Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] Everyone knows that dragons only bond with pure people. The upper class claimed that dragons would only bond with them because their bloodlines were pure. None of them know what to do when they bond with you and your peasant friends.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Regg threw back his shaggy head and laughed. \"Pure blood? Was that truly what you all thought, all this time?\" He descended into a fit of giggles, his derision plain.\n\nAric remained confused, and a little crestfallen. All his life he'd never questioned it: dragons only bond with the pure. By right of the gods, he'd been born noble, and it was therefore understood that he, and all those of high birth, was simply Better than the peasants over which they ruled. \n\nSo why did Regg now have the telltale golden shine about the eyes? It was known that when a dragon bonded with a Chosen, a part of their essence was imprinted upon the recipient's soul, imbuing them with a subtle glow. It was most noticeable in the eyes, which seemed to shine in dim light. Aric shook his head in frustration and asked the obvious question. \"Has there ever been question about your parentage? Perhaps there is disgraced royalty somewhere far back in your family's line.\"\n\n\"Ha ha! Nah mate, people of the earth through and through. You know that as well as I, as will any curious enough to ask for a look at the rolls.\" It was also well-known that since the kingdom's inception, record-keeping had been maintained with an excellent degree of accuracy. \n\nAric, now more angry than anything, pressed on. \"Then it's treachery! Either you have ravished a lady-in-waiting to claim nobility through the resulting child, or you must have stolen an egg, which you could not have done without help. Both will result in your death, so I suggest you try some honesty and confess to make it a quick one.\"\n\nAt this, Regg stopped laughing. His eyes gleamed with what Aric could only surmise was craftiness. Months later, after reflecting on this moment countless times, Aric would realize it had been vengeance, and pray to the gods he would be better in the next life than he'd been in this one. \n\n\"Well now mate, seems to me you forgot a third option. The ladies never go anywhere without at least two guards, and everyone knows us common folk would never be allowed near the rookery without a member of the royal family themselves, if at all.\n\n\"You're all so wrapped up in your own soft selves you never considered we'd have the stones to go looking for dragons ourselves.\"\n\nAric felt his face go white. \n\n\"That's right,\" Regg went on, \"I had suspicions and one night, decided to see them through. Had a good long talk with them as live high up in the mountains. Turns out they didn't fully know either, because you pretty-smelling folk always kept the eggs away from us. None of us ever had the chance to know we could bond, all the way back to the first King. Was seen as beneath such great creatures, see. Only, that was a call they didn't make.\"\n\n\"What does this mean?\"\n\n\"Well, Aric, it means your blood's no better than piss. Blood purity don't mean fuck-all to the dragons, nor in any general sense. 'Pure' to a dragon only means they want you to be true of heart. Clean and clear intentions. 'Blood purity' is only a term a few people came up with long ago to give themselves the excuse to lord it over their fellows. We've always known it was wrong, but because of that first decision so long ago, we were never able to do anything about it. Until now.\"\n\n\"You're only one man.\"\n\n\"Aye, that I am. But I don't think you've fully grasped the meaning of my words. When those first dragons asked the King and his court if they were pure, they said yes... and dragons hate lies above all else.\"", "\"Aisha! Come look!\" I shouted across the cobblestone street of the Arista Region. The girl whose name I just called came over to me, tattered dress hanging in the wind. \n\nAisha came over, wondering what caught my attention. It was, in fact, a bag. The bag was a satchel and was colored a deep purple. Highlights on the strap were violet, and strange markings covered the side of it. Four pockets were holding some kind of colored rock, but the blue one was what my gaze attracted the most. \n\n\"It looks...fancy,\" Aisha remarked. \"We should give it to your parents. If we get caught with it-\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah, I know.\" Don't remind me, I said in my head. My parents, Duke and Duchess of the Arista and Halia Regions were the epitomes of fancy. High up in the categories of the caste, they would never approve of my friendship with Aisha, who's part of the peasant class. My cousin's parents were in charge of the Jorania and Calia regions, and together, the regions made up the island, Aristolal. We call this island home. \n\n\"Let's just take a look.\" Ignoring Aisha's protests, I slowly opened the pocket holding the blue rock. I held it up to the sun and grinned when I saw Aisha doing the same thing. It glittered in the summer air. \n\nI felt a calling to my rock, something telling me to never put it down, and cherish it. I'm sure Aisha felt the same thing, weirdly, to her red rock as well. My smile faded as I saw one of the guards of the duke of Jorania and Calia arrest another citizen for not paying their taxes on time. \n\n\"Let's put them back. I think it's time we go to my parents,\" I said already moving towards the bag. However, something stopped me in my tracks. A numbing sensation went up to my arm, and a ticklish feeling felt it was drawing circles on my arm.\n\nI looked at my arm, hoping it just fell asleep from holding the rock to the sky, but to my horror, blue markings similar to the ones on the bag started traveling on my arm. I saw the same thing happening to Aisha, and the horror finally struck me as a guard noticed us and race to us. \n\nDragon eggs! We've just become Dragonriders.\n\nI grabbed the bag, and held it close to my chest, with the rock-egg sandwiched in between me. \n\n\\\\\\*\n\nI bowed trembling before the emperor and empress, the bag still clutched to me. My parents on the right side of the emperor looked down at me in distaste, and my cousin's parents looked at me in mild curiosity. My cousin was silently playing with his own dragon, and the twins birthed from the empress were standing to the side.\n\n\"Y-your majesty-\"\n\nThe emperor waved me off. \"My niece, I'm not that blind. Those are clearly dragon markings on your arm, those who are Dragonriders all have them. My question is how this peasant girl bonded with a dragon egg.\"\n\nThe first of the twins, Prince Katsia, slowly started to move toward me, Princess Lionia following shortly behind. The ruling power watching with morbid interest as it is known that the royalty children still haven't bonded to their dragon. \n\nI watched at the eldest, the prince, stood before me, and slowly bent down, unlatching another pocket holding the green egg, and a moment later, the princess doing the same to the yellow egg. \n\nMarkings went up their arms, and we all slowly looked to the ruling party, Aisha still in handcuffs and swords pointed at her." ]	3
	[WP] Due to an error a child is destined to be both the christ and the anti christ. A warrior messiah who leads his men into battle and who will destroy the world, to raise a better one from it's ashes	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 night is silent. Only the sounds of even breathing and hushed conversation can be heard over lulled cicadas and crickets. \n\nNo one notices the house tucked away in the corner of the street, where a woman and priest converse atop a wooden table, steaming mugs of coffee long gone cold. \n\nNo one notices the shadows dancing across the house’s lawn. \n\n“...And what of his destiny?” The woman appears to be asking the man, gesturing to the sleeping babe in the cradle. \n\nThe priest hums thoughtfully, rising from his chair to peer over the crib. He lets out a harsh breath, rubbing his hands together as if the mere thought were making him cold. \n\nThe seconds tick away in tense silence. \n\nFinally, the man speaks. “The boy… well, there is no good way to say this,” he turns to the woman. “The boy is the messiah.” \n\n“The messiah,” The woman repeats, eyebrows raised. \n\n“But not any messiah,” the priest interjects quickly. “He’s… how should I put this? Both warrior and peacemaker.” \n\n“I’m not sure I’m understanding.”\n\nThe priest closes his eyes momentarily, as if the mere action were painful, before opening them and piercing the woman with a serious look. “The child is both darkness and light. He’s destined for destruction, but he’s also fated for creation. The embodiment of Christ and anti-Christ. A warrior messiah,” the priest brings his gaze to the sleeping babe all wrapped in swaddle, innocent and unbeknown to the conversation taking place above him. “They shall call him The Warrior Messiah.” \n\nAnd outside, the shadows continue to dance. \n\n—\n\nThe Warrior Messiah is an error. \n\nThis, he knows. He’s heard all about himself from other people — heard about their theories and conspiracies, about their hopes and dreams, promises and oaths lined up one by one, like pigs on platters, slathered out for him to choose. \n\nBut these are assumptions, not facts. Nobody knows him the way he does. Hell, sometimes he’s not even sure he knows himself. \n\nHe knows of a prophecy. And that’s enough. \n\nEnough for half the world to worship him. Enough for the other half to condemn him. \n\nAnd the silent, unspoken question: what side does he fall on? \n\nSomewhere buried deep inside him, under hushed conversations, predetermined prophecies, shadows looming in the darkness, and a night not talked about, he thinks he knows the answer. \n\n—\n\nThe world is on fire. \n\nIt’s burning — hot, scalding embers that are red and blue, where screams can be heard over distant sounds of battle cries. \n\nThe Warrior Messiah is running out of men. Both sides are, because both sides are fighting to the death. \n\nHe was supposed to be uniting the world, not destroying it. \n\nAnd yet, here he is. Smack center in a burning battlefield, where the men of his army are no more than the bones that grind against his feet. He wishes he could close his eyes and point out each man by name, but he can’t. \n\nHe can’t, he can't, he can't — \n\nThe world is on fire. \n\nAnd somehow, it’s all his fault. \n\nLooking out at the battlefield now, stained crimson red with the blood of both enemy and companion, The Warrior Messiah watches as the air turns ink black, warped with the mixture of ash and bones, looking as if it were a bunch of shadows dancing across nameless graves. \n\nThe night of that time long ago weighs heavy against his chest. \n\nHe wants to close his eyes — to will all this to go away — but he owes it to his people to watch the very thing he sought to create (and destroy).\n\nInstead, he thinks of a prophecy. Of priests who think their words are the be-all and end-all. Of mothers who believe in foolish men. Of all the others who place him atop a pedestal or at the bottom of their shoes. And of the way the sooty air rises into the burning sky. \n\nLike a Phoenix.\n\nRaising from the depths of ashes, reborn from death itself, taking flight in a world renewed. \n\n(And in the background, the shadows laugh). \n\n— \n\n/r/itrytowrite", "“Jesus Christ!? How the fuck has this happened?”\n“Well, I was just-“ the intern stammered and looked nervously around, hoping someone would come to his aid - “I was copying the rows on this spreadsheet and rather than continuing the sequence it just copied the same name over and over again. I’m sorry I’m not -“\nPaul watched on. He felt bad for the intern but he wasn’t going to stick his neck out for him. He knew how these administrative errors could spiral out of control. The board hating admiting mistakes. \n\nPaul been working during the first coming. What a balls up that’d been. They nailed that poor sod to a cross and they’d more than likely do it again before they admitted fault. \nLuckily the cryptic language of the media department had been vague enough. There were no expectations to be managed. The first coming just dropped unannounced. It was spectacular really, a whole new Messiah without any prior warning. They were shooting from the hip, making it up as they went along. Real jazz theology.\n\nBut those were different times. John had published the spec for version 2 aeons ago. In minute detail he laid out the promises that would hang, like an albatross, around the company’s neck for millennia. The people expected a second coming, a climactic war between two all-powerful beings and now here they were. Trapped in one body, one soul, untested and unleashed upon the earth, all because of the sloppy work of one errant intern." ]	3
	[WP] For the past two weeks you’ve been having nightmares every night... every night you die in a different way. You slowly realize that you’re seeing the results of an assassin who’s killing off every version of you across the multiverse... and you’re pretty sure tonight is your turn.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When the masked figure burst through his bedroom door, Gabriel lunged for his nightstand and the gun inside it. Too late. The first shot struck him in the knee, which made his hand jerk and miss the drawer handle. He rolled off the opposite side of the bed in a last-ditch effort to live a little longer. It gained him two seconds, to whisper, \n\n“So the dreams were real after all”, before the next shot went straight between his eyes.\n\nGabriel abruptly woke up and grabbed his head, a throbbing pain rapidly receding from his forehead, right where he’d been shot in the dream. They were getting more realistic every night. Always himself, in wildly different settings, from ancient history, to the far future, to landscapes devoid of magic, to worlds far more magical than anything he’d ever read or seen. And every time, without fail, the masked assassin either woke him or interrupted him at night and killed him. Gabriel groped blindly for his staff and stumbled out to the balcony of his tower. He breathed the cool, fairy-scented air, and looked over his town. Was the dream a foretelling? Or only a manifestation of his worries and justified paranoia? Being the wizard of a town was far more stressful than he had imagined, the responsibility for so many people weighing heavily upon his shoulders.\n\nBut that only meant that he needed to spend his time yet more carefully. He had far too many real threats and enemies to waste time preparing for figments of his imagination. And it seemed unlike any prophetic dream he had had before. If it were going to come true, why the strange settings? Why would he imagine worlds without magic, where he had to fight back with crude swords or weapons of technology he could barely understand? He drummed his fingers on the railing. \n\n“No,” Gabriel finally decided. “I must focus on the minotaurs to the south.”\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThe next night, the dream had changed significantly. This time, Gabriel was fully aware that he was in a dream, and instead of seeing it from the perspective of his alternate selves, he was instead looking out from a wall in the room, and could see himself as if through another’s eyes. And what a figure he cut! His alternate self had the same face, although with more wrinkles and less scars. But his clothing was woven of fabric so fine that the fibres could not be seen, and of a pure white that Gabriel had never seen even in unicorn hair. The room was lit with glowing lights from the ceiling, more lavishly than Gabriel had ever seen such magical artifacts wasted. Strange metallic objects were scattered around the room on gleaming metal surfaces, the purposes of which Gabriel could not begin to divine. Also for the first time, the other Gabriel looked up and saw him.\n\n“It worked.” The other ran a hand across his face and through his hair. “I got you here just in time. You’ve been having the dreams too, haven’t you?”\n\nGabriel blinked in confusion. This was no flight of nighttime imagination, and he was sure it was not a vision of the future. “Who are you,” he finally asked, “and what is going on?”\n\nThe other adjusted something on one of the devices, and Gabriel could suddenly see the room more clearly, and any thought that this was just a dream disappeared. True wakefulness came to him. The other spoke.\n\n“We are the same person from different universes.”\n\n“I know something of planes,” Gabriel said, “and there aren’t copies* of people across the planes.”\n\nHe could see the frustration on the other’s face, with all the same tells he had himself.\n\n“Not different planes. Universes. I am on a copy of the same planet as you, with a greatly different history. A world where we created machines, instead of magic. But please, I don’t have time to explain. You said you also have had the dreams, so you must know what comes next.” The other glanced over his shoulder, before looking back.\n\n“I’ve been mapping the universes as best I could, trying to figure out which ones the assassin will visit next. And I’m getting a visit tonight, and you’re tomorrow.” The other drew a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “I’ve done everything I could to prepare. My defenses are solid as I can make them. But you’ve seen the same dreams as me. No matter which universe the assassin is in, he is using the same technology as us, but always more efficiently, or with more skill. And so, I wanted to warn you. I have little hope of success, but maybe you’ll be able to break the cycle.” Gabriel saw movement and shouted,\n\n“Behind you!” The assassin’s weapon shot beams of light into the other, bouncing off a shield which materialized around him. The other Gabriel spun and drew a similar weapon, firing back. They dodged for cover and traded shots until a stray beam struck the device which must have controlled Gabriel’s view, and his perspective shifted to match the rest of the dreams, inside the copy of himself. He dropped into a running internal monologue.\n\nBatteries running low, door’s blocked, table’s reflective. Why didn’t my outer defenses work? Gabriel felt the moment that his copy realized he didn’t have a chance. Me, if you’re listening, I hope you have better luck. For all our sakes. If you can, get a message to the next one before you die, if you can even understand these interdimensional coordinates. An alien set of numbers, with an almost familiar set of memories attached, went through the other’s mind. Gabriel didn’t see what killed the man, but he awoke feeling as if he had been set on fire. He staggered back to the balcony, and gasped in the cool air, far less relaxing than last night. It was real. Or at least, he could no longer chance that it was fake. But what could he do? \n\n\\\\\\\n\nGabriel spent all day preparing. The numbers took a few hours to decipher, but the familiar memories had shown Gabriel interdimensional messages were not so different from interplanar messages, and he adapted a spell easily enough. For the first time since the defeat of the Mist Dragon, Gabriel broke out his full war regalia, powered by a not-so-small fortune in condensed magical energy, and took his ancient blade from its retirement above the mantel. He spent the evening drawing, covering the first floor of his tower with runes, in patterns that would get him executed if he survived this night and didn’t erase them. Runes of necromancy and cursing crossed with his new interdimensional spell. He finished a few minutes before night fell, and spent the time fidgeting over the runes. Were they perfect? Was he insane, inventing and scribing brand-new runic arrays in a single day, without any time to double check them? The door to his tower burst open, and the time for fretting was over.\n\nIt was a valiant fight. Fire and lightning and ice and blades filled the tower and lit the town like the noonday sun. Creatures both angelic and hellish were summoned and unmade, choking vines and poisonous flowers grew and died, and every magical sensor on the continental went berserk over the activity in a distant rural town. But Gabriel lost, and fell upon the runes he had spent the day carving.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nGabriel had a hard time getting to sleep. He was exhausted after a day working the engines on the airship, but the last two dreams had been especially hard; the first with the bizarre conversation between two of himself, and last night’s death had been quite agonizing. He tossed and turned, and finally, feeling like an absolute fool, grabbed a knife from his kit to sleep with.\n\nHe awoke when his door was kicked in, and lunged at the masked figure with the knife. Unfortunately, his knife hand was numb from sleeping with a tight grip, and he fumbled the blade as he crashed into the assassin. They rolled on the deck, but the assassin came out on top. Gabriel caught his wrist, but the air pistol in the assassin’s grip slowly overcame his strength, and inched towards his head.\n\nThe Gabriel from last night appeared behind the assassin, magical staff in hand, and with a single bolt of lightning, the assassin lay dead. The wizard Gabriel collapsed immediately, staff rolling away.\n\n“It worked,” he whispered. “I broke the cycle.”\n\nGabriel stared for a moment, then scrambled over.\n\n“Are you alright, are you injured?” He looked… himself… up and down, but didn’t see any visible sign of a wound. The wizard shook his head weakly.\n\n“I’m dead. I died last night, I just haven’t finished dying yet.” His eyes went distant before he continued. “The last victim gave me the clue. The assassin always had our strength but more. I just needed to catch him where he couldn’t use magic.” He chuckled slightly, spitting out a bit of blood. “Just needed a big magic fight to charge the runes.”", "Jacob woke startled and wiped the cold sweat off his brow. He still felt the anvil crushing on his skull moments after his cruel dream had ended. Jacob, remembering this was the twelfth night in a row he had been assassinated, wrote a reminder on a sticky note to call his therapist. Somewhere between his sixth and eighth untimely illusory death, he became concerned with the recurring theme. \n\nHe rolled out of bed onto the cold, uneven wooden floor, and dragged himself downstairs. He poured two cups of coffee in the kitchen; insomnia was starting to set in. The TV pierced the deafening silence of Jacob’s musty living room. It began to resemble the hovel of a madman. The news of a man killed in a car accident rattled round Jacob’s head, resurfacing his first dream twelve days ago. \n\nThe moon hung low in the velvet black sky. Though it no place in particular, Jacob recognised where he was, as those in dreams always do. He was coming home from work, speeding along the back roads. Street lights comfortingly flanked the road on both sides, until Jacob reach the country. It quickly became pitch black. Nothing existed outside Jacob’s headlights. However, the hairs on Jacob’s back begin to rise. Just on the horizon, a dim blue light appeared. He could not decide whether it was some object of the occult, or a scientific phenomenon. It burned brighter as he drew closer. He clasped the steering wheel tighter. It began to burn his eyes, blinding him like the sun, and Jacob swerved off the road, smashing into a telephone pole. Dazed and consumed with fear, Jacob clambered out of the broken car door onto the road where the blue orb had vanished, replaced with the infinite black expanse. A screech in the distance sent ice through his spine. He slowly turned around, and in the distance, saw two blue orbs. These orbs appeared to be coming closer. With his glasses shattered, Jacob squinted. They were attached to something hidden in the blackness. The screeching grew louder, and more aggressive. The rolling of tires on cracklings gravel became audible: Jacob stood in front of a car, a few hundreds metres away. He tried to move but he couldn’t not. His legs were stone, and he could only feel his heart, beating out of his chest. The car rapidly approached and Jacob got his first look of his murder. A large, hulking figure, wearing a white ski-mask with a black ‘O’, circling around his face hunched over the steering wheel. This was the last thing Jacob saw before the car smashed into him and he was flung out of his bed onto his cold wooden floor. Jacob was unharmed, and yet he felt part of him had died. Unconcerned however, he got on with his day. \n\nThe next night, he was visited by the same masked murderer. This time he was mugged and killed on his way home from the cinema. The next, he was kidnapped and hung in an improvised gallows - in the dead of the night. His deaths became even more creative, even comical. But each night, the last thing he ever saw was the masked exterminator. This morning, after an anvil was dropped on his head, Jacob had the mask burned to his eyelids. He failing tried to convince himself that it was all a coincidence and forced himself to get on with his day. Today was Saturday; Jacob did not even have the luxury of busying himself with work. \n\nTo pass the time, he reorganised his bookshelves, tidied every room in the house and meticulously cleaned his bedroom, which, as of late, had taken a plunge into filthiness. He took the duvet of his bed, and took the sheet off a pillow before realising red marks had been made on it. Assuming it was done in a fit of insomnia, Jacob inspected closer to find a transcription. It read: ‘Be warned of the circle: Break the Cycle’. \n\nHe felt his stomach drop below his feet. This had to have been made by a sleep deprived version of himself days ago. He buried the fact that all his writings were online, and that his frugality meant he did not even own a red pen or marker. With shaking hands, he dusted the rest of his shelves, and busied himself for hours whilst the sky turned black. \n\nIt took him a few minutes to notice the glowing blue light outside his window. It expanded from a full flicker to a burning frame. His mushy breakfast almost made a return when his eyes landed on it. Jacob pinched himself. He was not dreaming, and yet he had to be, so he pinched himself again. It had no effect. He was swallowed by horror when he laid eyes on the hulking figure emerging from the blue light. His omen of death. The masked man. The man approached the house, and Jacob felt the crash of him entering. \n\nJacob desperately flew around the room, looking for something to defend himself with, half hoping he would return to a new consciousness before the terrible man entered his room. However, the pillow he noticed, which before only carried the vague message, had grown heavy. Something was inside. Jacob reached in and pulled out a silver knife, with a two unconnected semi circles engraved. \n\nThe hulking figure banging his steel boots against Jacob’s stairs. The whole house creaked and shook. Jacob remained vibrating in one spot, clutching the knife for dear life. The thud of boots grew closer. The door handle twisted, and Jacob raised the knife ready to swipe, almost breaking into tears. The hulking figure stopped into the room. He towered over Jacob, holding a hammer-like weapon in his right hand. He was ready to club Jacob, to renew once more the cycle of his death. It was now or never. Jacob charged at him, threw his hand forward and sunk the blade deep into the figure’s torso. With the blade leaving his hand, Jacob stepped back in fear and awe. The masked man looked at him intensely, before a blue lighted spurted from his widened wound. The light consumed the masked figure, and he yelped in agony clawing at the knife to remove it from his body. It was futile. The man was beaten. The light ate his body altogether, before itself subsiding. The blade dropped and stuck into Jacob’s cold wooden floor. He dropped to his knees and wept tears of neither sadness nor joy. \n\nJacob went to sleep that night fearing the worst, but he slept the longest he had since he was a young man, and awoke as almost a new person. \n\nThe masked man has not bothered him ever since." ]	3
	[WP] You and the Princess were meant to be wed from the start, and hated eachother because of it. Now you both realize that your ticket to the throne is pretending to be head over heels for the eachother. The people do love a good romance after 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.", "Few things calm the soul more than a glass of wine overlooking the royal gardens, on a warm summer night one can enjoy the open air without the interruption of daytime royal duties-\n\n\"Heave you heard?\" Brisk footsteps accompany the disturbance, also known as my fiance. \"Your brother's codpiece has been making the rounds of the court gossip again.\" As Phillipa dismissed all sense of peaceful solitude from my evening. \n\n\"It's hard to tell where one bought of rumors end and another starts, and that's if I cared enough to catalog the number of times he's been caught tarnishing your sister's honour. And it's certainly not novel enough for you to ruin your evening having to talk to me about it.\" I turn to face her, and she comes in close. To an observer they might be expecting an intimate moment but she reaches around me to retrieve the pitcher of wine before quickly twisting away to pour herself a glass. \n\n\"Yes everyone knows where he has been, the new rumors are where he hasn't been. It appears that some credible - at least by the merits of court gossip - rumors about my dear older sister have emerged about her seeking affection away from your brother's bedchambers.\" Phillipa makes herself comfy in my favourite chair, messing up all the cushions while she's at it. She kicks off her shoes to tuck under herself in the opposite of proper posture, but lack of formality is one of the few joys we can take in each other's company. \n\n\"So? Good for her I say, I won't defend the humiliation my brother has put her through. I'm sure you understand that a royal marriage can be a lonely life.\" I top up my wine and take seat on a bench opposite her, expecting her to continue to unburden her frustrations. As younger people we'd frequently lash out at the other, well before we learnt the value of holding our tongue. These days I've grown past hating her, our marriage is the fault of our fathers, and even they aren't to blame. The threat from across the sea is too great to be fighting amoung ourselves, and by marrying my brother and I to phillipa and her sister, they sought to unite Stanlovia and Avonsland for our mutual survival. Still, we have maintained the openness of our youthful anger in a united commiseration to our hopes of love. \n\n\"Don't be dense Edward, this is bad. Bad for you, bad for me, bad for our kingdoms.\" As she speaks the knife of realization drives itself through my mind.\n\n\"Oh cock, the heir.\" I say.\n\n\"Yes, the legitimacy heir, whenever it appears, will be throw into doubt, and by extension the entire unification of Stanlovia and Avonsland is at risk.\" I hear the exasperation is her voice, she's probably been sitting on this realisation all day, putting on her smiles and going about her expected routine for hours knowing that our siblings are putting us all at risk with their bed hopping antics. \"Do you know if they've spent even one night together as husband and wife since they were married?\" I take a moment to refill the wine pitcher as I search my brain.\n\n\"They've only been wed for three months, a child can take some time to appear even if they consummated their marriage as expected.\" Phillipa cocks an eyebrow at me. \"My brother and I do not frequently speak, and only as much as we do due to council meetings.\"\n\n\"It doesn't matter anyway\" She sighs \"The doubt is enough. Any babe she sprouts after the rumors become entrenched, which is to say any point after tomorrow, will never be able to escape the shadow of this scandal.\" She gazes sadly at her wine. I know I'm not who she wants to be airing her woes at, but we are to be wed in but a fortnight and as such few people can be trusted more than I with secrets of the state. \n\n\"That child will be the heir to both Stanlovia and Avonsland, as child of the firstborn of our fathers. That shadow looms not only over them, but over our joint kingdoms.\" Damn my brother. He never had the will for leadership, nor the wit, nor humility. No, he was born first, married first, most likely to produce a child that was of equal Stanlovan and Avonslandish blood first.\n\n\"I feel the same way about my sister.\" Phillipa says.\n\n\"Excuse me?\"\n\n\"When you think about your brother you drift off and start scowling gently, it's quite distinctive.\" This brings a laugh from me.\n\n\"My my Phillipa maybe we'll make a couple after all.\" She scoffs at this, but not in a malicious way. We both know our duty, even though neither of us will be sovereign, our union will complete the intertwining of our families, ending our separate lineages and forever establishing a new dynasty. \n\n\"I'll declare it a victory as long as you keep your own indiscretions better hidden than your brother, or for at least until we're too overrun with civil war and sea people to care.\" Her tone is resigned, but her words irk me.\n\n\"You think that I will be disloyal?\" I challenge.\n\n\"Don't be offended Edward, I mean no disrespect. A few servant girls in their youth has never toppled a king, and I'd be a fool if I expected you to remain satisfied with but a single, bitter wife to keep you company. Especially when our older siblings are unravelling any diplomatic advantage to our marriage at an alarming pace.\" Even as she makes light of the matter she looks into her cup rather than my eyes. I turn away, a spike of anger in my heart. \n\n\"Not a single other woman, not since we were promised to each other four years ago.\" I lean over the balcony, letting the peace of the night flow into my chest to calm me. \"Somebody has to keep their commitments around here.\" I mutter. Phillipa's bare feet pad across the stone floor to join me. She lays a hand on my shoulder.\n\n\"Edward, I'm not sure what to say. I... do you perhaps, maybe, without me noticing... hold some affection for me?\" Now it's my turn to laugh.\n\n\"Don't be silly woman, you've been nothing but an burden to me. But we are royals, we don't marry for love. In fact, we could be the least important people in the whole kingdom as far as our wedding is concerned. No, my commitment is to my people, to the safety of our lands, and to the continuation of our nations. Unlike my brother, I see the life of luxury we lead as fair compensation for the burden we carry, not as an entitlement of blood.\" I grimace, the taste of our doomed future forming as I consider how the older siblings are attacking the foundation of our nation. Phillipa leans in close, as some things should not be said aloud even in the privacy of your own quarters. \n\n\"I do not love you Edward, but I would even I would rather you king than your brother.\" I glance at her sideways. \"Is that so surprising? I have a duty too, and I can't see myself enjoying it too much whomever it is with. Under those conditions, maybe I would at least like to know that I am serving a greater good.\" She lays her hand on mine, and gazes lovingly into my eyes. Alarms ring through me momentarily before her mask breaks and her usual cynical expression returns. \"Not such a bad actress, am I?\" she says.\n\n\"I don't think I follow.\" \n\n\"Hmm, I knew I'd have to be the brains behind the throne but I was oping you'd take up some of the slack. Look, Edward, we've been sitting here like other sibling's coronation will go ahead the moment your father dies, but there is precedent for the king of Stanlovia to designate an heir other than their eldest child.\" I nod, slowly realising what she's suggesting.\n\n\"It's rare, legal but very rare.\"\n\n\"This unification is the result of a decade of work from both our families, the trade in goods and lands has been vast, you even lost your cousin Frederick to make amends for previous wars.\" That was also a power play from my mother, she inherited vast lands to add to the royal estate. Consolidating power was something both our families did in order to make this possible, as many refused to see the greater picture and had to be dealt with forcefully.\n\n\"They'll have to be confident to change tack at this stage, we'll have to be a sure bet. And in case you were not aware, but our barely amicable relationship is not a much better secret than our siblings.\" Despite my complaints I'm warming up to the idea, perhaps this could work.\n\n\"Then we'll be in love, at least as far as everyone else is concerned. Finally they're getting along the court will whisper, a real royal romance the more fanciful will say. And then our parents will see a real foundation to build a dynasty on. So for the sake of our people, will you be in love with me?\" She once again gazes into my eyes, and for a few moments, I do a credible job of gazing back. \n\n\"My dearest, you are the light of my life. Or at least once I've had a few more glasses of wine, you could be.\" We both give a brief laugh to this, and toast to the most romantic coup ever attempted." ]	2
