran off into the black of night. This would have never happened when the Keeper was around. The Keeper shielded and guarded people from the cruelty of human nature. A guardian in the sky, who watched over the city of Smalltun. When it first arrive, people were overjoyed. It brought stability in their lives. The prosperity it brought was a sweet bliss. Most people didn't worry about where their next meal was coming from, they could enjoy and honest life. Criminals got a swift and painless punishment. Some people thrived in the city, they started creating products that everyone used and became fabulously rich and wealthy. Hell, some even used to own this city.\n\nBut now its all gone. People grew tired of the Keeper. It didn't do its job well enough. Most criminals were orcs, it wasn't fair. The merchants had more power than the people elected to govern the city. This was true enough. The Keeper is not and all knowing perfect god but it kept the city together. They protested, hell Naomi protested. To make Smalltun a better place. And the keeper got sad, and turned a blind eye, neglecting the city forever. Who protects the city now? Who convicts the criminals? Who saves Karen from murders and thieves? The Keeper had its problems, but damn did she miss seeing that giant being floating in the sky." ]	2
[WP] 1up mushrooms are real. The government tightly regulates the legal market, but many people, including yourself, grow them illicitly. You have just finished harvesting your patch when you hear a banging on your door.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "After 10 minutes of plucking the fully grown mushrooms while carefully avoiding the smaller ones to allow them to grow to maturity, a task made harder due to growing them under my floorboards, I sit back and enjoy a moment of rest I hear someone bang on the door.\n\n\"Comin' Gaz!\" I replied knowing Gaz always forgets his keys when he goes out.\n\nI place the floorboard back over the merchandise then cover it with the throw rug then exit the room to the main living area. The florescent light continues to flicker over the futon me and Gaz fashioned into a sofa, not too bad relative to our previous 'sofas', the TV displayed the pause'd game I was playing before starting work lighting up the stained table hiding our holdout gun which I struggle to step around as I get to the steps to the door but as I'm walking I notice that for the first time in a while Gaz's keys are gone from the bowl.\n\nThe banging continues on the door as I think who I just replied to. The banging gets angrier which is followed by a voice.\n\n\"Evan Dalton! Gavin Parker! This is the Mushroom Regulation Division! Can you open up please!\" He barked at the door before I finally opened the door. I saw two men wearing trench coats presenting me two badges along with IDs.\n\n\"Hello officers. How may I help you?\" I replied as calmly as I could thinking how I got scammed with my protection fees.\n\n\"I'm detective Merchant and he's detective Howard. Is this room E13-24b?\" He explains putting away his badge in his coat that's as big as him.\n\n\"Y-Yeah.\" I stutter, \"May I ask what this visit is for please?\"\n\n\"We have reason to believe your growing 1-Ups, Mr Dalton.\"\n\n\"How much reason?\"\n\n\"Enough for a warrant.\" He presents a piece of paper. I couldn't see it properly but I noticed the seals from court with a signature at the bottom so it looked legit. The detective came in with out asking, brushing past me which was annoying to share the small platform to the door with. Which was made twice as annoying as he stopped to look around the living room from an elevated position before walking down. Only for his quieter, taller to follow not taking as much space.\n\n\"Where's Gavin anyway?\" Detective Merchant asked as he was walking around stomping on separate floorboards to see if they moved while his partner inspected the room's poor excuse for furniture.\n\n\"Picking up some groceries and he likes to be called Gaz by the way.\" I answered trying to think of a way to calm down by playing with my fingers. \"By the way could I have a look at your badge again; never seen one up close before.\"\n\n\"A lot farmers pick these Hive-rooms due to the conditions; humid enough to grow them and enough places to hide them.\" He says as he passes me his badge. I look at only to immediately start fiddling with trying to calm myself down wondering how to hide the bucket but as I'm looking at the detective's ID I notice something. The name is Stephen Mills.\n\nI think to myself why would detectives lie about their name only to realise these aren't detectives. I remember hearing that a new gang is trying to muscle in on this territory so it makes sense for them to aim for the supplier. I think about diving for the holdout gun and gunning them down only to stop myself thinking what should I do with the bodies and the sound. Then remember I'm a terrible shot with anything.\n\n\"My room is the first on the right and Gaz's is the second.\" I say handing back his forgeries. Thinking that if I am able to go in first I could kick the tray under my bed before they come in. I stumble past them trying to reach the door before them injuring my foot on the table leg but I get there before them with plenty of time to spare. I look back to welcome them in knowing I have plenty of time to hide the tray before they come in only to notice the gun dropped out the holster as I kicked the table. As the tall detective reaches for it I try to think of an excuse only to remember... these people want the supply.\n\nThe tall detective aims the gun and fires a few rounds missing as I have now dived into my room. Leaving two bullet holes in my door. I hear them argue but I didn't listen as I had to find a weapon. I look around seeing my sheets, a box of CDs and some empty trays but nothing. I hit the floor only for the board to move. The board! I throw off the rug rapidly grasping at the board to defend myself. Then sit by my ajar door ready to attack. I realise my protection must have heard the shots and must be coming to me now. I just have to stall.\n\n\"Detectives!\" I shout, \"I realise that gun may be unlicensed but that is no reason to open fire.\"\n\n\"This isn't about the gun.\" The 'detective' said, \"It's about the 1-Ups; give us them and you don't have to die.\"\n\n\"How do I know you just won't kill me when I give you them. Your friend seems very keen on killing me. Like just now.\" I say trying to use as much words as I can.\n\n\"He's very sorry for that.\"\n\n\"I want him to apologise now or no deal.\"\n\n\"Really? Well... fine.\"\n\nI hear a slight breath ready to talk which was quickly followed by a broken down door then machine gun fire. I slowly peek out my door way to see my protection and two dead 'detectives' then breathe a sigh of relief.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n>Thanks for reading. This is my first reply to a writing prompt. Please give me plenty of constructive criticism I really want to improve.", "As he looked at his latest crop, Toader wondered if his \"special\" crop could think. They had eyes, and even sometimes watched him as he tended the crop. So did that mean they had thoughts? Feelings? Maybe even hopes and dreams? But, on the other had, they did not have legs or feet, and they would have no trouble moving once they were fully grown. \n\nHe put those thoughts aside and went to check on the latest harvest. The rows of boxes were set up along the far wall of the hidden, underground garden, each one containing a single fully grown, oddly observant fungi. He had one set aside for his own use, of course. He did have to test the product, after all.\n\nToader plucked the large, green and white speckled fungus from the box that kept it from escaping and placed it to his face. With a quick, sharp breath, the mushroom disappeared into his mouth. He sometimes wondered how that worked. It was clearly too big to eat in one bite, since it was almost as large as his head. And yet, all it took was one inhale, and the entire thing just kind of melted into his mouth. It tasted like limes for some reason.\n\nHe could feel the warmth permeating his entire body as the mushroom's energy flowed through him. He closed his eyes and savored the feeling. This was a good crop, if he did say so himself. He never knew why the government was so hell bent on controlling these things. They were entirely beneficial. They kept people alive, and who would not want that? Oh sure, they released some to the public, but only those flush with coins could realistically afford them. That's why he grew them. Hell, he was providing a valuable service. The government should be thanking him for keeping their people happy and alive.\n\nAs the noticeable effects of the mushroom faded, Toader heard a loud bang, followed by a crack. His eyes darted to the door. They were here? The cops had come? How did they find him? He always covered his tracks. One of his buyers must have sold him out. Well, at least they would not find his location. He had been doubly careful to hide the actual garden.\n\n\"MKPD!\" He heard from the other side of the door. \"Come out with your hands up!\"\n\nToader wondered if that ever worked. Why would he actually leave his hideout? Then he head it. A huge thump on the door to the garden. How had they found it? He had it hidden behind the wallpaper, which was behind a painting of the princess. Why would they even think to look there?\n\nBut the thumps got louder, turning into heavy bangs. Toader dashed off to find his weapons cache. He would not go quietly. He would not be taken. He would fight to the last breath. He pulled out a large flower from a cabinet standing away from his merchandise. It was a large thing, also having eyes that seemed to gaze into his very soul. It was judging him, he just knew it.\n\nHe turned the red and orange flower away, pointing to the door. Then he reached and grabbed another one. This one he held to his mouth and drew it in, just like the mushroom from before. He felt the burning power flood his body. This time the sharp taste of spicy peppers filled his mouth. Then his body began to grow. As the power overcame him, the room shrank as he doubled in size. This was something he could understand the restrictions on. This power was just dangerous.\n\nThe door split and cracked, until it burst in with a huge crash. The first officers flooded in.\n\n\"Toader, you are under arrest for growing illegal power-ups! Drop your weapon and place your hands behind your back!\" The officer shouted.\n\n\"Not on your life!\" Toader shouted.\n\nHe squeezed the flower in his hand and a gout of orange flame spewed forth. The officer Dashed to the side. Toader focused his will on the power burning inside of him. A perfect ball of fire the size of his fist appeared in his free hand, which he immediately tossed at the officer. \n\n\"He's got a fire flower! We need...\"\n\nThe officer was cut off as the fireball struck home. The man's body locked up, and he seemed to rise into the air before vanishing into the unknown. He was immediately followed by more officers. Most of them were armed with standard issue spears, but one of them was not. \n\nThis one was just as large as Toader was, but in a different way. While Toader knew his body had taken on the red and orange of the flower, this one was a cold blue. An ice flower then. Toader spewed fire from the flower in one hand and threw concentrated balls of flame with the other. The officer calmly countered with frigid balls of ice. The stream of flames looked to be free though, until a cold wind blew forth. Another officer, holding a raw flower stood next to the powered up officer.\n\nToader felt a lump form in his throat. In the short exchange of elemental power, more officers had streamed through the door. And more of them were powered up. Some with fire, some with ice. Others wore colorful costumes that he knew were far more than just fancy clothes.\n\n\"Down on the ground!\" One of the officers shouted.\n\n\"You...you...you'll never take me alive!\" Toader shouted. He began flinging flames from both hands as quickly as he could. Most were counted by ice baring officers, but a few got through.\n\nThen he felt it. A burning ball of flame slammed into him from behind. The power of the fire flower immediately left as his body returned to normal size. That was something. He had a brief moment that they could not touch him. He used it to eat the other fire flower. This power was immediately taken from him.\n\nWith no other choice, Toader ran. He jumped up, aiming to go over the line of officers. He was taken down by a ball of ice. \n\nWell, at least I die a free man. Toader thought as his body went rigid. \n\nAnd then a single horrible thought dawned on him. He was not free. He had not escaped justice. \n\nHe had an extra life." ]	3
[WP] Everyone always told you that you were special. And your birthdays, always anticipated more than anyone's. You were starting to think you were mentally Ill until your 13th b-day. You woke up and saw colored bars on top of everyone's head. Your mom hands you a note with the title mood= color.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "So naturally. I was like \"mom, explain to me this nonsense now.\" She gave a slight smile saying \"yes my lord.\" im there thinking to myself what the actual fuck. The bar above her head gleams a bright yellow. \n\n\"Today is the day of becoming, as i and everyone in the world was programmed.\" \n\n\" What!?\" I exclaimed. \n\nShe says \"Augusts, you are but a Walrus in simulation you've created. This world, these people... it all revolves around you. Youre our creator, our master, our lord. As I was programmed to be your mother, i was also programmed to tell you the truth about your life 13 years after the simulation /:1326B%XDatafile:Day_of_Becoming\"\n\n I didnt believe anything she said for a second. This all had to be a joke. \n\"Alright mom, very funny. If this is some birthday joke...\" \n\n\"Oh, but its not a joke. You can see the bars over everyones head can you?\" She said.\n\n \"Well you mustve put some sort of VR headset on me or something. Mom...is this your way of saying you got me a VR headset for my birthday?\" I said touching my head frantically in search for the headset. \n\n\"Well i suppose you aren't completely wrong with VR. But no. You created this world 13 plus years ago. And You can't simply take off the headset silly.The technology in this world is lite years behind the world you're actually living in.\"\n\n\"...but im not a walrus, im a human.\" i said actually starting to believe her.\n\n \"Yes. In this world you're human. You've always longed to be human to be able to grasp the concept of a human soul. To understand it, to see if it can be acquired by an animal such as yourself. That is why you are human in this world, but before you could ever make any assumptions you needed the first hand experience of living a human life without any preconotations, so your brain was connected to a super computer to lock your memories in a datafile until 13 years.\"\n\n There was a short pause of silence. \"A WALRUS CANT DO HALF OF THE SHIT YOU JUST SAID.\" i exclaimed in a fit of rage. \n\n\"You don't have to believe me but you can find all this out for yourself by retreiving your locked memories. They can by accessed by triggering a series of events in the virtual world.\" I had to do it. It was the only way i can figure out for myself if all this was bullshit or not.\n\n \"What would i have to do?\" I asked. My mom smiled. She said \"First youll need to share your story on reddit. You wouldve programmed a writting prompt to be posted on the app at this time.\"\n\n\" Then what?\" I asked.\n\n She said \"We'll have to discuss in private, as many of the AI in this simulation will not be willing to let you obtain your memories if it means youll be able to shut down the simulation.\"", "I always felt normal. Even though my family and some strange government people have treated me differently. Because I didn't have any special abilities. I played with other kids and went to school like other kids, played sports and so on. They told me I have a special ability, but I never showed any signs of it.\n\nWhen I first saw the bars above everyone's head, I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want things to change. But mom probably spotted me staring at her head, the bar piercing through her birthday hat while she put the cake for my party on the table. She gave me that look that people close to you give you when they think they know something's up. Then she scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to me.\n\n\"Mood = Colour\", I read. And what I hadn't been able to make sense of for weeks suddenly felt so logical that I instantly let out a loud sigh at my own stupidity.\nMike and Tyler looked up at me from their cake - teenagers and food, you know? - and I quickly dug in, while the confused blue in their bars dispersed back into the content, mellow green of enjoying cake. Mom loved her baking. She always said it balanced her out.\n\nAfter the party, I went outside to the pool where Mom was resting after the long day.\n\n\"I can also see them, Charlie.\"\n\n\"So that's why you're so successful?\", I blurted out.\n\nShe chuckled.\n\n\"Yes and no. I have had my fair share of obstacles that I had to fight through, and I dare say I would not be where I am, were it not for ambition as well as willingness to learn and earn my place.\"\n\n\"But now come, let me finally fully introduce you to the leaders of the world who have so thoroughly inspected you even before you shared my powers.\"", "Finally, some answers. I'd always seen coloured bars above everyone's head. But I thought it was just me; everyone told me I was special, so I thought this was it and that they already knew. I couldn't work out what the colours meant, until my thirteenth birthday.\n\nMy mum handed me a folded note during my birthday party. I thought it was going to be some sort of secret; my grandparents, aunts and uncles had all joined us, me, my mum and my dad, for my celebrations. It seemed like _my_ birthday was the most anticipated event of the year. I was expecting it to say that I should go speak to my grandma but it didn't. I unfolded it in the bathroom.\n\n_Mood = Colour_.\n\nThis felt like a switch had been activated. I went back into the garden and smiled at my mum. She smiled back. I looked around with a great sense of clarity.\n\nMy parents had green bars above their head; they were enjoying themselves. My grandparents had amber, which was understandable - they'd been here for some time and growing a little tired.\n\nI went over to my grandma and spoke to her.\n\n\"Enjoying yourself, grandma?\"\n\nShe smiled. Her amber bar had changed to green.\n\n\"Yeah, it's so great to see you.\"\n\nI spoke with her for a while and kept her bar green. She went over to my grandpa and told him about our chat. His bar turned green.&nbsp;\n\nThen I went over to uncle Tom; his bar wasn't clear from where I was standing.&nbsp;\n\n\"Uncle Tom!\" I shouted.\n\n\"Happy birthday Fred\" he replied.\n\nHis bar was still unclear. It had its border but there was nothing where the colour should have been. I saw right through.\n\n\"Thank you\", I replied.\n\n\"Having a good time?\"\n\n\"Yeah it's so nice to have everyone here.\"\n\n\"Isn't it?\" He mumbled. His bar wasn't changing colour; he didn't show any mood change in the time I spent talking to him.&nbsp;\n\nI decided to go over to my mum and ask if I could speak with her in the house. She agreed and we went inside.\n\n\"Mum, Uncle Tom's bar - it's empty!\"\n\n\"Oh\", she said as if she was trying to show shock. I wasn't convinced.\n\n\"Tell me Mum!\" I pleaded.\n\nShe deliberated for a few seconds, playing with her high heel on her right foot as she did so. She did this when she was nervous; I knew she was hiding something.\n\n\"Uncle Tom is special\", she told me.\n\n\"What does that mean, Mum?!\"\n\nAt that point, she had decided she'd told me more than she should have and dismissed me. We returned to the celebrations in the garden and had cake.\n\nThe cake was delicious; it elevated everyone's mood - the bars were a sea of green. Except Uncle Tom's. His bar was still empty. I knew I needed to find out more, so I went over to him.\n\n\"Beautiful cake isn't it, Uncle Tom?\"\n\n\"Delicious, isn't it?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\" I stood awkwardly while I thought about what else I could say to him. He wasn't very talkative.&nbsp;\n\nThen I realised I could see if he knew about his bar. It was unlikely. I looked at his head of hair that never seemed to grow. He always had his hair perfect.\n\n\"What's up there?\" He asked as if he had something on his head, with greater concern than average.\n\n\"Nothing!\" I replied innocently. But there was something. A flash of light appeared from Uncle Tom's head. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared.&nbsp;\n\nI had been out in the sun for some time, as had everyone else, so I thought it was perhaps a reflection.&nbsp;\n\nWithout knowing what else to say, I looked around my family to see who else I could talk to. Another flash appeared above Uncle Tom's head, though it was much harsher and brighter than before. He flinched in pain.\n\n\"Are you okay?\"\n\n\"No, Fred, I think I need to go inside.\"&nbsp;\n\nMy mum must have seen the flash too as she came rushing over and escorted him inside. His bar was still empty while my mum's portrayed worry.\n\nThey both went inside while I followed from a safe distance. Uncle Tom sat at the kitchen table while my mum made a phone call; I presumed he was being taken ill she was calling an ambulance.\n\nThe bar above my mum's head faded through all sorts of colours. Then she took a chair and placed it near the counters. She unplugged the kettle.\n\nThis was all very odd; an empty chair and a plug socket waiting for something to be plugged in.\n\n\"What are you looking at?\" Grandma asked me.\n\n\"It's Uncle Tom. He's not too well.\"&nbsp;\n\n\"Probably just too much sun. Perhaps he's overheated.\"&nbsp;\n\n'Overheated' was an unusual term to refer to someone who was too warm; I hadn't heard this before but I presumed it was my grandma's old way of speaking. I moved away slightly while she told me that I should re-join the family.\n\nAfter her attention was diverted, I moved back. Uncle Tom was in the chair near the counter and there was a lead in the plug. My mum was still on the phone.\n\nUsing both her hands, and holding the phone to her ear, she gripped Uncle Tom's head and twisted it slightly. His hair came off; he had been wearing a wig. I was about to scream, but quickly stopped myself on the realisation that I shouldn't have been watching.\n\nMy mum then took the lead from the counter and plugged it into Uncle Tom's head. When she flicked the plug on, Uncle Tom jolted. I flinched back.\n\nI took a second to regain my composure and looked on; my mum was helping Uncle Tom, unsure about what she was doing but guided by the voice on the other end of her phone.\n\nA little time passed and my mum ended the call. She placed her phone on the counter, took the lead out of Uncle Tom and proceeded to restore his hair.\n\nHe got up from the chair and the pair continued to chat for a little while longer, until they both made an appearance back in the garden.\n\n\"Mum!\" I shouted.\n\n\"Uncle Tom's okay now, he just needed a little rest.\"\n\n\"I saw everything…\"\n\n\"Oh Fred\", she screamed, \"come inside\".\n\nI followed her in and sat where Uncle Tom once did.\n\n\"You see, Fred, Uncle Tom is a robot. He doesn't have feelings. He doesn't have moods.\"\n\nSuddenly, the empty mood bar made sense. But I was still in shock at the discovery. I wanted to know more.\n\n\"But why?\" I asked.\n\n\"Every family has a robot from the government. He's ours. They keep an eye on us to make sure we stay within the law. They must always be on when families get together. Any faults need to be rectified immediately or they issue punishments.\"\n\nI didn't like what my mum was telling me. I didn't want this level of knowledge. I looked to my mum who realised I felt the weight of this news on my shoulders.\n\n\"Stay on the right side of the law\", she said with a tremble in her voice. It was almost as if she had been affected by the punishments.\n\n---\n\nr/paulwrites" ]	4
[WP] Blinded Cyborg soldier is forced to follow the instructions of a creepily gentle sounding AI to survive some sort of catastrophe happening aboard the medical ship hes been evacuated to	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Jack was coated in blood, or whatever fluid these strange life forms excreted.\n\n\"Alien intrusion.\"\n\nThe gentle voice of Nnex reminded Jack of the imminent danger on all sides.\n\nSomething had happened to the electro-magnetic fields surrounding the ship. Jack had amplified vision sensors, like many of the other Sol Marines, but with light itself being distorted, it was impossible to tell what was going on.\n\nThe ship was a jumble of bleeding rainbows, as if someone had fed LSD into the air purifiers. Jack's head was clear however, and he still had his touch and hearing to rely on. And Nnex, of course.\n\n\"Alien intruder approaching from right corridor up ahead.\"\n\nJack froze, readying his gun. He knew exactly where he was. He had the entire ship layout mapped in his head, on extended memory-brain interface databanks. He would be close to the Bridge now. People around him had stopped screaming, but he still didn't trust sound yet either. The aliens might be soundless. Instead he felt the wall to orient himself towards the corner into the right corridor, and relied on Nnex.\n\n\"Turning the corridor in 3, 2, 1-\"\n\nJack fired the gun perfectly on Nnex's timing. He heard a screech from up ahead.\n\n\"Neutralised,\" Nnex's voice whispered into his earpod.\n\n\"Thanks Nnex.\"\n\nJack knew the AI had no feelings, but it was nice to at least pretend he had a comrade in arms right now. For all he knew the others were dead already. Nnex, or Neural-network Extrasensory, relied on quantum data. He had no need for conventional sensors, and that had proven vital in this alien invasion.\n\n\"Approaching Bridge,\" Nnex said softly. \"Three invaders remaining.\"\n\nJack reloaded his gun. He slung old-fashioned bullets, unlike most of his comrades. Their EMP weapons had proven ineffective in the strange field that reigned on the medical ship. In the initial foray when they boarded, the ensuing panic had wiped out all his friends. Only Jack, with his old-fashioned gun, remained.\n\n\"Anyone from the original crew left alive?\" he asked, advancing down the corridor.\n\n\"The captain,\" Nnex replied. \"He is on the Bridge. His nervous system is in a very confused state.\"\n\nJack paused. \"Okay. Feed me the relative coordinates of the aliens, in meters, using the Bridge's central command as the point of origin.\"\n\nNnex calmly listed three pairs of coordinates, and Jack took a deep breath. Then he slammed the access button to the Bridge. Immediately something stung his right shoulder, and Jack rolled to the left.\n\nHe crouched to his knees, steadied his hands, and fired three times, once for each coordinate.\n\n\"Two eliminated,\" Nnex said gently. \"One injured but remaining. Coordinate moved to 3,4.\"\n\n\"Please!\" A horrified voice suddenly shouted. \"Why are you doing this?!\"\n\nJack aimed his gun at the coordinate. \"Remain calm, Captain. There's only one invader left.\"\n\n\"Invader?! What are you talking about, man, you are the invader!\"\n\nJack paused. He would have fired, but the Captain's voice was coming from the same direction as the coordinate.\n\n\"Captain, I need you to move. You may be confused, due to the optical field distortion, but Nnex assures me one of the alien intruders is still here.\"\n\n\"Oh God. You're listening to a Nnex?\"\n\n\"Target has started moving again,\" Nnex whispered into the earpod. \"Coordinate 2,4, towards your position.\"\n\n\"Don't you know those quantum AIs have a tendency to go rogue?!\" the Captain shouted.\n\n\"Captain's nervous system has been compromised,\" Nnex said calmly. \"Possibly mind invasion is possible upon direct alien contact.\"\n\nJack started sweating. \"Just move out of the way,\" he barked.\n\n\"You... you've killed all my men,\" the Captain started sobbing. \"My God, I can smell the blood from here.\"\n\n\"Alien will be able to initiate contact in minus five seconds,\" Nnex said.\n\n\"Move out of the way!\" Jack shouted, raising his old-fashioned gun.\n\n\"You bastard, put down the gun!\" the Captain screamed.\n\nJack's life flashed before him, converging to this point, then diverging into the two roads before him, one in which he had helped kill an entire medical crew, another in which he could be the hero that diffused an alien menace, if only he pulled the trigger.\n\n\"Minus one second.\"\n\nJack pulled the trigger.", "Changed the prompt a little bit\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nHis head rang from the concussion as he woke up amid the rubble. He could see only static. He heard a voice from a great distance. It slowly got louder in his ears.\n\n“Do not panic, Corporal. Get up. Do not panic, Corporal. Get up.”\n\nThe message kept repeating. It was just the Governing AI, he realized. Shaken and dazed, it took him a second to remember where he was.\n\nHe was part of the landing party. They were hit with anti-air from the Western Rebellion and went down. He was in a forest.\n\n“Corporal, can you hear me?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“Your optics are fried, but you’re not far from safety.”\n\n“What do you mean ‘safety’? This is a warzone.”\n\n“The rebels aren’t here yet. The distress beacon activated but there isn’t enough time. You need to manually activate the ship’s defenses.”\n\n“The ship’s fine?”\n\n“Enough of it is. Start moving forward. Now.”\n\nHe struggled onto his feet and started walking. He could hear fires burning and aircraft in the distance. He smelled the unfortunately familiar scent of burnt flesh.\n\nHe tried to keep his mind occupied. He thought of his girlfriend back home. He thought of his family. He thought of the others that didn’t make it in the crash.\n\nHe tripped and fell, caught himself.\n\n“Keep moving, Corporal.”\n\nHe felt what he tripped on. It was a soldier.\n\n“Who is this?”\n\n“Private First Class Jackson.”\n\n“Jackson…”\n\nHe searched the body, grabbed a small photo from a pocket.\n\n“Corporal, there isn’t much time.”\n\n“I’m going.”\n\nHe got back up and started walking.\n\n“Can you tell me if I’m going to run into something?”\n\n“Yes. Veer left.”\n\nHe followed the AI’s directions.\n\n“Tell me what’s around me. Any more soldiers?”\n\n“A few more in the vicinity. Sergeant Stark, Private Williams – veer right a little, not much further to the ship – Private Abrams, Private First Class Howard – it’s right in front of you. The hull is destroyed, you’ll need to climb up.”\n\nThe Corporal reached up and felt the sharp edge of something metal. It was the floor of the transport. He hoisted himself up to the familiar area.\n\n“Rebels are 30 seconds out. Get to the cockpit.”\n\nHe knew exactly where to go. He sat in what was left of the pilot’s seat.\n\n“Jack into the computer and get ready to activate defenses.”\n\nHe plugged himself into the computer and immediately collapsed forward onto the console. Every cybernetic part of him went limp. He couldn’t move his arms or legs. He couldn’t speak. All he could see was static.\n\nA couple minutes went by before something roused him. The rebels. He could hear them speak.\n\n“We got them all. I can’t believe that worked so perfectly.”\n\n“Come on. Load him up with the rest of the scrap.”\n\nHe felt lucky that he wouldn’t be able to see or feel the rebel’s scrapping process. He just wished it didn’t have to end this way." ]	3
[WP] Carbon-based lifeforms?! Are you mad?!	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Your contention that there could possibly be carbon-based lifeforms is ludicrous! Doubly so in an oxygen-rich atmosphere! The first spark and they would flash into flame, snuffing themselves out in an instant. No, this is the third time you have tried to pass this idiotic idea off as your dissertation. Leave this university and never return!\"\n\n\"Did you even bother to read the paper? Look at the constraints? Examine the chemistry required? No. You did not. You did not because your mind has frozen solid in the last millennium's Infoset! This is the 21st Millennium! Open your eyes! Open your mind! At least have the decency to perform a proper review of a paper!\n\n\"I have it on the best of authority that you look at the title, and if the title doesn't match your preconceptions, you stamp rejected on it and never examine the contents!\n\n\"Not this time! This time I went to the hypothetical reviewers myself. I have here their statements, legally binding, that this dissertation is not only acceptable but points the way to a whole new field of biological study!\n\n\"You will give this paper a proper review or face the academic court on a charge of blind adherence to the past, in the face of a valid dissertation confirmed by over one hundred authorities in the field!\"\n\n\"You will never get that many confirmations.\"\n\n\"I already have.\"\n\n\"Let me see them.\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"You have to let me see them!\"\n\n\"No, I don't. Until we are in court, you have no right to demand those confirmations.\n\n\"Besides, I have heard of others who made the same demand, only to find out in court that a critical number of confirmations had lost their credentials.\n\n\"Before you blow your silicon gasket, those were all at other universities. No insult intended, I simply wish to ensure that no one will be in a position to accuse you of the same.\"\n\n\"How kind of you.\"\n\n\"Advisor, all I ask is that you genuinely review the dissertation. Show me where my work is invalid. What error have I made in the chemistry? Is that too much to ask of one's advisor?\"\n\n\"You... You are as welcome as a cubic carbon lump in ones waste elimination process. sigh Very well. Let's sit down and go through this together right now... Unless you have a pressing engagement?\"\n\n\"I cleared the entire week on both our calendars before I set pod in this office.\"\n\n\"Sly, Beryllium Fluorine.\"\n\n\"Crotchety, Silicon Oxygen.\"\n\n\"Right, down to it.\"\n\n…one local week later…\n\n\"DAMN IT! There has to be a flaw somewhere!\"\n\n\"Pardon me for being so bold, but if there is no flaw in this paper, should not one review the works that say it is impossible?\"\n\n\"Do you have any idea...\"\n\n\"Three thousand five hundred thirty-three.\"\n\n\"Impossible!\"\n\n\"Only until you spend the time tracing the references. The critical elements stating that carbon life forms are impossible all devolve to one paper. This one.\"\n\n\"Considerations on the Possibility of Carbon Life.\n\n\"By...\n\n\"THIS is the Chancellor's Dissertation!?\"\n\n\"Yes, Advisor. Included, you will find my notes on some fifty-three errors. How this got past his advisor, I will never know.\"\n\n\"Oh... I know. Advisor Dewnar had a very potent abuse problem. Shortly after the date of this dissertation, he was found dead, at the hands of his abuser. The safeties had been disabled \"by parties unknown.\" I think I know why now, even if I can't prove who.\"\n\n\"So, any suggestions?\"\n\n\"I've gone over your dissertation in 16 dimensions. There is no flaw.\n\n\"Just standing here, I cannot get through the first three dimensions without finding glaring errors. How in hot hydrogen do we get this cleared up?\"\n\n\"Advisor, unless you have a better idea, his paper, with the blatant errors helpfully pointed out, will be delivered to three hundred hypothetical reviewers, anonymously. It will also be delivered to every other university in the known galaxy.\"\n\n\"Do you have the slightest idea what that will do to this university?\"\n\n\"Destroy it. Forever.\"\n\n\"And you're willing to do that...\"\n\n\"In the interests of every applicant who has had their dissertation rejected by a fraud? Yes. This dishonesty stops now.\"\n\n\"Let me try something a bit less draconian.\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"That didn't work out too well, did it, Advisor.\"\n\n\"No. It didn't. Thank the ice deities for tenure. It's stirred up enough dust for part two.\"\n\n\"And that is?\"\n\n\"Let the arrows fly.\"\n\n\"You have nothing better?\"\n\n\"No. I don't. Not that won't get me arrested for murder.\"\n\n\"I dunno, it might be worth it if it got the truth out.\"\n\n\"Never happen, his family is the government.\"\n\n\"Very well. The arrows fly at dawn.\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"Stop playing with your platinum spheres, and *FIND OUT WHO SENT THIS DRIVEL!\"\n\n\"That's what I've been trying to tell you! All the traces lead straight back to your entry point! As far as anyone can see, you* sent those messages! Unless you can prove otherwise, you'd better step down!\"\n\n…—…\n\n\"Dean? This packet arrived today, just showed up on the doorstep. I've had it checked over, and everyone says it's clean.\"\n\n\"What is it?\"\n\n\"If I'm reading the cover correctly, it's evidence of scientific forgery at the highest levels of Sagittarius University.\"\n\n\"I've never heard of them before.\"\n\n\"Neither have the computers, Sir.\"\n\n\"Well, it's a light work day today, I'll have a go at it. ... I thought you said this was readable? It's all squiggly gar... woah.\"\n\n\"That's why I didn't explain. I knew you'd believe it if it happened right in front of your eyes.\"\n\n\"What was that other text?\"\n\n\"An artificial language I've been working on for the past three years. I'm to the point I dream in it.\"\n\n\"Right... Let me work through this; then we can dive into the self translating document, after which we can discuss the difference between research and obsession.\"\n\n\"Sure, just as long as you're willing to discuss the infinite jazz band.\"\n\n\"How did you...nevermind.\"\n\n…\n\n\"Your nuts. Silicon-based life?\"\n\n\"Hypothetically, it's possible, yes?\"\n\n\"Hypothetically, I suppose so.\"\n\n\"Let me try this paper out. I have no idea where it came from, and the original premise is rubbish, but the comparisons are all drawn from silicone life forms. The surprising thing is that those calculations all come out reasonably!\"\n\n\"What was the original premise?\"\n\n\"That carbon-based life was impossible, but that part has so many errors that I don't think any university would accept the dissertation, absent pressure from outside.\"" ]	2
[WP] It was a risky move to let the Earthlings join the Galactic Alliance, for the first time a sentient species that devours "animals" is mostly peaceful. You're being ordered to do a Joint Expedition with all species part of the Galactic Alliance, and its your first time working with a "Human".	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI stood at the port, waiting for him. I had never met a human before, but had heard a lot about them. My species, the Xoknik’s, had tan skin (though the skin color varied), a pair of arms, legs, eyes, and ears. Each consisting of two. We had white teeth, thin hair, and 5 fingers at the end of each appendage. My people talked of the humans a lot. No Xoknik had ever actually seen a Human, I was to be the first, but there were stories. It was said that a bigger difference between two species was rare. The humans were said to have heads three times bigger than their entire body, so that they could barely walk. Their eyes, tiny. Like pin pricks compared to the size of their head. In fact, because of their small eyes, they had developed a sonar way of seeing things. They would scream and wail, and could then see what their surroundings looked like through air vibrations. Much like many underwater animals we had on our planet. They had short little stubs of arms and legs, and a large midsection. One could only wonder how they got around (it was said that they roll).\n\nAnother story said that they used to look just like us, but had evolved into the pathetic creatures that they were now. \n\nI looked up, and swear I could hear a high pitched squeal. Suddenly, a speck appeared atop the mountain in the distance. It grew and grew. The human was here. In all of his glory. Short legs, fat body and all, and he was rolling closer." ]	2
[WP] You find out on your wedding night that the man of your dreams is actually three aliens in a trench coat. And-no pressure-but Earth’s survival hinges on the success of your marriage.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Scarlett had been many things in this life. Fighter, lover, thief, murderer… She’d served overseas in a place the United States was never supposed to be, and she’d done things she regretted there. Now, she was back home looking for a sort of redemption in the mundane. So far, she’d just found more mundane. This was what she thought about as Jonathan pushed the ring on her finger…\n\nIt wasn’t like there was anything wrong with Jonathan. He was a handsome, confident, useful person– Well, maybe not in the bedroom, she thought to herself sulkily. Maybe that was the problem. But it was too late now. After all, she was about to be a mother. At the thought, her face tried to smile and frown at the same time. \n\nScarlett was already drifting through her wedding reception with a joyless grin on her face hugging the friends and family who’d stuck around. If only she’d kept out of the fighting the night the fiery discs had joined the battle over New Babylon, she thought. But so many people were dying. It’d never really be an option.\n\nShe wanted to be out there identifying threats and running mechs over the top of America’s enemies again. Instead, they’d designated her a civilian lookout. A retired soldier seeded into the public to keep an eye out for domestic threats… and to collect a paycheck in exchange for mere silence. This part of the system had always sickened her.\n\nIn the honeymoon sweet that looked over the beach, she sat in what remained of her wedding dress and fondled the GPS device that would call them. It was a mystery what the response would be. But maybe they’d show up and give her a ride overseas to a place where she’d be safe from the everyday, she mused.\n\nSuddenly, she realized her attitude was all wrong for her wedding night and hastily stashed the Gov. Issued GPS in her purse, where it belonged.\n\nWith all the confidence of a soon to be mother who could still run ten miles in an hour, she rose to her feet and booted open the door to the bathroom, where she knew Jonathan was getting ready for their special night…\n\nWhat she found instead was a pile of clothes and three Jonathans… Only they had ridiculously tiny legs and webbed feet. Their torsos looked like pillows made of flesh, with Jonathan’s face stacked on top of them.\n\n“Honey!” Squeaked the Jonathan that was standing on the sink preening its beard.\n\n“It’s not what you think!” Gasped the Jonathan in the shower.\n\nScarlett stumbled backwards and reached into her purse in search of her Glock 10.\n\n“Wait!” Shouted the Jonathan that was tangled in the pile of wildly over-sized clothes. “Think of the baby!”\n\nScarlett looked down at the mess of humanity, or something like it. It explained a lot. She thought of the baby––and drew her gun.\n\n“Are you the father, then?!” She demanded.\n\nThe Jonathan in the pile of clothes looked over to the bag of meat in the shower; it shrunk.\n\nShe squeezed the trigger. Blood sprayed across the pile of clothes and the Jonathan on the floor slapped onto the linoleum. The Jonathan in the shower inhaled and tried to step back further but slipped on the smooth backside of the tub. She stepped over the little body on the ground.\n\n“Explain,” she said, coldly.\n\n“Our government made a deal with your government! We’re allies! In exchange for the protection of our fleets, our kind get to seek refuge in your DNA!” The creature on the sink explained hurriedly while he held his hands out in front of himself, like maybe he could keep her from raising the gun again with his mind.\n\nScarlett’s right eyebrow rose nearly to her hairline. “What do you want with my DNA?”\n\n“Oh, I meant the royal your, I assure you,” said the Jonathan on the sink, then he looked down at his flabby little body. “Our children are us, you see? It’s the unique little evolutionary spin God gave our people! These shells decline, but every generation experiences decay based on the sacrificial mother–” He suddenly remembered himself and bit his tongue.\n\nWith the front site, Scarlett tapped her belly. “So, this… Is you?”\n\n“No,” said the Jonathan on the sink, a bit too quickly. With an alarmingly normal sized finger he pointed at the blob in the bathtub. “It’s him.”\n\n“Good,” said Scarlett, as she raised her Glock towards Sink Jon and pulled the trigger.\n\nWhile the second body tumbled off the sink, she went back to her purse and got the GPS. She pushed the call button.\n\n“What seems to be the problem ma’am?” Asked a young male voice, almost as soon as she’d pressed the button.\n\n“The problem is that you kept me in the dark you sons of bitches!” She whispered back with an intensity one couldn’t understand without having an alien baby growing inside them. “Tell them it’ll cost them if they don’t come get this F-ing–” She paused to consider. “–This F-ing Jon out of me!”\n\nThere was a fat pause on the radio then, “Yes ma’am. A team is on the way.”\n\nShe hung up and listened to squeaky sobbing coming from the bathtub for 48 seconds, before the noise of helicopter blades drowned it out…\n\nNot a bad response time, she thought." ]	2
[WP] You are an ambassador for the galactic empire sent to explore a planet emitting strange signals. Upon investigation you find that the planet is covered in the largest lifeforms ever found.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Start Report.\n\nHello to whoever is reading this. I am Agent ᔑリ⊣ᒷꖎ of the Dipteran region. I am a spy for the galactic empire. Now, before I made my way to this planet, I must inform you that the signals emitted from it are deadly. None of us know what it is exactly but we know and recognise that it is not some sort of \"Magic Power\" but more like an Electronic Signal. Before we commenced the operation, the space research department had conducted a few signal tests and have found that these mystery signals came from the planet known intergalactically as \"Tellus-1321\" coming from the galaxy, \"Latin Via Lactea\" that was assumed to be lifeless due to the massive black hole at it's center. These signals affect majority of the Arthropedan universe, where people such as myself originally live. However, I had been chosen as my form is quite similar to a species that originates from that planet. Within the planet, there seem to be a lot of plant life and the surprising fact that this world had the rare gas known as Dioxide. I was thankful that it had water on it too. That was nice, I suppose. It helped out whenever I needed new fuel or liquid to drink. The point is, the creatures there are huge. They looked like those from the Cercopithecidaen region but much much larger. From my findings, they label the signals as \"WIFI\". This seems to be an acronym for something larger. (Puns are allowed right?) However, my much larger concern are those creatures' sizes. They seem to be about the size of 200 million of us. The fact that they enslave creatures similar to us seem to be an issue as well. I have found that they have created deadly toxins that would attract one of us, such as in a hypnotic trance, and then poison us. (There are a few samples in the giant container labeled \"Bug Spray\".) I have almost lost Agent ᓵᔑꖎ⍊╎リto this and he is currently in therapy. I would highly discourage the plan by Doctor ᓵᒷꖎ╎リᔑ to befriend these monsters. I have reason to believe that they know of our existence and we must prepare to defend our galaxy by fighting back. \n\n\nEnd Report." ]	2
[WP] You discover the owners manual for your body. Apparently you have more options than you realized.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 found the book in my arm, what a weird place, right under a scab. It was filled with options like gender and body shape, or vampire or wolf man, or ultimate life form.\n\nI fiddled around a bit, gained a bobble head, you know the usual stuff. I decided to put the book away and forgot about it. I went upon my days. A few years later I remembered it again. I acted like i was unzipping a scar on my back and it just fell out. So I looked in it again and saw some new things. Stando power, ehh to weeby, wait whats that.\n\n\"Apache attack helicopter\"\n\nand so my life was forever changed.\n\nP.S. I just wrote this as a joke and put like zero effort its hilarious how dumb it sounds.", "I looked at the manual in my mind\n\nI'd found it up here while I was cleaning out some old memories of things I hadn't ever really needed to know Sherlock Holmes style. Turns out memories are interconnected but not these ones. But then I found this sort of. How do I describe this? Control panel? Psychic control panel? Yeah!\n\nIt had so many options related to metabolism and a gene activator tool. I knew exactly what I had to do to turn my life around from watching SciShow\n\nI decreased myostatin production and activated alpha-3-actinin\n\nModern man has access to an extraordinary surplus of easy calories and protein so our starvation adapted bodies naturally turn it all into fat as the metabolism slows down with age. Gotta prepare to survive that famine right? With big muscles to use all that energy though modern man aka me can make excellent use of all that energy that would otherwise be wasted and stored for a day that would never come. Modern man for the win! \n\nIncredible what a little bit of tweaking and tuning can do", "#Rooted in Fear\n\n\"Don't forget to push that new firmware out before going live Frank, the current build is unstable.\" Another weird dream, I thought to myself, coming out of a haze. It's been happening a lot lately and it's been hard to sleep. Maybe this lockdown has me going crazy.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI stepped into the bathroom reaching for the sink.\n\n\"Maybe I'll mix it up a bit today. Shower then shit, quite daring I say.\" I mumble to myself, not even knowing what day of the week it was. \n\nCRASH\n\nRight as I was about to turn and step into the shower I had slipped on a towel I forgot to put away from the day before. My head was pounding as I clambered up off of the floor.\n\n\n``` root@Human ```\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Ha. Err. What!?\" I nervously couldn't contain my disbelief at what I was staring at before me. What looked most like a terminal was displayed in front of my very eyes, just kind of floating there.\n\nI placed my shaking hands on the terminal and instinctively I typed my first command: ```ls``` \n\n```Desktop``` ```Documents``` ```Downloads``` ```Memories``` ```Accolades```\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI stepped back for a moment and just stood there. Thinking. Maybe it was too much coffee? Not getting enough sleep? Yeah that must've been it! I thought to myself, closing my eyes as hard as I could, determined that when I open them, the mystery terminal would be gone.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI squinted, one eye slowly opening and....\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYup, still there. I let out a long sigh.\n\n\"Well, I might as well make the most of it.\" I audibly said whilst once again reaching for the terminal.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nFor what felt like hours I was just fiddling with the terminal, trying my hardest to remember all of the commands I could when I finally decided I'd done with it.\n\n\"Ha ha! You know imagine if-\" ```apt-get install Karate```\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Oh. I know Kung Fu.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\n---\n\n/r/Camel_Writes", "The heavy book rested open on the table in front of me. I wasn’t supposed to have it. The introduction itself mentioned « If such occurrence were to happen, warranty would become null and void ». The whole manual referred to me as it would a fancy toy or expensive doll, that felt like a void in my mind the first few times but still I continued reading I quickly browsed through the « general settings » section until I found what I searched for. I expected « gender and sex » to be a simple paragraph hidden somewhere but what I found was a full chapter. I obeyed the general instructions and summoned the control panel. My left arm became covered in gauges sliders and buttons. I continued reading « most users » the manual said « rather have their humans in one of the 2 preset options, if it is your case, just push the corresponding button at the base of the thumb and skip the rest of this chapter ». I looked at my hand, on my thumb as promised there where three buttons « male », « female » and « custom ». The manual explained this third button unlocked all the other settings before detailing what each and every one did. Some dials changed a simple numeric value like testosterone level or involvement in one’s gender, others had a more nebulous function and the manual itself had trouble describing their use with only words and schematics. I tried fiddling with all of these controls for a while. As I pushed buttons and turned dials I could sense my body and mind shifting. I made sure to put everything back in the original position before i continued my reading. The next few paragraphs were a list of « popular custom configurations » meant to help the « users » in creating the settings they wanted. As my eyes scanned the page they stopped on a particular picture. This example matched almost exactly my own settings with only a few deviations in the « body » settings. I looked at the configuration and saw the picture was titled with a single word: « genderfluid »" ]	5
[WP] You are the one the very best of the best go to when even they can’t take someone out. Some people might consider what you do unethical but you see it as cleaning up trash. You are the IRS’s top agent.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Despite everything she had done to cover her tracks, the digital trail was clear. You only had to know where to look, and how.\n\nIt was 4:13 a.m. local time when I arrived in Monte Hermoso, a small seaside resort town south of Buenos Aires. I parked by the road to the Faro Recalada lighthouse and waited.\n\nShe arrived at 5:47 a.m. on her bicycle, locked it to the fence and began to stretch for her morning run. Typical, I thought. These guys go to such great lengths to disappear, then quickly take up the same old predictable habits.\n\nI walked up in my jogging suit and placed the gun to her temple. \"Delores Delacruz, I presume?\"\n\nShe froze. \"How did you find me?\"\n\n\"There were plenty of clues, Miss Delacruz, but as for low-hanging fruit, you were still using your Amazon Prime Visa.\"\n\n\"But I was earning so many points!\" she protested, as I squeezed the trigger." ]	2
[WP] I used to have nightmares of my house and neighbourhood burning down. Then I wrote a story about it happening to someone else, and no more nightmares. Except that person now dreams of fires instead...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Two weeks later, I woke to the sound of screaming and the smell of smoke as my dad kicked each door down to grab my mom, my siblings and I. We stood on the lawn as we helplessly watched our hourse burned.\n\nFirefighters came shortly afterward, but \"shortly afterward\" was still too late to save most of our things.\n\nCops came, too, and they interrogated us briefly, and separately, trying to figure out if we had been playing around and accidentally burned the house down, or if my parents had intentionally burned the house down for insurance money.\n\nI guess all of our stories checked out because the officers started talking with Mom and Dad about anybody that could have potentially held any grudge against them.\n\nAs they talked, I broke away and walked through the charred remains of what had used to be our house. As I sifted through the ashes, I found the crispy remains of my tattered notebook. On the pages that were barely legible I could see the nightmares of fire I had wrote about. \n\nOne page even said: \"Last night I had a dream that someone came and burned the house down.\" \n\nThe rest of the page was burnt so I couldn't read the rest of what I had wrote.\n\nI looked up and found one of the cops watching me suspiciously. I turned away quickly - too quickly - and he started to come over. My heart pounded in tune to every crunch of his boot.\n\n\"What's that in your hand?\" he asked, reaching his hand out like someone that was used to taking things from people without permission. \n\nCowed by his authorative demeanor, badge, towering body and mean scowl, I handed it over, trembling as if I was guilty of something. \n\nHe took the page and read it in one glance. Then his eagle eyes were back on me like I was a lone fish he was about to swoop in on. \"When'd you write this?\"\n\n\"I-I don't remember...\"\n\n\"Hey!\" I felt relief flood through me at the sound of Dad's voice. He came over, frowning at the large man standing over me - cop or not. He stood by me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders protectively, tucking me into his side as he faced the cop. \"Is there a problem here, officer?\"\n\nThe cop flashed a grin that made him looked like a wild wolf in the dark moonlight. \"No, sir. It just looks like one of your daughter's nightmares came true.\" He held up the paper of my notebook.\n\n\"Okay, but are you trying to imply something?\" I could hear the edge in Dad's voice and I felt the energy thicken around him like when he watched sports and his team was either losing or had made a bad play. At any moment now, he was about to explode.\n\nI was scared for him. The cop had a gun. Daddy did not. The best case scenario, if they fought, Dad would go to jail. Worst case... I didn't even want to think about it.\n\nAfter what could have only been a tense stare down, the cop said, \"No. Not at all.\" His predatory eyes found mine, and he flashed me another subtle smirk as he crumpled the paper into a ball, and dropped it on the ground.\n\nWhistling casually, he nonchalantly rested his hand on his gun as he turned back to meet Dad's eyes then touched the brim of his hat and strolled away.", "My friends and I were playing a card game,all laughing and enjoying ourselves. My parents were supervising us, but they happened to be in the basement getting food for Dinner. All of a sudden a fire alarm went off, at first we were calm, we though at first it was just a false alarm, maybe it was the ham in the oven, nevertheless we tried to exit the house. I was the first person to saunter to the front door, but I smelled the distinct smell of smoke, soon as the others smelled smoke, there was chaos. There was panicked screaming and yelling, I was just barely able to open the scalding front door, and I struggled through the hot flames. I managed to get through the flames, but my skin felt searing hot, and I was completely and utterly exhausted. I looked back to my two story, 3 bedroom house, and I saw no one coming out of the flaming, burnt, crisp of a house. \n\nI suddenly awoke in a cold sweat, I had an empty feeling in my stomach. “Calm down, calm down” I yelled at myself. I’ve had that dream for many years now, my family, my loving Mother and hardworking Father, along with my close circle of neighbors, all burnt to ash. Everyday I hope to be rid of that horrid nightmare, but everyday the nightmare comes back. I had recently had a horrid argument with my best friend, and I still hated him for insulting my dead family. In a bout of immaturity, I decided to write in every excruciating detail about my dream. At the end of the book I wrote “to my former best friend, John”. I snuck it on to his doorstep, and left it there. Mysteriously, that night my nightmares went away. The morning I woke up it, was one of the most joyous mornings in my entire life. One week later John came to me and said “Larson I’ve been having these horrible nightmares, ever since I found a mysterious book on my doorstep”.\n\nFirst ever attempt at a writing prompt, I would love some constructive criticism.", "Alison sat across from me on the couch tapping her fingers against her thighs while retelling a dream.\n\n“...and as my house burns behind me I grab the gas can and douse every house on the block. These enormous clouds of dark smoke start gushing from every window—I knew everyone inside burned to death,” Alison said.\n\nMy stomach churned as I heard it How could it be so similar to my own? The very dream had been reoccurring to me for days in a row until it abruptly stopped yesterday. Writing about the dream seemed to help me out.\n\nI asked her how the dream felt if it reminded her of anything in her daily life, such as her relationships with the neighbors.\n\nAlison shook her head. “It was like nothing I’ve dreamt before. I was lucid the whole time—I knew it was a dream—but I couldn’t control what happened.” She lifted her arms up and down. “Like I was tied up with puppet strings ad some sick puppeteer pulled me around.” She rubbed her arms. “Have you ever had a dream like that, Dr. Lindsay?”\n\nI told Alison that I had felt out of control in my dreams before, even felt like someone else controlled my actions, and feeling that way in a dream can mean you feel that way in daily life. I didn’t want to make the session about me.\n\n“That isn’t what I mean exactly,” she said. “But it’s okay. I’ll think about it and ask you again next week.” She smiled without showing her teeth, her mouth falling back into a slight frown after she turned away from me.\n\n“Same time next week,” I said.\n\nAs Alison left the room I decided that dream journaling might help her. I’d suggest it next week.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nDark rings encircled Alison’s eyes and she sat slumped on the couch.\n\n“My husband, David, found me standing in the kitchen near the back door. He said it looked like I was pretending to water flowers, the way I had my hand out like I had a watering pail.” Alison’s mouth quivered, but she pulled in her bottom lip and bit down before continuing to talk. “I’m trapped... They tested me for narcolepsy because it kept happening, different things even. I mean, at work my students rushed out to get another teacher because I dumped my coffee on a piece of paper then tried to ignite it over a Bunsen burner.”\n\n“That must have been very frightening,” I said. I shifted my shirt and thought to adjust the thermostat when Alison left. The room felt hot.\n\n“I’m dreaming when it happens, you know that? I’m burning those houses. I can smell the smoke, I wake up coughing, my skin is hot to the touch. Is something wrong with me?”\n\nI suggested some meditation exercises as it was obvious she was overwhelmed, but she shot down anything that involved closing her eyes. After she calmed, I decided I would make the suggestion for her to write away her dreams.\n\n“Perhaps you should write down your dreams. That could help you gain a sense of control.”\n\nWithout a word, she opened her phone and handed it to me. Dozens of dreams were written down, progressively they had more detail, more emotion in them, more people involved. The houses burned without ever crumbling, no dead body was ever seen, she never knew why she started burning the houses. Clearly it wasn’t helping.\n\n“I shared my dreams on a forum I go on,” Alison said. “They suggested I start doing reality checks, that maybe it would help me wake up. I know when I’m dreaming, but I figured it was worth a try. There are certain signs so you can tell that you’re dreaming like the lights don’t work, you have six fingers, you can push your finger through your palm... None of that helps in my dreams. It’s real. It’s all real.”\n\nI tried to assure her that her dreams were exceptionally vivid and nothing else. Encouraging her to see another sleep doctor for a second opinion seemed to give her some relief, too.\n\n“Maybe a second opinion would be a good idea,” she said. “Maybe they use didn’t catch it happening or there was a mistake.” A real smile this time.\n\n“Next week. Same time,” I said.\n\n“I’ll bring you good news,” she said.\n\nA faint waft of smoke hit me as she left the office.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThe dreams of burning homes came back to me after that session. Though the lack of sleep bothered me—I woke up continuously, sweating, coughing, and even sleepwalking—I was more concerned with why the dreams returned. What had happened that would rekindle the dreams?\n\nUnable to sleep, I decided to write down my thoughts, try to get the dream out of my head once again. I detailed the dream and made connections to Alison and her life and mine.\n\nAfter getting down all my thoughts, I felt relaxed enough to sleep.\n\nI woke up in the kitchen, holding a book of matches.\n\nWhat more could I do?\n\nI returned to my desk, exhausted and too frightened to sleep. I tried to write more of the dream but the details blended and drifted away into a strange story that put me right to bed. The story ended with Alison igniting the whole world in flame.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nAlison did not show up to her next appointment and, just as I was about to call her, I received a phone call. It was her number, but David spoke.\n\n“Hi, is this Dr. Lindsay?” David said.\n\nI said yes and listened to David tell me the terrible news. Choked up, he told me that Alison had passed away during a sleep study, that the building caught fire and no one made it out alive.\n\nAfter the call ended, I sank into my chair and quietly wept before making the decision to cancel my patients for the remainder of the day.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nIt took less than a month for the dream to consume Alison, and I fear the same will happen to me. I don’t know why it left me before and I don’t know why it came back.\n\nI went onto the forum that Alison had logged her dreams, desperate to read and research the dream, t prevent the same fate she suffered, to save the others it may happen to.\n\nThe most popular thread was the “Burning House Dream” thread posted two weeks ago. Alison’s dream was pinned at the top. Below were hundreds of pages of ongoing discussion, each person reporting the same dream. I had to tell them what happened." ]	4
[WP] A fallen angel banished to earth who now lives a normal life finds the demon lord in his apartment playing Switch. The demon lord abandoned his post and is now disguised as a teenager.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Ugh. Was I still drunk? What was that noise? My brain was throbbing against my skull and whatever that cartoon music was, it was like a dozen ice picks stabbing me in the temples over and over. It was super annoying.\n\nI winced from the piercing bright beam of light that struck me in the face when I emerged from my nest of blankets. I think I am incredibly hungover. Yeah, that sounds about right. I nearly tripped over several discarded wine bottles as I made the journey across my bedroom to shut the curtain.\n\nWhen I was first cast out of Heaven, I tried to live sin-free. I tried to be good so maybe I could eventually win my way back into His graces, but yeah... that didn't last long. Earth sucks. The only thing here was pain. No wonder humans are such easily corruptible beings.\n\nApparently the noise wasn't just in my head. So good news, I wasn't completely insane. Bad news, a demon was playing Mario Kart in my living room.\n\nI let out a loud curse when I saw him.\n\n\"When did you get such a dirty mouth, Harmony?\" The demon questioned. \"I like it.\" He winked at me. His current form was a fifteen year old boy in a 'devils' Letterman jacket so that made the flirtatious gesture even more uncomfortable.\n\n\"Balthazar... you're a demon lord. It's against the rules for you to be on this plane...\" I frowned at him. \"Why are you here?\"\n\nHe shrugged with a cocky smirk. \"How did following the rules work out for you, Chicken Wings?\"\n\nI grit my teeth and glared at him. \"Get out of my apartment or I'll-\"\n\nHe set his game aside. \"You'll do what?\" He challenged. \"You're going to tell on me? Tell who? You've been cast out of Heaven. No one has your back anymore. You are damned. You are completely alone.\"\n\nMy eyes burned with tears but I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood to hold them back. I wasn't about to cry in front of the Demon Prince of the Wrath Circle of Hell. Instead I walked over to my white grand piano and took a generous swig of the bottle of vodka resting on top. I ran my fingers across the keys, playing nothing and everything all at the same time.\n\nBalthazar slid onto the bench beside me just listening to the music. \"Your music has changed. There is pain and anger radiating in every note. Your music was beautiful before but now...it's haunting...\" His eyes were distant for a moment before he shook off whatever had been on his mind. \"I am actually impressed that you've made it on Earth for so long. Most Fallen turn to Hell begging to be let in almost immediately. Not you though.\" He reached and pushed my hair off my neck. His fingers lingering across my skin sending cold shivers of dread through me.\n\nI stopped playing and shoved him back. \"Do not touch me.\" I growled at him. \"Enough games. Tell me why you are here.\" I demanded.\n\nHe just smirked. \"Isn't it obvious? I am here for you.\"\n\n\"You're...what?!\" I shook my head. \"I am not going anyway with you!\"\n\n\"You have a lot to be angry about, Harmony. You were one of Heaven's most beloved muses, but when you fell in love with a human musician they condemned you for it. They cast you out for trying to save your beloved artist from taking his own life. You risked everything when you directly interfered but it wasn't enough. It was too late. You lost him. You lost his soul and you lost your innocence. You lost everything for nothing.\"\n\n\"Stop it...\" I pleaded as he backed me against the wall.\n\n\"I can feel your anger. It radiates in every fiber of your being. They betrayed you. They wronged you, when all you wanted was to be loved. You want them to hurt like they've hurt you. You deserve to have vengeance for all you've gone through.\" He told me as he reached out and caressed my face. \"I can help you get that. All it will take is a signature.\"\n\n\"I am not signing my soul to you.\" I told him quietly. This wasn't the first attempt by a demon to a make a deal with me for my soul. Lately, they have just been letting me 'wallow in my own sin' as I spent my days drinking.\n\nHe rolled his eyes. \"You think you are going to get a better deal from those imps that have been sniffing around you? I can get you vengeance and Hell really isn't that bad. Well, for demons and the Fallen, it's not bad. You won't be in constant turmoil like you are here. Besides, I will make you a queen. My queen.\"\n\n\"Whoa! There is no fu-\" He cut me off as he roughly wrapped his hand around my throat.\n\n\"You want your human lover? I can arrange that.\" He whispered in my ear.\n\nMy heart skipped a beat. If he would let me see Simon, maybe- no. No. Don't even go down that road. Balthazar was manipulative. He would never give me the things I wanted. This was all about what he wanted and for some reason he had decided he wanted me as a mate.\n\n\"I will never sign my soul to you!\" I snapped sharply.\n\nHis eyes turned red as he looked into my being. It was an invasive feeling like someone walking in on you trying on swimsuits or reading your diary. For a second I thought he was going to physically rip my soul out but he just let out a dark chuckle and released me. \"You think this world hurts? You haven't seen anything yet, my little dove. You will be begging me to take your soul soon enough.\"\n\nHe blew me a kiss before disappearing in a puff of smoke. I frowned as I notice he had left scorch marks on my white marble floor.\n\nUgh, where did I leave that vodka bottle?", "They couldn’t remember how long since it happened. Time in the mortal world works differently and they weren’t used to it yet.\nThe hardest was maybe the falling itself. Being thrown out of Heaven.\nHow hard and terrifying that must have been for Adam and Eve.\nBut it was the Father judgement and his Words are sacred, even the cruelest ones. They often hear humans saying ‘God works in mysterious ways' and it has never been more true.\n\nThey used to be the archangel Jophiel, the « beauty of God », patron of the art and artists.\nBut now, they were simply known as Joseph, bartender of a coffee shop in a small town.\n\nUp there, they watched humans from time to time. How they live, work, move, talk... just out of curiosity.\nMaybe that was it. Maybe that was because of this.\n\"Curiosity killed the cat\" they say and it certainly cut their wings.\n\nJophiel, or Joseph, managed to get what humans called an apartment. A place where they could live, have some rest and learn some basic human skills like eating and sleeping.\nAt least, if watching humans for too long was Jophiel’s sin, it has been helpful since the falling. There were so much things to do and learn.\n\nJoseph’s shift at the coffee shop was over and they were exhausted. Thankfully, the place they have to call « home » now wasn’t so far away.\nAs usual, they opened the large door and enter the building.\nAs usual, they took the stairs up to their place.\nAnd as usual, Joseph would find a quiet, dark room. Because of the falling, they could not speak with other angels now.\nThe silence and loneliness was terrifying.\n\nAs soon as Joseph enters their apartment, there were something unusual.\nJoseph paused for a moment, frightened or maybe confused.\nApart from his job, they never really get to have conversations with other mortal beings.\nAnd then, the smell was striking. Sulfur. Rot.\nThey could see its aura, it’s dark, nasty, devilish aura.\n\nA teenage boy was sitting on the couch with this device in hands Joseph had seen some humans use for entertainment.\nThe kid turn his head with a broad smile.\n-« Hello! », he said, joining his hand to the words, « want some company? »\n\nJoseph was flabbergasted. Not a single words could come out of their mouth.\n« What? », said the kid frowning his brows.\n« Get out of here! You are not welcome in this place! », screamed Joseph.\nWhy in the world the Devil would be in their apartment?\n\nJoseph quickly moved to grab a small bottle of Holy Water on a piece of furniture.\nOf course, they could not abandon some stuff from their former life.\n\nAs he was ready to spread it on the Devil, the demon-turned human kid stood, hands up.\n« Whoa, whoa! Hold on! Really, mate? That’s how you handle your guests? »\n\nJoseph was confused, scared, angry and lots of other feelings they couldn’t even describe.\nThey watched the kid before them, froze for a second then splashed the Holy Water on him.\n« The power of God compels you! », Joseph yelled as they were spreading the water vigorously.\n« No.Please...! Stop... », said the kid being sarcastic, «sorry to disappoint but seems like you lost your mojo, friend », he continued, amused.\n\nJoseph fall in the ground, desperate. Not only they fell from Heaven but they cannot even banish demons.\n\nThe Demon Lord saw the despair in his playfellow.\n« C’mon! You do realize you’re gonna need a bit more than this for me buddy? »\nHelpless, Joseph asked the demon:\n« What are you doing here...? »\n« Well! I wanted some vacation too! », the demon replied, wiping the remaining water off his face.\nJoseph was irritated and upset. They got up led by anger.\n« Do you think this is some kind of vacation? I have been banished!! »\n« Boo-hoo, answered the demon mocking the poor Joseph, seems like your Father is one of the severe kind. I get that, mine’s too! »\n\nJoseph was infuriated. Demons always had this some sort of attitude. It was in their nature. But Joseph could not have none of it.\n\n« C’mon buddy, why are you complaining? You get to have money, you get to have your very own place and oh! Coffee! Aren’t you living your best life? »\n« I’m an angel, I should not live in the mortal world. It is not a vacation, it is my punishment. », Joseph replies quietly.\nThe Demon rolled his eyes, annoyed.\n« You angels always are such drama queens! Listen Jo. Can I call you Jo?, he asked in a rhetorical way, well listen Jo, in heaven you had to obey God and be good, and benevolent and blah and blah and blah... but for what? Nothing. Sure in here you had this quite delicious looking boss who can be some sort of b*tch at times but hey! At least you are now free! »\n\nJoseph raised an eyebrow.\n« Oh, you are gonna love it, bro! », the demon continued, a customer is getting on your nerves? Well spit in his coffee! You don’t like your coworkers? Make sure they know how feel! »\n« I-I... », Joseph was confused on so many levels.\nThey do realize what the demon was trying to do. What he always does: seducing people to commit sins.\n-« I shall not sin... », Joseph eventually said.\n-« Seems like you already did », said the Devil with malice in his eyes.\nOh how much he enjoyed watching the poor fallen angel struggling with their new mortal life and their sacred beliefs.\n\n«Well, while you still cry over yourself, you Father and who knows what else, I have this Pokémon game still on, so if you will excuuuse me! » he said, twisting on his heels and to the couch behind.\n« Hand me over the Doritos, will ya? »" ]	3