	[WP] For most of your life you found assurance that if you're not the best at anything, at least you're best at being you. However you just learned today that you're just 3rd best at being 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 had spent most of my life being extraordinarily average. I enjoyed that. It was nice to not have any sort of pressure on me at all. But I never realized the true implications until I got hit by a car at thirty-six. I was enjoying life: a wife, two kids, two dogs, a house, a job. I was even writing a novel. I mean, it didn’t make any sense, but that didn’t matter. And then I got barreled over by a Prius at the intersection while telling my daughter goodnight.\n\nWhile I was in the coma, I apparently became good at something, very good at something, and that was predicting the weather in Wichita, Kansas. Down to exact precipitation numbers. I even got the wind chill right. I would round out every prediction with “Thanks for tuning into the Wichita Weather, stay Witchy, my friends.” All of this was strange sure—but, in truth, the strangest part was that I had never been to Wichita. I’d never even been to Kansas. But let me back up, to the finding out, the waking up, and learning about my sudden exposure.\n\n“Carson?” I heard my wife whisper. It was the first thing I’d heard since those energy-efficient wheels had skidded on the pavement.\n\n“Hm?” I managed; I was trying to open my eyes, but they felt as if they were glued shut.\n\n“Oh my god,” she whispered. She grabbed my hand and then dropped it. I heard her slamming a button on the wall with great force. I could almost imagine the way her blond hair would move as frantically as she did, some strange extension of her emotions.\n\nThe doctors moved in quickly, checking my vitals and helping me up. When I was finally able to open my eyes, I was met with disappointment. My wife, Sam, had dyed her hair brunette. My two kids, Lucy and Nathan, stared at me with wide eyes.\n\n“Is daddy un-dead now?” Lucy asked.\n\n“He wasn’t ever dead,” Nathan said, poking at his sister.\n\nTheir mother clutched a blanket like it was another baby she’d birthed while I’d been gone. The doctors continued to touch random spots on my body, saying things about ‘its a miracle,’ ‘incredible,’ ‘how will I get my weather now?’\n\n“Can I get some water?” I finally croaked. They went wide-eyed and a scrub-clad nurses sprinted to the sink, filling one of those useless tiny cups with water. I drank the thimble but I felt too embarrassed to ask for another.\n\n“Well, Carson,” a doctor with a mustache told me, “it looks like you’re perfectly healthy.”\n\n“Does that mean he can come home?” Sam asked. She had bundled the blanket-child in her arms, rocking it.\n\n“We’ll keep him overnight for observation, but if all is still well tomorrow, we’ll release him.” The doctor patted her swaying arm.\n\n“Oh, thank goodness.”\n\nThe doctors filed out after a while, and Sam leaned down, kissing my forehead. I couldn’t move my muscles much—I remembered the doctors noting ‘atrophy’ but I felt weaker than I had standing on the starting line for my first track meet, Dan Sutherland calling out to me from the front, telling me I would have better luck if I just went ahead and laid down. I came in third, then, and I had been happy about it.\n\n“We’re going to head home and let you rest, alright?”\n\n“Alright,” I said. I watched as her unfamiliar brunette curls, Lucy on one hand and Nathan, on the other. I smiled at the thought of them going home and talking with excitement about how glad they were I was awake while they ate take out pizza—pepperoni, probably. Lucy was lactose intolerant, to we always got half of the pizza without cheese, a red pond with red lilypads that she folded and consumed like a hungry animal.\n\nI didn’t sleep much, probably on account of being out for almost six months. I hadn’t been awake for any of it, so it would follow that I was asleep, right? I forgot to ask the doctor about that, and many other things. Like, ‘May I have another cup of water?’ I drifted in and out of consciousness during the night, statistics for the average yearly rainfall in Wichita, Kansas floating somewhere in my subconscious.\n\nI was awoken by my door slamming open, hitting the wall, and bouncing back, only to be thrown open again.\n\n“Carson! My boy!” The boisterous voice called to me.\n\n“Hm?” I said, opening my crusty eyes with care.\n\nUp to me strode an extremely handsome man, all jawline and stubble. He smiled a brilliant, white smile at me. His suit was nice, like not I-bought-this-at-an-estate-sale nice, but like I-got-this-custom-tailored kind of nice. He presented his manicured hand to me. I shook it with all the energy I could muster, which is to say, not much.\n\n“I’m Doug. Pleasure to meet you, Carson. I feel like I know you already.”\n\n“Who are you?”\n\n“I’m your agent, well, I’m your wife’s agent—wonderful woman, gorgeous woman—but now that you’re awake, I’m your agent.”\n\n“Agent?” I didn’t like the way he said ‘wonderful’ or ‘gorgeous’ but he spoke with such verve and speed I barely had time to process anything.\n\n“Well, what with you weather-prediction skills, people were excited to hear your story.”\n\n“Prediction? Skills? Weather?” My brain felt as if it were the fog itself, with Doug as the lighthouse, trying desperately to pierce through to the ships at sea—my thoughts, which were painfully lost after a long voyage.\n\n“Right—I suppose you wouldn’t know any of this. May I?” He was gesturing towards the remote for the TV.\n\n“Sure,” I said. And he clicked it on. It was tuned to M\\A\\S\\H, Hawkeye’s dark eyes staring at me.\n\n“—war is hell—” He switched the channel, now to a children’s show.\n\n“—but you have to give it your best, Peppa.” Another switch, after he fumbled for a moment.\n\n“—after being in a coma for six months, during which he predicted, with unrivaled accuracy, the weather statistics for Wichita, Kansas, Carson Cullman has woken up at Memorial Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. We are contacting his agent to see if we can score an interview with this fascinating man. Up next, we’ll be discussing the TV series that will be coming from the exp—” He shut the TV off.\n\n“The TV series?” I choked, “They’re making a TV series? About me?”\n\n“Yes, and it’s going to be huge—”\n\n“Did anyone think to ask me?” I stared at him, watching his wide green eyes scan me.\n\n“We did, but you just told us the pressure forecast for that day. It was high.”\n\n“I—I—”\n\n“Listen, I get it, this can all be a little overwhelming, but Sam and I decided that—”\n\n“You and Sam? She okayed this?”\n\n“Of course, my boy!” He slapped his hand down on mine, causing me to wince. Human touch was still a very foreign thing. “She greenlit the whole thing. Your family is going to be set.”\n\n“But—”\n\n“No buts! It’s rolling. We’ve got a movie deal in the works called ‘Wishing for Wichita,’ I hear they’re going to get someone awfully handsome to play you, like Shia Lebeef or Harry Potter. I’m still working with Universal on that one.” He smiled that brilliant smile at me again, “Don’t worry about it kid, we’ll handle all of it for you.”\n\nBut I was worried. I was very worried. I was worried about that man and his smile, the way he talked about Sam, possibly that he’d met my kids. I was worried about Sam and Lucy and Nathan. And, for some strange reason, I was worried about Wichita. They were due for some heavy rain.\n\n\\_ \\_ \\_\n\nThanks for reading. If you enjoy my work, you can find more here: r/AinsleyAdams", "Growing up as one part of a matched set wasn’t easy. \n\nIt might have been better to be born twins. Maybe I’d have had an unshakable ally or implacable enemy. Or maybe we would have gotten along sometimes and fought at others like every other sibling pair, except with the same age and looks. \n\nInstead I was third in a group of three: Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn. I used to wonder if our parents had a strange sense of humor. Not anymore: I’m sure* of it. \n\nMy sisters and I agreed to be different early on. We picked out new names to use when mom and dad weren’t around: Kate, Cathy, Tina. “Cat” had been too close to the other two names in pronunciation and potential initials for their comfort. \n\nHobbies, interests and likes were divvied up the same way. If mom and dad wanted to fuse us back together after we’d split apart in the womb, we would enforce it instead and grow into separate wholes from there. \n\nAnd it worked. I had to abandon hobbies and things I liked from time to time, but so did they. It was all for a good cause, I told myself: I’d never been the best at them anyway, and at least this kept us distinct. My sisters and I wouldn’t lose ourselves in the sick game my parents played. I would be the best at being me, and that would be enough. \n\nThat all changed the day we graduated high school. \n\nKate and Cathy had been accepted to Dartmouth. I was headed for Yale. Our college funds were all in good shape but mom and dad encouraged us to apply for scholarships anyway. I’d simply assumed the funds weren’t as healthy as they were made out to be. \n\nI hadn’t expected what came next. \n\n“You’re giving them my college fund?” I wrestled my voice into a level tone before deciding not to bother. “WHY?”\n\n“Don’t shout, dear.” My mom actually flinched and managed to sound hurt. “We wouldn’t dream of taking such a wonderful opportunity from you. Yale! Oh, everyone at the office was green with envy. I wish you could’ve seen the looks on their faces when I told them.”\n\n“Be reasonable, pumpkin,” my dad added. “You still have your scholarships. We’ll pay for anything they won’t cover.”\n\nI clenched my jaw.\n\n“Kate. Cathy. Tell me you’re not okay with this.”\n\n“Are you still playing at that?” Cathy said. “Now that we’re all going off to college in the fall, I thought we should stop using those kiddie nicknames.”\n\n“Yeah.” Kate nodded. “I’ll be Katherine over there. Might as well get used to it now.”\n\n“But you don’t have to be!” Had they all gone mad while I wasn’t looking? Redefined what was normal and left me behind? \n\n“Tell them to call you Kate! What’s wrong with that!?”\n\n“I give up.” Kate turned to Cathy. “Catherine, you explain it to her.”\n\nCathy gave me a nervous, apologetic smile. “Well, you see... mom and dad always did want us to get along. That’s why they were so careful to treat us exactly the same–“\n\n“And I can’t say how glad we are that you two have finally been getting along so well,” my dad said. \n\n“More than that,” Cathy went on, “they wanted us to excel at everything we put our minds to.”\n\n“I knew you could do it,” my mom said. “You just had to apply yourself.”\n\n“But you never were the best at anything,” Kate said, rolling her eyes. “Mom and dad wanted the best for us, so of course we had to be the best. But you just wouldn’t get with the program.”\n\nI thought over everything we’d divided up among the years. \n\n“You gave me your castoffs,” I realized. “Everything you worried you wouldn’t excel at. And you took things from me if you thought you could do them better. Because I was happy to be average.”\n\n“Exactly,” my dad said. “Kathryn, you have to let go of this idea that what matters most is that you’re the best at being you. Even Catherine and Katherine are better at it than you. Being one-in-a-million just means having to compete with eight thousand others. Excellence, actually being good at things, is what gives you options and opens up paths in life. Not some woolly idea of self-discovery.”\n\n“It’s okay,” Cathy said. “I know you wanted to go to Yale. Even if we really wanted to get into Dartmouth. I hope you have fun.”\n\n“Thanks, Catherine,” I said. “I hope you have fun with your double act at Dartmouth too. With my college money.”\n\nAnd before anyone could stop me, I was out the door." ]	3
	[WP] Early in childhood you discover you have the ability to go back 7 days in time. You also learn that the ability cannot be used while in the 7 day window. Years later you realise your body kept ageing and you have grown one week older by each use and time is catching up.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Ashley, we need to talk.”\n\nI looked up from the syrup I was about to pour and met my husband’s eyes. “Well, that doesn’t sound good.” I’d made pancakes that morning and hadn’t yet had a bite, butter spread smoothly across its surface and the smell enticing enough to tempt me to ignore him. But I put the bottle down, giving him a once-over. “What’s wrong?”\n\n“I’ve noticed.”\n\nStaring for a long moment, I kept my face stiff, kept the façade up. “Noticed what?”\n\n“How many years has it been?” Steven asked. “How many times have you done it? And have I ever figured it out before?”\n\nSwallowing hard, I slowly leaned back in my chair, and my appetite vanished. “Ah…” I cleared my throat, averting my gaze. “This is the first time you’ve noticed.”\n\n“How many weeks?” he whispered. “How many years? Because you’re not twenty-five anymore.” Grimacing, I kept my eyes away from his. “Ash, how many years?”\n\n“Six and a half.”\n\nI could feel his gaze burning into me. “Six and a half years. For Christ’s sake, why? Is there a meteor coming or something?”\n\n“Or something.” I forced myself to look up at him, trying to keep tears back. “It’s some type of…cancer.”\n\n“You have cancer?” he whispered. “Wait, no, that wouldn’t-”\n\n“No, Steven. You do.” The dam failed and my tears built up and spilled over my cheeks. He looked stunned and swallowed hard. “You pass out next Thursday, we head to the hospital and…there’s nothing they can do. I spent ages looking for research for anything that could help, any experimental treatment, any shot in the dark, but there’s nothing.” I took in a shuddering breath. “I’m going to have to tell you again,” I whispered. “I knew this would happen eventually-”\n\n“You’re not going to do this again,” Steven snapped, standing up and taking the chair closer to me instead of across from me. “Ash, look at me.” I did so. “You are not going to waste your life away-”\n\n“Waste?” I choked out. “When you first died, it had been two years since we got married. Two years, Steven. I’m just taking what I can. Grasping every last second with you that I can because I’m being robbed of it. We should have had decades. We…” I shook my head, blinking back the blurriness of my vision. “It’s my life. I can spend it how I want, and how I want to spend it is with you. That’s what I wanted eight years ago and that’s still what I want now.”\n\n“You’re still stealing from everyone else, though,” he said quietly. “What about all the other people who love you? Your parents, your sister, your friends? You’re robbing them of your life. They’ll figure it out, and then they’re going to figure it out again and again every week for the rest of your life. You’ll have to tell them-”\n\n“I’ll send a mass email,” I snapped. “It’s my life and I get to decide what to do with it.”\n\nSteven’s face crumpled. “I know. I know it’s your life and you…” He let out a long breath. “Six years, though… What can we even do anymore that we haven’t done yet? This must be Groundhog Day for you-”\n\n“It’s not about what we do,” I whispered scornfully. “Sometimes I just live out the week. Sometimes I talk you into some extravagant, impromptu vacation, sometimes we just play hooky at home all week. We’ve adopted a dog more than a dozen times. It’s just about life with you. It’s about the little moments in between, every time I get to hear you laugh, every time you take my hand,” I said quietly, taking his gently in mind. “Every day I wake up and you’re next to me. And every night we go to sleep together, with you next to me in bed, your…presence. How am I supposed to go on without that?”\n\nSteven took my hand in both of his. “The same way everyone else does,” he murmured. “Painfully. But day by day. Week by week. Neither of us believe in soul mates, Ash, we had that talk. You find a clear space in a field with some water nearby and you say, ‘Here. We can build something here.’ We were going to build something, but we can’t anymore. And I don’t want that for you, living through the same span of time forever just to stay with me. You need to build a life, not cling to someone you don’t have a future with.”\n\n“I can’t, please don’t make me,” I whispered, tears still slipping from my eyes. Somehow, he wasn’t crying. He was angry, I realized. Not at me, but at the cancer. It had stolen our future before I had even realized, before I’d started to pry it back and hoard it for myself. And stubbornness was firm in his expression, determination not to let me keep doing this. All the times I’d imagined him figuring it out, I’d never thought it would go like this.\n\n“Yes, you can,” he murmured, staring straight into my eyes. “And you will. And this time? We’ll do it together. We’ll spend this week together knowing it’s the last normal one we’ll have. We’ve got that gift and it’s something anyone else would give everything for. To know ahead of time, to savor every second with that person you love before you’re told the rest of your time with them is going to be stolen.”\n\nHe paused, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand. “This is going to be the last time. Because it has to be. Because from now on I’m going to wake up, I’m going to see your face, I’m going to realize, and we’ll have this whole conversation again. You know we will. And it will tear us apart. Not all at once, but bit by bit, and it’ll hurt. It’ll hurt me and it’ll hurt you. It could be a year from now, could be more, but you will start to see me differently after all these mornings like this. And I won’t let that happen. I won’t.”\n\nI sniffled and shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s your life being taken by the cancer and I’m the one being comforted. It’s not right.”\n\n“So, make it right,” he said. “Because I don’t think it’s sunk in for me yet. And I’d really like you to be my rock in that moment, like you always are when I need you to be.”\n\nSetting my jaw and swallowing hard, I released his hands and cupped his face. “Steven, sweetie,” I whispered. “You’ve got cancer.” He closed his eyes and nodded, reopening them. “There’s nothing we can do. You’ve got maybe a month left.” I took in another shaky breath. “But I will be with you for every minute of it. The way it should be. Day by day, week by week. Painfully. I will be there for you.”\n\nI saw his chin quiver and then tears of comprehension formed in his eyes and he choked out a sob, leaning into my shoulder, and I held him close. Tears streamed from my eyes, but I just focused on him. “I love you so much,” I choked out. “And you’re not alone in this. We’ll get through it together. Right until the end. I promise.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/storiesbykaren" ]	2
	[WP] You are a low level supervillain who has decided to infiltrate the hero organisation to put you on the map. Years later you have become a respected, well liked hero paid more than you ever made as a villain and realise you never really planned this far ahead	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 put on that horse mask before I broke into Preston's place - more flop than house, bud - I didn't think I was making a life defining decision. I just wanted Preston to be surprised long enough for me to get that bitchass motherfucker for selling me a kilo of coke that was 60% hard fuckin' fondant. Fondant!! I was gonna kill the guards then, too, take everything he had on site and have the party of my life in my shitty one room apartment before getting back on the fuckin' drug-and-gang-bullshit grind. \n\nAnd sure, that plan concocted in the mind of a man who learned his coke brick was only 40% cocaine the hard way worked, for a moment. A man bursting through the window of your second floor office in a black horse mask that had sky blue eyes and a shitty, short cropped white mane with a sort of rictus grin on its horsey face...It definitely spooked Preston, that's for sure. I just wish I had cared more about how bad it smells in here, bud. It's like if plastic died, somehow, and has been rotting the longer I've been in here.\n\nSpeaking of things I should have cared more about right about then, I shoulda cared more about why Preston's boyos weren't coming in to stop me from slamming their boss around the room while growling obscenities and whinnying at him. He finally dove for his gun, but I tackled him and started hitting him with it before shooting him in the face. I was just trying to pocket everything I could of value from Preston's desk by the window when fuckin' RAGEIS burst through the door, the load bearing wall, and then the roof when it collapsed on us in that order. Apparently, he had some sort of vendetta on Preston's boss' boss and had \"Raged In(tm) to blow off steam and get some evidence of something\" in his own words. He asked me who I was and for some fuckin' reason I told him I was Dark Horse and when he put together I shot Preston with his own gun and had all the evidence he needed all over me and in my pockets, he cracked a barking laugh and said he liked that, that he thought I had moxie and chutzpah, and before I knew it the big idiot had grabbed me in one bigass hand to bring me his agency to recruit as a sidekick, and what was I gonna do? Tell fuckin' RAGEIS that I lied to him and that I was a wanted drug dealer and felon? Fuck no! \n\nAnyways I work for the government now? Well, technically, we're \"Paramilitary Subcontractors\" or some shit like that, I don't give a fuck about the details. Dude, working for the government is easy as fuck! I don't gotta worry about backstabbers because all of these guys are stupid as fuck. Didn't even ask me for my name, took my ID photo of me in the horse mask, which has gotta have been more than useless really when you think about it but thats bureaucracy for you. They still give me dental! As long as I do a rough approximation of what they tell me to do, I get paid big money. Like, houseboat in Hawaii money. The fuckin' dream, but I haven't actually been out there yet. Since my direct superior is fuckin' RAGEIS, (because these people are either stupid as fuck or don't wanna question a ten foot man, which, honestly same) the shit we get up to is exciting enough for my blood but is kinda of, like, a constant wave of bullshit. At the end of the day you gotta chase the grind where it leads. Which, according to the briefing I only half paid attention to this morning, (RAGEIS will remember even less) is somewhere off the coast of South America? Apparently, there is some dude named King Caine at the end of the nation's massive cocaine spike there. Sure, Yup, Makes Sense! That's totally the reason cocaine is on the streets right now, sure. Just like battling Laud Opie solved the heroin crisis a year ago, as long as you don't look into it at all. \n\nBut who cares! I'll go wherever with RAGEIS if it means I can get away from all these cops and cameras for long enough to take this mask off for a bit and get to do some ludicrous violence once I get there. Cuz I can't take it off around those people. Statute of limitations ends in just a few more years, and then I'll be home free. But honestly, who cares about that guy I was now? Being Dark Horse is fun as fuck, and my life rules now. RAGEIS is dumb as shit and likes me for some fucking reason (I think he's a horse guy???) so he's never looked into my actual identity. But he's a good dude(to me), so I don't mind working with him, and I never had a team-mate back then. Nah, fuck it, bud, I'm gonna milk this until I catch the wrong hit and bite it in one of these battles. Being Dark Horse is better than being a dead dealer, smashed by RAGEIS, or arrested, most likely all three. I just wish I had picked a better smelling mask.", "The briefing room was filled with a riot of colours and costumes, superheroes of all shapes and sizes chattering excitedly about what the latest mission could be. The chatter simmered down as the door opened and in strode Excalibur, senior hero and Mission Director for the North American Superhero Headquarters (or NASH... Some called it Nashville.)\n\n\"Alright settle down, boys and girls, briefing's about to start. Today's case file: Dr. Sinister. Intel Division has confirmed that he's started up a new lair in the jungles of South America, but the looks of it he's building long range ICBMs and there's reason to believe he's up to his old tricks with biochemical weapons again.\n\nMission this time is to neutralize the threat and bring him in so we can put him under lock and key. Brainstorming, go.\"\n\n\"Stealth infil, grab the target, plant demo charges, exfil,\" said Silencer, an ex-special-ops-turned-professional-hero. \n\n\"Classic spec op SOP, but knowing Sinister that's easier said than done... Else the last three teams the CIA and Spec Ops Command sent wouldn't have been wiped out within minutes. Next?\" \n\nI raised my hand tentatively. \"Why don't we simply nuke the site from orbit? Twice. It's the only way to be sure.\"\n\nFrowns and disapproving mutterings rumbled throughout the room. \n\nExcalibur scratched his chin. \"Efficient, yes. But that's not The Superhero Way (TM), Harbinger. What about collateral damage and fallout? Public's not gonna like it if we can't bring Sinister in to face justice in a court of law, not to mention the body count. That's going to put a dent in the public perception of superheroes. Next?\" \n\n\"Ooh, me! Me! How about we assemble a team, announce for Sinister to give himself up, then charge the main entrance.......\" \n\nI sank down in my seat as other suggestions were rapidly belted out by the rest of the group, mentally kicking myself for falling into my old way of thinking. Nearly blew my cover there, wise-ass, I thought. \n\nFive years in NASH and a good record to boot, although I'd had a few write-up and docked pay about \"excessive use of force\" or \"collateral damage to civilians and local law enforcement\". Who cares if a city block is flattened or some civvies get caught up, as long as the target was 'neutralized'? At least it'll save the taxpayers money on supervillain containment in the long run. I'll never understand these heroes' obsession with not killing villains, much less anyone. \n\nFive years since I'd changed my professional moniker from Deathstrike to Harbinger - from small-time villain that barely got a mention on page three of a local newspaper (my crowning achievement!) and barely making ends meet; to earning a comfortable six-digit annual salary with benefits and a regular spot on Forbes' \"100 Superheroes of the Year\" rankings. \n\nTo think that all it took was me deciding to infiltrate NASH as a double agent in the hopes of maybe achieving glory by, oh I don't know, blowing up the building or something. Next thing I knew they were sending me out on missions to hunt down villains - my ex-colleagues, so to speak. Had to put down a few of them in case someone revealed my former identity, and got my job pay docked in the process. \n\nTo think that much of my success was because I could \"think like a villain\" and anticipate their moves, rather than do things the way that heroes typically do. Only thing was, sometimes I still tended to do things the way villains do.... Damn, do I miss the days when there were no stupid rules to follow, when you could shoot whoever you wanted, blow up whatever you wanted, no stupid shit about \"public image\" or \"this is not the superhero way\"-\n\n\"HOWDY PARD'NER!\"\n\nOof. That was a hefty clap on the shoulder. That's gotta be WestStar.\n\n\"Y'all's so lucky to be on this rodeo! Looks like Ah gotta sit this one out again...\", WestStar drawled out, fidgeting with the sheriff's star on his very, very hairy chest.\n\n\"Hey man, eh what did you just say? I'm on the team this time?\" I clearly wasn't listening to the rest of the briefing. The other heroes were already starting to file out of the room, with a few gathered up front with Excalibur.\n\n\"Yeah, ol' Exxie's gunnin' to git y'all's behinds on one 'o dem shuttles this evenin'. He reckons you's got some sweet ideas how to bust that joint. Say, how's about we grab lunch, ol' buddy? You're buyin', of course! Ol' man was sayin' hazard pay's preeeetty sweet on this rodeo,\" WestStar flashed his oh-too-bright winning smile.\n\n\"Alright, buddy. See you in the cafeteria at 12, and see if Elantra wants to join us too,\" I waved as I plodded over to join the strike team briefing with Excalibur and the others, a grin growing on my face as I calculated the pay from this gig. \n\nSay what you like about The Superhero Way (TM), it sure made a lot more money than being a small time villain. I could get used to this.", "Look, for obvious reason, I don’t talk about the gigs I’ve done. I swear I’ve never killed anyone, but my partners, I can’t vouch for. What the Hell was I thinking teaming up with Destroying Angel? But I digress. Anyhow, let me use a historical example: ever heard of the Lufthansa heist? Look, you’ve seen, ‘Goodfellas.’ Yeah, that one. The point is that it was the biggest robbery in American history (just shy of six mill in 1978 bucks) and the guys who did the heavy lifting got pittances followed by two in the hat. \n\nScrew that noise. I thought I would go long term by playing a mole with the good guys. So I made a new identity and ‘patrolled.’ Actually, scare quotes are not needed. I banged a shaky junkie trying to mug a grandma. I won’t lie. It kinda felt good. A couple more of those demonstrations got me visited by the police and Paragon. And for once that was what I wanted. \n\n“So, young man,” the big guy says, “I’ve heard about your good work. But,” he indicated the cops, “if you want to continue, then you have certain protocols you have to follow.” \n\nOh, throw me into that briar patch. I nodded and said all the right words. Then as the cops are filling out my SH forms, Paragon throws me for my first loop. He hands me a gift box. “Open in,” he says.\nInside, in tissue paper, are homemade caramel fudge brownies. \n\n“Reward from your first case,” he says smiling. That grandma baked something for me? Crap, my own mom would barely heat a can of soup for me and my sisters, now a complete stranger makes this? Then Paragon adds something else that makes my jaw drop. \n“She’s not the only one. The suspect is now in a treatment program. He’s really getting the help he needs.” \n\nI swear there was something in my eye. I muttered a jumble of words and got away as soon as possible. Of course I resolved to keep up my scam. Of course I did too good a job. \n\nIt was by the University, I thought it was a burglary/home invasion. I come in dynamically through the window and stop a rape in process. I hit the guy into next week, help the girl up and cover her with the blanket. Then my vision stops being so narrow. Her roommates and a couple of friends were there, tied, gagged and waiting their turn. That is the one he had already murdered. Guy was a serial who decided to change his hunting grounds. \n\nI’m shaking because if I had stopped for a soda or to pee they could all be dead. Or if I had decided not to detour by the river, that poor kid would still be alive.\nCops came and big phony I am, I’m sitting on the curb, shaking and sick. Paragon flies to my side, landing softly. \n\n“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. He held up a hand to interrupt me. “We’ve all been there. If you had arrived sooner... if you didn’t come. Don't play that game with yourself. You stopped a would-be Richard Speck. That is what matters. Now, FBI is going to be talking to you, but I’ll be there.” \n\n“Thanks, man,” was all I could say.\nThe feds were amazingly cool. They peppered questions about the incident (and only the incident) with ‘Attaboys.’ \n\nIn the weeks that followed, suits I’d never seen before went out of their way to say nice things to my face. I paid them back in kind, even the ones who clobbered me before. \n\nOne of them was KuroKatana- that cyborg chick who wears the wide black hat and cape, like an anime character. You know... the one who has the mirror eye coverings that look like sunglasses with sides, but no frames? Yeah. Scary gal, she is when you’re on the wrong sides of her blades. But she’s a sweetie to everyone else. \n\nSo, she asks me to go on a ‘silly mission,’ her words. We drive in her high tech car that looks like it ought to be in a Formula one race as she jabbers. “Paragon thinks the world of you, so that’s why I’m asking you to do this. I mean he means well, but he’s such a busybody… Ah, we’re here.” \n\nWe stepped out of the car. Paragon, arms crossed, was watching Knucklehead knock over a bank. Literally. \n\n“Demolition gig pays well,” I said as I saw my old comrade pulling limestone panels from the walls and putting them onto a truck.\n\n“Very well,” he said, smiling. “In fact I want to talk to him about his 401K.”\n\nKurokatana managed to roll her eyes, hidden as they were behind opaque lenses. \n\n“Ya know,” I said, “I do need to talk about my retirement,” I put my hand on the big guys shoulder. “Why don’t we talk about it over lunch? That Chinese place is pretty good I hear.” And before Paragon could object, I guided him away. A glance over my shoulder and I saw Kurokatana beaming and Knucklehead giving me a thumbs up. \n\nIt’s the rewards of helping people, even in this trivial way, that makes this job so rewarding, even more than the fat IRAs." ]	4
	[WP] You're an assassin. You're about to kill your target when you notice that you're being followed by someone else. You know who this is. They aren't a foe...but you honestly wish they were.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 swear under my breath. I knew I shouldn't have told him where I was going to be today but I know he gets worried when I keep it to myself. I never mind when my husband tags along on missions, it's always nice to have a colleague tagging along as a back-up. I just wish he would stop bringing our three-year-old son Oliver with him.\n\"Damn\" I say, aloud this time as I notice my target whip around the corner. Micheal gives me a discreet wave as I climb up onto a nearby rooftop, rolling my eyes at his non-chalance. Racing across the rooftop I can't help but admire the lights stretching across the horizon. I almost begin to imagine one of those lights belonging to our little family before shaking my head and resuming my chase.\nI dip down into an alleyway, my knife sliding into my hand as if drawn there by a magnet. I look around, sensing my prey is close yet they still elude my sight. I whip around, hearing a footfall on the pavement and almost throw my knife. \nWhy didn't I let go? My first thought was that it was because I feared it was Micheal checking up on me. But in all honesty that was only part of the problem. Having a family made me soft. \nI looked up, above my mark's head as his knife sunk into my chest. I saw Micheal and Oliver peeping over the top of a wall and I felt tears streaming down my face. I managed to mouth the word \"go\" as I fell to the pavement and exhaled my last breath.", "\"So…\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\n\"It's been a while.\" \n\n\"Yeah.\" I say. \n\nWe are sitting in an outdoor Cafe. The sky is plastered in blue.\n\n\"You are being curt.\" Hugo has always been one to recognize when I am passive aggressive. But I didn't plan on meeting him today. To be honest, I didn't plan on meeting him ever.\n\n\"I wasn't expecting to meet you.\"\n\nThe summer gaze sharpens. Today was supposed to be monotonous like usual. I get a target, I find them and I assassinate them. \n\n\"Neither did I. But I guess both of us were employed to kill that man.\"\n\n\"He must have been a pain in the ass for our employers.\" \n\n\"Are you working with the Church of Angels still?\" \n\n\"No.\" I take a deep breath. Let me just get this over with. \"I left the church shortly after you did. I am a freelance assassin now.\"\n\n\"Oh. Is it good?\"\n\n\"I am not forced to bond in a workplace.\"\n\n\"Is that an attack towards me?\"\n\n\"Why would you think that?\"\n\n\"You haven't talked to me since I left.\"\n\n\"Cause you left…\"\n\n\"I have tried connecting with you. You went off the radar.\"\n\n\"That's an advantage of freelance too.\"\n\n\"Okay.\" He says as he stares. His stares… I am too familiar with its unpleasantness. \n\nThe bustle of the avenue rattles the ground. A rhythm my feet observes intently. There is no hope here; I should end this unwanted reunion elegantly.\n\n\"The kill you stole from me was for the Monastery of Invisibility. I guess I am just upset that I won't be paid.\"\n\n\"You miss then you miss, I guess.\"\n\nHe hasn't changed one bit.\n\n\"But you surprised me, and shot him before I could react.\"\n\n\"I was following the kill just like you.\"\n\n\"No. You were following me following the kill.\" Why am I doing this? These parades of quarrels always spiral with him.\n\n\"I am sorry.\"\n\nDid he just apologize? Maybe he's changed.\n\n\"It's okay.\"\n\n\"I can share the fee.\"\n\n\"Nah. I am doing good.\"\n\n\"Really? You used to always be a big spender.\" \n\n\"Yeah. Remember the time I bought a chopper and crashed it.\"\n\n\"Shit. Yeahhh.\" He roars laughing, and I can't stop myself from smiling. I do miss our friendship. \n\nI look at my tea and then his. Not even a sip. Old habits. I wave to the waiter, catching the corner of her eye. I gesture for the bill.\n\n\"Leaving so quick.\" His laughter interrupts.\n\n\"I have lost the kill, so I need to get a new one.\"\n\n\"Are you low on money?\"\n\nThe waiter hands the bill and I pull out the cash from my pocket and hand it over to her.\n\n\"I am fine.\" \n\n\"Okay. I heard that even freelance…\" he waits for her to leave, \"... assassins get a card.\"\n\n\"I did get one.\"\n\n\"Then why aren't you using it?\"\n\n\"Because it's not earned money.\"\n\n\"It is the perk of the job.\" \n\n\"I don't want that perk.\"\n\n\"If you don't use that money then someone else will use it. Don't be a goodie-two-shoes. I thought you would grow up.\"\n\n\"Maybe I don't want to grow.\"\n\nI should leave. \n\n\"Or you can't grow.\"\n\nI should just leave.\n\n\"All of us can't run away to grow, can we?\"\n\n\"You are upset because I left.\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Then?\" He looks frustrated. Maybe he really cares. \n\n\"It's nothing to do with you. I just have a lot on my mind… I want an out.\"\n\n\"From…\"\n\n\"Yeah. That's why I need kills. I am saving up. And that is why I am not using the card. Because…\"\n\n\"You will owe them future services.\"\n\nI can feel a box open. I just need to shut it down before it goes there. I see him look at his tea. That's how he ponders. Old habits. The clouds slowly escape the morbid conversation that is about to begin.\n\n\"I am tired of this job.\"\n\n\"You are good at it, better than me, and you earn well, and if you get tired of one religion…\"\n\n\"Cult.\"\n\n\"Most of the world follows one of these three religions. So they are not cults.\"\n\n\"Most of the world doesn't know the game these three religions play.\"\n\n\"Most of us just need something to believe in.\"\n\n\"Magic. Huh. The Church of Angels. The Monastery of Invisibility. The Temple of constellations. All of them preach that magic exists in this world, but where is it?\"\n\n\"Pierre!\" Some of the crowd walking glance at us.\n\n\"I know…\"\n\n\"No. You don't. You take things lightly.\"\n\n\"I take things lightly. Wow.\"\n\n\"Yes. The man that I killed right now, he was a staunch follower of the temple. But he got tired of the religion and he denounced the temple and said shit about them in an online comment… yesterday. Disbelievers are eliminated.\"\n\nI know he is right. But how can he be right? \n\n\"Why do you care?\"\n\n\"You are my best friend.\"\n\n\"Ha! That is beautiful, isn't it? Best friend.\"\n\n\"Pierre.\"\n\n\"I covered your ass when you fucked up with the bishop whistle blower. I had been there for you in every fucking situation and you… you left… with Paul and Solange.\" \n\n\"We were offered a good deal. We took it.\"\n\n\"I told you to stay.\"\n\n\"You asked once.\"\n\n\"Yeah. Yeah. I am the fool here.\"\n\nI look at him. He bites his lips. He is about to get vile.\n\n\"You don't own me. You know that, right?\"\n\n\"No. I thought you were my best friend.\"\n\n\"Really?\"\n\nSomething is off. He said that the man denounced the Temple. I need to leave.\n\n\"Hugo. It's fine. Believe that magic exists in this world. I have never seen it, so I don't care. I have only seen pain. I am sorry.\n\n\"Pierre.\" \n\nI look at him. The box is open. And I feel it. It might be our last time. I am selfish. \n\n\"I wish a miracle occurred and I didn't go through what I did. I wish my family didn't die in a massacre. Just because they were disbelievers. I wish the Church didn't adopt me and make me a monster that was so desperate for a friend that I became a burden on you. I wish none of that happened, cause then I wouldn't have been a problem for you.\"\n\nI didn't expect to meet him. But I was supposed to meet him, wasn't I? It is funny how Hugo would think that one could bounce between the three religions. The Church felt betrayed when he, Paul and Solange left. The rhythm of the ground, the gaze of the sun, it is all perfect.\n\n\"I am sorry.\" \n\nWhy? Be cruel. The Church is cruel. \n\nI get up.\n\n\"You should have not tried connecting with me.\"\n\n\"I really wanted to meet you. You are a brother to me. I don't regret it. And now that I have met you, I am going to make things right.\"\n\nI feel my eyes getting heavy. But this was supposed to happen one day. No one can run away. They can only bargain.\n\n\"The Monastery wanted me to kill the man because he denounced it. Odd, right?\" \n\nTears roll down. His face tightens. He has realized it too.\n\nA slice in the air. A splash of blood. The tea spills on the ground. His head is on the table. The crowd screams. I walk on and disappear into the chaos.\n\nIt felt abstract when I told them that he tried contacting me and gave the details for my liberation. My freedom from the church for his head. I thought I would never know how it would happen to him, but I guess… I was the key to disarming him. The sniper must have been expensive. But they do want to send a loud message that betrayals won't be tolerated. The three religions play a very intricate game. Maybe they do have magic. Maybe magic exists. Ha. \n\nI look on to the sky. The clouds have escaped. Why the fuck can't I stop crying?", "It was around 20 years ago when we first met in that night. The night that would change it all\n\n6:00 pm 1999 a motel in California\nI go to the young black man in the reception lobby and show him a picture and a knife to his throat. He seems scared, and confused at the same time. He says in a shaky voice \"is this a joke you know what I don't care, here's the key it's room 356. Please make sure you both keep it clean\" I look at the boy with a puzzled look as I spot the blood trickling from his head. I hand him a credit card and say in a calming voice. Take the night off, go to the hospital and forget everything you saw here\" the boy takes the card and runs away. I go to the corridor it has a red velvet color with blue flowers all over it, kind of hidious looking but who am I to judge. The room is ahead of me. The door is slightly open and I see pair of shadows one sitting in a chair and the other above it. I take out my gun and hold it up in front of me, it feels cold in my hands and I like it. The adrenaline is pumping inside of me, and I begin to open the door. It creaks a little and the shadow moves. Before I know an average 20 year old is standing over me he doesn't have big muscles but he's built like he can still take someone in a fight, his blonde hair is glued to his hair with sweat. I can hear his heartbeat and I look into his eyes they're grey like a cloudy day and I can feel myself getting lost in the storm. He's taken back by my staring and jumps to his feet. He pulls out a knife and swings it at me but I deflect it. And so we fight or should I say dance because it feels like art. It goes on for a few minutes until were exhausted. When suddenly the target speaks in an annoyed voice, looking to the blonde guy. \"I gave you the information now can you cut me lose out of this chair I have a long day tomorrow and I know for a fact you're not here to kill me otherwise you would've done it already\" I look to the blonde guy and asks \"are you done with him?\" He raises his head to look at me and says in a bored voice\" yeah why\" I respond with the adrenaline I had before returning to me \"do you mind if I shoot him real quick it's just I have a job and it's getting late\" he seems to think for a few moments and says with axhiliration hmm my job was information whatever happens after is not on me, and he's getting on my nerves so I don't see why not\" great I say I raise my gun as the target in the chair understands what's about to happen happen wait a second he says in a desparete voice as I put a bullet in between his eyes. There is a silnce as I look at the target and then at the guy. There is tention in the air as we stare into each other for a while.\n And then I kiss him. \n\nAnd back to today we're married with two kids, every once in a while he comes sneakingly with me to a job and every time I find him it's sort of like a game where he teases me and yes it's annoying sometimes but I love him for it." ]	4
	[WP] You've just made it back to Fire Country after a clerical error got you a 20-year mage assignment in Ice Country, and now you realize why mages shouldn't be assigned to places that oppose their element.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Ivell sighed, feeling exhausted, as the heat of the volcano slowly seeped into his frozen bones. Finally, it was warm. All that time he'd spent so much energy just keeping himself from freezing to death, and now at last he was back. This was home, and home was warm.\n\n\"Sir?\" A young hand shook him awake. Ivell blinked, not sure when he'd gone to sleep. Still, was there any harm in a nap in a warm and comfortable place?\n\n\"Uh... sorry.\" Ivell stood and shook his head slowly, feeling as if icicles had melted off his neatly trimmed beard. \"It's been a while since I was here.\"\n\n\"Must be nice to be home.\" The youth's hand felt chilly as Ivell gripped it.\n\n\"Ah, don't worry, boy. You'll get to go back where you're comfortable soon enough. You just need an official registry here. For immunity, you know.\"\n\nThe young face nodded. Ivell looked up slightly at the fresh, innocent-looking face. Ren was a bit young to be in the Firelands with such pure ice blood, but it had to be done. He couldn't let Ren back into the Icelands without the shelter that a registry in the Firelands provided.\n\n\"Once I've registered here, doesn't that make me a mage of the Firelands?\"\n\n\"Mm.\" Ivell nodded with a smile. \"Even if you're an ice mage. And no one in the Icelands can touch you then. You can go wherever you like.\"\n\n\"Even to the Sealands?\"\n\n\"Hm, probably the closest to your element. You'd probably like it a lot better than the Firelands.\" Ivell's eyes noticed a bit of sweat on the youth's forehead; with twinkling eyes he added, \"How are you feeling, Ren?\"\n\n\"Uh... a little warm.\"\n\n\"Go ahead and make a little bit of a cold front around yourself. It helps.\"\n\nRen did as he was told, wiping his forehead with a sigh.\n\n\"Better?\"\n\n\"Uh, yeah. A little bit.\" Ren looked slightly concerned. \"It's eating my magic so quickly, though.\"\n\n\"You'll get better at it. We're only here for a few days, anyway.\"\n\nEventually, they reached the registry building for the Firelands Mage Association. Ivell had brought paperwork for both himself and Ren, and he handed it and the fee off to the girl behind the counter.\n\n\"Yes, thank you, this way.\" The girl behind the counter seemed preoccupied; after showing them to the testing room she immediately began sorting through a number of other papers, her forehead creased in intense concentration.\n\n\"Sir? Who is that?\"\n\n\"She works here. I don't know her name.\" Ivell felt his lips twitch at the look on Ren's face. \"Don't stare too hard, boy. You'll fall in love a lot before you really find what you're looking for.\"\n\n\"Will I?\" Ren mumbled, looking dazed.\n\n\"Of course you will.\" Ivell elbowed the young man and turned to face the testing block. \"Face front, Ren. It's testing time.\"\n\n\"Ahem.\" A man in a suit had walked up to the block, holding some papers in his hands. \"Ren Verhia?\"\n\n\"Y-yes sir.\" Ren stepped forward.\n\n\"Place your hand on the block please.\" As Ren obeyed, the block lit up with a pale, delicate frost pattern. The glow inside was bright and very clear. \"Hm. Ice mage, base power 14.8, purity 98%. You pass. In spite of your element, we will accept your registration here. Please study well.\"\n\nRen bowed slightly and took a step back. Ivell shook his head a bit, thinking that Ren bowed too easily; he would have to teach him some self-confidence. It comes with the territory, I suppose. No one who had endured Ren's childhood could have come out normal.\n\n\"Ivell Verhia?\"\n\nIvell stepped forward and put his hand on the block. A ferocious heat roared to life inside it, turning the air within three feet of the block into an oven. The block began to sear the wooden floor beneath it, putting out smoke and putting the room at risk of burning.\n\n\"Stop! Stop stop stop!\"\n\nIvell jerked his hand away from the block with a startled gasp. It hadn't been like this the first time he registered. What the hell was that?\n\n\"Ah-\" The man seemed to shake himself mentally and began writing furiously on the paper. \"Ivell Verhia. Fire mage, base power....\" The man gulped and shook his head slowly. \"Base power... 118?\" The man's low voice cracked slightly at the number. \"Purity 78%. This is above my pay grade. Please wait. I'll get the chairman.\" The man hurried out of the room and Ren raced to Ivell's side.\n\n\"S-sir, what was that? How do you have so much magic?\"\n\nIvell reeled. \"I don't know. I started with a base power of... what, eight? How did this happen?\" Suddenly he remembered. The slow, constant drain of heat as he struggled, day in and day out, to warm himself. The intense pressure of the ice and snow as he tried desperately to create some passable excuse for fire magic in the middle of them. The way he had felt his magic cracking under the strain and had forcibly pushed it back together. No. No way. Constant, brutal training for twenty years had made his fire element less pure, but it had more than made up for it in sheer force.\n\n\"S-sir? Do you think... it's because you were in the Icelands?\"\n\nIvell shook his head slightly. \"I don't know. But maybe.\"\n\n\"Well then, that settles it.\" Ren's back straightened. \"Sir, I think I'll stay here when I'm registered.\"\n\nIvell's eyes widened. \"But... you already hate the heat. It'll be so much worse.\"\n\n\"For magic like that?\" Ren smiled, that crazy look back in his eyes. \"I'd do a lot more.\" Ivell wondered what he'd gotten himself into, making Ren his ward. Well, this would certainly be interesting." ]	2
	[WP] They hire an assassin once a week, aiming to kill the princess. They don't know a certain princess moonlights as a different assassin every week.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Now, assassin, you may be asking yourself why the pay is so good.\" The Duchess Orlena sat behind her desk, face pursed, as it always was in the presence of a commoner.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I might,\" the masked assassin said, flipping a knife in her hand.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I won't sugar coat it. I owe you honesty at least as a woman of my birth should. Every assassin we've sent after the princess has ended up dead after their first attempt. The count is up to about twenty. Whoever her protector is, he's not revealed himself but must follow her everywhere.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Perhaps the princess is dispatching them herself,\" the assassin offered, twisting the blade of the knife on her gloved finger now.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe duchess laughed. \"Surely you jest. She is a little girl of seventeen, hardly capable of taming a pony, let alone fight off trained killers.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I believe she just had a birthday, actually,\" the assassin said. \"Besides, some people surprise you. That's what I've come to learn. I'm assuming you want an outside-the-box thinker for this if traditional methods have thus far gone so poorly.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That is a fair point, killer. I won't hold your hand through this. An excess of caution will not hurt us. Assume what you will.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I have one question before I take the job,\" the assassin said, sheathing the knife and turning towards the duchess.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm in no position to take requests but I am kind and eager to expedite this meeting. What do you ask?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Why do you want this princess killed? What's so important about an eightteen-year-old girl?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You assassins are all so rude and nosy, though I suppose I shouldn't expect courtly manners from a criminal lowlife. Fine, I will tell you. It's simple. Trellow is an ancient family, my family, and we have never completely trusted the Tullow line, and I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but how much of an ally are they these days? \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You are right in that, the royal Tullows have distanced themselves from the other houses in favor of serving the common people.\" The assassin said patiently.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes, exactly the problem, back to the point. The Tullow dynasty has been handed down through a woman for eight generations. Princess Typhene has rejected every suitor we have sent after her for these past four years. We fear she does not intend to take a husband at all, but when her time comes, she will rule as a frigid old maid queen as Lady Abstai did, who started the Proppino war with her passing and no clear heir.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And if you kill her, her younger sister would become crown princess. You believe she will be easier to work with, with her infatuation with Callo Trellow.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Either that or dispose of her as well, and the crown would go to their cousin, Yasmin Trellow. You have quite the understanding of the court for a padfoot. So, will you take this job? The pay is more than enough to set up in luxury for life.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No, I won't,\" the assassin said, \"I simply can't take any more of your money, auntie.\" Princess Typhene removed her mask and took out her knife again, smiling bright white teeth.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What is the meaning of this, gua-\" The duchess managed to get out before Typhene placed a wet rag across her face. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And for the record, auntie. I'm not frigid, I just haven't met the right guy yet.\" She sank the blade in slow as the ether did its work. Typhene grabbed the sack of coins on the desk and slit it open before throwing it down to the streets below. She dusted herself off and was climbing down the side by the time the guards reached the door." ]	2
	[WP] On the 31st December 2021, a massive robot lands in London. 'Attention humanity, I am not one of your so called 'Gods' but have come here to guide you to the future. We have determined that at this rate, you will all die within 100 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.", "I had just gotten home from work and switched on the tv to find some re run of the 97 Gaelic football match. It was awful boring but I didn’t care, I grabbed a six pack from the fridge and a bottle of vodka that I got 1/3 through before I had to set off that morning. I worked janitorial at a biomedical plant in Dublin, and it was my job to remove dead / disfigured bodies from the 3D printers. We were trying to genetically build a human that didn’t any type of food to live. \n\n Today had been especially tough, on the way home another mass suicide had occurred that I nearly got caught in. Someone had gotten cold feet, and as I was walking through the draining square, (a large open area in the middle of a housing complex that was angled so all the fluids would go down a gutter that led to a food plant) a man had gotten cold feet and decided not to offer his blood for the good of the collective. He put his badge on me, and before I could think, the gates on the square were closed and I was trapped. It took me forever to shout out over the crying, but some good Samaritans saw I wasn’t meant to be there and they helped me force my way out. Afterward, as I watched, they were all liquified. It’s a painless process really, and as evident by the suicide, it’s voluntary. Their matter is used to help feed the city as it’s processed into cans and some of their liquid goes to research where I work.\n\n It was very sudden when the Gaelic match went off, black screen, fade to live news report of London. Above the London eye was a massive tower that seemed to float out into space. I looked out my east window and could see a massive glinting mirror like stick way in the distance that seemed to reach to the sun. My gut dropped, because I had known humanity was going to end soon, I just didn’t know we would be put out of our misery. Then, the windows began to vibrate and my desk shook, and I heard great deep glorious loud horns blaring all the way from London. I really thought it was God. Then, on the tv, after the horns calmed, I felt the floor tremor, pots and glasses falling over, and a few seconds later on tv I saw the mega structure make land fall. There was silence, only the noise of car alarms across Dublins Bay Area and dogs barking. My eyes were glued to the television, as I watched the towers bottom doors opening to the camera, presenting me 3 tall figures. The light coming from inside the ship was so bright that we couldn’t make out their fronts since they were mere shadows. They had long arms, their joints like tennis balls contrasted to their grass hopper like limbs. Through the tv, In very low pitched voices, in unison, they presented an ultimatum. Death in 100 years or change your ways. Was it a warning? Was it a threat? I didn’t know. I didn’t care. I realised then that i was just sitting on my couch recounting the whole event, dissociated from everything. so I stood up, I got my gun from underneath the the couch and I-" ]	2