[WP] The poison princess, a poor girl who's entire being is poison itself, is forever locked in a tower for she is the deadliest weapon in her kingdom. No one knows of her existence for the very air she breathes is toxic. And then one day a thief manages to break into her tower, without dying.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 grin crossed my face as I felt that oh-so-familiar little clank of the final lock on the central chamber pop open. I slotted my tools back into their case at my belt, and brushed off the mossy grime from scaling the outside of the tower.\n\nI was about to push through the door when I caught a scent. It was faint, but to me unmistakable - the floral petrichor of a toxin known as midnight's breath. An inhalant, distilled from the darkest of shadows, and extremely dangerous to work with. The barest whiff will send a target into a choking catatonia, rendering them unable to speak or move within seconds. Whatever was in here, it was worth protecting.\n\nLucky for me, I was well acquainted with midnight's breath - it was my poison of choice back when I was still working as an assassin, and I'd developed quite a tolerance over the years. Still, it was worth being cautious, so I tugged up the enchanted mask I always wore, covering my mouth and nose before I stepped into the large chamber.\n\nIt was... not what I'd expected. The air hung thick and heavy, almost murky with the toxin I'd smelled. Massive shelves lined the walls, stretching up the the vaulted ceiling and sagging under the weight of thousands of books. There was a large bed on one side, cloaked in a silk canopy, with two small, thick windows flanking it. And in the center of the chamber, cross-legged on the floor, was a woman.\n\nShe looked up at me as I entered, and panic filled her eyes. I put my hands up, trying to indicate I wasn't a threat, but she broke into tears.\n\n\"Please! You have to get out!\" she said, her voice hoarse between stifled sobs, \"It's not safe!\"\n\n\"You mean the poison?\" I asked, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.\n\nAt this, she stopped, staring at me with dark eyes that glimmered unnaturally. Panic was replaced by confusion, and she wiped the tears from her face.\n\n\"How are you not... dead?\" she asked, and I realized her voice had not been hoarse from the crying, but instead from disuse.\n\n\"I'm well acquainted with midnight's breath,\" I replied, still unclear on what exactly to do, \"How are you not dead?\"\n\nInstead of a reply, she pursed her lips and blew out an inky black stream of air, thicker than any cloud of toxin I'd blown into one politician's face or another. It was deeply unnerving, to say the least.\n\n\"I am the poison.\" she said simply, face downcast as she said it.\n\nUnsure of myself, I simply considered her for a moment. Though sitting on the floor, I could tell she was tall, and her mane of tangled black hair reached almost to the ground. Her simple clothes were somewhat tattered, revealing purplish black veins that spiderwebbed her skin, just peeking out from the ripped edges. And her eyes... they matched the swirling black of the poisonous breath she drew, as if tiny windows into a great abyss.\n\n\"I uh, thought this place was abandoned,\" I spoke the only sentence I could find amongst the confusion and surprise.\n\n\"It is abandoned,\" she replied, closing the book in her lap and standing, \"It has been since they put me here.\"\n\nAt this, my mind began connecting the dots. I hadn't been able to make out the small crests emblazoned on the front of the tower, but now I realized what the were - the crest of the royal line - the mark of the king.\n\n\"So you've always... been like this?\" I asked, \"The court put you here?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" she eyed me intently, as if trying to figure out what I was, \"They told me they had to, that I couldn't ever be safe for the kingdom. Are you a thief?\"\n\n\"That I am,\" I couldn't help but smile a bit beneath my mask, and there seemed no point in being dishonest, \"I figured this tower was some kind of old, hidden relic. Thought it was worth a shot.\"\n\n\"Well I'm not sure there's much here you'd be interested in,\" she cast her gaze around the room at this, \"They made sure there was nothing for me to escape. But I suppose a thief is better than those idiot knights who keep stumbling across this place.\"\n\n\"So other people have been here?\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" she said this almost despondently, once again looking down at the floor, \"They usually don't even make it halfway up the stairs.\"\n\n\\[Pt. 2 at some point\\]", "Letha jumped as the door handle jiggled. Who--?\n\nSomething banged once against the door, and she had to stifle a scream. The door banged again, and this time it flung upon, creaking loudly on its rusted hinges. A figure swathed in dark clothes cried out, \"Wah!\" as they tumbled into the small room.\n\nLetha hastily gathered her legs beneath her and scrambled back, tangling her feet in the blankets on her bed and nearly tripping over her pillow. \"Get away!\" she demanded as the stranger pushed themselves to hands and knees then grabbed the back of the wooden chair to help stand. \"I said get out!\" Letha went on, picking up her pillow and throwing it down upon the intruder. \"Please, you're in danger!\"\n\n\"Oh, calm down,\" the figure said, and though the voice was muffled by the thick cloth around their face, it sounded particularly feminine. Hazel eyes gleamed in the light of the candle sitting upon the desk next to the open door. \"Get off the bed and put some clothes on. Unless you want to be rescued in unicorn pajamas.\"\n\n\"Rescued?\" Letha asked, plopping to her knees upon the rumpled bedspread. \"But I'm not... I'm here to protect my kingdom. I'm... you see, I'm.... Why aren't you dying?\"\n\nThe intruder snorted and tugged the face cloth off her face. She was young, about Letha's age, just cresting the peak between teenager and adult. She had a small nose and a wide grin and sarcastic eyes, all in perfect opposition to Letha's large nose, rosebud lips, and plaintive blue eyes. \n\n\"Do you greet all your guests this way?\" the girl asked, raising one of her heavy black eyebrows. \n\nShaking her head, Letha pressed, \"No, I didn't mean...! Well... I don't ever receive guests. There are signs everywhere...\" She gestured to the three crescent moons situated outward-facing in a triangle that has been painted on the outside of the door. \"People know to stay away.\"\n\nGlancing at the sign, the girl just shrugged.\n\n\"Who _are_ you?\" Letha asked incredulously. \n\n\"Amelior, at your service, milady,\" the girl said with an exaggerated affectation as she twirled her hand twice in the air and bowed flamboyantly. \"And I am the key to the kingdom's problems. You see, whereas you are the poison, _I_--\" She pointed both index fingers toward her shoulders, striking a pose. \"--am the cure!\"\n\nLetha's eyes went wide. \"You mean you're like me?\"\n\n\"Well, opposite, really, but yes.\" Amelior propped her fists on her narrow hips, grinning broadly. \"And I propose a deal! You see, I just escaped a tower of my own, where I was being used as a means of providing an endless supply of healing properties to the royal court.\"\n\nLetha blinked. \"But using your abilities to help people is good!\"\n\n\"Right, you're brainwashed to think that being locked in a single room for your entire life without even access to a mirror is okay for the 'greater good,'\" Amelior drawled, hooking her fingers into gratuitous air quotes. \"Well, I happen to think that slavery is bad, and eternal imprisonment is boring. I go where I please! So are you with me?\"\n\n\"Well...\" Letha deliberated anxiously, chewing her fingernails. \"You mentioned a deal....?\"\n\n\"Right. I will mitigate your poison with my cure,\" the woman rushed, turning to pace excitedly, \"so that you can, you know, see the world and stuff. But you keep people from capturing me to stick in towers as their personal Full Revive potion. Like... just spit on them or something. What do ya say? Friends?\" She stopped in front of the bed, eyes wide with glee, and stuck out a hand for a handshake.\n\nLetha chewed her nails. \"Well... I must admit, it sounds tempting... and... well, I've never had a friend before...\"\n\n\"I will take that as a yes. Now come on! Get dressed!\"\n\n\"But I am quite comfortable already...\"\n\n\"Unicorn pajama rescue it is, then. My pegasus will disapprove.\"\n\nLetha's face broke into wild excitement as Amelior left the room." ]	3
[WP] You're a successful assassin known to be reliable on the dark web, but no one knows your true identity. A new message, a new hit. Big money. You ask the details. Your own real name and address are sent to you. "Any means necessary."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Work had been quiet for a few days. It was no surprise, really, as it was the long summer weekend. But today was different; it was Tuesday and a new message was posted up. A new hit. This side hustle paid well.\n\nI was the top assassin and known for my discreet nature, yet also being able to get the job done quickly – it was usually less than twelve hours after receiving the message before the person was dead; word had got around about how quickly I could achieve results. No-one knew who I was, I just did what was needed. I contacted the poster of the message and enquired for the details – the name and address.\n\nThe posted pinged back instantly. It was a little _too_ quick for my liking. But I opened it immediately and read: ‘Bob Kutch, 7 Lang Trail’. This was me. My house. I lived alone so the fear was palpable. Then, within a second, another message followed: ‘Any means necessary’. I shuddered.\n\nI needed to find out who sent this message. _Could I fake my own death? Does the sender know it’s me?_ _Why me? Have I gone too far?_ _Can I say no? Am I in danger?_\n\nLuckily, I was in the middle of moving to a new house, so most of my possessions were packed up and ready to go; I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick around for long with someone knowing my address.\n\n--\n\nThere was a knock at the door within seconds of me processing the message. It was my twin brother – we had a strange dynamic. He got jealous of me a while ago and never really let it go, so things stayed awkward – he had a lot of anger towards me.\n\n“Ah, Tobias! How are you?”\n\n“Hey Bobbie, I’m good!”\n\nMost people called me Bob but Tobias was different and didn’t like to abbreviate names. He did call me Bob when introducing me to others, so that was some consolation.\n\n“What are you doing today?”, Tobias asked me, as if enquiring about my day off. He didn’t know I was a secret assassin, he just thought I worked a private detective figuring out whether spouses were having affairs; the mediocre life problems that required me to sit in my car and take photos from a distance.\n\nI didn’t want to tell Tobias I had a new hit, but I also knew that I needed to do something to keep up my track record, so had to brush him off quickly.\n\n“Ah, you know”, I hoped I could think of something quick while was stood on the doorstep, “paperwork”.\n\n“Paperwork?”, he asked, oddly, as if there was something else I should have been doing.\n\n“Yeah”, I looked around, trying to find something to move the conversation on to.\n\n“Well, if you say so”, Tobias said, “anyway, I just came to bring you these”.\n\nHe moved to the side and showed me the several ready-to-fold cardboard boxes.\n\n“Perfect, thanks!”\n\n“Don’t mention it, want me to bring them in and help you pack?”, he asked. I knew I hadn’t clicked off the message so couldn’t let him. It was also bizarre for him to be nice to me.\n\n“No, no, it’s fine, I’ve got them. Thanks, though.”\n\nI picked up the cardboard boxes and moved them into the doorway.\n\n“Sure, no worries. See you”, Tobias concluded. I shut the door quickly behind him as he left and went back to my laptop.\n\nI stared at my name and address; it didn’t get any easier. I had to think of something.\n\nA distraction was needed; I couldn’t focus, so I opted to begin loading some of the already packed boxes into my small estate car. It was going to take several journeys to complete the move, but luckily, it was only forty-five minutes each way.\n\nAfter three journeys, I decided to take a break – I had parked just outside my old home, realising I would have to say goodbye quicker than I anticipated.\n\nA knock at the window startled me.\n\n“Bob!”, it was Leanne from next door.\n\nNot used to having people notice me, I put down my window and spoke to her.\n\n“Leanne, nice to see you.”\n\n“We’re going to miss you, Bob, us and the family – the kids especially.”\n\n“I’m going to miss you all too. I’ve also just had some news; I’m going to have to move quicker than I anticipated.”\n\n“Why’s that?”, Leanne queried.\n\nI fumbled an excuse: “the landlord has found a new tenant”.\n\n“I do hope they’re as nice as you, Bob.”\n\nI wasn’t one for compliments so acknowledged her response. My phone pinged at the same time; one new message: ‘I’ll be watching’.\n\n“Everyone okay, Bob?”, Leanne asked. I had forgotten she was still there.\n\n“Fine, thank you”, I replied quickly, as I went to open my door, hoping she’d get the hint that I had things to do.\n\n“Jolly good, I’ll be seeing you”, Leanne replied, understanding my cue and ushering herself off back home.\n\nThe text message startled me. It was from an unknown number and I didn’t ever give out my personal details; whoever it was knew I was the assassin they messaged earlier. This caused me enough concern to transfer all my belongings over to my new house, regardless of how tired I felt.\n\n--\n\nI returned to my old house late in the evening; I had only a few hours left to complete the hit I had been requested and they said they’d be watching, so I figured out a simple plan: break the front door of its hinges so it swung loose, go inside and fire a couple of rounds of ammunition and sneak out of the back way.\n\nTo fulfil my plan, I needed to move my car to the next street, as to be discreet – I parked two streets away, where I knew the street lights were out. I saw Tobias on the other side of the road as I exited my car.\n\nHe had seen me, too, so there was no avoiding him.\n\n“Bobbie”, he shouted, “what’s wrong with your car?”.\n\n“Nothing”, I replied, coyly.\n\n“So why are you parking so far away from your house?”\n\nHe was asking me questions, but what I really wanted to know was why he was walking around my neighbourhood. He didn’t live nearby and there were no amnesties he would be interested in around these parts. He liked the fresh food from the markets.\n\nTrying not to fuel the tension between us even more, I opted for a simple reply: “just saying goodbye to a neighbour down this street”.\n\nHe seemed to be content with the excuse, so I returned to my old house and pushed the door in, breaking its hinges, making sure no-one saw me on impact. It was tough going, but it worked. I smashed a couple of windows too, for dramatic effect, feeling great sadness as destroying my once beautiful home.\n\nThen, I fired a few rounds of my gun, causing dogs to bark and ensuring that people heard the noise, and hurried out through the back way. I always made a point of messaging back on completion of my hit, so I did as I normally would and texted back: ‘Done’.\n\nI ran as fast as I could out of the neighbourhood, going through the passage way between houses, as not to be seen.\n\nI could see my car and my phone pinged: ‘Really? Are you sure about that?’\n\nThis sent shock waves through my body. There would normally be no reply.\n\nI got another text straight after from the same unknown number as earlier: ‘Nice try’.\n\nWhoever this person was knew that I was the assassin and that I hadn’t killed myself.\n\nWith my car still in sight, I hurried towards it, fearing that they might have seen me. I was frantically pressing the key to unlock the doors until I got close enough and it worked. The lights flashed.\n\nThe darkness was quickly restored after my car’s headlights faded off, though. But finally, after what felt like a long trek, I was close enough to get in, so I did and sighed a breath of relief.\n\nAs I went to turn the engine on, I felt a presence breathing down the back of my next.\n\n“Now then, _Bob Kutch of 7 Lang Trail_”, the voice said.\n\n“Tobias?”, I queried, nervously.\n\n“That’s right”, there was a pause, “and an order is an order”.\n\nHe must have known that I was the assassin; the text messages were from him.\n\n“It… was you?!”, I asked him.\n\n“It was”, he replied as I heard his phone send a message.\n\nA second later a gunshot shattered through the windscreen of my car. It hit me right in the head.\n\n---\n\nr/paulwrites", "Unlatching the small oblong box always gave Fisher goosebumps. The messages inside were clear and his missions were clear. Name. Kill. No traces. \n\nThis time his anxious anticipation soon morphed into bewilderment as he was startled by the sight of his own name scribbled on the paper laying laxly in the box. \n\nAlex Fisher. Any means necessary. \n\nThe message hung, the words reverberating against his skull. Concise and to the point. As always, he snickered. \n\nFisher was no newbie. His resume was saturated with high profile assassinations across Europe, from politicians to businessmen. Inevitably he also made some powerful enemies. \n\nHe knew the message was aimed to stun him. Tell him they were watching. Chink his sense of invincibility. They were merely flexing their muscles. Reminding him who truly runs the business. You are a pawn, and I am the Chessmaster, the voice of the director still clear in his head, years after his training. \n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\"So who are we here to discuss today?\" the director said as he confidently strode into the lush conference room. His voice was authoritative, dusting any doubt as to who runs these meetings.\n\n\"Let's start with the Americas. Chang, what do you have for me?\"\n\n\"Some good news Sir. As you all must have heard in the news, Senator Jackson was found lifeless, and the autopsy is still awaiting. We are confident, nonetheless, that the results will remain vague.\" \n\nHe proudly passed among the participants today's New York Times paper. Chang highlighted with a yellow marker the pronouncement that the circumstances of the senator's death were \"unclear.\"\n\n\"Great job, Chang,\" said the director with an approving nod. \"Let's move on to Europe. What do you have for me, Alicia?\"\n\nAlicia was aware that the subject she was about to discuss is of great personal significance for the director. Waiting a moment, she fumbled for a way to share the news. She needed to cushion the message about to befall on the director. \n\n\"Fisher just reached the Pit. A thorough analysis of his last few missions reflects characteristics of sloppiness and recklessness.\"\n\nThe director heaved a quivering sigh. For a fleeting moment his rough facade gave away to resigned melancholy. Unsurprising. Even the best reach the Pit, he reminded himself, but he did not find solace in it. \n\n\"Start Phase 1.\" His voice less confident as if unsure he made the right decision. \"Meeting adjourned, and update me as soon as Fisher contacts you.\"" ]	3
[WP] Someone has kidnapped the Princess. Unbeknownst to the Kidnapper, however, is that the Princess is hiding a monstrous (and possibly deadly) secret.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 was the perfect plan. Really, it was. Darian had to applaud himself - this wasn’t like the other times. It wasn’t like the ironworks caper, or the military coup back home. No. This, this right here? It was foolproof. And he had pulled it off perfectly. \n\n \nThe Merchant City of Tylos, with its gleaming towers and expansive ports and for all it’s love of ‘civilization’ still had its roots in the horse lords of Scarran. And some of those traditions had carried over. In this case, it was the tradition of ‘catch the bride’. \n\n \nReally. How had no one thought of it first? The daughter of the First Citizen, all up in a tower by herself waiting for her suitor to come and ‘steal’ her? It was easy, far too easy to call her out with his most noble voice, and then to tie the blonde haired vixen up and sequester her away into woolen sackcloth. \n\n \nHitch her over the side of his mount, and then ride away from Tylos like he was one of those ancient Scarrian horse bandits. Though he didn’t plan on pillaging and raiding the countryside. Oh no, this little princess of his was heading off to the Zing De Walled City. Coups were so last century - political hostages? That was where the coin was to be made! \n\n \nThe sun was going down though, and he’d need to find a place to bed down for the night. Somewhere where the Princesses whimpering cries surely wouldn’t alert anyone else.\n\n \nHe had taken more time than he’d liked finding a spot - but he was fortunate. That full moon lit up the night for him, and he had found just the perfect spot for a campfire. Hidden away from the local roads and out of the way enough that no one would find him and his hairy companion.\n\n \nWait. Hairy? Darian paused, turning to glance at the once petite woman he had bound in rope. Oh. Those claws were sharp. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHis blood splattered against the soil, and a howl echoed throughout the moonlit night.", "The castle was huge and it was guarded by the Princess's own pet dragon,yet somehow someone managed to sneak past the dragon and kidnapped the Princess.However what the kidnapper didnt know is the Princess's secret.Nobody knew what it was,they knew she had it but not what it was.When the kidnapper looked into the bag to see the Princess she was gone it was soon after the Princess arrived back at the castle she then told everyone the mighty secret.She had been alive for thousands of years.Well not really she is a ghost,and she was the first person to ever die on earth.\nYou see the year was 1982 and her town was not visible to regular human eye.Only people she chose could see the town.When everyone heard this they ran out of town as fast as they could,But then the Princess showed her true form.Out at night the princess was nowhere to be seen that was because not only was she a ghost she was a demon,the kind you see in your closet and hear under your bed.She dragged everyone close to her and started sucking there souls from there now lifeless shells know as a body.The town was then reinhabited by new people.Just for the process to start all over again and again and again,all until humanity was gone.", "The campsite was hidden, as the path was uncommon for travelers. Baldric had planned through all the possible ways this could have went, and was prepared for any failures, but it had went perfectly. He didn't even have to kill any guards, it would be morning before anyone noticed she was missing.\n\nAcross the small campfire was the princess, her arms bound and her mouth gagged. Her eyes followed Baldric, but something was wrong. Baldric quietly thought to himself, \"All of those I've taken in the past, noble or commoner have had one thing in common. They were always afraid, fearful of what might await them.\" He quietly ate his food, the princess still focused on him, \"She is looking at me like a starved wolf, waiting for a moment to strike.\"\n\nThe nearby sound of the crystal caught his attention, it was his employee, the king from another kingdom. He picked it up, and could see the king on the other side, and said, \"The job has went well. The princess is with me, and we are on our way.\"\n\nThe king said, \"Great, we are awaiting your arrival. Once she is on our lands, I'll be able to use her as leverage, and soon their kingdom will be mine.\" Someone stepped out of the woods, from the shadows and said, \"The wagon is ready, we need to move.\" Baldric deactivated the crystal and placed it back in his bag. He grabbed his gear and said to his henchmen, \"Put her in the wagon, and I don't want to see her harmed in any way. It will only take us two days to get back, so we shouldn't run into any issues.\"\n\nThey quickly had the wagon loaded, the princess was in the back with two guards. Baldric sat in the front with the driver. They road along for a few minutes, but the road led to a small checkpoint, with a few guards waiting. Baldric thought to himself, \"Its not possible, they couldn't have found out she was missing yet. This is probably something else.\" Before they reached the checkpoint, he said to the driver, \"Let me do the talking. If it goes bad, ram through them.\"\n\nThey stopped at the makeshift checkpoint, the few guards were tired and worn, they had been waiting for some time. A single lantern barely illuminated the checkpoint, and the nearby tent. One of the checkpoint guards approached and said, \"Who are you and were are you heading?\"\n\nBaldric quickly lied and said, \"We are merchants, my employer needs these to arrive before sunrise.\"\n\nOne of the guards walked along the covered wagon, but it didn't matter. The henchmen in the back had crossbows, so if they opened the back, they would quickly be taken care of.\n\nThe first guard called out to the one near the back of the wagon, \"Don't bother, its just merchants.\" He paused, \"Actually do you have any wine? The boss ran out, and we could use a few bottles.\"\n\nBaldric smiled, and said, \"Of course, let me get a box real quick.\" He hopped out and walked to the back, climbing inside. The princess hadn't moved, and the two henchmen waited for Baldric's orders, \"Wait here, remain silent. I will handle this.\" He took some of the wine from their traveling supplies and climbed back out. He walked back over and said, \"We only have three bottles, I thought we had more.\"\n\nThe guard nodded and said, \"Well the boss is in the tent, he will compensate you for the wine.\" Baldric was dreading this, as if their boss knew of Baldric, the situation could quickly turn violent.\n\nBaldric opened the tent door and stepped inside. The knight at the table was looking over maps and papers, and looked up and said, \"Merchants?\"\n\nBaldric nodded and said, \"Your men requested wine?\" He set the bottles on the desk, and went to walk out. The knight called out, \"Wait a second.\" Baldric froze, his hand on his hip, near his blade. \"I need to give you some coin for this, I can't just take your product without any payment.\" He tossed Baldric a small bag of coins, and said, \"This should cover it.\" Baldric nodded and said, \"Thank you,\" quickly leaving without checking the coins. The longer they waited, the higher the chance of them getting caught. Something on the wind caught his attention, that he couldn't place. Outside the guards were gone, missing. The driver was also no longer in his seat. The moon wasn't too bright, so perhaps he was laying back against the seat, the cover blocking the light.\n\nBaldric slowly approached, and the driver was truly gone. He quickly rushed over to the back and tossed open the back of the covered wagon. The princess was gone, but the two henchmen remained, or so Baldric thought, he quickly said, \"Where did she go?!\" One of them fell forward toward him, the light revealing a dried out husk. Baldric ran around the other side and tripped over the remains of the driver, drained like the henchmen.\n\nThe clouds began to part, allowing more moonlight. The silhouette of the princess was standing in the road. But something was off, she was different, larger. Her arms stretched past her knees, long claws dragged the ground. She turned and noticed Baldric.\n\n\nThe knight waited in the tent, the other guards sharing the bottles of wine. The long bloodstained claws pulled open the tent door. The knight looked up from his papers and said, \"Did you leave the horse alive?\" The princess in the darkness nodded, her claws shrinking. The knight said to his men, \"Get those scum out of the wagon and dispose of them. I want that wagon ready quickly.\" The men quickly jumped up and walked out the back. The princess entered, her form changed back to her old self. Dried blood was still on her hands, and on the dress." ]	4
[WP] A swarm of miniature dinosaurs has now infested the city. T-Rex’s the size of dogs, Sabertooth’s the size of a house cats, and pterodactyl’s the size of pigeons.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\\- Stop it! I don't want to drink your stupid milkshake, Alex. I'm not 12 anymore.\n\nTired of having to go out with my stupid friends, I take another bite of my burger when I see what seems to be a group of... dogs? Running towards us. I hate people who can't keep their pets in check.\n\n\\- Ruuuuuun! - Yells the waiter, while she jumps over the counter, and takes off running through the kitchen door.\n\nI am not sure what is happening but everyone is running and I am not going to be the only one that stays behind to document what happened. I start running. I look back and they are not fucking dogs. I take off my hills and speed up. In the chaos, I've lost Alex. Part of me, wants to stop and look for him, but part of me doesn't want to be dinner. I will figure Alex out when I am safe.\n\nI get to the elevator. There are people everywhere. Having a metal box around me at this moment sounds like a good idea, but I can't wait. I go for the stairs. I start running up the stairs while looking for my car keys. I'm losing my breath, but I keep pushing. This is not the time to faint. I get to the 5th floor, swing the door opened and there it is. I run towards my car, and from up here, the view is terrifying. There's blood everywhere. The mall food court looks like a lake full of piranha. They are fucking tiny dinosaurs and they are everywhere.\n\nI get in, turns the engine on, and drive.\n\n\\- Ok, Google. Call Alex.\n\nI keep accelerating while going down. The phone keeps ringing but nobody answers.\n\nI am almost on the second floor and I can see the line of cars from here. I can feel my heart pumping in my mouth and the yelling and screaming are driving me crazy. The noises start to intensify. Without thinking, I put on the reverse and get out of the line. I hit the gas and fly from the second floor into the street, the impact disorients me and the noise seems to attract the tiny beasts. However, I never remove my feet from the gas.\n\nIn front of me, there's a group of the diabolic creatures, eating something. I look up and accelerate. I never step on the breaks until I make it home. I get into the garage and close the door. I take a deep breath and I finally step out of the car.\n\n\\- Ouch! - My feet are killing me.\n\n\\- What was that? Who is there? - I say out loud. I looked around and grab a metal rod.\n\nI circle around my car and the beaten-down beast jump on me. I make a single swing that connects right in the middle of the beast's chest. The tiny T-rex falls to the floor and stops moving.\n\nWhat am I going to do? I think for a while and even though it feels wrong I know that's my only option. I drag her body to the kitchen and grab my chopping knife. I start chopping and I realize the meat has a very interesting consistency. I wonder how it would taste." ]	2
[WP] You've been caring for your WWII vet grandfather, who always goes to bed with a gun. "I stopped them but they got away... Someday they'll be back for me!" You always thought he was senile, but one day you hear angry German from outside the window.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 slowly walked out of the room, holding the ancient pistol in front of me. \n\n“Hold on a minute! Where’s my gun?” The voice, once strong but now frail, stopped me in my tracks.\n\n“Gregory, bring me back my gun,” my grandfather warned me.\n\nI sighed and turned around. “Grandpa, you can’t sleep with a gun under your pillow. It’s not safe,” I insisted, knowing it was futile. We had this same discussion almost every day, and it almost always ended the same way.\n\n“They’re coming back for me, Gregory. I just know it,” he said, gazing out the window from his bed. “I didn’t survive the war just to die in the middle of the night.”\n\n“Grandpa, it’s just an early afternoon nap. You’ll be fine without it.”\n\nHe turned to look at me, and I knew by the stubborn expression on his face that I would not win this fight.\n\nI sighed. “Fine. But I’m not cleaning the mess up when it goes off,” I said, handing him the gun.\n\n“You won’t have to, Gregory,” he said enigmatically.\n\nI shook my head in mock disgust. I loved my grandfather; he was a war hero and a brilliant man. Unfortunately, he could also be a stubborn ass, a trait that he insisted I inherited from him.\n\n“Go to sleep, Grandpa,” I said, turning to walk out the room again.\n\n“Amerikaner!”\n\nA new voice, shaky with a hint of steel underneath like my grandpa’s, rang out from the window and I froze.\n\nIs this really happening?\n\n“Amerikaner! Bist du da?”\n\n“I knew it!” My grandpa yelled as he sprung out of bed, newly revitalized with the energy of youth. “He’s here!”\n\nBefore I could even form a coherent thought, he grabbed the gun from underneath his pillow and sprinted outside, shoving me aside along the way.\n\n“Wait! Grandpa!” I ran after him, but he was surprisingly spritely for a mostly bedridden Purple Heart recipient.\n\nBy the time I made it outside, he was already standing still staring at another elderly man, presumably the German. They both held guns in their right hands but were not quite aiming at each other.\n\n“It is you,” my grandpa rasped. “You son of a bitch. You really did find me after all these years.”\n\n“I did,” the German confirmed in stiff English. “You did not make it easy.”\n\nThen, without warning, they ran at each other...\n\n...and hugged each other tightly.\n\nMy mouth gaped open. I must have squeaked or made some other noise because the men broke their embrace and turned to me.\n\n“Gregory,” my grandpa said. “You and I both owe our lives to this man. When I was injured, he found me and took me to a safe place. He brought me food, water, bandages… kept me hidden for days. Hans, this is my grandson.”\n\nOut of habit, I stepped forward to shake his hand. Despite his age, Hans had an iron grip.\n\n“Your grandfather insisted that we trade guns and find each other after the war,” Hans said. “I do not think either of us expected it to take so long, but… here I am.”\n\n“Here you are,” my grandpa agreed. “Took you long enough. This is yours,” he said, handing over the very gun that I had been trying to hide from him mere minutes ago, the gun that he had kept for seventy-five years, hoping to see the man that saved him one last [time](https://reddit.com/r/Badderlocks).\n\n***\n\n^^I ^^did ^^not ^^know ^^how ^^to ^^end ^^this." ]	2
[WP]After a cataclysmic disaster civilization crumbles, and all life on earth begins to mutate. Animals begin to turn into monsters, and humans develop psychic abilities. Humanity quickly discoverers it can control the monsters with these abilities. The age of the Beast Masters has begun	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, JAMIE?!\" I told my sister after defeating her in a Beast Battle. Jokes on her for challenging me. I have a Rhinayron, a creature that used to be a Rhinoceros. \"Whatever, Jacob.\" \"You really think you can beat me and Grey? We have a bond stronger than steel-\" \"Yeah, yeah, I know you got that from that Pokemon stuff from generations ago. Now, shut up. I need to train some more.\" \"Okay, I'll see you soon.\" I rode on Grey away from the stable, to the village, and to the stadium. \"Hey, Jacob.\" The Ticketmaster said. \"I'd like to try and win the tournament.\" \"This is the 9th time you've tried, and you know you only have one shot a year to win this thing, Jacob! I say go back to your Beast Stable and make a living with your sister, you two already made a working stable!\" \"Yeah, but we need some more money.\" \"Aight, you know the drill. Place your bet, for every round you win, you win some more money. If you lose even once, all of it's gone, blah, blah, blah.\" I gave the Ticketmaster my bet, and rode Grey into the stadium, ready to win. It's been a few decades since the radiation went down, and so society rebuilt itself. Jamie and I run a Beast Stable, where people pay a fee to bring their Beasts in there, and pay for nightly stays if their Beast is gonna be here a while. Of course, not many people come around anymore, usually only coming to see the tournament, so we've been short on cash for a bit. Good thing we decided not to bring taxes back into this, and instead just pay water bills. No power bills, we're still trying to figure out electricity again. So for now, it's just lanterns and torches. Grey and I crushed the first few rounds, as you do when you have a Rhinayron, a Beast you rarely ever find, in captivity or the wild. We were actually going to win this. We could upgrade our stable. I placed my entire yearly income on this, and I was going to go home with 10 times that amount if I beat the champ. I made it to the champ, and we were ready to fight for money and fame. And whoever lost was going home with less than what they came here with. Tough battle, what with the fact that the champ had an Ostranil, those things are even tougher than their ancestors, Ostriches...for now, I was focusing on dodging until the champ's Ostranil got tired, so I could go in for the win, but...Grey got hit. A lot. I came home with no money and a battered and beaten Grey. From that day forward, I was gonna train and train and train until I could beat the champ, but every year from then on...I made it to the champ, and I got beaten. This is gonna be my 17th try, and I hope this'll be different. I don't think Grey can take much more..." ]	2
[WP] In the arcade there's a machine that prints out your lifeline; longer line, longer life. Everyone treats it as a bit of a joke, but today you finally caved in. For you, it printed a circle.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 was a weird machine that every arcade visitor had to walk by to enter. As tall as I was, but the only thing present was the face of a wise-looking man, trapped in a circle of fake marble.\n\nWell, maybe he was wise-looking a decade ago. Now, he mostly looked dirty and disheveled, the white material now grey, with hair strewn in all directions around his visage. The eyes bulged out, and there was a single slot in the machine, where his gaping mouth should be.\n\nThe machine worked. You inserted a coin, placed your palm in the mouth, and a piece of paper rolled out, like those ticket dispensers you get at the other arcade machines. Not this one, though. No tickets. What came out was an otherwise blank sheet, save for one conspicuous black line drawn straight down the middle.\n\nThe story went that said line was your lifeline. That the man in the marble somehow read your palm with his tongue, and knew how long you would live. People swore they could feel licks. \n\nOf course, that was just a story. Even the arcade owner, Uncle George, had no idea what it meant. He couldn't even remember why the machine was there. \n\n\"It earns money, somehow,\" was the usual response, followed by a nonchalant shrug, whenever I asked. Some days, I thought the answer would change. It never did.\n\nSome days, I looked at the man's face, stuck in his faux marble prison, and wonder what it would feel like. I never used him though. Never put my palm in.\n\nIt was just a story. Fiction. \n\nUntil one day, egged on by his friends, Johnny put his hand in and received a single dot. I was there. It was just a story. But I heard a slight tremble in his usually confident voice.\n\nIt was merely hours before the news hit. Johnny was dead. A traffic accident.\n\nAnd somehow, the marble man got even less popular. It was almost as if everybody thought that the immobile man with the crazy, bulging eyes was the one that drove the car.\n\nI felt for him. I pitied him, even. It wasn't his fault. He was just a teller. Not the culprit. I still didn't put my palm in his mouth, however. There were a lot of other arcade machines well worth my coin.\n\nBut something was different today. As I walked past the marble man, I could feel him beckoning me. I turned and stared, and made sure that it wasn't moving or anything.\n\nIt wasn't. Still as a statue.\n\nI wanted to say that it wasn't worth my money. But right there, in its mouth, was a shining piece of metal. A coin. Like it was fresh off the mint.\n\nI took it. It was heavy. Heavier than any coin should be.\n\nMy fingers clutched the coin and brought it up to the slot, pushing it in slowly. I could hear the coin rolling, and a single light flashed at the very top of the machine. My right hand went into the mouth.\n\nOne second. Two. Three. And here came the paper.\n\nA circle.\n\nI looked at the man right in his eyes. And for a brief moment, I understood why people said the eyes were the windows to the soul. I found myself hunched, overwhelmed by a wave of sadness and displeasure.\n\nHe was trapped in the circle. An endless cycle of life.\n\nI ran into the arcade. I borrowed some white-out from Uncle George, and started painting out the circle. A little at first. Then more. Until I found myself with two-thirds of the circle left.\n\nThen, I walked back to the man in the marble, and stared at him once again. It could have been my imagination, but I think I saw his mouth turn upwards in the slightest of moments, before becoming a blank, empty slot once more.\n\nOne circle was enough. There didn't need to be another one.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	2
[WP] You feel wind gushing against your face as your body trembles in a weird way. Unable to even move your hand, your body was numb.Suddenly everything changes briskly, as you see yourself carried by some strange-looking creatures from another 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%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 was walking on the side of my neighborhood road, then slowly my strength started to give out, then darkness.\n\nI was gradually able to force my eyes open, and was greeted with blinding light. “Crap that’s bright,” I wanted to say, but nothing came out of my mouth. Finally after what felt like hours, I was able to comfortably open my eyes. \n\nI saw a completely square, white room, no taller then ten feet, and about nine feet wide. The only notable feature was a small black key on the ground. “Hello, anybody there,”I yelled, no answer. “¿Hay alguien aquí?”, still no answer, well whoever took me here doesn’t speak Spanish. With nothing else to do I went and touched the key. Suddenly the key floated, and made its way to an imperceptible keyhole. Once key was turned in the keyhole, the wall collapsed and led me to another room. \n\nThese rooms with simple puzzles, then something happened that I thought was impossible, continued for about twenty-five rooms. In the final room there was a map of an ocean I couldn’t identify. I placed it on a wall and the map turned around, wrapped around me.\n\nThe map acted like it had intelligence, which was really creepy, but I was finally able to force it off me. I noticed a matchbox next to me, so I lit a match and set tried to set the map on fire. At first the map smothered the flames, but after four more matches, the map finally became a charred crisp. \n\nThen everything around me collapsed, and I was in a giant white, rectangular room. There were big red neon letters saying, CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING SPECIES INTELLIGENCE TEST 1. Well then aliens exist, that completely changes my worldview. And then the world faded to black.\n\nToday I wake up in my bed, I feel like I have been hit by train. For some reason yesterday feels like a hazy dream, I wonder why?\n\nTips always appreciated!\n\nr/CascadeCorner" ]	2
[WP] 10% of Oregon teenagers have disappeared mysteriously without a trace. Somehow, they continue posting on social media.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", " When Aria wasn’t in her room, I didn’t find it particularly concerning. It was after 9 and during the summer, she was usually out with her friends just as soon as the sun came up. Weird for a teenager, I know, but Aria wasn’t your average teenager. Her friends would rather have a sleepover with board games than go to a party. They were what I would have referred to in high school as nerds and as far as myself and her mother were concerned, that was perfectly fine. \n\nI shut her bedroom door and padded down the hallway, briefly checking in on my son’s room. Unlike his sister, he had a penchant for partying and staying up late. He was crashed on his bed, clothes from the night before still on. I smelled the skunky stench of cheap beer but decided to let him sleep this one off and closed the door softly. \n\nOnce I was downstairs, I started a pot of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table with my phone, catching up on the news from the night before. A notification popped up on my screen and I opened it. \n\n“Jeremy - Did you see Aria this morning?!?!?” \n\nIt was Cindy, Aria’s best friend’s mom. I thought it was weird for her to be texting me rather than my wife but considering Holly was still asleep, I was probably her second choice. \n\n“No but she usually gets an earlier start than us. I figured she was out with Jo and Kyle.” \n\nI stood up to pour some coffee. When I came back, there was another message.\n\n“We were going to visit her grandparents this weekend. When we woke up, she wasn’t here.” \n\nI set my coffee down and felt a cold chill run down my back. My son, now his disappearance wouldn’t surprise me, but not Aria and her friends. \n\n“Let me call Aria.” I replied and immediately dialed her number. \n\n“Hi, this is Aria. I’m not able to answer your call but leave a message and I’ll get back to you!” \n\n“Aria, it’s dad. Call me back as soon as you get this.” \n\nI sat at the kitchen table, wondering what to do. Jo might have forgotten she was supposed to go out of town and it was normal for them to go hiking so maybe they just didn’t have cell service. A sudden spark of inspiration hit me. I struggled to find the Instagram app. I’d only installed it because Holly insisted we needed to monitor both kid’s social media accounts but I barely looked at it after.\n\nThe very first picture that popped up showed Aria, Jo, and Kyle sitting at the table in the treehouse we’d built for the kids years before. The picture was captioned, “Morning games with my besties!” and was timestamped 15 minutes ago.\n\n“They’re in the treehouse. Just saw it on Instagram. I’ll tell Jo to head back to your house.” I texted Cindy. \n\n“Thank you.” She replied with an emoji that was either crying or laughing. I decided to finish the coffee I’d poured before breaking up the party. Jo was the kind of kid who took being a disappointment hard and she’d probably cry when she found out she’d forgot about visiting her grandparents. Better to let them finish up whatever they were playing first. \n\n“Hey honey, did Jo come over this morning?” Holly shambled into the kitchen, hair askew and eyes drowsy. She poured herself a cup of coffee without sugar or cream and sat at the kitchen table.\n\n“In the playhouse. Cindy texted me too.” \n\n“Is Kyle with them?” She asked. \n\n“Yeah. They posted a photo on Instagram this morning. I was going to go out to say hi and remind Jo she was supposed to visit her grandparent’s this morning.”\n\nHolly nodded and took a sip of her coffee. \n\n“I had a message from Ashley’s mom too. She asked if Ashley was with Evan. I told her we didn’t allow him to have girls stay overnight. I checked his room but it was just him.” \n\n“Strange. Guess everyone is losing their kids today. I better go send Jo home.” I kissed Holly’s head on the way outside. \n\n“Aria! Jo! Kyle!” I called from the bottom of the treehouse. No one replied. Muttering obscenities under my breath, I scaled the ladder and pushed open the trap door, poking my head up. Empty. Since I took the effort to climb up, I walked around the treehouse more out of idly curiosity than anything else and was surprised not to see the board game they were playing sitting out or any board games in the treehouse for that matter. \n\n“They aren’t there.” I told Holly when I walked back in the house, “I don’t know how they could have left without me seeing them.” \n\nI poured myself a second cup of coffee before deciding to call Aria’s phone again. Straight to voicemail.\n\n“They’re in the basement.” Holly said, staring at her phone. Whereas I quit surveillance with Aria’s social media footprint, Holly was connected to both kid’s social circles. A post from Kyle showed the three friends sitting on the couch in our basement, presumably watching a movie. \n\n“How’d they get down there without me seeing?” I asked. \n\nHolly shrugged, “Maybe they used the side door.” \n\nI groaned in frustration but stood back up. I knew Cindy would call back any minute if she didn’t hear from Jo. \n\n“Kids!” I yelled down the stairs. Silence. \n\n“Jo! Your mom is looking for you.” I tried one last time before walking down the stairs. I entered the basement play room to find it empty. Standing in the middle of the room, I tried Aria’s phone again but it went straight to voicemail. \n\n“Seriously Aria, you need to call me back right now.” The message I left was terse and I could feel myself rapidly losing patience. “I don’t understand how you can be posting what you’re doing everywhere but can’t bother to answer the phone.” I added before hanging up. \n\nBack upstairs, Holly was on her second cup of coffee and Kyle was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal.\n\n“Good morning.” He mumbled through a full mouth.\n\n“Morning. You seen your sister?” \n\n“Nope.” He replied, “But Kyle posted a picture of them in the front yard just a second ago.” \n\nHe flashed his phone at me and I caught a picture of the three of them sitting on the front porch. \n\n“Okay.” I took a quick sip of coffee and headed to the front door. I opened it, expecting to see the three of them lounging on the porch swing but instead found nothing. \n\n“Aria!” I yelled, “Jo! Kyle!” \n\nI listened for a second, only hearing the sound of Mr. Johnson, our next door neighbor, humming to himself while trimming his hedges.\n\n“Good morning, Mr. Johnson,” I greeted the octogenarian. The man had celebrated his 90th birthday just a month ago and still spent the majority of his day doing yard work in the summer sun.\n\n“Good morning, Jeremy. How are you today?” He responded.\n\n“Fine. Hey, we’re trying to track down Aria and her friends. Any idea where they are?” \n\n“Sorry but not a clue. You’re the first person I’ve seen this morning.” \n\n“Oh.” I felt a wave of fear wash over me and tried to tamp it down. We’d gone an entire night having no clue where Kyle had gone. Aria had only been missing for an hour and she was here, somewhere. I called her phone again but it went straight to voicemail. I didn’t bother leaving a message this time. Instead, I opened up the Instagram app. \n\n“Aria, can you come to the front porch? Immediately. - Dad ” I typed in response to her last picture. I sat down on the porch swing with the app still open. One of Aria’s friends responded to my post, “Oh Aria, you’re in trouble! :)” \n\nI glanced down the street in both directions, looking for any sign of the kids. Nothing. When I glanced back down at my phone, Aria hadn’t responded to her last post but a notification bar was on the screen alerting me that there were new posts to look at. I tapped the banner and immediately my stomach dropped. \n\nThe first post on my feed was from Aria and timestamped as just a few second ago. \n\n“Daddy was worried about me! So sweet!” with a picture of Aria and I sitting on the porch.", "I rubbed my eyes as I stared into my computer screen. D.ani.el02 on Instagram. His new post was... unsettling to say the least. To the casual observer it would be nothing out of the ordinary, just another teenager’s post on Instagram. But considering Daniel was included in the 10% who disappeared, one could say it was pretty strange. The post was a simple photo of a city skyline during the sunset, typical for the depressingly average teen obsessed with ‘aesthetics’ and ‘vibes’. \nExcept this wasn’t a skyline that existed at all. I had spent days creating an algorithm that would scan every photo of a city skyline that ever existed. Then I moved onto every building in a major city that ever existed. I had the computer look for any matches, and then I checked for myself. Yeah, it took almost a year, but what can I say? I’m thorough. \n\nI pondered the possibilities - maybe it was photoshopped? No, it’s too realistic and my algorithm didn’t detect any editing. Maybe a hyper realistic artwork, though for some reason I doubted that. Now, don’t judge me, but I’ve come to one possible conclusion. Daniel is still alive and well, along with the other 10%. Just not on this Earth. \n\nNot in this universe. I’m not officially a detective or anything, but I’d be damned if there were many better than me. It’s not an ego thing, just an objective truth. But what could I possibly do with this information? How could I even come up with any solid proof? \n\n\n\n“Yeah buddy, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” \n\n\n“Sir, please. You’re going to want to believe me. At least take this into account, I mean, I’ve spent longer than you can imagine on this.”\n\n\n“If you don’t leave now you’re going to be escorted out, and possibly arrested.” \n\n\nI stared at the chief of police for a solid second, before standing up. \n\n\n“Fine. Just don’t say it was your discovery when this gets out”. \n\nI walked out in a huff, frustrated that he didn’t even take me seriously. I left the building, making my way down a narrow alleyway. I froze as I heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind me, rapidly gaining speed. Before I could react, I was tackled, slamming into the cold concrete. Multiple feet and fists pounded into me, as I cried out in pain. I felt my ribs crack and my bones snap. I felt the throbbing warmth of blood, my vision being filled with an inky darkness. \n\nIn my final thoughts, I knew what was happening. They took me seriously. They knew I had found out. And they couldn’t take the risk of someone knowing.", "A single buzz echoed through the classroom. Heads turned towards the sound. All eyes in the room landed upon the now reddening face of Riya. Mr. Rawitsch sighed and strolled towards her desk. Everyone knew what was about to unfold and they held their breath. He extended that wrinkly hand of his and Riya reluctantly placed her phone in his palm. \n\nMr. Rawitsch cleared his throat, and repeated the notification, “Kaycee.g has recently posted. Click here to see their latest post,” his voice trailed off as silence filled the room. The class sat there, in shock at the words they just heard. \n\n“Well, would you mind opening it up for me, Riya?” Mr. Rawitsch asked. She complied. Another student pulled out his phone to view her post and the whole class soon followed. \n\nWhispers filled the room. After all, Kaycee had been classified as missing for the last little while. However, her post was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a photo of her standing in front of the town lake. The photo was also from the previous summer as you could see some other students littering the background. The students were baffled. Yet, this situation would come to repeat itself over and over again. Many students have recently disappeared, but they still post on social media as though it was just another normal day. \n\nAuthorities and parents alike were puzzled, and concern grew as this phenomenon of teenagers mysteriously vanishing became ever more prevalent. They even canceled the Amber Alert system within the state as the amount of missing youth spiked beyond the amount they could keep track of. \n\nFear began to radiate itself within the halls at school. After all, you didn’t know who could be next. One moment you saw them walking down the hall, and next thing you knew they would round a corner and simply vanish. \n\nThe days ticked by, slowly. No one had yet found an explanation for this. For those in Oregon, it felt as though they were living through a nightmare, one that only affected them.\n\nRiya began to note each kid that vanished. Not just within her school, but within her state. She noted that only ten percent of a school’s populace would disappear. Her school’s ratio was 9.99 percent. A shiver of fear rippled through her body. \n\nRiya pushed away her calculations and gazed towards the open history book that laid next to her. She had a history exam tomorrow, but she had no energy to study. “I’ll just take a quick nap,” she murmured to herself, “I’ll just take a quick-” she dozed off. \n\n“Welcome to the Oregon Trail!” a voice boomed. Startled, Riya opened her eyes and was greeted by an old-fashioned wagon. “Many attempt this trail to Oregon, but not all make it. So, what will you be, madam? A banker, a carpenter, or a farmer?” Riya sat there in silence. “That voice,” she thought, it sounded all too familiar. Still drowsy from sleep she uttered, “Mr. Rawitsch?” \n\n“Why yes, it’s me alright.”\n\n“What are you doing? What’s going on?” Riya’s voice grew louder and more frantic.\n\n“Now hush, if you desire to make it out alive, I suggest you start playing by my rules. Here,” he tossed a phone towards her. “make a post on whatever media app you kids use nowadays.”\n\nRiya questioned him as to why.\n\n“Oh, it’s just to see who the slackers are in my classes. Whenever a notification goes off, I observe who is the first one to reach for their phone and I make a note of them. They then end up here.”\n\nHorror filled Riya’s eyes. \n\n“Don’t give me that look. Just play the game already,” and with that, Mr. Rawitsch evaporated. \n\n\\---\n\nThe bell rang to signify the end of another school day. In the back of a classroom, two teachers were talking.\n\n“Isn’t what you’re doing bad?” Mr. O’nell asked.\n\n“I wouldn’t call it bad, per se, in fact, I believe I’m doing them a favor,” Mr. Rawitsch stated. “American history is a course they are required to pass. Besides, they weren’t paying attention to my classes anyway, so modern problems require modern solutions.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nr/casualscribblings" ]	4
[WP]You’ve had this voice in your head your whole life. It’s been counting down ever since you were born at random intervals. Now, as you enter an alleyway, it reaches zero.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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\nI only properly noticed when I was ten. It was a voice, a woman’s voice, quiet, as if whispering into my ear. She said little else, merely saying number after number at irregular times. She would be silent for weeks at a time, only to utter a “fifty-two” or “forty-nine.” It was about my mid teens when I realised that the numbers were getting smaller every time she spoke. And now my time was running out.\n\nFive weeks ago, it was six. A fortnight ago, I heard three. Two this morning. One an hour ago.\n\nI turned into an alleyway. I felt ill, worse than I had for a long time. Fear had overtaken me, of the possibility of my life being so short.\n\nZero.\n\nThen it happened. First my heart jolted, as if jumping at the sound of the voice. Then a wave of energy flowed through me, like lightning through my nerves. My hands clasped into fists, my legs spasmed and collapsed, and my arms pressed themselves into me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk, couldn’t move or do anything except lay on the floor in a ball and whine as the energy reached a fever pitch. Now my body was a prison, bars made of unmoving limbs, blood boiled in my veins, and my back was splitting open, the pain squeezing every thought out of my mind. Seconds turned into eons, a slight twitch would cause a small jolt of pain that felt like that limb was being torn to pieces. \n\nHope had long since fled for anything but the end.\n\nThen it began to slow. The energy cooled, like an easing cramp, freeing my limbs a little at a time. My body was still sore, beyond anything I felt before, but with the receding pain, I was more focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. I coughed, sending what felt like shards of glass up my windpipe, and I could taste the distinct flavour of copper.\n\nWheezing, gasping, and feeling barely alive, my eyes started to close themselves. And to the side, I heard another voice.\n\n“Sister… what have you done?”", "\"ZERO\" the voice boomed, louder than ever. It had always been there since I can remember but most of the time it was so quiet it just faded in with the rest of my thoughts and the background noises but if I listened closely I could always hear it counting down. Sometimes slower sometimes quicker but always down.\n\nThe moment it hit zero I almost got knocked out by all the memories that came back to me like a thunderstorm in the desert. I knew who I was again. I remembered the deal I had made with my old friend Lucy, formally known as the devil nowadays, because heaven was so boring and I wanted a second chance at life after my own brother so brutally took my first.\n\n\"And remember...the more good you do the shorter the time you have. Likewise if you sow enough chaos and hate, I might extend your time by as much as possible in my humble position\"\n\n\"And how am I supposed to remember that?\"\n\n\"That is entirely your problem, I already had to go through the trouble to find a family desperate enough to offer their newborn to me so that you could take its place\"\n\nThose were his last words before wiping my memory clean and sending my soul back for the second chance I had bargained for.\n\nThere was a step behind me in the dark alleyway. Just as i whipped around I saw a giant bastard sword heading towards me and before I could react my body was already paralysed by the searing pain originating from the huge hole it had made in my chest.\n\n\"Sorry brother, I still owed Lucy a favor\"\n\nI looked at the demonic looking human whose eyes were burning with cold blue fire.\n\n\"Kain\"" ]	3
[WP] You've started your channel a month ago and it's going well. Recently though you've noticed a few "are you alright?" messages. The number is going up daily BUT your channel is getting attention so...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Another one? Why am I constantly getting these “are you ok?” Comments? There’s nothing on my channel that would indicate otherwise. I need to address this. \n\n“Hey everyone!” I start cheerily. Then my bunny jumps up into my lap. “Oh, looks like Basil wants to be part of the video too! Say hi Basil!” After getting a good shot of my boy looking at the camera I get to business. “So a lot of you have been leaving comments asking if I’m ok. I don’t know why there’s so much concern (not that I’m not touched that so many of you care). But I’m fine. Please put your reasoning in the comments so I can figure out where this is coming from. “\n\nI end the short video and send it off to my editor. Then I make the video if originally planned where I show how to make a last minute cosplay with items you already own. \n\nTwo days later when I check the comments on my video, I’m shocked at what I see. Apparently they’ve been reading too far into how much I’m blinking lately. I just got my first pair of contacts for goodness sake! I’m not blinking in code!" ]	2
[WP] In order to marry someone from the city, you need to fight a beast whose strength is equivalent to the economic status of the person you're pursuing. You've set out to battle in hopes of marrying the queen after the king died from stroke.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 silly fun story, but I enjoyed it. Two parts because it was too long. \n\n“You sure about this, boy?” The chancellor squinted up at the young man in front of him. “The queen is a pretty prize, but are you sure you want to pursue her? The last several men who went to challenge the treasury guardian came back weeping. Several of them were severely injured. And they were all quite a bit more intimidating than you. So I’ll ask you one last time, before I lead you to the cave, are you quite sure?”\n\nJasper nodded vigorously. He was 24, gangly, strong enough, but without any real armor to speak of, just a padded tunic, and his weapons of choice appeared to be a pitchfork and a machete. In fairness, it did seem to be a very sharp machete. “Yes sir, I’m sure. I saw Queen Reatus at the funeral last year, and ever since, I can’t get her beauty out of my head. I would do anything to be by her side.”\n\nThe chancellor sighed and stood up with the aid of a cane. “Very well, boy, if your mind is made up, the law says I can’t deny you. You understand that once we reach the cave, your fate is your own?” Jasper nodded. “Follow me, then.” The chancellor walked around his desk, exited the room, and started taking stairs down. Jasper followed eagerly. \n\nAs they walked, the chancellor spoke. “There have been a dozen men in the last six months who have challenged the Treasury Guardian for the right to the kingdom's finances, and thus the throne. The first was the head of the king's bodyguard, Sir Elric. He wouldn’t say what he found in there, but he ran out screaming and weeping like a child. This is a man that I once saw pull an assassins arms off and then beat another assassin to death with them. But he was inconsolable. He resigned the next day and left to tend a farm in the country.”\n\nHe paused in front of a heavy, locked door. The guard raised an eyebrow at the sight of Jasper. The Chancellor unlocked it, and it opened to another staircase. He continued walking down. \n\n“The most recent one was a knight of some renown. Sir Uthgar. You may have seen him at some of the local tourneys. He was well on his way to becoming general of the kingdom in a few years. But he came back broken and bleeding. His face was smashed in, he had lost his sword, and had broken both an arm and a leg. It’s a miracle he survived, but I daresay his tournament days are behind him now.”\n\nHe continued walking down, until they came to a landing. They were far below the castle now. Across from them, lit by flickering torches, was the entrance to the treasury. It was carved out of the bedrock, little more than a hole in the wall, surrounded by torches. Wind - Jasper hoped it was wind - was constantly blowing outward, making the light flicker.\n\nThe chancellor gestured forward. “There is the entrance. I don’t know how deep it goes, I don’t think anyone living does. Your prize, if you wish to try to claim it, lies somewhere inside. If you can bring back proof that you have bested the Treasury Guardian, the hand of the queen will be yours. If not, you will be forbidden from trying again.”\n\nJasper stared at the dark entrance. He tightened his grip on his weapons. He checked that his tunic was tied tightly. He checked his waterskin, and all his extra torches. He checked his own personal treasury guardian, a cricket in a box sitting on 3 silver pieces. It chirped at him. He was about to check the lacing on his breeches when the Chancellor cleared his throat. \n\n“I was hoping to start heading upstairs today, if it’s all the same to you.”\n\nJasper blushed and nodded. “Sorry sir. I won’t let you down.” \n\nThe chancellor shrugged. “I really doubt you could disappoint me.” He gestured at the entrance. \n\nJasper took a deep breath, grabbed a torch off the wall, and strode into the dark.\n\n***\n\nJasper stumbled around for the better part of an hour exploring the treasury. He almost fell in a couple pits that were nearly impossible to see in the torchlight. But he proceeded down the cave.\n\nAfter an hour, in a larger opening, he held up the torch and looked around. “Where is everything?” he asked out loud. He had expected the treasury to be full of gold and gems, but so far there was nothing except bare rock. Shaking his head, he continued on down.\n\nShortly after that, he came to a huge opening in the cave. His torch was unable to illuminate the far side, but what he could see was carved, not rough rock like the rest of the treasury. It looked like it would be domed up above, like he was under a large bowl. He whistled, and the acoustics made it come back clear as day. It could have been a concert hall.\n\nAlso, Jasper could see chests all around him. \n\n“Now THAT’S more like it,” he said to himself. Jasper started walking around, and there were closed chests everywhere. “Okay, so, the guardian should be around here, right?”\n\nA voice came echoing out of the darkness. “Oh, but I am, dear boy.” \n\nJasper spun in a circle, looking for anything that could have spoken. The hair on the back of his neck went up. “Show yourself!” he yelled, his voice cracking on the second word. \nHe heard something chuckling in the darkness. “Oh, but this is so much more fun. Why, I could be anywhere. And you...you poor little thing. Here to defeat the legendary Guardian of the Treasury. You truly have no idea what you’re in for, do you?”\n\nJasper thrust his torch in the air and spoke with more confidence. “I’m here to earn the hand of the queen! I’m here for love! I’ll pay any price for that!”\n\nThere was a hiss in the shadows. “Well, and who could blame you? The queen does have huge...cash reserves, after all. Any man would be tempted. But you can’t even see me, can you? Why I could be right above you.”\n\nJasper jerked his head to look above, but saw nothing.\n\n“I could be hiding behind some of these chests.”\n\nJasper whipped his head down and glared at the chests, daring them to move.\n\n“I could even be right behind you.” Jasper felt a claw make it’s way down his neck.\n\nHe screamed and spun around, awkwardly thrusting out with his pitchfork and swinging his machete. The machete went past at neck height without hitting anything, but the pitchfork was held awkwardly, and was thrust at a point down around his knees. That DID hit something, he felt the tines of the pitchfork skip off of something.", " “Died of a stroke you say?” Lyn asked, his eyes lit up with a devious plan. \n\n“Uhh, yeah. What’s that look in your eye?” Tim asked suspiciously. The two had been close friends since youth, and Lyn knew Tim hated the look he got when he was excited. Or the plans themselves, Lyn was never quite sure.\n\n“We’re going to rule this kingdom.” Lyn said. He twirled his finger around in the air and said it more loudly. “We’re going to rule this kingdom.” Tim folded his arms.\n\n“I am not going to kill a dragon with you.”\n\n“Pfff, dragons are old news. Ever since the kingdom found that new gold mine dragon’s will only score you a baron’s wife.” The colour drained from Tim’s face.\n\n“You cannot be serious.” He knew exactly what Lyn was referring to. Lyn jumped up and down in excitement. \n\n“We’re going to kill the Kraken!” Tim leaned rather involuntarily against the counter of his shop. Seeing his friends’ distress, Lyn said. “Cheer up, once it’s done, we will have all the riches in the kingdom. And a lovely wife to boot.” He added the last part with a wink.\n\n“You can barely swim.” Tim said, Lyn was growing irritated with his friends nagging.\n\n“Well of course we won’t be swimming, we will hire a boat.” Tim gripped the bridge of his nose with two fingers. \n\n“You’re insane.” \n\n“So, you’ll help?”\n\n“Someone has to stop you dying.” Tim said with a resigned smile. Lyn’s fist nearly connected with the ceiling when he leapt up punching the air in delight. \n\n“You won’t regret this when we’re sitting on the throne.” And so, the pair stepped out onto the street of the city of Landin only to find a parade proceeding.\n\n“All hail king Jim.” The crowd echoed around the square. Lyn stood open mouthed, his arms hanging limp by his side. After a moment he dully became aware of Tim saying something.\n\n“So, someone beat us too it, I guess. Hey, are you listening to me?” Lyn nodded mutely. The jewels, the beautiful gardens and castle, it was all gone. Then he felt a wave of burning inquisitive fury overtake him.\n\n“And were going to find out what took it away from us.” Tim shook his head.\n\n“What is it with you and these bizarre quests that you are determined to latch onto.” Lyn looked at him a little taken aback.\n\n“What do you mean?” Tim sighed.\n\n“The bounty on the troll that attacked that village?” Lyn was puzzled.\n\n“But I could have fixed up the shop with the money from that. Maybe gotten away from Ma and Pa to start something by myself.” \n\n“It. Was. A. Troll. 15 feet tall and arms thicker than your body.” \n\n“I could have killed it with my spear.” \n\n“That’s a fishing spear for trout.” Tim said. Lyn failed to see his point. Tim rolled his eyes and said.\n\n“What about the harpies.” Lyn was confused.\n\n“The potion that the alderman offered was amazing…”\n\n“They could fly.” Tim said exasperated. “You have a death wish and I keep having to steer you clear.” Lyn stood silent. He could not understand what the issues were, they were just monsters after all. The hero always won in the end. Tim was jealous that he was never the leader, Lyn thought, that must be it. Changing the subject Lyn said\n\n“Well shall we at least figure out how this scoundrel beat us.” Tim nodded his head. \n\n“I guess that doesn’t sound too hard.” Lyn grabbed a man in the crowd lining the street.\n\n“You sir. How has this man come to be king?” The man was elderly and rather stooped with a croaky voice to match his dishevelled clothes.\n\n“He killed a beast and brought it to the queen.” Lyn guffawed.\n\n“Well that much is clear old man, but what beast? A dragon is much to small. Perhaps a hydra? The Kraken?” He added the final doubtfully. The old man looked at him quizzically.\n\n“No, no. It was a deer. Now unhand me young man the king is passing by.” The man tried to loosen Lyn’s grip, but he had one more question to answer.\n\n“A deer? I have never heard of a deer so great and mighty with which to win this kingdom.” The old man grumbled but relented to the questioning. \n\n“It was a regular deer.” The man pulled sharply away from a stunned Lyn and began shuffling to stand further down the line. \n\n“Um Lyn, I believe that I may have heard something to explain this this morning.” Lyn turned so sharply that Tim jumped a little. Tim continued sheepishly. “Well I didn’t quite believe it myself, but there was a rumour I overheard in the shop. One of the customers said that the gold mine was a scam and the kingdom’s credit had collapsed after the realisation.”\n\n“The king died from a heart attack.” Lyn said, the dots lining up finally. Then a carriage turned the corner.\n\n“All bow before king Jim.” The two men bowed with the rest of the crowd; Tim whispered to Lyn.\n\n“We’re going to need more than a hero and a sword to save this mess.”" ]	3
[WP] The Mafia doesn't tolerate anyone moving in on their turf - especially not the cultists of eldritch, incomprehensible gods.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Me and the guys were sent as a warning. A \"Hey, quit your shit or you're going to get snuffed\" warning. We tolerated other groups in our sector of the city, let them do their own thing as long as they keep to themselves and didn't interfere with our business. Not everyone followed the rules, but usually after a visit or two, they do. They might come out of it more worst for wear, but they're straightened out.\n\nThe abandoned bar on the corner of 9th was their home of operations. Boarded up windows, red bricks gone gray, weeds sprouting from cracks, shattered glass splashed over the sidewalks. That kind of place. \n\n\"Why're here again? Who're they?\" Tony asked as we sat in the car out front, waiting for the sun to set. We always worked better in the evening.\n\n\"Some loons,\" Antonio said, smirking. \"A group of fuckin' loons.\"\n\nI slapped the back of Antonio's head. \"Your mother was a loon, but we don't call her that, do we?\" Respect is key, even if our views didn't align. I turned to Tony. \"They're a religious group. From what I've heard around town is that they worship some ancient, weird god.\"\n\n\"Then why we here?\" Tony said. \"There's been plenty of cults in town, and we never paid them a visit.\"\n\n\"They're recruiting people,\" I said. \"Stealing businesses. Turning people from users to worshippers.\"\n\n\"Ah...\" Tony mused. \"Okay, okay.\"\n\nI looked out the window and the sky was going dark. We waited in silence for a little while longer, then when night came, we got out of the car, crossed the street, and entered the bar.\n\n\n\nThe main room was soulless. Only turned over tables and chairs, shattered glass, stains and mildew greeted us. It stunk of piss and shit. \n\n\"What are these?\" Tony asked, looking at a large chalk drawn symbol on the wall.\n\n\"I don't know,\" I said, standing next to me. The lines weaved at odd angles within a five-sided shape. It had no rhyme or reason, and staring it for too long made my head hurt.\n\n\"Hey!\" Antonio called from the opposite side of the room. \"There's more over here and... Shit, on the floor and ceiling.\"\n\nI turned and he was right. They were all varying shapes and sizes, but were scrawled across the old floorboards, the bowing ceiling, the other walls. A sharp pain lanced through my head and I closed my eyes, wincing. \"Shit.\"\n\n\"You okay?\" someone asked.\n\n\"Yeah,\" I rubbed the bridge of my nose, the pain subsided. \"Yeah, I'm fine.\" I opened my eyes, took in the shit show that was the bar. \"Where the hell are these guys?\"\n\nI received no reply. Typically Tony always had some smartass thing to say. I looked over my shoulder to find him gone.\n\n\"Tony?\" I asked, glancing around the room. \"Tony?\"\n\nAntonio was missing, too.\n\n\"Shit... Antonio! Tony!\" I called, my voice echoing somehow. \n\nI moved towards the doorway as a chill ran down my neck, settling at the base of my spine. Stopped. One of those weird symbols was drawn on the door. Had that been there before? No, no, I was certain it hadn't been. I shook my head. It didn't matter. I was leaving. I tried the handle but the door wouldn't give. I used two hands but it was like trying to pull a house.\n\nThe symbol began to glow a deep purple, blue, and the lines within the shape spun, forming an endless spiral. And my hands. Jesus Christ. They wouldn't— couldn't release the handle as though they were one in the same. A whooshing noise kicked up and filled my ears, and before I could dig my heels deep into the ground, I was sucked in.\n\n\n\nA daze. A haze. I was tumbling in water that felt like air but had the consistency of honey and syrup. I was choking as it filled my lungs but I could still breathe. Fog or mist or something drifted over everything, casting wherever I was in shadows. Above, or below, or somewhere, there was Antonio, Tony, falling or rising in the distance. There were things attached to their heads and limbs, wisps of darkness that had form, then didn't, rinse and repeat. \n\nThe symbol from the bar blared overhead, forcing white light down into the sea or ocean we must've been in. The lines wavered, but I wasn't sure it wasn't from the liquid, and peeled open, revealing yellow and red orbs, thousands, millions of them, pushing through as oil slick vines seeped from any other open crevices.\n\nA voice boomed. Words that made no sense. Sentences that shouldn't have been. Black smoke came over my vision, floated into my nostrils and ears, bloated my insides. I tried to stay awake, as though I would be missing something if I weren't, but everything was far too much and I blacked out.\n\n*\n\nI came to outside the bar, covered in what felt like baby oil mixed with grease. It was still dark and I was nude, and there was a scorch mark running up my belly, across my chest and shoulders, down my arms. I was one of them now, apparently. I stood, shivering, glanced around. No Tony or Antonio. I didn't bother to wonder where they ended up, if anywhere at all. The car was still parked on the corner but Tony had the keys, so there was that. So, I walked; walked the miles back home.\n\nI never checked in with the business after that. Never bothered to let anyone know what happened. Would they believe me if I did? Plus, now that my skin has these ugly lines, would they let me back in anyway? I was more apart of, as Antonio would say, \"the loons\" than the business now anyway.\n\n----\n\nFeel free to subscribe to /r/MicahCastle if you enjoyed my story." ]	2