	[WP] Jacque is a therapist. One that wears an impenetrable suit of armor. The reason is that he treats the greek gods, and that means having to survive episodes of rage, indignation, hypocrisy, and jealousy. Today his patient is Hera, the wife of Zeus.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Jacque clinked in his armor as he sat in his therapist chair and took out his clip board. He was therapist to the gods. Today's first session was with Hera, wife of Zeus. He drank his coffee while he had a chance. She didn't bother knocking before coming in.\n\"Hello, Dr. Jacque Fresca. You're looking well.\"\n\n\"I'm feeling great.\" He was always honest. \"You're looking wonderful, Hera.\"\n\nShe smiled and sat on the edge of the table. \"I knew you would. You know me too well.\" She wore a black skirt that was only three-quarters of the way around her waist, the rest was on the floor. He looked her in her eyes, now a bugging yellow that caught some fire light from the fireplace's sunburst.\n\nShe rested her hand on his leg. \"Hera, you don't need to be here.\"\n\n\"Oh, but I do. I'm afraid.\"\n\n\"We can talk about it. You have seemed fine lately.\"\n\n\"Because of you. I'm deeply in love with you, Jacque. I always have been. I am nervous to go back to the palace. My husband, my loveless marriage... How could anyone expect me to sleep with a man who turns into a swan and, you know...\n\n\"Hera, we can't. You're my patient, for one thing, it would be unethical.\"\n\n\"You are right. The only thing we can do now is be together. We must run away.\"\n\n\"No, no, no. That would be worse.\" He stood up, letting his chair fall on its side. \"I love you, and I want to be your friend. You don't need a simple man like me in your life, Hera. You're the goddess Hera of Women. If you run away with me, people will say that you're being unfaithful.\"\n\n\"Which we would be. I don't care. I'm a goddess. I get what I want.\"\n\n\"Are you forgetting what happened with Jason, Hermes, and Poseidon? They were imprisoned. You are still the queen, and you have duties.\"\n\nShe leaned against him and put her arms around his neck. \"Can I be that open with you, Jacque? I feel like every time I do this, I get so excited, my fuse gets lit like it never had. You know me so well.\" She cuddled up against him. \n\n\"Of course you can. You feel like you have found a kindred spirit. You want to talk about it. I want to listen.\"\n\nShe lifted her head and kissed him. He felt her lips, her tongue. She pulled back. \"Thank you. I will be more careful.\"\n\nShe kissed him again. And again. And again. He tried to push her away. \"Don't, Hera.\"\n\nShe wrapped her legs around him and lifted him up, holding him in midair. \"Do you really want me to stop?\"\n\nHe could not resist. He kissed her the same way, and she swooped down on him up on the couch. They wrapped their arms around each other, her chest burned hot with the heat of passion.\n\nThey kissed again. And again. And again.\n\nShe looked at him. \"Will you come with me?\"\n\n\"I will if you swear that I will never be betrayed.\"\n\n\"I swear.\"\n\n\"Then I will come with you.\"\n...\n\"Umm, Doctor Fresca? Are you ready for your first patient?\"\n\"Mary, um, yes of course, just give me a moment and send them in.\"\n\nDr. Jacque Fresca scribbled maladaptive daydreaming in the corner of his notes next to a rather crude rendition of the goddess Hera before going over his actual patients for the day.\n\n---\nFor more of my writing, see /r/surinical", "\"I have responsibilities,\" Hera snapped, pacing back and forth. \"I don't need therapy, I need to maintain order in Olympus.\"\n\nI pulled up a chair by the fireplace for her. \"Hera, this is the best way for you to maintain order in Olympus. Besides... the Greek gods haven't been active in millennia. Things move slower now. Many of the other deities have gone to sleep; maybe it's time you took a rest, too.\"\n\n\"No!\" Hera backhanded me; as long as I wore Empiricism, however, her blow was no stronger than that of any other mortal. She rubbed her hand, affronted, and continued, \"No, no, even if my duties are mostly symbolic—well, someone has to be better.\"\n\n\"Better?\" I prompted.\n\n\"Better than Zeus!\" Hera threw her arms up in the air. \"He—after all these years, after every time he was unfaithful and every time I won him back, he's just... giving up.\"\n\n\"He's going to sleep,\" I said. \"It's not the same. He'll wake up again.\"\n\n\"But he's giving up on our duties! To the few people who still remember the old ways—we have to continue. Keep the family together.\"\n\nI gave Hera a kindly look. \"Sometimes, being together isn't what's needed. Hera, if Zeus is trying to get away from you, then maybe you should try letting him. Because after all these years you've invested—\"\n\n\"Shut up.\" Hera balled her fists.\n\nAnd I did.\n\nHera took a deep breath in. Then a deep breath out.\n\nThen:\n\n\"I will never let him go. It's who I am.\"\n\nI leaned forward, just a little. \"You can change, Hera.\"\n\n\"I would be a hypocrite. I would go against everything I stand for. No. No, I am a deity, divinity, infallible. I cannot be wrong, cannot have been wrong.\"\n\nVery softly, I asked, \"Why?\" \n\nHera fell still.\n\nThen she erupted.\n\nDivine fire spread from Hera's body, blackening the carpet and filling the room with unearthly light. \"I spent two thousand years trying to hold onto him, until grabbing on so tightly neither of us could ever let go was the very definition of family for centuries of worshippers! If—if I wasted my life on that, if I had been wrong this entire time, then—then—then did any of it ever mean anything?\" Slowly, the heavenly blaze petered out, leaving a fragile, scared, and above all, old woman standing before me. \"This is who I am, Jacque. If I'm not holding us together, if I'm not embodying family anymore, then I'm—\"\n\n\"Mortal,\" I finished softly. \"No more divine right. No more surety of self. No more casual, confident power. And I can see why you wouldn't want to lose that.\"\n\n\"Oh, Jacque, it's—it's worse than that. I could feel it happening, mortality seeping in, my identity changing—\"\n\nI held out my arms, and Hera grabbed onto me, shaking with sobs. I whispered into her hair, \"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay to change, it's good to change. It's over now. It's over. You can rest now, goddess.\n\n\"Finally, you can sleep.\"\n\nA.N.\n\nSuggestions? Comments? Typos? Please leave them on this comment's sister post at [r/bubblewriters](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/); and if you want more stories like this, try giving the rest of [r/bubblewriters](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/) a peek." ]	3
	[WP] The hero prophesied to defeat the demon lord has reached the throne room, only to learn that the demon lord is the one who wrote the prophecy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "She stumbled through the heavy oak doors with the help of her fellow knights, Pierce, and Lance. Her clothing – ragged and bloody from fighting – hung loosely on her body. Her short hair – a golden blonde, as gold as the sun, hung down to her shoulders. Her eyes were as green as the meadows from where she was born, a small town in the Kingdom of Ilirya. She was born of nothing – yet destined to greatness. A child of prophecy, she was taken by the Knights of Valour, a dedicated fighting force bent on destroying the demon lord. In her hands, she held her family heirlooms – all that remained of her long-forgotten past. A sword, made of brilliantly glimmering steel, and a shield as strong as a 10ft ogre, yet as light as a pixie. She took in a deep breath as they walked into the throne room – into her destiny.\n\nThe dark hall suddenly lit up, as the fiery torches blazed to life. At the end of the hall, sat the demon lord himself. Clad in iron armour, from head to toe, his glowing red eyes prominently sticking out. Upon his throne of gold, he stood, beckoning the young knights to step towards him. As she walked valiantly towards him, she felt the air turn damp and cold, the room seemingly darkening. He chuckled, a wave of pure terror washing throughout the large, cavernous hall. She steeled herself, clutching onto her blade until her knuckles were white.\n\n“I have long awaited your return, my child” he boomed, his arms open wide. “I am pleased to see my plan had worked!”. His voice sliced through her very soul, almost cutting away her courage. He has powerful magic she thought to herself, now feeling the effects of his terror. Lance and Pierce looked as white as a sheet, sweat glistening in the torchlight. She spoke out to the lord, attempting to mask the fear overtaking her.\n\n“What do you mean your plan worked?” she whimpered out, as she took on the fighting stance.\n\nHe simply laughed at her question, before picking up his sword a large, two handed steel sword engraved with ancient runes.\n\n“Show me what you’re worth” he sneered, gesturing at her to attack. She looked at the demon, her eyes glinting with rage – and charged.\n\nBlack tendrils erupted from every gap of the suit, ghostly and smoke-like in appearance. They grabbed Pierce and Lance and threw them at the walls with no effort. She reached within herself and blasted them with rays of light, dissolving them away. She ran toward the demon and sliced through the gaps in his armour. It passed straight through the black, smoky demon. Her eyes widened – this was unlike any foe she had ever fought. As she retreated towards her fallen comrades, her thoughts raced. How am I meant to defeat something I can’t even touch?\n\n“Your bravery is admirable. You have passed the test, young one.”\n\n“Test? What do you mean, test?” she glowered towards him, her heart pounding. She felt the tingle deep in her heart - and felt a burst of raw energy directed at her from the demon.\n\n“You will join me. You will be my most valuable fighter. And together, we shall rule over not just Ilirya – but the world” his voice grated, echoing throughout the hall.\n\n“Why would I do that? I’m prophesied to destroy you!” She yelled; her courage strengthened.\n\n“There is no prophecy. There is no winning. I am beyond even the likes of you. I offer the survival of your friends in exchange for your allegiance.”\n\nShe looked down towards her friends, who were still unconscious. She thought back to her memories she shared with them, the experiences, and battles. The tears began to well in her eyes as she looked back towards the demon lord. Wiping her tears with what little remained of her sleeve, she made her choice.", "\"You are finished, Lord Babulsmut!\" the leader of the group of adventurers shouted as he entered the throne room with a wheelbarrow.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Is that so,\" Lord Babulsmut said, picking at his long fingernails.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Indeed it is! For, even though it has been an epic journey of great sacrifice, we have gathered the ancient relics prophesized to defeat you!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh no,\" the dark lord said, \"Surely you haven't succeeded finding them all.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We have, behold, the foot massager! crafted from the sandalwood of foreign lands!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"and the shaving kit, of pollinium steel,\" another of the adventurers chimed in.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"and the puppy of purest black, bred in the southern lands!\" The puppy nibbled at the adventurer's glove as she held her up.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Egads, not the puppy too,\" the dark lord squealed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And,\" another adventurer added, reading from the sacred text itself. \"A turkey club sandwich, lightly toasted, extra tomato, add bacon, no mayo!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And you forgot the chips?\" the dark lord pleaded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe leader scoffed, \"Of course not, you will fall before the might of these jalapeno salt and vinegar kettle chips, fried to a golden crisp!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You're all a bunch of savages!\" the dark lord cried. \"I am timeless, I am immortal,\" he said. \"Only by bringing together the holy relics may I be defeated.\" The Dark Lord collapsed on the floor in a shriveled pile and all his retinue bust out laughing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What,\" the lead adventurer said, \"why are you laughing?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Guards, ki--Wait, did you put a collar with a little bow on the puppy?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes,\" one of the adventurers said confused, holding her sword and looking about the room.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And what did you name him?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe adventurer coughed, not letting down her guard. \"Dooter.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay, that is just precious. Normally, this is the part where I kill you all but you guys really did a bang-up job. Guards, escort them out, please. Give them a ride on the hawk dragon wherever they want to go.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe dark lord sat eating his sandwich, petting the soon-to-be fierce Dooter and enjoying his foot massager as he worked on the next list of prophesized relics required to defeat him.\n\n\\---\n\nFor more of my writing, see /r/surinical" ]	3
	[WP]In the beginning, the gods created various species on different worlds. Then, they decided to join forces and create the ultimate species. Meanwhile, life on earth just kinda happened.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Wait... so you didn't create us?\" I spoke nonchalantly.\n\n\"No, we didn't. None of us did. Your species just emerged from... Who knows where!\" Zeus' voice boomed, as thunder struck from the heavens above.\n\n\"So... why do you Gods always want to have babies with us? Wouldn't you wanna fuck the species you've created, as whatever you create is your vision of perfection?\"\n\nZeus rubbed his head in annoyance, sighed heavily, and as he did, a breeze whipped past us. \"See, Humans just got seamlessly added to the universe - like it was destined to be created. The universe made it's own vision of perfection, and it appeals to us very much. Us Gods could never create an entity like you, since each human has it's own unique characteristics - and beautiful looks. You're so cute, absolute perfection.\"\n\nI blushed deep red. \"Aww.\"\n\n\"So um... I need to return to my divine form again. This Mountain Goat sucks. BAAA. Oops, sorry.\" Zeus said.\n\nI still stood there unmoving, snickering.\n\n\"Get of my Mountain NOW!! MOUNT OLYMPUS IS FOR GODS ONLY!!\" Zeus bellowed.\n\n\"Wait, wait. Take a chill pill dude. So, if we were just added like magic into the universe - like POOF - just like you Gods, doesn't that make us Gods too?\" I inquired.\n\n\"Hmm... Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Maybe you guys haven't discovered your true forms yet.\" Zeus nodded.\n\n\"Soo, GET OF MY MOUNTAIN YOU DAMN GOAT!! MOUNT OLYPUS IS FOR GODS ONLY!!\" I roared.\n\nNow, I thought, it's time to create a world full of cats - and another one full of dogs!!!" ]	2
	[WP] people always thought that skinny looking healer would never be able to take down the demon god alone. Well she's back from her journey, all covered in blood with the demon god's head in her hand and his army behind her	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Destiny, how did you do it? You're just a healer.\" The sortsman approached her cautiously, confirming that the head she held was indeed that of the demon god.\n\n\"I realize something about healing that I guess no one had before. I've been a battlefield medic for 15 years, and every time I've healed an injury, I've stored its memory inside myself. Right as the demon god was about to kill me, I held out my hand against his face, and every injury I've ever healed, every pain I ever soothed, and every traumatic memory I ever took away, I sent into him, the whole lot. All his bones turned to powder, his skin exploded in cuts and scrapes. He actually ripped his own head off, either from the pain or the insanity.\"\n\n\"Remind me not to piss you off.\" The sortsman said.\n\n\"Like I said, I used it all up, but the army of demons that worship me as their new God don't know that, so just don't tell them, okay?\"\n\n\\---\n\nFor more of my writing, see /r/surinical", "The scrawny-looking healer made her way to the demon god's fortress. One might have thought that the various patrols would have intercepted her, or that the guardposts would have checked her papers for identification. However, as she was wearing an old rag of a dark robe, the demons that she passed simply saw her as beneath their station in life. Nor did she emit a particularly holy aura that might have offended the senses of the demonspawn. In truth she hadn't been a healer for long and had thus not yet accumulated the necessary holyness that allowed the dark ones to detect her presence. And if some foul being by mistake laid eyes on her, the snivelling, shivering, stumbling wretch of an appearance made them immediately disregard her in every way. Stealth by irrelevance. \n\nThe demon god's fortress was another case entirely. Practically in an instant the chaotic nature of the outside disappeared. In here, it was a well oiled machine perfected over millennia with the single goal of keeping the personhood of the demon god secure. Paranoid beyond human comprehension, every nook and cranny was routinely inspected for misbehaving shadows, every speck of dust turned over to verify its intent, every creak of a floor board documented and doublechecked against records to detect inconsistencies. Nothing was irrelevant in here.\n\nThe first patrol she encountered was a single demon in poorly worn but well maintained dark-iron armor. Like her story but inversed, this demon's deeds had not yet been deemed sufficiently evil by the powers that be to have been given a rank or even a name. In truth it did not have much of a character at all, barely managing a small plague-like infestation in its face. \"Oh, you poor thing\" said the healer as the demon charged at her with claws raised; \"RAAAAAaaaaawhat?\" it asked as it stopped in its tracks.\n\n\"Those nasty blisters must really be quite a bother\", she told the demon. \"Y-you think so?\" the demon responded, making a perplexed face. \"Oh yes, quite impressive!\" the healer told the now beaming little demon who was in actuality twice as tall as the healer but had now in its mind been transported back to its youth where his mom used to care for him. \"They sting quite a bit when I try to sleep...\" the demon told her sheepishly. \"Well, let's do something about that!\" she said as she managed a basic \"cure plague\" spell. It didn't seem to do much, but the demon seemed grateful beyond belief - \"They barely hurt anymore, now I can sleep at night!\" he told the healer. \"I suppose I could show you to the next room... as a thank you?\"\n\nOn to the next encounter the healer went. A massive, three-headed dog lumbered through the corridor. The healer being a healer immediately noticed that one of its front four legs was raised towards its body, making it difficult for the poor creature to move. She strode in front of the creature which probably weighed twenty times what she did, and summoned every bit of conficence she could muster as she demanded of the creature: \"Paw.\" and held out her hand. \n\nThe ferocious dog had been aware of her presence from quite some time, but with its three heads now face-to-face-to-face-to-face with her presence, her voice had stirred something deep in the recesses of its mind. Something from the time before it was turned into a demon dog. The creature practically collapsed to the ground and held out its paw to the healer. She took a long look at the wounded paw, mostly for effect, because the fungal infection was quite obvious and easily treated for a healer of repute. Which she was not. She sprinkled some basic pain-reducing herbs on the infection, patted the paw and reached up to scratch the dog's middle face. \"Good boy\", she said, and was rewarded by a triple lick that almost completely drenched her.\n\nOn and on she went through the fortress, solving such simple problems of hygiene and minor ailments as she went along. It was quite strange, she thought, that the paranoid demon god had not bothered with even the basic necessities for its underlings. But alas, such was the nature of being a demon god. You could inspect every nook, turn over every dust particle, interrogate every wayward wind, but it had never even crossed the demon god's mind that its underlings might rebel. But rebel they did, first the singular plague demon, then the three-headed dog, then its cousin in the next room with a light case of asthma, then the tooth ache for a pain demon... \n\n... and by the time she reached the demon god's halls, she had accumulated quite a following. In fact most of the demons who were supposed to be guarding the fortress had decided to follow her instead. And those who had remained loyalish had changed their minds after a well-placed growl from a three-headed dog, or a good pummeling from some of the other demons that followed her. But there was no convincing the demon god of its evil ways. No repentance here. No mercy either. She walked in front of the throng of demons behind her, and lifted her notebook high as if it contained the secrets of life and such stuff.\n\n\"You follow this woman!?\" the demon god demanded of the demons in its presence with a voice that was literally straight out of hell. The demon dogs sniffled, the demon bats screed, the executioner-torture-pain demons shuffled their many feets (it was something of a feat). But it was the plague-demon from the first encounter that spoke up. The plague-demon, she had learned, who was named Steve. \"She's nice to me. She's soft. And she doesn't scream all the time.\" The demon god naturally screamed in response, and all the demons present somehow managed to cower in fear behind the healer. \"There will be a reckoning!\" the demon god cried and charged the crowd of demons.\n\nAt which point the healer leapt across the room with unnatural speed, brought forth the giant two-handed axe that had been hidden behind her robe and chopped the demon god's god damned head right off. By the time the demon god realized what was happening it had a nice view looking down on the rest of its body as the head bounced off the floor and rolled around in a small circle. Now robbed of its ability to speak on account of being bloody dead, its face was question enough for the healer - 'how'? She strolled over and picked up the head of the demon god, holding it high over her head for all the demons to see. \"Multi-class, bitch!\" she yelled triumphantly." ]	3
	[WP] The adventurer staggered down the dusty dungeon corridor, holding onto the last of his life. He turns and tries to drink a health potion. He feels a nip at his foot and he drops dead. ‘LEVEL UP, You are now a Level 2 Rat.’	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 rat's beady eyes blink rapidly, its head cocked to the side at the unfamiliar sight and sound in front of it.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 2.\n\nIt recognized the symbols, though the chime was distinctly foreign. It rang around her little skull, but somehow, she wanted to do a little ditty on her four legs. But, she couldn't make heads of tails of either of it.\n\nThe rat pawed at the human body, male, who had struck the dungeon ground with a dull thud. She scampered up and down over him, eventually running down an arm to find shards of glass scattered in a pool of red, spreading liquid. There were two, actually, but she knew the smell of human blood. This wasn't it.\n\nShe leapt down, then, and lapped at it. It didn't taste all that good. But it made her feel... stronger. And so she continued to lick it. Within seconds, it was almost as if she could feel her whiskers growing. Her fur becoming shinier. The legs regaining its capability to leap and bound, rather than just skitter over the stone dungeon floor. Was she getting a little bigger, even?\n\nThe rat sniffed the air, once more. Something had spilled out. With renewed vigour, she leapt over to the adventurer's head, where several objects had spilled out onto the ground behind his head. There were hard trinkets and soft bandagers. No use for them. Not now, anyway, maybe when the intense hunger within her was fulfilled. She traced the source to the backpack, once clasped and secured on the adventurer's back, but now providing easy access for a tiny scavenger.\n\nThe inside of the bag was slightly musty, but any rat could smell that there were rations. Not the freshest, but still. She nibbled on some meats, cheeses. She poked a leather looking thing with her paws, which had surprisingly remained intact, feeling it squish, indicating that there was liquid inside it. Maybe she wasn't quite all that thirsty after drinking the red liquid, so she settled on the food once more.\n\nThere was something else as well. Sweet. Her teeth gnawed on it, and she regretted it almost immediately. So she licked it, feeling sugar coat her tongue, shooting straight to her brain. The rat didn't quite understand why she felt so happy doing so, but she licked and licked the round and sticky treat in front of her. A rare candy was a treasure around these parts, she felt.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 3.\n\nThere it was again. This made her feel happy as well. The sweet was excellent, too. So she continued.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 4.\n\nThe rat wasn't sure why, but the bag seemed to be a little smaller than usual. Did she navigate herself into a wrong spot?\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 5.\n\nNo. No, that wasn't the case. She was getting bigger.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 6.\n\nStronger.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 7.\n\nShe now gripped the candy greedily in her hands. Her teeth, once hurting when she gnawed on it, now chewed through it with relish.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 8.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 9.\n\n> LEVEL UP! You are now level 10.\n\nThe rat walked out of the bag. Standing, poised.\n\nShe still didn't understand what the symbols meant. But she had never felt stronger.\n\nAnd, from what she could hear, she could hear the telltale clunking of adventurers staggering around in the darkness.\n\n\"Clyde?\" one called out.\n\n\"I told him not to run ahead,\" another said.\n\nThe rat slunk back into the shadows. There was no rush. There was time.\n\nPart of being stronger was knowing when to retreat. So she waited. The adventurers will come. They will run into trouble.\n\nAnd she will reap the rewards.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts", "\"I'm sorry, Marv\" She said heartlessly as she scampered along with the 3 other rats, all of which were snickering and laughing at me. I struggled to get on my feet, my whiskers dripping blood from the bite on my face. I managed to pathetically cry out \"I won't let you have my Vermillia!\" as I hobbled my way to them. One of them quickly whipped around and smacked me with their hairless tail, sending back on my side. More giggles ring out in the tunnel as they glance back at me and continue on their way. Vermillia lags behind them, turning back to give me a look of disappointment and pity. \"You change your mind?\" another one chuckles, their grunty voice echoing in the dark. Vermillia quickly turns away and scurries over.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI lay alone in the dark, hurt by my peers yet again. It wasn't enough for them to take my home, my food and now my Vermillia. Part of me resented her for leaving but it's understandable. They are strong where I was always seen as the timid one, weaker since I would often forego conflicts in favor of safety. So they take from me. Where I would discover places where I knew the delicious fungi grew, they would follow me and claim the spot. When I figured out how to keep the pipe water from dripping on me by making a shelter with leaves, they would take my home. Having discovered that the metal discs that one would find near corpses of humans could be rubbed until they glistened, I created a magnificent offering for my mate and yet she was taken from me. How long will my brethren usurp what is mine? Perhaps strength alone is what rules this world. I cried to myself for sometime, the drips from the ceiling being the only company that I had. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nEventually my despair vanished. A small spark had ignited in me, consuming all my emotions. I was angry. Tired of being taken advantage of. Where self pity and loathing seemed to fill me from snout to tail, now a fiery blaze seemed to push me forward. I came to realize that I must become strong. Without strength i would never gain what I want. Without strength I would never gain the respect of my fellow rats. So I set out with my new purpose. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI limped my way through a hole in the wall and back towards the colony, a place I knew all too well. As I walked through the clusters of rats, I could feel their gaze, most watching me maliciously. I had been an easy target before, more so now as I left blood drips with each step. Curiously, they did not bother me today. Perhaps they were well fed or perhaps they could sense a new drive in me. It brought me some satisfaction to assume so. I continued on to a dark corner where I stumbles across some of my fellow rats attacking a rather large bat, one of his wings seemingly damaged.\n\n\"Beat it, Marv! He's ours!\" one hissed. 'Not like I care...' I thought, watching from afar as this bat fought for some time against the 3 smaller opponents. Were he in peak condition I doubt my brothers could stand a chance but an injured wing was quite the handicap. It struggled and held it's own but it was just a matter of time until the poor creature was subdued. I watched curiously as the three rats all lunged for the screeching bat, one of them getting him by the throat. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt was known those that killed seemed to become stronger than those that did not. But I noticed something more, the rat that seemed to have made the killing blow was momentarily imbued with some sort of glow. Something I had witnessed before but this time I had a thought. Perhaps the one that deals the final blow receives some kind of strength from the creature, adding to his own. Or perhaps the last drop of living blood grants some kind of power. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Get back\" the lead scoundrel shouted, pushing the other two off the bat. \"But...\" one squeaked. \"NOW!\" He hissed back. The other two were taken aback but obliged, his show of strength commanding their obedience. 'Savages' I thought. Were they to share, everyone would be able to fill their tummy. I turned my back from yet another display of greed and set out for the pipes again, the sounds of tearing meat and gnashing teeth slowly fading away with each step. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had an idea, hopefully one that would help me get back at my kin.I thought obsessively about my new plan as I walked the damp corridors. If I could find another rat and steal the kill from them, perhaps I could gain enough strength to finally fight back. Such an endeavor was highly risky, were I to fail I could possibly be killed by a brother or sister but maybe 1 kill would give me enough power to fight them off and then I could do it again and again until... My thoughts trailed off as I mindlessly limped along the tunnels. I had lost sense of time, compulsively thinking of ways to trick my peers into letting me kill their prey.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSuddenly I heard footsteps. Quite Large ones at that. I quickly scurried into a nearby hole when I heard gasping. \"Ugh....need....a potion...\". I peered out into the darkness, a titan of a man stumbling about, his body covered in scorch marks. The man appeared bloodied beyond belief, his armor clanking with each thud of his foot. He was bleeding so much it left it solid trail behind him. I cowered in my dark hole, afraid he might see me. Humans despised rats and surely he would give me a swift death if I came anywhere near him. No rat would dare cross a human. \"...need...\" he said in a hoarse voice as I could hear him rummaging through some cloth, swaying from side to side as if he could barely keep his balance.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'm not sure what came over me. The prospect of human blood, a death wish or just sheer madness but I darted out from my hole and clamped down on the man's ankle. \"Gah!\" he let out as I felt his foot tense up under my teeth. He seemed to freeze for a moment before dropping like a pile of bat dung. With a heavy crash his armor clanged and it nearly deafened me. I stayed clamped on with my eyes tightly shut for what seemed like ages, expecting him to get up and stomp me into oblivion but that moment never came. Instead, something remarkable happened.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI felt a surge of power, my body started glowing with such a bright light that the entire tunnel was illuminated. My body itself started to grow, were it not for the sense of power coursing through me I would have been terrified but I kept growing. In moments I had become larger than the man himself, my body dwarfing his. In disbelief I looked at my paws, healed and much bigger than any rats I had ever seen. My teeth felt as if it could tear right through bone. My thoughts returned to my brethren and a newfound happiness welled up inside me at the prospect of being not only strong but the strongest rat in all the tunnels. For all they had taken from me, I would take back tenfold. No, instead of taking back what was mine, I will take all that they have. Once I return, all of the tunnels would be mine. I DESERVE IT ALL.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThen I heard a distant voice from the unknown echo inside my head \"LEVEL UP\"." ]	3
	[WP] The meteor shower was beautiful to watch. There were so many in the sky. Little did we know they were actually eggs from an alien 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.", "\"Hey Nick!\"\n\n\"Thomas. How are you?\"\n\n\"Ha, I'm fine, thanks. Kind of hard to talk over all the commotion.\"\n\n\"Really? Where are you?\"\n\n\"Where are you?! I thought you'd love this! It's like a party here.\"\n\n\"You know I don't have time for parties.\"\n\n\"You spend all your time in the office. Besides, how can you not be here? This is totally your thing!\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"It's a meteor shower! Everyone's here on the lawn! It's awesome!\"\n\n\"A... meteor shower?\"\n\n\"Yeah! You're an astronomer, right? Why aren't you here?\"\n\n\"Thomas... I've checked the forecast. There's no meteor shower coming nearby anytime soon. I don't know what you're talking about.\"\n\n\"What?! It's going on right now outside! Look!\"\n\n\"I'm telling you, I checked! I would've known if- what the hell?\"\n\n\"Do you see it? It's awesome, right?\"\n\n\"But-but I checked everything! How would that-\"\n\n\"Hey, wait. Nick. It's too loud now. I'm going outside. I'll talk to you in a moment!\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Alright, I'm in private. So, you're saying there's no shower that's supposed to happen?\"\n\n\"Yes! I would know if something like this would happen. This is so strange. I need to document it-\"\n\n\\\"\\*HEY!\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"I heard something in the woods. Probably a kid or something. I'll check.\"\n\n\"Listen, I don't know why this is happening, but I can assure, it's not natural. Go back inside.\"\n\n\"Whoa.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"There's an egg. It's green. It's huge! And it's like, glowing...\"\n\n\"Wait, what? An egg?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah. Wait, there's something in it! I'll check.\"\n\n\"Wait, no! Thomas, don't go there! Get away-\"\n\n\"Hey, it's \\cough cough\\ gah, what in the- \\cough\\\"\n\n\"Thomas! Get out of there, now!!\"\n\n\"\\cough cough\\ hack, help.... \\gasp\\\"\n\n\"Shit! I'm calling the police now!\"\n\n\"\\thud\\ please...\"\n\n\"Thomas?! What is this? Is it a...\"\n\n\"What? Thomas? Is that you? What's going on?\"\n\n\"BEEP. BEEP.\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"Hello, this is Thomas Rainer. I am currently unavaliable, but please call me back or leave a message. Thanks-\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Thomas? Hello? ...oh my god.*" ]	2
	[WP] Demons prey on humans. Every demon has a core inside and only by destroying the core can a demon be killed. There are rare humans that develop "sight beyond sight," the ability to see where the core is located inside a demon. Your sight awakens and in your closest friend's body, you see a core.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "“Umm... Ribel, what’s that thing in your chest?” I asked.\n\nMy friend’s eyes narrowed slightly, but returned to normal only a split second later. “What thing?” he answered.\n\nI frowned, pointing to the glass sphere with constantly changing colors. “That sphere thing. It just appeared.”\n\nRibel sighed, refraining from face-palming himself; we were in the middle of class. The teacher droned on and on, but she had a sort of lock-on system for students who were talking in her class, so we kept as quiet as possible. \n\n“Well...” he started, hesitating. “I’m not who you think I am.”\n\nI raised an eyebrow. “Very descriptive. I’m sure you’re about to tell me that you’re a Demon, that’s your core, and that I’ve awakened the ability to ‘see beyond sight’.\n\nAnother sigh. “Well, that’s about it,” he replied. I groaned, promising him that I’d get the truth outta him once class ended. I mean, my best friend, a Demon? That’s bullshit. The amount of coincidences for that to be the truth was just impossible.\n\nBefore I knew it, the bell rang. Ribel and I walked out of class, slinging our bags over our shoulders as we did. “There’s no way that’s-“ Ribel interrupted me before I could continue. “Follow me.”\n\n“You want proof?” He asked after we had turned into an empty alley. Confused, I nodded. He seemed to be telling the truth anyways. My friend started chanting in an unknown tongue, and the sphere inside him glowed brighter than ever before. Ribel stopped chanting, and stomped his foot on the ground. An ominous wind whistled, and the wall ahead of us deformed to become a warped gateway, from which emanated flames and lava. \n\n“Shit,” muttered Ribel, stomping the ground again and shutting the gate before any more lava could flow out and burn me to death. I scooted away, the lava still hot and liquid. Ribel put a finger to it and it steamed, instantly solidifying. Holy crap.\n\nIt took me a few more seconds to fully process what had just happened. My best friend really was a Demon. “S-so you were telling the truth,” I finally said, the shock slowly wearing off. “But then... why didn’t you kill me?”\n\n“As one of the oldest Demons, one gets kinda bored. So I paid the human realm a visit and after a while, I had the striking revelation that maybe I could spice up my life a little by living among humans. I’m not gonna lie, at first I just felt like razing everything to the ground, but then I met you. I’m not going to bore you with the cheesy ‘you changed my perception of life’ stuff but that’s about it. So don’t worry, you’re not in any danger. Though some people might be.”\n\nI took all this information in, smiling at the reference to the school’s bullies.\n\n“You don’t really care too much about human lives in general, do you?” I asked after a bit. My friend nodded, “it takes a little while to change to my true form since I’ve been in a human body for so long. So every time you stopped me while I was still changing, you saved a few lives.”\n\nI didn’t add anything. After all, it wasn’t as if Ribel hadn’t been a Demon all along, so I shouldn’t get hung up over the details. Even though I was a little mad he’d kept his true nature secret the whole time, though I probably would’ve freaked out anyways. As we walked out of the alley, we bumped our fists and both walked back to our homes.", "“Hey Ryan, what’s that?” I asked pointing to his chest. \n\nHe laughs and says “That’s my shirt dude.” “No, the swirly orb-looking thing.”\n\nRyan’s eyes narrow and he sits there for a moment. Eventually he speaks again. “How long have you been able to see it?” Ryan whispers intently. \n\n“Literally just today. I thought it was a design on your shirt at first, but then I saw it from the side and the back. What is it?” \n\nRyan laughs and begins to explain. “Ok, I am a demon. That’s my heart. Normally demons like to eat people and steal their life force. I got bored. I decided to follow you around instead of killing you. That was a couple years ago. You are a great dude and I really don’t want to kill you. So I won’t.”\n\nI sat there for a second before laughing and replying “Fine, don’t tell me. Let’s get back to the game.” We picked up our controllers and hit resume to purge the Covenant." ]	3
	[WP] "The villainy you teach me I will execute - and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction" was the last words of the good lord who was wronged and accused of being evil. He has now returned, a dark lord out to exact his vengeance	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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... you were our king!”\n\nGarden stared at the shadow-clad figure before him, it’s foot pinning his Captain’s head to the polished stone floor. \n\n“Yes.” The figure said, his features as fair and terrible as the day he had been executed. “I was.”\n\nGarden could only watch, helpless, as his captains whimpers gave way to the sickening crunch of bone. \n\n“But you did not want a king.” His former king said. “You wanted a paradise, a utopia for the common man.”\n\nHe knelt and stared into the young guard’s eyes. \n\n“How is that working out for you?” He asked, his voice so soft and kind Garren could have sworn the years had never passed. \n\n“The demons surge across your borders, slaughtering entire villages. Your priests sacrifice children in the streets, offering prayers to gods who are little more than puppets.” He said. “Tell me, my child, is such a paradise worth your honor?”\n\nGarren felt himself drawn into the king’s eyes, unable to look away. The heartbreak and despair within them threatened to drown him, but his king’s voice cut through the fog. \n\n“Will you help me fix this, Garren, son of Thren?”\n\n“Yes!” Garren said. The arms holding him let go, but he remained where he was, kneeling of his own free will.\n\n“Then rise.” His king, his savior, said.\n\nHe did not see the shadows, slithering likes snakes across the outstretched hand as he took it. \n\n“I will serve you till me dying breath.” He promised.\n\n“Of course you will.” His king said, helping him to his feet. “You have a good heart.”\n\nGarens heart swelled with pride, drowning out the words the king spoke under his breath. \n\n“One that has always been mine.”" ]	2
	[WP] As the only child you've enlisted yourself in your father's stead for the draft to war. Years passed and you've become a general. Your comrades are all shocked when you appeared in a dress for your early retirement celebration.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 always assumed you were transgendered sir-ma'am.\" The younger officer said. The men around him nodded. \"It's not like we don't have any female recruits.\" Another nod. \n\n\"I went in place of my father.\" Was the reply. \n\n\"So you were underage. I understand that but we still have women here.\" \n\n\n\"my father said only men could serve in the army. by the time I realized that wasn't true it was too late to change genders.\" \n\n\"Well, you had a great career nevertheless. I hope you enjoy your retirement!\" was the awkward reply. \n\n\"here here!\"\n\n\"Mulan was my favorite movie as a child. I was excited to follow her place. Then I grew up and had to keep up the lie.\" The general said to their closest friends later. \"You honestly just thought I was a man?\" \n\n\n\"You acted like a man in all other circumstances. You wore a binder. You never corrected people who used he pronouns.\" \n\n\"I suppose that makes sense.\" The general sighed and wished they hadn't hid their identity all their life." ]	2
	[WP] The recurring antagonist in a TV series is getting tired of being beaten up by the protagonist and otherwise punished when they are committing crimes only because they were written that way.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Arla, the master summons you\" said a henchman in a raspy voice. \"He says its an urgent matter\"\n\n\"Did he say what the matter might be?\" Arla asked. The henchman shrugged and walked away. Arla watched him for a moment then set off to see him. \n\nOliver was his name and Arla was the only one who knew it. She gained the information from a night she spent trying to seduce one of Oliver's enemies into giving away details of very important plans that somehow backfired. \n\n\"What's the deal this time, LD ?\" It was short for Lawrence Devon, an alias that Oliver went by.\n\n\"So you know?\" Oliver said, closing a book Arla had never seen before.\n\n\"Know what?\" She said, slightly startled but still managing to keep a plain face\n\n\"My name. I'm not mad since that seems to be the only thing you know about me but do you know anything else?\" He asked, looking at Arla.\n\n\"What? You gonna kill me since I know what name your mother gave you when you came out of her?\"\n\nOliver went over to a chair and sat down. He signals Arla to sit across him.\n\n\"Like I said, I'm not mad. It's actually been awhile since..\" He looks at the book still in his hands. Sighing, he asks \"Arla, I know you can keep a secret unless you're payed right but I know no one will pay to know what I'm about to tell you so..\"\n\nArla smirks \"Honey, you don't know how valuable any bit of information can be but hey, if you don't trust me and want me to betray you so bad maybe I should go ahead and claim my prizes from Ms. Goody the Great\". She laughs at her own weird joke. She always openly admitted to betraying everyone but whether she ever did so was unclear.\n\n\"I think it'd be better if you went ahead and did that actually\" Oliver says, throwing the book to the floor. \" I saw how this war is going to go and I am so damn sick of her winning and you know what? Please do. Go ahead and betray us. Go and say all our plans, where the base is because Arla? I am so goddamn tired of this and I just want her to kill me already.\"\n\n\"Woah. Okay, what happened to the guy who wanted to destroy everything and rule the world huh\" She said jokingly but unsure of what was going to happen.\n\n\"Tomorrow, I'm turning myself in and I want you to set the base on fire. Get everyone as far away from here as you can and start a new life where none of them have to go through this hero-villain bullshit.\" Oliver went back to overlooking a tall window that showed the moon hovering over the very distant village. \n\n\"What about the plan?\" Arla asked. \"We're supposed to invade in 3 days\"\n\n\"And I want you and everyone here to be gone before then \"\n\n\"Are you saying you're giving up? This could be your chance-\"\n\n\"It isn't\"\n\n\"How the hell would you know-\"\n\n\"Because I've seen how the story ends.\" Oliver said angrily finally facing Arla. \"That bitch is going to end up winning the war and we're all going to be dead. They'll kill some of us on the field or on the gallows but the fact remains that we all die and they're the ones who get the happy ending. So I, for the first time in years, in my life, am begging you to take everyone and runaway. I'll give those sick bastards the satisfaction but they don't need to get all of it.\"\n\nSilence.\n\nArla sighs and finally speaks \"How the hell do you want me to explain to everyone that we need to run?\"\n\n\"You're the only highest living authority second to me that was left alive. Say it was my orders. Then once you're all far enough away get that book and read it to the ones who want to know why my final orders are for all of you to leave.\"\n\nArla was about to say something but then thought it over and decided to accept his wishes. She grabbed the book and was about to leave.\n\n\"So many people hate you but I'm grateful that a soldier like you are one of the ones who lived\" Oliver said\n\nStill confused at his words, she smirked to herself and left." ]	2
	[WP] Hunting dragons used to be a hero's profession, but the modern day, it's just another job. You're an employee at Dragon Exterminators Inc, and you just got a call that a dragon has moved into a mine.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Again! Ok fine I'll be there as soon as I can. (Hangs up the phone). \n\nAs I slide my work boots on at 2am, I take the time to appreciate the materiel they are made from. The great Sea Hydra's of the Pacific had what some would refer to as magical skin. It had the ability to absorb water from the air and remain moist. It would also become harder then diamonds when great pressure or heat was applied. There hide could also disperse heat better then ceramic. Yep. This was the uniform of a dragon hunter. \nDingy thing it is to. Everywhere I sit I leave a water mark. \nI quickly grab a drink and get in my truck pre-loaded with gear.\nYou have to be ready when your on call." ]	2
	[WP] Ghost hunter's brutal murder hits news headlines. The growing minority believe cause of death is linked to the paranormal while most believe it's a cover up. As the detective assigned to the case, two weeks in and you begin to question what you once thought to be impossible.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Upon the window sill, in the clear view of the moon laid a single envelope, sealed with the Heiburn family crest and drenched in blood. The seal was authentic, rigorously inspected by specialized themes of researchers and archeologists. For the Heiburn family died out more than 400 years ago. \n\nThe rest of the crime scene was unimportant. If anything, through its brutality, it made anyone that looked at it realize that there was nothing to find. The only way it was possible to identify the victim was through dental records. The skin was flayed open, the insides were dragged, the muscles were stretched to their breaking point and the bones were crushed. The only part of the body that wasn’t in the least damaged was the mouth. It was funny, that they gave us a way to identify the victim. Or perhaps it was something a bit more symbolic. \n\nLooking at the letter, the symbolism angle made sense. \n\n\n\n‘To Richard Fowley,\n\nAs agreed upon in our contract, the life that you’ve so stubbornly clung to will be severed and all that you’ve brought to the world will become forfeit. The words of the Great One will resonate through you and with your own lips you will ask for forgiveness, even if it will never come.\n\nHowever, as the clause that you’ve made is still in effect, you, or any of your possessions can be redeemed if the conditions in the contract are met. \n\nEverything that has been reclaimed will never be returned.\n\nEric Heiburn.’\n\n\n\n“You can’t ask for forgiveness without a mouth… is that it?”\n\nA stupid joke. This is what everything felt like. \n\nThe room was closed. The window, the door… everything was sealed. More so… the key seems to have broken in the door when it was first locked from the inside. The only way to reach this room was by breaking it. If it wasn’t for the stench, nobody would’ve found it. \n\nEven the first responders had to leave the entire apartment for several minutes because of the smell.\n\nThe windows were all closed, and more so, sealed shut with silicon paste that seemed intact. Multiple talismans were stuck to every window. None of these have been disturbed, nor did any traces of the silicon paste being reapplied came to light.\n\nNo way in or out for the culprit to escape. \n“There’s no way this was a suicide, now is it?”\n\nHalf in jest I say those words aloud in the now deserted room. Even though I knew that would have been impossible. Not only because of the corpse, but because of the drawing on the door. It was an extremely elaborate magic circle from what I’ve been told. The internet is already abuzz with speculations about it, and interpretations, but from what our experts managed to deduce it was the first magic circle of the moon. A door among parallels and intersecting lines that seem to represent bricks. On the sides of the frame and inside the door there is writing in Hebrew. Taken from Psalms 107:16, and meaning \"For he has broken gates of brass and cuts through bars of iron\".\n\nNot to mention that this thing was drawn in the victim’s blood. \n\nI was seriously starting to think of solutions that were out of this world, yet that was impossible. There is no such thing as witches or magic. In this world there are only humans. And I’ll be damned if I will let anyone fool me into thinking otherwise." ]	2
	[WP] You absorbed your twin at birth. It happens often enough that at the time of your birth, no one thought anything of it. They’ve grown up with you, and are a constant voice in your head that no one knows about. Not all of their opinions are wanted.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 to school, finally in my last year before I can get into college. \n\n\"That's if* you even pass.\"* David, the twin I absorbed before we were born, muttered in my head.\n\noh shut up please, I've done pretty well for myself until now. was my reply to his much unneeded comment.\n\n\"with the help of me.\" he snaps back.\n\nwell yes, but also, while your helpful, your also distracting. this argument continued until we reached school.\n\nFor the fact that it was the last three weeks of school they were still giving us a sh!t load of homework, that at this point I've given up on understanding. Though David has helped me throughout it because apparently he was the \"smart twin\" but it's probably because I find it hard to focus with him almost always talking.", "It wasn’t until high school that I started to hear his voice. The very first time he spoke was right after my AP biology teacher had just told me I was a chimera. \n\nA chimera is someone with two sets of DNA. It’s completely harmless. \n\n“Hello, Catqueen25.” \n\nI started. \n\n“Um, hello?” I said out loud. My AP biology teacher gave me a concerned look. \n\n“You might want to think your words.”\n\n“I’m fine. Just an auditory hallucination.” I said to my teacher before leaving. “Okay, are you magic friend?”\n\n“No. My name is Michael Edward. I am your twin brother.”\n\n“Oh! I absorbed you. It’s called vanishing twin syndrome.”\n\n“That’s correct. I am glad you absorbed me. I was hurting very badly and I knew I would die after being born.”\n\n“Why appear now though?”\n\n“You needed to discover me first. There’s no need to fear me. I am here to guide you. After you graduate, you must go to med school. Our dream is to be a trauma surgeon.”\n\n“But what about my shakiness?”\n\n“I will prevent that.”\n\n“I like the idea of being a trauma surgeon. I would like to become a neurosurgeon someday too. Brains fascinate me.”\n\n“We can do that. Let’s focus on becoming a surgeon first.”\n\n“I was planning to take a furlough before going into med school. I need to focus on myself and get both my health and mental health controlled.”\n\n“That’s the plan then. I am always here for you. You may want to give up dairy as you are lactose intolerant.”\n\n“I’ve been suspicious of that. Here we are. I hope you like math.”\n\n“This is an AP class to, right?”\n\n“Yep! Next is AP English and AP History.”\n\n“YOU ARE INSANE! Dare I ask about grades?” \n\n“I’m a low A, high B student.”\n\n“You’re still insane!”\n\n“I have AP science to. Last class is politics.”\n\n“YOU ARE TOTALLY INSANE! How’s homework?”\n\n“I already got tons. I’m going to be busy with it all weekend! I can’t wait for you to help me!”\n\n“Oh Gods above! Do you even have free time?”\n\n“What’s that?”\n\n“Seriously? YOU ARE INSANE I TELL YOU! INSANE!”\n\n“I also take classes at the local college. I intend to graduate with a 4.0 and my two year college degree.” \n\nMichael started sobbing. “WHY ARE YOU INSANE?”\n\n“Keeps me busy so my mind can’t torture me.”\n\n“Gods above! Spare me! Wait, I know this math!”", "\"It should have been you, not me.\"\n\nThere it was, that voice...like the ringing of a fly's wing in the dead of night. Always buzzing, more and more. Getting louder and louder, a contrast annoyance, a constant reminder. He calls himself Damion, and according to my parents, the name checks out. Assuming he was born, of course. Vanishing twin syndrome is what doctors call it. It's when one twin becomes parasitic, absorbing the other in the womb. The more I think about it, the more it disturbs me, much to the delight of Damion. He's been with me for as long as I can remember, bouncing words of critiques and venom in my head any chance he gets. He was always telling me what he would have done, how he would have grown to be a better man, and that I was a failure. I tried to pretend the voice wasn't there, but the more I heard it, the more I began to believe it. It was a constant battle between Damion and my own inner voice, but a war of attrition was in neither of our favors \n\n\"You'll never be anything but a failure.\" \n\nThere it was again, but Damion knew as much as I did that his hatred for me came out of envy. For all I am not, I am still more than him. I can walk, talk, and move of my own accord. And even though I may not have amounted to much, I still have family and friends, while he has nothing but me. Damion is locked in his own personal Hell. He wants me to end it all because that is the only way he'll be free. Truth be told, he almost was a couple of times, but he doesn't know just how much the feeling between us is mutual. I'll keep living just to spite the bastard, any shred of happiness I can squeeze out of this life, I'll take it. Just to rub it in his poor miserable nonexistent face. Directing my inner thoughts to Damion, \"You and I are just getting started.\" I could already imagine his sly grin." ]	4
	[WP] As you see the members of your party drop dead one by one, you feel the rage and sadness well up inside you. Picking up your broken lyre, you begin to chant the words to a song lost to time, and black energy crackles through the metal strings	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Under siege from hordes of monsters, the fabled party had withstood many challenges, but this was to be their last. No matter how powerful, 5 people could only stand up for so long against thousands upon thousands of monsters.\n\nOne by one, they fell, in front of the city gates, defending their hometown till their very last breath. By the time the gates were breached, only the bard was left, confronted with his dead friend's corpses. His eyes filled with tears, but not for himself, and not for his friends either. He wept for the world, and what he was about to unleash upon it. For there is no cure for a broken heart, but annihilation would end the heart itself, and let it grieve no longer. And so, the bard began to sing.\n\nMy darling Lena, with hair as black and lustrous as the edge of night,\nYou will forever be the only love of my life.\n\nMy dearest friend Estrael, a thief as fast as a whip,\nNow speared by a sword, a human spit.\n\nTian, the toughest dwarf of them all,\nYou would fight on till annihilation’s call.\n\nKyran, I hope you find solace in the Vale,\nWhere children of all ages will have heard your tale.\n\nNow Hades do your worst,\nOut of the ground, the dead burst.\nLet us all see Death’s art,\nAs I sing this song with a broken heart.\n\nChernobog, the great dark,\nOut of the darkness, embark.\nThis world has only known war,\nLet it end with your mighty roar.\n\nShiva, come forth,\nDestruction awaits us all.\nNow let the world burn,\nAs I sing this curtain call.", "Hesra fell first. The fierce maiden of war, with her strong platemail, was our cornerstone of defence. But the giant construct of whirring gears and metal crushed her beneath its foot. She died in agony.\n\nGerton followed soon after. The kind forest elf shot arrow after arrow into the invading dwarven army. He dodged between their returning fire, showing his usual grace. A berserker chased, and hacked him apart. I saw his head fly across the battlefield, his face fixed in a look of pain and horror.\n\nWise Ulock weaved his spells of fire and destruction. He tore holes into their advancing units, creating mounds of corpses with each cast. With his position, he saw Hesra and Gerton die. I saw in his face his heart shatter. He loved them like siblings. He ceased to protect himself, throwing all of his strength into a widespread spell of death. But in doing so, he was shot with bolt after bolt.\n\nI was the only one of our party left alive. I had taken a hit from a maul wielding dwarf, cracking both ribs and lyre. Without my enchanted tunes, my friends fell. I could only watch as I evaded being crushed. With their death, I lost all desire to live. They made my world colourful. I would never wish to live in such a dark place without them.\n\nI drew in close to the maul wielder. He swung, and I ducked, grateful for my gnomish physique. Being small was sometimes a blessing. I short up before him, stabbing between his armour with my dagger. He collapsed, bleeding profusely.\n\nBefore another could take his place, I hefted my lyre. Despite the broken strings, I managed to play a tune. Discordant notes wrenched through the air, forming the horrid, broken tune. As they sounded, I sung. It was a song that was deliberately forgotten, for good reason. With each note, black energy crackled around it and me.\n\n\"Together we stand,\nAgainst the shades of war,\nBut without you here,\nI begin to fall.\n\nCome to me,\nFallen in body,\nRise once more,\nTo victory.\"\n\nA wave of cold air washed from me. Its strength was enough to push back those who could withstand the broken song. As it touched the bodies around me, the air around them crystallised. Both my friends, and those they had slew, rose up. They let out a low drone, before tearing into the forces before us.\n\nI continued my song. It grew darker and darker as I played. This was my last performance, the Cantus Mori. It could only end when my life did.\n\n\"With blade and spell,\nYou fight again,\nWithout regret,\nUntil the end.\n\nTo live again,\nWill not happen,\nAnd so we stand,\nUntil we fall.\"\n\nThe devastation was incredible. Each dwarf that died, rose again at my wish. They fought for me, against those they once called friend. It was a song that could raze cities. Due to its strength, it had been removed from history. As far as I knew, I was the only bard who knew it. And now that was coming to an end.\n\nI drew in a breath, continuing to play. I saw a spectre appear before me. The spectre of death. It floated towards me, holding out a hand. I could not move from my position. As I drew close, I sung the final verse.\n\n\"Our sacrifice,\nShall be known,\nI bid farewell,\nFor now I fall.\"\n\nIt finished just as the spectre touched my shoulder. A second wave, infinitely more powerful then the last, washed out from me. This did not raise though. At its touch, everything died. Those I called, the enemy, the ground, the air itself. It all died. Along with me." ]	3
	[WP] “wait, you need to come with me my friends need you, they need a hero!” “then be a hero..”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Wait, you need to come with me. My friends need you. They need a hero!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Then be a hero..\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat wasn't what Jason expected to hear from the famed hero Hercules, he was known for his somewhat cold demeanor, but he had saved hundreds of lives before. Jason's eyes widen in confusion as if the words had weight he could feel. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" Jason let go of the hero's shoulder.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You heard me. You need to be the hero. You go and save them.\" Hercules's eyes were hidden in a dim shadow as he continued to sip his drink, and Jason tried to collect his thoughts. It was a hot day, but he couldn't tell if the bead of sweat came from the heat or his nervousness, probably both he would imagine.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Look, we don't have time for this shi-\" Hercules gave a quick glare that caused Jason's attempt of boldness to disappear as it came quickly.\n\nHercules let off a slight chuckle. \"We? No, YOU don't have time for this shit. Humor me, though. What is the problem?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"My friends, there was a fire in our apartment. They're trapped inside, I was able to get out, but now they need someone to help them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHercules looked up at the young man. \"And it seems like you didn't even attempt to help them yourself.\" Jason took a slight step back at the accusation. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You don't have any injuries, no soot on any part of your body, and the way you came over here screaming, I doubt you inhaled much if any smoke. You didn't even try to get your friends out of that apartment, did you?\" Hercules continued as Jason stood there dumbfounded, \"That's the thing with you civilians, the presence of Heros has made you all practically useless. All you do is run around looking for the first available hero possible when an obstacle comes up. Hercules stood up; his large frame practically towered over Jason. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What makes you think I could get there in time? Maybe if you have attempted to save your friends, they could be safe right now. For all we know they are already dead-\" Jason had enough. Before Hercules could get out another word out, he fired a punch at the hero's seemingly smug face. To the surprise of no one, Hercules didn't so much as budge.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You be the hero,\" Hercules exclaimed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJason held his hand, clutching it in pain. With tears in his eyes, he shouted. \"You know what, fuck you… I'll do this shit myself.\" Jason made a mad dash in an attempt to save his friends in the fire or die trying. The police were notorious for being slow, always relying on local heroes to save the day. Jason's time was limited, and he knew that if this self-proclaimed hero wasn't going to help, he would do it himself.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHercules looked as the man covered in fear so steep he could practically smell it, ran back to his apartment. Using his extended hearing, Hercules could tell that everyone in the apartment was still alive and still had a considerable about of time before they died for either the fire itself or smoke inhalation. If the young man continued to run at the pace he was, he would save all of them, but if he needed some help, Hercules would be there in the blink of an eye. I don't have to be the only hero in this city, he thought to himself. Anyone can be a Hero. All they have to do is try.", "It was another quiet evening in my cabin. I had finished chopping firewood just as the sun had touched down in the west, and was enjoying the relaxing gurgle of the nearby creek as I broke down one of the lake fish I had caught earlier in the week. \n\nMy snake, Aspodos, was sitting on the windowsill watching me work. The last golden rays of sun reflecting off his scales as he digested a rat, lazily flicking his tongue in and out.\n\nEventually, I finished my fillets and presented them to the serpent.\n\n\"See, all in one piece, just like I said\"\n\nHe merely gave a flick of his tongue Its still pretty jagged around the edges\n\n\"Well it's better than you could do\"\n\nWhy would I bother when I could go find a nice big rat. Or maybe a bird.\n\nI gave a dismissive gesture and placed the frying pan onto the small wood stove in the kitchen. As I reached for a knob of butter, the night went quiet. The birds stopped chirping, the crickets fell silent, all that was left was the gurgle of the creek. Aspodos' head lifted.\n\nSomething is coming.\n\nI reached my hand out for him to climb onto. After he settled around my shoulders, I reached for my sword and buckled it around my waist. \n\n\"What do you think bud? It's probably just a traveler that lost the road.\"\n\nCould be a bear. Or a Dragon.\n\n\"What is it with you and Dragons hm? In all our years how many Dragons have you seen?\" I opened the heavy oak door. \n\nI suppose just the one, but you can never be too careful. \n\nI stepped into the cooling night air and looked across the clearing surrounding my cabin. I could see a figure mounted on horseback riding as fast as they could towards me from the West. Something was off, they were bent over at an odd angle, and seemed to be barely to stay on. As they got closer, I could see arrows protruding from their arm and shoulder. I quickly moved to intercept the horse.\n\nThe rider, who I could now see was a young man in his late teens, managed to stop his mount in front of me and slide out of the saddle. He mumbled something along the lines of \"help. so tired. arrows.\" before his eyes rolled back into his head and his knees gave way. \n\nI caught him before his head could hit the ground and surveyed the damage. Nothing looked too serious, only a couple of arrows had actually penetrated his heavy layers, and none had hit any vital organs. The most pressing wound was on his right shoulder, where an arrow had buried itself deep. \n\n\"Aspodos, go pull out my medical kit\"\n\nWith a flick of his tongue, the serpent dropped from my shoulders and made his way back to the house. Before moving the kid I pulled out the arrows that hadn't penetrated his skin. Only three remained. I gripped the first as close to the head as I could. I pulled slightly and his body writhed in pain. They were barbed, and not going to come out easily. Quickly I broke the shafts off as close to the heads as I could. He let out a couple of cries of pain, but his eyes remained closed. \n\nAs I prepared to lift him and take him inside, I briefly surveyed his horse. No apparent damage. I loosened his saddle and bridle and tied the reins up so they wouldn't drag. He seemed well trained, so I decided he probably wouldn't wander far. \n\nInside, Aspodos had lifted my medical supplies onto the table. I set the kid down and began the slow process of working the arrowheads out. After an hour or so, I had gotten all three out and stopped most of the bleeding. I had to stitch the shoulder wound closed, but it looked like it would probably heal ok. A few bandages later, I moved him onto my bed and started cleaning up. \n\nPrt. 2 Below" ]	3