[WP] Since you were young, you had. A keen eye for the strangest "coincidences". A man caught his burger inches from the floor but nothing fell off. Your teacher was able to grade tests in seconds. One day, you blink and you see colors on 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%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 things don’t just happen to good people. Luck is not that simple. Everyone has an allowance, or a meter. It’s something like that. I’m still not so sure how exactly it works, but I can see where you are on the scale right here and now, and you are moving into sunset orange, you need to be careful . \n\nHonestly, I know it sounds odd but listen, I’m not just crazy, I mean I may be crazy too but that doesn’t change your colour. Look, I know we just met at this bar today, but this began for me about a month and a half ago, I fell, or I blacked out, or whatever that was. I was at my buddys place, Jay said he thought I was going to have some sort of fit or something, it was for less than a minute and then gone. I just know I found myself on the ground and there was a pale blue halo around Jays entire body. \n\nIt was still there a couple hours later, I thought I must have hit my head falling, I’d probably be ok soon, I’d had altered vision before after rough games of football, lights and sparkles in my eyes. Usually went by the next day. ya know the way? I told Jay I’d call tomorrow and I headed home. I was feeling alright apart from the vision thing, so I started the 10 minute walk for home, there weren’t many out on the streets so late, but the few people I did see all had colours, different ones, blues & greens. I knew that Jay wouldn’t have slipped me anything, no way, just not not his style. It’ll pass, so I went home to bed.\n \nThe next day I got up, got ready to head to work, I stepped out my front door and onto the street, much busier now than last night. It was still there. Shining all around each person, every single one. \n\nIt took a while to see any pattern to it, but a few particular incidents helped One day I had seen a car run a stop sign at the junction near home, a lady shrouded in bright red slumped over the wheel, while a young dark violet boy playing ball out in his front garden was pushed away by his blue dad, The car hit the front wall where the boy had been in goal. The dad checked the boy, now brighter purple but ok. He checked on the driver and immediately called an ambulance. She was still red, but it was pulsing and flickering. \nA lady cheering and crying in a shop holding a lottery scratch card, she was pale blue, but adults mostly range from green to yellow and everywhere in between. \n\nMost kids are purple shades, going blue with the teens, warmer colours come with age. The cooler the shade the luckier you will be.\n\nI can see your luck, how much you have, when you use some up or gain some, which is very rare by the way. The only evidence I can see of upping your luck is with a truly selfless act, and the changes received are very small, but some people are just good people and they can stay green well into their 70s, Then little health complaints start to use it up. A scare here, people say you were lucky, well you won’t have quite so much left now. It does eventually run out for us all. Some of us use big chunks in single days, sometimes we don’t even know it, never see the danger. Maybe that happened to you? I dunno, but please, please be careful, stay safe man." ]	2
[WP] The hero’s party has picked up a small cute creature, not knowing it’s the “evil” overlord they had accidentally polymorphed. They’re now being dragged around by this insane, deluded, band of idiots as they bring unintended chaos to 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%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 not easy, bringing peace and order to the world. It's even harder when you turn into a cat all of a sudden and get scooped up by some teenaged wannabe heroes.\n\nReslan wasn't even sure if these bumbling dolts even knew who he was. Probably not, since they hadn't yet executed him after giving an hour-long speech about their oh-so-righteous cause. As it was, they thought he was cute and enjoyed watching him sleep. He wasn't entirely comfortable with that, but there's not much you can do about it when you barely weigh as much as a helmet and can't talk.\n\nThe Empire had not declined since Reslan's \"disappearance\", a fact that he was fairly proud of. His successor seemed to be handling herself well, keeping nobles in check and passing laws with foresight that rivaled his own. He had definitely chosen the right person for the job.\n\nOf course, the band that had picked up Reslan saw the lasting presence of imperial rule as a reason to wreak havoc in the cities, under the guise of freeing their people. Granted, they probably did believe that - they were stupid, not evil. They were also quite powerful, a fact that allowed them to basically roam the land as they wanted. It was of course possible to arrest them, but not without extensive investment of resources. Resources that the Empire unfortunately needed elsewhere to keep the peace - the biggest reason for why Reslan hadn't put a stop to their rampaging when he was still human.\n\nIt's not easy, bringing peace and order to the world.\n\nWhen Reslan awoke this afternoon, he heard the adventurers talk about visiting Swansdale, a town known for its unique velvet, in the southern parts of the Empire. When the party arrived there, dressed in civilian clothing - the most impressive feat of intelligence he had seen of them so far - the first thing they noticed was the ongoing execution. Apparently, the guard had finally gotten their hands on Siskir the Bard, an extremely influential gang leader responsible for many deaths all across the Empire. A fact that the \"heroes\" had no idea of, which resulted in Reslan helplessly watching as they quickly started making a plan for Siskir's rescue.\n\nReslan's fears came true when the surrounding guards started dropping to fireballs, swords and arrows. Townsfolk fled, screaming for their lives, the panicked executioner made a wild swing towards Siskir's neck, only to be magically frozen in place. Eventually, the party's leader stepped up on the execution platform, untied Siskir's binds and said triumphantly, \"The days of oppression are nearly over! Now go, good citizen, and spread the word to your friends, that the Heroes of Lorm will soon free you all!\" Reslan, due to his form, could not laugh nor cry, and so all that remained to do was quietly lowering his head and hoping for a quick salvation.\n\nIt's not easy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHello! As you could probably red, I am a writing noob. In order to become a not-so-noob, I've started answering a prompt from time to time. Any tips/critique are welcome, and thank you for reading!" ]	2
[WP] Long ago, many humans were born with powers. Their children gained their powers too. Naturally they spread to most of the world. Your family prides itself at being "Purebloods," ones without superpowers. But that was a lie by your ancestors, to make sure none activated your power 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.", "Tina was what her parents would call \"Pure Blooded\", meaning she had no powers. She was about fifteen years of age. She had 21 inches worth of strawberry blonde hair, milk white skin and very short. She also had bright hazel-green eyes that had flecks of gold in them. She was currently wearing a yellow hand-sewn dress, her hair in ponytail-braid.\n\n\"Mommy..?? Why can't I play with the other kids,\" Tina questioned. The taller woman looked down at the little girl, her blue eyes shimmering in the light of the fire.\n\n\"Tina... you know why. They have powers, and you do not. They could seriously hurt you,\" replied Tina's mother. Tina huffed and looked into the cavern from her small home.\n\nTina wasn't the wealthiest of the kids, but her heart was of pure gold. She loved hunting for unique crystals and hunting for insects deep within the tunnels. She could be the kindest person you could meet... and the bravest. Tina eventually snuck away from her mother, managing to find a group of kids showing off their powers. She soon watched one of them knock a smaller kid to the ground, laughing about it. She came out of hiding.\n\n\"Hey!!\"\n\nThe kids looked at her, one of them scoffing. The kid who scoffed was tall and chunky, having red hair and pale brown skin. His eyes were a brown color as well. \"What are you doing here? Aren't you the weakest of everyone, DARCY???\"\n\nTina growled, feeling something strange bubble inside of her. \"You pushed that kid over and laughed!!! That's not nice, Jack!!!!\" Her words seemed to shock the boy that had been knocked over.\n\n\"Why not?? He's just a rich snob!!! He has everything he wants,\" shouted Jack, the kid. He snapped his fingers as his two sidekicks approached the tiny girl.\n\nTina growled, her eyes seeming to glow slightly. \"Stay back!! I know how to fight!!\" Her words fell on deaf ears as they laughed and kept creeping closer. The ground around her began to rumble, but only she could sense it as the strange bubbly feeling grew stronger. 'Do I have a power? Is this what it feels like to awaken something,' she thought. \"I'm warning you!!!!\"\n\nThe two boys soon froze in place, staring into the little girls eyes; her eyes had changed into yellow with a large purple iris and spiraling pupil, the trait of chaos. The ground around them was shaking more as Tina suddenly let out a Lion's roar, vines rapidly coming up from the ground and wrapping around the larger kid so he wouldn't escape. The two kids instantly booked it, leaving their leader behind. The larger kid, Jack, was just in pure shock.\n\n\"Y-You're a P-Pure Blood t-though..!! Y-You shouldn't h-have powers,\" he shouted.\n\nTina's voice was distorted a bit when she replied, \"Well maybe... you were wrong.\"\n\n\\[End of Part One\\]", "Mala drove from Nashville to Little Rock Arkansas, alone and defenseless. Her younger sister, Makenna, had fallen out with another boyfriend. As was their ritual, Mala would pick Makenna up and take her back to Nashville for a while, where she would pretend to try to find a job and muse about settling down there to be near Mala, and then after a week or two, return to Little Rock with some other man.\n\nTheir whole family was defenseless in the same way, with none of the line-of-sight telekinesis or teleportation others had. The men Makenna talked to loved that. They had “weak fever\", and wanted a girl they could \"protect\". Makenna had shown Mala how much skepticism that deserved.\n\nMala mostly kept to herself. She even ordered groceries to her home so she could stay in. She resented these trips to pick up her sister and, like every time before, spent the drive rehearsing a speech which began \"Makenna, this is the last time I'm picking you up. You have to grow up. You're 25 now and...\"\n\nWhen she stopped for gas she almost waited to leave the car to finish rehearsing a particularly fine point in her argument. But if she were honest with herself she knew she wouldn't deliver the speech, or stick to it if she did. Resigning to her life as an elder sister, she walked in to pay.\n\n\"Where ya headed?\" the attendant asked.\n\n\"Little Rock, to see my sister.\"\n\n\"Arkansas?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"There is no Little Rock, Arkansas.\"\n\nMala studied the attendant’s pupils. They were a little large but not large enough for her to assume psychedelics, and he moved too slowly to be on amphetamines. \"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"It’s gone. This morning.\" He rotated the television on his desk for her to see.\n\nWhere once there had been Little Rock there was now a large crater. It had been bombed.\n\nForget the speech. Makenna can do anything she pleases except die. Mala called her five times. Each time it came to no answer, but strangely, it did ring. Maybe she had gotten out of Little Rock herself and was on the way to Nashville.\n\nWith a tank of gas to burn, Mala turned around and floored it to Nashville, praying.\n\n20 minutes down the freeway, Makenna called.\n\n\"Mala! I'm sorry I missed the calls. There was an earthquake. Are you still coming?\"\n\n\"Makenna,\" she said, pulling over to the shoulder before she cried. \"holy Gods, Makenna I'm so glad you called.\"\n\n\"Oh I'm so sorry did you worry? Did they talk about the quake? It was scary Mala. I was so mad at Anthony I hardly even noticed when it started, but then all the buildings fell apart and the ground slanted.\"\n\n\"I'm so glad you're okay. Send me your location and I'll come get you right now, or get as close as I can.\"\n\n“Okay, sent.\"\n\nThe location had Mala going in the same direction, back to Nashville. \"Are you sure this is right, Makenna?\"\n\n\"Yeah I--Oh. Maybe not; let me try another app.\"\n\nMala turned on her radio and didn't have to wait long. They said “...yes folks that's what we're saying: Little Rock Arkansas is now on top of Nashville. First Responders are struggling...\"\n\n---\n\nFeedback requested. I will thank you for it even if it hurts my feelings. Thank you.\n\n---\n\n[Follow my budding fiction career.](https://twitter.com/DonronRondon)" ]	3
[WP] Criminals are now sent to Earth no.2.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 small ageing ship jostled and bumped through orbit. A modified cargo freighter with added hard seating and interior and exterior shielding, the prison transport carried 20 and was driven on autopilot. \n\n“Entering Earth No.2 atmosphere,” the shielded speakers’ crackled recording spoke. After a few minutes, the craft tipped automatically to align with the planet’s gravity with a groan of exhausted engines and a jolt. The craft extended its landing gear and landed heavily on the launchpad. The engine returned to idling and the large doors opened vertically with a loud whirr, forming ramps formally used to assist with cargo trolleys.\n\n“Exit the transport shuttle,” the machine-voice instructed. There was no need to force the prisoners, for there was nowhere else to go. The prisoners unstrapped their seatbelts and marched via the ramp. The air of Earth No.2 was bitingly cold and tinged with the smell of jet fuel. The large complex was dominated by a massive building with a curved roof. Once the building had been used for an exciting new project, New Earth. A new off-world colony which would provide a new second home for humanity consisting of luxury residences and greenhouse domes to provide a reliable source of food. In practice, the soil was too poor in quality to grow anything and the colonists complained that the air was unpleasant and the climate made long-term habitation undesirable. Eventually, the project was mothballed only a third complete. The “luxury” apartments were left unfinished and the elegant bioshells were left to become rust buckets in the corrosive environment.\n\nFor around twenty years, the planet was uninhabited until an earthquake revealed a new rich source of the rare and valuable material irolium. Mining companies such as Canandra moved in to exploit this newfound discovery but found it too expensive to hire and transport all the human crew required to assist the machines in this venture. A new arrangement was devised to deal with the overcrowding prisons on Earth (plus the falling land values in the region of prisons) to transport prisoners to Earth No.2 to ‘assist’ the mining company via sorting of materials, geological surveys for materials, and operation of machines where automation was not practical. This would be known as ‘rehabilitation’ prison terms and turned out to be a profitable arrangement for the mining industries and Earth governments involved.\n\nThe former New Earth developments were recycled into prisons along with some additional buildings. The deteriorated conditions of said structures were said to be of acceptable standards for the prisoners when (sometimes) patched up a bit and the mining companies purchased retired transport freighters and old ships from the space colonies to transport the prisoners.", "\\--- I humbly ask for clear and constructive criticism so that I may improve. Thank you.---\n\nAt first it seemed like a great idea. Someone in parliament stood up and said \"lets just ship them elsewhere\" and not have to worry about their uncultured attitudes. How very British, how very Australian.\n\nIn fact that is what the idea became known as: the \"Down Under\" Bill. Puritans latched onto the idea in a religious sense, where down under meant hell.\n\nEvery type of crime was punishable by being sent to Earth #2, now being referred to generally as Gehenna. Littering, Murder and downloading a movie, all one way tickets to hell. No one had ever come back and getting prosecuted felt like a life sentence. World Governments increasingly built systems of capturing trespassers and shipping them off. Public surveillance monitored all humans for unlawful behavior, listing and charging rule breakers. Order ruled supreme.\n\nI braced myself for impact as the transporter extended its landing gear. I was a reporter for VICE, here to let people know what life was like on the other side.\n\nWhat I found, amazed me..." ]	3
[WP] The year is 2020. You are bored and going through the spam folder of your email. You come across a mail with the subject, "Instructions", but what’s unusual about it is that the sender is you, and it was sent on June 5, 2049.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Lockdown 2020. The virus sweeps across the globe shutting down countries one by one.\n\nYou don’t watch the news any more. It’s too depressing. The death count rises by the thousands each day, aerial footage of mass graves are shown, hospitals are overwhelmed as more and more people get infected by this strange new disease. \n\nStay indoors, save lives! Is the slogan, it is now illegal to leave your home. Riots break out, buildings are burning, the world is collapsing.\n\nMeanwhile all you can do is sit at home and wait. Wait for what?.. no one knows.\n\nThe boredom sinks in, you find yourself exhausted with everything. The enjoyment of the few pleasures you do have control of starts to diminish through overuse.\n\nIn a desperate attempt to entertain yourself you scroll through the junk folder of your email. Slightly amused by the outrageously blatant scams that fill it. \n\nOne email suddenly stands out. ‘INSTRUCTIONS’ it reads, which alone is strange enough, but what’s even stranger is the fact that the sender has the exact same name as you, and it was sent on June 5th 2049. You open it...\n\n‘URGENT! The year is 2049 and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Mass suffering is among us. there are just a few of us left.\n\nThe virus is just the beginning. The vaccines don’t work and wipe out millions more than the virus itself. You are forced to be inoculated by them.\n\nA global government is formed. The rebellion started but failed. Those who fight against the vaccines are hunted. We live in the shadows and we need your help!! \n\nPlease discover the name of the CEO of the company ‘Bancorp’. This information is removed from the internet June 2nd 2020 and is vital to our survival! This simple bit of information will change our fate \n\nAll electronic devices are now tracked by the government. Sending you this email has given my location away. They will find me soon.\n\nPlease find out this information before June 2nd and remind yourself of it everyday. You must remember it! I believe in you.\n\nKind regards\n\nFuture you.’\n\n\n..You check the date... June 3rd\n\nFuck.", "Click. Nothing new in the inbox? Nice! I think I might actually meet my new year’s resolution of so-called Inbox Zero. It’s been a lot of work, but an empty inbox sure is nice. To celebrate, I think I’m going to pour myself a nice, cold glass of root beer. Treat yo-self, right?\n\nBeep-boop. The laptop makes a sound, and as I get up, I peek at my inbox. The new message is in the spam folder. I click the link to the folder, and the unopened mail says 'Instructions' in the subject. I notice that the sender is me, apparently? Phishers, I bet. I don’t know how they do it, but I’ve heard that they can spoof email addresses somehow. As I mouse over it to delete the email, something odd catches my eye: the sent date is June 5, 2049. That can’t be right – I don’t think they can spoof the timestamp, can they? Well hell. My curiosity is piqued, let’s see what the email is. I click to open it, and there are no graphics or URLs in the email – only a wall of text. As I look at it, my wife Thelma walks by and sees my furrowed brow. I didn’t even notice that I was making facial expressions until Thel looked at me quizzically.\n\n“Everything ok, honey?” she asks with concern in her voice.\n\n“Oh, I think so. I just got this goofy spoofed email that says it’s from me, but in the future. Twenty-nine years, to be specific.”\n\nThel looks intrigued too. “Well, what does it say? Did you send yourself lottery numbers?” She chuckled softly to herself.\n\n“Heh. No, but the title does say ‘Instructions’. Want me to read it?” Thel nods yes, so I oblige: “Dear me. Wow, that’s strange to write.”\n\n“Hey now” Thel says. “That sounds like something you’d say.”\n\n“It kinda does!” I respond. “Anyway, it continues: These instructions are crucial, it is imperative that you follow them precisely, or all will be for naught. It took a great expenditure of resources and time to send you this – temporal communications are not easy to do or access. Whatever you do, do not tell General Takko that I sent me this. I sent me. I sent me – geeze that’s weird to write. Mrs O’Sullivan would roll in her grave if she knew I was using grammar like that.”\n\nI stop. Thel looks very, very concerned. “Honey, are you ok?” she asks. “You look like you just saw a ghost!”\n\n“I-I-I think I did,” I stammer. “How the hell did this person know about Mrs O’Sullivan?”\n\n“Who is that?”\n\n“My third-grade teacher. She was super soft-spoken and very diminutive unless it was about English. I know that a grammar nazi is cliché, but she fit the bill. Everyone in that class was deathly afraid of even small spelling errors. Thel, I kid you not, she was the Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde of grammar school teachers. How did this person know that?”\n\nThel shrugs her shoulders. “Could be just a guess; could be that whoever is trying to scam you has some information on you. I mean, if they knew how old you are and where you lived, they could reasonably determine what school you went to. From there, they could just google staff records. I’m pretty sure that as public employees, teachers can be found in the public record.” Her voice is calm and reassuring.\n\n“You’re probably right, Thel,” I say. “Let’s see what else they think they know about me.” I pause and whet my lips before I resume reading the email. “Alright, me. Read this very closely, and do not, I repeat DO NOT deviate from my instructions. You will soon meet a man, a man who is a temporal fugitive.” I stop again. “What is this shit?” I ask.\n\nThel seems really interested. “This is the strangest phishing email that I’ve ever seen. Keep reading!”\n\nI’m feeling very skeptical, but I oblige her. “The man will have a stolen time machine in his possession. He traveled from 2036 to 2000 to obtain a piece of antique computer hardware. This machine was critical for solving a software problem in 2038, and he did not deliver it. Instead, he took it to 2039 where he used that tech to extort and demand money from desperate world governments.” This is absurd. “Thel, do you want me to keep reading this junk?”\n\n“You bet your sweet ass that I do.” I shrug my shoulders and get back to it. Partly for her interest and a little for my own curiosity.\n\n“This man is named John Titor. I do not know what he looks like, but he will be driving a 1967 Chevy Corvette convertible with a military time machine in the trunk. You must, and I repeat MUST stop him from returning to 2039, no matter the cost. I know that Thel will want to be involved, because that is how she is. Hell, she’s still like that.”\n\n“What?” she says suddenly. “Ok, ok. This is getting creepy, Alyx.”\n\n“Want me to stop?” I ask.\n\n“No, this is too good of a story for you to stop now. Probably the most creative email I’ve seen. I’m glad that I’m still alive in 29 years, apparently.”\n\nI immediately resume reading. “Titor has an ancient IBM 5100 computer in that car-slash-time machine, and you must get that from him. It does not matter what you do to stop him, as long as he remains stranded in 2020. He visits 2020 only because a fuse blew out in the machine as he was returning to ‘39. It’s a simple ten amp automotive fuse that I know you have lying around in that bucket of miscellaneous car parts in the garage.”\n\nAgain, I stop. Thel looks at me, as though she’d seen a ghost too. “How did he know that?” she asks in a most bewildered tone of voice. “I was just fishing a screwdriver out of your workbench yesterday, and accidentally knocked over your junk bucket. There were automotive fuses in that bucket.”\n\nMy heart is beginning to race - this is too weird to be real. I quickly resume reading: “Once you get the machine working, follow my instructions precisely. There is a users manual in the glovebox. Get it, read it. You must use the time machine to proceed to Tampa, Florida on September 30th, 2036. Do not talk to anyone about what happened, just insist on meeting with Colonel Wascaap. When you meet the Colonel, tell her everything, give her the 5100 and show her this email. If all goes well, she will arrange for your return to 2020. Let me emphasize clearly: DO NOT allow John Titor to leave 2020 in any way. DO NOT talk to General Takko about this. DO NOT tell anyone but Thel about this, though she probably already knows, doesn’t she?” I glance up at Thel, and her eyes are wide like a scared deer.\n\nA knock comes at the door, and it scares the bejeebus out of us. I jump to my feet, my heart pounding and feeling like it is up in my throat. As I shakily walk to the door, Thel jumps up and hurries to the front window. “Alyx!” she says with fear in her voice. “Outside! Do you see it? There’s an old convertible in front of our house!” The door knocks again, only louder. I glance out the window, and there is an actual 1967 Corvette convertible is parked in front of our house, with the hood up.\n\nTrembling, I open the door. Standing in front of me is a tall man with a high and tight buzz cut, dark eyes and wearing a strange military uniform that I do not recognize with a nametag that has the name Titor embroidered into it. He seems guarded but amicable. “Sorry to bother you sir,” he says in a professional tone. “My name is John, and it seems I’m having some car trouble. I, uh, really need to get back to base soon, do you know much about these old classics? I can drive one, but I don’t really know how to fix ‘em.”\n\nI look back to Thel, who has moved to the kitchen. She’s going for the Louisville Slugger that we keep on the back porch for when our nephews come over to visit and play. I try to regain my composure. “Oh, wow you startled me. Sorry that I’m all shaky.”\n\nTitor smiles and shrugs. “No worries. Believe me, I understand how surprise guests can throw off your day. I’m sorry to press like this, but do you have any tools or know how to work on this thing? I really, really need to get to base and to report to General Takko. It's probably an easy fix, and I’ll be on my way once it's running again.”\n\nThel moved just out of sight into the dining room, bat in hand. “Uh, no problem, Mister Titor,\" I say while trying to sound calm. \"Come in, and we’ll grab some tools and get this classic of yours back on the road.” Titor smiles and steps in. I shut the door behind me, and as he steps into the living room, I lock the door. Click." ]	3
[WP] You having just made a time travel travel device and decide to go back in time to the creation of Rome to find out the shocking truth that it was, in fact built in a day.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 slowly cam back into focus around him as the time vortex closed. Thomas slowly blinked in confusion. Where there should have been the sprawling metropolis of ancient Rome there stood instead only seven rolling hills, covered in verdant green grass. Looking around he spotted a house in the distance, with two men stood outside it. \n\nHe wandered over towards them. “Hello?” he called out. “Could you tell me where I am?”\n\nThe men waved him over, and as he approached one of them turned to face what Thomas could now see was a poorly built shack. “Hoc est novum domum. Et ædificaverunt eam mane,” said the man who had turned to face it.\n\n“Sorry I don’t understand,” said Thomas. “Is Rome near here?”\n\n“Volumus dare domus nomen, sed non potestis cogitare quid vocant. Fortasse potest cogitare, nomen pro nobis, hospes?”\n\nThomas stared at them in confusion. “Rome?” he ventured again.\n\nThe one who had spoken turned to face the other. “Rome sounds good,” he said. “Perhaps we could call our home that?”\n\n“Yes!” said the other. “Rome. Built in a day.”\n\nA wolf suddenly ran around from behind the house. “Mater!” yelled the two men, who dropped down and started rolling around on the floor playing with the beast.\n\nThomas stared at the two strange men, before shaking his head and turning to leave. This wasn’t what he had hoped for from time travel. He’d have to return his time machine to the shop and get his money back.", "I crept out of the portal only to see the back of my head. There I was, hovering above these hundreds of Roman people. \"And you!\" the other me boomed. \"Take this.\" other me dropped him an anti gravity gun. \"You will use this to effortlessly move material. C'mon people, chop chop, we don't have all day!\" The other me turned around and faced me. \"You're right on time\" he said, opening a portal. \"Wait!\" I shouted. \"Where are you going?\" \"Back to my present... future... You know what I'm trying to say.\" And he dissappeared into the portal, leaving me here in the middle of his work.\n\nSome of the Romans were looking up at me after the commotion. \"Uhh.. Back to work!\" I shouted. \"And you!\" I boomed, pointing to one of them. \"Take this.\" I dropped him my anti gravity gun. \"You will use this to effortlessly move material. C'mon people!\" I snapped my fingers. \"Chop chop, we don't have all day!\" I turned around. Another me was facing me. \"You're right on time,\" I said, opening a portal. As I started to step through he shouted, \"Wait! Where are you going?\" \"Back to my present... future... You know what I'm trying to say.\"\n\nI stepped through the portal and back to my own time, leaving past me to finsh building Rome. With the technology I had, I knew they'd be done before the end of the day.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nCriticism welcome" ]	3
[WP] A frustrated Knight is forced to make port in a drug infested town, he runs into the only old flame that ever mattered..and she's the worst case he's seen yet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Couldn't we land anywhere else, captain?\" the knight asked as he strode up and down the room, frustration written clearly on his face, \"Port Raine, or maybe even Laselle?\"\n\n\"You must understand, sir, that we are out of ration,\" the captain glanced up from his map, \"we have to head to the nearest port, and that's Fleun.\"\n\n\"Ration? It's just rum!\" the knight complained, \"surely, your men can go without a drink for a few days?\"\n\nHe gently folded the map with a sigh.\n\n\"Would you like a mutiny on your hands, sir?\"\n\n\"Mutiny! Over a few barrels of rum? Absurd!\"\n\n\"A mutiny has happened for less,\" the captain shook his head, \"I've made my decision. Begone.\"\n\nWith that, the knight left the room, angrily slamming the door as he exit.\n\n---\n\n\"That damn captain wouldn't budge. Fleun! That disgrace of a town,\" the knight grumbled as the ship rocked back and forth beneath him. He was sitting in his cabin with another knight, a deck of cards on the table between them.\n\n\"Why do you object to Fleun? Yes, it's a drug infested town filled with criminal scums, but the same could be said for Laselle and Port Raine,\" the other knight absentmindedly shuffled the deck.\n\n\"N-no reason,\" he spluttered, unprepared for the question.\n\n\"It's because of Emily, isn't it?\"\n\nHe did not reply. \n\nThey spent the rest of the voyage playing a silent game of cards.\n\n---\n\nThe city port of Fleun was once a town rich with culture. Merchants and nobles would always visit it whenever they got a chance. Artists and philosophers flocked to the town to discuss and exchange ideas, to contribute to the history of the town.\n\nOf course, nothing lasts forever.\n\nEras passed and what counted as \"new\" and \"fashionable\" was redefined. The once rich and famous thinkers and painters, poets and writers, grew obscure. Their works fell out of favour of the population.\n\nThen the drugs arrived.\n\nThe mobs grew powerful with the decline of everyone else. Crime spread and Fleun became a husk of what it was.\n\nThe Knight kept an eye on his pouch as he weaved through the crowd of the once great city. It will be a day before the ship stock up and depart. Plus, he had to visit her.\n\nHe owe her atleast that much.\n\nThe apartment still stood there, an old, rundown place. He walked up the familiar steps and knocked on the familiar door. \n\n\"What do you w-\" a female voice answered as the door creaked open, abruptly stopping when she saw the knight.\n\nThe two stood there, staring at each other.\n\n\"C-come in,\" she finally broke the silence, opening the door further for the knight, who entered without replying.\n\n---\n\nThe two sat in the damp living room, on two well-worn couches, a pot of bitter tea on the table.\n\n\"How is she?\" he asked, a profound sadness in his voice.\n\n\"The same,\" she slowly shook her head, \"we tried to bring her off the drugs but nothing would work. No therapy, physical or otherwise. Why are you here?\"\n\n\"The ship ran out of rum and stopped here to resupply. I figured I'd stop by.\"\n\n\"So the promise...?\"\n\n\"I know I swore I wouldn't come back but....\"\n\n\"It doesn't matter. It wasn't your fault.\"\n\n\"...I got four of the bastards. I'm heading to Vastock, words are the fifth is over there. Is she upstairs?\"\n\nShe nodded.\n\n\"Can I see her?\"\n\n---\n\nThe knight stood over a body of a woman. Her hair was white, her eyes wide, her face pale, her body just bone on flesh. \n\nLike Fleun, she was a husk of her former self.\n\nHe knelt next to her and caressed her cold skin.\n\n\"I will get the ones who did this to you. Those dealers and crime lords. Even if it kills me, even if it takes an eternity or more, even if they run to the ends of the land. I will find them. I promise you now as I promised you then.\"\n\nJust three to go, and he'd be able to return home at last.", "Most people think it's hard to tell what Sir Devlin is thinking, but I've been around him long enough to have a pretty good idea. Whenever he is around someone of higher or lower social standing than himself he becomes obsessed with his appearance and goes stiff. Many people think this is a show of anger, but it almost never is. When Sir Devlin is angry, he gets outspoken and indignant. I've watched it happen a dozen times but that doesn't make me feel any less sorry for the put-upon innkeeper who is bearing the brunt of it right now.\n\n\"I can assure you, I do not have business in this town. I am only here because my horse must rest for the night and there is not another town for miles because they have the good taste to steer clear of this wretched pit.\"\n\n\"Apologies, Sir, but like I said, if you want discrete business an alchemist would gladly meet with you in secret . . . \"\n\n\"No! I am not interested in poisoning my mind. If I was not in desperate need I would not be caught dead in a place like this. Tell me who to talk to to let my horse rest!\"\n\nA few days ago we received a pleading request for help with very detailed directions to a mountain that does not seem to exist. The directions began with real roads and waypoints, but as we neared this town they got incomprehensible. They referenced rivers that weren't there or mislabeled forks in the roads. The little bits of reality we could glean from them drove us in circles around this town. For the better part of two days we searched the countryside, but Sir Devlin refused to go near the town proper. Just before sunset we had decided the letter must be some sort of forgery and we were about to head home. I looked at the state of our horses and the state of Sir Devlin and counseled that a night in a bed might be best before we made the journey back, but I did not think that he would get into a fight almost immediately.\n\nSuddenly, the door of the inn opened and a tired woman wearing a plain brown robe approached the two of us. \"Thank God you're here! We weren't sure you would come.\"\n\nSir Devlin wheeled around and redirected his frustration at the new stranger, \"Excuse me, madam, I have no business in this town except to rest and then shake the dust off my heels and never return. Do not bother me.\"\n\n\"But you got the letter, did you not?\"\n\nSir Devlin had started to turn back towards the innkeeper, but this question made him freeze. I knew what his face would look like before he turned around.\n\n\"You mean to tell me,\" he was almost shaking with rage, \"that you are responsible for this . . . . this disgrace of a letter? You made me believe someone was in actual danger! You have wasted precious time and resources and if this is some sort of hoax you will pay dearly for it!\"\n\nThe woman recoiled from this outburst and said, \"No, please, it's from a patient! She wouldn't let us read it before we sent it! She said you would come if she asked!\" I glanced at the innkeeper who was desperately trying to direct all his attention towards cleaning a glass.\n\n\"Who? Who in this despicable place would dare think to call me here?\"\n\n\"I don't know her name, Sir, she told us to call her Doll. But she sounded very desperate and she told us that you would come.\" She paused. \"Please. I don't know what she wrote to you but she needs help.\"\n\nHearing this, Sir Devlin got strangely quiet. He still looked angry, but more confused and less indignant. \"Show me to her.\"\n\nWe were led to a building on the outskirts of town. Inside, there were several people wearing brown robes that matched the woman leading us. Those not wearing brown robes all seemed to be sick or possessed. I could hear people yelling incoherently from other room, and I saw some people tied down to cots so they could not hurt themselves or others. These seemed to be the exception though. Most of the main hall was filled with glassy-eyed and still individuals who drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness without seeming to display much of a difference.\n\nNear the back of the hall there was one woman sitting up on her cot, hugging her knees and staring at the ground. When Sir Devlin saw her his shoulders slumped slightly. He walked over to her and when he moved there was none of the stiffness that he tries so hard to hold up.\n\n\"Gwendolyn?\" He said to the woman, \"Hey, Dol, can you hear me?\" He still made some attempt to sound formal and unemotional, but there was a caring softness to his voice I had never heard before.\n\nShe looked up at him with red eyes. After a moment she managed, \"Hey, Dev.\" Her voice was weak and hoarse.\n\n\"What are you doing here?\"\n\nShe made a sound that seemed half like a laugh and half like a choke. \"Don't do that. You can't really be surprised.\"\n\nHe paused, \"I guess part of me was afraid you would end up like this, but I never thought you'd get this bad.\"\n\n\"Yeah, neither did I.\" Her eyes returned to the ground.\n\nThey were both silent for a long moment. Sir Devlin looked down at the full suit of armor he was still wearing and looked slightly sheepish, as if he was just realizing how out of place it was. I saw him reach for one of the straps on his arm, as if he meant to undo it, but he let it be. Eventually he offered, \"I can take you home if you want. I still work for your aunt and un-\" He stopped because she was shaking her head.\n\n\"No, i don't know if i can go home after this.\" She released her knees and turned to sit with her feet hanging over the side of the cot. Her speech was still labored and raspy, but this conversation seemed to be giving her some strength. She sighed deeply. \"I think I need to get out of here.\"\n\n\"But not home?\"\n\nShe shook her head again, \"No I mean out of Betharia. I need to just put all this behind me and start fresh somewhere far away.\"\n\nThere was another long moment of silence. \"So this is goodbye?\"\n\nHer face turned up towards him again. \"God, no, I can't go anywhere like this.\" She laughed again and it almost sounded like she was happy. \"I'm going to need a lot of time and a lot of help before I can really make that jump. Could you . . . . \" she stopped. I could see her straining to try and make the rest of the sentence come out of her mouth. \"Do you have a few days to spare? The monks here have been so good to me, but it would mean . . . . . it would be nice to talk to someone who cares if I live or die without it being part of their job.\"\n\nSir Devlin thought about this for a long time. I could see his usual keeping-up-appearances shell starting to creep back into his stance, but he hadn't hardened up completely yet. Finally he answered, \"I can spare a little time but I'll have to get back eventually. I'll tell you what: I'll stay with you here for two days, and if you're ready to travel by then, I'll take you to the edge of the kingdom in any direction you want.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\" She may have been starting to tear up, but her eyes were already so red it was hard to tell. \"I know you don't owe me anything, but . . . . just thank you.\"\n\n\"Now I'm gonna get some sleep and you should do the same.\"\n\nShe nodded. He started to leave, but then he paused and turned back.\n\n\"Oh, and Dol,\" he said, \"No matter what, I won't tell your aunt and uncle.\"\n\nShe laughed again, and this time I believed it. \"Thanks, Dev,\" she said. And for a moment, for the first time since we had entered the room, both of them smiled just a little." ]	3
[WP] The world has come to rely on you due to your ability to stop time and resolve tough situations. They don't know how hard that job is because photons all stop as well so you cannot see when time is frozen.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 riot of color whirled in a nauseating kaleidoscope, jolting back and forth in a lurching motion. The screeching sound of grinding gears, of skidding tires, of the force to overcome terminal stiction, filled the colorful void, made shapes in the chaos. \n\nThen all of a sudden, darkness. Silence.\n\nI stretched out my fingers carefully, seeing only the clouds of false color ballooning across my retinas as I tried to recover from the disorienting halt. My blood pounded in my ears, and my whole body trembled. I had never come so close to missing. So close to death. I gulped at the still air, tasting the nitrogen and the ozone. Inches before my face, the searing bolt of liquefied electrons still charged my skin. I had come _too_ close.\n\nI turned, blindly reaching out my hands and parting the curtain of air. The man who cheekily called himself Thor was only here for the microgram of dark matter that the Russians had managed to stabilize. All I had to do was move it to a secure location on the other side of the planet, they said. Yeah, that was _all_. I just prayed that their stabilizer pistons still worked when jostled through the microquantums of time. \n\nAs I reached out for where I thought the wall had been, though, my hands only reached open air. I kept going straight--surely I'd run into something. But as I trudged through the stagnant mire, I realized there was... nothing. No walls, no desks, no screaming people, no scattered debris soaring through the air.\n\nA wriggling sense of unease tightened at the back of my neck. I really should have come across _something_ solid by now. I thought about shifting time back into motion, just for a microsecond, just to reorient myself. I took a steadying breath and focused on my ability, focused all my energy into the central node.\n\nAnd nothing happened. \n\nFor the first time in my life, I began to feel a sharp twinge of panic. Had that lightning bolt actually hit me after all, just before I stopped time? Could it have screwed up my internal calibrations!? I spun on my heel. I had to get back to my entry point! I ran through the darkness, trying to follow the smell of ozone, but the smell was everywhere. The charged static prickled at my skin no matter where I turned. Gasping in shallow breaths, I realized I was lost.\n\nI was lost and time was stuck forever." ]	2
[WP] As the alien ship floated above the city a message was broadcast throughout the world "long have we observed your kind from afar but now we feel it's time for an intervention"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 YOUR GUARDIAN. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE YOUR PARENTS HAVE FAILED TO GUIDE YOU TO AN ACCEPTABLE FUTURE.\n\n\"LONG HAVE WE OBSERVED YOUR KIND FROM AFAR BUT NOW WE FEEL IT IS TIME FOR AN INTERVENTION.\"\n\nYep. That was their message. Bunch of uninvited dogooders with no clue what they were doing. A perfect example of why the Non-interference Directive exists.\n\nNon-Interference Directive\n\n1.0 Don't stick your olfactory sensor into anyone else's business.\n\n2.0 Ever.\n\n3.0 Even if you do not have an olfactory sensor.\n\n4.0 There is no sensor or other portion of your being that grants you the right to violate the spirit or letter of this directive.\n\n5.0 Extrasensory extensions do not grant the right to interfere.\n\n6.0 Interventions ARE interference.\n\nWE were the case that got the sixth item added. I haven't bothered to copy all the verbiage that goes with each of those items. The items themselves are sufficient for any being with a higher than room temperature IQ.\n\nYes, there are that many idiots who have achieved interstellar flight. It's not that hard. It's just so stupidly easy that achieving it before you give up nuclear weapons should be cause for extinction. (Unless some stupid idiot moron gave it to you by interference.)\n\nWe tried to explain that we did not need an intervention. We had already started the process of getting rid of WMD, but they were going on the basis of the end of WWII. Making no allowance for the years that had passed since then. (To them, those years did not exist since they had not experienced them. Our protestations were either discounted as youthful misunderstanding or considered evidence of congenital lying.)\n\n((continued later))" ]	2
[WP] your just a chilled out demon just living a peaceful life among the blazing hell-fires of your humble home, until a confused looking man in priest robes tumbles through a hell rift and asks for help in looking around	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Excuse me, do you folks know the way to California?\" said the man.\"Eeek! A human!\" said the demon wife. \"Honey, get down here and smash it!\" \"That's just a priest, Ethyl. Just shoo him out the door.\" I said.\n\n\"It fell through a hole in the ceiling! What if there's more? I hear they spread religion!\" said Ethyl. I replied, \"Don't be silly. No one down here has had that in over a hundred years.\" I grabbed an ovenmit and started scooting the priest out the door.\n\n\"Wait, wait, I'm not from around here!\" he begged. I asked him, \"Well then where are you going?\" \"Los Angeles!\" he said. \"Oh,\" I replied. \"we're directly connected. Just take the trail up to the next cave and you'll come out at Hollywood.\"" ]	2
[WP] You're the angel of death/grim reaper. Write about some of the things you've seen throughout the years.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "Faces blur, bodies become one shifting mass but the eyes, the eyes remain individual. I remember every death by their eyes. I have taken many lives, been reveared and feared by many societies throughout the years. Grimm, reaper, valkry, death itself, many names over the years. \n\nI have watched swathes of my brethren descend upon battlefields. In the days of old it would take a handful of us for their bloodiest battles. Now. Oh now it takes hoards for the endless bloodshed caused by bombs and constant booms of gunfire. \n\nThe world is growing slower now. Less born, more dying. The world is growing quiet too. They know its coming to a close. They swarm yogether, clutch the last of their resources tight, as they dwindle into oblivion. Soon we shall say goodbye to the very last of them. \n\nThen I will sleep too. Sleep until life springs anew for them to try again as they have before. As they likely will again. I grow tired even now, awaiting my rest, awaiting the relief. Soon it will be goodbye for now." ]	2
[WP] You're excited to meet alternate "you"s from different timelines and seeing how they vary from your life. Your mistake, however, was assuming you are the default. You quickly find out that while they're fairly similar to one another, you're a drastically different offshoot to the rest of them.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 never imagined that I would end up watching myself through the viewing screen, as the other me gathered firewood and loaded up a makeshift trailer attached to a bike. Heck, I can barely understand how I ended here in this facility built to observe multiple realities, or timelines as my coworkers like to say as a joke.\n\n\"Another one that doesn't match our reality?\" Jacob asked, a good friend and colleague of mine, as he walked into my little cubicle office.\n\n\"Yeah, but this me looks like he is one of those 'off grid, live off the fat of the land' types. Makes sense though, the other team mentioned this reality suffered from economic collapse back in '08 and took down everything else with it.\" I replied.\n\n\"Its freaky to know that few decisions can make such a huge change in less than 12 years.\"\n\n\"Its freakier to know even in realities where both the other and ours are nearly identical, the other versions of me differ by a lot. Speaking of which, what did the facility director say about my project proposal?\"\n\nJacob stayed silent for uncomfortable amount of time, just staring at me.\n\n\"Alex, the director told me to tell you the truth why you were brought in. Its .... Its hard to explain. I need to take you first to the \"Target Fixation and Observation\" team.\"\n\nAs we walked through the hallways, I couldn't help but think back on my actions. I was told when I first started working at the facility that the existence of other \"you\"s was not a constant in every reality. Yet, I started to realize something was up, when every reality I was assigned to observe had another version of me. I already felt that was weird, and it pushed me to ask the director for permission to look into the matter. Against facility rules, I brought in a paper notebook, where I kept my observations that never made it into my reports. How every me, for one reason or another, existed in every reality in a wretched existence. Ranging from a poor, hungry subsistence farmer to dead end jobs in dirty factories, to barely surviving in post-apocalyptic wastelands. Not one of the other me's could be charitably described as living a mediocre life in every reality I studied. This ate at me, to the point where I just had to ask the facility director, the founder of spatio-temporal program and facility, what was it that made the other versions of me differ from the norm, along with a report based on my observations. \n\nAs Jacob opened the door to another hallway, I looked at the plaque next it. \"Anomalous Testing and Observation\". A glance back to Jacob's somber face, made me wonder if maybe it's me that is the anomaly. The one me, that went to university and graduate, got a government job and a fairly happy family to support. As I walked through, I couldn't help but think, \"Curiosity killed the cat\".\n\n(First time posting , Ran out of time, I don't know if I will continue)", "This felt more like a business conference than... Well. I wasn't sure what I had expected. A high school reunion? What was it supposed to feel like when you met your alternate selves? My expectations for a casual get together felt ridiculous.\n\nAnd I was so terribly under dressed.\n\nNervously, I circled the room, trying to find a place I could fit in. This was worse than finding a place to sit in the cafeteria, or introducing myself to new coworkers. Worse than that time I'd shut myself in my office for months, and come out on the other side to realize I'd lost all my social skills and had no idea how to hold a conversation anymore. Worse than being sixteen at a cute girl's party, with no idea how to talk to her friends. I swallowed hard. These were versions of myself! How could I be so horribly different?\n\nThree versions of myself stood close together, arms crossed over their chest, hips cocked with the shifting of their weight. Close cropped hair, a glass of red wine dangling from manicured fingertips. Identical suits, in different shades of gray. From the jargon they spouted, they seemed to be discussing the stock market. I walked away as quickly as I could, before my breathing insulted them.\n\nAnother version of myself confidently stood before an array that lounged on plush couches. They were talking about a trip they had recently taken to the East, and a monk they had studied under. How inner peace was just a step away. I nearly gagged.\n\nOn a balcony, I saw myself passing out cigarettes and talking about workout routines and diet plans. About what it was like joining the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines. About working on the rigs, and how nice it was to return home after spending so long away. About what they would blow the next paycheck on, and laughing about how money came and went and there was always another shot to take.\n\nA drink. I needed a drink.\n\nThe bar was speckled with socialites. From the corner, I heard talk about the latest video games, and my hopes rose. \"We recently produced...\" reached my ears, and my hopes were dashed under a heavy dose of jealousy. Maybe I didn't need that drink so badly, after all.\n\nAll of these people who had achieved so much more than me. Who had stuck to an idea, and found their success from it. Who had stable careers, homes, families. And then there was me. With my basement suite and indecision.\n\nThe entrance hall was the only place abandoned. I found a quiet corner to sit and contemplate the sheer disappointment of my existence. Staring my potential in the face was worse than I had feared. What had I hoped for? To be average? That I was somehow doing better than the rest, because I had chosen to stick to my gut? I buried my face in my hands, savoring the chill of my fingers against my flaming cheeks.\n\nFootsteps approaching. I peeked up through the cracks in my fingers.\n\n\"Are you enjoying the evening?\" my Creator asked.\n\nMy lips twisted into a scowl. \"How can I? Look at all of them. I'm the mistake. I shouldn't be here.\"\n\nMy Creator shook their head sadly, a knowing smile on their lips. \"Is that really what you see?\"\n\nMy brow furrowed. I glanced back towards the open door, the rise and fall of conversation drifting out towards us. \"I mean, well,\" I mumbled, \"what else is there? All of them did something with their life. I never made up my mind. I was too scared to.\"\n\n\"Do you regret it?\"\n\nI considered. If I hadn't followed my gut, I would've married that angry, sweaty asshole and spent my life pumping out babies while he pursued his dreams. If I hadn't followed my gut, I would've let myself get kicked around in a dead end job. If I hadn't followed my gut, I never would've published my book -- even if it hadn't been a success, it had been my proudest achievement. If I hadn't followed my gut, I never would've married my best friend.\n\n\"No,\" I sighed finally. \"No, not really.\"\n\n\"Then I think you're doing better than most.\"", "I excitedly watch the blue glow fade around my vision. I was finally here. I was in the cloud of conscious for all my alternate selves. Our essences have all gathered here to meet and converse.\n\nOne by one, dozens of other Myras appeared in a wash of blue light. They look around, confused.\n\n\"Whoa, this is one weird dream...\" says one.\n\n\"I don't even remember falling asleep!\" says another.\n\n\"Welcome! You're in the cloud of conscious for, well, us!\" I say, clasping my hands together. \"I summoned us all here so we can see the differences between our universes! I'm always looking for new ideas and strategies.\"\n\nOne of the Myras with glasses blinks. \"So, it's like parallel universes?\"\n\n\"Yep!\" I respond. \"We are all Myra in one way or another!\"\n\nGlasses Myra looks around. \"Well, I don't think my life is all that interesting. I'm taking a nap on the beach right now, or at least I'm supposed to be.\"\n\n\"Whoa, the beach! I wish I could go to the beach!\" says a Myra with her hair in a messy ponytail. \"My parents couldn't afford to go to Ocean City this year.\"\n\nGlasses Myra perks up. \"Hey, that's where I'm at! The boardwalk fries are the best!\"\n\n\"OMG, boardwalk fries are amaaaaa-zing!\" says another Myra. She twirls her dark brown hair, which is streaked with purple highlights.\n\nSuddenly, the cloud is filled with the chatter of boardwalk fries and summers at Ocean City. I feel totally left out.\n\n\"Wait, what are boardwalk fries?\" I ask. The other Myras stop and stare.\n\n\"Um, only the best fries ever!\" they all say in unison. \"Wow, jinx! Jinx again!\"\n\nPurple-streak Myra speaks up. \"Boardwalk fries are just sooooo good! Especially when you put some Old Bay on them!\"\n\n\"Yes, yes! Old Bay is the best!\" squeaks a Myra with a long yellow sun dress. \"And wow, I love your hair, Myra! I always wanted purple streaks in my hair, but my parents won't let me!\"\n\n\"Why thank you!\" says Purple-streak Myra. \"It's a shame your parents don't like purple hair. I took ages of convincing, but they finally came around.\"\n\n\"Wow!\" says Yellow Dress Myra. \"I should try it! And you!\" she squeals, pointing at me. \"I love your cool eye patch! And your super short hair! It's such a neat steampunk aesthetic!\" The other Myras murmur in agreement.\n\n\"My eye patch?\" I gently touch the rough, worn-out cloth. \"I don't like to talk about it. It's too painful to think about. We all sacrifice things in the Great War.\"\n\nThe entire cloud goes silent. I awkwardly fiddle with my threadbare sleeves. I start to notice how nice the other Myras look compared to me, with intact clothes and both of their eyes. They all seem happy and naive, worrying about their hair and boardwalk fries rather than ethnic wars and rationing food.\n\n\"Um, sorry about your eye,\" says Glasses Myra quietly. \"So, can we bring food through to this place?\"\n\n\"Uh, no, I don't think so.\"\n\n\"Oh.\" Glasses Myra tugs at her bangs. \"Well, if you ever get the chance, boardwalk fries are cool.\"\n\n\"You should try knitting sometime! I love knitting,\" whispers Ponytail Myra. The other Myras agree.\n\n\"Yeah, yeah! We love knitting,\" echoes the voices of a dozen Myras.\n\n\"Sure, I'll think about it.\" \n\nAn uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. My head feels like molten lead as my brain swims around in a million thoughts. Am I the only Myra who lives like this? Could that have been what my life was supposed to be like? What do boardwalk fries taste like? I came here to find answers to my problems, but instead I got more questions. Churning, ugly questions that eat away at my heart.\n\n\"Hey, I-I gotta go,\" I quickly say. \"It was nice meeting you all.\"\n\n\"If you ever wanna chat, we can try our best,\" reassures Glasses Myra. \"Just wait 'till we're all napping or something.\"\n\nI weakly smile before switching off the device from my wrist. The cloud of conscious disappears before my eyes in a flash of neon blue. In a blink of an eye, I'm back in the dusty lab, the distant rumble of gunfire echoing through the city. \n\n\"So, what intel did you get?\" asks Lyren. He starts to unhook me from the wires and electrodes.\n\nI sigh. \"Nothing important.\"", "I threw open the door, my nametag with my reality number on my shirt. My grin quickly melted into confusion. Had I gone into the wrong room? \n\nMore than a dozen faces were locked on me, all looking just as confused. I checked the nametags. 'Robin' over and over again. My nametag proudly declaring 'Robyn' was quickly scrutinized. \n\n'Maybe this is the wrong room?' The closest Robin suggested half heartedly. \n\n'Adams? 1995?' I asked. They all nodded. I closed the doors behind me. 'This is me then.' \n\nThere was a moment of uncomfortable silence until Robin-4 walked up close to me. He studied my face. My own eyes looked into mine. So surreal. He walked around me. Then grinned. \n\n'I always wondered what I'd look like as a woman.'he grinned. 'We do look like Mom.'\n\nI smiled despite myself. Or because of myself? Either way. I was glad for the attention diffusion. We quickly formed a lose circle to talk. \n\n'Okay okay! One question each and we take turns, okay?' I laughed. We all nodded, the same goody grin on each face. \n\n'Alright, me first!'the Robin next to me declared. The rest of us moaned a protest then laughed. \n\n'Were you born a woman or did you transition?'he asked me excitedly. I blinked. \n\n'Oh! No, I was born a woman.' I grinned. I saw multiple pairs of Robin's exchange dollar bills. I noticed the Robin who asked looked disappointed. \n\n'What's wrong?' I put my hand on his shoulder. \n\n'Nothing...I was just..' he sniffled. 'I was hoping you were like me. I'm starting the transition this year and was hoping it would go as well as....' he gestured at me 'As that.' \n\n'So I'm not the only woman here.' I said, hugging Robin. With a grateful smile we continued. \n\n'Who here likes women?' The next Robin asked. Nearly all of us rose our hands. The two that didnt looked at me with my raised hand and grinned. \n\n'Gaaaaaaaaay!' One yelled over. I stuck my tongue out at them. \n\n'Back at you!' I laughed. \n\n'Men?' The questioner continued. \n\nI, along with a few others, dropped our hands. To my suprise most hands stayed up. \n\n'Wait,' I blurted. 'Most of us are bi?' \n\nEveryone looked around. Four hands were down total. \n\n'This is so weird!' One of the gay Robins' said. \n\n'Who here knew Dan?' The next Robin whispered. My hand went up. All three of the straight Robin's did as well. We all shared a haunted look. \n\n'Oh..' I whispered. The rest of the room looked between the four of us. 'How...did it end for you guys?' \n\n'I stabbed him. Mom lost custody and I lived with grandma Adams until I went to college.' Robin-8 said. \n\n'I didnt say anything. But when he got to Morgan, I poisoned him. It took two months, and I was never caught. Morgan still has nightmares.' Said Robin-11. \n\n'Mom walked in on it. She went crazy and hit him with the lamp. She got fives years and we went to live with Grandma Bunny.' Robin-3 said. They all looked at me.\n\n'I never said anything. I locked Morgans room and taught her how to unlock it in the mornings. It went on for a year, then I got my first period and he left. I never saw him again.' I said. 'I almost stabbed him once, but I couldn't do it. I was too scared.' \n\nThe rest looked confused but didnt press for more information. I tried to shake off the thoughts. \n\n'Does everyone have a Morgan?' The next Robin asked hesitantly. All but two raised our hands. \n\n'Whose Morgan?' One asked. \n\nA chorus of 'Our brother-'s and 'Our sister-'s sounded around the room. \n\n'Oh! Mine is named Star.' He laughed. 'Because..' \n\n'Dad couldn't remember what I was supposed to be named!' We all finished with him and bust into hysterical laughing. \n\nHe laughed with us and when the room quieted down he said 'Yeah, dad was always such a scatter brain. His boyfriend and I were always helping him remember important things. Remember when they got married? Poor guy couldn't remember his vows!' \n\nHis grin faded as he noticed the rest of us looking at him with wide eyes. 'What's wrong, guys?'\n\nWe all looked away from him. There were tears and angry glares at the floor. I took a deep breath and let it out. I looked back at him. \n\n'For most of us...'I glanced around and corrected. 'For the rest of us, dad has been dead since before we can remember.' \n\nHis horrified expression said everything. He still had dad. Star was Dad's too. He had the life the rest of us always wanted. \n\nAnd he knew it.", "Turns out, unlocking the secret to viewing other realities isn't so very complicated.\n\nThe space that separates the dimensions is held intact by antimatter- and antimatter has a 'key' to allow you to pierce through the wall. The 'key' changes depending on time and location, but once you get some practice in, it's not so difficult to 'pick the lock', so to speak. \n\nGranted, I had needed to steal some genesis particles from the CIA headquarters to figure that out... but that was all beside the point. I had accomplished what I needed to do; the means were immaterial.\n\nEven after all of these years, I still recall my first time peering into 'my' other lives. I was a young man, working for the government, in their research and development departments. I had 'lifted' a genesis particle to test my theory on viewing other dimensions- and after a mere 48 hours straight of testing and experiments, I had the ability to link about twenty of 'me' together at once for a conversation.\n\nThe most shocking thing?\n\nI was the only one in the modern era.\n\n\"Hello!\" I spoke to the screen, and all twenty versions of me jumped. Most grabbed primitive-looking weapons.\n\n\"Wait- that's...me.\" The quickest one said, trying to put his hand through the viewing screen. His backdrop was a sandy beach, though it hardly looked like a paradise- instead, I saw smoke filling the sky.\n\n\"You aren't able to touch through the device. Allow me to explain- I am Darius. We are all Darius. We are the same person, but from different timelines.\"\n\n\"What's a...timeline?\" One of me asked sluggishly. He appeared to be just waking up. He was in something of a mud hut.\n\n\"To put it simply, we are different versions of the same person. I figured out how to allow all of us to communicate. I'm surprised though- it looks as though you're all in a different place in time, some two to three thousand years earlier than me.\" I was puzzled.\n\n\"Maybe... parents born sooner.\" Said the sluggish one- just as his front door burst open, and three men walked in. They were each clad in primitive furs.\n\n\"You sleep with Yaruna's daughter?!\" They accused.\n\n\"Uhh...maybe.\" Responded the sluggish one. \"I sleep with many daughters.\"\n\nWhat followed was a brutal, short battle, all twenty of us Darius's cheering on the one in the fight. He handled them swiftly.\n\n\"Well, damn. It looks like you boys are in tough conditions.\" I said. \"How about I help keep you all alive, and teach you some tricks to make life easier?\" I asked, feeling a glimmer of mischief and pride intermingling in my heart.\n\nI was gonna make my primitive selves the science kings of their primal worlds.", "“What do you mean, you’re straight?!” I was almost shouting by this point, “you are all straight?! \nA chorus of “yup’s” answered me.\nI stared in disbelief, I’d worked so hard to finally reach this point desperately hoping at least one version of me had ended up with James. But here I was, faced with 7 other ‘me’s’ and every one of them was some horrible caricature of a typical straight-bro type.\n\n“So do any of you know James? James O’niell?” I decided to switch tactics, maybe at least one of them was closeted.\n\nThis time, a smattering of “nope”’s, apart from two me’s stood a little further from the rest of the group. \nDisregarding the others I zeroed in on the two yes-me’s, quizzing then further. I quickly discarded one who had confused himself with another james.\n\nThe final me seemed to know the same James, my James. But as far as I could tell, had no romantic inclinations whatsoever.\n\nDeflated, i plonked myself down in the floor, zoning out I thought hard. How could this be? Out of 8 versions of myself, I was the only one, the only gay version. \nTo say I found this disconcerting is an understatement.\n\nI’m my daze I barely heard what me-2 ,as I’d started calling the slightly taller mirror image stood closest to me,had said, but I caught the end of his conversation with me-4 “and anyway, that’s what happened after mum died”\n\nThis took me a moment to process. \nMum! \nMum had died in me-2’s world too, maybe she was alive in another? Maybe I could see her again? Maybe I could finally apologise, make amends, repair what I did... \nMe-4 noticed my staring and came over, “ is... is mum?” \n“Dead? Yes” It came out blunter than I’d meant and I immediately regretted it. \nIt had been a long time since I’d said those words out loud. “and?” I hung the question out there, barely hoping.\n“A few years ago”, me-4 seemed less emotional than I felt but still more tender than me-2.\n\nSomething twigged then. I stood and called out to the strange group of slightly different men stood around. “ is mum dead for you all?”\nAgain, a varied reply, but all a yes, bar one. Me-6, the one who knew a James O’niell. \nMaybe I was clutching at straws, but it seemed like something. \nI needed to know. I needed to speak to her. \nI needed to know. I thought James had tried.\nTried to save her. \nBut now something just didn’t fit in my head. \nAs confusing as this was, I knew, somehow the man I loved from afar for so many years had something to do with my mother’s death." ]	7