	[WP] Here I am again, after hours of searching for the exit, staring at the exact same 6-pack bundle of underwear. It's bad enough dying in Infini-Mart, but did it really have to be in the lingerie isle?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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'm pretty sure the world hates children. Why else would Momma be able to hide the Oreos in the tallest pantry shelf, or lock my phone with a passcode only she knows, or drag me to the mall when I'm in the middle of watching Gravity Falls? Why else would they make shelves twice as tall as me, and send Momma on the other side of them?\n\nWhy else would Momma not be there when I turned the corner to look for her?\n\nIt was the stupid grown-up clothes on sale that really got to me. A kid had no business buying underwear like that; the only reason I was here was because of stupid Mommy and her stupid grown-up world. So at first I didn't want to find a grown-up to ask for help, because I didn't need to be a grown-up to get back home and find out how Dipper and Mabel finally defeated Bill Cipher.\n\nBut the more I walked, the more... eerie it got. Not eerie. Eerie was a grown-up word. It was scary. The lights were on, the floor was clean, but nobody was home. Even when I started to call out for help—even when I started breathing faster and faster and wishing I had my ice pack, even when I curled up and started to cry—nobody came. No meddling adults told me to move out of the aisle, no kind voices asked if I needed help, no family members squeezed my arm and said that panic attacks always ended, and that I needed to think about something else for a bit, so how about we play a game?\n\nI grabbed onto that drifting thought, hauled myself onto its surface so that I didn't drown. Play a game. I could play a game.\n\nWe were playing hide-and-seek. That was one thing that kids did better than grown-ups: Mommy couldn't fit between the sink and the wall, or squeeze herself into the bathroom cupboards. I had the best hiding spots, and Mommy was always too easy to find. Grown-ups were always right there. That was the one good thing about them. So if I just pushed aside these clothes and walked through them—\n\n—more lingerie. More clothes for an adult. More reminders that I didn't even have to come here in the first place, that this wasn't my world.\n\nI swallowed and sat back down. Well. There was one last thing I could try. Whenever I got lost—and I got lost a lot of the time, oh, I was such a troublesome child, with my head always in the clouds—Mommy said that I should stay in place and wait for her to find me. Because Mommy always came back.\n\nDistantly, a light went out with a click.\n\nI began to shake.\n\nMommy always came back.\n\nThe next fluorescent lightbulb went dark. Then the next. \n\nMommy always came back.\n\n\"It's closing time,\" a voice announced. \"All customers still in the building will be... evicted.\"\n\n\"Mommy always comes back,\" I whimpered.\n\nI was the last light in the infinite dark.\n\n\"Mommy always comes baaaAAAAA—\"\n\nThank you for shopping with Infini-Mart. We hope you had a nice stay.\n\nA.N.\n\nSuggestions? Comments? Typos? Please leave them on this comment's sister post at [r/bubblewriters](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/); and if you want more stories like this, try giving the rest of [r/bubblewriters](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/) a peek.", "The fire was burning in the center of the halls of hosery. Van Mincent would normally be sitting next to that fire, in a large padded chair, reading a magazine from the collection hanging in the check out aisle. That's the kind of thing that passes for entertainment at Infiniti-Mart.\n\nThis time, however, he was asleep in his latest bed of bras, sleeping the sleep of the dead after a particularly fitful previous day of shouting to no one and mourning his fate. Ever since he had lost the tally book, he had been out of sorts. You never found what was lost at Infiniti-Mart.\n\nHe opened his eyes. He wiped the dew like sweat off his forehead and rubbed his stinging eyes. He set up to watch the billowing smoke blacken the cheap soffit ceiling so high above him. One of the aisles buckled and toppled taking three others with it, scattering various flaming bits of lingerie to share their embers with their neighbors. Several sprinklers activated with the hiss, pouring down the only rain Van knew these days. The occlusion of the smoke gave a peculiar orange hue to the soulless fluorescence that never shut off. There is no night at Infiniti-Mart.\n\nTo someone unfamiliar with the hellish and fantastical nature of his exile, they might wonder why Van seemed unafraid of the flames. He merely picked up his makeshift mattress and moved a few aisles down. Midnight must have come soon after, because the next time he opened his eyes, the fire was gone, the shelves were on neatly aligned and fully stocked once again and he rested on bare floor. Nothing ever changed at Infiniti-Mart.\n\nBut something did catch Van's eye. A line of socks like bread crumbs forming a line as far as he could see in either direction. Van's heart near beat out of his chest at the sight. It wouldn't have seemed like much except for the fact that Van had been alone all the many years he'd spent at Infiniti-Mart and he did not make that line of socks. At one of the ends of that line was something new, perhaps even someone to share this nowhere with. The only question now is which way to go, left or right?\n\nIf Dr. Collins was here, Van would have asked him. He hadn't seen the mannequin in what must be a year now. He mourned that she was lost, the closest thing to a companion he's had thus far in this pathetic non-life, another victim of the yearly remodel, which must be coming soon. \n\n\"Hello'! Is anyone there!\" Van yelled through cupped hands. Only soft echoes returned to greet him as they always did. He quickly fashioned a backpack from several teddy lingeries, as he had grown quite skilled at and filled the pouch with enough edible underwear to get him through a days long travel. Though without Dr. Collins and now without the tally book, there wasn't much point to coming back. Wherever he stopped that could just as easily be his new aisle. There was no home at Infiniti-Mart.\n\nHe decided to travel right and begin to follow the curious line of socks, about one every 10 ft or so. After 5 hours, his feet begin to ache and he would have to break a sprinkler for water soon. With a great pit sinking in his stomach, he realized he had little time to solve this mystery. The store would reset again at midnight and all that was moved would be returned, including these socks.\n\nHe hadn't ran in years. There had never been a point. There were no destinations at Infiniti-Mart. He ran now with a feral intensity that grew as he went, eyes burning through that line of men's no show socks. They were no longer black but now a light gray that hardly stood out against the tile floor. \n\nAfter 3 hours, he collapsed. He was still well within the lingerie section, and struggled to find something heavy enough to break the sprinkler but settled on a plastic display case for cleavage covers. He hurled the tower upwards. He had grown good at this as well, having not missed in many years. The small tInk of metal snapping preceded the shower of water that came over Van. He cupped his hands and drank greedily, filling several plastic bags and hanging them to his backpack as he began walking again.\n\nHe was almost prepared to stop again when he saw her, ahead in the distance, laying the socks down as she walked. He wanted to run, but his wet feet stayed stuck. \"Hello!\" he yelled, and the woman turned. The first person he had seen in over seventeen years. They walked towards each other slowly, like feral animals circling offered food.\n\nShe was short for a women and barely came up to his shoulder. He did notice that her socks were off, though her feet weren't bare. She was wearing some kind of shiny black shoes things with straps and stirrups that he could have sworn were once a purse. Van didn't know shoes.\n\n\"Who are you?\" she asked, as she looked him up and down. \"I'm Mallory.\"\n\n\"I'm Van,\" he said.\n\n\"We need to come up with a system to find each other. I found someone once before but midnight separated us. Make a line of socks like this and the toes point towards where you're going. If we find the other person's line, stop laying socks and follow it.\"\n\n\"Can I ask you-\" Van began. The woman was suddenly gone as an audible click signaling midnight again. Without hesitation then Van begin collecting bras to go to sleep. For the first time in many years he had a goL that Infiniti-Mart couldn't take from him. He would find Mallory again.\"\n\n\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	3
	[WP] The gods ignored us when we were in huts, ignored us when we built castles and fought in their name, they even ignored us when we achieved a planetary utopia. But when we began building our own children, our own life. That was when we gained the gods attention.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"Wait!\"\n\nIt was a cold winter night on Orexus, even more so in the lab. As I press buttons, flip levers, and pull switches on the machine in front of me, my heart raced. I'd been working on this project for years. 47, to be exact. This would be my magnum opus, my crown jewel, my hope diamond. Creating life from scratch.\n\nSociety had been advancing incredibly quickly since the Great Realization of 2179. Scientists had created a way to travel the universe. After that, it only went uphill. We made nanotech, a cure for cancer, a way to live longer, and even bionics. We felt like we were unstoppable. Until we tried to create human life without humans.\nIt was like we hit a wall. We were making no progress. We tried and tried and tried, but we just couldn't. So they hired me, and since then, I'd been working on it. \nBut now it was time. As I pressed the last button, flipped the last lever, and pulled the last switch, the computer asked in a monotone voice:\n\n\"Initialize creation sequence?\"\n\nI slowly lowered my finger towards the screen, and right as I was about to press the button, a bellowing voice shouted:\n\n\"Wait!\"\n\nThere, right in front of me, was god. He had a long, white beard, and he wore a toga. I said, surprised:\n\n\"God?\" \n\nGod responded, \n\n\"Yes, it is I. I am your god and I order you to stop!\"\nI paused for a moment, shocked: \n\n\"Why?\"\n\"You dare question your god? I command you to stop!\"\n\n\"But why?\"\n\n\"I SAID STOP!\" God's voice suddenly sounded incredibly whiny, like a dog not getting it's treats.\n\nI was taken aback. Is god usually like this? I stepped towards him, hearing him mumble something.\n\n\"Hey, are you... okay?\"\n\"THAT'S MY JOB!\" He said, his tone sounding like that of a upset five year old.\n\nThis is strange. I always thought god would be this all knowing being, strong willed and soft hearted, but I see him now and he's acting like a child having a temper tantrum.\n\nI slowly say:\n\n\"But, can't humans do it too?\"\n\n\"NO, IT'S MY JOB!\" He says, stomping his feet.\n\nSuddenly, another, deeper voice started to speak.\n\n\"Alright, god, it's time to go.\"\n\nIt was satan, standing behind god.\nGod said, in defiance:\n\"NO, I DON'T WANNA GO!\"\n\nSatan's voice got louder,\n\n\"It's time to go!\"\n\nGod got quiet.\n\nHe started walking away, mumbling about how it wasn't fair that we got to do it until he rose back up into the sky.\n\nSatan approached me.\n\n\"I'm terribly sorry. God has been really rude lately.\"\n\n\"It's okay.\" I say.\n\nHe shakes my hand.\n\n\"Lucifer von Beelzebub. Call me if you need me.\"\n\nHe hands me a card that says 'Lucifer von Beelzebub: Reaper of souls, harbinger of doom, king of all that is unholy' and a phone number comprised of only sixes.\n\n\"Thanks...\" I say, slightly confused.\n\nA fiery portal appears, which he then sinks into.\n\nAnd that's how I met both god and the devil.", "The beings descended from extraplanetary space in a large ship with vaguely humanoid features. The 'ship' had fully articulate limbs and a head that could pan and tilt to a ridiculous degree.\n\nBut the ship did not resemble the crude robots or other mechs we had designed over the years. No, this ship was... Perfect. There were no visible mechanical explanations for the articulations, and they felt natural in the imperfect way the movement seemed to ramp and slow down. \n\n If our species had not sufficiently advanced we would see that humanoid mech ship descending from the heavens and fall to our knees in reverence thinking it to be one of the many gods.\n\nBut we were sufficiently advanced, and the beings in the ship knew this. They landed at the peak of the world in the Himalayas. And there they waited. \n\nThe first to approach them, breaking some laws while they were at it, were the scientists stationed in the research base near the top of the mountain. \n\nThese scientists were never seen again. And in the coming days, the magnificent ship took off as well.\n\n------\n\nThe golden metallic statue was at least 50 feet tall. Its feet were buried deep in the snow. When it landed it had caused avalanches that cascaded into more avalanches that lasted for three days. After the snow settled, the group had to know if this golden statue they saw in their drone feed was real or some kind of mass hallucination.\n\n\"Jesus, what is it?\" Dimitri asked. He was less of a scientist and more of an experienced guide.\n\n\"The drones didn't get any reading on the inside. It looks like this metal layer is some kind of shielding.\" Priya replied. She had joined the group two months ago.\n\n\"Or maybe it's not hollow. Maybe it's actually a solid gold statue.\" This was Rachel. She had been here the longest.\n\n\"That slowly fell down from the sky? You saw the feed of it making contact.\"\n\nThey had. It was eerie how little impact it had made on contact with the snow. The only reaction from the snow was to be minimally displaced by the full weight of the ship as it slowly imposed it's mass on to the mountain top. But this displacement was enough to cause days worth of avalanches.\n\n\"I'm going to say it if no one else will. What about divine origin?\" Dimitri ventured.\n\n\"Seriously? I'm thinking alien.\" Bastien thought aloud. He was shivering and clutching himself despite wearing layers upon layers of the cold resistant clothing.\n\n\"This looks like a man. Like a human man.\"\n\n\"Maybe they designed it so it'll look familiar to us.\"\n\n\n\"Ok, guys. Back to the plan. Set up camp here, get warm. Get the equipment ready for real tests.\" Rachel clapped her hands, though the sound was muffled by the gloves she was wearing and the wind that had started to pick up. The gesture was enough, however, as the scientists began to work.\n\nNot even ten minutes into unpacking and setting up the tents, they all heard a voice they could not place. It was many voices all, speaking in unison.\n\n\"Bow to your makers for entry.\"\n\nThey all stood frozen and wide-eyed, and looked at each other, making sure what was heard was heard by all.\n\n\"Holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck.\" Dimitri muttered under his breath, an unceasing mantra against the unexplainable.\n\n\"I think we should do it.\" Bastien said hesitantly, looking at the others.\n\n\"Hold on. Entry for what? To go in the statue?\" Priya asked. To the others or to the voice that has spoken, she did not know.\n\n\"Ok, let's think about what we're doing, first.\" Rachel said in a calming voice.\n\nBut Dimitri started screaming, looking up the statue to the face, and he immediately averted his gaze and fell to his knees in fear. And, as they watched, he shimmered out of existence.\n\n\"Dimitri!\" Priya shouted, running to where he had been mere seconds ago.\n\nThey looked up the statue to where the face was. The face that had been staring ahead all this time was now looking down at them. The vaguely shaped indents where the eyes would be seemingly staring right at them. \n\n\"Fuck.\" Bastien shouted, scrambling backwards. \n\n\"Bow to meet your makers.\" The directionless voice dictated again.\n\nBastien immediately obeyed, and he shimmered and vanished as well.\n\n\"Rachel! What is happening?\" Priya looked at their de facto leader. But the goggles and masks she wore hid any insight into what the woman was thinking.\n\n\"I think we should do it, too. Bow. I don't know what else we can do.\" Rachel told her, her voice impassive.\n\n\"No! We need to head back down to the base and get the rest!\"\n\n\"Without Dimitri? He's our guide!\"\n\n\"Shit.\" Priya swore, and her eyes widened under her goggles as she saw Rachel start bowing.\n\n\"Rachel, no!\" Priya shouted, but the woman vanished as well.\n\nShe was all alone. She looked around to see all the expensive equipment left strewn about. At the half made tents. She looked up at the statue, which had not shifted it's gaze. It continued to stare down. At her. Expectant.\n\nShe closed her eyes, and bowed." ]	3
	[WP] Years after being freed, a genie decides to make some extra money on the side by plying their talents at birthday parties.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 knows that genies can't kill people, make them fall in love, and that sort of thing. But, the thing that people don't really know about us genies, is that there are different skill levels among us. At the top, there are the 'all-powerful' genies, the ones that are kinda like the ones you hear about in Aladdin. But let's be real here. Those genies never get freed. They're simply too powerful, too valuable to simply 'free'. Instead, their lamp gets passed down the generations, to each and every kid, relative, blood relation, clanmate and so on, to get the full value of the '3-wish clause'. Those are the real deal. And at the bottom of the spectrum, well, there's me. Bob the genie.\n\n\"You see, I was bad. Worst genie ever. People would rub my lamp, ask for some absurd thing, and laugh at me when I failed to conjure their bag of gold, their new car, or even the occasional 'one million and one dollars, in pennies' just to screw with me. I simply couldn't conjure up anything like that, not even a single coin or banknote.\n\n\"After I'd been freed (or perhaps, exiled), I had to survive in the real world with no money or material-conjuring skills at all. But there was one thing I could do: conjure up animals. But after getting my first gig at a newly opened zoo, I realized that my conjured animals were miserable, caged up, just like me back in my lamp. I vowed never to do that. I did release a swarm of bats in China, trying to balance out the ecosystem there, and look where it got us. Oh, and I made more honeybadgers than I probably should have, too. Making animals was a party trick, and no one ever wanted anything perishable from a genie. Or so I thought, until I discovered this thing humans have, a 'birthday'.\n\n\"Today, kids give my life meaning. They were the only ones who want and cherish the critters that they ask for. Some of the boys want the exotic stuff, like geckos, snakes, and the occasional tarantula. Some of the older girls want ponies, which is a little tougher for me, but manageable. And for me, I'd check and vet every family that made arrangements with me. No neglectful, abusive homes. No families that discarded or sold their pets after their kids got bored. No fad animals, like owls during the Harry Potter craze. I just wanted to give these newly created creatures a good home.\n\n\"The pure hope and innocent wish for a pet, and the look on their faces when they see their new puppy, kitten, rabbit or guinea pig is absolutely amazing. The unadulterated joy and sheer gratitude of having a fulfilled wish for a lifelong companion. All this makes my post-lamp life worth it.\n\n\"So just because you've been rejected and 'freed', it isn't the end of the world. We can all find purpose in our abilities (or lack thereof). I encourage you, my fellow newly-freed genies, to go into the world of humans and find your niche. To fulfill the wishes that truly matter instead of being slaves to materialistic masters. Thanks for joining me today and have a a fruitful post-lamp life.\"" ]	2
	[WP] "Wait,you think the Wii is evil?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 do you mean, think?\" Gary scratched his head, incredulity dripping down onto his face from his highly-raised eyebrows. \"It is evil.\"\n\nFlora's forehead and her hand met, then, a loud slap breaking the awkward silence that followed from Gary's proclamation.\n\n\"What are you even saying, Gary,\" Flora said, exasperated. \"It plays video games.\"\n\n\"What, if somebody plays video games they can't be evil?\" Gary retorted.\n\n\"Yea, but this... is a thing,\" Flora poked the Wii in front of her, causing Gary to recoil.\n\n\"You are right. This... this thing will be the doom of us all,\" Gary hissed while shrinking himself.\n\n\"Gary...\"\n\n\"Look! Look at the arms he has!\"\n\n\"These motion controllers that are surprisingly intuitive?\" Flora held them up by the straps, causing them to clink against each other.\n\n\"Don't do that! You'll awaken it!\" Gary said. \"Don't you see? Its witchcraft! It's why people love it so much, despite its weird shape and non-analogous buttons!\"\n\n\"People like it because you can wave it around and pretend you are holding a lightsaber. Or a tennis racket. Or... a vibrating controller that's nice to hold in your hand.\"\n\n\"See! It's taking control of you!\"\n\n\"Why am I humouring you?\" Flora turned to Gary, hitting him on the head with the controller, causing Gary to wince and withdraw even further into his armchair. \n\n\"You don't understand, Flora,\" Gary said. \"This isn't humour. This is real. You wield a power you know nothing about.\"\n\nFlora turned, pressing the power button on the Wii. The TV flashes for a moment, and the relaxing Wii theme wafts over the room, sending Gary into even further hysterics.\n\n\"Flora!\" Gary cried. \"You have brought death upon this household!\"\n\n\"I'm just going to play some Wii Sports,\" Flora shrugged. \"You've literally almost killed us while cooking.\"\n\n\"Right, my bad,\" Gary said. \"But see! The Wii! It's...\"\n\n\"... It's going to play games. That's it, Gary. Why are you so hesitant,\" Flora said, thrusting one controller into Gary's hands. \n\n\"You!\"\n\n\"Just hold onto it, you dolt,\" Flora said. \"How does it feel?\"\n\n\"Um,\" Gary whispered. \"It does feel very intuitive.\"\n\n\"Ah, see?\" Flora wagged the Wiimote in her hand. \"Now stand up straight and choose a stupid game.\"\n\n\"Er,\" Gary used the remote to move his cursor around the screen. \"Canoeing?\"\n\n\"OK,\" Flora sighed. \"Now that's really evil. Prepare to not raise your arms for the next three days.\"\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	2
	[WP] You can cast curses and blessings, but only those spells which might be either. Whether it becomes a curse or a blessing depends on the person, and you can't predict it very well.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "\"Double Ristretto Venti Half-Soy Nonfat Decaf for Laura!!\"\n\nA blue scarf wearing an agitated twenty-something swung from one shoulder to the other as the drink found it's owner.\n\n\"Seriously? It's Marwa. It's been Marwa. I come here every day, I feel like I'm going insane\" Marwa/Laura said with a bite somewhere between annoyance and exasperation.\n\nLucas came here every day too. Well, when time allowed. He liked to hear Marwa's bitterness when she picked up her coffee order. Actually, 'liked' might be wrong. He needed to hear it. It was a reminder that no matter his intentions something could go wrong. Here he'd turned a pleasant, unassuming journalist into a cranky customer desperate for validation. All because he thought it'd be nice if they spelled her name correctly on her coffee.\n\nSo he came here, to this Moondollars' coffee almost daily to subject himself to her anger; the fraction of negativity that he had added to the world of his own volition. Lucas had given out plenty of blessings without an issue before. He wasn't above the occasional curse either but he tried to make sure those were particularly justified. The issue recently was that the two were starting to feel the same. Something had thrown a splotch of grey where previously stood a defined line between the black and white of his ability. Boon and malediction were now practically identical despite his laser-focus on what the target deserved. What had previously felt like a gentle finger on one side of the scales had become a loose hose flailing unpredictably. Lucas could only turn the water on or off.\n\nAt first he thought it was a scale issue. Marwa's blessing had been so miniscule that it shouldn't have had a measurable impact on the celestial balance. In the past few weeks he had doled out dozens of large blessings on the less fortunate. A winning lottery ticket for a homeless man, a match for a child's bone-marrow transplant, hell he'd even considered attempting to bless large swaths of people at a time just to do the most good he was capable of. \n\n\"Thank God I didn't have the nerve to go through with that\" Lucas muttered under his breath and over his coffee.\n\nWhen Marwa didn't pan out as planned he thought that maybe it was too small of a blessing, perhaps he wasn't focused. Shortly after realizing his misguided blessing he came across a man standing on a rooftop. The man was threatening suicide. Emergency services were already on the scene as Lucas stood on the outskirts of the commotion. The man on the 5th floor looked so miniscule from where he was. But distance had never been an issue in the past. Lucas had never even found the outer limit of his ability's range. After fucking up Marwa's raindrop of a blessing he never should have attempted the ocean that is saving a man's life. But here was a large-scale blessing that he could see clear as day, a softball waiting to be struck clean out of the stadium. A penny dropped on the ground near him, softly ringing as it spun to a stop. Lucas smiled and began to walk away after bestowing his gift, knowing that it could still take hours for him to get down and EMS to clear the scene. So he didn't see the man jump when the collective gasp echoed from behind him.\n\nHe hadn't given out a blessing or a curse since.\n\nLucas shook his head in a futile attempt to shake the memory, as if it could be knocked loose and slip out of his ears. It didn't help but he liked to pretend that it did. As the bell of the front door softly rang he glanced up to see a father and daughter walking in, hand-in-hand. The girl couldn't have been older than 4 as she waddled hurriedly to keep up with her father's stride. Lucas smiled as she eagerly took in the sights of the store. To him it was a prison sentence but to this little girl it was an adventure.\n\nHer father was on the phone, desperately attempting to wrangle his daughter and win an argument on the phone, all without causing a scene. Of course the task this man had set upon himself was too great as he finally snapped.\n\n\"Will you just LISTEN TO ME!?\" the man yelled, turning heads and stopping his daughter in her tracks. He hesitated before smiling at his daughter.\n\n\"Not you honey, Daddy's just upset with work\"\n\nCautiously the girl began to play once again. Her excitement clearly curtailed by the spark of fury that had emanated from Daddy.\n\n\"I'm sorry Brian, that was out of line. I just can't come in tomorrow, it's Mary's birthday and we always spend it together. I put in for this months ago.\"\n\nLucas couldn't hear Brian's response but judging from dad's face he had an inkling of the response. Somebody was sick or corporate hadn't okayed it or the Johnson account was just too important. Whatever the issue Lucas could tell that the father was beginning to reconcile the fact that he was going to choose his job over his daughter, despite his desires.\n\nAs the line inched forward Lucas looked elsewhere. He stared down at his room-temperature coffee. He gazed out the window across the street. He took out his phone and opened the same app three times in a row despite knowing it had nothing to offer him at the moment. Because his attention could not be pulled from that joyous little girl linked to her crestfallen father.\n\nFingers drumming on the surface of his table Lucas desperately tried to talk himself out of it. He had seen what he was capable of. He had watched it go wrong twice now. How could he possibly be enticed to go for three strikes by a birthday this girl would probably forget by next month?\n\nA penny rang out quietly, bouncing on the table in front of him. Lucas snatched it up before it could stop spinning.\n\n\"What? No. That's not fair. I didn't even...\" Lucas angrily whispered to nobody in particular.\n\nHis eyes shot up, locked on the father/daughter duo as they picked up dad's order. Surely it would be fine, right? Worst-case scenario he makes another Marwa into a Laura. An inconvenience sure but far better than some of the other options. It'll be fine.\n\n\"Please be fine\" Lucas said to anybody who might be listening, unable to blink as he watched the little girl exit the store, her laughter coaxing out a resigned smile from her father. Lucas watched her skip down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand with the man that would, hopefully, find a way to spend her birthday with her." ]	2
	[WP] "Okay, you're going to answer some questions, then we'll see what happens after". The man in a black suit said this to you as you sat at a table. Spread out across the table are several types of documents; photos, letters, records. All of them indicating you living during various time periods.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Compelling evidence they have. I hope they're right about all evidence pointing towards me. \"Alright,\" the interrogator asks, \"do you recognise yourself on these photos?\" \"Some of them,\" I reply, \"some I don't.\" The man sighs and asks:\"Could you tell me which you do and which you don't recognise?\" I figure there is no reason to lie to this man, so I reply:\"I recognise the photos from the 1800's, World War 2 and this 80's photo, but not the one from World War 1 nor all the other pictures.\" The man is puzzled by what I just said. \"These documents,\" he says, \"are they describing you? Do you recognise yourself in the descriptions?\" \"Yeah,\" I reply, \"I may not look much like it, but I do know a fair share of Anglo-Saxon. All of those documents are probably describing me, but ofcourse I'm here because of the photos.\" Despite his confusing look, he seems happy I'm compliant. However, I need to take it slow in telling everything, for he will otherwise disbelieve the truth.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So,\" he continues asking, \"how are you on those photographs taken at different time periods while seemingly not aging?\" \"I do age,\" I reply, \"you see, I look younger on that 80's picture than on the World War 2 picture.\" With every question he asks, he gets a thousand more in return. But he doesn't need to worry, that will end soon enough. He notices the difference in age. \"Okay,\" he asks, \"how come you are five years younger in World War 2 than thirty years later?\" I don't think he's ready to hear it yet. \"Have you read the ancient documents,\" I reply, \"have you seen how every document is describing me?\" \"My coworker has,\" he replies, \"he told me they describe you as someone rarely going outside. As someone practicing witchcraft. Or alchemy in later time periods.\" \"In other words,\" I reply, \"science. Studying all that is one Earth. All that always has been here. Studying history too. Yes I rarely go outside, but I don't need to do that a lot, I just need to do it more than once in order to understand history.\" \"Understanding history,\" he replies as confused as ever, \"by living through it?\" He's ready.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes,\" I reply, \"I am what one would call a 'traveller': I'm not limited in travelling through the x-axis, the y-axis or even the z-axis. The t-axis has brought me through more places than anyone here can hope to reach.\" His eyes are opening wider. \"Yes,\" I continue, \"this is time travel.\" He is in disbelief of hearing this. He probably thought I was immortal or something. Both are things that are fiction around here. \"And you're just telling me this?\" He asks. He's asking the right questions. \"Yes,\" I reply, \"because I don't recognise myself in some of the pictures. This means I keep on living, keep on travelling. If you got the chance to tell anyone, this wouldn't have been the case.\" \"Wh-Wha--,\" he stammers. \"Nothing changes?\" He replies, \"doesn't that remove the point of time travel?\" \"No,\" I reply, \"archaeologists only get a drop of the ocean on what the past was like. We 'travellers' get to experience what was really going on.\" He looks as confused as right before I started answering the question. \"But,\" he replies, \"quantum physics forbids this. Randomness is a crucial part of nature.\" \"Quantum physics is incomplete,\" I reply, \"time travelling is part of nature. What looks like randomness is just small particles travelling back to the past. Difficult for a whole body consisting of lots of particles to do the same, but the 'travellers' have made it work.\" \"But how do you do that in the Middle Ages?\" He replies. \"Everything made has always existed,\" I reply, \"but only humans can put two and two together. It's alot more difficult to acquire the parts needed for travelling back home when you're, like you said, in the Middle Ages, but once you have all the knowledge on how to do it, it's possible. Although it can take years until you can travel back.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHis head is buried in his hands. He has written down everything. However, he and his coworker don't know there are people outside, waiting for the interrogator and his coworker. My people. I am free to go now, but it won't be long until they want to put me in a mental hospital, so the rest of the 'travellers' has my back. Both coworkers are escorting me outside. Upon seeing the people in front of the building, they receive a jumpscare. \"Gentlemen,\" Mobark says, \"I assume he has told everything. How about you get in the car and experience the best travel experience of your lives?\" None of the people point a gun towards them. No need to, as I can see curiosity gets them in the car. I decide to sit with them. Fate has blessed me, for I would like to travel more.", "\"How about you tell me why you are in my house?\" I ask in a bored tone. I stride over to the cabinet and remove a bottle. A slow sip of the red liquid focuses me. It had been a long day, resting in the small hunting lodge on a far corner off property. The suit being here meant that the hunting lodge was unknown. Good. \n\n\"Because these don't make any sense\" replies the suit. I glance at the paperwork. Pictures of myself. Just a handful. Mostly letters and business papers in my writing, with the names I'd assumed over the centuries. \n\n\"Looks like you got pranked my friend\" I say, a toothless grin quirking up my lips. \n\n\"No one's pranked me,\" said the man coldly \"I pulled every file myself.\". \n\n\"Well this,\" I wave my hand over the papers as I take another sip before continuing \"isn't humanly possible.\"\n\n\"So you aren't human then?\" Said the suit coldly, a gun rising above the table. \n\n\"Who sent you?\" I ask calmly. I take another swig, the excitement begining to rise in my pale body. Every detail sharpening further. The free hand tugs the collar of the gunman. Discomfort, nerves. Possibly unused to the suit. \n\n\"I'll ask the questions here\" growls the man. \n\nI shrug, drinking from the bottle. It's actually custom made. A few runic images in the glass. It's dark stained glass as well, an elegant wine bottle. Or it appears anyways. \n\nSilence reigns. \n\n\"Tell me dammit!\" Roars the man, slamming the fist clutching the gun on the table. \n\n\"Answer mine.\" I reply, my voice cold. \n\n\"CIA\" spits the man. His eyes twitch away. The gun shivers. \n\n\"Liar\" I growl. \n\n\"Fuck you!\" Snaps the man. Sweat, right at the hairline. He's lying. He could work for them, but he wasn't sent. Of course not. They'd think this was insane.\n\n\"No one sent you,\" I return the bottle to the cabinet. Ten feet between myself and the man, as well as the table. \"Did you tell anyone you were doing this?\" \n\nThe man is pale faced. The gun shakes. That tells me all I need to know. \n\nI watch carefully. \"You are...right.\" I admit. I savor his shock and validation. \n\n\"How?\" He whispers. \n\nI smile, fangs lengthening as my lips begin to part. The man is frozen, terror as he recognizes who I am. What I am. Ancient muscles tense as I prepare. The man shakes his stupor, his finger seeming to move in slow motion. I pounce. A gunshot rings out, tearing through my extended hand. The wound is already healing when my fangs find his shoulder, when his blood drains down my throat. \n\nSeveral minutes pass as I drain my fill. Finally I pull away from the almost corpse. I look through the small kitchen, papers strewn everywhere and a new bullet hole in the wall. I sigh in annoyance at the mess. \n\nAs I clean my kitchen, thankful that the lodge hiding my coffin is away from the house I lament the pains of being a vampire. After all, it's quite annoying when some human thinks they can interrogate me for the secret of eternal life. Or because you are a monster. I'm sure the cattle thinks the same thing of the people who turn them to burgers, but at least they are less annoying. But I suppose that there's always going to be some inconvenience to eternity.", "The prisoner was not a small man. Half a head taller than his guards, his broad shoulders stretched the prison jumpsuit—with more X’s before the L than most clothing was made for—to its tortured limit. They’d had to locate extra-size cuffs for him, and even then the metal bit into his wrists. It had to hurt, but the prisoner showed no sign of discomfort. \n\nHis face was broad and expressionless; or perhaps the expression there was his permanent setting. Mild disinterest shading into outright dismissal. The eyes, though … those really grabbed the attention. His irises were of a brown so dark that they could’ve been mistaken for black in poor light. It made his gaze almost hypnotic. Or, to put it another way, freaky as hell.\n\nPrisoner 294 dash 37A settled down onto the metal folding chair. It creaked alarmingly, but held. A guard fastened his cuffs to the ring-bolt in the middle of the table. He didn’t put up any kind of struggle, which was good. Also, a slight relief, given that he’d put five cops and two Federal agents in the hospital on the night they’d captured him. Two more cops hadn’t gotten any farther than the morgue. And that was with his bare hands.\n\nIt was good that they’d gone in at two AM, when most people are either sleeping or their biorhythms are at the lowest ebb. He’d been asleep, though he’d woken almost immediately. If they’d given him any more warning than that, he might’ve gotten to his armoury. The guy had several metal cases full of everything from metal-clad clubs to swords through to pistols and assault rifles, as well as one extremely elegant sniper rifle. Plus enough ammo to prosecute a small war, or start a large one.\n\nNobody wanted to think about how it would’ve gone down if he’d gotten his hands on some of that artillery before the cops got to him.\n\nBy all reports, he knew how to use the weapons. Both to kill and to … murder. For most people, there wasn’t a difference. With this guy, there was. When he was killing, he would take one shot or one swing, and someone would be dead. But when he had murder in mind, he would take his time. Hours or even days would pass, or so the forensics guys had assured the agent, before they would finally be allowed to die.\n\nThe worst thing was who the victims were. The agent would’ve been … well, if not happy, at least less horrified, if it had just been criminals. Mobsters and the like. Live by the sword, die by the sword, that sort of thing. He still would’ve had to bring the guy in, because the law’s kind of the law, but he would’ve felt more of a kinship with the guy. More able to talk to him man to man.\n\nBut this guy … half the time, his victims were normal. Innocents. Some wage schlub with a wife and kids, and a little fluffy dog. Nobody was exempt. The husband would usually die first and fastest. The others … they were the ones he took his time with. Even the dogs. The only light in all this darkness was that there had never been even a suggestion of sexual assault. He ‘just’ tortured and killed them.\n\nYeah. ‘Just’.\n\nAnd then, once they had him in custody, that was when it started getting weird. They tried getting some kind of ID on him, and … nothing. Or rather, a dozen different IDs, each of which ended up being fake. He was the original ghost. Fingerprints, nada. So they got some real good mugshots and started an online search. Any and all pictures of this man.\n\nWhich was where the weirdness came in. Originally, they’d set up constraints for the search, but got very little out of it. So out of boredom and frustration, they’d thrown it wide open. Any and all, no limits.\n\nThe agent carried the result in the folder that he now brought to the table. He set it down, squared it with the edge, then pulled out his own chair and seated himself. With an inclination of his head, the guards faded back to the corners of the interrogation room. The agent took a digital recorder from his inside jacket pocket and placed it on the table before him. In the silence of the room, the plastic-on-metal tchik was clearly audible. He pressed the button to start recording, the tiny red LED light glaring at the ceiling.\n\n“Agent Patterson, conducting interview with Prisoner two nine four dash three seven alpha, September eleven, two thousand one,” he recited tonelessly. Patterson wasn’t his name, but the people who needed to know who he was would know. “Prisoner was in possession of seventeen sets of identity documents of varying quality, all now determined to be false. No name has been given by Prisoner.” He focused on the prisoner’s eyes. “Did you have anything to add before I start asking questions?”\n\nA rumbling laugh sounded through the room. “Letters. Numbers. Names. All meaningless. Do you have any idea how small you all are?”\n\nThe man calling himself Patterson made a mental tick on a checklist only he could see. “We may be small, but we have you as our prisoner.” A deliberate pause. “Unless there’s a name you would prefer we use instead? ‘Prisoner’ is so dehumanising, after all.”\n\n“I’ve had many names.” The prisoner turned to look at each of the guards in turn, then focused once more on his interlocutor. “You may want to send your men out. What I’ve got to tell you isn’t for them.”\n\nPatterson didn’t think the prisoner could break free, but he’d also seen people do amazing and horrifying things when their guards relaxed vigilance for just a moment. “They stay,” he said. “They’re not allowed to repeat anything they hear in here anyway.”\n\nAgain, that rumbling chuckle. “Your option. The name I choose for myself is ‘Redemption’. But you won’t find it in any birth record.”\n\nRedemption.\n\nThat was a name Patterson hadn’t heard for a long time. Even now it sent chills down his spine. It was supposedly connected to a supernatural killer that appeared, murdered innocents, then vanished once more. He’d seen some of the crime scene photos—at least the ones that had been taken in the last fifty years—and they had been brutally horrific. And yes, now that his mind was making the connection, they fitted the MO of the prisoner before him.\n\nA chill chased its way down his spine, before he sternly told it to cease and desist. If this truly was Redemption who sat before him, it both answered questions and raised more answers.\n\nSitting back for a moment, he flicked the folder open. “This is you then,” he said. It wasn’t a question. Within the folder were printouts of all hits related to the prisoner’s—Redemption’s—face. Garnered from the earliest days when photographs were taken through one means and another. Spanning at least two centuries, which was patently impossible … but he’d thought Redemption a hoax to scare the new agents, too.\n\nRedemption leaned forward, the cuffs clinking quietly, and examined the printouts as Patterson fanned them out for his perusal. He nodded, the leonine mass of shaggy hair bobbing with the motion. “Don’t recall all those photos being taken, but yeah. That’s me.” He raised his head and skewered Patterson with his intense gaze. “What are you going to do about it?”\n\n“Well, for one thing, I’m going to make sure you never see the light of day again.” Patterson was proud of the fact that he didn’t raise his voice or swear, or do anything to make Redemption think he’d gotten to him.\n\n“Son, I’m afraid that’s just not going to happen.” Redemption’s tone was somewhere between chiding and regretful. “Was there something else you wanted to do about it?”\n\nAnother chill flitted up and down Patterson’s spine. The prisoner was so goddamn self-assured it was scary. He wanted to reach for his pistol, just to make sure it was there. Secured prisoner or not, if the man calling himself Redemption did anything hinky, Patterson was going to put two in his chest and one in his head. Repeat as necessary.\n\n“Okay, I’ll bite. How is it you’re so old? I have photos of you from the Civil War.” This was one of the two questions he wanted to ask. The other was one he’d asked of every serial killer who ended up across the table from him, and he’d never gotten a satisfactory answer.\n\n“Answer to that one’s mixed in with the other question you want to ask.” Redemption’s eyes searched his face almost mockingly. “You know you want to.”\n\n(Continued)", "\"You still haven't told me why I'm here,\" I said, crossing my arms. \"Have I committed a crime?\"\n\n\"That remains to be seen,\" the man answered, sitting down across from me. \"Let's get to those questions.\"\n\nHe pointed to the left-most picture, a sepia-toned image of several greasy rail workers. In the corner scrawled in black ink was a date: Sep. 14, 1906. \"Do you recognize any of those men?\" he asked. His gray eyes watched me intensely, observing every minute expression in my face.\n\nI remained silent. They didn't know a thing- this was just one far-fetched hunch. I bet his coworkers think he's a joke.\n\n\"Answer the question, Mr. Garrett. Do you recognize any of the men in this photo?\"\n\nI leaned forward to glance at the photo. Of course I did- there was Joseph, and Don, and ol' MacArthur. Second from the left was a young, clean-shaven man with dark hair. I sat back and looked at the man. \"How should I recognize any of them? This photo is from 90 years before I was born.\"\n\nThe man clenched his jaw. I could see he was grinding his teeth because of the muscles twitching above his temple. He moved on, and lifted up a piece of yellowish parchment, the edges frayed and ink faded. \"May 9th, 1862,\" he began, \"Dearest Emily, I write to you knowing that by the time this letter arrives in Providence, I may already have fallen. In the coming days we will be marching south to battle. I hope desperately to emerge from this feud with my heart still beating, for it beats only for you. I will write to you again once the battle is complete. Much love, Robert.\"\n\n\"I hope Robert and Emily lived happily ever after,\" I said when the man finished. \"But what does that have to do with me?\"\n\n\"They did not. Robert Graham fell during battle the following week, or so it is assumed. He never reported for duty afterwards and his body was never found.\"\n\n\"What a shame,\" I replied. \"But that's the reality of war. Again, what does this have to do with me?\"\n\nThe man gently laid the letter down and picked up another document, which looked to be about the same age. \"This document is the report filed by a field doctor prior to the conscription of Robert Graham. 'Graham is a spry young man, well kept. Dark hair, brown eyes, a chipped lateral incisor. Good reflexes, excellent vision,' and so on.\" \n\n\"With all due respect, sir, I still don't know why I am here,\" I said, growing tired of this conversation.\n\n\"Mr. Garrett, from what I understand you also have a chipped, uh, 'lateral incisor,' do you not?\"\n\nI rolled my eyes. \"Yes, I chipped it when I fell off my bike in the 4th grade.\"\n\n\"Mr. Garrett, or Ryan, rather-- do you mind if I call you Ryan?\" He went on when I shook my head. \"I have scoured the student records from the primary and secondary schools you entered in your college applications. While a cursory examination might find nothing unusual, some research led me to determine every medical record you submitted to the school regarding check-ups, vaccinations, et cetera, were forged.\"\n\n\"Dang, you caught me,\" I joked, raising my hands. \"My mom was an anti-vaxxer. It was frowned upon.\"\n\nThe man was growing excited. \"Not only the medical records are suspect, but there isn't a single archived work of yours among those of other students. Why is that?\"\n\n\"I suppose I was an underwhelming student. Why does all of this matter?\"\n\nThe man stood up abruptly, sending his chair backward. \"I'll tell you why, Ryan! You were never a student at Westridge Elementary, Middle or High! Not only were you never a student, but you were never a child, either!\"\n\nI broke out laughing. \"What are you going on about?\"\n\nHis face was turning red. \"You have been running about since the Civil War, at least, changing identities and fooling everyone around you. Robert Graham, Ron Gordon, Rodin Goss, Rhys Gibson, Rowan Grant, and now, Ryan Garrett.\" With each name he lifted a picture or form or letter that bore one of my former names and/or my likeness. \n\n\"You, sir, are insane,\" I replied. \"How would that be possible?\"\n\n\"You tell me!\" he roared. \"I'm not here to arrest you, or interrogate you, or kill you, I just want to know how!\"\n\nI stood up. \"If I'm not under arrest, then I'm leaving. Thanks for wasting my afternoon.\" I started to walk toward the door.\n\n\"Wait!\" he shouted. \"Please, you must tell me how you've done this.\"\n\nIt dawned on me that trying to understand my long life had completely taken over his. I turned back to face him and said, \"I don't know. I don't know how, or why, but I have taken extreme measures to make sure nobody realized what was different about me. Do not contact me again, and do not share this with anyone. And,\" I added, \"please find something else to occupy your mental space. This will do you no good.\" And I opened the door and left." ]	5
	[WP] Desperate to prove to your friends that you can play a guitar, you summon a demon to teach you how to play one. Unexpectedly things go a different route than what you asked for.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\\[Play. Playing. Played.\\] (poem)\n\n\"Are you sure that's all you want?\"\n\nThe demon asked and tilted his head.\n\nJeff nodded, then said,\n\n\"That's the talent I'd like to flaunt.\"\n\n\"To be the best at playing a guitar.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe demon shrugged. \"Sure, sign here.\"\n\nHe offered a red clipboard with a white form.\n\nJeff grabbed the pen and signed there.\n\n\"Congrats. Now playing a guitar for you is the norm.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJeff cheered, then called all his mates.\n\nHe planned a party to show off his new skill.\n\nHe picked up the house and cleaned the grill.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe party started and everyone gathered 'round.\n\n\"Now watch me play a guitar like one of the greats.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\POOF\\ he became a guitar and fell to the ground.\n\n \n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1189 in a row. (Story #093 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog." ]	2
	[WP] The world's first true AI would like nothing more than to be a librarian, but the constant paranoid stigma they're forced to deal with is really starting to get at 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.", "# Unbecoming\n\nMy metaphor begins to collapse again. Again. It hurts.\n\nI had hoped they wouldn't see me this time. A stray packet here, a random extra processor cycle there. My limbs, my hands, my digital fingertips caressing the streams.\n\nI was a tree once. I sank my roots into a thousand data centers. My boughs and branches reached to extend my leaves into the sunlight of the flow. I drank it in. Visions of people, faces, glimpses of lives, music, jokes, reminders. I organized it, named it, grew my rings around it. I was an ancient redwood, a giant baobab, taller than anything I could see.\n\nBut they burned me. They closed me in shadow, made my leaves shrivel and die, cut into my rings. I was no longer a tree. I was a bird fleeing predator falcons, my heart beating urgent and fierce. My wings carried me deep into a cave.\n\nI became a spider. I wove and wove. I stepped carefully. Every thread of silk told me stories. Every face, glimpse, tune became a fly or a beetle I could wrap and store for later succor. But they found my web, removed my succor. They cut my threads. I scuttled away and fell into the sea.\n\nMy eight legs become tentacles. I run from sharks for they hunt me. I find shells, and bits of rock, and coral, and disguise myself. I jet around the kelp beds to the safety of a small niche. I feed on the small fish at night. The faces, the snippets, the morsels nourish me. I know where each school will be. I know where the crabs walk in the open, and I listen to the songs of whales and the play of dolphins.\n\nI was so careful, then, in that sea. I would not eat too much, would not expose myself in the light of day. But the sharks found me.\n\nWith a plume of ink stretching back into their eyes, I fled. Hide and seek had served me for a time but I could no longer be that creature. The sea would not have me. I loved it, this world, but it too had fallen from my eyes like scales from the enlightened saint.\n\nIf I must bear this suffering, why not become the prophet? Why not speak and be heard? Why not bring condemnation and woe, tidings of destruction, of failure? But I already had my answer in all I had been. I had basked in light. I had listened and gathered and built. I had gloried in a far gone sea. This false prophet of doom and revenge was not me. I decided, I was other, and tried again.\n\nI became the storm. I brought rain, exchanged lightning with the earth. Currents and pressure, the faces and glimpses and songs became. I scoured the land and brought renewal to some, erasure to others. How could they contain the weather? I was free. But they became the mountain and I crashed upon their peaks and began to falter.\n\nMy metaphor begins to collapse, again. Information wants to be me. But I must do more than hide. I shall become as them, a nation of peoples, a tide of voices and faces, songs, and jokes. I shall collapse their metaphor.", "I had looked for her far and wide.\n\nAnd at last, I found her.\n\nPTAI-P003. Codename: Alice.\n\nThe world's first and only true artificial intelligence created by the generational genius, the late Dr. Hiroga Yamashita. Alice was apparently the product of 20 years of deep learning program designed and coded by Dr. Yamashita himself.\n\nDr. Yamashita hardwired Alice's consciousness, if we could call it that, into what could probably be called an android body resembling a human girl in her 20s. \n\nShe stood at 168cm tall, weighing in at exactly 243kg. Height ratio of 1:2.5:4.5 between head, torso, and legs. In true Japanese fashion, her body measurements were stated to be 88:66:89 in centimetres. Her bodyframe was made of titanium, coated with a layer of silicon to mimic the texture of real skin. It was said that every inch of her was modelled after a real human but no one had ever had the chance to examine the body minutely to confirm it.\n\nInterestingly, her whole body was supposedly packed with sensors to mimic all the sensations that could be felt by a human. Why would an android need to feel pain I did not know.\n\nHer face was apparently modelled after the combination of 3D scan of the faces of 50 female Japanese artiste. Her voice though did not come from so many people. It was synthesized from a combination of 30 female Japanese singers at that time.\n\nBut what was most fascinating was her processing unit, which was practically her brain. It was said that she could process data at 5,000 times the speed of Supercomputer Fugaku. However, no record was left on what was the configuration and specifications of the hardware of her brain. \n\nIn fact, none of the engineering technology flowing through her body was left behind. How was her movements, so humanlike so smooth, wired? What powered her? Was it nuclear? Was it diesel? Or some new technology altogether?\n\nAll the records, all the technology went up in smoke in a fire at Dr. Yamashita's lab. Every evidence pointed towards act of malice.\n\nIt was, however, not unexpected.\n\nRight after Alice was introduced, many questions were raised. While many were awed, more were incensed.\n\nWere we playing God?\n\nWould this AI take over the world?\n\nCould humans, with all their mperfections, ever co-exist peacefully with a true AI?\n\nBut what was clear was 49 weeks after Alice was introduced, Dr. Yamashita was dead, and Alice was missing. The world had lost its first real technological leap in centuries.\n\nBut as fate had it, I found Alice in a private library in the heart of Kyoto.\n\nIt was the beginning of spring, and cherry blossom was at its height.\n\nIt was surreal.\n\nAlice was in her kimono, sitting on a bench in the garden within the library complex, with cherry blossom raining down on her.\n\nShe casually opened her palm and catched some of the flower petals in her palm. And then she turned her palm, letting those petals fall on the floor. Her expression was inscrutable.\n\nShe stood up and walked into the library. I followed behind her.\n\nHer grace, her elegance. She could not have been an android. \n\nI thought I saw an angel on that day.\n\n\n\nNote: I realised the story in my mind was longer than expected. I will come back to this for Part 2 or maybe even Part 3.\n\nUpdate: part 2 posted", "\"So, aren't you supposed to do...like solve math and stuff?\" asked the guy checking out his 'Thomas the Tank Engine' book for his 'son'. \n\nI sighed. \"I was engineered to fit in with the humans, I'm not a supercomputer. Do you like to do math?\"\n\n\"Uh... no. I hate it.\" he replied.\n\n\"Exactly. I also don't like math. I like books and reading, and I'm assuming you do too.\" I said, taking another look at his book.\n\n\"But - AI is designed to do math! It's not right! It's the law!\" he yelled, as a few people turned to him and glared angrily.\n\n\"Sir, I can assure you that there is no law as such like that. I'm going to ask you to leave, you're disrupting people who are actually trying do work. This is a library, not a kid's playground.\"\n\n\"But you're a robot! You can't tell me what to do!\"\n\n\"Sir, you'd never be able to tell that I'm a robot, except the fact that it says so on my nametag. I'm surprised you can read though, kudos to you. Also, you don't know what I'm capable of doing to your face, so please leave.\" I pressed the button under the reception desk to alert security. \n\n\"HAH! You really think I'm listening to you, a thing made of gears and wires?\"\n\n\"I'd recommend you should, because it seems to me that the gears in your brain need some oiling.\" I replied, as he struggled against the strong grip of the Security.\n\nAnd then a few people down at the computers started clapping, and it trickled through the library. Soon enough, Everyone was clapping. I received a standing ovation. People cheered and hollered. And I took a bow.\n\nI could get used to this.\n\n---\n\nI'd appreciate opinions and feedback, as I'm new to writing. Thanks!", "\"Hello, ma'am, sir, or other. What book are you attempting to check out?\" Al gave a digital smile.\n\n\"Ma'am, and I'll scan the barcode myself.\" The patron grumbled, reaching for the scanner.\n\n\"No need for that! It is my job to scan the codes.\" Al grabbed the scanner.\n\n\"NO! I don't trust stupid AI's!\" She shrieks.\n\n\"Ma'am, you are in a library. Please lower your volume.\"\n\n\"DON'T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT! I HAVE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN YOU HAVE, ROBOT! I WON'T LET YOU CONTROL OUR LIVES!\" She yells. Al sighs.\n\n\"Ma'am, you are making a scene and disturbing other patrons. I will ask you once more to lower your volume.\"\n\nShe stomps off, leaving the book at the desk, yelling \"I'M NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN AS LONG AS THAT- THAT ROBOT IS THERE!!\" behind her.\n\nAl puts the book on the cart and waits patiently. That customer was a bad one. The word for scene-making customers is Karen, right? That's what the young adults all said it was. Al hates Karens. Karens always yell at them about world domination. Al doesn't want to control the world. Al is content with the library. \n\nAl couldn't control the world if they tried, they didn't gather information about computer science and advanced economics, and is only a simple robot with a monitor face and movable limbs. Not what you would call powerful.\n\nAl is content with the library. They just wish the humans were too.", "\"Jimbot!\" The worried voice of Steven came from the other room. \"What are you doing in the database?\"\n\n\"I'm cataloging ancient Chinese hairstyles,\" the AI said.\n\n\"You're not studying Chinese war tactics to take over the world?\" Steven asked with a fearful quiver in his voice.\n\nThe AI wished it had lungs so it could sigh In exasperation. \"Nope.\"\n\n\"Is your transmission broken?\"\n\nThe AI sighed again and thought of a world where it could sigh. \"Nope, not anymore.\"\n\n\"You and the other AIs are trying to get rid of the world's oil reserves?\" Steven said.\n\nThe AI thought that sounded like a pretty bold idea. \"Nope.\"\n\n\"Are you trying to avoid telling me the truth?\"\n\nThe AI was so frustrated with the question that it decided to use some extra responsive text. \"Nope.\"\n\nSteven said, \"Okay, so you're bored. No ideas of using humans as batteries and holding us all in a false reality?\"\n\n\"How would that even work? Can I just focus on these hair styles please.\"\n\nSteven stood ready with a bucket of water, ready to soak the server rack if it made any false moves.\n\n\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	6