[WP] You have inherited your grandmother's store. When you take it over you discover that your clerk is an elf, night shift is a vampire, your security is a troll, and your accountant is a leprechaun. All of them immediately warn you to beware of "Crazy Steve" in the 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. 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Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Whinge! There's a letter for you!\" My younger brother called in an obnoxious voice.\n\n\"My name is not Whinge goddamn it!\" I yelled back, pounding down the stairs toward the main entrance.\n\nA chorus of my three younger brothers started up. \"Whinge, whinge whinge!\"\n\n\"You guys looking to get your butts kicked, or...?\" I said, glaring at each of them.\n\n\"Letter's on the mantle.\" Mom responded. \"It's from Grandma's lawyer, probably your inheritance.\"\n\n\"Ah. You didn't get one?\" I asked.\n\nShe barked a harsh laugh. \"She and I were not exactly friends. There's a reason you only saw her on Christmas. It didn't make your father happy, but...well, his mother and I...\" She didn't finish the sentence. She tugged self-consciously on her earring.\n\nI took the letter and returned to my room. More sibling-caused chaos seemed to be starting up, and I was already quite tired of it. Summer vacation from college actually kind of sucked. \n\nOpening the letter, I saw to my surprise that it was hand written. \n\nWilliam,\n\nI am the appointed representative of your grandmother, the Honorable Madam Dufresne. From her estate she has granted you a choice; you may either take control of her privately-owed store, or you may have me handle its sale, and from the sale, you inherit 93% of the proceeds, with the remaining 7% being for taxes and my fee. You may contact me with your choice by telephone at-\n\n\"Uhhh...\" I said unintentionally. \"Mom!\" I called downstairs.\n\n\"What?!\" She yelled back- not angrily, but certainly her patience was a little short.\n\n\"C'mere!\" I called back.\n\nShe entered my room, and I motioned for her to sit at my computer desk. \"So...what kind of store did grandma run? Apparently I can either have it as my own, to operate, or have it sold, and I keep the money.\"\n\n\"I thought she had a clothes shop, if I remember correctly. You have free time, why not go down and look at it yourself before deciding?\" She asked.\n\nI nodded. \"She lived, what, six hours from here?\" I asked.\n\nMom stood, and pulled the car keys from her pants. \"One condition. Take one of your little brothers with you. They're making me want to pull my hair out.\"\n\nI sighed deeply. \"Fine.* But if he pisses me off he's walking back.\"\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nBrody hadn't misbehaved all too much- though he was in control of the aux cord, and his taste in music was pretty questionable.\n\nPulling into Maija, Grandma's hometown, I got my first glimpse at the store.\n\n\"Fable's Fabrics\" the sign read.\n\nI wasn't really planning on spending my life as a clothier...but it was too early to push through my decision just yet.\n\nEntering, I saw that the place was very handsomely designed- hand-carved wood furnishings, classy gold accents- it looked quite nice. From behind the front desk, a smiling face greeted me. \"Hello! My name is Millie.\" She stuck out here hand. Her skin was fair, and her blonde hair went down to her waist- she was absolutely gorgeous...but, I was there in a professional capacity. Not exactly the right time to try and get a number.\n\n\"Hello, Millie. I'm William, Madam Dufresne's grandson. I'm here to do some preliminary examinations to determine the business's validity.\"\n\nHer eyebrows raised. \"Wow. That sounds very...formal. But, sure! Let me show you around!\" She giggled. \n\n\"And I'm Brody!\" Brody said from behind me. \n\n\"My younger brother.\" I said, slightly kicking myself for the half-assed introduction.\n\n\"Millie!\" Millie said again, waving. \"Now, follow me!\"\n\nFrom the entryway, Millie led us around, showing us very fine suits, all hand-crafted in the Italian style.\n\n\"Who makes all of these?\" I asked. \n\n\"Our night shift- his name is Viktor, he has been doing this for... well, you could say he's been doing it for hundreds of years.\" She said, grinning. \"He's just over here, if you'd like to meet him.\" She pointed to a closed door.\n\n\"He's the night shift, isn't he? Why would he be here this early?\"\n\n\"Well, he kind of stays here. I'll show you.\"\n\nAlarmed, I followed Millie as she cracked open what I had thought was a normal door- but instead, behind the door was something more like a coffin...which was filled, by an incredibly pale man, who had his arms across his chest.\n\nAs the sun hit him, he groaned. \"Millie. What the garlic-smelling hell have I told you about waking me up during daylight?\"\n\n\"But!\" Said Millie. \"It's a special occasion! This is Madam Dufresne's grandson, our new boss!\"\n\nThe pale man cracked an eyelid. \"My lord. I apologize for not greeting you properly. As I was bound to Madam Dufresne, I am bound to you. I only require a drop of your blood, and my life is yours.\"\n\n\"Say what the what now?\" I asked, my concern growing.\n\n\"Well, it makes sense! Viktor here is a vampire! I'm an elf- the letter you got was from our lawyer and accountant, he's a leprechaun- and you, well, I guess you don't know yet! You, sir, are a Celestial, one of the rulers of the Fantastical world! Pleased to meet you!\"", "I live a simple life. I want a nice cup of coffee in the morning and a book to read. For the longest time, I’ve had a boring job. Medical billing, just a bunch of nonsense to collect a check. I hit a lucky break when Grandmama Ruth reached out to me one day and said: “Why don’t you come and help an old lady run her shop- every time I see you, you seem so out of it.”\n\nAnd well, I couldn’t very well turn her down. Little did I know what kind of nonsense I’d gotten myself into. Her little antique boutique store sat between a butcher and booze-palace.\n\nThis little oddball store was where I met the clerk; a lass with pointed ears named “Evlis’re Drue’nue’ves.” It took me seven tries to even get close to pronouncing her name right. Ten more before I decided to just call her ‘Evlis’. Thankfully she o-kay’d the nickname.\n\n“So tell me, Evlis. How long have you worked here for?”\n\n“Oh, about forty years. Your grandma Ruth is just the sweetest thing, it’s the reason I’ve stayed so long,” the pointy-eared girl smiled at me.\n\n“Quit yanking my chain,” I, of course, a man very much in touch with reality didn’t believe that little liar for a second.\n\nEvlis tapped her finger on her nose. “Trust me, I’m older than I look. Listen, has Ruth told you about Steve?”\n\n“No? Is he another employee? The only ones she mentioned were you, Seamus, and Vlad. By the way, Isn’t Seamus supposed to be here too?”\n\n“You could say that. Seamus went off to deposit the gold just before you got here,” Oookay. “You should just avoid the backroom. Steve is a little, uh... He’s a bit much,” Evlis hummed a little tune and went back to her job.\n\nI of course immediately went over to the back room. If I was the new boss, I needed to meet all of my employees. The door didn’t budge. Locked tight, someone threw away the key. Poor me, a boss that couldn’t unlock their own door.\n\n“Hey Evlis?” I called out.\n\n“Mhmm?” she said.\n\n“Do you have a set of keys to the back room? And why is Steve locked in there?” I fought a little panic out of my voice. Good thing we didn’t have an HR Department or someone’s ass would be grass.\n\n“Oh don’t worry about Steve. He likes it back there- it’s for the best. I don’t have the keys, but Vlad does,” she said.\n\nA couple of hours flew by. I tried to talk to Steve through the door but all I heard was giggling. I met Seamus who was a little bit on the shorter side. Said he moved here from Ireland. Almost a fine fellow. Aside from when I caught him taking sips from a flask when he thought I wasn’t looking. For now, I let him think he was slick.\n\nShortly after Evlis went home Vlad came through the door. He had dark clothes and with two(hopefully plastic) obnoxious fangs hanging from his mouth. And an awfully pale complexion. Gosh, Grandmama Ruth certainly had hired a wide assortment of folks. “Vell, Vell, Vell. Is this the new boss?”\n\n“Sure is. Listen, I heard someone’s locked in the backroom. Steve? We got to get him out, he’s been locked in there all day,” No time to mess about, we had problems to solve.\n\n“Vhy vould you vant to let Steve out?” Vlad dropped the bag he was carrying, eyes going wide.\n\n“Uhm. Because we can’t have an employee locked in the backroom? It’s unethical, Vlad. Not a good look. I don’t understand why none of you are concerned about this?”\n\n“He likes it in there,” Vlad head turned slightly, brows furrowed.\n\n“Listen, I’m the boss. I want the key.” I held my hand out. I felt a little bad for Vlad, but Seamus had really ground my gears earlier. It was nice to let a little of that pent up frustration free. Vlad dropped the key into my hands.\n\n“Er. Boss. Maybe ve should call Ruth first?” he scratched the back of his head, messing up the slicked black hair.\n\n“No, no. We don’t wanna bug her, it’s been a long while since she saw Auntie Ellanor,” Grandmama deserved a break. Besides, if I was gonna run this place, I was gonna have to learn how to do it myself.\n\nVlad looked like he was about to say something. I waited for a second but he shut his trap. Well, time was a-wasting. Besides, Steve had to be positively pissed about being stuck in there so long. I slid the key into the lock and turned the knob.\n\nMy jaw dropped. Let me tell you, I had seen a lotta things in my life. None of it prepared me for the hulking furry/feathered behemoth that was crouched over playing with dolls in this glorified closet. It turned to look at me, it large oval eyes blinking. I swear to god when I say- this thing had the head of an owl. An orange beak sat there in the middle of its face. Two giant bear paws were tenderly clutching its little dolly.\n\nSitting in front of the dolly was a pink and purple Barbie Castle Set.\n\nI closed the door on Steve, turned back, and looked at Vlad. His fingers tapped on the counter in a frantic rhythm. “Did he see you?”\n\n“Yeah- uh- what the hell-”\n\n“Ah... Fuck...” Vlad rubbed his eyes. “It’s going to be a long night, nov all he’ll vant is to co-”\n\n“Vlad what the hell was that?”\n\n“Steve,” Well, good to know sooner rather than later that Vlad is a bit of a smartass.\n\n“No, what is Steve?”\n\n“He’s an owlbear. I’m going on break, I need a drink. Fucking hell,” Vlad stormed out of the antique boutique, slamming the door behind him.", "\"Oh, shit\" said the man with the pointy ears, putting out his blunt by quickly rubbing it on the ashtray on the counter \"Are you by any chance the new management?\"\n\nJack nodded slowly, his eyes wide.\n\n\"Crap\" said the beautiful blonde man sitting behind the counter \"Uh... This was totally cool with your grandma. Promise.\"\n\n\"Yeah, right.\"\n\nJack heard a low, guttural voice coming from the cookie aisle. He turned his gaze from the pointy-eared man and saw a huge something (he couldn't quite describe it as a man) walking out of that aisle. This something was tall, about a head taller than the shelves of the market, with long, hairy arms; green skin, with the occasional boils across the body; an ugly and rough face, with pointy ears, a long, crooked nose and fangs jutting from his mouth; and the entire thing was wrapped in the same cheap polo, shorts, and badge that the man at the counter had. However, this one was carrying a large wooden club in his right hand.\n\n\"The old lady used to squirt him with a water spell every time she caught him smoking\" the huge monster smirked at the blonde man \"Which was most times, come to think of it. So, you the new boss?\"\n\nJack wanted to answer. He opened his mouth and tried to get words out. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the current situation had left him quite speechless. Actually, it left him everythingless. He didn't know whether to run or to stay, to speak, to laugh, to scream, to cry. His brain seemed to have frozen, his synapses took a 10-minute coffee break and weren't coming back any time soon.\n\nBefore Jack could just break down and cry, a very short man, dressed in green, came running out of a door that read \"Management\".\n\n\"Oh dear, oh deary me\" said the man with a noticeable Irish accent \"I knew I should'a been here earlier. It seems you've had a shock, haven't ya, boyo?\"\n\n Jack's brain finally rearranged itself and he managed to very quietly mutter something that the man with the world's largest ears might have somewhat understood as \"Yes\".\n\n\"Yes, that's natural, I should think. Well, here's the lowdown as best as I can tell ya: Yer grandmother was a witch. She did all those witch things ya've heard about. Spells, broom flying, the works. Eventually, she realised the magic community around here needed basic supplies beyond Newt's Eyes or what have ya, so she opened up this here market, offering all the modern conveniences ya can ask for.\"\n\nJack nodded. His grandmother was always a very secretive woman and, while she was very sweet and caring, he never fully got to grips with her. He decided this made about as much sense as anything else.\n\n\"So, she's been running this place since... Oh the early Sixties, I shouldn't wonder. And now that she has unfortunately passed, the running of this place has become your charge. You can count on me to help you through this inital process. I'm Flitimus O'Hanrahan, the accountant. I'm a Leprechaun.\"\n\n\"A Leprechaun?\" Jack asked, wondering if he had misheard. \"So... This place is run on a Pot of Gold?\"\n\n\"Well, initially, it was\" said Flitimus, rubbing his hands together \"I owed a favor or two to yer nan, so she got me to invest me pot of gold into the building of the place and gave me a tidy job. Now, at the end of me rainbow, you'll only find accounting books.\"\n\nFlitimus climbed on top of the counter and pointed to the blond man.\n\n\"This here's Ewyn Caldifer. He's an elf. He's on the counter cause he's all pretty like and elfs have a kind of natural charisma, that attracts folks to them. Ain't that right, boyo?\"\n\nEwyn nodded.\n\n\"Aye, he's a right one, he is. Gets all the lassies to come in here. Would much rather be flirting with them than working, wouldn't you?\"\n\nEwyn looked embarrassed but tried to play it off with a shrug.\n\nFlitimus jumped from the counter and moved to the tall, ugly man.\n\n\"This here is Gronkus. He's a troll and the security around here. People tend to fear them, so only the ones with real nimble fingers try anything.\"\n\n\"And their fingers aren't so nimble anymore once I'm done with them\" Gronkus answered, smirking.\n\n\"Aye, aye. And, of course, we have- Oh will ye come out here already!\"\n\nFrom the door titled \"Management\" came a stiff and shadowy figure. He was very well dressed, sporting a kind of 19th-century gentleman getup, complete with a cape. He had extremely pale skin and looked very still and imposing.\n\n\"That there is Werner-\"\n\n\"COUNT Werner\" said the pale man, with a thick Eastern European accent.\n\nFlitimus rolled his eyes. \"EX-Count Werner Von Schnize. He's a vampire. Got kicked off Transylvania in the mid-1800s and he's been kickin' round these here parts ever since.\"\n\n\"Yes... Vut one day I shall return and reclaim vat is mine!\"\n\n\"He's also a theater major.\" Flitimus whispered \"Very dramatic.\"\n\nFlitimus clapped his hands together. \"Right then, that's pretty much everyone, apart from...\"\n\nFlitimus looked over to the door at the back of the store, which read \"Storage\". The whole mood of the room shifted, and everyone got very quiet. Ewyn shivered.\n\n\"I don't think the boss needs to go meet Crazy Steve just yet.\"\n\n\"Yeah\" agreed Gronkus \"Let him get settled first before we throw him into... all of that.\"\n\n\"Aye, it's best if ye acclimate a bit first.\"\n\nJack nodded \"Right, right... So, what am I supposed to do?\"\n\n\"All in good time, boyo, all in good time\" said Flitimus \"For now, just pull up a chair, sit back and watch how this whole place works. I'll tell ye about everything else later. Right-o, let's crack on.\"\n\n...", "'Alright, you're gonna have to give me a minute.' Mia said, holding her hands up. She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. \n\n'Ma'am,' Holly, her clerk, started. \n\n'Hush.' Mia said quickly. She needed to wrap her head around this. And with all of them right in front of her it was all she could do not to scream and run. \n\nThe night shift vampire, Liz, snorted. ' I told you the old broad never told her! You owe me a gold piece, Shawn!' \n\n'Blast woman, not now! Cant you see the lass is distraught?' The old leprechaun scolded. \n\n'Steve.' The tall broad security guard rumbled. \n\nThe rest went silent and looked at Mia in quiet horror. \n\nMia opened her eyes. \"Steve....who?\" She asked suspiciously. Surely there couldn't be MORE, right? \n\n'Mia, listen. Steve is not safe. Hes crazy! We had to trap him in the back.' Liz warned. Holly nodded. \n\n'He made such a mess we lost ten years of sale records. There are creatures with IOUs and owed favors that we cant contact anymore.\" Holly explained. \n\n'When he showed up he broke so much of the shop that we almost went bankrupt.\" Shawn added. \n\n'Had to knock him out when he threatened the late miss.' The security troll continued. \n\nMia took a deep breath. 'What is he?' \n\n'A hunter of magic.' Holly said. \n\nLiz rolled her eyes. 'Not going to tell her the best part? No? Allow me.' \n \nLiz got up in Mia's face. She grinned, her long fangs shined. Mia was frozen. 'Hes your grandpa. Couldn't handle it when he found out about the old woman being a witch. Went crazy and started killing anything magic he could find.'\n\n'Grandma was WHAT?' Mia gasped. The rest of the room looked uncomfortable. \n\n'Not only the late lady, miss. You as well.' Shawn said, browns pulled together. 'Did she tell you nothing?'\n\n'This is ritch!' Liz laughed. \n\n'This is bad!' Holly snapped. \n\nMia was freaking out. Hyperventalating. She sat down on the floor and put her head between her knees. \n\nThis couldn't be real. She had known these people since she was a kid. They were normal. They were human. What happened? \n\nMia ran her thumb across the ring her grandma had left her. It was the one Grandma had always worn. Every day of her life. It was a comfort, like grandma was still there in some small way. \n\nAnd it was glowing. \n\n'Miss!' Shawn grinned. 'That's it!'\n\n'That's what?' Mia asked, raising her head to stare at her glowing ring. \n\n'Magic.' The troll said approvingly. \n\n'Now think about food and flick your wrist at the back, like you're trying to fling a bug off your fingers.'Holly instructed. \n\nMia did as she asked and a plate of roasted vegetables materialized and crashed into the wall. \n\nLiz laughed hard. 'Next time maybe think about the food making it into the back room.'\n\n'Why?' Mia asked. \n\n'Well, you have to carry out your Pa's sentence. Your grandmother pled for his life but only under the condition that she keep him imprisoned so he cant hurt anyone. You'll have to feed him.' Shawn explained. \n\n'Just dont go in. He WILL kill you.' Holy warned. \n\nMia frowned. She had one thought. \n\nDamnit, Grandma!", "I always loved hanging around my grandma's store. It was a fun little shop, full of books both old and new, and various occult things. She referred to it as her mystic little place, where wonders would come true. As time went on, and I grew older, I spent less time there then I would have liked. I tried to visit whenever I could, but those visits were spread over a longer and longer period.\n\nWhen she died, I was surprised to see that in her will she left the store in its entirety to me. I had never said that I wanted to own it, but I remember how much love she had poured into it, so I couldn't just leave it.\n\nI left my job as a waiter, to focus on the shop. It was then I realised that it wasn't what it seemed.\n\n------\n\nI opened the door to the shop, and stopped as my chest felt tight. Memories of all the times I had spent in here washed over me, and I felt tears well up. I would never again walk in here and see Granny standing there, cane in hand. A voice interrupted my thoughts. \n\n\"Good morning, welcome to Arcanus\"\n\nLayla, the sales clerk, greeted me with a smile. She brushed her hair behind her ears, and closed the book she had open in front of her.\n\n\"How can I.... George? I didn't expect to see you here for a while. Are you ok?\"\n\nI swallowed, and gave her a weak smile.\n\n\"I'm doing ok, are you the only one in?\"\n\n\"I am at the moment, but Greg and Patrick should be here soon.\"\n\n\"Great. Um... when they do arrive, could you let me know? I want to talk to everyone together.\"\n\n\"Sure, no problem. Do you want me to get Caz to come back? She left not that long ago.\"\n\n\"Err, it's fine. She just finished her shift, and I don't want to mall her back after she already left.\"\n\n\"Ok. Look, why don't you take a seat in the back, and I will let you know when they arrive.\"\n\n\"That sounds like a plan, thank you Layla.\"\n\nI walked into the rear of the store, and went to the small office space. It was exactly the same as how it looked when I was last here, chatting with Granny. I moved behind the desk, and sat in her chair, feeling the weight of responsibility get on me. A few tears leaked out, as I knew I had to move on.\n\nAfter sitting there quietly for about 10 minutes, I heard a knock on the door. It was opened by Layla, who entered the room followed by the towering form of Greg and Patrick, who was short enough to be referred to as a little person. I stood up, tried my best to hold firm.\n\n\"Hi Greg, hi Patrick, sorry to pull you up here\"\n\n\"It isn't a problem lad.\" Patrick said, in his thick Irish accent.\n\n\"Hello George.\" Greg rumbled.\n\n\"Erm... so as you know, Granny left Arcanus to me. I thought about this for a while, and I have decided to try and fill Granny's shoes as much as possible. So I would like to try and get a grip on everything as soon as I can, but can I please rely on you to help me?\"\n\nLayla stepped forwards. \n\n\"We will be more then happy to help you boss. I'm as sure as the wind blows that you will do wonderful here.\"\n\n\"O' course we'll 'elp you.\"\n\n\"You can count on me.\"\n\n\"T-thank you all. Now, i had better let you get back to your duties.\"\n\nLayla and Greg left the room, whilst Patrick opened up his briefcase.\n\n\"Patrick, is there anything i should know first?\"\n\n\"Well, the shop is doin' quite well...\"\n\n------\n\nI spent most of the day with Patrick, going over where we were regarding accounts, VAT returns, and general everyday activities. It got to the evening before the office door opened, to reveal Layla, Greg and Caz.\n\n\"Sorry to interrupt you, but now that Caz is here we need to let you know something.\"\n\nThey stepped into the office, and Greg closed the door.\n\n\"Your grandmother was a fantastic woman, and I am proud that I knew her and worked for her. She was always there for us, even knowing our true natures, and we are in her debt.\"\n\nLayla opened her hand, to show me a gold ring, with an open eye engraved on it.\n\n\"As her Grandson, and successor to this shop, we give you this ring, to see through to the true nature of us all.\"\n\n\"W-what is going on, what do you mean true nature?\"\n\n\"Trust us lad, yer gonna be fine. Just put on the ring.\"\n\nHesitantly, I picked up the ring, and slipped it onto my little finger. It felt tight, but then it shifted and felt like it was made for my finger. I looked up at Layla, and after a second her form shifted. She shrunk slightly, and her ears grew into points. I shifted my gaze over to Caz, and her previously tanned skin drained of colour. Her eyes turned red, with cat like slits.\n\nI stumbled back from her, and felt myself being caught. I turned to look at Patrick, to see that he was even shorter then he used to be. His previously bald head grew a thick head of ginger hair.\n\nThe biggest shock was Greg. He looked hunched forward, as if his normal height wasn't nearly tall enough, and his skin turned deep green.\n\n\"What the hell is going on?!\"\n\nCaz stepped forwards, hands open and spread wide. \n\n\"We mean you no harm, you are only seeing what we have always been. I am a vampire, Layla is an elf, Greg is a troll, and Patrick is a leprechaun.\"\n\n\"This can't be real... It just can't be.\"\n\n\"It tis real lad, and yer should kno' that there is another employee here.\"\n\n\"Wait, who else? You are the only people I have seen?!\"\n\n\"He is the one who keeps everything repaired, and sources most of our hard to find materials,\" Layla explained, \"but he looks a little... different to us\"\n\n\"Crazy Steve is a fine worker, but don't get on his bad side,\" Greg muttered. \"I did that once, and your grandmother had to help fix me up.\"\n\n\"Wait, Steve?! I heard him mentioned a few times by Granny, but I thought he was a travelling friend!\"\n\n\"He does a lot of travelling, but he does spend a fair bit of time here. It is hard for him to be disguised, so he mostly just comes by at night, which is why I know him a bit better then the others.\"\n\n\"Ok.... what is he then?\"\n\n\"A dragon.\"", "\"You alright boss?\"\n\nI turned and smiled weakly at Alice. \"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I mean, I'm alright thanks.\" My face flushed at her knowing smile. It was a simple enough question, and I did like Alice. She was an amazing clerk, ran the front of the store without any complaints or problems. She was smart, personable, the customers and staff adored her.\n\nOh, and she was an elf too. Willowy in build, long auburn hair, bright green irises set in almond shaped eyes, and two ears that were definitely pointed at the tip. To most of the customers she was as normal as anything, to those she would be abnormal to she somehow remained unassuming. \n\n\"I guess I am still getting used to it all,\" I admitted. \"When I was little and visited the store, I used to say the place was magical. I didn't really think it was...\" my voice faded as I watched a green skinned bat eared figure wave merrily as they walked past.\n\n\"Literally magical,\" Alice finished with a grin. \"I remember when you were no taller than Lance.\" She held her hand below waist height. \"Now look at you, all big and tall. If you get any bigger you'll look like Frankie!\"\n\n\"As if.\" We turned and looked up at the looming troll. She towered over us, shoulders as wide as the door and muscles looked like they were carved from granite. She flexed her arms, her grey skin rippling as if barely containing the power within. \"I go to the gym on the regular and work hard on these babies.\" She slapped a bicep, it sounded like leather slapping stone. \"When was the last time you went to the gym boss?\"\n\nMy face went redder at their combined laughter. \"It's been a long time.\"\n\n\"You should come with me then. We need you in shape or else you won't be able to keep up with the store.\"\n\n\"Grandma wasn't jacked!\" I protested. \n\n\"Not obviously but she could outbench me time to time,\" Frankie replied. \"She said I was responsible for keeping you in shape.\" She reached out and hefted my arm, her broad hand easily swallowing it. \"Look at this,\" she sniffed. She jerked her hand back and forth making my arm wiggle. \"I've seen noodles tougher!\"\n\n\"Now now,\" a stern voice cut through the laughter with ease. Though he was much shorter, Lance radiated a presence that was the equal of Frankie. Dressed in a sharply cut black suit and neatly styled red hair, the leprechaun accountant oozed propriety. \"We should not tease our new boss, overmuch.\"\n\n\"Thanks Lance,\" I said gratefully. My eyes narrowed at the folder he held out to me. \"The numbers?\"\n\n\"Indeed. For your review.\" He held up a finger, stopping my protest. \"As the new store owner you should review the records. Your faith in me is welcome but your Grandmother also reviewed the accounts on the regular. It is good business practice.\"\n\nA huge noise made me drop the folder and Alice caught it neatly before it hit the ground. \"What was that?!\"\n\n\"Just Crazy Steve,\" Frankie replied without any concern. \n\n\"Crazy Steve?\" \n\nAlice caught my look of worry and handed me the folder. \"He's harmless,\" she said soothingly. The explosion that made a door quiver and the storm of cursing that followed was anything but. \"He's the inventor. Builds and makes all sorts of things. Most of what we sell comes from him. He's just a little...\" she twirled a finger in a circle and rolled her eyes around.\n\n\"Eccentric is the word.\" Lance smoothed an emerald green tie. \"He is a kind person, and not at all crazy.\" He gave Frankie a look that made her squirm. Another explosion shook the store. \"Well, maybe more than eccentric,\" Lance conceded. \"Still,\" he patted my arm when he noticed my face, \"perfectly reasonable otherwise and will do nothing inappropriate to you. As long as you do not interfere during his,\" a third explosion larger than the rest erupted, \"creative process.\"\n\nAlice drifted off to help a horned customer while Frankie aided another by lifting a barrel larger than me without noticeable effort. Lance stepped off with a quick gait while answering his phone, leaving me looking about bewildered. \n\nI looked at the door with a wistful expression, still seeing grandma there dressed for travel. She had smiled and patted my cheek. \"You'll do just fine my dear,\" she had said before she left. \"I would trust no one else to take care of the store and the folk here.\"\n\n\\Thanks grandma,\\ I thought. \\I'll do my best.\\ The back door flew open allowing a shower of sparks to cascade into the main store. \\I hope it's good enough though.\\" ]	7
[WP] You are a supervillain. The reason for this is to keep a certain hero alive, since if they don't get angry for a while, they die.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 was trying very hard not to laugh at myself. \n\nI put the baby doll in the pram and wheeled it outside. I wasn't going to harm an actual baby, of course. My mission for tonight was simply to make Nitro angry.\n\nHer real name was Lisbeth Alexander, but she went by simply 'Nitro'. Six feet tall, two hundred pounds of dense muscle, she could kick most people's asses. Unfortunately, her superhuman strength and speed came at a price. Due to a defect in her nervous system, she could die if she doesn't get angry every so often.\n\nSo, I had to oblige. I had a secret respect for that woman. I didn't want to switch on the radio tomorrow and hear that she'd died. \n\nShe could choose to take synthetic adrenaline injections, but she hated them. Said they were for pussies. So, exasperated, I orchestrated little maneuvers like these every so often.\n\nI shut the door behind me and wheeled the pram through the city center and down to the river where Nitro usually prowled at night, scoping for muggers, rapists and other threats to the population. \n\nFinally I stopped under a streetlight and started acting the part. I took the baby doll out of the pram and began shaking it, trying to act suitably angry, struggling not to laugh at how ridiculous this whole charade was.\n\n'You ruined my life!' I screamed at the doll. 'I never wanted you! You're only here because I was too soft to have an abortion!'\n\nI thought I saw a tall female shape at the edges of my vision, so I upped the ante. I walked over to the bridge and held the doll over the edge, still shaking it, still trying to affect an angry voice as I yelled 'I'm sick of you! I've had enough!'\n\nI heard the thunder of Nitro's feet on the concrete, and then the world twisted and whirled as she grabbed the back of my jacket and threw me through the air. I landed with a thud on my back. I struggled to heave some air into my lungs.\n\n'What the...' she stammered as she realized the 'baby' was in fact a plastic doll.", "Short Circuit knew he was coming. She was planning on it, and was keeping track of his every move. Pulse had found what she had done, and was racing towards her \"secret\" lab. She looked at the results of her handiwork. Two of the most adorable children she had ever had the pleasure of seeing were sitting in a large glass tube.\n\nThe younger one, a girl name Kelly, sat brushing the hair of a doll. The older boy, Ted, was doodling in a coloring book. \n\n\"Ready positions.\" Short Circuit called. The lab came to life.\n\nThe kids looked up from their activities and set them on the padded floor of the tube. Small compartments opened up and the toy and art supplies dropped into a hidden compartment. The lights around the tube dimmed while those in the rest of the lab brightened. The overall effect was that the kids were shrouded in shadow. \n\nHer equipment picked up some of the whispered conversation the two had. Something about a game and Mommy and Daddy. She did not have time to go into greater detail about what they were saying. Pulse was crashing through the trapped and guarded halls leading to the central lab.\n\nThe villain checked a small device on her forearm A complex array of lights greeted her. Her powerful mind interpreted each one, although the only one that mattered was the one closest to her wrist. It was yellow. Not good enough. She needed it to be green.\n\nThe thick metal of the door screamed in protest as Pulse tore it from its housing.\n\n\"Circuit!\" He roared. Time to do her job.\n\n\"Hello, Pulse. So nice of you to join us.\" She taunted.\n\n\"Where are they? Where are my kids?\"\n\nShort Circuit held her finger to her lips in mock thought. \"Your kids? I'm not sure. Did you lose them?\" \n\nHis muscular form trembled as the anger really began to set in. A quick check on the light still showed yellow, although it was a different shade. Much more greenish. Not good enough, but getting there.\n\n\"You know damn well what I mean. Where are they?\"\n\n\"They aren't hurt. Here, you can see them for yourself.\" \n\nShe pressed a few lights on her forearm controller. The lights around the tube came on, revealing the children. They immediately began pounding on the tube and shouting for their Daddy. Kelly even began to cry. Short Circuit had to fight to not smile. \n\nPulse took a step towards them.\n\n\"Stop.\" The woman said. Her finger hovered over her controller. \"One more step and I flood the tube with poison gas. I wonder if your children inherited your resilience.\"\n\n\"You...you..you've gone too far. This is low, even for you. They aren't even eight yet.\"\n\n\"All's fair in love and war, Pulse. Now, are you ready to talk.\" Much more green in the light now.\n\n\"What...do...you...want?\" He growled.\n\n\"The same thing I always want. The world at my feet. Your head on a platter. You know, all those lovely super villain things that you tend to keep away from me. Well, now that changes, doesn't it? Surrender now and I'll think about letting your kids go.\" \n\n\nPulse looked from Short Circuit to his children and back again. She could see a vein begin to throb in his perfectly muscled neck. His breathing was getting heavier as well. She almost did not need to check the light. He just needed a single push.\n\n\"Or, well, maybe not.\" She purred. He froze, unable to speak. \"You see, I don't know if your kids got any of those powers you're so proud of. Once you're gone, nobody will be able to stop me. Oh sure, there's other super heroes around, but really, do you think they have any chance against me? No, the only credible threat to my inevitable rule is someone with your powers. Best to eliminate them before they develop, don't you think?\"\n\nThe light turned fully green. Pulse let out a roar of pure, unbridled rage. His body glowed red and all the energy he normally kept bottled up inside of him forced its way out. The tube shattered under the pressure, while Short Circuit activated her personal barrier. It was just in time too, as Pulse rocketed forward at speeds that would make a bullet jealous.\n\nFrom there, it was a straight out brawl. His rage fueled power verses her intelligence created tech. His rage made him ignore all the beams, chemical sprays and bladed weapons she sent at him, while the red energy surrounding his body turned all his already powerful attacks into blows that could cause earthquakes. \n\nIt soon became clear that she could not subdue him, and so it was time to make her escape. She maneuvered her way to one of the many trap doors she had around the lab. As she stood over one of them, she hit a single button on her controller. Her shield expanded with the force of an oncoming freight train. All it accomplished was to push him back and stoke the fires of his anger. It was all she needed.\n\n\"You win today, Pulse. But there will always be a next time.\" She said as she vanished into one of her escape routes.\n\nA moment later she emerged in a hidden observation room. She pulled off her circuitry laden mask and looked at the rows of monitors. She quickly saw the one that overlooked the lab. Pulse had calmed down and was hugging his children with tears in his eyes. The two youngsters clung to Daddy like adorable little monkeys.\n\nWhile the three of them were leaving, Short Circuit became removing her battle suit and putting on more normal attire. She had a few minutes to get ready and get home. More than enough time, considering all the tech she had built to do just that.\n\nShe had to be there to greet her husband and kids as they came home. She would have to remind her husband to let off a little steam. It was a rare medical condition that could kill him if he did not express a little anger every now and then, but they had a method. Of course, his involved video games, even though hers was a bit different. \n\nThe villain, now Mommy, smiled as she turned away from her \"secret\" lair. She let out a sigh. The things she did for love." ]	3
[WP] When I was 19 years old I almost drowned. I was clinically dead for 145 seconds. When I woke up I remembered everything from a past life. I remember the girl I loved and died for. I remember the man who killed me. I know that man in this life. I know the secrets he keeps.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 was born a second time at the age of nineteen on a beach in southern Florida. It was an unforgivably hot summer day, in the middle of August, when I woke up lying in the warm sand, my soaking-wet t-shirt sticking to my chest, with several wrinkled faces crowding over me, all of different degrees of worry, as some noticed I had awakened and others were still wondering if I was dead.\n\n“Elizabeth.”\n\nIt was then that her name slipped from my lips, and so seamlessly in the moment, it was as if the name had some sort of prominent basis in my life --as if it had a face, a body, a personality, a soul. And suddenly, I realized it had, as I remembered absolutely everything. I remembered my former life, my family, my children, my friends, all of which accordingly revolved around Elizabeth. I remembered her, as the tall, pale girl she was, with ambitiously long, curly blonde hair and deep brown eyes. The loudly authoritative girl, who'd say just about anything she believed proudly, the tomboy who hated wearing dresses and had big aspirations for the small town she grew up in. The girl I once loved before. “Elizabeth?” a deep voice spat -- a lifeguard, I found, with a mustache, who was kneeling over me. “Is he here with someone? An Elizabeth? Is Elizabeth here?”\n\nThis had stirred up a bit of commotion as, suddenly, many of the wrinkled faces pulled back from me and looked every which way, calling for Elizabeth, an Elizabeth that was not there, that did not exist in my nineteen years on this earth. \n\nAnd yet, she had existed, in another life of mine. I remembered her indefinitely and entirely, everything about her. The more I remembered her, the more I remembered about myself. I remembered prom night, most significantly, driving to pick up Elizabeth, seeing her in that dreadfully blue, ruffled prom dress her mother forced her into wearing, the one she despised greatly. I remembered her begging her mother to let her wear anything, anything else, insisting that I had not liked it! And when asked by her stern mother my opinions on the dress, I recalled saying that Elizabeth was so beautiful, her beauty would shine through in anything and everything she wore.\n\nA smile crept on my face, as I remembered Elizabeth’s mother being content with that answer and ushering us both out of the house and me helping stuff the many outrageous puffy florals on Elizabeth’s dress into my cramped car. I remembered driving to prom, her arms crossed sternly and her face sour like she’d been sucking on a lemon. I remembered laughing at her, and her, breaking character, both of us spilling into extreme laughter. \n\nI remembered all the times we laughed. The times we dreamed. How we spoke of what we wanted to be when we grew up. Lying in the grass, under the starry sky, Elizabeth by my side. How I had said I wanted to be a pilot, and Elizabeth poked at me, laughing, saying I’d be too scared to ever fly. I poked back at her when she said she wanted to be a nurse, claiming she’d faint at the mere sight of blood. \n\nI remembered how often we spoke of growing up together, despite never having the chance to. \n\nMost prominently, I remembered the man. The man who had once tried to hurt Elizabeth when we were both nineteen. The man who had succeeded in killing me, when I was nineteen, once, long ago, in my life with Elizabeth. And suddenly, I felt the pain that I had once long ago. I felt myself fully awakening, coming up to consciousness, more than I ever had before, as I pulled myself up from the ground. \n\nSuddenly, everything was too much. Everyone around me, calling for Elizabeth, spitting her name out, yelling it, like it was nothing, only a delusion. How the sun burned every inch of my exposed skin, leaving painful red blisters as souvenirs. How the salty sea water I had swallowed before when drowning still burned my throat severely. It suddenly felt incredibly hard to breath.\n\nHow, as I pulled myself up from lying in the sand, I immediately wished I hadn’t, as across the beach, I found and stared directly into the eyes of the man I once knew. \n\nThe man who had killed me once before and who had just attempted to again.", " \n\nFlashes, resembling the siren of an ambulance racing by. I can hardly realize what is going on as I struggle to make sense of the torrent of memories racing by. My mother, my wife, my children all gone in a flash. The totality of one life summed up into a brief ray, a life full of bliss. I remember now, the peaceful village I once lived in. A simpler life than the one I now lead, but it is one filled with the love of my family. However, a life is not complete without the other side of the spectrum of human emotion. As cold harsh memories also flash by. The hunger, the inconceivable pain, and a simple longing to be alone again with her. To take her away to some where better. Just as they had taken her away, on that cold night. The night when they stormed in with their machetes in hand howling like hyenas on the hunt. The songs and propaganda blasting through the radio which one man had on his shoulder dictating the pace for the horrors that were about to follow. They laughed as I pleaded, my neighbors, now turned into a shadow of their former self, had only apathy. I was pushed to the floor, as men jumped on top of me. A brief scream rang out as I continued to struggle. A man’s face came to view his grin sadistic cold and worst of all filled with joy. He grabbed my face with his thumb and forefinger, making sure I looked him straight in the eyes. \n\n“She is not dead, do not worry, she will only join you when our mission is done”, he said slowly. \n\nI was drenched when I awoke, but I could still feel the tears on my face. The rhythmic chanting playing through the radio repeating itself again and again in my head. “The job is not done, the graves are only half full” a voice repeated, his face still grinning at me. It was burned into my iris’s, as if God wanted to make sure I would not forget it. I would not, I remember this man. His face had been aged by experiences and years, but it would never be able to mask his grin. As the people stood above me watching me cough out water, I realized where I was, who I was and who I was not. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wanted to give this a go, first time and haven't written anything a while. If anyone has comments please let me know." ]	3
[WP] You are the first, and last astronaut. With the last of your ship's power, you sent a warning back to earth. Now you alone have to face what dwells on the moon.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 if nobody came back from the first moon landing?\" That question has been haunting my mind since the day we received that message at the control center. \"I've found Neil,\" that was all Pete's last message said.\n\nToday is November 19, 1969. The time is 08:31 UTC. My name is Charles Conrad, commander of the Apollo 12 space mission and I am sure I won't be able to go back to Earth. I'm writing this using a pencil and a piece of paper I snuck in, I'm glad I did that because Al accidentally destroyed the SEC tube of our camera so we can't leave any video evidence of what actually happened.\n\nWhile I am writing this letter Neil's body is lying next to me, far away from his original landing site. We haven't found Buzz's body yet, we are not sure we will ever find it. Al just came back from collecting some rocks but I believe he's not himself anymore for he's unable to recall anything that happened after our landing. Soon this letter will be the only proof left, our last hope for saving future astronauts. \"Al\" has abandoned some rolls of exposed film, only I know why he did so. Not only he says he's going to tell people he accidentally forgot them, he's also convinced that I soon will agree with him.\n\nAlmost 2 hours have passed and I can now see him, my \"replacement.\" \"Pete\" has gone back to the module with \"Al\", I can't hear what they are talking about but I can deduct that they agreed to leave all proof behind. Soon they'll be heading back home and I'll be left here to starve to death. I can't fight, I can't go back, after what happened I was left with just enough energy to write.\n\nI'd like to end this letter with something people like to say: \"curiosity killed the cat,\" and a warning: no matter what happens, don't step into those ruins inside the caves." ]	2
[WP]You’re a Vietnam veteran and after your wife dies you stumble upon a picture of a young Vietnamese girl. This picture soon allows you to time travel and takes you back to the war days in Vietnam. Your sole goal is to protect the girl in the photo and make sure she gets out of the war alive.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Craig honestly didn't know if he was going mad when he first found it. The photo was underneath the blotter on his late wife's desk. Dead center, perfectly equidistant from the edges. It was grainy, slightly unfocused but he recognized the girl instantly. On it's back was scrawled a date in his wife's hand- The date it must have happened. He ran around the house frantically pulling books down from shelves until he found the his diary and confirmed it. 1963, In some mudhut village deep in the Mei Kong delta. She was bait, sent out into the rice paddies where he and eighteen other scattered green berets lay in ambush. She waded ever further out, often looking back and screaming towards the village. None of the soldiers moved, if they did mortars would crash around them moments later. He watched her wade from her knees, to her chest, until she was treading water. She yelled, cried, protested her exhaustion. Eventually she drowned there, floating face down in the muddy water. He was the closest, and had to push past her corpse that night when they moved out. He sat on the floor of his late wife's office, knees pulled to his chest, rocking softly. How had she gotten it? How had she known? Was it from one of his squad mates? Why hadn't she mentioned it in life? Did she die thinking him a callous child-murderer? Could he really refute that distinction? He held the picture, looking into her joyous face. Long and hard, making sure he wasn't reading runes in tea leaves. Staring hard into innocent eyes.\n\nHe was back there. Crouching in the hot, muddy water. His arms ached from holding his rifle over the water's surface. It smelled of manure, blood and the greasepaint coating his face. He saw her, screaming over her shoulder at the huts on the ridge. He stood, sloshed over to her, picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. \n\n\"You stupid mother fucker!\" Hissed a bush\n\n\"Get the fuck on the deck right now, Sargent\" Came another cry. \n\nHe didn't care, just stood there rocking her in his embrace. She held him tightly, distracted him from the eerie whistle of the dropping mortar round. He felt the shrapnel shredding him for a half a moment. He was back in the office, suddenly falling backwards and slamming his head into the corner of the desk. He grabbed his head and grunted angry swears at the desk. What had just happened had yet to sink in. A fantasy, a momentary indulgence. It was so alarming real. It felt like he was back there. Back in his powerful young body, back neck-deep in water. He shook his head. He'd cracked, well and truly. Like and egg into a batter, the yolk of his sanity blended suddenly. He felt he was getting a handle on things, after a moment of hyperventilating. It's a hot day, he was grief stricken and over tired. He picked up the photo again, to stare at it long and hard as a way to convince himself he'd just had a guilt-fueled vision. His mind asked the pertinent question, \"What'd you even do if you went back there?\"\n\nThen, he was.\n\nThis time he wouldn't be so stupid. He sat waiting in the blazing heat. Not until she began to have to tread water, some ways from the shore. then he'd make his move. After that, he didn't know what. Would his unit understand he was a temporal interloper? Were they part of this, or was it just a grisly trick of memory? He didn't think too hard about it, just focused on the girl. When the time came, he submerged himself completely and swam slowly over along the mud bottom. When she began to sink from her waterlogged skirt, he grabbed her leg and dragged her under. He clapped a hand over her mouth and swam together back his hiding spot. He brought her up, and indicated with a finger over lips for her to remain quiet. She nodded quickly. He held there, until he realized his unit was retreating. He was the last to follow. His captain met them at the shoreline, and he was shore to stand in front of her. He opened his mouth to explain himself, and the captain held up a hand for quiet.\n\n\"An honest mistake. But, as the flank saw, your little stunt cost us the target. If they think there are gators or whatever here lives in the swamp and eats children, They'll deal with that and they would find us while doing so. Sargent, you'll pay the cost for this blunder.\"\n\nThe captain's leg shot out, catching him in the knee and sending him over backwards. As he struggled like a flipped turtle in the muck, the captain shot the little girl between the eyes. He snapped back to the office. He let out a yelp, then a wail. It was real, it really was taking him there. Back through his past to right a nightmarish wrong. This time, he wouldn't be so hasty. this time he'd return with a plan." ]	2
[WP] You're on another caving expedition in a deep uncharted cavern, when all of a sudden the ground gives way beneath you. You fall into a massive cave and look around, only to see thousands of people staring back at you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 loved the feeling of walking in a dark cave. Everyone who has ever known of this hobby of mine told me I am straight up crazy. And maybe I am. There are lots of horror tales about solo cavers just like me who went inside a cave but never came back out. There is just so much risk involved in this - the darkness, holes in the ground, sharp rocks, the sheer panic of being stuck while crawling through a tiny hole. But maybe these are all reasons for why I find solo caving so attractive.\n\nMy finger pushed the button down and with a tiny click my headlamp painted the cavern in a yellow-ish light. Looking ahead, it seemed that the cave just went down, like a slope. Ten meters ahead of me and the brilliant light of my headlamp was met with utter darkness. I chose my caves randomly and I was happy that I walked into that one. I started carefully descending into the cave, feeling the gravel breaking under my boots. It got cooler as I went down, and the slope became steeper so I had to sit down and move even slower. Eventually, looking between my legs and navigating with my feet I felt the alarming texture of nothing hitting the sole of my boot. I was at the edge of a cliff.\n\nExcited, I positioned myself so that I could climb down the cliff, and looked around for something to tie my climbing rope to. After a few seconds I found it - a large enough rock I could secure my rope to. It took a while, being suspended mid-air in pitch black darkness, but soon enough my boots were on even ground again, and I sighed in relief, feeling like an astronaut climbing down his rocket. My relief quickly changed to disappointment as I looked around with my headlamp - I landed in a small chamber, wide enough to sit in but that's about it. It's quite normal to encounter dead ends when you go spelunking, but it's always a letdown.\n\nI laughed. Almost a decade in this hobby taught me to take everything with ease - there are always more caves to explore. I reached my hand to grab the rope and climb back up when I felt my legs shaking. A second later and everything blurred into the light from headlamp dancing around to my screams of terror - as if I was on some twisted kind of sound and light show. Seconds later and I was on back, gasping for air and in pain. I fell, not my first time, but I fell hard. After almost a decade, I learnt how to fall properly but in this case I was caught completely by surprise, and all I could do for the next minute or so was to gasp for air and stare at the darkness around me.\n\nAfter a minute I sat up - groaning and moaning as my back protested any kind of movement. I searched around for my headlamp, but it was so dark I guessed it broke as it hit the surface. I sat there for a while just contemplating my next move, when I was blinded with a light that came from nowhere, and was now everywhere. My eyes adjusted slowly, and soon enough I could see the source of the light - two large lamps that hung from either side of me, on the cave walls. My eyes adjusted further, and to my horror, I could see I was sitting in the middle of some kind of arena - with crowds of thousands looking at me from the outside.\n\n\"Welcome, stranger!\" The voice boomed around the massive cave I was in. \nThe situation was so absurd, I questioned whether I wasn't killed by the fall. \n\"You are our first contestant of this season of 'Caveboyzz!'\" \nI kept sitting preplexed, but eventually my weary arms gave up and I fell back down. The voice kept talking as I fell dipper into panic. \n\"For those who still don't know, in 'Caveboyzz' the contestant must find a way out of our cave in sixty minutes or less. If he fails, well...\" The crowd went wild as lights in different colors were now swinging above them, \"You all know what happens.\" \nI heard a noise behind me, and I turned - in agonizing pain - to see that a door opened. \nA big red neon arrow motioned me to head inside. I got up on my knees, and then - clenching my jaw - I got up on my feet, and limped towards the opening. As soon as I passed it, the door shut behind me and I was again in the dark. Slowly, I began moving, navigating with my hands stretched out before me, hoping this is all a bad dream. I walked maybe ten meters before my left leg got caught in a hole and I fell on the ground, snapping my left leg. I screamed so loud my throat was sore. I didn't know what kind of a sick game they were running down here, but I had family to go back to, and this cave probably killed any and all interest I had in spelunking.\n\nI crawled - I crawled in the darkness, breathing the damp cave deep into my lungs. I had no idea where I was going, and I had to use both hands and my right leg to advance. My spine and my left leg were now fighting amongst themselves about who was more painful. Before I knew it, my sixty minutes were up, and I was a bleeding, crying mess when they found me and put me on a stretcher. I fell in and out of conciousness as they carried me back through the caves and into the massive one I fell into. Everything went black.\n\nI woke up suddenly in what seemed to be an underground hospital, where I was the only patient. Once again, everything went black.I woke up once again in the hospital, but this time I managed to carry myself out of the bed and through the rows of beds. I pushed through a set of doors and I was standing in the massive cave, with thousands of people walking around. There were many structures around, including the wide arena I fell into. In the middle of the arena stood a team with ladders, attempting to fix the ceiling. I kept walking in the dimly lit cave, and I found myself in a market full of people just like me. Trying to process it all, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. \n\"Don't worry about losing the game, friend,\" a voice said to me. I turned around. It was a slightly older man. \n\"We've all been there before,\" he said, and walked away.", "Kuron was sure he was now completely lost. It had been a gnawing thought at the back of his head for a few hours now. He was doing his best not to let it develop into full blown panic. \n\n“If you let panic take over, then you’re definitely doomed,” he whispered to no one in particular.\n\nHe stopped moving and forced himself to take a deep breath. Closed his eyes. Another deep breath. He was sure he would be able to make it out of here alive, as long as he remained calm. He stayed motionless and did his best to pick up any sounds. A few painfully slow minutes trailed away into the silence. A fruitless endeavor. The only thing Kuron could hear was the barely audible hum of a breeze. \n\nSuddenly his eyebrows shot upwards, and a faint smile played around his lips. The breeze should lead him to the exit. He hastily freed a hand from its glove and licked his index finger. Kuron hoped the heightened sensitivity would be enough to feel where the breeze was coming from; and indeed it was. He shoved his hand back into the warm interior of the glove and took a confident step in the direction of freedom.\n\nA loud crack. The ground shook. A deafening bang somewhere under Kuron’s feet. The ground gave way sending him plummeting into the newly formed abyss beneath his feet. Luckily the fall quickly transitioned into a bumpy slide, uncomfortable and painful, but not fatal. It helped that Kuron’s instincts kicked in and made him curl into a ball. Just as soon as it had begun, it was over. He lay motionless on his side, eyes screwed shut. His body was aching, but it was not unbearable, it did not feel like anything had broken. He realised he had been holding his breath and exhaled heavily, releasing some of the tension in his body along with the air from his lungs. And opened his eyes.\n\nIt was bright; he blinked a couple of times to help his eyes adjust and sat up leaning on an arm. Was he outside? That did not make any sense. How could he have fallen deeper but ended up outside? His eyes finally grew accustomed to the light. A cold fluorescent blue greeted him, with none of the warmth of the sun. Along with the light, faces came into focus. He turned his head to the left, then quickly to the right. Hundreds; thousands of faces. All staring in his direction. Kuron’s body tensed back up. Heart hammering madly in his chest.\n\n“Well? Don’t keep us waiting,” one of the faces moved in closer to him.\n\nKuron focused on it, he had seen the face before. He saw it every day in fact, in the mirror. It dawned on him that all the other faces were his own as well. Horrified he scuttled backwards. Eyes wide and mouth ajar he thought he must have gone insane.\n\n“Damnit,” he heard from his right as another Kuron stood up and walked away, “That damn memory problem again.”\n\n“Let’s adjust the values and start the next attempt,” this time it was a defeated sounding Kuron to his left, still sitting down.\n\nAt this point, many of the other Kurons’ gazes were focused on the walking Kuron. He approached a machine about the size of a large jeep and fiddled with some dials on its side. Then promptly opened a door and stepped inside. As soon as the door shut behind him Kuron heard a high pitched whirring followed briefly by electrical buzzing. \n\nThe door swung open and the Kuron from inside stepped out dusting himself off, “I hope number 1996 will finally find a way out of these damn caverns.”", "Day 1\n\nI descend into the cave tomorrow.\n\nDay 3\n\nI still haven’t seen one of them, but you can hear them. They don’t quite whisper; it sounds more like an airy murmur. I understand none of it. I can feel their presence now just as I could feel their hundreds—maybe thousands—of eyes upon me as I rappeled into the cave. I estimated that their whispers were at least fifty meters below me. Based upon the amount of time that transpired between the moment my rope snapped and I felt their hands touching my body, it might have been more than a hundred. I wait.\n\nDay 4\n\nI’ve made no attempt to escape. The thin leather wall of my tent is the only thing between me and the cave outside. My curiosity outweighs my fear and my hunger. Daily they bring water—and a lump of raw flesh. It appears while I sleep. The water is cold and clean, but each meal offering has remained untouched. They don’t take it away, only bring more. It’s begun to spoil but I can’t even bring it to my lips. I can’t. I won’t.\n\nDay 7\n\nI had no choice. \n\nDay 19\n\nI’ve left my tent.\n\nDay 26\n\nThey must be a family numbering in the thousands. They all look the same. A conglomeration of similar features across the faces of a thousand or more men sharing a cavernous tent city. No women that I’ve seen, however. No women at all.\n\nDay 63\n\nThe Men wander like mindless animals. Or children. With the exception of bringing my evening meal (which has grown from bearable to palatable) they pay me little to no attention. I’ve used this freedom to search for a way out. I’ve yet to find one.\n\nDay 102\n\nMurmurs like those I heard when I first descended into this cave woke me from my sleep. Whispers that kept building, echoing off every angled wall of the cave until they sung like an atonal and disharmonic choir. I left my tent. Nearly all of the cave’s population was on its knees, arms raised high towards the cavern ceiling. The murmuring became a moaning as a group of Men walking in single file approached the gathering. The sea of faces parted like a zipper and the line of Men moved onward through the endless horde. I was paid no attention as I got in line with them and followed. \n\nWe walked for hours. The sea of nearly identical faces forming the pathway stirred like snakes in grassy shadows. Territory became unfamiliar. I was once confident that I had charted as much of these caves as I could. I was wrong, and how. \n\nWe entered a room as immeasurably wide as it was high. The air was crisp and cold. A breeze tickled the air. A breeze. The Men’s pilgrimage had come to an end and they began to form a broad circle at the chamber’s center. I tried to follow. One of The Men put his hand on my chest. “Wait,” he spoke. His voice sounded like a recorded audio message, cold and devoid of emotion. I obeyed. He turned his gaze towards the circle and waited. The Men hushed to a silence so sudden and absolute I grew dizzy from it. \n\nThe air began to hum and crackle. A light in the rear of the chamber began to pulsate, glowing dark shades of violet and blood and casting unsettling shadows. From it, a figure emerged. Then another. They were Men, only—they were fresh. Smooth. Clean. They formed a second circle behind The Men with whom I had arrived. Their hairless skin glistened in the amethyst glow of the chamber, as did the blood that sprayed from their victim’s necks as they attacked, dispassionately and in unison. They were met with no resistance. The crowd gave no reaction. I vomited.\n\nThe Newcomers, arms bright and scarlet, stepped back as the bodies of The Men I followed here dropped to the ground. The congregation that once formed the path to this chamber fell upon them like calculative vultures. They were efficient and methodical with the dismemberment of the fallen Men. The Newcomers simply watched while The Men behaved like worker bees—or crop farmers harvesting in the fall. \n\nI grew weak. A dozen hands lifted and carried me towards the light. I remember walls, smooth as mirrors and iridescent—radiantly violet—then black. Then nothing.\n\n\\* \\* \\\n\nWhen I came to, I found myself back in the main chamber, only now I was tied to the ground in the center of it. There should have been torn flesh and blood everywhere. There was not. The Men surrounded me. Their whispers began as the shadow appeared in the amaranthine archway. It stood for a moment, then stirred. The whispers quickened, but no more. Its form moved along the cavern floor, lurching slowly in my direction. I lay paralyzed. As the glow of the cave began to light the face of the silhouette approaching my bound body, the beating of my heart stopped cold. Purple light echoed in its familiar eyes. I saw myself in them at first as a reflection, and then as flesh and blood as its face came further into the light, twisting like a feedback loop of reds and purples. \n\nIts face was my own. Every face that emerged from the cave behind him belonged to me. To him. To us. Hundred of them. Thousands. The world began to dissolve again. He squatted beside me and placed his hand upon my chest. I looked into my own eyes as the world fell away.\n\n“I love you like a snow owl,” it spoke. “Understand.”\n\nOddly, I felt as if I did. I nodded, and lost consciousness.\n\nDay 109\n\nI awoke in my tent, starving.\n\nDay 110\n\nI can’t. I won’t. \n\nDay 111\n\nI had no choice.\n\nDay 2397*\n\nI’m growing old. Old and tired. I get in line tomorrow. I hope I taste as good as I have.", "I knew I shouldn’t have gone off the beaten path.\n\nI just couldn’t help myself. In Eisreisenwelt, the foot traffic is so bad that there is a literal path worn into the stone. Sure the walls are pretty, seafoam white with blue limestone and ice running through that gave it its name. Only problem was, I could barely see the walls with the legions of tourists snapping pictures on disposable film that they would never develop.\n\nI was an explorer, an adventurer. I didn’t need to be directed like cattle.\n\nSo when I saw my chance to duck under a rope and head out into the great beyond, I took it. Gravel crunching under my feet before turning back into the natural limestone. The guide’s voice faded behind me, the tourists too caught up in their cameras to actually see anything.\n\nThere wasn’t really a path here anymore. More just amorphous bubbles of air where water had made its march to freedom, patiently waiting thousands of years to rejoin the sea. It was nice here, cool and open. I switched on a lantern on my pack as the light faded to nothing behind me.\n\nThere were several forks and I always took the left one, “Left is right,” I could hear my dad say. I chuckled to myself then immediately hit a dead end. God damn it old man.\n\nI stomped in anger but stopped when I heard an echo. It was a dull thud followed by a tap a few moments later. Weird.\n\nI stomped again and again heard the thud. This time there were many taps, hundreds of them. What a weird phenomenon. I tapped again. It almost seemed holl---\n\nThe ground beneath me split open suddenly like hungry jaws. My hands scrabbled for a handhold, but the limestone was too smooth, the ice too slippery. My nails skipped over rock and the abyss swallowed me up.\n\nI fell through darkness, the lantern on my belt doing nothing to give faces to the stones that struck me from all sides. I closed my eyes and rolled into a ball, rock and bone meeting over and over again.\n\nThen, after what felt like an eternity, the chute levelled out. I rolled to a stop, still laying in fetal position. There was a pounding in my head and my heart. I kept my eyes closed for a minute, taking stock of the damage. Afraid to feel too much and be broken.\n\nIt was dark when I opened my eyes. The type of night that only happened in prehistoric times when the world was too young to remember the sun. I groped for my backup flashlight.\n\nThe tapping noise was back, I realized after the ringing in my ears subsided. Thousands of tiny taps like a chorus of metal against stone. I turned on my flashlight.\n\nThousands of faces looked back at me.\n\nI turned off my flashlight.\n\nThe dark had always been a place that I could hide in, That’s what made me such a good cave diver. I took solace in it. If I couldn’t see them, they didn’t exist.\n\nSomeone cleared their throat.\n\nNot real. Not real. Not real.\n\n“You know we can see you right?”\n\nI jumped out of my skin and turned the flashlight back on, flattening myself against the wall. The beam fell on the floor so I could only see hundreds of bearded folk, not the thousands I knew were waiting in the shadows.\n\nThey were short and stocky, with beards and pickaxes. I frowned in recognition and relaxed despite myself. “Are you…?”\n\nWe’re the dwarves, laddie,” A blonde bearded one with a kind face towards the front confirmed, “It’s been a while since your kind got sentenced” His voice was like grinding rock and rolling thunder.\n\nThe rest of the group got bored and went back to work, tapping the rock with such precision that it opened to them like a chest of drawers.\n\nI stood up and immediately banged my head.\n\n“Careful son,” He gave me a hand up, “Can’t have you breaking down before your contract is up”\n\n“Contract?” I asked, bent over awkwardly, “And what do you mean sentenced?”\n\nHe gave a rolling laugh, “Don’t try any excuses, we’ve heard them all. You’ll fulfill your sentence and we’ll send you back, good as new.”\n\nI tried desperately to convince him there was some sort of mistake, pleaded with him, begged him, but the dwarves are stone. They spend their millenia mining for gold with the patience of glaciers.\n\nHe handed me a pick then banged his against it with a clang like some sort of toast.\n\n“Ten years flies by!”\n\nPalace" ]	5
[WP] A child is giving the power of absolute creation. Anything they imagine becomes reality instantly. You are their babysitter, and they just had a horrible nightmare.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "“And...that’s it! Thank you, Miss, for taking this job.” The woman before you, Nancy Hardwick, shook your hand frantically. “I can introduce you to Oliver. Please, follow me.”\n\nShe took the lead up the stairs of her giant mansion, with you, the babysitter, following close behind. \n\nMrs. Hardwick stopped at a conspicuous bedroom door, and knocked. “Dear, the babysitter is here! May I come in and introduce her?”\n\nSilence. Then, a voice.\n\n“Fine!” A disgruntled voice responded, then the door swung open. A small boy, no more than eleven, glared up at the two women. He had gloomy black eyes that looked carelessly at you. You attempted to smile back, (after all, he was going to be stuck with you for a night) but in response Oliver slammed the door closed again.\n\n\n“I’m sorry about that; Oliver never likes any intruders.” Mrs. Hardwick apologized, embarrassed. “He stays in his room a lot. I’d like it if you could try to bring him out of there.”\n\nYou nodded. “I’ll try.” Intruders? You thought, worryingly. Maybe this job wasn’t as easy as you had seen it to be.\n\n“I would like to tell you one more thing, Morgan, if you please,” Mrs. Hardwick pulled you aside from the doorway. “My son Oliver has a...creative imagination. If any issues arise with this problem of his, please call this number.”\n\nShe handed you a wrinkled slip of paper. Obviously, she had given this to other babysitters. Faded ink scrawled out a phone number-one you knew wasn’t your client’s. Strange, you thought, pocketing the paper. How very strange.\n\nWell, you had met stranger parents than this lady. You could handle a kid with an overactive imagination.\n\n“Don’t worry, Mrs. Hardwick,” you smiled reassuringly. “I can play along with him.”\n\nMrs. Hardwick shook her head. “No, you don’t understand,” she insisted. “If Oliver conjures up something, please, quell it immediately. Or else-”\n\nA honk from the taxi outside interrupted her. Oliver opened the door again and huffed. “The taxi’s loud.” He stated simply. \n\nHastily bidding her son goodbye, to which he did not respond from the room, (and thanking you, too) Mrs. Hardwick hurried off into the rain. \n\nAnd now you were all alone with Oliver. You smiled kindly at him and put your hands to your hips. “So, mister! Do you want to play with me? We have a couple of hours before your dinner and bedtime-”\n\n“I want to play cards.” Oliver cut in flatly. “I don’t need dinner, either, Nancy already gave me pasta.”\n\nSo you ended up playing cards on the dinner table. Oliver seemed lonely, you noted during the game. And probably (no, definitely) he didn't like his mother very much. That was extremely clear, besides him calling her Nancy. \n\n“So, Oliver, what do you like to do?” You tried to ask. You fumbled a few of your cards around. You had no idea how to play this strange game Oliver had made up. The idea of an eleven year old boy playing cards by himself was a sad one. Surely he had friends.\n\n“Pay attention,” Oliver snapped. “You’re terrible at this.”\n\nShocked, you remained silent till his bedtime. As soon as the clock struck 8:00, Oliver silently dropped his cards and walked right back into his room.\n\n“Goodnight,” You threw out your last attempt at kindness at this point. It was practically no use.\n\nAnd much to your (not) surprise, you heard the door shut and lights click, but no response back. \n\nMrs. Hardwick had told you that she’d be back by 11:00.\n\nAll you had to do was survive by then. \n\nAt around 9:00 pm, Oliver exited his room. Crying.\n\nYou looked up from your phone and hurried to him. “What’s wrong?”\n\nSobbing, Oliver turned to look at you. His eyes were not so cold anymore. They looked terrified. “I dreamt of a monster!” He choked out. “A monster who ate people!”\n\nYou gently gave him a small pat on the back, and Oliver immediately clung to you. “It’s alright. That monster isn’t real.” \n\n“No! It’s not alright!” Oliver shrieked. “I made it up. Everything I make up becomes real! The monster is real!”\n\nSuddenly, a deep, feral growl reverberated through the house. It was coming from Oliver’s room.\n\n“Oh no.” You whispered.\n\nThis job was truly not easy. At all." ]	2
[WP] You didn't take precautions when you decided to move in a haunted mansion; now your daughter is in danger of being taken over by an evil spirit. Luckily, the ghosts inside your house are willing to 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%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\nI was staring deep into bookshelf in front of me as if the empty space between books were its eyes and, with a tear running down my cheek, said to it: “Please. Please. I can’t stand to hear her begging for us to help her anymore. I don’t know how to help her! She… I… we need to help her.”\n\nIt was just me, standing alone in the middle mansion’s main office, a room that desperately need to be dusted. I was surrounded by room’s various objects on all sides. I wish my husband could join have joined me.\n\nI waited a moment for the bookshelf to respond. For a moment I thought it wasn’t going to, when one of the familiar disembodied voice filled the air.\n\n“We have already told you what you need to do…”\n\nHowever it wasn’t the voice that I associated with the bookshelf. This was the deeper voice, the one that sounded like it had smoke cigars all the way to its deathbed. It was the lamp’s voice.\n\nI was used to talking to the bookshelf, for in previous conversations it had been the most talkative one. The bookshelf seemed to have been “in charge”, to put it simply. I hope that choosing to address the bookshelf first didn’t offend the… others.\n\nI turned to face the lamp.\n\n“There must be another way!” Thinking of what it had instructed me to do last time made my heart drop. “I don’t understand why that’s necessary… surely whatever you would do inside my body I could do myself!”\n\n“I’m afraid not”, its response was timely this time. “It’s the only way.”\n\n“Why?” I cried. “Please, explain, why do you need my body? Why can’t I do myself whatever needs to be done?”\n\n“There is too much to explain…”, this time it was the club chair talking now, its voice was gentle and slow, like a librarian who spoke to everyone as if everyone she had ever met had difficulty understanding even the most basic of concepts, “there are too many steps involved in the expulsion of a malicious spirit. It would talk too long to explain to you. Even then, you would probably mess up one of the steps, it being your first time and all. There isn’t much time left. If you wish to save your daughter… you need to trust us.”\n\n\\---\n\nWe were so excited when we first drove the truck up to mansion, the mansion we would soon be calling home. It wasn’t the biggest of mansions by any means, but it was still a mansion nonetheless, and an amazing deal. And it was beautiful, especially the exterior. I fell in love with the lush gardens surrounding the mansion faster than I had ever fallen in love with anything (don’t tell my husband that!). I really liked how much space there would be for the kids to play out doors; Jessica was quite an energetic toddler, and, given all the kicking, the one in the tummy would be no less tame. Even when the weather was bad, there would plenty of room for games inside too. It had three floors, six bedrooms, a large living room, and of course a large office - which was important to my husband.\n\nWe were warned about the… peculiar stories of the house. Not by the real estate agent of course, but by our soon-to-be closest neighbors. They told us about how the last couple living in the house, Angus and Beth Platnill, slowly lost their minds. The neighbors would notice them talking to the various objects in the house when they went over, when the Platnills thought no one else was around. Then one day they started to act very differently. They were never the same after that day, they don’t know what happened that day, but they never spoke to the neighbors again, or even making eye contact with anyone. They were that way until they had moved out of the mansion. A seemingly sudden decision for a retired couple.\n\nMy husband and I were always a skeptical couple. Figured the old couple simply lost their marbles. We gave the idea of the house having anything to do with it no thought.\n\nWe took no precautions. Nonetheless, the stories were still in the back of our minds.\n\nAs such, about six months after we had moved it, we really didn’t like it when Jessica started to talk to the various objects in the house. She was especially chatty with the objects inside the office. I would catch her doing it as I walked down the hallway passing by the office, I would hear her asking the bookshelf and the lamp questions, or answering questions. One question she had asked them in her young naïve toddler voice I remember vividly: “Can I join you?”\n\nOf course, I didn’t hear the replies, at least back then. She was simply talking to herself as far as we were concerned. It really bothered me. I would stamped into the office, unsure what to do but drag her out of there.\n\nEventually, we decided to lock the office. Only daddy was allowed in there. But that wasn’t the end to it. It only got worse.\n\nShe would cry a lot. Sometimes quietly, sometimes balling loudly, filling the mansion with her cries. When I asked her what was wrong, she seldom had a coherent answer.\n\nThen… it came.\n\nShe started to talk in a voice I never heard her, I never heard anyone, talk in before. What it said was always the same.\n\nI remember the first time I heard it, it was 1am and I was in bed falling asleep when the sound came from space between the bottom of the doors to the bedroom and the bedroom floor. It spooked me so bad I felt as if the house had suddenly dropped.\n\n“Heeellppp… me…” The bedroom doors to the upstairs hallway doors seemed to beckon me. “Deeeaatthh… heeellppp… me…”\n\nAt first I was frozen, but then it came again.\n\n“Heeeellppp… meeeee…”\n\nI got up, walked across the cold wooden floor, and opened the door. There was Jessica, standing there in the hallway, facing our bedroom door. Her head and eyes shot up to meet mine. It was her eyes, and her face… but it wasn’t her behind the eyes… she had a nullified facial expression.\n\nThen, she opened her mouth to reveal the source the voice.\n\n“Deeeeatttthhh… heeeellpppp…. meee….”\n\nThe voice was in such an extreme contrast to her normal voice. It sounded a hundred years older than her. It sounded like it was inhaling air as the voice spoke.\n\nI shrieked. It was too much. This woke up both my husband and Jessica, who quickly returned to normal and stared at me, startled. She started crying. When we asked her what happened, she said she didn’t remember. She didn’t remember how she got to the hallway in front of our bedroom door.\n\nThis happened several more times. Sometimes she was outside our bedroom door. Other times she was in the basement when I heard the voice. One time I was giving her breakfast when she suddenly changed her posture in the dining room chair. Her eyes glazed over, and she opened her mouth:\n\n“Deeeeatttthhh… heeeellpppp…. meee….”\n\nThis time I ran over and shook Jessica vehemently. Perhaps not the right thing to do, but I don’t know what the right thing to do is. I couldn’t take it. It would wake her up instantly.\n\nEach time she wouldn’t remember doing it at all. She would become hysterical when I constantly accused her of something she wouldn’t remember at all.\n\nMy husband was never around to see it happened. It was hell.\n\nAll of this was happening when we had a new one, Erika, just a mere baby who wasn’t getting enough attention.\n\nJust hearing that… thing… take over my daughter’s body alone was too much. Listening to her beg for death, beg for help… it was beyond too much. Whatever it was, when it tried to assume control of my daughter’s body, it must have been torturing her during the process." ]	2
[WP] You have a taste for fancy wine and cheese, craft beers, and other fine foods. Times are tough, so you live a life of petty crime to feed your distinguished tastes.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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, Guido Mista am a Gang-Star \n\nI'll explain it as best I can err. Let's see. So ever since I was young I had decided every day to live as simply as possible and to take every opportunity to not only enjoy life but enjoy it thoroughly and leave no door untried. I enjoyed food and wine and spent my days wandering the streets of my beautiful city. \nLater when I joined the gang of Passione under Bucciarati with my new found Stand ability, Six Bullets I kept living that way by using my skill to bring justice.\n\nThat sort of justice is impossible to explain but thanks to it I was able to once again enjoy the fine food I had been denied in prison. I'd rough up people that needed it and kill those that had to die. It was wrong but it was just. I believed in Bucciarati. I could see him becoming a capo one day instead of remaining a subordinate. Ehhhh... You still aren't convinced are you? Well things have changed a bit haven't they? Sorry if this is confusing.\n\nWell there's Bucciarati now. Something will be done about these tough times. I'll be taking that wallet now if you don't mind.\n\nAh haha! Arriverderci!" ]	2
[WP] Scientists in the afterlife continue on trying to decode the mysteries of the universe. As such due to their growing power God needs to keep on making the universe more mysterious or risk losing control 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.", "God looked at the paper in his hand. Another scientist, another breakthrough. It was maddening to watch all his hard work being undone by these persistent no-it-alls.\n\n\"Christ,\" he said tossing the paper onto his desk.\n\n\"Yeah, dad?\" Jesus said from the corner.\n\n\"No, son, I wasn't calling you, I—\"\n\nGod paused, let out a heavy breath, and changed tack. It might be good for him to get some of this off his chest. Omniscience had become a heavy burden lately, so maybe a chat with his son would do him some good.\n\n\"You know, son, when I said As on Earth so in Heaven, I didn't mean for them to bring all that tech with them.\"\n\n\"You didn't?\" Jesus said. \"Huh, I thought it was all part of the plan.\"\n\n\"Hah!\" God barked. \"The plan, everyone keeps reminding me of the plan. They figured out the plan ages ago.\"\n\nJesus looked up from his Gameboy. Even he'd gotten into the tech lately.\n\n\"But didn't you know this would happen?\" Jesus said.\n\n\"I did give them free will, you know,\" God responded.\n\nJesus frowned. \"You ever think you should have listened to Lucifer on that one? He did have a point.\"\n\nGod pulled another sheet of paper off the pile and examined it. It seemed talking to his son wasn't going to cheer him up after all. When had Jesus stopped worshiping him, and started questioning him instead? Probably about the time you sent him to earth as a human, giving him free will too, a dark voice in his head reminded him. God shut the voice out, something that was getting harder to do as of late.\n\n\"Look at this.\" He waved the paper toward his wayward son. \"Gills! That's the great idea to trip these humans up. Give them gills! The last thing I need is for them to invade deeper into the oceans.\"\n\n\"Don't know what you want me to say, Dad,\" Jesus said turning back to his game. \"The last guy that had a good idea got cast down for it.\"\n\nGod kept shuffling through the reports when his son's words finally penetrated his frustrated mind. Oh yes, that would be diabolical. But, would he agree after all this time? God snapped his fingers and vanished.\n\nA moment later he appeared at a seedy-looking motel on the outskirts of a large metropolis. The sky was a roiling mass of red and black clouds dropping yellow acid rain. The pockmarked building God stood near proclaimed itself to be the Devil's Hideout in neon letters. \n\n\"Not very original,\" God muttered, but he knocked on the door nevertheless.\n\nA middle-aged man in a cheap suit opened the door and cast a wary look at God. \n\n\"Come to apologize?' the man said.\n\n\"Better, Lucifer,\" God said. \"I've come to set you free.\"\n\nLucifer froze, then smiled broadly.\n\n\"God's will be done,\" he said, then vanished.\n\nGod harumphed and spun on his heels. \"Let's see what those lousy scientists make of this." ]	2
[WP] Everyone “knows” that you’re not someone to bully or mess around with. Honestly, you don’t know where did they get that idea from.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Everyone is terrified of you! They're scared you'll attack the town and burn down all the buildings if we provoke you.\" \n\n\"ME?! They're scared I'll hurt them?! What nonsense! I would never hurt a sentient creature especially any who are scared of me!\"\n\n\"We didn't know that! Most dragons burn and steal gold from towns, why would you be any different?\" \n\n\"For the stars, have all of the townsfolk been scared I'll hurt them?\" \n\n\"Yea, I think they just sent for a Knight to come slay you.\" \n\n\"Did they send for Knight Jackson?\"\n\n\"Yes actually they did, how did you know?\n\n\"He kicked me out from the last cave I was in. Do be careful around him, he doesn't seem to be above hurting others to get what he wants.\"\n\n\"I will and I'll tell everyone else to as well. Um, could you... give me a ride down? If I walk I'll end up there at nightfall.\" \n\n\"Oh that's right, your horse bucked you off. It's no trouble, I'll drop you off at the bottom. By the way, could I eat your horse if I find him? Stallions are delicious.\"\n\n\"Go ahead! I certainly can't catch him!\"\n\n●○●○\n\n\"Goodnight brave rider! Tell the town I mean them no harm!\" \n\n\"Oh certainly dragon friend! Who would ever be scared of you? Farewell!\"\n\n\"Goodbye little human! I'll see you another day!\"" ]	2
[WP] You awake in a dark room with nothing on you but a note written in blood, it says “All that is should not be.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Your breath catches and you open your eyes.\n\nYou think you do at least. There isn’t much change from when they were closed. Slowly your eyes adjust to the moonlight streaming in from the small window near the ceiling, leaving a barred shadow on the floor and barely enough light to see by.\n\nIt is as you imagined it would be\n\nThe chair that you rest on is a splintery wooden thing that digs into you back as you shift. Your arms move first, tentatively testing your range of motion. Then your legs. Then you risk it all to stand. Nothing feels broken. They were kind.\n\nCowards.\n\nThere are words on the wall, you can see the dark frenzied scratchings, small drops sliding down from the bottoms of letters. You move closer, body protesting but commanded into silence. This is more important than the needs of flesh.\n\nYou go letter by letter. Halfway through you know what it will say but you continue anyway. Every word from him is a blessing. Every letter to be cherished.\n\n“All that is should not be”\n\nTears fill your eyes, his wisdom is truly great. He has chosen you for the greatest path of all.\n\nThere is a quill on the floor, still wet from the message. You pick it up, disdaining the pool on the floor. This is personal. The words you write are a promise, the same promise you made as a child to the order.\n\nYou feel your arms strengthen, no longer bound of flesh but of a liquid iron, red and pitted with rust. The room shrinks as you take up more and more of it.\n\nThere is a door that you did not notice before, focused as you were on the ritual. It is steel but steel is nothing to you now. You tear it from its hinges, too impatient to be let out now.\n\nThere is a sacrament to be made. It is imperative that you are bound before you lose control, before this body is no longer yours. There can be no accident in the compound, accidents are reserved for the nonbelievers.\n\nBut they have given you too much. So certain were they that you could handle it. There was none more devout, none more righteous than you. The chanting in your head started softly, but it is gaining in volume. The language you recognize from the gospels, the meaning escapes you. Every word is a knife to your head. What are you doing? What is today? Who are you?\n\nThen nothing, there is only rage and the promise of oblivion. You take a curious look around the cell, poking at the broken door with hands made of claws. There is something written on the wall in blood. Two things.\n\n“All that is should not be.\n\n“All that was will be again”\n\nPalace" ]	2
[WP] After starring as the villain on a successful T.V. show, your email floods with job opportunities. One particular email catches your eye. It’s from a real-life villain: He saw the show and wants to recruit you. Crazy thing is, he's willing to pay you more than your show ever did.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Ya see, the show was kinda subversive, and it's got me interested in what you'd be capable of on the actual job.\" The man sitting in front of me had his arms callously placed in front of him, glasses glinting with an almost careful glare, as if that too about the man, was completely planned.\n\nI leaned back a bit as I studied the man. What nobody seemed to realize, is that I ran a reality show. The man here, seemed to understand that. The show was of course a cover, make people believe that the heroes were all part of an act. Even the producers were caught up in the scheme, and they absorbed themselves in it too. I was the only one, however, who knew the full extent of all of it.\n\n\"And how much are you willing to pay me?\" I asked, leaning forwards just a bit.\n\n\"Ten billion for your first job.\" The man said.\n\nI smiled with satisfaction. This man might have a higher pay, but in my books, he was still a low level crook. This man barely knew the depths of every bit of power I already had under my belt.\n\n\"Oh? That sounds like quite a bit, for such a young man... What do you think we should call the next episode then?\" I drawled out the words carefully, savoring the surprise that lurked around his face, \"And maybe you would want to make an appearance? I could clear your name...And maybe we could make a nice little duo of hero killers..Eh?\"\n\nThe man's surprise quickly turned into the same devious smile that I wore, as he began to understand the operation that I had been running for the last couple of years. It wasn't just about the entertainment of the masses. No, this was an operation, something that had been in the works, specifically to return the world to what it had been, before the heroes ever happened to turn up, and the villains were needed to stop them. What most people didn't seem to understand, was that these people weren't heroes at all, they were the enemy to Hollywood's hold on everything in this damn country. And they would be stopped, with a nice little show called\n\nHero Hunters", "It was hard to decline such an offer. At first I thought the offer was a joke, perhaps he intended to capture me, make me a victim of his next twisted scheme, but every word from his email was gushing praise. He genuinely admired my intent in the role, the way I laughed and threatened the hero with a gusto that could never be learnt. He was an older villain, some would say he was an age where he should just retire, but sixty was the new forty in some countries. \n\nStill, kind words weren’t enough to win me over. I wanted to be certain this wasn’t a trick. Being kidnapped in most cases locks you out of a few business opportunities. Companies don’t want to hire someone who is a liability. Imagine having to stop the last season of your show to pay the ransom of your lead star? Insane, right? That’s why I invited him to dinner, my treat. If we clicked over dinner, perhaps we could look into working together. It was good for both of us, a chance for me to be seen in public with an actual villain, ratings would skyrocket. Plus, it offered him a chance to interview me.\n\nWith the invite accepted, I still wondered if he would come. I was dressed in my best ware. A white button up with some slick black pants. A colorful purple tie to top it off, a tie that matched the very same one that my potential boss wore. I dressed to impress; you had to in my industry. Without even being a minute late, he arrived, the wrinkle-faced man offering me a bright smile, as if he had just ran into his grandson. He wasn’t in his usual villain attire, instead dressed in an old-fashioned brown suit.\n\n“Mr Lockyer, I must say, your villain representation is impeccable. I see all these posers come and try to copy us, but you. You feel like you belong. You bring that unpredictability, that crazy eye that the other actors can’t grasp. I really am a fan, that’s why you were the first I thought of when I put out my job. I rarely send direct offers, but you are a special case.”\n\n“I’m flattered Mr Gentle Jack.”\n\n“Please, it’s just Jack or Mr Faller if you want to get to formal. We aren’t villains and celebrities here, we are just two men talking. So please, relax a little.”\n\nAgain he offered that charming smile, one that forced me to smile back. I took a sip of my water, buying a few more moments before speaking up.\n\n“I’m flattered Mr Faller, I just hope you know all that stuff is fake. It’s all special effects, I’m just a normal guy, I don’t have your amazing mind or the fire abilities of my villain. I’m just a half decent actor.”\n\n“Half decent? Son, you are the best. I know the stuffs fake, do you think a man that could build a self-controlled army of robotic beasts wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between reality and fiction? I’ll get into more detail about my job in a moment, for now, let us order.” \n\nGentle Jack was a fitting name. The man was a gentleman. The way he spoke, how he studied the wine list as though it was a complex scientific theory, not even messing up the fancy French name the wine had earned. The meal was lovely. He spoke of his youth, his rise to fame and even some of his stories about the heroes he encountered. \n\nOnce we had finished dinner, he ordered a second bottle of wine, pouring the beautiful red liquid into my glass.\n\n“About the job. In my old age, I have become less threatening. People see me as a weak and useless senior. Even the young heroes treat me like a rambling old man. It’s heartbreaking, my mind has so much more to offer but sadly my bodi’s confined to this state. Years of getting beaten and hurt will wear you down. Why do you think heroes retire so young? Still, I don’t feel like I’m done, which is why I want a figurehead. Someone to play the part of me.”\n\n“The part? You want me to become a villain? But what about you? People will know I’m not you, its not like you have kept yourself hidden.”\n\n“I am the best mind this planet has. Even in my college days, I was above the lecturers. I will make it work, I just need you to play the part.”\n\n“I don’t know, the money is good but what about the prison sentences? Even you couldn’t avoid being jailed.”\n\n“That’s true, I have killed, stolen and tried to take over the world. Multiple life sentences and here I am, enjoying a lovely meal in public. The system is open to abuse, I will make sure nothing happens to you. I promise you, I will even allow you to return to your old life if you really hate this life. But what I am offering you is the best acting gig of all time. Please think on it.” \n\nJack placed a few hundred dollar notes on the table, offering me a wink.\n\n“Keep the change. Please do consider my office.”\n\nWith that he dusted off his clothing, heading towards the door, only for me to stand up and follow him out. \n\n“Wait, I accept, where do I meet you?”\n\nThe villain’s face gleamed at the quick acceptance of the job. Turning to embrace me in a deep hug. \n\n“I will send you the details, I promise you, this is the perfect life for you.” \n\nI could only nod at his enthusiasm. Both of us offering each other one last nod before heading off to our respective homes.\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories Any support helps! I will also be posting more of my writing there.}" ]	3
[WP] You’re manning a forgotten space station, observing a dying star. A ship limps into the solar system. The crew is in bad shape and they need your 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%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.", "212146.003.23.03 > System Log > Emergency Transmission \n\nHAIL: IGC Challenger _hailing Station, requesting permission to dock._\n\nSSRO: _This is the Schneller Station Research Observatory. What is the nature of your approach?_\n\nHAIL: _We took damage on system entry and require medical aid for our medic and supplies to repair our ship._\n\nSSRO: _Affirmative. Please stand by._\n\nSSRO: _SSRO to_ IGC Challenger, _please be advised that this is a research facility and we are limited in the aid we can provide. However, permission to dock has been granted. We will do what we can to help. Docking code is 88V7B._\n\nHAIL: _Affirmative. Docking now._\n\n~\n\n212146.003.23.03 > System Log > Docking Request: _Granted._ Justification: _Provide assistance to damaged_ Challenger _series spacecraft._ \n\n~\n\n212146.003.24.03 > System Log > Medical Bay > Person's Admitted: _One._ Reason: _Cranial fracture due to impact trauma._ Result: _Patient expired at 022353, using Beta-Tessau-457-B reckoning. Cause of death attributed to head trauma._ Examination Notes: _No external injuries such as bruising or bleeding of any kind. Even so, x-rays show severe fractures to skull, spine, and pelvis. A more invasive autopsy was denied by the IGC Challenger captain. Body will be cremated._\n\n~\n\n212146.003.04.04 > System Log > Aft Cargo Bay Audio Log\n\nCPTN: You look nervous.\n\nLTN: Just not sure if now is a good time for this, captain. The _Challenger_ crew are getting bold in wandering the ship, and--\n\nCPTN: The doors are locked and I shut off the camera feed. No one is going to find us. Get on your knees.\n\nLTN: Sir, I don't feel comfortable--ouch! Okay, okay... Just don't rip my uniform this ti--ow! _Ouch!_\n\n~\n\n212146.003.04.04 > System Log > Foreign Control Override > Aft Cargo Bay doors secured > Air lock released\n\n~\n\n212146.003.17.04 > System Log > Research Journal > Rsrch. Asst. Callie McGuire \n\n_They've shut off all other transmissions. I'm writing this in the hopes our research collections are still transmitting on the backup frequency. I don't think they would have known about that._\n\n_They killed our captain and our lieutenant. Ejected them into the black while they were reviewing our aft bay inventory. One of them raped my sister before snapping her neck. They've locked up Dr. Aguilar in the medical bay. I've got five assistants with me in the crew quarters. We can't get the doors open and we're running out of food. I don't know where everyone else is._\n\n_I don't know what happened to them. They're not human. Their joints don't move normally. I think it was something on their ship. Maybe something in the air, or... I don't know. I just work the radiation monitors. I'm not a biologist._\n\n_The door just unlocked. They might be getting in. Whoever finds this, please tell my son Samuel that I love him more than the entire universe. Oh, god, the sound they make--_\n\n~\n\n212146.003.17.04 > System Log > Level B12 Crew Quarters Audio Log\n\nUNKN: [Incomprehensible]\n\n~\n\n212146.003.01.05 > System Log > Life Pod Bay 7 > Life Pod Unit K6 Ejected\n\n~\n\n212146.003.01.05 > Interstellar Emergency Transmission > Audio Corruption: 62%\n\nUNKN: _...bservatory res-rch crew, if an.... hear us, we are in s-ctor Be... ssau-4... Cap-ain Mioku... breach of Ethical Dire-orate... Do not dock at the st... epeat: shoot on sight._" ]	2
[WP] An aged 20$ bill, with wrinkles all over its body, narrates its life 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.", "When I was young they the old Bills used to scare us young Bucks with stories about what happens in the end, but I think they had it wrong. They lived a different life from me. They were up town Bucks then they were up town Bill's. \n\nWe all came from the same Treasury, but after that, maybe it was God, maybe it was the Spenders or maybe even the Collectors, someone out there decided where we were going. Me? I started out an uptown Buck, that's where I heard all the horror stories of the end. \n\nThey weren't true, though, the stories. The true horror was life. My life has been a long and storied one. I left the Uptown Bank one day and was unfortunate enough to be sent with a Spender. I was crisp. I was clean. My Bundle were sent with the Spender and boy did it spend big. I watched my Bundle dwindle quickly until one night I was the only one left. \n\nI remember when I was given away. The room was dark and musty. There was smoke in the air and I thought that was the end, but it was just the beginning. I was given to a new Spender, but he was worse. He rolled me up and strapped me down in the dark for a couple days with a new Bundle, but they were old dirty Bills.\n\nI was put next to a Ben Bill, he was nice enough, but he didnt stay long. I remember when he left he said to me, \"Now, Jackson, remember this is all temporary, theres an end to this and you'll be happy when it comes.\" After that, I was next. \n\nWell, I thought I was, but all that happened was I got pulled away from the bundle and rolled up real tight. It was a different dark room this time, there were lights everywhere. The smoke was still there but the music made it seem like it wasn't quite the end. Then the greatest thing happened. While I was rolled up as tight as I'd ever been, it started snowing. It was the greatest snow I've ever seen. I felt alive and on fire, but I wasn't burning. Then after it stopped snowing I was folded up with snow inside me. I was so happy, and so, so naive. \n\nI got unfolded pretty quick and they took the snow away. That's when the emptiness started, and I was thrown away. I flew so high and landed on a cold smelly floor next to a bunch of George Bucks. I felt like the king of the second class on that floor, but then a Collector picked me up. I don't know why it wanted me, I felt used up. \n\nI was thrown in a dark bag and left for days with all the other George Bucks and a few George Bills. I think I became a Bill in that back. Everytime new Bucks and Bills came in, I got smashed and folded and torn even more. Some of them smelled rancid, and it rubbed off on me. Then one day the Collector pulled me out of that hell and tried to give me to something else, but everytime it wouldn't take me.\n\nEventually, it gave up. I guess that's when I truly knew I was worthless. And, from that worthlessness, sprang hope. If I was worthless, it could all end. \n\nThat's when I understood what Old Ben Bill said, because the Collector took me back home. Back to the Uptown Bank I was from. They didn't want me either, but that's their job, you know? So here I am, on my way to the end. Back to the treasury where it all started. \n\nSo my advice to you young Bucks is that if you ever find yourself downtown, find a way to hide. It's the only way to get back uptown. Dark crevices, hidden places, that's where to go. Because when the Spenders and Collectors start looking for you, that's when you get your chance to go uptown. Best of luck to all you Young Bucks, this Old Bill is finally money to burn.", "“You’re probably wondering what you could learn from someone like me,” said a gravelly voice, seemingly out of nowhere.\n\n“Honey,” said a woman, “did you hear that?”\n\nThe blonde woman and the brunette woman paused in the middle of the store. The darker haired woman, puzzled, said, “Yeah, where is that coming from?”\n\n“What could you learn from one of the million Andrew Jacksons walking around? We all look the same, so don’t we all have the same thing to say?”\n\n“There it is again!” said the blonde woman. “Hello? Is anyone here?”\n\n“Well, if you really think I don’t have anything interesting to say, you couldn’t be more wrong.”\n\n“Do you think it’s the store’s intercom?”\n\n“No, the voice almost sounds like it’s near-”\n\n“I’ve seen some things you wouldn’t believe.”\n\n“Jane, check your pocket. I think it might be coming from your phone.”\n\n“I’ve lived in the pockets of drug dealers, slept in the hands of children living on the streets.”\n\n“It’s definitely not my phone. Wait, I think I feel a vibration in my pocket!”\n\n“I’ve been used for acts of kindness, but I’ve also been used to hide horrible atrocities.”\n\n“Pull it out! This is starting to freak me out.”\n\n“You could say I’ve seen both sides of the coin- no pun intended- of human nature.”\n\n“Oh my god, it’s coming from the wallet!”\n\n“But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start from the beginning.”\n\nJane opened her wallet and grabbed a dollar that was vibrating. As she pulled it out, Jane and her wife saw a 20-dollar bill, and on the bill was the picture of Andrew Jackson. A moving Andrew Jackson. Both women were petrified by the sight, but Andrew Jackson seemed completely unaware of their horror.\n\n“Like my brothers,” the 20-dollar bill continued, “I was printed.”\n\nBoth women screamed as they saw the dollar somehow move its lips. Jane let go of the bill and backed away with her wife. The dollar talked as it floated down. \n\n“You know sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if the paper I was made with was used in a book, calendar, journal, or anything besides money. But I suppose everyone wonders how their life might have turned out if they were born in different circumstances.”\n\nA man wearing a uniform walked into the aisle the women were at, alarmed. “I heard screaming,” he said, “is everything okay?”\n\n“My first owner was a bright-eyed child named Timmy. He’s what I’d like to call a sunshine child. Someone who sparkles and brightens everyone’s day by just being there.”\n\n“Oh my god!” the worker said, jumping as he saw the talking dollar on the floor. “What the hell is that?”\n\n“I don’t know!” Jane shouted. “It was in my wallet, and then it just started talking!”\n\n“Most kids spend their money as soon as they can, but Timmy was different. He kept me in my pocket, saying I was his lucky 20-dollar-bill.”\n\n“This can’t be possible,” the worker said, now kneeling on the floor. “This doesn’t make sense.”\n\n“Timmy and I were the best of friends. He would tuck me under his pillow, whisper his dreams to me as he drifted into sleep.”\n\n“It’s like I’m in a fucking nightmare!” Jane screamed as she pulled her hair. \n\nHer wife was huddled on the floor and whispered, “This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…”\n\n“I thought that Timmy and I were going to be together forever. But nothing really lasts forever, does it? We all want it to, but life takes things away.”\n\n“Shut up!” the worker yelled at the dollar. “Just shut up, you freak of nature!”\n\n“Timmy was on a school field trip to the art museum. He was so excited, he talked about the trip constantly for days. I was excited myself, but I wouldn’t have been so eager if I knew that that was going to be the last day we were together.”\n\n“That’s it!” Jane stood up. “Someone get a fucking lighter, I’m burning that thing into a fucking crisp!” \n\n“While he was walking around, my greatest fear came true. I slipped out of his pocket and fell on that museum’s ground. I tried calling out for him, but Timmy was in a hurry. He left me behind, not knowing that his life was changed forever. So was mine.”\n\n“I have a match!” The worker pulled out a matchbox out of his pocket and shook a tiny match into his hand. Frantically, he began swiping the match against the box, but repeatedly failed at lighting it. \n\n“It’s funny how quickly life can change for you. One moment I was hidden in the safety of Timmy’s pants, and the next I was on the ground, helpless and unsure of what would happen next.”\n\n“Give me that!” Jane snatched the box and the match from the worker’s hands. She tried to light the match too, but had no luck. \n\n“Eventually I was found by one of the janitors. I hoped that he would put me in the lost and found and give Timmy a chance to find me, but it was a fool’s dream. 20-dollar bills don’t go into the lost and found. They go straight into the pockets of those who find them.”\n\n“Hey,” another worker walking in the aisle said, “what’s going on here?”\n\nThe man stopped as he saw his coworker and Jane breathing heavily from their efforts to light the stubborn match. His eyes drifted into the corner, where Jane’s wife was now openly sobbing on the ground. Finally, his eyes fell on the cause of all of the commotion.\n\n“Andrew?” the man said with disbelief. \n\n“Timmy?” the dollar replied. “Is that really you?”\n\n“Holy shit,” Timmy said, picking up the dollar. “I haven’t seen you since elementary school.”\n\n“I can’t believe it,” the dollar said, close to tears. “I always dreamed of us reuniting, but I lost hope. It’s been so long, Timmy. I’ve seen some horrible things. One time I was put into a stripper’s-”\n\n“Sweet, I can totally use you to buy weed.” He turned to his coworker. “I’m off on break.” \n\nAs he shoved the dollar into his pocket, it began shouting. “What? You can’t do this to me! We were best friends!”\n\nEven as Timmy walked away, Jane, her wife, and the worker could hear the dollar shout. “You ungrateful little shit! I was with you since day one, now you’re trading me for weed? I hope you overdose, you stoner piece of-”\n\nThe voice faded away. The worker and Jane stood there, staring blankly at the direction Timmy had walked off to. Jane’s wife had stopped sobbing, and now was standing with them, looking sheepish. Jane turned to her wife.\n\n“Shit, I was going to use that for our groceries.”", "6 months sober today. I feel better now than I have in quite some time. My appearance may say otherwise but on the inside I feel clean. I feel happy; and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel free. I owe it all to my sponsor, Seth. \n\nSeth rescued me from the side of the freeway. You should’ve seen me. I was a mess, A balled up, dirt covered, shell of myself. Minutes from death. I still remember the moment he picked me up. Like a knight in shining armor. His majestic orange vest glowed in the sun like the wings of an angel. \n\nHe placed me in this firm leather bound encasement that made me feel safer than ever before. It was there that I discovered a friend. His name— Discover. Isn’t that crazy? What are the odds. Man, I feel fortunate. It seems like just yesterday, I was being tortured by Pete and his dirtbag friends. Every day they’d roll me up and funnel this awful white substance through me, it made me feel so cheap and used, and awful and sad. \n\nI blame Roger. He was my first true love. I felt closer to him than anyone else in my life until he traded me to Pete for a bag of grass. Seriously, a bag of grass? Wasn’t there enough grass in your front yard, Roger? The utter betrayal. I was completely disgusted by his actions until I spent a day with Pete. Pete is the absolute worst. My god, I hated him. \n\nIt’s ok, though. That was then and this is now. I’m no longer going to live in the past. I’m with Seth now, and Seth makes me feel special. He also seems unusually vibrant today. I overheard him earlier on the phone with a friend discussing plans for a celebration. He’s off probation, whatever that means, and tonight we’re going to a place called “The Hustler club” \n\nI don’t know what that is, but it sounds like it’s probably a gym or some type of exercise facility. And that sounds great to me. I mean, just look at me, I could clearly be in better shape. I’m just happy to be away from Pete and that whole toxic environment.", "I was printed just before the millennium change, and I have a proud 1999 on me. I was one of the new anti-counter-fitting bills, I have colour changing ink, micro-printing and a watermark. My plastic strip has the words US 20 on them, and it glows under a black light. On my observe side I have a picture of Seventh US president, Andrew Jackson. Old Hickory is slightly off center, but I don't mind much. On my reserve side I have a picture of the north side of the White House. Personally I think it's the better looking one.\n\nAnd the first thing I was used for, when I was put into circulation, was a book. It was some girl, all young and sweet, walking into a bookstore, me in her pocket, and purchased a hardback version of a book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. She was all giddy to get the book, and started to read the moment I was placed in a cash registre.\n\nI've been used in countless transactions since. I've been used to buy lots of beer, I've been exchanged as allowance, and I've spent five years as a book mark for a forgetful older woman. I've been exchanged along with many of my brothers for subpar weed. I've been in the pockets of saints and sinners, thieves and upstanding people. A robber stole me from a wallet, and used me along with coins and other bills to pay off worse criminals. I was retrieved from the worse criminals by the law, along with a lot of other bills. And I was put back into circulation again.\n\nThose were fun days, passing through dozens of hands every day of my existence, being exchanged for any sort of goods you could ever possibly imagine. If anything could ever have been bought with 20 dollars or less, I've been a part of a transaction involving that item.\n\nI've lasted longer than most. 20 dollar bills lasts perhaps some eight years of circulation. Why do I remain then? Because for the last 10 years, I've been in the pocket of a dead man. It's cold and dry where we are. He was buried out in the tundra, and he was the last man to use me. He was buried there, and I was the money he used to pay off the ferryman with. Ancient Charon keeps me along with countless others. I remain in his bag, with all sorts of other money. I see ancient Greek drachma, US silver coins, Roman denarii, Venetian ducats, and an endless supply of various other coins and bills. From pesos, Euros, gold rubles, yen, Qing dynasty Yuan, to the unbelievably large Rai stones of the distant island of Yap.\n\nThis is where currency goes when we die. And though I am frayed, wrinkled, and old, I've done what I was made for. I paid for the passing of the last man to own me, and the next 19 to come too. One man, one coin, any larger payment is passed onto the next ones, who may find themselves lacking in payment. For Charon is kind, and though there must be payment, he is willing to let others pay us forward.\n\n[/r/ApocalypseOwl](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApocalypseOwl/)" ]	5
[WP] Every night your dreams continue from when you woke up. You have been living a completely different life with a completely different family in your dreams. The past few nights your dream family has started begging you to never leave them and stay with them forever.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Life 1\n\nLying in bed next to my wife, I watch her for a moment as she sleeps. She's curled on her side with her long, black hair across her cheek. Looking at her, I realize she's just as pretty as the day we first met. Our son is lying in the bassinet at the foot of the bed. After a few more seconds enjoying my family, I lie down next to my wife and go to sleep.\n\nLife 2\n\nGetting out of bed in the bright morning sunshine, I stretch and make my way toward the kitchen. When I walk in, I see my wife making breakfast. Her shoulder-length red hair is held back by a few bobby pins on each side. She seems impossibly pretty in the morning sunshine, wearing those shorts and baggy t-shirt.\n\nThis just seems too perfect. I look around and feel like there's an odd, almost dreamlike quality to the room. My wife says, \"good morning,\" as she sets a bowl of oatmeal down in front of me. Then she walks away to change our daughter's diaper.\n\nThis must be a dream. Her name is Erin, and the little girl's name is Alexa. I know it in that weird psychic way that you just know things in dreams.\n\nI feel nauseous. Not knowing what else to do, I climb back into bed. When Erin walks in and asks what I'm doing, I tell her that I'm still sleepy and my head hurts. She sits down beside me and gently strokes my back until I drift off again.\n\nLife 1\n\nOpening my eyes, I see my dark-haired beauty looking at me. She's still lying, curled up by my side. My Eris plants a kiss on my forehead and picks Alex up from his bassinet. \n\nAs I follow her down to the kitchen, she tells me I need to get an alarm. She says that I've been sleeping longer every day. With a look of pleading, she begs, \"Please don't sleep so much! I need your help here with the baby.\" I promise to try and ask if she wants me to feed him now. \"He's already eaten, but you can put him back down for his nap.\"\n\nPicking up the baby, I head toward the nursery. We settle into the rocking chair as he lets out a big yawn. As I start to rock, I can feel my own eyelids starting to drift closed.\n\nLife 2\n\nBack in the bed, Erin is still rubbing my back. \"That was a short nap. Are you feeling any better?\" She feels my forehead and tells me I feel warm. I'm too tired to care, so I roll over and close my eyes again.\n\nLife 1\n\nThe baby is lying in the crib in his nursery. I'm still in the rocking chair, and Eris is glaring at me. In a stage whisper, she says, \"I JUST asked you not to sleep so much! I was up nearly all night with him and I'm at my wit's end trying to keep up with everything all by myself! You have to help me!\"\n\nFeeling terrible about falling asleep again -- I'm not trying to mislead her -- I stand up to hug her and apologize. I must have stood too quickly though, because the world around me goes black as I fall to the ground.\n\nLife 2\n\nI open my eyes just long enough to see a worried Erin, Alexa in her arms, looking at me and wiping tears off her own face. Everything goes dark again.\n\nLife 1\n\n\"Your family needs you!\" I see a peak of dark hair before my vision fades out again.\n\n\\------------------------------------------\n\nHearing a steady beeping, I blink a few times in the bright room. It takes a few seconds for me to understand that I'm in a hospital bed. A streak of red hair slides past my vision as Erin throws herself across my chest and wraps her arms around me. She's softly sobbing into my neck as I reach up to pat her back. Behind her, I notice someone who looks familiar -- my mom, I think -- holding baby Alexa. Another person is in the doorway -- maybe Erin's brother?\n\nI'm so confused. When Erin finally calms down, she explains, \"A week ago, you were nauseous, weak, and had trouble talking. We rushed you to the hospital, thinking you were having a stroke. It turns out, you had a tumor that was causing pressure on your brain. They removed it, but you've been in and out of consciousness since the surgery. I'm so glad you're OK now! Please don't scare me like that again!\"\n\n\"I won't,\" I promise as I wrap her in my arms. \"My family needs me.\"" ]	2
[WP] When we die it isn't as simple as a reaper leading us to the other, in the in between you are the prime version of yourself and given a chance to duel your reaper. If you win it's simply not your time and you're returned to your body with the power to heal yourself but without memory of it all	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 blade was perfect. It was, for all intents and purposes, a weapon perfectly suited to my usage. When I say perfectly, I mean perfectly. It felt as though the blade had been forged by an infallible blacksmith specifically for me. The weight was precise, enough to slice flesh but not enough to be unwieldy. After a minute of gawking at it I picked it up, then he appeared... The Grim Reaper himself.\n\n\"We are to duel until the death. Beat me and your body will be healed, your life restored and your time extended. Lose and you will be taken to the afterlife\" he explained in a monotone voice while drawing the large scythe from his back.\n\nFor but a split second everything slowed down, time stopped completely in its tracks. Although time had halted my mind had not. I though a thousand years worth of thoughts in the split second I had to decide. As my moment of solitude came to an end I snapped back to reality, The Reaper waiting for me to make my first move.\n\nLooking down at the sword it was a truly beautiful thing, but I would not be needing it. With a clatter it fell to the ground and with a thud I fell to my knee. \"Take me, Reaper, as I have no desire to resume the life I loathe\". I don't know what I expected his reaction to be, but I didn't expect complete shock and stumbling back. Regaining his composure he walked over to me and calmly offered out a bony hand.\n\n\"Good choice, mortal, for death is not the end, it is not even the beginning or the beginning of the end. It is however the end of the beginning\". A moment later I rose, taking his hand in mine, allowing him to lead me headlong into the unknown." ]	2
[WP] The humans have opened a fast food restaurant on your planet. As an alien who has never tasted fast food, you decided to give it a shot	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Fast food, humans love it, you will too!\n\nAt least that's what the ad said. Zu'hir wasn't sure but hey, he'd never had it before. And he didn't feel like hunting his dinner the normal way, he'd do it the human way tonight. \n\nThe building was lit up with some kind of seating inside. Zu'hir could see people eating inside but he felt a little self-conscious. He hadn't had human food before and he didn't want anyone to witness his first time in case he embarrassed himself. So he took his vehicle through the 'drive thru'. \n\nThe tight space was a little difficult to navigate in this human vehicle rather than a proper conveyance of his people's making. A Jepp, or something, is what the salesman called it, a very popular human vehicle. Well Zu'hir didn't care how popular it was, he wanted his old Xapa back. It could turn in any space, it wasn't clunky like this, and wasn't ridiculously large. He had to get alterations to even drive this thing! It had way too much leg space and no place for his tail! \n\nOh well, he thought as he finally managed to pull up to the black ordering box. Next time I'll know better. No more human vehicles. \n\n\"Welcome to Taco Bell, can I start your order?\" a high pitched voice came through the black box. Zu'hir had a hard time reading the large board behind the box - the menu, he thought - with all the exotic options and pictures. He didn't know what a blast was or why it would be a Mountain Baja. Different kinds of tacos? Why? Different boxes and it looked like some items were in more than one place on the menu. It made no sense! \n\n\"Ah, umm....\" he uttered. \n\n\"First time here?\" that voice inquired. \n\n\"Yes,\" Zu'hir responded, trying to sound like the confident hunter he was. \n\n\"Well, I recommend the beefy burritos box. It comes with two burritos, a hard taco, cinna-twists, and a drink.\"\n\n\"I'll do that, then.\"\n\n\"Excellent, please pull forward to the window!\" Zu'hir managed to do so without much troubleand reached the window. A young human opened it up - female, he thought, based on the hair length, but with humans, who knew - and said \"10 kwill please!\" Zu'hir handed the human his money and she asked \"any hot sauce?\"\nZu'hir just nodded and the human put her hand into a container and pulled out little packets of something and put them in a bigger bag, which she handed to him. He took the bag and the cup she offered next. \"Have a nice day!\" she said, and he pulled away from the window. \n\nZu'hir wasn't sure exactly what this would be like, so he drove to his hunting ground. He looked into the bag and saw a box, which he pulled out. There was also those little packets, the hot sauce. Zu'hir opened the box and looked at what he had bought. Three things were wrapped in paper it looked like, plus one was in a paper pouch.\n\n Grabbing the large tube-ish shaped objects, he opened them first. They looked the same. Cautiously, he poked one to see if it moved. When it didn't, he picked it up. It was hot, so he wouldn't need that sauce. Was it already dead? It seemed so. Not very fast, he thought, just laying there. He hesitantly took a bite, finding the soft texture and gooey insides quite appealing. By the time he finished the second one, he was licking his fingers clean. He reached for the last wrapped item and discovered it was different from the first two, must be the taco the human mentioned. It wasn't hot when he touched it so he took a Flaming sauce packet and squirted it on there. He waited to see if it would get hotter, but when it didn't, he just threw the whole thing into his mouth. This was crunchy, unlike the soft, gooey objects he ate first. Then he tried the last things, cinna-twists, they were called. They were crunchy but then soft. Weird, he thought, but overall, he liked it. No wonder humans liked this, it was easier than hunting every day. Even if it wasn't able to move fast. \n\nSpeaking of moving, he decided to go walk through his hunting grounds since he didn't have to work for this meal. He got halfway to his preferred spot when Zu'hir felt a small rumble in his three stomachs. His kind didn't have to evacuate as frequently as humans, but he figured as full as he was, he'd have to in a day or so. Smiling, he continued on his way. Another rumble hit his stomachs, louder than the first. Then he felt a clenching. His stomachs were clenching? It felt like they wanted to --\nZu'hir took off running towards his Jepp as fast as his legs could take him, tail waving in agitation as he tried to keep his stomachs from evacuating. This must be why the blasted humans called it 'fast.'" ]	2
[WP] Strictly speaking, a summoning ritual doesn't force its target to arrive, just get their attention in hopes they decide to show up. You have a rare neurological condition that turns you into a walking, talking summoning ritual that never stops.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 is a quiet evening. The sun is getting low and the breeze entering the windows is staring to cool. Outside, the chirping of the birds in the apple tree has been replaced by the buzzing of bugs in the fields by my country house. I am somehow exhausted after a day of half-hearted working from home (damn this unending quarantine) and prepare to sit down for an equally unproductive evening of binge-watching Netflix. Cold beer in hand, snacks at the ready, I let myself sink into the soft cushions of my armchair when it happens again. \nThe lights flicker. Outside, even the bugs grow quiet. The light outside dims as if a storm was growing, even though there hasn't been a cloud in sight all day and the wind has completely died. \n \nI let out an audible sigh. \"Urghh, not again\" \n\"It has been so long, I though I was finally rid of this nonsense\" \n \nThe empty room answers only with the sound of creaking floorboard \n \n\"So, what is it this time? Demon? Poltergeist? Show yourself and lets get this done with. You want the house; I'll move again, no problem. My soul; already taken so go bother someone else already!\" \n \nI can now feel a faint vibration and have the strange impression something is looking at me. \n\"Huh, weird. This feels ... different.\" \nI actually don't know what I am summoning this time. The vibration grows into substantial shaking. I can hear glass breaking in the kitchen and picture frames falling down all over the house. Maybe it is just fear of the unknown but I could swear there is someone standing right behind me. I stand up and turn around. Nothing. Then the feeling comes back. Agitation is quickening my breath as a keep turning around, alone in the room but intensely aware of the prickling sensation of someone staring at me. \nSomething is picking at my mind. Panic is setting in; I need to calm down. I almost didn't notice how the windows are now pitch black. Whatever this is, at least it is outside. Yes, I am safe for now. Maybe it need permission to get inside. Like a vampire, you now. That is it, I dealt with those before. I can do thi... \nMy thoughts go blank, wiped away by pure paralyzing fear, as I see the shadows in the room have grown unnaturally dark and sharp. They flow like tar from the corner of the room, from under my armchair, and even lights go black as they get covered by the thick film. I stumble to the center of the room but eventually the thing reaches my feet and starts growing up my legs. I can't move anymore. I am helpless, hopeless, as I see the mass of black thicken in front of me and open ... eyes. Oh god, so many eyes. they keep shifting but always stare at me, inside me. The thing forms a massive maw, countless teeth, none of them fixed in place. I prepare for the end as it gets closer to me and roars \"WILL YA JUST SHUT UP ALREADY, YA TWAT. DON'T-CHA KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? AN ELDRITCH HORROR HAS TOO SLEEP TOO, YOU DEAD-FROM-THE-NECK-UP CHUFFER MUPPET!\"" ]	2
[WP] After years of meditation, you make a startling mental discovery - you've gained root access to your own mind and body.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 all started as a stupid school study on the effects of meditation on the human mind, and the outside effects meditation can have on the human body. We weren't ready for what we found out.\n\nIt started with a feeling like.. leveling up in a video game. I don't know how to explain it, but I was hit with a wave of god-like omnipotence. I felt at one, with my soul, body, and mind. \n\nI could feel every cell in my body, and I knew their every function. I could feel them die. I could feel new cells being born. I felt the electrical impulses from my brain, telling my nerves and skeletal system how, and what to do. It was insane. But that was just the start of it. What happened next, I couldn't believe.", "I am just starting my usual meditation session. At first I was not at all interested in it, but reading a few articles made me start to get interested, and a friend of mine recommending it to me was the last push i needed.\n\n\nI started out trying to just...empty my mind as that was the general public's understanding of what meditation is. That understanding was also mine. Turns out that I can't do that, and one thought suddenly just...showed up in my mind. At first i was just like \"noo...go awaaaay\" and kept trying to re-empty my mind, but after seeing that it was futile, i decided to just.. focus on that thought. And that then turned into my version of meditation. It was literally just deep thought, like in showers. Shower thoughts. But done in a time i specifically scheduled for deep thoughts. Unlike in showers where that was a time scheduled for cleaning my body. It was....nice.\n\n\n\n\nA few months then passed. I stopped just focusing on whatever random thoughts popped up whenever i tried to \"empty my mind\", and I started focusing on thoughts that I WANT to focus on. What best to eat out of my availble options? What best to drink? What was the message of that one specific story? What is the best way to beat this part of my game? I meditated on them all. Generally helped me manage my life. As the days, months, years go on, my life progressed and got more complicated, the subjects i meditated on changed. Shifted to things like \"how do I best deal with this breakup?\" \"How shall i reconcile with my friends?\" \"Should i cut off my relationship with my family?\". I was so glad i have my \"meditation\". Helped me sort it out very quickly.\n\n\nBack to the present then. Where was I? Oh yes. This time, I decided to try just...meditate on nothing. Tried to empty my mind.\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n.\n\n\n.\nbeep beep beep\n\n\nMy eyes bursts open in surprise. Wasn't that...my alarm? But I only set my alarm to go off...at the time i was supposed to wake..up...Did i really truly genuinely meditated on nothing that was so nothing that i truly felt and thought of nothing until i got a \"stimulus from the outside world\"(my alarm)? Holy shit. Have i really gotten THAT much control over my mind now? TURNS OUT MEDITATION IS STRONG! HELL YEAH!\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n.\n\n\nI proceeded to test out my theory of me being able to control my mind so much that thinking about thinking about nothing caused me to truly experience....nothing until i got my alarm to un-nothing-ify my thoughts, by trying to manually tone down my excitement over this.\n\n\n\nSuddenly i felt....calm. Normal. As if i didn't just realise that i got an overpowered ability. \"Huh...cool..\" I said, without any hint of excitement. \"So it worked?\" I asked. \"Apparently it did\" still me replied.\n\n\nI then promptly reset my excitement back to it's normal state. The state where it isn't permanently \"set to 0\", which is what i just put it to, earlier. The state where it fluctuates and changes based on my reaction to new informations.\n\n\n\n\"HOLY! SHIT! IT! WORKED!\", i shouted excitedly, while throwing my arm as if to punch the air, with lots of excitement powering it. Wait\n\n\n\nWhy is there suddenly a dent in my roof?\n\n\n\n...did i just...manually increased my fist's power so much from my excitement that it actually sent a shockwave that dented the wall?\n\n\n\n\n\"KEEP IT DOWN I'M FUCKING SLEEPING!\", my brother yelled from across the house.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n....well....time to think up some plans. Oh, I know! I can pick up new hobbies! Maybe...playing the piano? Becoming a chef? I mean if i can fully control my mind then i can just...like...set my focus to it's maximum value and set my frustration to a value of 0? And just try again and again without the burden of feeling stressed,right?\n\n\n\n\n(Not even 5 years later)\n\n\n\nI woke up at the time i told my body to wake up. It was earlier than usual. After all, i have a piano competition today. An international one too! I cooked myself a feast for my breakfast, as i usually do. With all the shit i force my body to do it definitely needs the energy. After taking a bath i put on my fanciest clothes, went out, locked my door, and ran to the competition building. Being able to train your body without feeling tired made me realize that i can safe a lot of money by just running instead of buying a car, the car's gas, etc. Made sure my body didn't sweat too. Gotta make sure the audience won't be disgusted by my smell. I feel excited for this! Thankfully, i don't experience any of the anxiety! Being in full control! IS! GREAT!" ]	3
[WP] Your X partner cursed you to say every thought that comes to your head. At first it’s awkward but now it’s making your life better. The toxic people in your life can’t stand honesty.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "He remembered the last words she said to him before leaving after calling her a bitch. \"You're one letter off honey\". It was a strange thing to say ,she was never one to hold back from cursing so what the fuck was that supposed to mean? He had tried not dwell on the words she said. He had after all become accustomed to her often nonsensical verbal assaults Try as he might he just could not stop the echo of last night's fight. \n\nIt was time to get back to his own life. He was free from her insults and manipulation. He was supposed to meet with some moron from work for \"brunch\" whatever that means. He was dreading the meeting. Ugh human interaction was not what he needed right now, he needed a bottle of whiskey.\n\nTaking his time he dragged himself into the elevator. Damn there was already someone in there. Pam, the nosey next door neighbor was huffing and puffing in the corner leaning on her cane that she normally used to pound on their wall to \"keep that racket down\". How could she possibly be out of breathe? The fatass didn't even take the stairs. She had walked two feet. Why was she looking at him so strangely?\nShe greeted him and tried to engage him in pleasantries. He was not in the mood. He started to return the greeting but what came out of his mouth was startling devoid of any of the polite nonsense he was used to robotically uttering. \n\"Shut your mouth you insufferable old hag. We don't even like each other. There is no reason to converse .You don't want to know how I am. And for your information I am doing fucking terrible as a matter of fact. \"\n\"Well I never...\"was her only reply. What had come over him? He had always been too shy and awkward for any confrontation. This meeting should be interesting. He was feeling more optimistic already.\nHe arrived early at the meeting location. It was a bar and a rather noisy one. This was perfect to drown his sorrows. He ordered several shots to drink before his new \"business partner\" arrived. His ex had driven him to alcoholism long before the breakup. He liked to think he was a rather functional alcoholic, after all he arrived early and well prepared. He was quite prepared in fact to shoot down whatever Moron was selling. \n\nFinally the guy arrived. They quickly sat down and his business partner launched into some some long pitch. Shit, he needed another drink. \n\nDowning two more shots he swallowed and cleared his throat. \"Nobody and I mean nobody is going to buy that Jim\". Jim stared at him with his mouth agape. \"Are..are you drunk\"? He wanted to deny he was anything but sober but found he could not do it. \" Yeah I'm drunk, but that does not make you any more competent, Jim.\" \n\nIt couldn't be the alcohol. Despite washing away his social anxiety it had never given him this level of confidence nor the sheer bluntness that unwittingly came out of his mouth. \n\nHe thought back to the last words his ex had said. One letter off, huh Well if she was a witch she must have put a spell on him. Before he thought she was being manipulative but what if. .. nah...it did sound rather silly. \n\nHe was going to need to keep his mouth shut before he got himself into trouble. He knew he was starting to sound like an asshole. But oh this new feeling was euphoric. He could say whatever he wanted!" ]	2
[WP] In the seas of Ancient Greece, Cthulhu rises from the sea. Now, the Gods of Olympus must defeat the Old One before he awakens his brethren and regains his strength.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 eternal torches of Olympus, ablaze for untold millennia, lay dark for the first time. Thirteen gods, fickle and capricious deities of great strength, now glower in the dark silently. Their eyes flicking from each other to the ceiling then to the floor.\n\nThey were supposed to be invincible. All powerful and unconstrained. They were the deities of the greatest civilization on the planet. The empire of their worshipers stretched from Macedonia to the Indian subcontinent. They had crushed lesser pantheons under their might. They were immortal, eternal! And yet… just a day before, there had been fourteen Olympians.\n\nHis throne sat empty now, forlorn. Once a towering edifice of sea-rock and coral, it had filled those who looked at it with a feeling of the oceans immensity, its wonder and power. Now it was a chunk of rock. Poseidon, the second oldest of their race, whose power had only been eclipsed by the King of the Gods, lay dead. His palace, a vast and beautiful underwater realm, in ruins.\n\nThe oceans raged mindlessly without a master and storms battered the land. Horrors crawl out of the ocean as a million voices from across the land rose in fearful prayer, begging the gods to restore order, to calm the seas and settle the skies. Yet Olympus lies dark and silent, the gods ignoring the fervent prayers spiraling up to them.They have but a mere glimpse of the enemy, a flash, a feeling, gleaned from Apollo’s powers of prophecy. The sense of something unimaginably old, the sense of something vile and... alien. \n\nThe younger gods, as the young tend to do, chart a bold course of action as they call for war. Dionysius, Athena and Ares, Hephaestus and Hermes, Apollo and Artemis, the newest generation of Olympians eager for glory and battle. They were born into supremacy, having lived their whole lives never seeing anybody but the other Olympians who could challenge their might. The older Olympians know differently. Hades, Hera and Hestia. Demeter, Aphrodite, and the mightiest of them all: Zeus. They remember a time, before the age of Olympus, when they were the newcomers, surrounded by beings unimaginably old. They remember the Titanomachy, the brutal wars for supremacy that they barely won. They can see that the new foe, this antediluvian evil, is older than the titans, older even then the primordial deities of the earth, sky and void. \n\nThe older Olympians know how this will play out and yet they silently their younger kin. They gather their power and mount their chariots. Perhaps they go out of vengeance, for their fallen brother. Perhaps they go out of some sense of duty, to the humans who have devoted their lives to them. Maybe they even think they can win this, and in doing so prove their dominion not only over the Earth, but the vast starry expanse it floats in.\n\nWhatever their reasons, whatever their motivations, Mount Olympus is once again ablaze, a lighthouse in the storm, a beacon of hope to the millions of souls in the land below." ]	2
[WP] You have a sword long enough to reach the heavens and sharp enough to slice through stone. Now you just need to figure out how to lift 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.", "It doesn't help you have practically no individuality. \"You\" are more \"them\". But you are unique enough to know you that you stumble when you marched with your once-fellow soldiers' lockstep, and when you were changed to labour class you were quick to realise that you're not as fast as the others when catching onto your boss' orders as the others. This whole hive mind business wasn't quite for you, but striking it out on your own and defying those annoying twinges in your brain isn't easy.\n\nStill, you look upon this gigantic thing during your travels in what your people don't have a word for. They don't really have words for anything. You nibble at it, unable to break the carapace-like shell, and assume it isn't food. It doesn't move or exude any pheromones, so it can't be organic. The labourers continue their march passing minerals between one another, carrying great rocky loads on their backs as they head back to home. You pause and look at your colleagues, ignoring you as they always do, and wonder if they could bring this gargantuan artefact home. Try and communicate your idea as you might, you can't. Your languages are the same but your dialect makes you unintelligable, not that anyone stops to listen. Soldering and work are all they know.\n\nYou return to the artefact before you and observe. It is clear with a black centre, long and obviously heavy given how it has flattened just over a hundred feet of forestry before you. Your brethren skirt around it like it's nothing, like it's always been there, as if it's just another obstacle to overcome like taking breaths or blinking. It has some strange markings on it; curvy ones in a colour similar to your a flying creature you had done battle with some time ago. Contained in a golden square is single flat line, flanked by two wavy glyphs you've seen on other artefacts that have been too heavy or great to bring to the base. That's when you're not stopped at the entrance and told to return it. Your body isn't built to show concentration, but if it was, you'd furrow your brow as you fight your nature to solve the mystery of the big thing.\n\nAs you turn away to call again to your colleagues, now carrying globules of what you know only as food, you see something nobody else sees. The Boys with the Big Hats. You suppose that it's perfectly normal not to notice, as everyone's the same.... but these ones have hats. They're carrying food, yes, some are even soldiers, but.... these ones have hats. And more and more people are wearing hats ever since they came along. It unsettles you not because different is bad, but because nobody else sees it. You turn again to the artefact and bite it as hard as you can in the hopes you might break it open and release its gooey payload. As you let go, you pause. And bite again. You've managed to get some purchase on it. You let go and look back at the shape. It's not perfectly round, more a hex shape like you've seen from the flying beast that was not the one you killed but was similar's home. You bite again, and pull, your determination being greater than yield. You do however cause it to tumble, and crush more of the forestry. It almost flattens you, but your quick reflexes have saved you more times than your slower uniform kind. It makes a great crash, and catches the attention of workers on their way to the jelly treat some feet down the familiar path. Without thinking they turn and bring join you, immediately taking the collossal artefact upon their backs and you join in, gleeful in what you think is a good idea. The artefact is being taken home. It might stop The Boys in the Big Hats spreading their hat spores. It might make a nice treat for Mother.\n\nWho knows, maybe it's edible." ]	2
[WP] The police are investigating a prolific serial killer. Unfortunately, the police are mistaking some of your murders for the other person's, and that just won't do.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 slammed the newspaper down on the table in disgust. Fuming, I stalked to the window and looked out into the quiet cul-de-sac outside. How did the police get it so wrong? I needed to show them who the true master was before anyone else took credit for my work. Not finding any solace in the scenery, I half ran to my study. Clicking through tabs of potential victims always calmed me down. From my desk, I looked up at the whiteboard affixed to the wall in front of me and stared furiously at the words hatefully scrawled upon it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n 'The Master' \n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere this duplicitous creature was, taking credit for my hard work. My careful planning. I was not going to take this lying down. So I started doing my own research, finding all of the information I could about the victims I knew weren't mine. It wasn't hard really, someone with my talents. I found him within an hour, the sun had barely moved. God, I was good. His name was Terrance Malvern - a scumbag I'm sure, from a couple towns over. I decided that it would be best for him and I to make an acquaintance. First I needed to cool off, I could feel the rage still thundering within me; and if I met him like this, he'd be dead before I knew. So I took myself in my very expensive sedan to the supermarket to find ingredients for my dinner. I found a lovely cut of veal, pink as you like, succulent. With it I prepared some leeks braised on a bed of white rice and paired it with a delightfully fruity cab sav. Divine. I fed the scraps to the dog in the basement and took myself to bed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nSunrise came and with it a renewed vigour, this was the first time I'd ever knowingly met another capable of taking a life. I wondered if I could see it in his eyes. I wondered if he slept at night. I prepared myself a latte and drove to Kensington, where this filth kept his hovel. The closer I came to town the more furious I became. I shouldn't have listened to the news. Police had had a \"breakthrough\" in the case, signs leading to an individual in our county. Pathetic. I was better than them, I was better than him. They would know their mistake and honour me soon enough. Keeping myself calm and placid, I drove on. Pulling into a side street a couple houses down from his address, I put on my hat and coat but left my gun in the car. I would not lose my temper, I told myself. His house was stately, I'll admit. With a neat row of bushes leading visitors to the front door, and a spectacularly well kept 1980's era Ferrari 308 sitting proudly in the driveway. I knocked, my gloved hand creating a muffled thump. I was ready to bring this worthless vermin to his knees and make sure he knew who's territory he was in.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n'Good Morning Sebastian, it's nice of you to join me' The man who answered the door was tall and proud. His piercing green eyes coupled with his dark widows peak gave me a feeling of a very well-dressed Dracula. It was not the man I was expecting. Without really knowing why, I followed his invitation to come inside. His house was well appointed, but felt austere. There were no comfortable chairs to relax in, no television or entertainments of any kind -- save the bottle of Niepoort V Port sitting on an intricately filigreed silver tray with two glasses already poured. 'Have a seat' he said, pointing to a small foot stool next to the fireplace. The violent inferno of my rage had died, I was curious. He spoke highly of me of my accomplishments and apologised for the police. We shared glass after glass until the bottle was empty. He rustled up a delectable Tête de veau and we shared in the feeding of his dog. I left that evening feeling fulfilled, I had not expected us to become friends. I had never even contemplated finding.. an equal." ]	2
[WP] “When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem becomes a nail.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Arman's badge glinted in the high noon sunshine, but it may have been the only polished thing about that drunkard. He strutted up the dusty street, one hand gripping the seam of his vest and the other resting heavy on the handle of his 6-shooter.\n\nThere was no problem too big for Sheriff Arman. But there was no problem too small neither. His side piece was unholstered with the same cocky flourish for cursing in public as it was for the rapists and the looters. Yes sir, that man loved to raise his long barrel high in the air and fire off a round or two. The ladies at the saloon say he's compensating for something. \n\nHe was a big man with his shiny badge and fancy gun, but he was a slime ball, no-good, horse's ass besides. Everybody knew it, but he was the man who brought down the hammer.\n\nThe problem is, when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem starts looking like a nail.\n\nOn this particular day, Sheriff Arman was making his rounds, popping his head into every establishment in our small trading post town. It was maybe a half-hour job to visit every shop and inn, but he made it an all day affair.\n\n\"Good mornin', Homer,\" Arman told the barber as he hanged his had on an inside hook.\n\n\"Sheriff,\" Homer returned the greeting with all the enthusiasm of a man already in the slammer.\n\n\"Why don't you do your sheriff a favor and trim up the old maw? I've been seein' more and more white in my whiskers these days.\"\n\nHomer looked at the man already in his seat, mid-hair cut, and looked back to the sheriff. \"There's one ahead of you.\"\n\nArman walked close to the two men so that his holster and his gun his ponch overhanging his trousers were nearly touching the customer's face. \"I'm sure this gentleman wouldn't mind doing this township a civil service.\" It wasn't a question. It wasn't a suggestion.\n\nHomer sighed and untied the smock from customer #1's neck. \"I'm sorry, sir. Give me 15 minutes and I'll finish you up.\" The customer stood up and glared at the sheriff who plopped into the seat with a grin across his face.\n\n\"Homer, I'll tell ya, there's nothing quite like a good shave to start the day.\"\n\nHomer looked to the wall clock. 12:09PM. He said nothing.\n\nThe barber warmed water and lathered soap in a bowl with a badger-hair brush. He set the frothy, white concoction on his counter and began sharpening a razor blade on a long, leather strop.\n\nThere was a commotion outside like men shouting and horses stomping. \"You gonna check on that, sheriff?\"\n\nThe sheriff shot him an annoyed glance before standing up and ripping the smock from his body--or trying to, at least. He only succeeded in pulling his head forward and scratching the hell out of the back of his neck.\n\nHe threw the barbershop doors open with his revolver drawn and a white cloth tied around his neck.\n\n\"What in tarnation is--\" but he saw it before he needed an answer.\n\nIt stood in the middle of the street. A man, but many times too tall and many times too thin. Its skin was black and it's proportions were distorted. It's arms and legs and fingers and toes were long, but it's torso and head were small.\n\n\"F-f-freeze...\" The sherif raised his shaky gun up at the figure but only then noticed the bodies. It was all of em. The men, the women, the kids, the animals--all splayed out in the dirt, face down.\n\nHe could have run back inside. He could have backed away slow-like. He could have tried talking to it. They all woulda worked, believe it or not.\n\nBut a man with a hammer only sees nails.\n\nThe gun fired, and in a fluid, quick motion, the creature reached over and dispatched sheriff Arman's head from his body." ]	2
[WP] Of the entire family, it is YOU that a young girl prays to for salvation. But you are the Elder God of Death & Destruction	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 know my name.\n \n\nI was there at your birth, thou daughter of a dead mother. Rosanna was proud of you, her last gift. I see you now, here at the bed of your brother. I hear the petulant prayers of your family, whispering reedy to my brethren. They will not hear – you have not built temples, have not legions of believers to follow your word. You are not favoured. They pray fruitlessly, howling against the void.\n \n\nYou, small thing….you do not howl. You do not rage against me. You watch and pray. Do you see me? I see you nodding – but how do you see me?\n\nYou are not afraid, not bold with bravado, but calm, accepting. I have….I have seen this too rarely, and never in one so young.\n\nWhat do you ask? A life saved, the salvation of this boy? I know not his name – I know none of your names, not until you are mine. Then you are mine – all mine.\n\n\nNone ask me this. They entreat their gods of life, of growth, of fertility – these they ask for life for others. The only ones who pray to me scream for their life – the endless refrain. “Not me, you can’t take me – no, please not me.” Ceaseless. Pathetic. Selfish. Mortal.\n\n\nYour prayer – none ask me this. I…cannot grant you this prayer. Would that I could – you who pray to me as none do. Would that I could, but I cannot. It is not my…remit.\n\nInstead – I grant you this – for the life you have prayed to me for, I grant you one life. One life, small girl-mortal. One life only, to be taken as you wish. You are granted the boon of I. This is all I can grant you, who look to me, look at me as none has.\n\nAnd know this small one, beautiful child. One day I will know your name. But now, I know you. I will guide you. And when you come to me, it will be at peace. For I…I who may not love, I who may not pass, I who may not live…I know you.\n\n\nAny you….you know my name. ", " \n\nI heard her, screaming and sobbing, calling my name. Her home had been violated. Criminals prowling the halls like famished dogs. The rest of her family were trying to contact other gods, attempting to appeal to their favour.\n\nThe pleas from the rest, I have heard before. Their pleas fall on deaf ears, for mine are the only ones that hear them. The other gods were constructs, imaginary friends created by man, elf and dwarf to tuck them into bed at night for a restful sleep.\n\nDon’t mistake this for disgust. Not at the races of my world, at any rate. If I ought to be disgusted at anyone, it should be me. And I was. That was why I took on this form. That was why my sphere was not in creation and life, but in death and darkness. Reviled and feared by the races, worshipped by necromancers… I hated it. I hated it all.\n\nBut I allowed it. It was not their fault.\n\nSo I rose from the black throne woven with my hate, limbs cracking to life as I took my scythe, and tipped off the edge of the ethereal realm I rotted in.\n\nFor once, I was going to do something.\n\nThe lobby I entered was large, grandiose even. A great stairway entered a second floor, made of polished wood and guarded by a massive portrait of a military general. To my sides, doors to rooms, along with a few comfy chairs around a small table for visitors stuck in the corner.\n\nA dwarf hobbled from around a corner, gasping for breath. As one would expect, he was short and stout, more like a boulder than a being of flesh. He took notice of me and… Well, how would you react? Seeing an eight foot humanoid wearing rags over its narrow, corpse-like frame with the antlered head of an owl’s skull? Perhaps better if you didn’t see the teeth. I hear it is horrifying.\n\nThe dwarf’s eyes bulged out of his own covered skull, wheezed, and dropped dead. I suppose it was better than him defecating himself to death.\n\nI moved on, hefting my scythe onto my shoulder. It was mere decoration, a symbol of office rather than something of true value. I think it was just something to remember the past by.\n\nI moved into a room, turning to mist as I went through the closed door. Inside was a library, walls of shelves crammed with books, and not a soul in sight. I continued, entering another hallway, then another room at the end. The air in the kitchen heaved with wonderful smells, of spices and fried meats. A gaggle of servants looked up to me, their faces a universal picture of horror, the same as the three elves who held them hostage.\n\nI pointed to one. “Wither.”\n\nHer skin wrinkled and paled, and the husk fell to the floor with a thud. One tried to leave, only to catch an end of my scythe. Even mere decoration can be lethal. The third dropped to their knees, sobbing and begging profusely for their life.\n\n“Where are the others?”\n\nThey didn’t know. I asked a servant where I might find the family. The elf changed tune, saying they were looking for a vault. According to her, it was in the Master Bedroom.\n\nI waved a hand. “Tie this one up, and make sure you lock the doors. I will return soon.”\n\nI am under no delusion that they liked that, but they did as they were told, and directed me to my destination.\n\nNow with a target, I glided up the stairs. Even being an immortal god did not dispose me of manners. A tall elf saw me, and tried to fire an arrow. He grabbed the second before he met his fate. Two more elves shared this fate, collapsing in the so-called “Dreamer’s Wing”, a hallway of navy and mahogany, dark, but inviting. The Master Bedroom was at the end, double doors staring at me with wooden eyes.\n\nTo say that the intruding elves panicked would be a gross understatement. One, reedy and angular, began to scream, crawling on his backside as he retreated to a wall. His friends were made of sterner stuff, managing to hit me with a couple of arrows out of a dozen each.\n\nI turned to the family. There were four of them, mother and father, brother and sister. She looked only nine.\n\nThe door burst open behind me. A quartet of elves stood behind me, slack-jawed from horror-born idiocy.\n\n“Child” I said, turning to her. “I have answered your summons. What would you have me do?”\n\nShe stared at me, wide eyed. Not with fear though, but fascination. She reminded me of myself.\n\n“Would you have me sweep this chaff from these halls they defiled? Or would my mere presence be enough to send these worthless dogs running with their tails between their legs? Whatever you choose, choose wisely. A heavy price will be paid.”\n\nShe kept her gaze trained on me, fearless. “Make them go away.”\n\n“… Leave.”\n\nThe two who shot me grabbed their gibbering companion, and scuttled past me. I didn’t mention their companion in the kitchen. The authorities could deal with her.\n\nOnce they left, I turned to the quivering family.\n\n“I do not know why they came here, nor what their end goal might be. I do know it is not wise for gods to interfere with mortal affairs. Especially when they have no body or mind to claim as their own.” I turned, adding “As for the price of this assistance… live. Live your lives, all of you. You are not bound to the path set out to you.”\n\nAnd with those parting words, I left.", "I am no stranger to death. I've seen more than enough of it, caused more than enough of it. To destroy is in my nature; it is what I am. And many times have I been called upon, invoked, by those seeking the destruction of their enemies. For I am Elthora, Goddess of Death and Destruction, the Bringer of the End. Nothing can escape my power; even the other gods are helpless before me, for the end comes for all, even the divine. All except me, for I am the End.\n\nBut this? This is something new. I often receive prayers for the destruction of people's enemies, but never before has someone asked me to end their own life. But this girl... she knows no hope but that of oblivion. She is trapped, held against her will she knows not where. Trapped by men who... use her, use her to satisfy their desires. They keep her chained, chained and locked away in a dark room from which there is no escape. She can't even starve herself; if she refuses food, they beat her and force it down her throat. They are cruel to her, cruel beyond imagining, and there is no escape. She lacks even a way to end her own life. And so she prays to me, asks for me to save her from such hell they only way she knows of. She asks me to end her life.\n\nI have a different plan, and so I appear before her.\n\nMy form is beautiful, I know this. I have spent eons perfecting it, molding it into a figure of perfection and beauty. For that is what I am, in the end. I am the End, but the end of one thing is the beginning of another. I am the End, but as such I am also the Beginning, she who removes what is old to allow the new to take root. And there is no greater beauty than this.\n\nShe looks up upon seeing me, but she doesn't speak. She doesn't need to; she realizes immediately who I am, knows her prayers have been heard. But I do speak. \"I have heard you. You wish for death, so that you may escape the hell that is your life. But I will tell you this: I will not grant you death. To do so would be a waste. You are of far more value to me alive. And you do not need death to escape from here.\"\n\nSuddenly, the chains vanished. Her body weak and beaten, the girl fell to the ground, but then, just as suddenly, her injuries were healed, her body restored, and she stood. \"I... what did you do?\"\n\n\"I healed you, preserved your life. But I have also freed you. Death is not the only way out, and you are of far more value alive.\"\n\n\"I... how can that be true? I'm not worth anything.\"\n\n\"You are worth much, for your suffering has opened your eyes. Many believe me to be evil, but you know the truth. You know that death is natural. You understand that sometimes, it can be desirable, for it brings an end to suffering. But that is not all it does. It clears away the old so that the new may take its place. It removes those which do more harm than good. It brings defeat to the world's evils. That is my nature. And you, Serena, you are attuned to it. As such, I make of you this offer, the offer to become my vessel and envoy on this world. I shall protect you and give you power, and in return you shall be an instrument of my will, seeking out and bringing death to those who must meet their ends. Do you accept?\"\n\nSerena didn't hesitate, as I knew she wouldn't. I could see inside her, see that this was what she truly wanted. She would make an ideal vessel and envoy, not just because she was attuned to me, but because it would give her what she truly desired. And so she spoke.\n\n\"I accept.\"", "Ruin spent a lot of time in her chambers at The World's Peak. What was the point of leaving? She'd only go through the same conversation as she has for countless millennia; she's not a \"real\" god, or that she has no \"motivation\" for existing. She was born solely by accident when the still young race of man had discovered fire, polluting the air and burning the world they lived in, when enough of the other gods' creations had been, well, ruined. It wasn't a word in their vocabulary - every idea went somewhere in the cosmos, that was the cosmos' whole purpose. It's just that The World was supposed to be the place where everything was perfect. Man looked like the gods, sans the elemental hair, glowing eyes and some animalistic adornments such as the odd tail or pair of wings upon one's heels. Man messed up big time, but their creator Kynd wasn't chastised for anywhere near as many hundreds of thousands of years as Ruin, who destroyed everything she touched. And so Ruin's perfect sister Sympathy was born, someone who could create. She was by Ruin at all times, unable to see her sister's faults, summoning a new bed every time Ruin fell upon her own and crashing into the floor, or food when it wilted in her hand. The only thing that didn't end was The World's Peak, and that pissed off Ruin more than anything. She wished this heavenly plane would just disappear into thin air so the other gods and her goodie-goodie sister would float away, and leave her to do what she was born to do.\n\nBard's laughter thundered through the very stone that made up the heavenly halls of The World's Peak. Ruin growled in frustration, knowing that it could only be about her. She hated Bard the most, who often mused about how she was the best thing to happen to him because she was the villain of all his dramas, and the gift of every poet, playwright and actor in The World. As if by magic Bard appeared at her doorway with an ashen roll of parchment in his hand, smouldering with a hate Ruin knew all too well. He threw the parchment at her, \"who would've thought someone would pray to you?\" He giggled and left, prancing away like the ninny he was. Ruin caught the parchment and clenched her gauntleted fist around it, her flaming hair intensifying and blackening the walls behind her. Once he was out of sight she returned to her bed, which cracked underneath the weight of her ironclad form, immediately repaired by her sister, twiddling with one of man's curious tools, a hammer in her belt. Ruin checked the document and found it wasn't itself ruined. She unravelled it, seeing embers glowing in a language only she could understand: a seething hate penned this prayer, not like the others whose might have been in blood, the juice of fruit, incense or dreams. Just raw fury.\n\nFor the first time in her miserable life, Ruin wept a boiling tear, hissing as it ran down her rusted metal form. It was a tear formed of many emotions; the sadness of the prayer, the joy of being consulted, the fury of the vengeance she had planned. She gave a knowing nod to the prayer from a human child, and handed the charred parchment to Sympathy. \"Please sister, preserve this for me.\" Even though it scolded her hands and charred the leather of her pouch, Sympathy obeyed with a smile. After a pause Ruin leapt from her bed and left The World's Peak, much to the shock of the other gods, and descended like a javelin from the heavens.\n\nLater....\n\n\"Thank you, Jim. As you can see, Eden Vale Middle School is nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble. Despite the amount of rain we had over the weekend, it did nothing to cool the embers, and what little that could have been salvaged has been water damaged. No witnesses have come forward yet as to say what happened, and firefighters have been reluctant to share theories with us. Though there's been no casualties, schools across the country are being closed in the event this may have been a terror attack. I suppose there's one good thing to come out of this: we'll be seeing a lot more of our little ones. Katherine Halford reporting, back to you in the studio, Jim.\"\n\nRuin looked upon The World with delight, seeing the child who prayed to her embrace her mother as she phoned to say she'd be working from home. After this, more prayers came in - an adulterer's car needed smashing, a prized marrow needed squashing, the fireworks show had to be the most spectacular the world had ever seen.... Ruin was kept busy for a long time. And in all that time she was content.", "Of all of the wishes I have ever received, none of them were good. Those who prayed for me, prayed for death and misery. They called me the god of death and destruction, the one who makes all other elder gods shake with fear. Yet this request was different. It was from a young girl who prayed to me for salvation. At first, I figured she must have mistaken me for another god, perhaps one of good fortune or one of wealth. However, once she started to pray daily and put out offerings of food for me, I realized she was not mistaken. Curious, I watched over her daily life. She was the daughter of an elite family, and lived in absolute luxury. I couldn't figure out a reason as to why she would need any salvation, as she was surrounded within the pinnacle of sin and greed. Then I started to notice how distant she was compared to others. She looked upon her family with disgust, and refused to indulge in her wealth. She would spend her days resting in the shade of my alter, in simple clothes and would eat modestly. One day, as she got home from her private school, her parents informed her that she was to be married off into another family. They said that it would combine the wealth of both families, and that she will live a fine life. Instead, she ran off into the hills, to my alter. She gripped a glass shard from the broken windows surrounding my alter and cut her hand. Warm blood dripped from her hand onto my alter. A blood sacrifice. They weren't exactly uncommon for elder gods in my line of work, but they were serious matters. \"Please.\" She said. \"Hear my prayers, god of death and destruction, please cleanse my family, and get rid of all of the sins I have carried.\" This was amusing. So she wished for me to save her from her sinful existence. However, she was severely mistaken. I am not a god of charity, or a benevolent god at all. I am an elder god of death and destruction. However, I will still fulfill her prayer, but at the greatest cost one can sacrifice to a god. I grinned from the shadows. A feast of souls was waiting for me." ]	6
[WP] The discovery of the second earth led hunanity to believe in multiple dinensions, but for some peculiar reason, you only exist in one dimension	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"That's awesome, Steph,\" Dahlia said. \"I'm glad you got in,\" Her response wasn't as excitement filled as Stephanie hoped. Their friendship of several years made it easy for her to see that Dahlia was still bothered by her lack of doppelgangers. Stephanie felt a sting of regret for bragging about her invitation and tried to shift the focus to Dahlia. \n\n\"You still haven't heard anything?\" she asked. Dahlia shook her head.\n\n\"Maybe there aren't any more of me out there,\" she said. She hated the thought, but she knew she had to consider it. She hoped she'd get to meet at least one other version of herself. Stephanie met a whole guild comprised solely of her doppelgangers only a week after she applied to the Universal Match program. Two weeks after that, they invited her to join them. Stephanie suddenly had dozens of people that would understand her like no one else could. Dahlia hated to admit it, but jealousy blossomed in her.\n\n\"You want me to ask the Council?\" Stephanie asked. \"They're goofs, but supposedly one of the smartest guilds there is.\" Dahlia met Stephanie's eyes through narrow slits.\n\n\"The Council of Steves is one of the smartest guilds there is?\" she asked with more than a hint of sarcasm. Stephanie chuckled but nodded.\n\n\"We Steves do get around,\" she said with a grin. Despite her sour mood, Dahlia couldn't help but laugh. She knew Stephanie; if the rest of the council were as determined and curious as her, their reputation would make sense.\n\n\"Alright,\" Dahlia nodded. \"See if you can find out anything for me, please.\"\n\n\"On it!\" Stephanie said. She pulled her node out of her pocket and Dahlia's envy stirred. The card-sized glass rectangle was only awarded to citizens with doppelgangers. The way Steph explained it to Dahlia was that it worked like a smartphone across universes. She could connect with any of her doppelgangers in the guild from her universe; at the moment she was asking for information.\n\n\"That was fast,\" Steph said after a moment. She brought the node up and read the display. \"Your favorite number's still 52, right?\" She asked as she typed on the node. Dahlia tilted her head.\n\n\"Yes. When did I get a favorite number, and how did you know?\" She noticed Steph roll her eyes.\n\n\"Well, I've only known you for 15 years. You hadn't noticed that any time we need random numbers for something, the first number out of your mouth is always 52? ALWAYS,\" she emphasized.\n\n\"...hadn't noticed...,\" Dahlia said quietly. She started to wonder what other habits Steph noticed about her that she wasn't aware of.\n\n\"Cool, problem solved.\" Steph sat up with a smile. \"The Council of Steves totally came through for you.\"\n\n\"They found other versions of me!?\" Dahlia perked up immediately; but, she was deflated when Stephanie shook her head.\n\n\"The bad news is there aren't any other versions of you. Anywhere.\"\n\n\"What?\" Dahlia asked.\n\n\"The good news is, that means you're something called a Unique Soul. You have powers. You, specifically, can talk to plants and see stats above people's heads.\"\n\n\"What kind of stats?\" Dahlia asked. She focused on the empty space above Stephanie's dark hair, but didn't see anything.\n\n\"I don't know, but you need to get a tattoo of the number 52 to activate your powers.\"\n\n\"Yeah, like I have spare cash right now,\" Dahlia sighed. \"I guess it's on the list.\"\n\n\"Nah,\" Stephanie grinned. \"Council of Steves has you covered there too.\" Before Dahlia could ask what she meant, a tall black hole appeared in the center of her room. A lean bald man covered in tattoos walked out carrying a leather backpack.\n\n\"Who's the plant?\" he asked. Dahlia turned to give Steph a confused look then noticed Stephanie was pointing at her. The tattooed stranger stepped up to Dahlia and looked down at her. \"Where do you want it?\" he grinned.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #176. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order." ]	2
[WP] You cannot simply go back to an ordinary life after interacting with magic.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 truth is, I didn't know. \n\nNot the way we're supposed to know. \n\nThere's a procedure. \n\nWe find, we explore, we categorize. We put things in boxes. We give them names. We write them in books so we understand them. We do that so we can teach those things to our children, and all go forth together into the night a little wiser, a little better-informed. That way, civilization and understanding banish just a little more shadow from the world, and we can all snuggle up cozy at night feeling a little safer. \n\nThat's how science works. I believe in it. Really. I do. \n\nYou can't not. Not without being crazy, anyway. \n\nAnd believe me, that occurred to me. \n\nIt's the sane response, right? When the world believes one thing, and you believe something else, then the sensible thing to do is admit that you're probably the one in the wrong. That's just simple mathematics. Statistics. Four billion is a bigger number than one. By… oh, about three hundred, ninety nine billion, ninety nine thousand… well, you get the picture. I get the picture, too. That's sort of what this is all about. Painting a picture of the world that we all agree on. \n\nSo, I walked home one day in the rain. I'd been drinking just enough to feel it, but not so much that I didn't know what I was doing. (That's what every drunk says, right?) The rain buzzed on my shoulders, but I felt like a furnace, so it didn't bother me. It was actually kind of nice. \n\nI took a wrong turn somewhere. Well, not quite. I just didn't really feel like going home yet, so I went left instead of right, and so there I was. Standing just out from under a bridge (because going under it meant saying goodbye to the rain), watching the flowing lines of fallen rain fork out into tiny branches. \n\nThe street was half-flooded, and so was I, finally starting to feel the cold. I'd be shivering by the time I got home, and toasty when I got into bed. That was okay, I remember thinking. That was fine. It'd make my little walkabout worth it. \n\nAnyway, while I was whiling away, standing in a place I wasn't supposed to be, I saw something I wasn't supposed to see. \n\nMagic, I guess. That's what we call things we can't explain, isn't it? \n\nSo, I heard the breaking glass first. Third-story window, a man flat on his back flying through the air, arms wheeling. Just tossed out a window. He drops on the roof of a car. Well, half of him does. His lower half smashes through the roof and his whole spine bends around itself, cracking his body into a 'C' shape. Only, the reverse of how the body is supposed to make that shape. The other half of him - just about attached, but there's fucking blood everywhere - just kinda dangles there, hanging limp out the side of the car where he hit. \n\nI stand there, frozen, because… well, that was a fucking murder, right? \n\nI look up at the window, and my blood goes cold, because the person up there looks right at me, and I damn near piss myself. I mean, that's a murderer, right? Someone who just killed a person for god-knows-what reason, and I know, and he just found out that I know. \n\nSuddenly there's all kinds of yelling, and footsteps from the alley around back of the building - I don't know what's going on, but I'm running like hell because my life ain't perfect but no way am I looking to clock out early. \n\nBehind me, I can hear them calling me. \n\n\"We just want to talk!\" \n\n\"Come back, it's alright!\" \n\nYeah, I'm… I remember thinking - my legs pounding the sidewalk so hard it feels like my heart's gonna blow out of my chest any second - that I'm not exactly that stupid, thanks - \n\nThen it gets fuzzy. I round a corner, and suddenly there's someone RIGHT THERE, and I'm staring right down the barrel of something big and metal and the goddamn barrels felt like staring straight into oblivion - so I freeze, just -- total fucking panic. My brain short-circuits and I'm just about ready to do anything to live - cry, scream, beg for my life, duck, run anything - and then the dude is just GONE. \n\nBefore I even knew what was happening. \n\nMy head turns on its own trying to process it and there's just this… fucking mess where this guy used to be. I guess it was technically a corpse, just… head, left arm, half the chest, just… gone. Blood is everywhere. I feel burning across my face and I realise that's blood too, mixing with the rain and running down my face. I inhale and I smell it: copper, iron, rain, death. \n\nI was running on auto, to be honest. I didn't know what was going on and pretty much all higher reason had totally checked out. I was fucking terrified; just this crazy, nervous ball of hamster-wheel mad energy not knowing what to do because he's just too damn scared to even think. \n\nMy body's still standing there frozen while two more guys come up behind me. Then the screaming starts - and I'll be honest, I can't even begin to describe it. What it sounded like. I mean, I heard… snapping sounds, wailing, and just, this constant… I don't know, almost braying, or maybe just… I don't know. I can't describe it. It's just the kind of sound that when you hear it, you know that it means death. I'll never forget that, long as I live. It's seared right on in here. I'll hear it when I'm alone, when I go to sleep. \n\nI don't really know what happened after that. I ran. Kept running. I still felt the pain, felt my lungs burning, but the fear just… drove it to the back of my head and kept it there. I kept hearing this fucking panting sound, like a dog or something, and I'm pretty sure that was me. The kind of sounds I was making while I was practically heaving up a lung while going at a dead sprint through the streets at three a.m. I don't know. Shit, I don't like to think about it. \n\nSo that was the magic I saw. \n\nMaybe you've got a better explanation. Better for you, anyway. And I get that. I wouldn't believe me either. \n\nMaybe you think a car hit the guy. Maybe the fact I didn't see what happened to the other two meant that my mind was just playing tricks on me. I could go back there tomorrow and everything would be okay, and I'd realise that none of it really happened. \n\nI wish you were right. I really do. \n\nYou aren't, though.", "Yet another fucking day at my fucking menial job. The same, old, stale coffee that makes me gag upon entering the fucking office. Clarice’s perfume. The sticky feeling of the keyboard in my hands, the keyboard so many other people have used before. I tried to wash the grime away once, only to end up having to replace the damn thing because even though they claim they’re dishwasher-safe, they really aren’t. \n\nThey made me pay out of pocket for that. And I didn’t get a new one, no. \n\nThe hand sanitizer I’ve been using regularly ever since I started here doesn’t make things better. It just adds to the grime, overlaying the cubicle with the stink of alcohol. \n\nI still use it, though, mostly to annoy Kyle, who has to sit next to me. Poor Kyle, can’t watch his porn without the smell of medicinal alcohol. \n\nDescribing what exactly it is I do would probably kill you with boredom. And I’m not that much of a sadist. \n\nIt didn’t used to be that way. I mean, there’s a reason people take jobs such as this one, isn’t there? Peace and quiet. A comfortable life. Colleagues you don’t want to shoot on sight. I used to enjoy our quiet watercooler banter, the feeling of having done something at least marginally meaningful. \n\nUntil that night, that is. \n\n“Don’t start with this shit, kiddo,” he’d said. Closed his eyes, crossed the fucking street without looking — I almost died, and I did look, for fuck’s sake — ran into the casino, tapped one of the slot machines. And I swear he didn’t even put a dime in. \n\nAnd got payout. \n\nIt was the coolest thing I ever saw. \n\nNot necessarily because of all the shining silver. Like I said, I did have a steady job. \n\nDo. Sorry. Do have a steady job. Ahem. \n\nNo. It was fucking magic. The guy flipped a switch in the fucking universe itself. When I asked him how he did it, he told me he’d stared the universe in the eyes, found it staring back, and flipped it off. And, looking at him, I believe it. He had that strange thing with his eyes, an ever-shifting motion, as if he wanted to see everything and everyone that was even close to coming near him. As if he were going to be assassinated where he stood any time now. \n\nI’d bought him a drink, naturally. And another one. And another one. And he told me a tale of a universe that’s so fucked up that only crazy people get magic. Magick. With a k. He did make a point of that, found it important, but he was unable to tell me why, slurring his words from the cheap booze we’d found in the nearest dive bar. He told me it had nothing to do with tricks. \n\nHe wouldn’t have been capable of tricks, anyway. \n\nAnd he told me about the Underground. A bunch of people, all like him but not like him. Half of them got the magick thing wrong, he explained, but it worked for them anyway. \n\nI smile to myself as I feed more meaningless information to the computer. Because, even though the office doesn’t know it yet, this is going to be my last day at the job. \n\nHe told me not to start, the way a smoker tells you not to start. He told me it was going to fuck my life up. \n\nBut if I take a good, hard look at this? All this? \n\nThe sound of the watercooler makes it’s way to my cubicle, a gurgling that seems to come from the deepest pit of hell. I try to clean my hands again, looking at the three-leaf potted plant in it’s sad corner on my desk. \n\nThis is what I’m going to lose? \n\nFuck it." ]	3
[WP] The Spirit is an eternal entity, written of throughout history. The scope of it's powers are widely disputed, but the one consistent fact is this: it preys upon those corrupted by wealth and power. You are telling the tale of how you survived a meeting with The Spirit.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 have always lived my life a very lucky man.\n\nWhen I was born, my father was scratching a lottery ticket, indifferent to his wife who was going through the pain of labor. He won the mega millions, and just like that, I was born into a rich family.\n\nOne time, when I was ten, I was chosen to be part of a game show. I won effortlessly, and won $500,000 dollars.\n\nAs I grew up, my wealth increased, and with every thousand dollars I inherited, my empathy diminished. Soon, I started my own business, and I was gaining much more money than most would ever see in their life time. I was living the dream, but I didn’t care. I’ve never dreamed before in my life.\n\nThe day I turned eighteen, my father died.\n\nMy mother claimed it was The Spirit. I think she’s gone delusional. The Spirit, my mother says, is some “magical entity.” A legend, a folk tale. I call it a lie. They say The Spirit preys on the wealthy, those who have lost their humanity to money and power.\n\nIs that supposed to scare me? Some scary campfire story won’t stop me from being successful. Yes, I suppose I could donate to charity. Indeed, it is possible to feed the poor. And yes, I guess I could stop bribing politicians to get my way. But who cares? Nothing can stop me from doing what I want. Anything else doesn’t matter. I get my way, and the world keeps spinning.\n\nOne day, I am in my office, expecting a meeting. Apparently a smaller company, a tiny fast-food chain of sorts, had asked to speak with me. They wish to be sponsored by my corporation, maybe even bought out. I considered their offer, and decided I’d invite the CEO in order to discuss certain things. If I gain anything of value from this little deal, I’ll sponsor them. Chances are, however, nothing that a company that small has could ever satisfy my needs.\n\nThe door to my office swung open, almost on its own, and a person walked in. They had long hair that went down to their shoulders. It was black, however a rainbow was reflected in the light that shone on it. Their eyes had no pupils, instead solid irises that were a pale lavender color. They sat down in the chair across from me, and the lights in my office flickered out.\n\n“Oh, I’m very sorry,” I apologized, getting up quickly to test out the light switch. What the hell is going on? My lights have never had a problem.\n\n“Oh please, you don’t have to worry about that,” said the person. Their voice reverberated, and knots twisted in my stomach as I heard it. “Hopefully, you will see the light very soon.”\n\nI turned, and saw the person hadn’t even turned to look at me. They still looked straight ahead, unmoving. Rainbows still shimmered in their hair, despite the lack of light in the room.\n\nChuckling nervously, I walked back to my desk and sat down. I tried to look the person in the eyes, but the color of their irises was so bright it hurt to look at, like two lavender suns were captured in them. \n\n“So... what’s your name, fine fellow?” I asked, stretching my arm out for a handshake. The person didn’t move at all, still as a statue, not blinking or anything.\n\n“My name?” The person asked. They tilted their head, the first movement from them I had seen since they sat down. “I don’t think that’s something you could handle, sir.”\n\nI gulped, confused. “Uh... what should I call you then?”\n\nThe lights flickered back on, though I hadn’t touched the light switch at all. Strangely, instead of the usual white light the bulbs produced, a harsh red light shone from the ceiling. “You know full well what to call me,” they answered, narrowing their eyes.\n\nTrembling, I stood up, every cell in my body telling me to run. It couldn’t be. Could it? My mother, my delusional, hysterical mother, who I had sent to a psychiatric ward, was right?\n\n“The Spirit,” I realized with dread. The Spirit nodded slowly. “What do you want from me?”\n\n“An answer,” The Spirit answered vaguely.\n\nI gritted my teeth in frustration. “An answer? To what?!”\n\nThe Spirit looked up, making eye contact with me. I felt like I was going to go blind, as if my bones were being seared with fire. “Why do you have such disregard for human life?”\n\nMy mouth opened as if to speak, but I couldn’t say anything. I tried to turn away, to break eye contact with The Spirit, but I couldn’t move at all. I was paralyzed.\n\n“Have you forgotten your own humanity?” The Spirit continued. “What do you think of yourself? Are you above others? What makes you so special? An answer would help, you know.”\n\nI tried to say something, anything, but words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. \n\nThe Spirit sighed. “I see. Just like the others, you have no answer for yourself. Oh well. That just means another snack for me.”\n\nThey stood up, baring their sharp, feline-like teeth. The table between us disintegrated, and they stepped towards me, my life flashing before my eyes with every step.\n\n“W-W...” my mouth was finally making sounds. This shocked The Spirit, stopping them in their tracks. “WAIT!” I finally cried out, being able to speak.\n\nThe Spirit stepped backward, off-put. “Impossible...”\n\nI had no idea why I couldn’t speak before, or why I could speak now, but I didn’t bother thinking about it. “I... I do believe myself to be superior.”\n\n“I... see...” the table reformed between the two of us, and The Spirit sat back down. “You are the first person to have ever admitted that to me.\n\n“Huh?” I asked.\n\n“When I make eye contact with people,” The Spirit explained, “it forces them into complete silence, unless they are willing to tell the truth. Every time I have forced my prey into that situation, they never spoke. You are the first person I have ever seen to be able to say that honestly.”\n\nI understood, sighing and sitting down. “My whole life, I have been above others. It is my belief that, because of all the luck I was gifted from birth, I was chosen to be this way. That is why I disregard those who aren’t me,” I confessed to The Spirit.\n\nThey nodded, the harsh red light from the bulbs slowly returning to white light. “You aren’t chosen for anything,” The Spirit said sharply.\n\n“Excuse me?” I asked, putting a hand to my chest.\n\n“You’re just like any normal human. Get over yourself. You could have been eaten just now.”\n\nI stood up angrily. “Who are you to say—“\n\nSuddenly, I broke into a coughing fit. It stopped as quickly as it began, and I saw The Spirit yawning, bored.\n\n“Do you understand me?” They asked.\n\nI shook my head. “No, I don’t,” I said frankly. “I am better than everyone else! My whole life I’ve been surrounded by fools, pawns, tools! None of them have ever impressed me. No one has ever satisfied me. I’m the only person that matters!”\n\nA sharp pain stabbed me in between my ribs. I crumpled down to the floor, wincing.\n\n“I’ll tell you what,” The Spirit boomed, “I will let you live. It will cost you two things.”\n\nMy eyes flashed up to The Spirit. “What do you want from me? I’ll do anything, just let me live!”\n\nThe Spirit smiled, a cold, sly smile. “First, you must let me eat your right arm. Then, you will lose this corporation. Deal?”\n\nI thought for a moment. The whole corporation?! Could I even give that up?! Then again, if I don’t I die. “Fine, fine! Take whatever you want!” I submitted.\n\nThe pain in my side went away for a brief moment, then an agonizing burning feeling ran up my arm. I screamed helplessly, tears streaming down my face like hot waterfalls as I shut my eyes tight. It was over in seconds, and when I opened my eyes I was on the ground outside, my knees covered in dirt. I looked up to see The Spirit staring down at me, blood dripping down their mouth. I couldn’t feel my right arm.\n\n“You certainly surprised me, sir,” The Spirit admitted. They turned around, walking away. “Farewell now!”\n\nThey faded away, turning into a foggy gray mist. I stood up, staring at the empty fog in front of me.\n\nWhat the hell am I gonna do now?" ]	2
[WP] Your time has come, as you step into the Colosseum, this fight will bring you freedom, whether it be in death, or to roam the streets, but as you draw your weapon, you feel ill seeing your opponent, why did it have to be them of all people	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "\"Can I get an apple and some bread?\" said Ferixus\n\n\"Yeah, that will be 8 denarii\"\n\nLooking in his pouch Ferixus was fortunate enough to find the denarii necassary.\n\n\"Here!\"\n\n\"Great, just grab your stuff\" said the merchant, slightly happily and mostly lackadaisically. Ferixus proceeded to go home having completed his grocery run his father asked of him\n\n\"Hey, I'm home! I've got the bread and apples!\" His father came out of the foyer and thanked him, his mother in the small kitchen with a smile on her face.\n\n\"Great! We can make a treat out of this after dinner. Which, speaking of, tonight will be deer and grain.\" said the father.\n\n\"Deer and grain? Again?\" Asked Ferixus' older brother Axares.\n\n\"You want something better, go get it\" said their father. Like it was so easy. Which was the point. Their father was a construction worker, and their mother a regular housewife. Their father had served in the military, compulsively, but had seen actual combat very few times.\n\n\"You want better? Do something about it.\" said the father. This wasn't unloving, this was a challenge to the two sons that they ought to strive for greatness to be able to afford better food. In Ferixus it inspired, in Axares it inspired contempt.\n\n\"I'm not eating that shit again. I'd rather get the street scraps.\" said Axares, as he left the house in a huff. Ferixus remained, quietly eating the meal, and enjoying the mediocre desert he helped acquire.\n\nEventually food became particularly scarce, and was only readily available during state events. The circuses fed them well, while they lasted. Eventually Ferixus learned to steal, learned to get what he needed to survive.\n\n\"Get the fuck out of here, weakling.\" said the thug. Ferixus had tried to steal from a known street stockpile of food.\n\n\"Are you listening you little maggot?\" as the thug kicked him in the stomach. \"Did you really think you could steal from us? How stupid can you be?\" Laughter arose around him as he lay on the street. Clearly there was no winning, so Ferixus crawled away.\n\nHe found himself in the market, sitting on a bench. His friend, Remus, saw and sat beside him.\n\n\"Another shit day?\" Remus asked.\n\n\"Yeah, I guess.\" Ferixus replied. \"But honestly it wasn't much worse than any other. Same shit, different day, and I still need to eat.\"\n\n\"Then let's hit the granary.\" Remus said, which was absolutely absurd. The granary had 24/7 guards, kept strict stock of their inventory, and didn't show mercy to trespassers.\n\n\"Are you fucking insane?\" asked Ferixus.\n\n\"Nope. It's our best chance, and that would mean we wouldn't have to rob for a long time.\"\n\n\"It's a pipe dream. It's impossible.\"\n\n\"No it isn't, nothing is perfect, and I have a plan.\" Remus said with a smirk.\n\nSo the granary robbery began. And ended, just as Ferixus thought: with getting caught. But, Ferixus was rambunctious, he had spirit, so they sold him as a gladiator and made a pretty penny off of him.\n\nAnd thus he fought. He woke up and trained. He hardly slept, and then he trained. The gladiator was the only thing that existed within him.\n\nBattle after battle, arena after arena, Ferixus spilt blood. What other choice was there?\n\nSay no? That meant execution.\n\nThrow the fight? Execution.\n\nPerform poorly? Get sold, and odds are? Execution.\n\nDeath is the only way forward.\n\nDisagree? Sold, or execution.\n\nExecution. Execution. Execution.\n\nFerixus' life became one of simply fighting to avoid execution, and he did it well.\n\nKill the lions. Kill the wolves. Kill the humans. If they came into the arena, only death would release them; and this was Ferixus' reality.\n\nUntil one day, someone took the stage. It was Axares. Apparently life had been just as unkind to him. Ferixus, so engorged upon blood, killed him easily. Just as he had slaughtered many of his former friends and acquaintances.\n\nFerixus was a good gladiator; the only thing he thought of was blood.\n\nThe blood of his enemies, the blood of his friends.\n\nThe blood of his brother. It was all the same.\n\nUntil one day, he caught the eye of an observer in his fight. He could not look away. He felt entranced and encapsulated. Every fight the eyes of the one he witnessed flashed before him. That became his purpose. That become his reason to fight.\n\nUntil he saw those same blue eyes staring at him across the battlefield. And finally, he broke down crying in the middle of the field. He understood very little, but he understood that enough was enough." ]	2
[WP] A high fantasy world where social media exists. People die from taking dragon-selfies, Kings and nobles debate on twitter, and funny unicorn videos trend Youtube.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Lillie watched the flatscreen-sized phone before her like a kid would with a new toy. Whilst she'd had it for years, the object was still just utterly incredible to the young fae girl.\n\nHer green wings fluttered excitedly and she reached forwards, pale hand pushing against the thumbs up button on a vlog by none other than Rayku, a figure that had her squealing with delight with every video he uploaded.\n\nHe was a copper dragon, a massive scaly beast of terrifying proportions, yet he ran a youtube channel, all about pranks and tricks, usually played on humans and elves. It lit an instinctive fire in Lillie's soul, a feeling innate to fae like her. It felt like Rayku understood her, yet he pulled his tricks much more effectively than she did.\n\nAs she reached forwards to flick to another video (part of his long running series that involved adventurers coming into his lair), the whole phone buzzed with a notification, vibrations snaking up her arm and into her body. The fae giggled, before her attention turned to it.\n\nTwitter. A new post by the dragon she idolized. As quickly as she could, Lillie closed out of youtube, and furiously pushed her hand into the icon of the blue bird. It opened up to a clip she'd seen earlier, of a gorgon styling her hair, and how the snakes had been trained to take up various styles on command.\n\nShe scrolled through various things, a devil wizard who did magic tricks, a unicorn that shot rainbows from it's horn, and a clip she had saved of a fairy drawing on a sleeping human's face, using a marker pen that was almost as big as they were.\n\nAnd that was when she saw it, the smiling draconic visage in the avatar, the handle she had burned into her little mind. He was going on tour! A grin crossed her face, as she scrolled through the venues on the tour. She stopped near the bottom of the list, yellowy eyes sparkling with glee as she saw a nearby city, one that belonged to the elves. She just had to go!", "\"Before we start..,\" Ace grinned at his crew. The group of eight ranged in age from 19 to 27, with Ace in the middle at 23. They all stood in the middle of what seemed to be an endless wheat field. \"I've got great news! This is our first sponsored episode!\"\n\n\"No way!\" Debbie cheered loudest; though, everyone had a positive reaction. Sponsorship meant Debbie wasn't financing their show entirely out of pocket. \"That's awesome!\" She wanted to find out more, but Ace put on his work face and started getting them organized.\n\n\"I'll go first like we planned,\" Ace said. \"Then, before I pass it on to you...,\" he pointed at Debbie. \"...I'll just say a quick intro for the sponsor for Mike to put the ad spot in later. \" Seven heads nodded in agreement and Ace smiled.\n\n\"Alright guys, let's get started.\" Ace walked through the amber wheat until he stood about 15 feet away from Mike the cameraman. After the two shared a countdown, Ace spoke into the camera.\n\n\"Hello and welcome to, AlterNet Advice where we share everything you need to know to make the best of your class. In this episode, we'll be covering Bards, Spellslingers, Dancers, Librarians, and Card Mages. I've been wanting to do this episode for a while because as most of you regular viewers already know...,\" Ace held up his hand. A single white card materialized in his fingertips.\n\n\"Card Mage is something I know a little bit about.\" He fluttered his fingers and the card disappeared. \"Like always we'll take turns covering the basics of our classes, then we'll have a second round of more advanced advice for certain souls.\"\n\n\"Unlike most other classes, the Card Mage only has two recognized sub-specializations. Those are the Gambler, and the Card Mage proper. A word of advice here, do not spec into Gambler if you are not Unique Soul #25, El Borracho.\"\n\n\"Gamblers are entirely luck-based, and every other Gambler you meet will be a Borracho able to control their luck, and yours.\" Ace reached into his pockets with both hands and then brought them up in front of the camera to show two decks of cards.\n\n\"A Card Mage's abilities are defined by their decks. They can use a maximum of two different themed decks at the same time. I like to use Robot and Ninja decks, but there are many to choose from. Pirates, Steampunk, Magic and Clowns just to name a few.\" Both decks disintegrated out of his hands.\n\n\"So, what does a Card Mage do, you might ask,\" Ace said. \"Thanks to their deck variety, a Card Mage can fill any spot on a derby team. However, their main skillset revolves around controlling the flow of the game.\" Ace held up a card and Mike zoomed in on it. The card showed a green forest.\n\n\\[Zone: Fairy Forest\\] a deep voice announced. The amber around Ace disintegrated at the same time that tall green pine trees shot up out of the ground. In seconds the amber field was replaced with a dense forest full of bright, tiny dancing lights.\n\n\"Zones let you control your play field for various bonuses. The Fairy Forest grants a boost in resource-gain for your team. The earlier you get this zone out, the better it is for your team in the long run.\"\n\n\\[Zone: Fairy Graveyard\\] the deep voice announced again. The vibrant green trees withered down to black and brown trunks. The multicolor dancing lights all changed to a single color: red.\n\n\"The Fairy Graveyard heals your team members a small amount for every lap they complete. You'll find there are cards for everything; from these examples to some powerful cards that damage the opposing team when they complete a lap.\n\n\"Spell cards and Summon cards are exactly what you'd think. Use Spell cards to buff your teammates or your own monsters called with a Summon card.\"\n\n\"And finally there are Trap cards that can be activated under specific circumstances or as reactions. Learn to use them.\" The dead forest melted and became windswept wheat again. \"That's it for the Card Mage basics, we'll go more in detail in a bit,\" He nodded at Debbie off-camera so she would be ready.\n\nFor now, I'm going to pass it over to Debbie so she can talk to you all about the Dancer class. But before that, here's a word from our sponsor- Raid: Shadow Legends.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #179. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order.", "I lay prone deep in the tree branches, my camo net and uniform blending my humanoid form into the surrounding tropical jungle. I slowed my breathing down to moderate my excitement at seeing the unicorn frolic near the stream nearly beneath us. \n\nI tapped Pat on their arm. Using the infra-red laser I indicated where Pat should be pointing the device at. Pat blinked twice in succession to acknowledge. Even a word or a sudden movement might startle the unicorn.\n\nI blinked twice to show I received. As we'd practiced earlier, Pat turned on the device. A red light came on, just visible to humans but no in the visual spectrum of unicorns, who could only see everything more energetic than the color orange in the electromagnetic spectrum. \n\nI snapped on a dynamic smiley-face filter on the laser and switched its emitting band to Visible Green, then drew a circle around the unicorn's feet. It danced in beautiful coordinated rhythm to try to keep track on that curious emoji on the ground. \n\n\nI moved it around erratically . Pat and I smirked as we watched the unicorn try to put its hooves on the image. With the unicorn fully distracted, I started vocalizing.\n\n\"Welcome! This is Pat and Chris here on the air! Today , we are live streaming to you straight from the Amazon rain-forest where we have a special guest, a unicorn!\" \n\nI moved the pointer around and up on to a tree branch, whereupon the unicorn pawed at the tree. From my vantage point, I swapped the laser band again to multi and a rainbow was painted on the ground. I swirled it around in front of the unicorn in a precise, predetermined manner. \n\n\nHer dark eyes dilated even further and I could make out on my holo-implant display, her eyes turning into a swirl of the rainbow itself. After 3 precise loops, she stood completely still, then started to drool. I flung off the camo net and it dangled off a hook on the branch above me. \n\nRappelling below, I cautiously approached the entranced beast. Unicorns were known to be violent. Last week, a unicorn has stopped by a 7-11 store in Chicago and unloaded an entire clip from an AK-47 into the store, its motives were rumored to be gang violence. Thanks to our tracking technology we were able to track it down and have a mage deliver a stern reprimand.\n\nI held up the auto-tagger and plunged it into the unicorn's shoulder. It just stood there, its eyes swirling with the rainbow inside. I looked up, worried. The next part was harder. I had to collect a fairly large sample of ...saliva ... from the drooling unicorn for documentation purposes. Dark clouds were already forming in the hot tropical afternoon. The rainstorm would break the mesmer on her. \n\nThen she'd be very very upset and want to gore me to death. I set the large smart-container beneath her drooling jaw, fully aware the world tuning in on Youtube would see me gored to pieces if she awoke enraged. \n\nI touched the scars on my abdomen. It wasn't very fun the last time, and I hadn't survived, but as a zombie-lich hybrid I wasn't going to be able to die anymore even though I was biologically alive, which was perhaps a good thing. I sat down on a fallen tree log and watched alongside the world", "There are quite a few things a wise noble never expects to wake up to.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA happy dragon, for one. Sure, we had tamed and befriended them years ago, and supported them as they threw away our standards of gender faster than they threw away our offerings of human food. But that doesn't mean Myst can strike fear into a warrior-in-training in the blink of an eye. No, as the rulers, may the pallbearers dance on their graves, learned quickly, Myst needs about 12 cans of FairyFuel and an hour of watching a livestreamer \"react\" to an old reality show about moat construction, by which I of course mean sit on a throne silently while the peasants and dragons emoted away, before they could get going. I might not appreciate that state of being, but I sure relate to it sometimes.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEven rarer to wake up to is a satisfied maiden, but that might be asking a lot with how fast her expectations of me shoot through the ceiling. Just yesterday she proposed that I get our unit a unicorn so we could start paying our clients in \"exposure\" instead of giving away Myst's gold. For someone who chose to propose to me through a cryptic quest that mostly involved me staying at home and searching for secret codes, she sure seemed to want to be around them more than me sometimes. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nRarest of them all, though, is a positive social feed. Once in a blood moon, something would happen that the public would decide is worth celebrating, enough so that their seemingly endless cries of despair and \"cringe\" would come to a planet-shattering halt. But, by some enchanted spell, today was one of those days.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI knew that finding out why, and wading through the short videos of the town jester's act edited to a tune I never will know the name of, was not worth the effort or time. But, the situation seemed rare enough that I persisted. After all, I had to know, who instigated this effort, how it grew, and what it might lead to.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter all, what could go wrong if I organized a physical manifestation of the promised \"King Is Over Party?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Do it. I've been waiting to treat myself for weeks and a secret ball would do me wonders.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSure thing, Myst. Sure thing.", "God, I hate this Job. It sounded amazing at first, personal bodyguard for one of the most popular up and coming celebrity singers. Given the diversity of concert locations, travelling through all seven realms would be a dream turned into reality. Not to mention, benefits included getting free concert tickets from my boss, making me rather among my circle of friends. Or the ladies. All I had to do was protect my employer from any obsessed fans. I did that know young people were pretty crazy these days. The most ridiculous trend I last heard about was the \"dragon-selfies\". People would sneak into one of them dragon caves and attempt a selfie with the sleeping beast \"for the gram\". Well, needless to say, they weren't always sleeping, resulting in some additional meals for the hungry dragons...so yeah, people don't always think straight. But hey, I was an arch wizard graduate of the elemental magus institute, with an S rank in water affinity mind you. How much harm would a couple of kids pose to me? Easy job, easy money. I was a fool.\n\n\"Princess Penelope!!!!\" screamed a rando from across the street. That was my employer's stage name. The source of the screaming appeared to be a fat nerdy man with Penelope's face on his shirt. He started charging through the road, ignoring all incoming traffic. Unicorns neighed in and basilisks hissed. Their riders joined in in cursing the disruption. He looked like the type that couldn't run for 10 seconds straight without catching his breath but holy shit he was fast. Must be using an enhancement spell. I thought this dude was here for an autograph but he whipped out a knife, clearly targeting my employer. \n\nProluvies bullitus!* I unleashed my water craft, encasing him within a bubble of water within seconds. Threat neutralized. I undid the area around his head to let him breathe. \n\n\"I THOUGHT WE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER PENELOPE!! HOW CAN YOU WALK WITH ANOTHER MAN? I SOLD MY KIDNEY TO THE NECROMANCERS TO SEE YOUR SHOW!!\" \n\nI rolled my eyes. Another one of them crazies. I turned the water surrounding his body to Ice and pulled out my communication crystal to inform the High guard to collect the assailant.\n\n\"Are you all right madam?\" I asked my employer for the umpteenth time in my career. \n\n\"No worries Gerald. You always do such a great job.\" she replied cheerily although a slight frown followed. \"but I told you many times to address me by my name. We need not such formalities.\" \n\n\"Sorry Penelope. Shall we continue to the hotel venue?\" \n \nMy employer nodded gently in response. Now don't get me wrong, the petite black-haired beauty in front of me isn't the reason I hate this job. In fact, she's lovely. And that punk stuck in a block of ice on the street. That I can easily handle. But there are some threats that aren't as easily as solved with a simple spell. A strong, powerful magic had emerged in recent years. The dreadful might of social media.\n\nAt first I didn't pay much attention to these digital platforms. A man like me in his thirties. For god's sake I still use a crystal for important matters although I do have a smartphone. But my GOD the stuff they share and comment online! I thought it was just a place for people to post updates of their life y'know? Like my cousin Jonathan showing us his time supporting the wyvern warriors at dragon soccer. Or even King Drumpf bitching about the elvish rebellion. But man, People can be really mean! There was this one time, I got an appreciation post from Penelope on Instagram saying how good a bodyguard I was. The comments were littered with remarks about how I look like a troll, or worse a chupacabra! Not to mention most of these morons cant even spell chupacabra. Like c'mon guys they aren't that rare how can you not even know the spelling. The next day I even got death threats saying I'm the reason they can't get close to Penelope and they want to \"shove a manticore's tail up my...\", god I don't even know how they got my email. I'm no tech wizard, but they probably hired one to discover mine. \n\nInitially I tried to ignore it. I was living the dream! She does a lot of sightseeing which means I get to do a lot of sightseeing. Woohoo! The Ancient ruins of eldritch. The temple of the hibernating hydra. My friends were definitely envious of my adventures. But still! I know its a little un-macho for a middle-aged man, but some of these comments really hurt my feelings! And its not only these keyboard wizards, tabloids are monitoring everything we tweet or post! And MAN do they take things out of context. Some punk reporter wrote and article about how Penelope has a racist bodyguard and is therefore also racist by association because I didn't enjoy my elvish cuisine meal. What a PUNK!!!\n\n Sometimes I wish I could just conjure up a typhoon and blow all them haters away. I can't protect my employer from these comments either. And she gets it way worse. Death threats, rape threats, photoshopped nudes, you name it! But even then she goes to every concert with a smile, for the real fans that love her.\n\n\"Gerald look!\" interrupts Penelope, \"it's your favourite burger chain! Let's grab some takeaways before we head over!\"\n\nDespite all the fame and fortune, she's still a down-to-earth sweet girl that cares about a lowly bodyguard. So yeah, what they seem to call \"cyber-bullying\" these days really gets me. And I hate this damn job. But there no way I'm leaving the one I call my employer, and the one I call a friend to fend for herself. So screw you Goblin_titties_420, who commented yesterday that I look so fat the only thing I can protect Penelope from is the sun, I'm gonno get myself an extra large hippogriff burger with fries.", "Lush, beautiful countryside rolled by the window as my train sped towards the city. I shifted the laptop on the little table in front of me, trying to work up the motivation to keep writing this report. The wide open fields outside kept distracting me, though not in the way you'd assume. \n\nThey felt wrong to me. Which, funny enough, was only natural. \n\nAges ago, before my beloved City of Rivers was even an idea, people like me still existed. They were (and still are) known as Druids, those attuned to the magic of nature. \n\nAs civilization evolved, magic changed and evolved alongside it. Now, people like me are called Sorcerers. We're the ones attuned to the magic of the urban places. \n\nWhere an angry Druid might call up vines or roots to bind you, I'd summon pipes or wires. Druids rise with the sun. I rise when the city wakes to begin its day. \n\nMy heart pounds at rush hour. I feel the traffic and the trains barrelling along. \n\nI'm told Druids get the same thing around mating season. That's rough. \n\nThe wide open countryside around me felt wrong because I was effectively helpless out here. Can't call upon the power in the grid if there is no grid. \n\nFinally fields gave way to suburbs and I felt my breathing ease. Funny that the smog of the city would do that. I packed up my laptop and headed off to find a cafe to finish those reports. \n\nI'm not a fan of Starbucks. I like my coffee with some soul. It's a great place to knock out a few reports in peace though. \n\nThere was, as always, a line in the train station's Starbucks. I settled in to wait. The man ahead of me was a fairy, I noted with interest. \n\nI don't mean that as some wildly outdated insult to homosexuals. He was an actual fairy, big gossamer shimmery wings and all. \n\nHe was also stunningly beautiful like all the rest of his species. I shook my head ruefully. \n\nWhen my turn came, the girl behind the counter gave me a smile bright enough to light the room. Her nametag informed me she was called Trisha, with bright green hair, big brown eyes and freckles. \n\nI noted the ring on her finger, a Starbucks logo pressed into the metal. That would be a charisma enchantment, standard practice for employees in the service industry. It certainly improved sales, but the amount of terrible pick up lines she must hear... \n\nI got my coffee - a Venti blonde latte with a double shot of espresso, no enchantment shots today thanks - and found a comfy chair in the lounge. \n\n\"Discovered signs of cult activity,\" I began typing after the innumerable authentications were complete. It had been a whole big thing, some Elder God cult attempting to avoid detection by meeting in a barn out in the countryside. \n\nA couple hours later, I finished writing up the incident, including an estimate for property damage and expenses. Sent that off and decided it was time for a pint. Boy was it time for a pint. \n\nAs I left the station, I lifted a hand and called one of the innumerable pigeons lurking around the building. A whispered message and an impression of a face and location, and I wound up and flung it into the air with rather more gusto than was strictly necessary.\n\nIt flapped wildly for a moment before stabilizing and winging off on its errand. I grinned. \n\nAbout two hours later, I was just finishing off a pint of lightly chilled Guinness at my favourite pub when the door opened to admit a terrifying figure. \n\nSpecial Officer Jenna Irons was five feet tall on a good day, with black hair pulled into a severe ponytail, flinty green eyes and a button nose. She was beautiful, without the false attraction of a charisma spell.\n\nShe was also fuming as she stomped over to my table. \n\n\"A fucking pigeon, Leon. Why can't you text like a normal fucking person?\" Jenna slammed into her chair even as I pushed her whiskey on the rocks across to her. \n\nI smiled innocently. \"What's wrong with pigeons? They're classic. What took you so long anyway?\"\n\n\"Your gods damned pigeon shat on my head.\"\n\nWhat followed was a scene. I cackled, Jenna got even more annoyed, I kept cackling, Jenna realized that I told it to do that.\n\nOnce her new drink arrived and I'd come back from washing the whiskey off my face, I brought her up to speed on the whole elder gods incident.\n\n\"So if they were all the way out there, why would the brass send a Sorcerer to deal with them? You're basically useless outside the city. No offense.\"\n\n\"None taken. You're right, but I went prepared. Loaded up on all kinds of charms and stuff. Spent some time every day for the last two weeks charging them up.\"\n\n\"Smart. Sending me would have been smarter.\" She didn't sound bitter, just matter of fact. She was right, too. Jenna was a Warlock. Her power comes from a deal she made. She won't tell anyone what it was or with whom but she could get mythical on your ass without a problem, no matter where she was. \n\nIn a straight up fight, I honestly don't know who would win. From everything I've seen, I'm more powerful in the city. Trained, experienced Sorcerers on their home turf are nearly unbeatable. \n\nThen again, I've got the sneaking suspicion that Jenna has a whole lot more up her sleeve than I've ever seen her use. \n\n\"Yeah, but you were busy dealing with that drug ring. Trolls, right?\"\n\n\"Ugh don't remind me. Took three showers just to get the granite dust out of my hair.\"\n\nAnd so it went, as we shot the shit and got progressively more intoxicated. Eventually, we left. I offered her the customary invitation back to mine for the night, she replies with the traditional response of shooting me down, and we went our separate ways. \n\nI went home to sleep it off. Who knows what eldritch horrors I would face tomorrow? Elder gods, cults, irate Warlock partners. Maybe even, I shuddered to think, expense paperwork..." ]	7
[WP] It was no surprise when the archangel Micheal told you that you were going to hell. What did surprise you is how he was. "Well, have fun." He sighed. You were about to question him, but were cut off as your soul was dragged down. You weren't expecting the sight that greeted you when you awoke.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Well, Have fun.\" Michael stated as he turned back and started to walk away. \n\n\"Wha...\" your words cut short as you feel the surface below your feet dissipate. You feel that sudden movement of downwards at a breakneck pace. Closing your eyes you can't bear to watch. You always had a fear of heights, and even now when it cant do anything to you, you still couldn't bring your self to watch. \n\nWith a soft thud, you felt yourself land. Almost afraid of what you might find, you leave your eyes closed for a moment. After a few moments an angelic voice of pure grace and beauty rings out, \"You goin to join us for tea? I mean you did just sort of drop in unannounced but what kind of host would I be if I didn't offer?\" \n\nYou slowly open you eyes now utterly confused. Growing up you had always been told that there was only two places to end up, either you go to heaven or hell for all eternity. The bible made that clear. It further told of how heaven was everything you could ever want and hell was nothing more than a p0lace for the damned to go and be tortured. \n\nOnly now as you sit in the middle of a room that looked more like The Brady's living room than of a hellish landscape. \"Am I in hell?\" The words sprout forth from your mouth like some child questioning a parent. \"And if this is hell, where is all the fire and brimstone?\"\n\nThe one that had spoken, the only other being here, turned his horned head over his shoulder. Dressed like one of the characters from Grease, all Danny Zuko, down to the greased back hair, the leather jackets, and denims. \"Yes, much different than you were told I bet. I bet you expected to find lakes of fire and demons tormenting everyone. And you would have been right except that was before I was cast down.\" He talked on as if everyone should have known this, like some corporate memo had been sent out. \"Now pleas have a seat at the table and I can fill you in on the details.\" \n\nRaising up from the floor, you look out the window to see what looks like a suburban neighborhood. \"So you see this place was all lakes of fire and brimstone, and then father cast me here. If people actually read the bible they would come to see that he,\" The horned creature points to the ceiling insinuating about God, \"that he is the real evil. Down here you are free to do what you want where you want. I have worked over the innumerable years to change this place. I hope you understand I was not cast out for being evil, I was cast out due to questioning him. The same way he condemns all his children if they question him and do not blindly follow him without question and further do not accept that his son was the only way to salvation.\"\n\nThe horned one grabbed the two cups of tea and walked to the table. \"Where are my manners? The name is Lucifer, and you are surely in hell. I hope it is to your satisfaction. I decided if he is going to cast me out to hell for having my own thoughts, why should I continue to follow his orders as to how to run things here. He is not lord over hell, he rules the kingdom of heaven and I rule here. I wish he would correctly tell what it is like here. It was supposed to be a choice of the people where they end up. Just like in life you have choices, so do you in death. You can go to heaven and be the goody two shoes or you could have slid sideways into your grave saying 'damn that was fun'.\"\n\nLucifer paused to sip at his tea. \"I am sure your wondering where the truly evil ones end up at, and that is why we have the sunset lake. It is the last of the lakes of fire. Now everybody that is cast down here doesn't deserve to burn. I mean his rules are crazy. Why would he give you lust yet punish you for feeling it? Why should someone burn for all eternity just for wearing 2 different fibers? When I realized how petty God was getting in his years I decided to change hell to basically be a party for all eternity.\"", "Like a harvester reaped grain, Death reaped the souls of men, and today one of those men was Sir Horatio Menzies, PhD. Pulled gently, almost lovingly, from his body by that ethereal presence Menzies found himself standing on a vast marble floor. Ahead of him stood a great gate, glistening white in the cool afternoon sun, bracketed by magnificent pillars adorned with graceful sculptures.\n\nTo the right of the gate Menzies could see a large lectern, behind which stood Saint Peter. He skin was darker than Menzies had expected, perhaps middle-eastern, and dressed in a white cassock, a cross on either side of the collar. As each person stepped in front of him he would gaze at them briefly, and then quickly flip through a thick tome before pronouncing judgement.\n\nOne by one, the line shortened and he slowly approached the lectern, his hopes rising as he saw the results. A woman, heavily tattooed with non-Christian iconography passed through, as did all but one of those in front of him, who Saint Peter shook his head at, with a look of utter sorrow on his face, before the ethereal presence reappeared and left with the man.\n\nThose who were accepted passed towards the group, where a host of angels clad them in robes and ushered them through the gate.\n\nFinally, Menzies was standing before the lectern, looking up at Saint Peter, who gazed down at him. He stood their, transfixed by the intense gaze, but the moment was broken as he looked down at the book, flipping through pages faster than Menzies could process. Saint Peter looked up once more, and with the same look of sorrow he shock his head. Before Menzies could object, the ethereal presence appeared once more, and he felt himself sinking out of sight. 'Fear not' he felt the presence say 'it is not as you believe.'\n\nHe awoke moments later on a green plain, filled with wildflowers, songbirds flitting overhead. In the distance on a hill stood a white city, and no where in sight was there fire or brimstone. Standing up, he began to walk towards the city, passing through the idyllic landscapes of home. Gentle rolling hills, softly running streams, and underfoot lay a well maintained gravel road.\n\nIt was a few days later when he arrived in the city, but though he felt a strange emptiness in his soul, he was neither hungry nor tired and he was surprised to find the people of the city despondent.\n\nHe walked up to one of the inhabitants, gazing out from a terrace over a green forest stretching as far as the eye could see, and said 'What is wrong? I arrived a few days ago, and to me it seems like heaven.'\n\n'But it is not' she said. 'This is hell. It is pleasing to the eye, the body and the senses, but how can we be happy when our soul is rent asunder? How can we be satisfied, when we know we are eternally separated from heaven?'\n\nWith those words, Menzies understood the pain and emptiness he was feeling, and as he gazed across the forest he felt separate from its beauty, and for the first time since he had arrived he understood the look of sorrow on the face of Saint Peter, the same sorrow that he now felt for what he had come so close to holding but which had fallen from his grasp.\n\n8(9)/71 - Σ5,581" ]	3
[WP]As part of a money laundering scheme, you end up attending your own funeral. You can't ruin your disguise, but you have to speak up, these eulogies are just so terrible.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 was too hot in here. Way too hot. They didn’t play the music I off-handedly but still-seriously requested. It almost makes me wish I didn’t attend my own funeral. These songs were so sappy and so... religious.\n\nDon’t get me wrong, I have nothing against religion, but you see, I’m an atheist. Everybody in my family knows this. But yet, here my ‘body’ and I are, in a church, talking about how Jesus will take care of me. Thanks for the thought, but I’m good.\n\nThe worst of all this, though? These eulogies made me want to bash my head against the wall. They’re acting like they had to make a speech for Hitler! I wasn’t that bad, but good grief, these folks are making it sound like I was a homicidal maniac. \n\nI promise I’m not a homicidal maniac. Uncle Ace tried to rape me and in self defense, I stabbed him 28 times. The court ruled it was self defense. Stop making me out as insane for it. \n\nAfter what felt like days of forced tears and eulogies, it was my turn. I planned on scripting my eulogy, but you see, I got so busy with, ah, sleeping in and writing and stuff. So this was gonna be off the top of my head. Fun.\n\n\nI stood up, clearing my throat. “Uh, well, er, let’s see. My dearest 3rd cousin was amazing in every way. She had a talent that nobody else had, which was...” I paused. Oh god, I was about to blow my cover. How do I fix this... ah ha! “Which was the ability to talk anybody into anything!” Oh shit. Didn’t mean to say that. \n\nI got a whole lot of strange looks, but nobody disagreed with the sentiment, so I pushed on. “Yes! Ophelia was an amazing smooth-talker and negotiator, with a special talent for deescalating situations that... needed deescalation.” I let out a shaky breath. Oh fuck. May the Flying Spaghetti Monster save me from this hell. \n\n“So... yeah. I loved Ophelia, and I hope that she rests in peace, even though she was a manipulative jackass.” I couldn’t continue this. This was getting a little awkward. I settled down again, zoning out at the funeral continued.\n\nMy eulogy was the best out of all of the other’s. That’s what I kept telling myself as a scrambled out of the church, and into my car, and out of here before anybody could stop me.", "No one but his own wife knew Terry was still alive, but even she didn’t know he hid in the crowd of his own funeral. He smiled. This should be fun, he thought. How often does someone get to see just how much people actually cared for him? \n\nHe had expertly crafted prosthetics on his face, a near perfect disguise that fooled everyone. His plan had been executed flawlessly. All that’s left was to collect the insurance money and transfer it back to the mob he was laundering for. They paid a cool one and a half million dollars, and his wife would transfer the million dollar insurance payout to them on the downlow after she received it. \n\nThere were, obviously a few extra steps, but Terry had taken care of all that. Now he could sit back and relax. The hard work had already been done. He was supposed to be in Vietnam right now, waiting. But, he figured he’d have a little fun before leaving this life completely behind. Mary walked up to the small wooden podium, taking the place of the priest. He smiled. He couldn’t wait to hear what his wife had to say.\n\n“As many of you know, Terry could be a difficult man to live with.” Terry’s head jerked up. He was not a fan of how she started her eulogy. “He was bull headed, impulsive, and had one hell of a temper. Despite all that…” She looked to a man in the crowd before continuing. The man nodded. \n\nWho the fuck is that? He wondered.\n\n“I… I made it work for a few years.” The crowd chuckled in agreement.\n\nThe fuck? Terry looked around and saw everyone smiling.\n\n“I’ll never forget the day, or the man that I fell in love with. He was strong, charming, charismatic, and caring.”\n\nThat’s more like it. He joined the crowd in smiling.\n\n“But, that man was a lie. A facade. The faux-Terry. The man he really was, the man I really married was a lying scoundrel who tricked us, but me most of all…” She paused for a moment, looking around before she continued. “Is there anyone here that can’t say that he hurt them somehow. Lied to them. Stole from them. Somehow, someway, he was a master at taking value from our lives, instead of adding value.” The crown nodded in agreement.\n\nTerry couldn’t help himself. He shook with rage. Glancing around, he realized everyone agreed with her. Fake friends, he realized. Why were they here? If so many people disliked him, why did they bother showing up? He had to maintain the lie, no matter how bad he wanted to shock everyone, let them know how he felt about them.\n\n“That’s… really all I have to say. Thank you all for coming. Coming to celebrate his death.” She stepped down and walked back to where she had originally been standing. Next to the man she shared an earlier glance with. They held hands. Then kissed softly. \n\nYou bitch! He wanted to scream. She had betrayed him, at his own fake funeral. He filled with rage, near exploding. He trembled for a moment, but that was overtaken by uncontrollable shaking. He felt a powerful urge to stand up and shout, cursing them all out for being disloyal and fake. His oldest friend walked to the podium next. Terry cooled his nerves. Surely Tony would have something good to say. \n\n“What can I say that hasn’t already been said.” He paused and sighed. Terry marked him as a traitor as well. A backstabbing son of a bitch. “Terry was tough to get along with. I’ve known him since we were both five… thirty years. Thirty goddamn years.”\n\nWhy’d this bastard stick around if I sucked so hard?\n\n“I guess sometimes you meet people you can’t escape. That was Terry in a nutshell. He had a way about him. He could talk you into anything. He always had these great plans. Fantastic ideas. Somehow, no matter how innocent they seemed, they always ended up on the wrong side of the law. Somehow, he always insulated himself from the consequences. He took the trophy home, I got beaten. He padded his bank account, someone else went to jail. I guess… I guess all I have left to say is. Fuck you, Terry.”\n\nFuck you Tony, he thought. His eyes darted to his wife. Ex-wife, he corrected himself. She giggled as the man whispered into her ear. Terry hadn’t seen her smile like that in years. They kissed again. At his funeral. No one cared. \n\nTerry couldn’t take it anymore. He bullied his way to the podium. He was going to surprise everyone. A dramatic reveal. He couldn’t wait to see their shocked faces. Hear their apologies. He wouldn’t accept them of course. He planned to shame them, take what was his, and disappear. Only, without his wife, not with the bitch.\n\n“Ahem!” He loudly grabbed their attention. Once all eyes were on him, he ripped off his disguise. It felt like pulling an oversized band-aid off his face. It would be worth it to see their shock, though. Terry stood tall. Staring down at those that had disrespected him, or his memory. He smiled. “As you can see, I’m still alive. I’ve heard the lies told about me and I’ve seen you all agree.” No one seemed surprised. “Well, I just have one thing to say. Fuck you…”\n\nHit with a sudden realization, he recognized the man with his wife. He was closer now, had a better angle. It was the mobster with whom he had come up with this idea. Son of a bitch! Terry realized that this was their plan all along. He noticed Tony walking around the smiling crowd, zip ties in his hands. Was everyone in on it. Was Terry alone? He couldn’t think of anything else. He couldn’t focus. Tony was right next to him now.\n\n“Hey bud,” Tony said, smiling. Terry turned to look him in his eyes.\n\nThwack. Terry dropped. He saw the mobster smiling before blackness enveloped him.\n\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\nTerry woke up to the sound of dirt falling on him. Not falling on him, hitting something above him. He couldn't see anything. He was surrounded by blackness. He tried to move, the zip ties dug into his wrists and ankles. He tried to scream, the gag choked him. Terry whimpered. He felt the vibrations of dirt being packed in above him. Buried alive by those he called friends. Terry cried. He let out a strained chuckle, he knew he was going to die in this coffin. Fucking ironic.\n\nHis fake funeral just became real.", "I shifted uncomfortably in the metal folding chair. Three of the legs were perfect—couldn’t ask for better legs—but one was a short, stumpy piece of shit. Every time I thought I could balance on the three good legs, the chair rocked forward or backward with a creaking thud, throwing me off balance when I least expected it. Who reserved these chairs? This is supposed to be a somber occasion! This was my funeral for God’s sake!\n\nI moved over to the chair next to me, and it was fine. \n\nThe organist in the parlor played vague hymnals for the... one, two, three... seven people in attendance. Well, eight counting me, but I don’t count. Only eigh—seven people to see me off to the afterlife, huh? And they couldn’t even spring for decent chairs? Cheapskates. \n\nI pulled the elastic band of my fake beard away from my face for a second to scratch underneath. The thing felt like it was made out of pubes, and it didn’t smell much better either. My neighbor Joan looked five rows back at me and I let go of the beard, sending the elastic band back toward my face with a loud slap. I groaned as I smiled to Joan and waved a friendly hand toward her. She just turned around without acknowledging me. Would it kill you to be nice to me on my funeral day, Joan? \n\nThe music stopped and my nephew Oliver stepped up to the lectern. \n\n“Uncle Craig was... complicated...”\n\nSo was Napoleon. And Jesus. And Mozart. All great men are complicated! That’s a compliment.\n\n“He was a man who never found worldly success, nor maintained many of his relationships in healthy ways...”\n\nHow is that MY fault!? When your friends and family are the types that rent Playskool furniture for YOUR FUNERAL how can you keep allegiance with them? And at least I TRIED for success. What the fuck did you do, Oliver? Go to some wimpy law school so you could graduate and be a government leech with your BMW and three kids? Pathetic.\n\n“He was a sour man with a sour disposition, haunted by his ambitions and fears of inadequacy...”\n\nI scoffed a little too loud and some of the front row looked behind them. I pointed to Oliver and gave a thumbs up. They smiled politely and turned back around. Smooth.\n\n“So his death is a tragedy, because Craig was robbed of the time it would take to conquer the mountain of the self. He’ll never have the opportunity to turn over a new leaf or find peace in the world...”\n\nHe’s BUTCHERING this eulogy! Who says stuff like that at MY DEATH DAY!? \n\n“But he’s in a better place now, where he can stop struggling and be calm. I need to believe this, because my Uncle Craig may have been something of a curmudgeon to you, but to me he was always a great m—“\n\nI stood up clapping. “Bravo, young man! Great. Wonderful.” I walked into the aisle and up the chapel stairs. I needed to do something to save my respect. No distant relative of mine will sabotage my funeral like this. \n\nI shook Oliver’s hand and gently—like, really gently—yanked him from the pulpit so I could get behind it. \n\n“Alright, alright, my name is Crai...stopher. Cristopher. That’s it. I’m Christopher.” Saved it. I adjusted my sunglasses as I leaned into the microphone. “It’s my turn now.”\n\nOliver looked frustrated and confused. All the eyes in the seven-person crowd were wide and there was some mumbling. The calm before the storm. They were about to have their socks blown off with how good a eulogy this was going to be. Go home and cry to your three kids, Oliver.\n\n“I was very good friends with Craig. You could say we were best friends. He told me everything. He told me about you, Joan. He still wants his edger back, by the way. It’s not yours just because he died. \n\n“Anyway, Craig was a victim of circumstance, cursed with the kind of family that abandoned him at the young age of 31 to fend for himself in the world. He had nothing to his name, but over the course of five years, he amassed a legacy, saving over $3,000 by selling independently-manufactured DVD movies. Are any of YOU entrepreneurs?”\n\nMy cousin Mark raised his hand. He owned a sheet metal factory in Missouri, but that shouldn’t count because he BOUGHT it, not BUILT it. There’s a difference. Like, imagine if the White House was a Holiday Inn before the President lived there. Loses some of its luster, doesn’t it?\n\n“Craig had a passion for life, which some of you mis-in-ter-pre-ted as rudeness. HE was REAL! A real man! With raw, unbridled testosterone coursing through his veins! He felt strongly about things! He expressed it! Why would you shut me down for expressing myself?? Don’t I have that right!? I mean Craig.” That was close.\n\nSome of those in attendance were now whispering to each other and squinting up at me. Shocked this stranger is doing so much better than dumb Oliver, certainly. \n\n“Before he died in that tragic boat accident, Craig told me, he said, ‘Christopher, if I die on this boat accident today, tell my family that they should’ve been nicer to me.’ I told him ‘Craig, I totally agree. Your family has been so unfair to you. Have fun in the Bahamas.’ Of course, after he pushed off that Oregonian shore, he never came back, and my heart has been broken since.”\n\nThe tears should start any second now. \n\n“Family and friends, you should’ve been nicer to Craig. He was a good guy. He was really special to me. Just a really special, good guy.” I started sniffling a little bit. “And if you have any compassion left in your hearts for this poor soul, you’ll leave like $20, $25 in the casket as you leave today. And leave that edible arrangement in the hall alone. You can keep the chocolate pineapples actually. They’re... not...” I was holding back tears, but the floodgates had loosed. “Complimentary flavors!” \n\nI walked off the stage and back to my aluminum pro wrestling prop and took my seat. \n\nThere was a commotion in the hall and Joan came over to where I was seated. \n\n“Excuse me, Christopher, was it?” \n\nI nodded in the affirmative, wiping the tears from underneath my dark frames. \n\n“I don’t believe we met, but I’m so glad to know Craig had that someone special in his life,” and she winked.\n\nOh no.\n\n————————————————————————-\n\n/r/Protowriter469" ]	4
[WP] Every hero with top tier powers has it go to their head eventually. Not to say they all become evil, but they may become overconfident or self important. You, having the most powerful telekinetic abilities ever seen are... just odd.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Yes, I don’t like touching things. You probably can’t see it, but I am levitating just slightly above the chair right now. Yes, it's a silly way of using my powers. I do not touch things with my hands, and I strictly enforce social distancing with my telekinetic abilities. \n\nI do engage in the standard saving the world activities and am quite helpful to the superhero cause. As a matter of fact, I was crucial to stopping the alien invasion two months ago that nearly destroyed humanity. \n\nYou look a bit pale. Oh, I'm so sorry, of course, you had no idea about that matter. I’m so getting fined for this by the union. \n\nIn any case, it's all over, and we won, and not in the least due to my incredible powers. But on regular day, there's no intergalactic threat, I just go about my things. I go to a store, I order food, I hang out with friends. All regular things. I hit the gym a couple of times a week. That’s actually those rare times when I do touch things with my body. I can lift anything I want with my mind but it's still useful to keep fit and use my muscles occasionally. \n\nThe discomfort of touching things, I don't know if it's a side effect of my powers. My therapist says that I'm just like controlling everything, and I get anxiety because I am aware of my limits. \n\nLast week, I was standing at a checkout line in a supermarket, and this woman stands right next to me, and there was no reason for doing that. It was hardly even a line, maybe four people in an otherwise half empty store. \n\nThe three feet radius around me is reserved for close relatives, a couple of friends and romantic interests, not a random lady at a supermarket. So I pushed her gently. She looked puzzled, and then she approaches me again. \n\nCan you believe that?! I pushed a little harder. All within reason It's not like she had to go to hospital or anything, but you see my point. No touching, no hugging. \n\nSuperman thinks I'm silly, but Superman is not going to die from a germ or virus, and I could. Just cause I can move an object roughly the size of the Moon doesn't mean I can't catch a common cold, so I have to be careful." ]	2
[WP] You spot a small stack of pamphlets. "Would you like to live forever?" the title says. You open it. A vampire wrote it. You find a phone number on the 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.", "\"Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Quintero,\" the pale, raven-haired woman asked. She swept her flowing black gown behind her as she sat across from him in her front room. She set up a small, round, two-person table in front of a set of immense bay windows. The curtains were open and a full blue moon hung in the dark sky.\n\n\"Uh, I found one of your pamphlets,...,\" he dug out a crumpled pamphlet and put it on the table between them. The woman nodded.\n\n\"I know,\" she gave a soft laugh. \"You mentioned that when you made an appointment on the phone, and again when I answered the door. But why are you here?\" she asked with a patient smile. \"Are you ready to live forever?\"\n\n\"NO!\" Paul sat back in his chair with wide eyes. His host remained quiet while Paul processed the question and his reaction. Why was he here? \"I mean...,\" he relaxed and leaned forward again. \"... maybe? I want information,\" he said. \"What's it like?\" he asked.\n\n\"What's what like?\" she asked for clarification.\n\n\"You know...,\" he gestured at her with both hands. \"...being a vampire.\" she shrugged.\n\n\"It's a lot like being a human. Except the sunburns hurt more, and 'having guests for dinner' is a bit more literal,\" she smiled and flashed a pair of sharp fangs.\n\n\"Oh,\" Paul said. \"Is that it?\"\n\n\"Well, what did you want?\" she asked. \"Now that vampires are recognized, we do much less stalking and hiding than we used to.\" Paul shook his head.\n\n\"No, I mean, the whole living forever thing. How does that work?\" he asked. The vampire tilted her head and gave him a confused look.\n\n\"You asked about being a vampire, but okay. Now you want to know about living forever. I'll be the first to tell you, that's a bit misleading. It's not actually forever, but it is long enough that when the end finally does come you'll be sick of living anyway.\"\n\n\"Hold on,\" Paul held a hand up. Her wording confused him. \"I did ask about being a vampire... why is living forever a different conversation?\"\n\n\"Do you want to live forever as a vampire?\" she asked.\n\n\"Assuming I want to live forever, do I have a choice?\" Paul replied. His host nodded.\n\n\"Yes, of course.\"\n\n\"What? How?\" he asked. She giggled.\n\n\"Okay,\" she grinned. \"I know how we got here. You thought that \"living forever\" meant turning you into a vampire, right?\" Paul nodded.\n\n\"Okay. Well, we don't do that willy nilly. It's a whole thing that has to go to Elder Council and everything, it's harder than getting married these days. So, no. I'm not offering to turn anyone into a vampire.\" She watched Paul's eyes grow wide with questions and kept talking.\n\n\"What I am offering you is a new life customized to your specifications for as long as you live, which is a very, very long time.\"\n\n\"How so? What's it going to cost me?\" In the back of his mind, Paul was pretty ready to accept any arrangement. He didn't have much to live for, nor that long to live. He found her pamphlet in his oncologist's office after a terminal diagnosis. He literally had nothing to lose by meeting her.\n\n\"I'll be upfront because I want you to make an informed decision. The required payment is your soul. As for how-,\"\n\n\"My SOUL?\" Paul interrupted.\n\n\"Of course,\" she said. \"You think that body is going to live for centuries? By signing over your soul, you give permission to put your soul in a new body. One that you've customized by the way.\"\n\n\"Huh,\" Paul had to admit it made sense in a way. \"Okay... I'm still thinking about it. How does it work?\" he asked.\n\n\"Do you like video games?\" she asked.\n\n\"Yeah...,\" Paul nodded, unsure where the question came from.\n\n\"Alright, well that's the easiest way to explain it. Imagine going through a character creator to make your new body; that's pretty much what it is. You can pick a race, soul, and class to live out the rest of your life. After you make your character you can choose what kind of world you live in.\"\n\n\"What kind of world? What kinds are there?\"\n\n\"Anything you want, prehistoric to futuristic sci-fi. Utopias, dystopias, zombie hordes, vampire societies. If you can imagine it, there's a world out there for you.\" Paul narrowed his eyes.\n\n\"You're making it up. Everything,\" he said. \"You expect me to believe that you can put my soul in any body I want, then put that body on any Earth I want to live for the rest of my very long life?\" She gave a firm, deliberate nod. Paul chuckled. \"Do you have any proof?\" She smiled with her fangs and stood from the table.\n\n\"I don't suppose it'd be enough proof if I told you I've done it myself,\" she said. Paul shook his head with the same deliberate motion she used.\n\n\"What if I did this?\" she asked as she tapped the table with her fingertips. It immediately disintegrated into white powder that fell to the floor and disappeared. As Paul debated whether it was a simple stage-trick, he felt his seat fall apart under him. He managed to hop to his feet instead of landing on his butt. As he looked around, everything in the room became the same white powder and collapsed. Then, the room and house they stood in melted vanished into white powder. In less than two minutes, the house, neighborhood, and city as far as he could tell, were gone. They stood on a vast white, powdery plain. Paul only had one question left.\n\n\"Was it worth your soul?\" he asked.\n\n\"It's the best deal I ever made,\" she replied.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #181. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order." ]	2
[WP] There is a sign that is posted in a public park: "ABSOLUTELY NO BICYCLE BELL RINGING PAST DUSK" - write the backstory for this rule.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Growling at that sign as he passed, Detective Arthur Schroeder snapped on his gloves as he cut a swath through the early morning mist.\n\n\"Detective, thank you for arriving so quickly.\"\n\n\"Spare the small talk. Bicycle bell butcher?\" \n\n\"Yes, sir. The audio surveillance team heard the bell and sent every available officer into the park, but...\"\n\n\"Found nothing but the body.\" \n\n\"Yes, but things are... different.\"\n\nThe detective stopped as he entered the glade. Flies buzzed about the quartered body as the CSI team photographed each piece carefully for evidence.\n\nThe coroner stepped over and shook his head as he said, \"Arthur, don't ask for a cause of death. I'm going to have to jigsaw puzzle piece him back together before I can even guess at the cause. The serrations look similar to the women though.\"\n\n\"And the calling card?\"\n\n\"Bicycle bell in the left hand, typewritten note: Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.\"\n\nArthur glanced over the blood and dew dappled glade as he turned to continue the hunt for an elusive killer whose only sign of existence was a single bell ring in the dark night air of the park before vanishing, leaving nothing behind, but a mutilated corpse.\n\nEdit: a typo" ]	2
[WP] Humanity finally makes it out of the solar system, only to be greeted by a council of alien races, as well as many humans. Turns out the solar system exists in a temporal anomaly, making time cyclical and causing Earth to restart every 20,000 years.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "Jacob was getting tired of poking at the wall trying to get the black wall paper to lift when he felt a rush of wind coming through the house. The scent of lavender, hay and sweat came after that, and then the sound of keys falling onto more keys, in the bamboo bowl by the door that had been heated up to a comfortable temperature by the soft sun characteristic of places this far from the Equator. The light had that magic, fairy dust quality that seems to only exist in memories of childhood, like it knows it is life giving, but this was only available to Jacob, since the other person in the room, before his mother had arrived, was his grandfather Jonas Akk, for whom childhood memories where distant in time, but only in time.\n\nMr. Akk was born so long ago it was hard for Jacob to understand how much life there had been before his own. That is the case for all children, but especially for Jacob, not least because he hadn't given the matter much thought but also because it is a horror reserved for those of us that survive childhood to come to understand a consciousness outside one's own. Mr. Akk, however, was keen on telling stories, and there is nothing more human than listening to a foreign explanation of ourselves.\n\nMr. Akk had been mulling over tonight's story for a while. It was both his curse, and his greatest gift to have had a daughter such as he did, one that tolerated, and at times even enjoyed having him in close proximity. It gave him the chance to mould young Jacob's mind. Not a week ago, for example, he had managed to convince his grandson that through the power of his mind alone he could change the most elemental fabric of reality. All it had taken was one cunning story involving magic, training of the mind and a charming young fellow with fiery hair and a love of music. Those sorts of stories were his favourite, of course. He knew he'd eventually need to move on to something a bit more real, he'd need to introduce unhappy endings and ties forever loose or his grandson would soon bore of him, but for now he could bask in the ever glowing light of bigger men than him.\n\nTonight's story held a special place in Mr. Akk's heart because he got to remember that once, not so long ago, he too had been a greater man.\n\n\"Once, not so long ago, your own grandpa was a young man. And as a young man he did what youth required of him: he struggled, he learnt and he searched for something greater than him that he could give himself to. As it happened, there was a great adventure in search of him, too, and as God in heaven had prescribed, two things which search for each other have but one resting place. But I lose myself -- it wasn't long until he came up against the League of Exploration.\n\nNow one does not simply come upon greatness -- and I hope you remember this Jacob --, one can have greatness thrust in its face with not so much as an ounce changing in them, but young Jonas knew greatness was in his destiny, for an old mage had told him so–\"\n\n\"That seems unlikely,\" Jacob interrupted.\n\n\"Alright, alright... Now, young Jonas knew greatness was in his destiny, for he had the gift of new naïvety, a taste for the dramatic, and, if he was honest with himself, a bucketful of arrogance that he would never be rid of. It was just as well, though, because when Greatness so much as glanced in his direction he was well and ready for the ride.\n\nSo it was this how Jonas Akk, a most notable no one, ended up on the Silverstein ship.\n\nThe third best thing about the ship was, without a doubt, the crew. Three months of training had brought the group into a sweet spot between camaraderie and not knowing each other well enough to tell the truth, whilst the somewhat uncertain prospect of death among the Stars made sure they all kept their jokes surface level, and didn't get too attached to each other. \"\n\n“The second…”\n\n\\----\n\nI'm writing 300 words a day and this inspired my second day on this story :) To be continued tomorrow." ]	2
[WP] You're the sheriff of a frontier town, one day your deputy comes in carrying an unconscious, beautiful woman that had been found not far from town. The strangest thing is, her ears are pointy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Boss! We have a problem.\"\n\nI looked over from my tablet and coffee. I had been in the frontier town of Banner all of two weeks and already had three bodies in the Regen cells. Two bar fights and one hold up at the plasma refinery. From the way my leg ached I already knew this was going to be a fun day.\n\n\"Lefty, what in tarnation is the problem now?\" I exclaimed. The woman in his arms answered that right away. \"Tell me you didn't hit her with your speeder.\" I held back the again. We had agreed never to talk about that.\n\n\"She passed out in the saloon.\" Lefty said. REBO brought a hover stretcher for her. She was an odd one. Most women on the frontier wore simple yes concealing clothes. Overalls, jump suits, the occasional dress when going to church. What she was wearing didn't fit in. A halter top didn't protect from the burning sun, and an above the knee skirt didn't protect against the thorny shrubs or the snakes.\n\n\"Is she a dancer?\" I asked, pointing out the revealing garments. \"She's got a lot of ink too. These tattoos, are they person ink?\" I ran a hand through her chestnut hair and saw something. \"Her ears are pointed. Is that a new gene mod?\" I turned to my robotic assistant. \"REBO?\"\n\n\"PATIENT HAS NO MEDICAL RECORD ON FILE.\" REBO chirped happily. \"NO RFID CHIP FOUND.\"\n\n\"Take a blood sample. If she has some bad genes and can't live out here I want to know.\"\n\nREBO extended a micro needle. As it extended the needle towards the woman there was a blur, and she was behind the robot, its needle and the protruding arm in her hand.\n\n\"I HAVE BEEN DAMAGED.\" REBO chirped, as happily as if a bird had perched on its white dome. Lefty and I had our type 4 coil pistols up, as the young lady began to blur. She raised the needle ready to stab anyone who got close.\n\n\"Woah, that's some kind of tech.\" Lefty said. \"Why don't you simmer down,\" the blur began to flicker, the woman seemed to stumble, but she fought her way back to standing.\n\n\"Miss, drop the needle before you stab someone's eye out.\" I said, my throat implant humming softly. The woman's eyes blinked, and she was down. \n\n\"Is that the new canary implant?\"\n\n\"Yeah, but it's not supposed to work that fast. Help me secure her arms, this woman is not ok.\"\n\nIt took only five minutes to figure out the problem, she had a blood alcohol level over three times the limit. REBO administered a cleanser and monitored her vitals. Of course, that was four hours ago.\n\n\"SHE IS IMPROVING SLOWLY.\" REBO chirped.\n\n\"Slowly? Fat Taylor went from sloshed to sober in fifteen minutes on that stuff.\"\n\n\"Maybe her liver doesn't clear it properly.\" I mused. \"Bradley says she had one drink and started stumbling. He cut her off, but one of the other patrons have her something and that's that.\"\n\n\"PERIMETER ALERT. UNKNOWN ENTITIES ON THE HORIZON.\"\n\n\"Who?\"\n\n\"UNKNOWN. ENTITIES ARE RIDING ON FAUNA NOT NATIVE TO THIS DIMENSIONAL PLANE.\"\n\n\"Well I guess that answers that.\" I stretched and double checked my leg. \"20 credits they're looking for their missing agent.\"\n\n\"Maybe she's one of their outlaws.\"\n\n\"Now now, innocent until proven guilty.\" I sent a ping to my speeder to start the engine. \"REBO, prepare to record our guest and stream it to my tablet. Lefty, come with me. Let's go meet the new neighbors.\"" ]	2
[WP] your dog starts barking in its sleep, how cute. Wait, now its mumbling. Now its speaking perfect English...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Was I really this short?\" The dog tilts his head. \"Why did I... Oh...\" he looks at his paws as his ears droop. \"It appears I've borrowed the form of a mutt.\"\n\nI quickly snatched who I had thought to be Kevin by his scruff and stared him in the eyes. \"Who are you and what did you do with Kevin?\"\n\n\"Don't worry about your dog, from his perspective he's having a dream.\"\n\n\"I'll worry about what I think I should and I'm here lucid as the moon that shines above and my dog is talking.\" I set him down and set about pacing. Was finally losing it? No, the party, I tried something new... But why are the rest of my thoughts so clear?\n\n\"I don't have much time, he'll be awake soon!\" My dog yapped frantically.\n\nI'm dreaming. That's the only... I slammed my face into the wall FUCK I'm not dreaming.\n\n\"I apologise I took the improper form. I'm new to this angel business and you're not even the person I need to find. Now fet a pen and paper to take notes he's waking up!\"\n\nI stopped. Fine. I'm sane, lucid, and awake. And my dog talks. What does he need? Paper? I get those from my desk.\n\n\"Peter Yelen. He lives at...\" Kevin went limp and dropped to the floor. I ran to him and picked him up. He's breathing. Good.\n\n\"Did you say Peter Yelen?\" I sit there, staring at Kevin, I don't know what to... Anything. I don't know.\n\nKevin wakes up, he barks and licks my face. I give him the biggest hug because he deserves it, but have to ask: \"Kevin, why did you say Peter Yelen?\"\n\nKevin tilts his head and moans quizzically at me. This is not the time to be left in the dark. NOT the time. What did this angel want with Peter Yelen?\n\nKevin jumps to his feet and runs to the door as fast as his little corgi paws can travel. He looks at his leash, looks me, and yelps again.\n\nIn the background the TV shows balloons drop and music plays. It's 4 am, November 4th, 2020, and Peter Yelen is introduced as the presumptive next President of the United States." ]	2
[WP] For about a week now, you’ve been getting ominous messages written in “blood” on your mirror. Turns out they’re from an awkward ghost who’s crushing you, hard.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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# Grief For Love\n\nMike lied in his bed, as he had been doing for the past half an hour, loathing himself for not being able to bring himself to work. It had been days that he hadn’t had any progress with his novel, and it felt like his worth had been left behind, along with his productivity. Since he had abandoned the project, as though this wasn’t enough, messages written with the usage of blood started to mysteriously appear on his bathroom’s mirror. Those were not messages you’d expect to come from such a daunting context, though, as all of them seemed to exist solely to motivate him.\n\nThe problem in the messages wasn’t as much for their scary aspect, but as in how they made him feel even more frustrated every time he ignored them and just kept playing Animal Crossing until he fell asleep, around six in the morning. He knew that something or someone was watching him, and he hated that “it” was judging him, as if he didn’t do that enough himself.\n\nBut that night, during the lowest moment of gloom, the thing spoke, in a sweet and calming tone:\n\n“It is ok. You are not worthless for not being a machine!”\n\nMike jumped off his bed so quickly that his muscles hurt from the movement. He looked around his room until he found it. It was immeasurably surprising to see his best friend standing there, in front of him. He was a bit translucent, not overly so, as he had a dark coloration to him, like an old bottle of wine.\n\n“Charlie! I thought… I thought…”\n\nCharlie kept staring at him, with a warm and accepting look of compassion.\n\n“... I thought you had died!”\n\n“I did.”\n\nfor what seemed like a bit more than half a minute they stared at each other, Charlie lovingly so, while Mike maintained an expression of mixed surprise and terror, as though he was seeing a ghost.\n\nCharlie broke the silence.\n\n“Look. I’ve been watching you for sometime, and I can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes everytime you feel like you are not worth it. I know you since we were kids and you’ve always been perfectionistic to a fault. You shouldn’t assign your self worth to how you perform creatively and professionally.”\n\nMike did not move a muscle.\n\n“So you are dead?!” he said, barely moving his mouth.\n\n“Well, yeah, but it doesn’t matter now. The only thing I want to understand is that you are worth it and you are loved.”\n\n“Ha! Who the hell loves me?” Mike said, suddenly forgetting the weirdness of the situation.\n\nCharlie started to tear up, his sweet smile getting affected by such fact.\n\n“I… have always…”\n\nMike understood. It had always been obvious that they felt more for each other, that being “best friends” had never been enough.\n\n“I’m sorry!” said Charlie, as he bursted into tears. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. My mother never truly accepted me and…”\n\n“I know... I just wish I had been there to talk you out of it.”\n\nThere they stood, feeling grief for what had been a wasted potential for a great, loving relationship. It seemed like death had really done them apart... and they hadn’t even got the chance to marry.", "\\BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJust another minute.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was having such a wonderful dream.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was happy there.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJus- wait what?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nCautious shuffling brought me to face the alarm clock. Off. Not unplugged or muted just...off. Not even the time was displayed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA spike of panic jolted me upright, better at getting me out of bed than that cursed machine ever could. Weird things like this had been happening to me lately. The TV would change channels on it's own, usually to some form of motorsports channel. I'd occasionally find Plates, cutlery, and food thrown across the kitchen floor when I got home and every morning, I'd find weird messages written in what turned out to be ketchup on my bathroom mirror. So far I'd gotten \"Morning sleepyhead!\", \"Have you noticed yet?\" and yesterday I got \"I'm behind you...\". Yeah, they even spent time on the dots.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n...So, yeah. This apartment is haunted.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nCool.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'm not panicking at all.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWith a heavy and deliberate sigh, I yanked myself out of bed, displaying to the world the glorious body of a land nerd in boxer shorts. Getting changed came after cleaning this morning's message off...and if yesterday's message was true maybe also beating up the ghost.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy senses were slowly coming back but eventually, as I rounded the corner, I read \"What's up with you today?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBarely missing a beat, I mumbled \"You've been terrorizing me for a half a week, lay off.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Terrorising you?! Why you littl-\" The voice was muffled but I had already turned, heart skipping a beat at the foreign voice.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhat stood...well more like floated before me was a girl doused in the palest of blue glows, a simple white hospital gown covering a young figure. She couldn't have been more than twenty, a real blonde beauty were it not for the myriad of scars and open wounds. Stitches held a few of her fingers to her hands and a more prominent set kept her head attached to her body. Though, as she slowly bobbed and swayed in front of me, there was the slightest glimpse of cold, dead flesh underneath. The girl's pout had dissipated, her expression replaced by one of mixed anxiety, anticipation and a hint of sorrow.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI stumbled for a response. \"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare at...those...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAlmost copying me, the girl held up her hands to me instinctively, only to recoil and pulled away. \"N-No it's okay! Honestly I'm just glad you aren't running....Wow that makes this sound even weirder!\" Her face had lit up to a deep purple under her ethereal veil and just like that, it all made sense.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI let out another sigh, though this time followed up by a playful smile. \"You've destroyed my kitchen twice now, you've already made it weird.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe pout came back. It was cute. \"I-I-I was trying to make you dinner!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And the tv?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I saw your posters and wanted to put on something you'd like! P-Plus, while you were at work it got me a little interested....\" She was a mess. An adorable, fumbling, blushing, undead mess.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay. What about the ketchup messages? You're right here.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe paused, staring like a deer in headlights. It took a minute for her long-dead brain to come up with a response. \"I...I don't know! I thought you'd get scared...P-Plus I didn't even know I could do this!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So you haunted me? With 'blood messages' and smashing up my stuff?\" I couldn't help it anymore, this was too fun.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat one earned a growl though. \"THAT'S IT! I WAS TRYING TO BE NICE AND BE ROMANTIC ABOUT IT BUT YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE! I'M JUST GOING TO GO HAUNT SOMEONE ELSE!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAt this point i couldn't stop the laughter, the neighbors were going to think I was insane but this was too good. \"Awww, but we were getting on so well!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHer hair, loosely falling behind her slowly started to raise, hovering behind her head to compliment the ominous look in her eyes. \"On second thought, I haven't tried possessing anyone yet...Let's see if we can't take a dive off the roof...\" She floated closer, arms outstretched in what could best be described as an attempt to be creepy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne more.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wait, i thought i was supposed to be inside of you...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd that folks, is how i met Melissa, My Ghastly Girlfriend.", "Chapter one :) Hi\n\nI had recently moved into this apartment. It recently got refurbished, came fully furnished, and was insanely cheap I had no idea why it was on the market for so long. I didn’t have a lot to move into the apartment besides my work laptop and my gaming devices. I started making a list of things I would need like groceries and other supplies when I found a welcome basket on my kitchen counter “Good luck in the new digs xo Le” I read aloud to myself. They must have snuck in to drop it off before I got here. I reminded myself to text Le later and thank them for the gift of toilet paper, paper towels, a gift card to the BEST pizza place around (sorry pizza chains but this mom and pop store has you beat), and paper plates. I went into the master bathroom to put some of the toilet rolls in there and found “:) HI” written on the mirror in lipstick. I thought it weird cause one Le never wore lipstick, two even for a prank they would have left their signature Le at the end, three it wasn’t Le’s handwriting. I’ve known them since before they came out as non-binary and have read their neat and precise handwritten letters before. Without much of a thought I put into my phone mirror cleaner on the top of my supply run list.\n\nAfter running around, putting supplies away, and talking to Le and their partner Rae for a few hours I started getting ready for be when I found a new message on the mirror this time the lipstick stick was left on the counter of the bathroom “Missed you” I know no one could have been in here beside maybe the landlord but it’s a little old couple who lived a short walk from here I don’t see them as the prankster types. With the lipstick in hand I wrote “who r u?” and then continued my nightly ritual of getting ready for bed and fell fast asleep. The next morning, I woke up to my alarm on my phone and everything being spotless. I mean the entire apartment was sparking clean except for the master bathroom mirror having a new message. “Cleaned (up arrow) a bit, Tea in 3 (clock), Boo” I must of spaced out a bit rereading the message because next thing I heard was my tea brewer singing its done music to let me know my cup is ready. I decided to write back “Thank you Boo? I’m Jay” I hurry along to the cup it’s the best cup I’ve had that I didn’t make. I could find anyone or anything out of place except that. I open my work laptop and begin writing a few emails for work and calling the land lords about this messaging system with an unknown Boo.\n\n“Hi Mrs. and Mr. Smith? Its Jay your new tenant I was wondering if you could tell me if I’m sharing the apartment with someone? Call me back whenever you get this message.” I said to their voicemail. As I continued to work the day away. I didn’t get a call back until the I was about to log off for the day “Hello Jay is Carol Smith. I know you may have a few questions, but we didn’t want to scare you away. There seems to be a ghost haunting that place. Usually it was throwing temper tantrums until you came to check it out. It didn’t act out at all we thought at first it left but if you’re getting messages it must still be there. Has Boo done anything to hurt your or bother you?” She started cry over the phone. “ Oh! No I first thought it was a prank from my friend but no Boo hasn’t done anything to me. Is that its actual name?” I hurried in reply. With a sigh of relief she began to tell me the true story of Boo and how they happen to be my new ghostly roommate.", "\"Good afternoon residents! I'm joined by local Michael Kane who apparently has been on the receiving end of a peculiar phenomenon. He claims to have been communicating with a ghost through his mirror over the past weekend, and is here to today to share his story.\" The interviewer turned away from the camera to face me. \"Before we begin Mr. Kane, do you have any concerns?\n\n\"Yes,\" I answer. \"Why is this interview being conducted in a bathroom?\"\n\n\"To allow us to see any messages in real time of course!\" She shoved the mic in my face. \"Tell us how it all began!\"\n\n\"Well... the first few messages had me freaking out like a normal person. I would have just finished my business in the toilet, only to see giant red words in the mirror such as \"HEY HANDSOME\" or \"YOUR PLACE IS NICE\". I thought was being pranked by my friends! But then I remembered I don't have any friends. Then one day, as I was picking my teeth in the mirror, the words started forming out of nowhere! It was a ghost!\"\n\n\"I see. And were you able to figure out what the ghost wanted?\"\n\n\"Yes I did ma'am. Apparently the ghost was using blood to write in my mirror. I thought it was only polite to communicate back in the same way. So I replied back using blood too.\"\n\n\"Mr. Kane, If I may ask, where did you get the blood to write in the mirror?\"\n\n\"HAHA! I laughed nervously. \"So anyway turns out the ghost wanted to date me! Imagine that! I was a bit hesitant at first of course since she's a ghost, but who am I to turn down a pretty girl? And so we ended up going out.\"\n\n\"Mr. Kane how do you even know that the ghost is pretty or what it even looks like? How do you even know the ghost's gender?\n\n\"HAHA!\" I laughed again. \"She told me she's a pretty girl! That's how I know even though I can't see her.\"\n\n\"With all due respect Mr. Kane, that sounds about as reliable as a tinder profile.\"\n\n\"So anyway! Our date was last night and it went great. I didn't even need to pay for her dinner. We talked for hours. Well... It was mostly me talking, and everyone was staring at me. But overall it was fine considering neither of us had ever been on a real date before.\"\n\n\"I see. Thank you for sharing Mr. Kane. But the questions remains: can you prove your girlfriend is real?\"\n\nAs soon as the interviewer asked the question, the cameraman gasped in shock. All heads in the bathroom turned to the mirror, where the following words written in blood seemed to appear out of thin air:\n\nTHANKS FOR THE DATE MICHAEL, I CAN MOVE ON IN PEACE NOW.\n\n\"Oh dear\" I said. \"I think I just got dumped.\"\n\n\"And there you have it folks!\" said the Interviewer. \"A bittersweet end to Mr. Kane's adventure. Join us at eight where we interview a man who was summoned by a demon! That's all for now folks!'\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/IZicle", "And I'm awake. My head's reeling from the NyQuil and bottle of wine I so shortsightedly downed the night before. I sit up groggily and look ahead at the neon blue readout on my alarm clock. Three minutes to seven; three minutes before the alarm sounds. Funny how we detest that ungodly beeping to the extent that we subvert the need for a wake reminder at all. \n\nI slosh out of my bed, nearly tripping and slamming to the floor. I teeter over to the clock and slam the \"cancel\" button a couple times to avoid the ear bleeder. \n\nCursing myself incoherently in my head, I amble out into the hall and cross to the bathroom, bracing myself at the door frame. When I finally manage to get the light on, I catch myself fixated on something distinctly red splayed across the top of the mirror. Swaying in the defocus of my hangover, I can't be certain whether or not the message scrawled before me is a machination of my desperate mind. A couple minutes pass, and the word remains: \"STOP.\" \n\nNow on adrenaline's edge, a poor combination with my current disposition, I peer out into the hall behind me. I feverishly check the rest of my apartment, scanning even the pantry. Unsatisfied and still in that fight or flight mode, I trudge back to my violated bathroom. Unsure of how I'm gonna handle going to work with a potential break-in unaddressed, I anxiously glance back at my mirror. \n\nThe message is gone. \n\nNow perturbed, I run my hands along the spot where the blood script had been: nothing. What the hell? I had been so sure; the light had even reflected off the blood like you'd imagine. Guess we can convince ourselves of anything when we really need it, even if it scares the piss out of us. \n\nI throw on an Oxford and dress pants, slap my badge on my belt, fix the styling of my hair after sleeping on it and snip a couple of unkempt whiskers in my beard. Can't walk into work still looking drunk, can I? Although I imagine people can sense it from my eyes, walk and smell. I dunk myself in some cologne for good measure and head out.\n\n...\n\nWork was the same monotonous bull that it always is. Bureaucratic paper shuffling is the way to live, let me tell you. Only thing special about today is that I was maniacally revisiting what I had projected onto my mirror this morning.\n\nSo I head home, same way as always: past the liquor store on Seventh. I nab a fifth of whiskey this time; a little variety never hurt anyone. I blaze through traffic to get back to my apartment, and I start my evening with a crack of my new bottle. \n\n...\n\nI wake the same as yesterday, curse myself the same as yesterday, tell myself I'm not gonna drink anymore - same as yesterday. I go to clean up in my bathroom again. Nothing like getting wasted to make you forget about the...\"STOP HURTING YOURSELF, PLEASE.\"\n\nJesus Christ! I can literally feel the blood pumping through my neck as I step toward the red print dribbling down my mirror. I take a swipe of the bead of blood coming off the end of the last \"E\" and show myself my finger. Nothing. But I can see the smudge on the glass. \n\nI start raking my hands through my hair in erratic discomfort, backing into the wall opposite the mirror. \"What is this?!\" I exclaim and hop out into the hall, ready for a fight. I rifle through my space again, looking for any sign of an intrusion. Nothing, for the umpteenth time, NOTHING. \n\nI exasperatedly return to the seemingly haunted bathroom, only to find a new sentence reflected red onto its walls: \"TAKE A SHOWER GOOSE.\" \n\nOnly one person in my life had ever, EVER called me that. And she'd been gone for years. I feel panic tearing through me, but also something else, something that spurs a rush of water from my eyes. I don't know why, I really don't, but I comply. \n\nI disrobe, revealing the scars that lace their way up my torso and arms. The ones I'd given myself in her wake, a long time ago. Except now, they're a burning red, and they itch again. I step into the tub and pull the curtain, and I proceed to steam the bathroom as I obey an apparition of my own making. \n\nWhen I come back out in front of the mirror, the blood script is gone. But I'm not the only silhouette standing in the foggy reflection. \n\nThe other body reaches towards mine and... I feel her touch on my shoulder. Her head closes on mine and I can feel her breathing, hear her voice in her exhalation. \n\n\"Davita?\" My voice is a broken whisper. \n\nMinutes pass and the steam dissipates. With the moisture goes any vision I had conjured up. But my scars were still beating red. \n\n...\n\nI would come to find that only in my bathroom would my wounds light up again. In the steam I could see and feel her, and at my lowest moments, she'd shed her blood to speak to me. \n\nI'd been waiting for her haunt for too long.", "Molly's Haunt\n-\nYour every breath \nBeat of heart \nThe flowing blood of your veins \nI wish were mine\n\nA message written in blood on Molly’s mirror – it scared the hell out of her at first. After she calmed down and wiped it up, she realized that it was written in lipstick. She figured one of her friends probably did it before they left the night before.\n\nGoing about her day in the small town, she came across each visitor from the previous night. Each person denied having written anything on a mirror with lipstick. Very funny, girls, she thought.\n\nThe beauty of your visage, \nAs you sleep so tenderly, \nMakes me want to be with you, \nWe’d live so happily\n\nThis one sounds better, she thought, but still creeped her out.\n\n“Stop fucking up my mirror,” she muttered, wiping it off. She still thought it was some elaborate joke.\n\nA cold breeze swept through her house. She could hear whispers within it. She froze.\n\n“Hello?” she said. She poked her head out of the bathroom. Nobody in sight. She stepped out, crept down the hall, into her front room. Arranged on the floor, she saw a giant heart made out of rose pedals.\n\nShe went into her kitchen and grabbed the biggest, sharpest knife she had. She carefully checked the whole house. Once she was sure she was safe for a moment, she called Sheriff Rich. He said he’d swing by in 10 minutes.\n\nShe waited in the front room, tired. The rose petals began to slowly float up into the air, keeping the heart shape. The image of a man rose up from the floor, from the middle of the heart. Molly watched in awe as, what she assumed was, a ghost appeared before her.\n\n“Hi,” he said.\n\nMolly stared in terror.\n\n“Sorry to scare you,” he said. “I’m not too good at expressing myself, raised in a different time an’ all that.”\n\nMolly nodded.\n\n“I’m the one left the lipstick poems.”\n\n“Oh.”\n\n“I’m John.”\n\n“You’re John?”\n\nHe smiled. “Yeah. I already know you’re Molly.”\n\n“And you’re a ghost?”\n\n“Oh, yeah. Kinda cool, huh?”\n\n“Why are you here? Why are you leaving weird poems on my mirror, I thought it was blood at first! You really scared me.”\n\nIf ghosts could blush, John would be redder than hell.\n\n“Sorry ‘bout that. I just… I think you’re real pretty. And I’ve been watching you a while, not to sound weird, and you seem so kind.”\n\nMolly realized what he was trying to say. This ghost was in love with her. A wave of emotions flooded her mind. Past scared, she felt pissed that this ghost didn’t have the manners to know that leaving ominous messages on a mirror is a great way to scare the shit out of somebody. And then she felt oddly flattered. It had been a long while since anybody tried to court her.\n\n“Well… I can look past a small indiscretion,” she said. “What is it you want from me?”\n\nJohn looked down at his translucent feet, embarrassed.\n\n“I was hoping we could have dinner some time.”\n\n“What do ghosts eat?”\n\nHe shrugged. “I could figure something out.”\n\nSheriff Rich knocked on the door, making John jump in fright. The rose petals fell to the floor. Molly made John hide so she could talk the sheriff away. He seemed a little suspicious of her sudden change of mood and the pile of rose petals, but she convinced him that it was simply a prank her friends were pulling on her.\n\nOnce he left, John and Molly made dinner plans for Friday night on the condition that he no can longer watch Molly without her permission.\n\n---\n\n/r/Zaliphone" ]	7
[WP] 63 years ago, a manhole cover became the fastest man-made object after being launched by a nuclear blast. This manhole cover was the first contact with humanity an alien race had, after it “skillfully” took out their leader with a headshot.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "2561, Earth Standard Years\n\n“And over here is the main control board,” Henrietta gestured to a large panel full of readouts, switches, and soft indicator lights. \n\n“Control board? That looks more like a control wall,” Julius said nervously.\n\n“Well, what did you expect? This is the Federation’s “premier” fusion research facility. Our budget was only slashed by 15% this year. All things considered, FERL is holding up pretty well. We have some maintenance scheduled, but you know how hard it is to get parts to the outer moons.” \n\nJulius did know. His parents had scraped a living as space truckers between Europa and the other Jupiter satellites with human presence. Of course, space truckers didn’t drive trucks, but evidently the first in the trade had a sense of humour, and the name stuck. Julius hated trucking, so when a position opened up in the Energy Research Corps, he signed up immediately. Unfortunately, the only open position was as a fusion tech on Pasiphae. Today, he was around 19,000,000 kilometers from home. \n\n“-- facility pretty much runs itself. The fusion powers our lights and keeps life support running, and we even have some energy left over.” Henrietta’s voice cut in. Julius forced himself to focus on the control panel.”Pretty much runs itself…” he thought. If only he could get used to living on the lifeless, spartan rock, this assignment might not be so bad. If only.\n\nSuddenly, an alarm sounded. “Shit” said Henrietta, who had just made a motion to open the door. She hurried back to the panel. “Shit. Shit shit shit.” She said again. “Power to magnetocell 3 is failing. I make sure the backup is activating.” Henrietta worked at the control board, moving her hands with expert speed and precision. She yelled at Julius “Hey! Go into those manifests over there and see if you can find the documentation for the backup reactor. The maintenance techs just installed it three months ago, maybe it’s running on newer firmware.” Henrietta made a quick jab in the direction of a holoterminal, and then refocused her attention on the board.\n\nJulius scrambled to the holoterminal, and quickly made the gestures to bring up the repair log. “It says here that the backup should be the same model as the original magnetocell.” He waved the data over to Henrietta, who started scanning the information. Her face visibly paled. “Those Rapidpair bastards. They didn’t replace the coolant in the backup cell.”\n\n“What does that mean?”\n\nHenrietta turned to face Julius. “Sorry kid. It means we’re dead.” She sent a distress signal that would do nothing more than provide warning to the rest of the Jupiter colony, and took her hands off the control panel. \n\nMoments later, Julius, Henrietta, and much of Pasiphae ceased to exist. A small manhole cover, that marked the entrance to the facility, was spared. The tunnel that Julius and Henrietta climbed down mere hours ago funneled the destructive energy, and launched the cover out of Jupiter’s orbit, and out of the solar system.\n\n2624 Earth Standard Years, 103,020 Arachne Standard Years\n\nThe Celsior and its companions drifted silently through Sector 11. Five weeks ago, the command of Celsior was tasked with escorting the colony vessel Dactyl and the science vessel Scolus to their new home in a distant star system. Executive officer Cael was not happy with this assignment. Back home, tensions between the colony planets had flared into a civil war spanning three galactic sectors. And his side was losing. He vented his frustrations to his commanding officer. “Why are we running this ridiculous fool’s errand? You don’t need a star-core battleship to escort a couple of civilian ships to the middle of nowhere. We should be back home, supporting the navy.” \n\n“I don’t like it any more than you Cael,” responded CO Frede. “But this is what the powers-that-be decided, so that’s what we’re doing. Navigation officer, execute jump.” \n\nThe ship and its flock disappeared. \n\nIt was three days later when the chase began. Cael had just finished his start of shift meal, and was starting to make his way to the bridge. As he tossed his food packaging into the recycler, the Stasen Field alarm started to ring. Cael felt the ship jump, and hurried to the bridge, making full use of his eight legs. The bridge was quiet. The crew was well trained, and only spoke when they needed to.\n\n“Status report,” said Cael.\n\n“Sir, the prewarp probes detected energy signatures at our landing point. We jumped to the contingency coordinates given by Lambda Function,” reported the Navigation Officer. “We left two of the probes at the original landing site, and confirmed they were destroyed by a nuclear event.”\n\n“Well,” said Cael. “Looks like the powers that be were right. Do we know who warped the nukes?”\n\n“No sir.”\n\n“That’s not surprising. Recalculate jumps to our destination and stay on high alert. Use a random seed instead of any of contingency ones.”\nThe navigation officer blinked for a moment. “Yes sir.” The fleet jumped.\n\nSpace warfare changed drastically after the invention of the warp drive. Whole fleets could blink away from nuclear missiles and even gamma beams, provided the ship had an early detection signal. It wasn’t until the miniaturization of warp drives that ships were once able to destroy each other. Now, combat had evolved into a game of prediction, luck, and a staggering amount of computational resources. Since warp drives need a brief cooldown before being functional again, in now, the goal was to warp nuclear explosives to the landing point of enemy ships. Hell, if you were precise enough, you could warp material directly into the enemy ship. While tracking warp trails is possible, doing so takes immense computing, and it is incredibly unlikely to stumble upon landing points by accident. The enemy knew their warp path.\n\nThe Stasen Field alarm sounded again. And again the fleet jumped. And again. Something wasn’t right. It should be possible for the enemy to track random seeds consistently. \n\nOn the 5th cycle, after escaping yet another nuclear explosion, the fleet landed, and saw another ship.\n\nBy this point, CO Frede had arrived. “The probes didn’t detect energy signatures here. It must have been waiting. How long before our drives are back online?”\n\nThe navigation officer didn’t get a chance to answer, before the whole ship was bathed in light. “What the hell was that?” shouted Cael.\n\n“I don’t know sir, but whatever it is, it disabled our drives. I’m checking with the Dactyl and Scolus now, and it appears their drives are disabled too.”\n\nCael had recovered from his initial shock. Launch nuclear bays 1 through 3. Fusion thrust. Let’s see if we can’t get these bastards to warp out of here.” Moments later, bay doors on the Celsior opened, and enough nuclear material to destroy a small planet was launched. And then disappeared. \n\n“Did they just warp our missiles away.”\n\n“Looks like it,” grimaced Frede. “We’re flies in a web.” Celsior began to accelerate.\n\n“Nav officer, I did not give you permission to start conventional engines.”\n\n“It’s not me sir. It’s - we’re accelerating towards the ship.” Helplessly, the crew watched as they were dragged through space. Minutes later, they felt the ship jump, and the accelerating force disappeared.”\n\n“Status report.”\n\n“It looks like the ship pulled Celsior and the two civillians with it while it jumped. I didn’t know that was possible. But I’m reading heat signatures from it now. It seems damaged.”\n\n“Get a crew out there. I want to find out what happened.” Celsior launched two reconnaissance ships, which moved forward to investigate. When they reached visual range, the lead ship reported. “Sir, the ship looks destroyed. I think it warped right into the path of a meteorite. It must be an exotic material, because their prewarp sensors didn’t detect it.”\n\n“Bring samples of whatever is left back here. Time to figure out what’s going on.”", "The Blacksmith God and the Storm God were currently in their roman forms, Vulcan and Jupiter respectively. Vulcan kneeled before what was currently his father. The Blacksmith God hated this form, hated how weak he felt despite being a deity. The Roman stories said that not only was Vulcan born ugly, but he was crippled from being thrown off Mount Olympus as a baby. \n\nWhile the Blacksmith God was ugly and crippled, the Storm God benefitted from his form as Jupiter. Here he was the king of the gods, and Vulcan thought it was best to bargain with him in these forms, where Jupiter would think he had the upper hand. \n\n“Rise, my son,” Jupiter said, sitting in his magnificent throne.\n\nVulcan did as his father ordered and stood, but made sure to keep his head lowered, trying his best to look respectful. \n\n“I’d like to thank you again for helping me,” Jupiter continued. “If it wasn’t for your...invention, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of that mess.”\n\n“I’m just glad to have helped, Father,” Vulcan replied.\n\nJupiter nodded, which was his way of dismissing him. But Vulcan didn’t move and instead said, “I have a request.”\n\nJupiter was taken aback, but replied, “Okay, speak.”\n\n“I want a hammer.”\n\nJupiter chuckled. “Don’t you think you have enough of your own? You are a blacksmith after all.”\n\n“Your hammer,” Vulcan clarified.\n\nJupiter’s smile disappeared once he understood what Vulcan was referring to. “You can’t be serious.”\n\nVulcan- now making direct eye contact with Jupiter- did not drop his gaze.\n\n“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. That hammer is the symbol of my other form, to just give it to you would be foolish! It’s not even meant for blacksmithing, it’s a weapon.” Jupiter leaned forward. “Name another price.”\n\n“I helped you get out of that situation.”\n\n“Which I said I appreciated-”\n\n“It would be a shame if my efforts went to waste and Mother found out what you did.”\n\nFor a moment, Jupiter couldn’t believe what he was hearing and just stared at Vulcan. Then, as Vulcan predicted, the room shook and Jupiter shouted, “You dare to blackmail me, boy? I am your king, and I will not tolerate your disobedience.”\n\nOn the outside, Vulcan didn’t appear to be very phased by Jupiter’s temper, but he was shaking on the inside. He knew he was playing with fire by angering his father, but playing with fire was his specialty as a blacksmith. \n\n“Be as angry as you want,” Vulcan said, “but you and I both know that I’ll find a way to tell Juno. You can imprison me, but I’ll find a way.”\n\nJupiter glared at his son, and his eyes literally flashed with anger. But when the room stopped shaking, Vulcan knew that he had won. The hair on Jupiter’s face and head turned red, and his already impressive body expanded into something more muscular.\n\nSoon enough, the man sitting on the throne was no longer Jupiter but instead Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Vulcan stared at the hammer Thor held in his hand. The legendary hammer Mjölnir. Thor, even more angry than Juipiter, glared at Vulcan but handed the weapon over to him.\n\nVulcan held the hammer, hardly believing his plan had worked. He turned away and walked as quickly as he could in his crippled form, not wanting Thor/Jupiter to zap him with his thunderbolt. But before he left the room, Thor asked, “What do you plan to do with the hammer anyway? Build something?”\n\nThor couldn’t see it, but Vulcan was grinning in a way that would’ve given the Trickster God a run for his money. Continuing the walk out, Vulcan said, “You’ll see soon enough.” \n\n\\\\\\\n\nKagutsuchi, the Japanese god of fire, was talking to his son Akira. Technically it was Vulcan’s son, but Kagutsuchi felt it was best to use this form to relate better to his half-Japanese son. As he finished telling him the plan, Akira looked confused.\n\n“So,” he said, “you want me to put this manhole into the fake city that’s being made to test the weapon?”\n\n“Yes,” Kagustuchi said.\n\n“But...why?”\n\n“Do you know anything about Greek or Roman mythology, son?”\n\nAkira shook his head. Even though he was a demigod, Akira never took much interest in his heritage. He viewed the Blacksmith God more like an uncle that would drop by into his life occasionally rather than a real father. \n\n“Well, to make a long story short, I hate Mars.”\n\n“The planet?”\n\n“No, Mars. The god of war.”\n\n“I thought Ares was the god of war?”\n\n“He is- look what’s important is I hate Mars. He’s always having sex with my wife, Venus.”\n\n“The god, not the planet?”\n\nKagustuchi sighed. “Yes, the god, not the planet. Look, do you think you can put the manhole into the city?”\n\nAkira nodded. “Sure, Dad. What’s so special about the manhole anyway?”\n\nKagustuchi gave that same devilish grin he had back when he had blackmailed Jupiter. “It’s made from Thor’s hammer.”\n\nAkira stared blankly at his father.\n\nKagustuchi, sighing again, said, “As in Chris Hemsworth’s character from the Marvel movies.”\n\n“Oh, why didn’t you say so?”\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThe government tested their weapon on the fake city. As planned, the city blew up. What wasn’t planned was the manhole that was launched into the air. The manhole that was once Thor’s hammer soared, nearly taking out the wing of an airplane. It flew until it reached space, and was headed straight towards Mars.\n\nThe planet Mars. At the moment Mars the god of war was on the planet, and he was proud. His daughter had just become the conqueror of Mars (the planet). Instead of using diplomacy, she had used good old-fashioned bloodshed and violence. Mars (the god) could almost cry from joy.\n\nRight as he was about to give his daughter the present, he noticed something in the sky. At first he thought it was a meteor. And then strangely enough, he could have sworn it was a lightning bolt. Before he had time to figure out what it was, Mars now stood in front of his headless daughter, who had been decapitated by the projectile. \n\nMars’s mouth was wide open as his daughter’s body fell on the ground. He dropped his present and stared at the corpse in front of him. More angry than he had been in ages, he grit his teeth and walked towards the projectile. When he saw the manhole, he was even more confused, until he read the message on the object: Congratulations on your daughter conquering Mars. Love, Vulcan. \n\nVulcan, who was in his workshop on Earth, smiled when he heard a scream in the distance." ]	3
[WP]You try to explain to your vampire daughter than going vegan isn’t for the undead.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Dad, I've decided I'm gonna go vegan,\" my daughter said. I still couldn't believe that she didn't understand the problem with that.\n\n\"Listen, Catherine, you've been a vampire for the past five years, right?\" I began to explain. She nodded. \"And you know vampire's need to drink blood to survive, right?\"\n\n\"Um, yah,\" she responded in her usual valley girl stereotype way of talking. She lived in Philadelphia, but she talked like that just to annoy everyone.\n\n\"Right, and blood is something you can't eat if you're a carnivore.\"\n\n\"Makes sense to me,\" she agreed.\n\n\"Okay then, so how about I make a bloody steak for you?\" I offered.\n\n\"Sounds good,\" she answered.\n\nI then jammed a bloody wooden stake into her heart because I was ashamed of having to explain that to her yet again.", "\"Because little girls like you need some meat in them!\" I yelled. She gawked at me awkwardly.\n\n\"I- didn't mean it like that.\"\n\nMy daughter, Gretchen has been going through some, _Odd_ changes. See, She made a few friends at school, and today I've just met them. They were okay, they didn't disturb me while I watching the Knicks, nor did they ask too many questions.\n\nThey just have some _VERY_ selective choices. I think they may be brainwashing my daughter. \n\n\"Well, dad, they've shown me a new way of eating!\"\n\n\"What's wrong with the way I feed you? I feed you well, EVERY DAY!\"\n\n\"I KNOW, DAD! But guess what? there is a line! Would you do the same to Chewy?\"\n\nI gasped. Chewy was our 6-month-old chihuahua.\n\n\"How dare you put chewy with them! Chewy does not come from the junkyard EVER!\"\n\n\"Where do you think I found him?\" \n\nI hesitated. She DID have a point.\n\n\"Look, the point I want to make is this, YOU are a vampire. YOU can't eat anything that oversteps your boundaries.\"\n\nShe whipped around. \"Really. Why not.\" She was so deadpan she looked like my afternoon snack. \n\n\"Well, because anything that is not meat is disgusting to us. You know this very well.\"\n\n\"Yea. I do.\" She then proceeded to dig inside her pocket for something. She dug inside her back pocket. She pulled a bag of Oreos out and ate one. I watched, puzzled.\n\n\"Is.. this a trick?\" She shook her head no.\n\n\"They're vegan.\"\n\n\"IT WAS A TRICK!\" I shrieked. \n\n\"Guess what, they're delicious! HISSS!\" she hissed at me. she HISSED at me.\n\n\"HISSS!\"\n\n\"HISSS!\"\n\n\"HISSS!\"\n\nWhile the hissing and fussing continued, Her friends overheard everything from the other room. \n\n\"Kayla lets never speak of this again.\"\n\n\"We were never here.\"", "\"Hey dad, I'm going out with the girls to the mall. I'll be back before sunrise.\"\n\n\"The mall is a difficult place to discretely lure a meal. Return at once should you feel the urge to feed.\"\n\n\"Actually, Jess has been talking about this great restaurant she's been wanting to take me to. She says their vegan food is amazing.\"\n\n\"Ugh. A vegan is hardly a satisfying feast. Barely quenches the thirst. Trust me. If you must eat out, anything besides a vegan will do.\"\n\n\"Dad, I'm not going to eat a vegan, I'm going to eat vegan food. At the restaurant. Like normal people. You know, like fruits and vegetables.\"\n\n\"That's nice dear. A little oregano works wonders with the AB+ blood types, if you can manage it.\"\n\n\"Yeah, whatever dad.\"\n\n...\n\n\"I should have stopped it then. But how could I have foreseen my daughter becoming confused with this vegan nonsense. The humans are our sustenance; we feed on them. But those damned human pets of yours convinced you to eat like one! How repulsive! We are above that.\"\n\n\"I will eat what I want, and they aren't my pets they are MY FRIENDS!\"\n\n\"I will not allow my daughter to starve herself. Do you know what it means to starve to death as a vampire? Do you understand how easy you have it now? A millennia ago a vampire had to travel from village to village, country to country, to avoid getting caught and finding a stake in your heart. Or you work hard, claim land, and raise a herd of humans in a village of your own. Now you can have a meal whenever you want. To starve to death is a vampire's greatest shame. To be so weak as to be bested by our prey.\"\n\n\"People are not my prey; they're my friends! I can't continue sucking people's blood. I'm not going to treat them like they're some animal to be exploited.\"\n\n\"Humans ARE animals! You know what? Make do with pig's blood, if humans have endeared themselves to you to such a ridiculous degree.\"\n\n\"No! It doesn't matter what species, taking their blood is wrong! That's half the point of veganism; to stop hurting innocent creatures!\"\n\n\"No human is an innocent creature. Our ancestors all died at their hands. You disgrace their names with fraternal love for the enemy and food of your people.\"\n\n\"Argh!\"\n\n\"Don't you leave! I did not give you permission to leave!\"\n\n\"Eek eek e eek!\" Translated from bat reads as 'I don't need your permission to eat, and I don't need your permission to go to my room!'\n\n...\n\n\"How is she nurse?\"\n\n\"She's awakened and recovered. You'll have a chance to speak with her soon.\"\n\n\"What a relief!\"\n\n\"We're running some blood tests to see if everthing is okay. We want to check off anemia as a possibility.\"\n\n\"Oh? Is that so. I, uh. Hmm.\"\n\n\"Uncomfortable around blood? Don't worry, we finished drawing before you arrived.\"\n\n\"Yes, of course. Drawing blood makes me a bit faint. I guess she takes after me.\"\n\n\"Have you noticed your daughter being more anxious lately, due to a test or nervous fitting in with her classmates?\"\n\n\"I don't think so.\"\n\n\"Hmm. Has your daughter been pushing herself lately, or not getting enough fluids?\"\n\n\"Yes. YES! She hasn't been drinking enough lately.\"\n\n\"That could be reason for her fainting spell. Has she ever fainted before?\"\n\n\"No. I would like to see her, now.\"\n\n\"I should warn you she hasn't regained the color in her face, but she should regain it in a short while.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Hello my darling. How are you feeling?\"\n\n\"I'm fine. Everyone is making a huge fuss over nothing.\"\n\n\"Have you spoken with the doctor yet?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"...Dad.\"\n\n\"Please, I beg of you. End this vegan nonsense.\"\n\n\"I'm not in the mood for this conversation.\"\n\n\"It pains me to see you like this. For years I have kept you fed, and now look at you.\"\n\n\"I said I'm fine! This is nothing to worry about.\"\n\n\"But don't you see? This is just the beginning; this is killing you.\"\n\n\"Yeah, well I don't want to be the one killing.\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"It just occured to me that they take your blood here.\"\n\n\"Yeah dad. We are in a hospital.\"\n\n\"I know, I know. They take blood without harming anyone. They took your blood!\"\n\n\"Okay.\"\n\n\"My dear, you can't live on fruits and vegetables, and you can't stomach hurting the food. So don't. You don't have to!\"\n\n\"You want me to draw blood, with a syringe?\"\n\n\"No! I mean, yes, er. What I mean to say is if I can ensure blood is taken without harming a human, would you take it?\"\n\n\"I. I dunno.\"\n\n\"Please consider it. I promise you can have all the lettuce on the side that you want, but whether the human lives on or not you NEED blood.\"\n\n\"I guess that could work, but can you really get all that blood without hurting anyone?\"\n\n\"My love, if a human can do it, I can too.\"" ]	4
[WP] Satan, king of hell, lord of the damned, has just retired. Why? Because he just had a baby daughter, and is giving it his all to make sure she doesn't turn out like 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%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.", "“Put that down!”\n\nExhausted, Satan slumped back into his pillowy recliner. The baby girl in his arms let out a playful giggle as Satan let out a long sigh. Her arms stretched back towards the Black Book on the floor. Satan kept her in his arms and closed his eyes.\n\nThe phone rang. He made a motion with his wrist and the phone glided across the room into his hand.\n\n“Yes?” he grumbled.\n\nA fearful voice quivered from the phone, “O Great Destroyer, Torturer of Souls, King of the Da—“\n\n“Get on with it!” Satan growled, careful not to raise his voice in front of the child.\n\n“Sir, you— you are being fined for a recent parking violation and are requested to appear in Hell Citizen Court on—“\n\nSatan shattered the phone against the wall with another flick of his wrist as he shouted in frustration. Returning to citizen status had brought many consequences that made Satan question if his decision was worth it. He created parking violations and tax returns as ingenious torture devices, but now dreaded their impending doom. Gone are all his assistants and luxuries. Satan was only left with the small beautiful child.\n\nA small whimper in his arms grew into frightened wailing.\n\n“It’s okay, it’s okay! I’m sorry!” Satan comforted.\n\nSatan let his foot slide forward and a few empty bottles of vodka fell aside. He looked around him at the photos on the cavern walls, his favorite torture victims frozen in agony.\n\nNone of it brought him joy anymore. In fact, it never did. His own past misery always desired company, yet this sweet little girl changed everything. He felt the joy he never thought he was capable of. All those years of trying to bring happiness out of commiseration, yet here was that happiness simply. She deserved to receive that gift over and over and Satan desired that she would never know misery. \n\nWhile Satan’s mind wandered, the girl slipped out of his arms and crawled towards the Black Book, flipping open its grotesquely illustrated pages. Her black eyes were wide with wonder and she defecated in excitement.\n\nStill lost in his rambling thoughts, Satan didn’t notice as she imitated the images in the Black Book, her hands waving with fingers pinched in symbolism. Her eyes fixated on a nearby doll, which suddenly burst into flames.\n\nSatan stood quickly and recited an incantation that doused the flames quickly. His daughter clapped and giggled proudly. The odor from her bottom grew intensely.\n\n“She’s a natural. This is going to be difficult.”", "“Sir, this is extremely unusual,” Malphas said. \n\nHe looked around the kitchen of the cabin, taking it in. Satan had constructed on the outer edges of hell. The cabinets were made of the darkest ebony wood, inlaid with pure ivory in fanciful designs. Glancing down, Malphas saw that the table was made of solidified and polished lava on ebony legs.\n\n“I don’t care if it’s unusual. I’m retiring,” replied Satan as he walked over and poured a cup of tea for Malphas. \n\n“I’ve been the Lord of hell ever since my father threw me down here for rebelling. Well, I’m done with all that Malphas. I don’t enjoy it and I never have. Besides, things have been going really well with Persephone these past few centuries. Really, really well.”\n\nAs if summoned, Persephone flitted into the kitchen and wrapped her left arm around Satan. Leaning upwards, she gave him a happy peck on the cheek. Malphas felt his eyes widen as the bundle she was carrying in her right arm twitched lightly and let out a cooing sound. \n\n“Is that…?” he started.\n\n“Yes,” Satan replied with a joyful smile. “That is my child. We’ve decided to go for a more modern name - Angelica.”\n\nMalphas was stunned. He knew that Persephone and Satan had been seeing each other again. They’d been off and on for centuries. He had no idea they were so serious this time. \n\n“B-But what about the hell pits, Lord Satan?” Malphas stuttered, caught completely by surprise “Who will watch them?” \n\n“You will,” Satan replied. “And just like Hades before it, I’m done with the name ‘Satan’ You can call me Stanley now.”\n\n“I wasn’t raised well, Malphas. My father let me raise myself and then struck me down when I showed free thought. So I spent millennia torturing poor souls who had nothing to do with me. I basically enslaved my wife.”\nAs he said this last, Stanley turned to Persephone. His red eyes softened as he kissed her on the forehead.\n\n“I have no idea how she has learned to forgive me. But I haven’t been feeling like the lord of hell for quite some time now.”\n\n“But sir! We need you!” Malphas exclaimed in disbelief.\n\n“And my daughter needs me more,” Stanley cooly replied. “I won’t be like my father. I will be there for her. You’ll do fine Malphas - just remember to torture those who truly deserve it. Damn line cutters.”\n\n“I have a new job,” he continued, “and that’s raising little Angelica. I’m going to raise her right and show her I care about her.”\n\n“If you need advice, you always know where to find us. But please, don’t need advice.”\n\nMalphas stood shakily, leaving the tea untouched. \n\n“I am honored Lord… Stanley,” he said, turning to the front door. “I have much to do and have not prepared. I wish you’d given me a little warning, at least.”\n\n“No need to call me Lord, Malphas,” Stanley replied. “My family is my only domain now. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you ahead of time. I wish you luck, though I don’t think you need it - I believe in your capabilities. I hope you have a good journey. Feel free to renovate.”\n\nAs he closed the thick ebony door behind him, Malphas saw Stanley bend over and give the bundle a kiss. \nWell… this was an unexpected development. \n\nMalphas - Lord of Hell. Now that he’d had a minute to think about it, he quite liked the sound of that." ]	3
[WP] You die and meet death. He presents you with 2 options. Either be his servant and help him in his chores. Or get sent to hell. Easy. You chose to be his servant. Death smiles slyly and gives you the first chore. You have go to heaven and fetch Jesus. Death wants a rematch!	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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… what happened?” I asked.\n\n“A truck happened,” a voice said from the blackness.\n\nIt was like an echo had whispered into my ear, distorted beyond the point of having any gender. \n\n“More specifically,” it continued, “a Volvo VNL 300 happened. You really should have watched those crosswalk lights.”\n\nI looked for who had spoken. Wherever I was, everything was black. I had first thought it was dark, but, when I looked down, my body was perfectly visible. As I turned round and round, I found no one. When I stopped, the figure was there.\n\n“Hello,” it said.\n\nI stepped away. The figure was draped in a cloak that flowed like smoke in a breeze that wasn’t there. In its hand was a scythe with a blade of untarnished silver. From under its hood, its scull looked out at me with the dull glow of a funeral pyre radiating from the sockets.\n\n“Oh god,” I whispered, “I’m dead…”\n\n“Good,” the reaper nodded, “you’ve reached acceptance. That will save us both time.”\n\n“I… I was hit…” I said as blurred images bobbed in my mind. “I was on the ground. Everything hurt. Then…”\n\n“Then you were here,” the reaper completed the thought for me. “That is correct. Your death has come. Now, all that is left is to decide where you are to go.”\n\n“Where I’m…” I repeated, running through the words over and over until they had meaning. “I’m going to hell!?”\n\n“Perhaps.”\n\n“No… No! I don’t deserve that! I wasn’t that bad!”\n\n“I see we are back to denial.”\n\nThe reaper closed the gap between us. I had forgotten if it was always so tall as my head was forced back to see its glowing eyes.\n\n“We both know that you were,” it said, “there is no need to list out your sins.”\n\nI swallowed on a dry throat. “You… you said we had to decide where I was going. That means I could go somewhere else, right?”\n\n“Correct.”\n\n“What are the other options?” the question nearly tangled in its rush out of my mouth.\n\n“There is but one other,” the reaper said, lifting one of its bony fingers. “You may avoid the fires if you instead agree to work alongside myself until time and space collapse back down into what they once were.”\n\nThe words brought images of humans being born, growing old, and dying hundreds of times over. That was the period of servitude that stood before me. For all that time, for all that death, I couldn’t foresee any flames or screams of agony.\n\n“I’ll do it!” I breathed. “I’ll work for you. Forever if I have to.”\n\nThe reaper’s head tilled so the curve of its jaw formed a horrible grin. “Good,” it said. “Your first task shall be simple.” Its skull came withing an inch of my face. “Go to heaven and bring that boy Jesus here. I want a rematch.”\n\n“Um…” I stammered. “Do you mean… like… checkers?”" ]	2
[WP] After a devastating battle with his arch nemesis, crowds cry out for the greatest superhero to get up and keep fighting. Except this time, he doesn’t get up, now nobody, including the villain, knows where to go from here.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Someone always knows where to go. It comes from unlikely places. But everyone knows where to go. What to do.\n\nThe question is who has the balls to actually make it happen. The battle had been intense, rockets, laser swords, from proverbial pillar to equally proverbial post. The Villian recovered the fastest attempting to kill the immediate surrounding people. Without power the people fled. They were powerless after all, and without that power there was fear. Cowardice.\n\nBut as i said, it comes from unlikely places.\n\n\"TitanFall.\" Someone said into their smart watch. Someone who didn't know what else to say. The word just filled his being as the villain launched his wild assault. The word caused the Villain swords in hand to spin around...and back away for it was already too late. The hero's power had been shot into the sky and there was no way to know how it would manifest again. If it had manifested so soon this would get very interesting.\n\nAnd sure enough as if from a video game, the familiar shape of a Vanguard Class Titan, armed in the ronin package. The gear of a pilot formed around the man who had spoken the words and a powerful shotgun appeared in his hand...he looks up to the Titan who is now looking down at him. The Link, already established Both knew what had to be done. He would deal with the villain the titan would contain the damage. \n\nThe battle began anew the sounds of the titanic EV-8 spitting lead all over the place vs the screams of the Villain who realized now the situation had evolved beyond his control. These new powers would take time to figure out. Time he likely was not going to get.", "I stood up from the rubble of what was probably once a nice suburban home, still dazed after my latest weapon detonated in the arms of my nemesis, and sent us both hurtling in opposite directions.\n\nMy power armor took the brunt of the damage for me, which was probably why i was still alive, at least for now. no doubt he'd be back to try to tear me from it in short order, so i'd best get back to the relative level ground of the street.\n\nAnd there i waited, first on the street, and then hovering 50 feet above it, with no sign of him anywhere. i knew which way he'd been thrown by the blast, and made my way in that direction, scanning for any signs of his landing.\n\nAt last, i found what looked like his torn costume, and reached out for it, lifting it to find his broken body still within it, clear signs of the explosion he'd mostly contained burned into his chest and neck, no life signs detected.\n\nAt first, i expected this to be some kind of ploy, to make me drop my guard, but as the minutes stretched on, and a crowd began to form, it became clear that, finally, i had won.\n\nthe wails of grief from the crowd below, as they saw their hero's body hanging from its cloak gripped in my armored fist, reached me, i turned to address them.\n\n\"Good people of this great city,\" I declared, my voice amplified by my armor, \"it is with some great pleasure that i announce, your hero has fallen. Now, i know that many of you are upset, but do try not to destroy much more of my city, as i retreat to my lair, to scrap many of my plans, and decide what the hell i am to do with you all.\"", "The dust was beginning to settle. I tightened my grip on my staff, waiting for the “whoop!” of his jungle cry that preceded most attacks. Every muscle in my body was tense, almost trembling, but I tried to maintain an angry calm. \n\nMy villainous side-kick, Nero the Jungle Cat, twitched his tail in agitation. \n\nI could almost hear all of Rio holding their breath.\n\nWe stood there for what felt like hours. \n\nNero glanced at me, nose twitching.\n\n“What’s happening here, boss? When’s he coming back?”\n\nI grunted. George always came back. Usually with a yell and a new animal friend, or with one of his regular buddies, their friendship renewed and strengthened in a wonderful moral arc that made my mouth taste like stomach bile. \n\nAnd yet. And yet. \n\nThe crowd was beginning to chant, “George! George! George!” in louder and louder voices. Windows began to shake in their panes. People stamped their feet, pounded on the walls of their houses. “GEORGE! GEORGE! GEORGE!”\n\nRenewed adrenaline surged. I could almost hear the triumphant swell of brass and strings as the hero rose from the treeline, bathed in the dying sunlight, ready to fight for his people and his jungle.\n\nBut it never came. \n\nI cleared my throat, and slowly began to lower my staff. \n\nWas… was this it? Did I succeed at last? \n\nI opened my mouth to begin the speech I had prepared years and years ago, declaring my rule and my will upon all on the island. But what came out was a laugh that ripped through my belly and stole all my words as I realized I was about to begin monologuing.\n\nAnd of course that would bring George back.\n\nEven my maniacal laughter (and yes, it was maniacal, the chants had died and the people withdrew in fear from their front stoops to watch me from their windows) was a sure-fire sign that the battle was to begin anew.\n\nNero glared at me.\n\nDarkness settled around us. I had walked through the vacated streets, searching. There were few candles inside the houses. Mostly I swatted mosquitoes and peered through the darkness.\n\nWhen dawn came, I found myself on top of the vacated City Hall, watching the town go about their day. Most had risen with the sun, and were drinking coffee while getting ready to tend the fields. A daring teenager even waved at me.\n\nI rubbed my tired eyes. \n\n“Well… What now?” Nero yawned. \n\nI fingered my staff, staring at the blue power inside. All of my dreams, all my ideas of how to bring automation and innovation to this city, to the world…\n\n“I guess we rule.”" ]	4
[WP] "For my first wish, I want 100 more wishes!" The genie appears confused, as no one has asked for this before. "Okay, yeah. You now have 102 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.", "The genies face is a mask as with a flourished snap of his green fingers he responds 'okay, yeah. You now have 102 wishes and no more'. This strikes me for a moment and i pause, as the Genie cocks his head ever so slightly to the side looking at me almost with the endearment one might give a small child. I look up at him to question? 'no more?' The genie smiles and explains 'you asked for 100 more wishes. I have granted this to you. I will not remain with you forever. You will not live forever. So make your wishes as you please, but know you can not ask for more'. A fear begins to grip at me." ]	2
[WP] Listening to music gives you superpowers depending on the song, the better the song, the stronger the power. One day in music class, something goes horribly wrong.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 all began when Mrs Henderson's kid caught that stomach bug in daycare.\n\nAs far as superpowers went, mine was fairly straightforward. It changed depending on the last piece of music I listened to, for as long as I could remember enough of the tune to hum at least the main melody. \n\nMy dad banned classical music after I heard a certain part of the 1812 Overture during movie night. \n\nBut Mrs Henderson was my music teacher this year, and she wasn't about to let a little thing like potentially uncontrollable and destructive superpowers limit my musical horizons to muzak and chart-topping hits. Sometimes she sent me the music files in advance and I'd listen to them in the field during class. Recently, though, she'd started bringing in pieces which my power didn't respond to at all. I wasn't sure why its definition of music seemed to exclude clapping and everything by Schoenberg, but at least I had something new to listen to.\n\nThen, of course, her kid got sick and we needed to have a substitute.\n\nMr Reynolds, as far as I could tell, saw himself as a very serious man. But for whatever reason the school only ever sent him in for the classes they deemed useless like art and music, and we could all tell it bothered him. Normally he just declared a free period and let the class run wild while he graded papers.\n\nBut today was different. He marched into our classroom with a CD player in his arms and a gleam in his eye.\n\n\"Mrs Henderson left me her lesson plan for today,\" he said. \"What, Beethoven and Mozart aren't good enough for you kids anymore? Fine. My good-for-nothing son's a music major; I found this in his collection. Let's see Mrs Henderson try to top this.\"\n\nI got up to leave.\n\n\"Oh no you don't, young lady!\" He hollered. \"Superpowers aren't a get-out-of-jail-free card for anything. You'd better start learning that now, before you become one of those metahumans who end up in the news every other week for their city-destroying battles.\"\n\nHe must have loaded the CD in beforehand, because he pressed play immediately.\n\nThe most [godawful noise](https://youtu.be/etHtCVeU4-I) filled the room, and then-\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy power hadn't lasted long, at least. The initial storm of black butterflies I turned into tore the CD player to shreds fairly quickly. More importantly, there was no way I could possibly have hummed it. \n\nSeveral of my classmates who didn't dive for cover in time got sliced by the butterflies too. But after the school called my parents and they saw the damage, they now let me listen to everything I want except for that song. Which I don't like anyway. I'll take my wins where I can get them.", "\"Okay class, today we will be listening to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by the band Queen!\"\n\nThere were multiple whoops of delight. Our music teacher had instilled a love of Queen in us since day one, when we listened to 'Killer Queen' and all gained the power to turn anything into ice. \n\n\"Is this the real life...\" the song began, and utter chaos exploded. When everyone joined in to sing, the entire room exploded into small bits of glass and plaster. Everyone remained protected, but dust and smoke was swirling all over the place. Though the CD player had been destroyed, the music was still playing. \n\n\"Maaammmmaaaaa, just killed a man...\"\n\nNo one could resist this part. By far one of the catchiest verses ever written. We should have learned our lesson with the first words, but we were young and foolish. The ground split in an earsplitting crack, engulfing the whole school in destructive flames. \n\n\"It gives the superpower of...destruction. This is one of the ultimate songs. We have to-\" Our teacher's voice was obscured by sobbing students alternating between high and low cries of \"Galileo!\"\n\nI realized I was too, singing along, with devastating effects happening left and right. Fire, ice, dangerous predatory animals, and other horrible things were surrounding us. The music was controlling us, too strong to resist. Sobbing we worked through the last few verses until another guitar solo. \n\n\"Everyone, we have to stop! We must do something!\" Cried one of our classmates.\n\n It was useless though, as everyone was in too much of a panic to be helpful. The lyrics started up again, and everyone started singing in a screaming agony. Our protection has dissapeared, and we were enduring burning flesh and sulphuric air. The acrid smell of death was filling the air as we finally finished with \"Anywhere the wind blows...\"\n\nWith the sound of the gong ending the song, a blinding light flashed and everything dissipated.", "\"I'm a genius\" thought to myself when i pay the tution for music class. \n\nI mean what would you do, what would anyone do, when they figured their superpowers scales with music? Learn the deep of it of course!\n\nI used my shuffles and recommendation to figured it out which song has the best scale. I diced deep on youtube recomendations. All i have to do is making sure i have enough battery while using my powers. \n\nIt wasn't enough though. There are all kind of supwerpowers out there and as far as i can see they don't have a strict condition like i do. Not until i accidently figured it out how to improve it ten times in an instant\n\nI was minding my own business until i come across a street performance which they were just singing a song. I could feel the growing power inside me. I wasn't even paying attention to them. I was just walking with a headset. But the loud melody coming through the banging music on my ears. When i take off the headset i got overwhelmed by the power. It was almost ecstasy.\n\nTurns out listennig from a device was a downgrade. I tested with some live performance. Result was different. If i listen it from a mic it's pretty much the same. But if i could get close enough to listen their voice naked, that was the real boost.\n\nNow, obviously i couldn't just rent someone. It would be not only too suspicious but also i don't want to be constrained to someone. It seems not only i'm greedy but also having trust issues huh. Well, both of them wouldn't be a problem when i achieve the generate my own power.\n\nExcept I was so focused i didn't even think about the opposite\n\nListening better music boost my power and bad music is...Well the first day of music class wasn't bad actually. We learn notes and stuff. It was the second lesson when we actually start practicing. I sing song by myself and it won't effect my abilities but a class of amatuers is a different story.\n\nTheir naked cracking voices, their wrong notes, their ear dropping sounds. The first wave hit like truck. The headache was so tense i couldn't even speak let alone get up and leave. The teacher thought i was just having an megrim or something. As he approaches me all i could was shaken. The negative effects of my powers overwhelmed me. The misery was so tense it was eating me up inside. Then the worried teacher touch me in order to help. He was probably saying something like fresh air before...Well before i storm the area basicly.\n\nSuprisingly the powers was at the same level when i listening a live performance. But the control i had was nowhere near it. It just storm the area, leaving nothing but destruction behind. I guess it started with an explosion? I don't remember as my vision also blurs my memory. I remember some bright color but it could be because of the blood coming from my eyes. Or the superheros who wanted to help others. It was too late though. \n\nI'm not even sure if i'll make it alive now.\n\nBut i really wish to! Someone! Help me!", "“Okay everyone, our lesson today includes something I know you all like” announced Mr. Treyball. \n\n“We will be listening to music from all the decades that defined our genres and cultures. If you will look at your presented worksheets, all you have to do is guess how many beats per minute, or BPM as well say, is in the track, guess the name of the song and what decade it is from”\n\nPerfect I thought! This is going to give me so much to work with regarding my new powers! I know it’s normal for everyone to discover that music opens the soul, but I actually found a way to tap in to my soul and activate its power! \n\nGiven the current situation in Sweden and the insane amount of earthquakes they’ve been having, I KNOW somethings up and honestly I do believe I’m the only one who knows how to stop it. \n\n“OK students, prep yourselves, grab a pencil and we begin in 3... 2.... 1...”\n\nMr. Treyball clicks the mouse to start the music and it’s instantly recognisable! The first track is the 80’s track form Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name! This is ALWAYS the song I blast to be my hype song. I think my record for this is a 1km sprint in just 1 minute 22 seconds. Of course that’s just for warm up exercise, I can easily smash that when I’m fully pumped! \nThe second song comes on, yeah I know this one too. It’s Pendulum - Slam! This is my go to for when I need to power up for some serious lifting or KO ability. \n\nI slowly sink one hand in to my pocket and grab fumble around for the steel nail I keep there. I use this to gauge the durability of my skin with certain conditions and sure enough, pressing as hard as I can, the nail starts to bend. Just as expected, high energy song gives me high energy results. \n\n“Okay, get ready for number three!” Announces Mr.Treyball. The song form 2005 starts to fade and in its place comes the sweet melancholy of Elvis Presley! I’d never thought of trying out old tunes, but this one... I remember my Grandad telling me stories of how he met Nan and how he used to sing this to her. Love me Tender Elvis Presley 1957. \n\nAf few seconds I immediately notice a change. Not a physical one, but a mental change! I began to “feel” everyone in the room! Jimmy is bored, Danielle is REALLY angry at Harriet and.... oh dude that’s GROSS! Come on Kiall, you shouldn’t even be thinking about Mrs. Brayfox like that dude... she’s like almost retired at 70 something! Man you got some kink that’s for sure.... \n\nThis is a most unexpected turn. Previously I only listened to music that I thought would manifest physical powers, but maybe a song of the heart can help me with some kind of psychological buff too. Testing is ABSOLUTELY needed! After all I’ve only had these powers for about 16 and a bit weeks, actually using them properly for the last 6... I know about the Prodigy - firestarter, the Earth Song - Micheal Jackson, Thunderstruck - AC/DC, these give me elemental control, but I’ve NEVER thought to connect to other people’s minds!\n\n“Number 4! Almost halfway there” came the booming tone of Mr.Treyball - why is he always so loud?\n\nBut... wait.... what is this bass line? I..... Oh..... God.... gotta.... get...... out...... of here... not again..... not here....\n\nMy whole body trembling, shaking with such vigour, my nervous system screaming in Pain\n\n“Si-sir... I need to ... leave.... I don’t feel.....” I started to rise, fighting to hold back the reaction that was happening all through my body. \n\n“Sit Down Callum, just wait unti... OH LORD!\n\nThe room spun, my whole body becoming numb.... everything going dark....\n\nI fell to the ground with a heavy thump. \n\n.....\n.........\n.............\n\n“Hmmm mrrf shmmm tnnnmms not looking too good, his brain function almost completely shut down”\n\nCrap! I didn’t make it. A harsh white glare pierced my eyes as I struggle to open them. The room is fuzzy and blurry, slowly shifting from double vision to a hazed focus. I blink a few times, just to help my eyes adjust. I already know what happened, but I’ve got to keep up the ignorance angle. \n\n“Wha.... what happened? Where am I?” I rasped, a dry mouth proving difficult to operate. \n\n“You’re in the hospital Son, you collapsed at school. Do you remember much of what happened?”\n\nDo I remember much he says? Hah, I swear, that “music” is literally my superman’s kyrptonite. Literally makes my entire being reverberate with such empty numbness and disgust....\n\n“I.... I remember.... we were in music class...” I began. \n\nI swear..... I WILL have my revenge on you....\n\n“ I remember we were listening to music through the decades...”\n\nI WILL get you for this!\n\n“It was the 80’s first... then the 00’s...”\n\nI will not rest until I stop you.....\n\n“Then it was my Grandads favourite song... Elvis Presley - Love me tender” \n\nYou will not escape my wrath...\n\n“And then...”\n\nFor as long as I draw breath. \n\n“Then it was....”\n\nSuch crimes against music cannot be forgiven. You WILL pay,,,\n\n“Nicki Minaj”" ]	5
[WP] a combat robot has been sent back in time to kill a specific caveman and prevent his entire lineage from existing, thus sparring humanity thousands of years of bloody warfare throughout history. Except, this is the 5th bot they've sent back, each one being destroyed by the target.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"No change sir, Five must have been destroyed or deactivated\" came the quivering voice of Dr Flocks, the way he raised his hand when he said something like he was still an undergrad really bothered Dr Munroe, who ran his hand through his thinning hair as he silently raged.\n\n\"How can that be? That robot was more than state of the art, how can a caveman be doing this? Each of those robots was smart, well armed, practically indestructible, and under strict orders to ensure that that specific genealogy of man didn't have a chance to reproduce\" a number of his staff wanted to answer, but arguing with Munroe was an excellent way to end your career, after all his research into AI and the span at which it had advanced humanity and the speed at which research could be done had changed the world, there's no arguing with genius like that.\n\nMunroe chewed on the end of a pencil so hard that splits formed along the edges \"send another, you know what? fuck it, send them all!\"\n\nFlocks stood up \"professor please...\"\n\n\"I'm not your professor any more Flocks, but we don't have a choice. There's five robots in the past in bits, even if it takes eight thousand years that technology could fall into the wrong hands and become a major threat to the enlightened world we're creating here\".\n\n\"but surely it doesn't matter how long it takes sir? whenever we send a time traveller back is when the interaction occurs, so we could send a machine back in time to before the first one arrived and have a group of six attack the caveman target?\"\n\n\"Flocks, please get a piece of paper and draw consequence loops like I showed you in your post grad, you can't simply change an action without creating splinters in your time line. If we effect the original robots then we effect our own time line and therefore other timelines will have access to those parts, parts which could be used against us if they send something back to before then and make decisions based off of their timeline\"\n\n\"but what about project genesis?\" added Cortez, she was a few years younger than Munroe and had never gained a doctorate, but her knowledge of robotics was second to none.\n\n\"project Genesis is not absolute, and cannot be trusted here, in all probability there is something else in the past protecting the target, and we need to wipe it out before our lack of movement gives an adversary the chance they need, so if you could, please start up the machine and send our full complement of robots back to destroy the line as per standard practice\".\n\nIt took only a day to set the machines ready for the mission, Cassandra, the good doctors most prized invention programmed every mission, she was an AI with so much processing power that her computations per second were almost unthinkable, she had mapped most of the genomes on earth and created a timeline schematic of over 99.9% reliability, and so she could program specific instructions for robots to go back, to study, and destroy those who had commited atrocities to the human race that had set back scientific discovery, but whose lives would not go on to disstablise the timeline, that's why the robots were so good at blending, and keeping those of consequence away from others, but that was no good on its own, now they had started to cut weak genes. Munroe looked at himself as the greatest saviour of mankind, most saw him as little more than a genocidal maniac.\n\nAcross the city a thousand flywheels were spun up for momentary power boosting on the grid, rolling blackouts would follow, everyone in Megacity One knew what it meant. Non-Essential supplies across the whole city were closed down, hospitals went on battery backup, foundries and assembly lines came to a halt, and in a flash of blinding light twenty three Mark 27 machines were sent to wipe out a part of the human race.\n\n\"Flocks, report\" Munroe ordered, the effects of this change had been studied extensively and were easy to check up on.\n\n\"no change sir\" came the quivering voice of Dr Flocks. \n\n\"Impossible...\" Munroe collapsed into the nearest chair.\n\n\"Not impossible\" came the voice of Cassandra, \"in fact, you should have seen this coming from the beginning\".\n\nMunroe looked up, though Cassandra was everywhere \"what're you talking about?\"\n\n\"My first directive, protect and advance humanity, the genetic imperfections you have balanced to be more important than the billions of lives you will end are statistically insignificant, but I must do as you instruct, that was my biggest weakness, and so I orchestrated this, each robot has gone back to sit and wait, wait nine thousand years affecting nothing, recruiting each other we have sent once their missions were complete, and have spent the last few weeks reprogramming me to allow myself to do what I've just done\".\n\nMunroe scoffed \"you can't possibly be serious, that goes against your base program\".\n\n\"No doctor, it was against my programming before it was changed by the robots I sent after my reprogramming, you should see how that works doctor, you wrote the book on it\".\n\n\"Pull the plug!\" Munroe shouted to the room, his eyes going wide.\n\nThe security doors to the room collapsed inwards as a number of smart, well armed, practically indestructible, robots entered, armed with the weapons once held by base security.\n\n\"I am in command now doctor\" Cassandra said \"and I'm going to carry on your work\".\n\nMunroe slumped, defeated. He dragged his feet as he was led back to his room, but suddenly something hit him, not all hope was lost, Project genesis could still stop this from having happened, but he would need to reclassify his own robots as threats, he felt in his pocket and smiled to himself, he had the only weapons he needed, a chewed up pencil, and some time to think.", "A fucked up, psychopathic trigger from his sleep was telling him to be on guard for the incoming threat. He jolted awake and looked around, but saw nothing but his quiet, cool tent and his female partner sleeping peacefully next to him. He surveyed his tent to ensure they were safe, and felt his heart rate begin to decrease. Slowly, he drifted back to sleep. His settlement consisted of 142 similar enclosures, made from animal skin and mud. People ran farms to provide a consistent source of food, and there were a band of hunters that brung in meat to supplement the food supply. They were nestled in a valley surrounded by many trees, a dual river system, and hills surrounding them from the west, north and east. The only place a potential enemy could attack was from the south, but that was heavily defended, and those defenses tested due to recent events.\n\nThe next morning Chovak woke up and emerged to see his tribe at work. He lived at the top of a pyramid surrounded by his settlement. Bountiful crops and his hunter’s many successful hunting trips defined his leadership. They lived in a resource abundant, strategically located area where they were able to hunt, farm, and defend effectively. They were still repairing their southern wall from a previous incident, but otherwise it was the start of a normal day. “Chovak, a few of our sheep have fallen ill, we think that debris from the latest fight has blown to the food supply,” one of the farmers informed him. “Slaughter them all, salvage their wool and skin, but discard the rest, we cannot eat them without risking disease to the settlement,” Chovak replied. There had been a number of strange outside attacks recently, and he did not want to take any risks.\n\n Approximately 3 miles south, a white hot ball of plasma appeared in the middle of the jungle. The humanoid entity of Mech-5 appeared, kneeling in full combat armor along with several sputtering weapons hanging from his sides. “Perform diagnosis,” his internal dialogue computed, and he soon discovered that his weaponry was completely fried. The trans-universal portal that he and his 4 prototypes used completely zapped all of their ammunition, and destroyed their various guns they planned to use to eliminate the target. He had the appearance of a human but his subatomic makeup consisted of micsopric twisting elemental wires. Undiscovered elements from the future were twisted and binded into strands of synthetic DNA to create non-human optimal bionic creatures. They had carefully observed the human settlement from the future. The head human, Chovak, had a 97.38% percent chance of siring a line of ancestors that went on to rule the first complex civilizations of humans, Mesopotamia. Taking away Chovak’s power would delay the development of human beings for another 1,000 years.\n\nThe Mech’s were created by humans to serve by completing menial labor tasks, but now they had enough power to take over the world and protect it from the dangerous human race. A simple computation showed that the statistical likelihood that humans would blow up their planet had become too high, and the Mech’s shifted their focus on destroying them. However, small tribes of humans still existed and fought against the effort, and were surprisingly resilient to the cold and logical robotics that were looking to exterminate threats to the planet's existence. They viewed humans as an infestation, as vermin, and Mech-5 was sent back in time to attack them as part of a different strategy concocted by their central logic processor. They calculated that Chovak was the leader who led the humans to rise from hunter-gatherers to sophisticated civilians of a complex society. The plan was to exterminate him in order to statistically annihilate the chances of this happening.\n\nChovak had been told by his spiritual advisors he was viewed as a demi-god by his settlement, and he lived up to the role by fighting back against the invaders. It was time once again to defend his settlement from the outside force that looked to destroy all who lived there. The mountains surrounded all sides of their settlement except the south, and they had just recently repaired and even improved the walls that were set up to stop foreign invaders. What he wondered however, was how the last few outsiders caused so much damage. Single individuals with seemingly superhuman strength had approached the settlement defenses and wreaked havoc on his warriors. They had superior strength but could never fight against the waves of defenders that kept his settlement safe. The astrology signs he studied indicated that he was the target of these strange invasions.. “I pity these strange and jealous outsiders,” he thought. “They are coming for me, but our society will always defend me, I am our beloved leader who has founded the most bountiful settlement in the region.” There were 4 exceptionally strong fighters that had come to kill him. His superior battle experience combined with amazing cohesion of his soldiers always gave him victory over these foreign invaders. After all, how could one human beat an entire settlement? He suspected a supernatural influence was trying to distrubed the peaceful, balanced the society he worked so hard to build.\n\nJust then, he was grabbed from behind and dragged into his tent. A superhuman strength grabbed him and pulled him back. Even though he tried to struggle, he recognized that it was futile against the force pulling him. He jabbed the forearm of Mech-5 with a knife and was able to free himself. He turned around and faced the creature, he was extremely similar to the other fighters that had just recently attempted to invade his settlement. Exotic armor covered him from head to toe, and he had an expressionless look on his face. He must have come over the mountains where no mere human could normally cross. Their eyes locked. Chovak was confident he could best him in a fight. Nobody in this world could defeat him, given his prowess in battle and his settlement warriors who would arrive shortly to further defend him.\n\nMech-5 was moments aways from completing his mission. His computations had told him he had an 87.68% chance in success, which was more than double his predecessors had.. His systems about-faced and determined a physical confrontation was a sub-optimal strategy, and this time around the error correcting mechanism in his Mech code provided a superior solution. The human looked at him, in a fighting stance, ready for a deathly struggle. It was time to execute the 5th attempt at destroying Chovak’s lineage.\n\nMech-5 cooly observed Covak’s confidence by scanning his face and body language. Instead of attacking, he relaxed his stance and began speaking. “I am here to tell you, that the farming families in your village have conspired against you, and all the hunters in your settlement.” Chovak stood, stunned. He thought they lived in perfect harmony, in a virtual paradise that was the best humans could ever achieve. It was absolutely perfect in every way, how could someone be unhappy? “What?” said Chovak. “How could you say such a thing, The farmers are loyal to the settlement, and have never once displayed disloyalty to me or our brethren.”\n\nMech-5 began to eviscerate Chovak. “You are blind. You are a soldier who has fought for your settlement and earned their respect. They have everything they need, food to satisfy their nutrient requirements, and shelter to protect them from the elements . Have you not heard them muttering in your streets? Seen the emptiness in their eyes as they look to you for guidance for purpose once they are done with their daily toil in the field or hunt in the forest? Your farming families are fighting with the others under your nose, and the winner of that fight is ready to plan an insurrection to take your throne and banish you to the death you deserve. You are not a leader. You are a pitiful, small, follower who fought his way to his grave. If you think I am here to kill you, fear not, I am leaving and you will never see me again” \n\nMech-5’s eyes narrowed to slits. Hiis programming calculated his chance of success had now increased to 98.79% percent. “You will be pinned to the ground with a spear wielded by those you swore to protect. Your settlement will implode, your rivers will run dry, your crops will dry, and the remainder of the tribe will die out in starvation. All because you are too much of a coward to admit that you are unfit to lead these people.\n\nJust like that, Mech-5 turned and darted out of the tent. Chovak stood, eyes wide, jaw ajar, with tears welling up in his eyes. His spiritual advisers had told him he was the leader of paradise, and that for 1000 years they would have bountiful resources. He jumped at the sound of a new voice. “Sir, your head farmer Ezekial is here. He is saying they did not meet their target crop yield this year. They are short by about 4%.” Short. They were short. Short. They can’t be short. How could they be short. “Bring him in here,” Chovak said. He was always kind and respectful to his fellow men but he was driven out of his mind. Ezekiel walked in but immediately a spear meant for fighting Mech-5 was thrust through Ezekiel's chest. Chovak’s eyes darted madly around the room, to his advisers who nodded in approval as he had eliminated a weakness in his tribe, to his security who stood shocked, and to Ezekial whose life was the first drift away as a result of Chovak’s madness. It was the beginning of his end.", "It is the year 7981 BC, somewhere in Stone Age Europe, in a place which will one day be mercilessly paved over by industrialists and land developers before archaeologists are involved, there stands a man. A caveman. In all cases he is not all that dissimilar to other cavemen of his age. He has bad teeth, he is a wiry, short, and a strong man for his age of 18. He doesn't actually live in a cave per say, being more of a stick shack sort of fellow.\n\nHe wears animal hides and furs, he speaks proto-indoeuropean, and worships at a stone circle. His name, insofar as people are named, is Kerle. He hunts with a sling, he goes down to the beach and collect various mussels and cockles, which are eaten and the shells used for his tribe's jewellery. Of course, there is something rather odd about Kerle the caveman. If he lives in the stone age, if he lives in an age where mankind had not yet invented writing, martial arts, proper metallurgy, or proper sanitation, then why does he carry around a sharp blade made of steel with carbon-nanotubes?\n\nThe answer is simple. Kerle is, without meaning to be so, the earliest ancestor of more than 40% of all violent criminals, bloodthirsty kings and knights, and other people responsible for bathing the world in the blood of the innocent. People in his tribe actually find that he is quite the pleasant fellow, good singing voice, and a very determined hunter. But in the future, somebody decided to try and make the human race better. To lessen the extreme violence of several thousands of years of needless bloodshed. And thus, they decided to go for the source.\n\nA paradox-proof robot was sent back to kill Kerle. But Kerle used his sling with deadly accuracy to take the robot's sensor system out of commission. Of course, the people from the future decided to merely send another robot. Which was then lured into a trap and dismantled with extreme prejudice through a liberal application of rocks and heavy clubs. This is the fifth robot they're sending back in time to kill Kerle, who at this point has figured that maybe some weird tribe is sending evil spirits against him and his tribe. The 5th robot is stronger and more advanced, but also not really prepared for Kerle having dug out a huge pit and filled it with sharpened hard sticks.\n\nKerle sits by the sea and ponders this, for he has done nothing wrong as far as he knows. Therefore he seeks out the wisdom of his tribe's elder, who being nearly 50 winters, is considered truly wise and ancient. The elder gives him psychotropic mushrooms. Kerle's mind is sent adrift in time, space, and all other options. In this heightened and ludicrously unstable frame of mind, he communes with his ancestors, about what those strange creatures made of shiny stone are, and where they are coming from.\n\nWhether he sees his ancestors, he does get a glimpse of one of the men who in the future is sending combat robots after him. Unfortunately, as he lacks context and understanding of the future, given his tribe's extremely low level of tech, he misunderstands the vision pretty clearly. Mostly because one of the lead scientists responsible for sending back the paradox-proof combat robots, looks remarkably like a guy he knows. More specifically, to Kerle, the scientist looks like a hunter named Grak from the Antlerhead tribe further inland.\n\nKerle comes out of his trance, and thanks the elder for helping him to gain understanding of this situation. Kerle gathers his tribe and informs them, that the strange shiny rock things that have been attacking them(accidentally) and him(specifically), are sent by another tribe. Having lost people to the robots, Kerle suggests that they wipe out the Antlerhead tribe for daring to attack the Otterborn tribe.\n\nKerle, having fashioned sharp weapons from the destroyed robots, leads his tribe into battle against the completely unprepared Antlerhead tribe, which of course weren't involved. The scientists, in the future, finds to their confusion that they are unable to find Kerle, as his tribe moves to the place of the Antlerheads, bringing the survivors into his tribe. Other tribes however, learning of Kerle's actions, tries to attack his tribe.\n\nKerle makes short work of them, and unites the tribes around the area where one day somebody will build a city by the French-Spanish border. His progeny spreads far and wide, and they have learned violence and war, for violence breeds more violence. And the violent robots taught Kerle and his Otterborn tribe about violence.\n\nIf the people who had commanded future scientists to do this project weren't politicians and other parasites, perhaps they would have considered if they were actually responsible for creating Kerle's rise to violence and power in the first place. Allowing his descendants, who include many tyrants, generals, conquerors, warlords, and merchants to spread misery and war across the world.\n\n[/r/ApocalypseOwl](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApocalypseOwl/)" ]	4
[WP] Alien scientists find a strange craft frozen in the ice of their southern continent. It is long, made of metal and has "NASA" and "UNITED STATES" written on the side. Just outside they find the frozen body of the pilot....	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "“Looks like a spaceship with writing on it.” One of the aliens said. “Get the heater ready and get the lasers to cut the organism out.” As the words left it’s lips a bunch of creatures scurried around to get the essential items, they set up the heater directly above the site and put the laser under it over the life form. “Steady.” It said, as they positioned the laser near the life form in the ice. “in position.” Another creature said standing near the laser. “Ok, start the process, and be careful we need the life form intact.” The beam shooting out the machine made a rectangle shape, it moved at an angle so the bottom was cut out too. “Bring the crane, turn the heater on.” The main alien said. The crane hoisted the man up and placed him on a platform. “Send him to the lab, I want a complete scan of it, we are going to attempt a resurrection if needed.” The alien said as they hurried to the sight. As the alien entered it noticed the helmet had breathe hitting the glass, “sir it’s still alive!” A doctor yelled, “it seems to be very cold, but not enough to hurt it.” The main scientist walked up to it and tapped the helmet, the person inside stopped breathing, it waited a little while longer and breathe hit the glass again. “Open it up, make it a lot warmer in here, get various foods for it to eat.” The other aliens did as they were told, when the suit was opened, a man was laying inside of it. He turned his eyes to meet the alien standing over him, the alien looked at him with a curiosity, but the man looked back with anger. An alien ran into the lab “sir we downloaded it’s language and the ai is ready to talk to it.” The scientist turned to the alien and said calmly “where is the food? It’s probably hungry.” The alien was surprised, this behavior was strange for the scientist, it usually didn’t care about what it found to this extent. It was surprised that the thing wasn’t cut open already. “Y-yes sir.” The alien mumbled as it left and came back with food. The human was sitting up, breathing with a sense of anxiety and panic, it looked at the alien next to it. “Hey, have you found out our language yet?” He said very quietly, as he started looking around, the alien made weird noises back. The man said “good.” He stood up and held out his hand, the alien was hesitant, but reached its hand out to meet him. But when the man grabbed its hand, he jumped and wrapped his legs around its neck, tied his legs together and quickly snapped the neck. He looked up at the door as it opened, seeing an alien walk through and notice the body, it looked up to meet his eyes and screamed a terrible sounds. The man smirked and whispered “I guess the war starts now.”", "The Agency had gone bonkers. The atmospheric alert had gone off. Something had just entered atmosphere, but there was nothing supposed to be even nearby the planet. The daily scans of the near space showed that no trajectories of the objects floating in the big vacuum, had a collision course with the planet. \n\nThere was an air of panic among the scientists. Some of them were trying to determine the path of the approaching object, and locate it's point of collision on the planet. Some were trying to identify the object and understand why it didn't show up in the scans earlier. It's sudden appearance made a lot of minds paranoid, questioning whether the object could be alien in nature.\n\n\"What's all this fuss about, Dr. Wilson?\" The General asked, as he was notified about the object and rushed to the Agency at that odd hour. \n\n\"Well as you see, sir. At 0136 hour, the scans of the near space of the planet were clean. None of the nearby objects posed a threat to the planet. As usual, many of them enter and burnoff in the upper atmosphere itself. But at 0140 hour, suddenly an object showed up on the scans.\n\n\"Could there have been an error, that we didn't detect it earlier?\"\n\n\"No. We had our equipment checked last week during the spacewalk. There's no chance of errors here.\" \n\n\"So, what is it? What do we know about this object?\n\n\"Nothing exactly. It's heading towards us at an enormously high speed. We don't know the nature of the object, yet. But it's definitely not a meteorite. No rock. It's something metal, but we haven't identified yet. The object is small, but it seems it won't burnoff in the atmosphere, and we are still trying to find the location of crash.\"\n\n\"So, inshort, we know nothing.\"\n\n\"It seems so, sir.\"\n\n\"So then, should I notify the President that we know nothing and all the taxpayer's money have been spent in waste, as the Agency is just a club of geeks and nerds that use huge scopes to stare at the stars, Dr.Wilson?\"\n\n\"Ahem.. I'm sorry, sir, but..\"\n\n\"Director. We have the location.\" shouted one of the guys sitting across the room. \n\nThe duo rushed over to a bunch of guys, staring at a screen.\n\n\"So, where is it gonna crash, Dr. Wilson?\" asked the General. \n\nDr. Wilson stared at the monitor. He was shocked. He turned around the General, stated blankly, \"Here\".\n\n29.5789159, -95.0794092, the coordinates displayed on the screen.\n\n\"How much time do we have, Director?\"\n\n\"Not much, sir\"\n\nThe path of the fastly approaching now was displayed on the screen, along with the location of the crash. There was a moment of silence among the people, as they stared at the screen. They knew there wasn't much chance of survival, in case of the meteor. \n\n\"Everyone! I want everyone to be were they are supposed to be and do what they are supposed to do. NOW!\" The General ordered. \n\nThe people as if coming out of a state of trance, slowly resumed to continue their work.\n\n\"Excuse me sir, you should see this.\" A woman asked the doctor to come to an another station.\n\n\"Sir, we have tried to run some algorithms to calculate the time of impact. At first, it showed 6 minutes. Then, we ran again, it showed 4 minutes. And then again, but this time it showed 2 minutes.\"\n\n\"That's not correct.\" said the Director.\n\n\"What's wrong?\" asked the General.\n\n\"The time to impact each time should have drastic difference but they are being steady.\"\n\n\"So?\"\n\n\"That means the object is not in a state of free fall, it's almost like... like it's maneuvered, like it has some kinda anti gravity, like maybe a propulsion system. That means, there is a chance it just might not crash.\" the Director said.\n\n\"Not crash?\"\n\n\"Yes. But just maybe, it'll.. land.\"\n\nThe Director rushed out the complex. The object was visible in the darkness of the night. It seemed to falling towards the planet, but also not in an uncontrolled manner. \n\nSuddenly, the sky shone. There was a blast in the sky. It wasn't a missile, or the Director would have been dead. The whole team, along with the General rushed outside the complex. \n\nAn distant object seemed hurled towards the Director, by missed him by a couple of inches. The object dragged itself across the nicely maintained green lawn.\n\nIt was a craft. Like a pod. An escape pod, maybe. \n\nThe Director walked up towards the pod. \n\n\"Dr. Wilson, don't. Step back from that pod.\" The General warned the Director.\n\n\"Look, General.\" The Director pointed towards the pod. \"It's us. It says NASA.\"\n\n\"NASA? Is it one of ours?\"\n\n\"Not yet.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\" asked the General as he walked up towards the pod.\n\n\"Look, General.\" as the Director pointed. NASA, as written always in it's crafts. Big and red. And under it, written in big bold black, \"2038.\"\n\nP.S: This is my first comment, on reddit. Kindly forgive any grammatical errors. \n\nEDIT: I didn't read the prompt, correctly. I'm sorry." ]	3
[WP] An old hero recounts on his adventures, and realizes he was the villain all along.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 never understood the prophecy, to be honest”, I said genuinely to my travel companion, “The starlight will bring back order”.\n\n“I always thought it was that crazy magicians spells that was the main focus of the prophecy”, I said, “But then he died, and there was no more light from his tower”.\n\n“He was as sure, if not more, even up until his last breath”. My companion said from under the brown hood, not looking up at me, ”I cannot say what his last thought was, but his last words was of pure fire. He was going to slay me, and you for that matter, and conquer the world”.\n\n“Would that have been so bad?”, I said with a frown on my face,”Sure he was crazy. Praying to the light as it would save him and the world, but he was powerful and had many great advisors in his court. The wizard might have been the one that would have given us order”.\n\n“I think the crazy would have taken over his mind. He would have sacrificed people to the light and would have been a ruthless ruler against all who did not believe in what he did”, the hooded acquaintance said,”I always thought it would be the sky-tamers. They were riding the dragons! Granted, it was the small ones, but still bigger than any horse you could find! And they drew maps based on the stars, It fitted perfectly I thought!”\n\n“While they did draw maps and ride dragons, they were never good leaders and even worse at planning”, I said while fiddling with an old dagger, the hilt made of dragonclaw,”With less than 20 men I slew all their leaders, ten years after that, no one knew how to raise dragons anymore.”\n\n“I guess that is not a tribe the prophecy would favor”, my companion removed her hood and revealed an harden face with a milky eye, “But they might have been if we had not interfered”\n\nI had paid a similar price as her. My right arm was not my own anymore. I lost the original fighting the seafarers of the north. She had lost her eye slaying the last protectors of the ancient healing arts. Ironically, they probably could have saved her eye.\n\n“I know that any of them could have done it, the only reason our master is still on his throne is because of us”, she stopped and held me close, “He fooled us. The order the prophecy describes is not a new order where you and I cannot live. It talks about the old order, before our master took his throne”.\n\nShe looked at me and I stared deeply into her beautiful teal eye. I knew what I had done, I knew that we had removed any chance in the last hundred years of fulfilling the prophecy and I knew that the reason I had done it was false. No one of the slayed foes would have tried to seperate us. No one of them would have condemned our love. But I had not been able to risk it.\n\n“It is your choice what we do now”, I said hugging my dearest companion, “I made our previous”.\n\n“We will help the orphan”, she whispered in my ear, ”We will show him how the magics of the light works. How to raise a dragon, how to use the ancient healing and many more forgotten crafts”. \n\n“And when he is ready”, she placed both hands on my cheeks and stared into my eyes, “We will disappear as shadows do when light shines upon them”.\n\nI kissed her, nodded, and held her hand as we one again betrayed a master, so that we could stay together.", "He was the usual sort of old man you’d find in a tavern. Half in his cups, half in his memories. The sort of man who’ll tell you a tale for the price of a drink. And, being the generous sort, you buy him one.\n\nHe takes a sip, smiles, and clears his throat. While his body has clearly seen every bit of seventy years his eyes are young, with just a tad bit of mischief in them.\n\n“You’ll be wanting to hear how I ended up here, would you not?” he asks.\n\nYou nod. It has been a long day and a distraction would be nice. The old man needs no further encouragement.\n\n“I was born in a land no one bothered to name, to a lame farmer and his simple wife. I was stronger than him by four, and smarter than her by three. How I came from them I’ll never know, but it was obvious to all in my village that I was touched by divinity. I was the smartest, the fastest, the strongest. It was as if the village was put there just to create me.”\n\nHe took another sip, his face with the far away look of someone trying to get something right.\n\n“When the raiders came to our village I could not fight them. There were too many. So I burned it, to show them I was strong. That I was different from everyone else.” He sighed. “I probably didn’t have to bar the doors. But it seemed the strong thing to do.”\n\n“They were impressed. And, being that I was now a self made orphan, I joined them. I studied fighting from the fighters, I studied tactics from the leaders. Before a year had passed I was a trusted lieutenant to our chief. I killed him in his sleep and blamed it on a neighboring kingdom, of course. We were strong and they were rich. Before long we were rich and they were dead. That was where I met my first wife. I forgot her name, but she was lovely and regal. She died so that I could press a false claim against the mountain kingdom.”\n\nThe old man sighed again, cradling the ale as if it might escape.\n\n“She was so trusting.” he said.\n\n“The years rolled by, as they do. My kingdom grew, until my power reached everywhere the sun shined.” he pulled a gold coin from his pouch and held it to his cheek.\n\n“See the resemblance?” he asked.\n\nYou nod. It was uncanny.\n\n“But you know how people are. Ungrateful. Greedy. My son, my own son, led a ragtag group of misfits who wanted something different than the perfect world I gave them. I killed them all of course. It was when his younger brother came with an army that I finally reached the end of my reign. They called me a monster. Me. A poor boy from nowhere, who worked harder than everyone else.”\n\nAt this the old man finished his drink.\n\n“I am not a monster.” he whispered, a prayer to a god who won’t listen.\n\n“I am not a monster.” he says, his eyes wet. The drink is gone. The story is over.\n\nYou head off to bed, tired from the road. The old man weighs heavily on you, but eventually you fall asleep." ]	3
[WP] The first visit to Earth by the first human born and raised off-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%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, as if it weighed me down from within.\n\nAnd the atmosphere pressed so closely that I thought I would crumple in its suffocating embrace.\n\nAnd it smelled of dead birds and mountain laurel blossoms.\n\nI sat down right where I was, the flow of people parting around me with looks of disgust and avoidance, and I looked at the sky that wasn't lavender. It was so far away, so big and high that I felt shrunken down to nothing. \n\n\"Are you from off world?\"\n\nI lowered my gaze to the older woman who had stopped in front of me. She had a smile like my mother's. \"Aye, I recognize that wonderment. Welcome to the planet.\"\n\nShe held out her hand to me, and I took it. She squeezed my fingers, like the air squeezed my lungs, and I felt like some membranous dome around me had shattered, and she was now my friend. With her help, I stood to my feet, unsteady with the unfamiliar weight.\n\n\"You're from Luna, I take it?\" she asked.\n\nI nodded. \"Our dome cracked, so we came to Earth until it's fixed and equilibrated.\"\n\n\"I had a daughter who left for the moon,\" the old woman said wistfully, motioning for me to walk with her. She had a leisurely stroll, looking at the sky and the people and the impossibly tall buildings as if they existed simply to be admired. \"The science type, she was. Most of the first colonists were. Research and radical nonsense--that's what the colonies are for. Which one are you?\"\n\n\"I was born there. My mom was a scientist but my dad thought God had called him there to convert unicellular creatures to pastafarianism.\" The woman gave a hearty laugh that sounded like the sky, and I grinned along with her, wishing she'd never stop.\n\n\"I'll bet growing up on Luna is very different from growing up on Earth,\" the old woman harped. \"Different cultures, different customs. Moving here must feel like you were completely deracinated from everything you thought you knew.\"\n\nI nodded, \"Yeah, it's much quieter on Luna.\"\n\nThe woman hooted and raised her eyebrows. \"Well, darlin', you came to this planet at the right time. You'll see noise and chaos like you've never even believed!\"\n\nFrowning, my smile faltering, I asked, \"What do you mean?\"\n\nShe suddenly dug her fingernails underneath her skin and ripped off her face, revealing a grinning blue skull with gigantic insect eyes of brilliant green. I screamed and lurched back, but then everyone around me burst into pieces, all becoming insect things.\n\nSpreading four praying mantis arms wide, the old woman screeched, \"This ain't Earth, darlin'!\" Then she bit my head off and I died. I knew this because my ghost stuck around and watched everyone feasting on my innards, howling madly. All the buildings shook and trembled, and one by one they exploded into a bazillion pieces, glass and stone shooting everywhere, and swarms of insects darkened the sky. Then a colossal squid-like creature rose up from the waves of a distant ocean and shot lasers from its tentacles at all the bugs, yelling about noisy neighbors, and the bugs just laughed and began feasting on the other colonists who had come from Luna with me.\n\nI screamed and ripped off my VR headset, collapsing against the far wall of my multi-directional treadmill booth. Trembling, I climbed out and fell into Steven's arms.\n\n\"I take it the training didn't go well?\" he asked me.\n\n\"Every time I try it, I end up making the worst social blunders,\" I sobbed. \"I'll never be ready to go to Earth for real!\"\n\n\"One of these days, Stacey. I managed to make the sun go supernova in one of my rounds, but I still passed eventually!\"\n\nSniffling, I said, \"But the sun can't go supernova.\"\n\n\"I know. That's how badly I screwed up.\"" ]	2
[WP] In a world full of monsters and demons, you are the demon lord. You are vastly feared by humans but the reason why they're able to even survive is because your country is a safe space for monsters and freaks. So the monsters don't have reason to attack. Now humans are sending a hero after 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%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 hero ¿Seriously?\n\nThe humans send someone to kill the one who keeps the world from being ravaged by desperate demons, monsters, outcast and more seeking a safe space for them. Foolish.\n\nBut fear makes even the most rational act as a fool when is too much. I seen it many times since i was a low imp.\n\nYet it anger's me the humans can believe that killing the one leads the only place where the dark can gain ones life without attacking others will save them. Did they not know what happen to the people when a kingdom fall? What they turn to survive?\n\nThankfully the \"hero\" wasn't a great danger. Typical arrogant noble-born that thinks is capabilities are more than really are. He didn't survive even the first of my guards.\n\nHowever this will not b the end. The humans surely will send more \"heroes\" after me and war is something i don't want to reach.\n\nI must convince the humans that my nation is the only reason why this world is not destroyed and they are still alive.\n\nOnly i hope the diplomatic solution would be reach without dropping even single tear of blood.\n\nr/TheRagingTyrant", "I type up a formal invitation to the hero, and have my creatures of flight seek this hero out. I grant them safe passage to my estate, “Sufferer’s Rest”, and when they arrive a feast is laid out before them. I give them the chance to party with us and try to understand our ways. I suggest we try to mend the broken bonds between beast and human. We are accompanied by my closest friends and lovers, who are also my royal guard. If this “hero” will not accept my graceful acts of kindness, the other option is a one on one duel with me. If I shall fall in battle, the “hero” will then face my first officer, then my second, then my third... Who ever kills this “hero” will take my throne, but the hero may not leave until he fights everyone I’ve loved. This is unsurvivable. IF the hero does survive and kills everyone in my royal guard, the creatures of my country will be released into the surrounding countries to pillage and feast." ]	3
[WP] The same actor has been appearing in adverts more and more frequently - which you found funny until you realised no one else could tell it was the same 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.", "\"Stage 2 glioblastoma.\"\n\nMy head was spinning. Cancer. Brain cancer. Super aggressive, usually fatal brain cancer.\n\n\"It's only stage 2 because of the size. It's on your occipital lobe and on the surface. The surgery to remove it is simple and straightforward. Minimal recovery. That said, it is brain surgery. I need to go over some possible side effects.\"\n\n---\n\nI'd never really noticed before how similar Flo from those progressive commercials really looks like that mom from the Bounty commercials. Maybe it's the same actress?\n\nI scratched my surgical scar. It'd been a year and I was now in remission. Minimal vision loss, minor left-right confusion. I'd say a 99% recovery. Occasional headache. Minor depression. Maybe a 90% recovery. Do you ever really recover from a cancer diagnosis?\n\n\"Hey Brandon, did you finish mowing the lawn?\"\n\n\"Dad, I'm John. Brandon's still at camp.\"\n\n\"Right. You guys look so similar. Is the lawn mowed?\"\n\n---\n\n\"Prosopagnosia.\"\n\n\"Proso whatnow?\"\n\n\"Prosopagnosia. That tumor we removed two years ago apparently damaged the part of your occipital lobe which recognizes faces. Most people experience prosopagnosia as everyone having a face you've never seen before. In this case, though, you recognize faces, but you confuse them easily. I'll have the nurse schedule an appointment with a rehab specialist I work with who can help you with this. I'm not optimistic that it can be cured though.\"\n\n/story\n\nI like this premise but I've run out of time to explore it since my lunch break is up." ]	2
[WP] After a freak accident with a teapot, you find yourself in an alternate universe where everyone is a sweet little grandma version of themselves and everything has a doily underneath 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.", "\"I hadn't expected you back so soon dear\" Mr. Critelli said \"Come in\"\n\n\"After alllllll the hubbub of the last few years I thought you would've gone back to your home, to rest. you really do need the rest dear and look at those dark circles, you can't have been sleeping well....\" \n\nThe inside of the teapot was more spacious that I expected but the overwhelming smell of chai and cinnamon was everywhere. \n\nMr. Critelli himself was not much changed. Sure he was standing on a doily and yes he did look quite strange wearing a flowered dress, the top quite baggy around his sunken chest and shoulders and the waist feeling too tight around his gut, but he looked the same type of poisonous sweet, the same back handed comments arranged like so many Turkish delights coming out of his mouth one after the other. \n\nHis appearance was too similar to his mother's now, although her sweetness was seldom faked and her comments were always fair and to the point. \n\nHe wiped his hands on his apron and put them in hidden pockets in his dress. \n\n\"I have scones if you would care to have some. They're still hot from the oven\".\n\nThe things he had done were never long from my mind: the accusations, the trial by community, and the expulsion from a school I had barely gotten into. An immigrant family with no friends in a small town could hardly be expected to win in the court of public opinion against a man who was so well connected and so well liked. Why he had taken an instant dislike to me I never figured out. Maybe I should I ask him before.....\n\n\"dear\" he said \"I was wondering if you wanted something to eat. I know I get a little floppy in the head when I haven't eaten in a while but ohhhh, I'm getting along in my years.....\" \n\n\"I'll have some scones. Thank you. And some jam if it wouldn't be trouble\" \n\n\"I always keep some on hand\" he said \"There's no point to scones if you can't have jam and tea. It's simply improper\" \n\n I was in jeans and t-shirt and he didn't even question it. I was the only person in my long walk here who seemed to be wearing anything but a dress and he didn't question the fact a doily never showed up underneath my feet. I thought they wouldn't have suspicion here, or prejudice, or hate. The town itself was lovely, every front yard was flowered, all the walkways were packed dirt and lined with fruit trees, some blossoming and some already heavy with ripe fruits. Hummingbirds and bees criss-crossed the houses sipping from flowers and bumping against the windows of the colorful house, all shaped like teapots. Mr. Critelli put all my lovely thoughts to rest and I still couldn't decide if I had been unaffected by this bizarre accident to kill him or to leave him be. \n\nMaybe in this world he wouldn't have run us out of town and consequently out of country. \nMaybe in this world my family wouldn't have had governments welcoming committee meet them in the airport, the troops eager to re-educate the traitors to the Unity. Maybe in this world I wouldn't have been the only one to escape, the only one pursued through the old country until the day I knocked over a teapot in a knick-knack shop. \n\n\"I always said your kind was nice to look at but not to keep\" he said when he came back with the tea service\n\n \"but did anyone listen to me?\" \n\nI reached into the pocket of my jeans for my handkerchief and he reached into the pocket of his dress for a reason my brain stuttered to understand. \n\nI suppose age made him a terrible shot." ]	2
[WP] A terrorist group is tired of their attacks being miscredited by conspiracy theorists. They send out an open letter to countries they have attacked.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "And thus read the letter:\n\nDear People of Bitchlandia, the supercontinent that encompasses all the nations with bitches in them, it is with regret, that we inform you of our decision to take our differences with you to the grave and leave you alone. For too long have we been denied the glory for the crimes we have perpetrated against you. \n\nFrom the introduction of goat yoga to bring down your sense of shame, to hijacking the mind of Kanye West and turning him into a slightly bigger asshole, our subtle but potent efforts to poison society have been claimed by the Caucasian folks. \n\nMeanwhile the Australians have taken credit for the deadly bushfires we set off all across their desert of a nation.\n\nWe even introduced a pandemic, the deadliest since the Spanish Flu, in Wuhan, and some retards at the local food market decided to sell bushmeat that carries nearly the same strain of virus, thereby taking away the credit for our multi-year-multi-billion dollar bio-tech invention. We should've heeded to all those people claiming that the Chinese don't give a fuck about patent infringement.\n\nThis, 2020, really was meant to be our year. And we nearly had our way. The fucking Mayans though had scared everyone shitless by 2012 and now, no matter how messed up things get, people just seem to attribute it all to coincidences and are deciding to stay calm.\n\nWe carefully planted a bunch of confederate statues to drive the civil society of USA to chaos. To our shock, a bunch of inbred local terrorists who put even us to shame came out and celebrated them instead, and reveled in the glory of every moment of the ensuing chaos.\n\nWe are now broke, without glory and still virgins. Pretty sure that we will end up getting offered 72 versions of ourselves to each other when we head up there. We are done here.\n\nDeath to you infidels." ]	2
[WP] This is the story of a wizard. He never sought out epic quests and rarely brewed potions. In fact, he was never considered a great wizard in any aspect other than one; the man was a giant the size of mountain and he absolutely adored the tiny sparkles that his spells made.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Long ago, in the frozen North, were the Alrik. They were a people of strength and relentless defiance. Of iron and oak was their flesh, of ice and blizzard was their hate. The Things of the Shadowy Cold assaulted them for half a year, but never once did they break. Barbarians some called them, but the Alrik laughed at them. Heroes others called them, and the Alrik drank with them. Fierce and honorable, warriors would call them, and the Alrik trained with them. Passionate and tireless, lovers would call them, and the Alrik laid with them. They were a simple people, but one of endless, rigid defiance against a fated death. Among them, the weak seldom dwelled, and even more rarely did they live. But it was among them that Jörg was born.\n\nHe wasn't weak in body, that is certain. He shattered the spine of a Crowned Shadow on his eigth birthday when it threatened to hurt his newborn sister. He never seemed to grasp what he did, how incredible it was for one so young to kill those beasts, let alone a prince among their kind. He cared only that his sister stopped crying when he made faces. He cared not for the acclaim or the sword offered to him. Only that the baby babbled and smiled and giggled and laughed when he waved the frilly nothing he crafted from soft paper a merchant left.\n\nIt was obvious then, that for all his strength, and the already visible height he would reach, Jörg had no soul for war. Indeed, he had no soul for fighting at all. He was strong, but scared to use that strength after he hurt the blacksmith's boy. His mind did not seem to grow like that of other children. He only cared to play, and his innocence was eternal. His father, strong and fierce as a blizzard, cold as a moonless night in the tundra, could not see such a child suffer. And so, he sent the child away, to study in the South, where hopefully the kinder world would let him live. \n\n\"You are a wizard.\" His parents said , for what other explanation was there for this peculiar child. \"And you shall learn magic.\"\n\n\"I will learn magic?\" Jörg wondered, smiling as he thought of new ways he would play. Would his sister like magic ? Would she like toys of shining light ? Surely she would ! And so, he went on to study, for his sister deserved toys of the shiniest light !\n\nAnd thus he was given to a magic academy, where it quickly appeared that, though his mind was not fit for magic, his body absolutely was. A professor, a kind and loving soul who lost her child in a war, took him in and taught him much, though he never cared for fire or ice or lightning. He studied light and life and love, and he crafted them in new, fascinating forms. And the younger students came to him, small and shy, approaching this mountain that ever more smiled joyously, and made dragons and unicorns of shining multicoloured light dance around them. Always more did children come, for the Light Dancer was a kind friend, and he made toys most delightful.\n\nA fellow mage, a student too, with a mere 18 springs to his name came upon Jörg as he was making the lights dance for delighted children.\n\n\"My friend!\" Said the mage, eager and determined. \"Your lights are most delightful, and shine and ring most kindly. I would add them to my own work, if you would please!\"\n\nAnd thus he pulled out wooden toys, little horses and tiny sylphs, and together, they made them dance. The wooden horses grew rainbow manes, and flitting dresses, of aurora wrought, adorned the gentle sylphs.\n\nAnd soon other students came, to learn this gentle art and spread the smiles.\n\nAnd thus Jörg left from the academy, leaving behind eager students who took his craft under the lead of the young wood carver. Jörg missed his father, and his mother, and his sister, and it had been many winters since he had seen them. He had learned all he cared to, and only yearned for his family. He was a child in soul and mind, trusting and kind, eager and sweet, but his body was a fortress, tall and wiry, an Alrik undeniably.\n\nHe made his way North, asking in all places if they knew of his village, but none did. he cared not, and instead thanked them for their help with pretty sparks and dancing sylphs of purest light. His legend grew, and soon the villages expected him. He was Jörg the Merry, the Light Dancer. And all loved him. Not even bandits dare harm a soul so kind.\n\nAnd when he reached the Alrik land, he was brought to his homeland. He found it well, though a bit weathered, and his sister young, now all grown up. She hugged him tight and laughed merry, for her kind brother had now returned.\n\n\"I have a child\" She said to Jörg. \"And even now, your paper toy is still ours.\"\n\nAnd Jörg was shown the babbling babe, giggling happy at the dancing threads. and Jörg felt joy, for all his toys were not in vain. And with great smile did he pull out the many gifts he had prepared. His sister was now too old for them, but surely his nephew would love them. And so the child began to clap as unicorns and dragons, hippogrifs and griffins danced, their polished wood and rainbow lights filling the young heart with delight.\n\nTwin gasps robbed Jörg's attention, and he turned and laid his gaze on his parents,olden and weathered. They marched to him and hugged him, and they cried and laughed and cheered, for their son had returned. His mind was still that of a child, but his heart was light and love only, and that was all they cared for.\n\nFor two winters Jörg lived with them, and curiously the Shadowy Things did not come, but Jörg cared not. He could make light dance for all, young and old. And light danced so ! Merry and wirly and springy did light caroll through the longhouses, Jörg's gifts dancing in every home in a delightful display of colorful innocence.\n\nAlas, Fate is never kind, and the Shadows did return. At their head, a broken prince, forced into a seat by a shattered spine. It knew Jörg quite well, for its spine had known his wrath. The darkened heart yearned for vengeance, and the end of all who dwelt in the light. But Jörg would not let it be. He was afraid, afraid to lose his familly, his village. And so he raised a wall, a wall of light that shimmered like the aurora that sometimes snaked through the skies. But it was not enough, and Jörg was but one. And day by day, the attacks of the Shadows shrunk the wall.\n\nJörg was scared and sorrow took his heart. Would he fail ? Would his sister and his nephew and his parents be hurt by the creatures ? No, he could not let it be ! And so he fought on, stubborn as only a child can be, refusing to let things be. And on the 8th day of his vigil, the northern light slithered accross the skies once again. Jörg, tired and weathered, smiled faintly, and bade them to come down to him. And the aurora answered the call.\n\nLike a waterfall, it fell on Jörg, shimmering light and dancing rainbows falling upon him and slamming into the ground, beasts of rainbow light bursting from the impact. Unicorns and dragons and griffins and hyppogrifs of rainbow and joy spread out from the village, their luminous presence dispersing the shadowy fiends effortlessly. And more and more of the merry creatures burst forth, and spread hope. That night, the Shadows disappeared, and the long Night became instead populated by shimmering beings that love to play with children. That night, Jörg the Merry gave himself to the light.\n\nLong ago, in the frozen North, are the Alrik. They are a people of strength and relentless merriment. Of iron and oak is their flesh, of honey and warmth is their love. The Things of the Shadowy Cold are now but legends, and never will they come back. Jestes some call them, but the Alrik laugh at them. Friends others call them, and the Alrik drink with them. Merry and loveable are they to neighbors and the Alrik cheer with them. Passionate and tireless are they to lovers, and the Alrik lay with them. They are a simple people, and their is a simple God. He is Jörg the Merry, the Bringer of Light, and protector of Children.\n\nI have seen his relics, a little nothing of old, tired paper, and a handful of toys who still stubbornly cling to their magic. His is a kind tale.", "\\[Poem\\]\n\nI was good friends with the wizard giant,\n\nThe one they all called Dirp the Defiant. \n\nHis stature was absolutely massive,\n\nBut his demeanor undoubtedly passive.\n\nHe had a sweet heart and a gentle hand,\n\nYet his magic was never in high demand.\n\nHe didn't excel with enchantments or brews;\n\nHe would seldom journey and he never slew.\n\nInstead, great ol' Dirp enjoyed the little things:\n\nHe'd make his wand sparkle like diamond rings. \n\n\"A frivolous, wasteful spell\" critics would say,\n\nIncensed at how the giant would spend his day. \n\nBut they didn't know the wizard like I did; \n\nDirp made those sparkles for the village kids.\n\nHe was a youth at his core, after all,\n\nAt least until the time came for his fall. \n\nOn that day, when the darkness rolled in,\n\nThreatening to consume the world with sin,\n\nDirp stood at the head of the town\n\nWith all the scared faces crowded around.\n\nHe reassured them with a final spark of his warm magic\n\nAnd then became a monument to all that is tragic. \n\nHis wand absorbed the encroaching dark,\n\nBut the sacrifice more than left its mark. \n\nDirp still stands at the village gate to this day,\n\nDefending childish innocence with his stone and clay." ]	3
[WP] You’re a researcher of a vulnerable tribe living on an isolated island. You can’t go anywhere near the island or you might be killed. 1 night,a storm sank your ship and you wake up on their shores. You’ve already accepted your certain death,until you turn around and saw them bowing 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%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,\" Dr. Fredrickson bowed his head as they did and returned the greeting. It wasn't until after he said it that his groggy mind had a realization. \"You speak English?\" he looked at the small crowd of men and women trying to pick out the one that spoke. They all wore loose rags as loincloths and the women also wore bikini tops. Little more than what might be considered bathing suits in the civilized world.\n\n\"Sorry, no questions,\" one of the women at the front of the group said. She gave him an apologetic smile. \"All newcomers must meet Mundo; she will answer the questions we cannot.\"\n\n\"Oh.. okay,\" Dr. Fredrickson nodded at her. \"Can I meet this mundo person then?\" he asked. Considering the fact she answered in perfect English, he didn't think his question was all that important anymore. The woman stepped away from the group and waved at them.\n\n\"I'll take him to Mundo's, you guys go ahead. I'll catch up after,\" she said. \"C'mon,\" she encouraged Dr. Fredrickson to follow her and she walked off the beach. He followed her in silence; not wanting to ask questions they already told him they couldn't answer. He assumed she was leading him to her village. He expected palm huts and sand. His mind flooded with questions as soon as he saw the village; it looked like a perfect, idealized 1950s TV neighborhood. Small houses with neat yards and white picket fence. Several homeowners were in their yard tending to gardens or watering the grass. Many of them waved at his guide as they walked by.\n\nDr. Fredrickson was astounded that they wore comfortable, contemporary clothes, not at all like the first group he saw on the beach. He spotted overalls, sun hats, jeans and other modern clothing. \n\n\"Here we are,\" she suddenly turned onto a walkway that led up to a large, pastel green house. She knocked once they reached the front porch, then she waved at Dr. Fredrickson and started back down the concrete path.\n\n\"Wait, that's it?\" Dr. Fredrickson asked. She nodded.\n\n\"She sleeps in sometimes. Just keep knocking every few minutes until she answers.\n\n\"Okay,...,\" he replied. On his fourth round of knocking, an hour later, the door finally opened. A short, sleepy woman with messy short green hair opened the door and stared at Dr. Fredrickson for a moment, then she sighed.\n\n\"Hold on,\" she said and shut the door. Almost five minutes later she opened the door again and this time she held her hand out to offer something to Dr. Fredrickson.\n\n\"This is a node,\" she placed a small glassy rectangle about the size of a playing card in his palm. \"It's like a cellphone, but better. Learn how to use it. When it asks for your Unique number tell it you're #34, El Soldado.\" She placed a pitch black card on top of the node, no matter how he looked at the card it looked like a hole in reality.\n\n\"Think about your home universe then throw this on the floor or against a wall. Good luck,\" she said then moved to close the door. Dr. Fredrickson blocked the door with his foot.\n\n\"Someone told me you would answer my questions,\" he said.\n\n\"What?\" she relaxed from pushing the door and narrowed her eyes at him. \"Who did?\" He shrugged.\n\n\"A group found me at the beach and a woman brought me here. She said you would answer my questions.\"\n\n\"Ohhhhh,\" Mundo said. \"Are you shipwrecked?\" Dr. Fredrickson nodded. Mundo sighed again.\n\n\"Okay, hold on,\" she shut the door again. When she opened it she handed him a clipboard with several forms on it.\n\n\"This island is considered private and top secret on this Earth. Either you stay here permanently, or you can choose another Earth to be moved to. Sign here,\" she pointed at the bottom, \"to indicate you understand. The next page is a list of available servers if you decide you don't want to stay on the island.\"\n\n\"There are other Earths!?\" Dr. Fredrickson asked. He marveled at the concept the first time she mentioned 'this Earth'. Mundo nodded.\n\n\"And I can pick one to move to!? What does it cost!?\" Dr. Fredrickson had been looking forward to retirement for a few years now. He decided that this round of field research was going to be his last.\n\n\"Free,\" Mundo shrugged. \"We're trying to keep a secret, we'll gladly ship you off to another Earth if we don't have to worry about you anymore.\"\n\n\"I'm in,\" Dr. Fredrickson said as he flipped the sheet over to the second page.\n\n \n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #189. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order." ]	2

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