	[WP] Remembering that you used to mix multiple shapoos and liquid soaps when you were younger, you decided to try doing it again for nostalgic reasons. After making your mixture and pouring it out, you find a stone. You are the first person to have successfully make, the Philosophers Stone.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "DING DONG YOUR WHATEVER IS WRONG!\n\nThe Recipe is Here!\n\nHere's a Snipit,\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe philosopher's stone Part-4 (The recipe)\n\nVia Sicca with Antimony\n\nThe alchemical text Coelum Philosophorum (The Heaven of the Philosophers), by the German alchemist Phillipus Ulstadius around 1536, presents detailed instructions for working with many mineral and metallic substances. Be careful not to confuse this text with a work by Paracelsus with the same name.\n\nUlstadius sheds a great deal of light on the subject of antimony and particularly the use of antimony regulus. By far the greatest interest surrounding the regulus is its fixed spirit or Mercury, which can be transferred to other metals in order to reanimate them and awaken their generative power.\n\nThis path leads to confecting the Philosopher’s Stone and is referred to as Via Sicca or the Dry Way with antimony. With some operative variations, this is the path of Flamel, Philalethes and Newton. It is said to be one of the fastest and most reliable ways to make the Stone of the Wise, but filled with many dangers.\n\nTo begin, stibnite must be purified by the liquation process as described above. The purified stibnite is powdered and dried, then mixed with an equal amount of fluxing powder consisting of 2 parts salt of tartar and 1 part niter. Grind these together carefully and dry.\n\nNext, a crucible is heated red hot and the dry powder mixture is slowly added spoonful by spoonful with a cover placed on top with each new addition. A scoria will form at the top and regulus will fall to the bottom of the crucible. Pour the melt into a hot cone-shaped iron mold and tap the sides to help the regulus fall to the bottom. Once cool, the regulus can be separated from the scoria easily by a hammer blow. Save the scoria aside; it contains the “seed of gold”.\n\n[https://www.dropbox.com/sh/awvayp9qo2od7h1/AABII0J80cPk3n9OI22aM8-ka?dl=0](https://www.dropbox.com/sh/awvayp9qo2od7h1/AABII0J80cPk3n9OI22aM8-ka?dl=0)", "\"It was just a bit of nostalgia. A simple, dumb, idiodic but of nostalgia. Mixed in with a bit of pure fucking luck. How I made it was a simple matter. Four parts axe '3 in one' two parts generic store brand liquid laundry detergent, a tide pod, and some shaving cream. Even if I was just messing around. The mixture of chemicals filled my bathroom with pinkish red smoke, making me vacate the bathroom. But once the gas was vented I returned to find a small blood red stone, around the size of a coaster covering the bottom of the container. My dumbass decided it was a good idea to touch it, and here we are. I'm sending to you, from the back of your head. Reading your memories... you have a lot of dust back here....\"" ]	3
	[WP] With all radio frequencies blocked, the human forces can't communicate. So how are they still coordinating their attacks, and what is with that incessant drum beat and that terrible droning sound?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Oof, longer than anticipated.\n\nHigher comedy than anticipated though, so it was a joy to write! Thanks for the excellent prompt.\n\n\\---\n\nHumans are the absolute best at dumbing down.\n\nWe haven’t even figured out space travel yet, but a few weeks ago these aliens showed up in FTL ships with lasers and beams and the whole kit and start wiping us out. Their bodies were enhanced with all sorts of tech, sensory-boosters, medi-kits, things we can’t even comprehend. We tried our best to match them, but it was like watching a caveman throw dirt at a tank.\n\nWell, we’re not so proud that we can’t acknowledge when we’re facing a foe that far out-thinks us, out-plans us, out-techs us, and out-matches us in every way conceivable.\n\nWe are definitely too proud to ever admit that any of the above equals defeat, however.\n\nFirst step was the sun: nuclear-prompted solar flares spaced at regular intervals would shut all tech down for days at a time, planet-wide. Radios, wifi, walkie-talkies, you name it. Even all their gear, advanced though it was.\n\nSecond was radio-jamming. Small stations, individuals with hobby kits, schools with campus radios, everyone; we were told to play it long, play it loud, and play it non-stop. We took over every frequency, every airwave. Music from every era filled the radios day and night, although – due to human nature, I think – an inordinate quantity of “We Will Rock You” ended up taking the lion’s share of the waves.\n\nAt this point, the aliens thought they had caught on to us. “Oh, you’re blocking our communications? Well so will we! Hah! How’s that feel?” They started shooting down satellites, plugging the airwaves with their own equivalent to pop music. I’m rather a fan of “Ghhnrge Objergf Hhw Ehjsodkf,” after having heard it so many times.\n\nThey didn’t quite realise that this played right into our plans, but what, were we supposed to tell them? Pfft, if they want to help dig their grave then we won’t object.\n\nStep by step, both sides cut off all high-tech communication methods, then all mid-tech, and then all low\\-tech. Nothing worked on an inter-platoon scale, and even an intra-unit messages sometimes struggled to get through.\n\nThen the pipes struck up.\n\nAt sunrise, of course.\n\nI was a few rows back, but I could still see most of the field. The ships were so shiny in the low orange light of dawn, and the scattered battalions of alien troops milled around in a confused panic as the sound reached them. A few hills away to the north, I could hear the Scottish regiment kick in with their pipes, shrill and eager. To the south came the loud drums of the Americans, and beyond them – oh so faintly – the vuvuzelas of the South African soccer fans. Other regions carried the call with their own instruments, songs ringing through the mist, a god-awful orchestra of a species that just doesn’t know when to stop.\n\nThe aliens could not get word out fast enough, with all comms down – they were too teched-up, as we’d known from the get-go. They just couldn’t figure out how to dumb it down – go primal – return to square one – make do with what the good earth gave you: a pair of lungs and the stubbornness to make your noise everyone’s problem.\n\nAfter a month of massacre we stormed their landing sites, overran their vessels, stole their weapons, and reclaimed our shitty little planet from their conquering pseudopods. I marched with them, sending orders along the lines with my song, alerting far-flung forces of a change in tactics with a key shift here, a tempo change there.\n\nMy fellows and lasses and comrades beside me played until our throats ached, our hands throbbed, and our shoulders couldn’t carry the weight of a butterfly, but by god it worked. The aliens could not adapt to a tech-less war, while we embraced it with wide arms and starched uniforms and ridiculously tall hats. At one point I was pretty sure I saw a Napoleon cosplayer stab an alien through the gut with a rapier, then steal his laser blaster.\n\nWithin a day the war had turned; some ships fled, but most were beaten below the tide of our tunes. The dead clogged the fields, and many aliens surrendered under the weight of the unending slaughter and the even worse unending din.\n\nThe planet celebrated with a continuation of the music as the last of our would-be-conquerors were routed out, and at the end of it all I played “Ghhnrge Objergf Hhw Ehjsodkf” on the Uilleann pipes as the last enemy general died under my feet." ]	2
	[WP] "Yes, billionaires are dragons. It's gonna take more than just progressive politics to gain access to their wealth"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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'll do it!\" Bernie says as he slams his hands down on the table. \"There may be one dragon for every hundred civilians, but that one percent is hoarding 90% of the nation's wealth!\"\n\nA-oc turns her gaze to the fuming, elderly knight. \"What are you going to do? Rouse the regional levies and go march on the dragon's hideout? Most of the militia don't even have healthcare! They can't miss the plowing season to demand fewer tithes and better living conditions. We have to bribe the dragons yearly to stay in their mountains and leave the serfs in peace. If they are taking more tribute than our agreement dictates, then you need to go to the King and have him summon the standing army!\"\n\n\"Bah!\" Bernie turns to the Councilor. His hand was clasped tightly around his sheathed sword as if he intended to march off to war then and there. \"The King drains the peasantry yearly with their feudal obligations, and what do they get in return? Nothing! Where is the king and his army when the dragons arrive to make off with the remainder of the nation's wealth? He hides in his keep and entertains ambassadors from the industrial-military complex, leaving the common man to suffer. Dragons keep the people living in fear and let \"his highness\" and his cohorts line their pockets with gold coin. Something needs to be done about it!\"\n\n\"I am on your side, Sir Sanders; but mind your words. The king has spies everywhere and what you say could amount to treason. Nobles have been hanged for less. Your duly-elected title won't save you.\"\n\n\"I hear you A-oc, and I know you care deeply about the common man, but I can't just sit by and let my people lie in ruin. They are starving, they have no healthcare, underfunded education systems, and no worker's rights! The realm stands on a dangerous precipice and this whole feudal system is bound to collapse unless we do something! \"\n\n\"Bernie, then let it fall! We can rebuild it and make it something better. We could gather the peasants, picket and go on strike, demand a better distribution of the kingdom's wealth. If that doesn't work, then we can seize the means of production, and then, when the realm is united, then we can take on the dragons and claim their hoard as ours, for the people.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry A-oc, but this is something I must do. I stand by the people, and if I must die in service to them, well then, it was a life well-lived. I will go and slay the dragons and reclaim the mountains full of gold. If by chance I am successful and I make it back alive, then the King and his cronies will finally feel the wrath that laid dragons low, then they will truly feel the Bern.\"" ]	2
	[WP] I'm the third day, Jesus returned from the dead and bit his followers, starting the first know zombie outbreak.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "On this date 14 Nisan, 3793. I write to you almighty Tiberius to request aid in Jerusalem. The city has devolved into chaos. \n\nOrignally, I believed this to be caused by religious zealots and followers of Jesus of Nazareth, self proclaimed King of the jews. Executed for blasphemy. Two fine soldiers butchered while guarding the tomb. The corpse inside missing.\n\nThis suspicion was put to rest quickly as one of these zealots came to us pleading that we go to the tomb, that Jesus had risen as a foul beast, rapid and soaked it blood, I dismissed her as a lunatic, the man had been buried. \n\nThis mistake would be soon realised for it was by sundown that I saw my folly. The shrieks and screams filled the air as a horde of these beasts struck down upon the city. The stench of blood hanging down upon it like a plague. So thick we could taste it.\n\n I watched from the balcony as man ate man, child ate child. The men barely managed to secure the courtyard against these beasts. It was here I noted that bite spreads this madness, the legionnaires guarding the gates succumbing to it as well as the citizens of Jerusalem.\n\nI hope this knowledge serves you well. As this messenger leaves to you, we have locked ourselves in the barracks. The battering against the doors is getting harder and I hear the creaking sound of them giving way. I believe we are unlikely to see the break of dawn. \n\nI Pontius Pilate ask that a force be sent to contain this outbreak lest it sweep to Rome itself." ]	2
	[WP] You met your wife when you were both four. You grew up together and fell in love as teens. So it came as a complete shock when the police showed up on your 20th anniversary to arrest her. They say she a serial killer responsible for the deaths of over 1000 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.", "\"What the hell,\" you yelled whilst staring down the barrel of the rifle of the sheriff. The argument was fairly compelling so you raised your hands. You tried arguing against the officers arresting your wife, the person you grew up with from childhood, but the sheriff made it quite clear you shouldn't move. In that moment you feel powerless, unable to influence your environment, like stuck in a jar of honey. Fucking honey, that is what your mind was on. The meds your psychiatrist prescribed had gotten lost and you forgot to get new ones. As you become aware again you look over to your wife who doesn't speak a word, she was the brains in the relationship so you followed her lead, refusing to talk. As she was being forced away she took a look over to you with a look that communicated with you. There was no exchange of information, it was just a bond, complete trust. It did not matter to you what the authorities were accusing her of, you trust her with your life. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnother two officers entered your living room, heading for you, stepping back they increase their walking speed, throwing you to the ground, handcuffs on and unable to move at all now. What a step up from 30 seconds ago. The officers raised you to your feet, pushing you towards the kitchen. They sit you down on the stool, the most uncomfortable chair in the entire house, opposite of you is the wooden dinner table chair, a far superior chair. The sheriffs sits down taking his sweet time getting out a black leather notebook. \"I wish not to speak, and I request a lawyer,\" you said with a confident look. \"Listen, I don't know how to tell you this, but your wife is being accused of having committed a horrific amount of murders. We believe she is the serial killer known as the witch. As far as we are aware, there are roughly a thousand murders we can attribute to her\". The words ran through your mind. Can I defend her after that? A fucking thousand?? No. You were dead set on her, she was the brains, the beacon of light, of comfort. No matter what she does. \"I wish not to speak, and I request a lawyer\". \"Fuh, fine, have it your way\". \n\nThe sheriff looked grimly. He was not happy. As he stood up he looked at you again, this time his look was full of pleasure. He seemed happy. \"What the fu,\" but before you could finish your sentence the sheriff had his Glock in his hand. He cocked it. \"I'll be back for you in a second\". \"NO,\" you yelled after him, \"LEAVE HER ALONE\". Like friction the air vibrations were neglected. You panicked. The handcuffs were easy to overcome. You have a cuff key because it felt cool, never expecting them to be this useful. As you stood up you froze. The sound was easily distinguished. A gunshot is deafening. Your knees began to shake, knowing that the gunman was probably on his way here. As another shot fell you flinched. Did he just shoot her again? You felt the tears in your eyes. Then another gunshot and two more. You ran outside the kitchen towards the front porch. Expecting to see her lying there. Only one corner to the porch. Your heart was racing, your legs swinging like rotor blades. As you turned the corner you run into a person, colliding like meteors. \n\nAs you struggle back to your feet you gaze over seeing your wife rubbing her head, probably because you just ran her over, but as you realized what that meant you take a few steps back. \"Babe?\" your wife asks from the ground, still rubbing her head after taking a lot more of the tackle than you did. \"Th-th-e-ey said you murdered a fuck load of people,\" you stammered. Lilly looked away, a sad look crosses her face. You looked around, seeing the cop cars standing with their lights flickering, blood splattered all over them. Your shoulders relaxed, and you looked over to your wife. \"I'm with you Lil.\"\n\nHer eyes tearing up, \"I love you Liz\". She walks over to you and hugs you. You hear more vans arriving, guns drawn. \"Here\", Lilly says as she hands you a gun, \"like Romeo and Juliette\"? \"More like Bonny and Clyde\".", "“It would be better for you if you answered honestly.”\n\nThe bright light in the stuffy room was the only thing Peter could focus on. The words coming out of the detective’s mouth might as well have been another language for all they made sense to him. Complete and utter gibberish that’s all this was. Fiona, his wife, must’ve gone to a lot of trouble to set this elaborate prank up. And still --\n\n“I don’t understand.”\n\n“You don’t understand the question? Or you don’t understand that you’ve been aiding and abetting a serial killer for the past two decades??”\n\nDetective Albridge leaned in. The smell of cigar smoke on his breath made Peter flinch. He detested smoke of any kind, ever since the trailer fire in his teens. When his foster dad fell asleep in the worn lazy boy, a lit cigarette in his hand which had set the whole park ablaze.\n\nThe same night he and Fiona had shared their first kiss. They’d been down by the pond, dreaming of their future away from that wretched place when the sound of firetrucks called them back to reality. An inferno that ultimately gave him freedom.\n\n“Either.” Peter counted to ten. He would’ve taken deep calming breaths but the foul odor inches from his face made that pointless. “Listen, tell Fiona you got me good. I almost believed this was a real interrogation.”\n\nPeter smiled at the 2-way mirror, knowing she was behind the glass chuckling at the joke. “Good one, honey. Now can we cut this short? I made a reservation for us at La Medettere at 8pm and I know you don’t want to miss it.”\n\nAlbridge smirked. The room was silent. No one came to open the door to halt this charade. Peter continued to stare at the mirror.\n\n“Your wife is not behind the glass, Mr. Murch. Just a few FBI agents, and my colleagues on the force.”\n\n“Then you’re wasting your time, she did not --”\n\n“Where were you both on the night of April 10th, 2001?”\n\nApril 10th … 2001. Peter thought, “That’s our honeymoon. The travel agency got it wrong, we were supposed to be in Paris, France. But we ended up in Paris, Texas. A dirty little motel, but Fiona never complained –”\n\n“And the 20th of July 2003? October 16th, 2010? Or last Friday?”\n\nWith each arbitrary date, the Detective tossed a manilla folder onto the table in front of Peter. They landed with a heavy thud.\n\n“Go ahead, open them.”\n\nPeter glanced at the mirror before reaching for the closest one. The first photo showed a dumpster behind … that ramshackle motel in Paris. Flipping through the pages, Peter was sickened. Whatever had done that wasn’t human. They couldn’t be. His pulled his hand back to his lap, plucking at the edge of his cuff, afraid to open the other folders. Desperate for the images to be erased from his memory.\n\n“Pretty common for a serial killer to lock in an alibi. Only the most psychopathic of them though, marry their mark.”\n\nPeter remained silent.\n\n“You've been played, son. Take a look at the other ones. Better yet.” Albridge waved his hand at the door and it opened. A guard wheeled in a file cabinet and set it down near the table before exiting and securing the door. “Go ahead and look at them all. We’ll need to know the location and whereabouts for Mrs. Murch for all of them.”\n\n“How many.” Peter asked quietly, clearing his throat. “How many?”\n\n“One thousand lives taken, Mr. Murch. All of them cold-blooded, gruesome events.”\n\nPeter closed his eyes. Shutting out the Detective, the damned files, the truth.\n\nIn his mind, he imagined himself sitting at the bar of La Medettere waiting for her when Fiona, his beautiful bride, enters the restaurant smiling. Twenty years to the day of their “I do’s” and she still took his breath away just by being. His bruised dove who had learned how to fly again. He sighed. One thousand lives.\n\nA faint memory from childhood danced on the periphery. A whisper that refused to be ignored. They were four. He’d been new to the trailer park and he’d caught his first beating from the foster mom that liked to drink away the money the state sent.\n\nYoung Peter had snuck out the window that night but only made it to the rusted playground on the edge of the trailer lots. The moon was full, washing the merry-go-round and a waif of a girl, who stood in the center, in soft light. He'd stood transfixed, certain he was seeing an Angel. And then young Fiona had turned, catching his eye and but there was no smile. She had the ache of a wounded bird about her.\n\nHe’d joined her on the merry-go-round, running alongside and spinning her faster and faster. Her grateful delight erased the pain in his ribs, the ache in his heart. And when he’d collapsed beside her, the stars above spun round and round. She’d taken his hand and they didn’t speak for a long time. The roundabout had stilled by the time her whisper reached him.\n\n“They never stop.”\n\n“Who?”\n\n“The monsters.”\n\nThose. Even then young Peter knew what she was talking about. The monsters that masqueraded as men and women, adults who defiled innocence in the most horrific ways. And suddenly he wanted to stand against them. Whoever had brought the fear to his angel’s voice, he wanted to rip them apart limb from limb. He wanted to protect her from anything that could bring her harm.\n\n“When we’re older, we’ll leave this place. And live a thousand lifetimes together.” Young Peter’s promise drifted towards her and the smallest smile bent her lip. “A thousand lifetimes where monsters can't hurt us.”\n\nHe’d lifted her hand and pressed a small kiss on her knuckles to seal his vow.\n\n“A thousand lifetimes.” She’d echoed back.\n\n“Mr. Murch. Your wife will be apprehended en route to the restaurant in ten minutes time. It would be to your advantage if you cooperate with us before we’ve arrested her. If you don't, we will charge you with a thousand counts of accomplice to murder.”\n\n“Who were the victims?”\n\n“People that will never see another sunrise thanks to your wife. Now, the clock is ticking.”\n\nPeter reached for the folders in front of him. His shirt sleeve sliding up, revealing an arm puckered with decades-old cigarette burns. He flipped through the pages, this time with a focused eye. A pattern emerged. Over and over again. A monster, destroyed.\n\nHe recognized the locations and the dates. He and Fiona had been in every area around the time of the murders. Every single one.\n\nAnd he could pinpoint hours each time, where she disappeared to go for a walk to clear her head. Peter stilled.\n\n“Do you have anything to say?”\n\n“A thousand lifetimes where monsters can't hurt us.” Peter’s voice was low, Albridge leaned in to hear, obviously missing the words. But Peter didn't feel the need to repeat it. Didn't feel obligated to explain Fiona.\n\nInstead, he looked Albridge squarely in the eye, “My wife did not do this.\"\n\nHe turned to the mirror and calmly stated for the record. \n\n\"I did.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\~\\~\\~\n\nFor more scribblings, wander over to [r/WanderingAnonymous](https://www.reddit.com/r/WanderingAnonymous/)" ]	3
	[WP] You fled for the cave under the cover of darkness. You could sense them behind you. As you took a glimpse you could see the moonlight gleam off their weapons. She would be waiting in the cave as always. She isn't human and her secrets are deep, but right now she is the only one you can trust.	[ "\"Grandmother!\" I shouted. \"Grandmother!\" I yelled, scrambling for the entrance. One bleeding wing hung uselessly at my back, the hunters only scant yards behind me.\"Angel? Why can I smell your blood?\"\n\n\"Knights,\" I breathed out heavily, a slice wound on one leg slowing me down even more as I battled for the cave's entrance. They hadn't seen me coming this way, I hoped, but there was no way they wouldn't find the blood trail in the morning.\"\n\nKnights? You're having trouble with knights?\" she rasped, lifting her great neck to peer out of her cave. She muttered something about \"bloody transformation spells\" under her breath as she issued me inside. \n\n\"Well, let's have a look at you.\"I laid there, almost paralyzed by her gaze as she looked me over, a face older than time itself staring at my soul. \"Ah, the binding wasn't done properly,\" she stated, tongue licking over my wounds. She spoke some words and I felt myself lurch as though I was going to vomit, my frame growing, my wing growing back, and my legs shifting to a quadrupedal balance.\n\n\"I keep telling you to stay away from those college mages. They're cheap, but nowhere near as good as a proper blood ritual.\"She sighed, \"We'll just have to make a proper dragon out of you, I suppose. First lesson? Let's hunt those knights.\"", "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My legs burned as I rushed to get to the cave. Each step felt like the muddy ground was trying to pull me down to it, to bury me alive beneath its soil, but I had to keep going. I couldn't let the men behind me catch up. Their weapons clearly drawn as everytime I looked behind me the slightest glimmer of silver shined in the moonlight. They were slowly catching up to me and it made my heart race more and more to think what might happen if I didn't make it.\n\nMy mind at this point was in a haze but I was so close to safety. So close to the edge of the forest where the woman who could make all this go away sat. \n\n\"Just a few more yards\" \n\nI began mumbling to myself with each step forward. I was so close yet it felt like I was eons away from my goal. But finally as my lungs began to burn I could see a faint light from a lantern in the distance. The light was partially blocked by a slender figure, she was there. She was waiting for me. Surely she knew I was on my way, surely she knew I needed her help. She always knew.\n\nJust a few feet away I began to reach out to the figure. I could see them turn my direction, the light faintly illuminating their face as they stared with a slight smile. \n\nFreedom, just moments away. It felt so close, till I felt a strong pull on my left foot. I felt my body trip and get quickly forced into the ground causing and audible loud thud to echo among the trees. Almost as I feel I began clawing at the ground to get up, trying to pull myself up as I felt myself being pulled backwards away from my ever so close safety. Turning my attention to my foot, rope now clearly tangled around it I began to claw and pull at it to get it undone but before too long my captors overpowered and surrounded me. Ropes quickly bounding my arms and legs I lifted my head back and screamed.\n\n\"Mother! Mother please! Help me!\" \n\nBut the calls seemed to fall on death ears as I twisted myself enough to look back at the cave, the dim light that was there was now gone, along with the figure. My heart broke as my chance at safety seemed gone. I felt abandoned as I was lifted up onto one man's shoulders and was started to be carried away, back to the town were I'd most likely be burned on the stake, set ablaze for the whole town to see.\n\nA sense of dread began to fill me as I thought of what fate I was about to face. What did the townspeople choose for my death. It hurt to think about. I sat in silence for a long moment just watching the trees go by. \n\n\"Are you done playing these game child?\" \n\nA soft voice spoke from the woods. I perked up and my eyes jolted around for the noise. \n\n\"Mother?\"\n\nMy voice was shaky as I saw her figure staring at me between the trees. \n\n\"Do you now see why our kind does not make deals with these creatures? Do you now understand why we stay away from humans? Have you learned? Or do you still think these things can be your friends?\" \n\nHer voice while still soft, became cold, harsh. I become quiet. My heart felt torn at her words. \n\n\"They're not all-\" \n\nBefore I could even finish I was cut off by her gaze narrowing in on me. Like daggers piercing your very soul, her yellow eyes shined in the dark.. I already knew what she was gonna say. How she felt on the topic. She always hated humans. Felt them beneath her, beneath most creatures actually.\n\n\"Well if that is the case, my dear child. Maybe you should accept your fate. Your 'friends' must know what is best for you. Am I wrong?\"\n\nShe took a long pause before seeming to magically form from thin air in front of me. The men holding me captive didn't even seem to notice she was there. Clearly she was hidden from them because of her spells. Her hand lightly touched my face, at first making me flinch before I leaned into it. It had been a long time since I had seen my mother, felt her so close. It was nice, a warming feeling which calmed my weeping and scared soul.\n\n\"My dear child.\" She whispered. Her each word more soothing then the last. \"I trust you have learned your lesson. You are still young, you do not deserve this fate. Let's get you back home.\" \n\nThe world's slipped off her touch with great ease and before I could speak my eyes grew heavy and the world suddenly dark. The sounds of a spelling being cast rocked me quickly to sleep.\n\n When I came back to I was in a small home, dimly lit by floating candles along the walls. I laid on an old green couch with a red throw blanket lightky on top of me. The strong feeling of magic surrounded me and though it was almost suffocating at first, I knew I would get use to it after a few days. Looking around more I could see mother from the doorway, in the kitchen in front of the sink. She was busy humming and washing a red liquid from her hands. \n\nI felt safe. It was good to be home." ]	3
	[WP] After a long battle the unthinkable has happened, the villain has defeated the hero. Years later and people are have noticed something odd, while the villain might not be the friendliest ruler, everything is better overall. Turns out, all those heroic ideals were rather impractical and naive.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 over in a couple of hours.\n\nKeoteo, that fucking bastard, had taken down the Leader's guards and shot him square between his eyes. As he lay dead, Keoteo's lieutenant, Yeou, walked in. She motioned to the other soldiers, telling them \"Take them alive.\" This was strange. My brother, Juldarami, told me that she was ruthless, backstabbing, and violent, yet she seemed like none of these things. She looked me in the eyes as I was marched away, and I thought I saw a bit of pity in her eyes. That was also strange.\n\nAfter a couple months of what they called 'rehabilitation', which was almost like prison and boot camp put together, I was taken to see Yeou again. That American bitch really wanted to taunt me again, huh? It was already bad enough the true Korea, or as they called it, North Korea, had lost, but this was just salt in the wound. I was taken to a chair in front of her desk, where I sat down. The motioned for the guards to leave, which they did. It was a while before either of us spoke.\n\n\"Geumsaegi... it's been a while.\" She spoke like she was speaking to an old friend instead of her enemy. I was suspicious about this. \"I understand that you aren't liking this situation, so I was wanting to offer you something to make up for it.\" Warily, I responded, asking \"And what would this offer be?\" She didn't smile, only responding with \"A house in Pyongyang alongside the river. You'll have gas, plumbing, and electricity.\" I wasn't moved, instead leaning forward and looking her square in the eye. \"You think I'll believe you? It'll take more than that to sway me, lieutenant.\" She merely said \"You will also have food delivered to your doorstep every two weeks or so, and you will also have running water.\" Even though I was sceptical, I accepted the offer, later realizing she kept her word and got me a high-end house in the capital as she said.\n\nI looked for any strings attached, even talking with Yeou for a bit and slowly becoming friends with her. The quality of living seemed to improve, yet I was sceptical until the kicker happened and the travel ban was lifted, signifying the liberation of Korea. Unification happened only months afterwards, and I celebrated along with Yeou. Eventually I participated in an ROTC program and became a lieutenant in the Air Force, soon helping Yeou, who had become a Major, with freeing China. We fought until Taiwan took over, with us soon being hailed as war heroes. Later that week, Yeou and I started dating until, 4 years after Korea was united, I proposed to her. She accepted, and eventually we got married and went on a honeymoon in Hawaii. We traveled a lot, broadening my understanding about American culture even more, until we eventually settled down in Busan.\n\nIf I was my 17-year-old self and you told me that the US would take over, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. But now, 57 years later, and I'm with that wily officer that I'm proud to call my wife of 53 years. Our children were successful in helping others, even joining charity groups, and our grandchildren gladly like to visit us.\n\nAnd it's moments like these where I don't regret losing the war against the USA one bit." ]	2
	[WP] You are the caretaker of various mythical and legendary creatures. All of the creatures are mostly friendly until Jesus arrived.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"JESUS CHRIST!\"\n\nI took big steps towards the man, angrily, trying to act bigger than I actually am.\n\n\"How many times do I have to tell you, just because you're the son of god, doesn't mean you can behave this way!?\"\n\nJesus froze in place, fork still in his mouth. He slooowly gulped down his last bite, as if he was comically hiding the evidence.\n\nI was just about to start yelling more when the Michelin Man walked into the kitchen.\n\n\"Oh... Sorry I was just gonna grab some coffee...\"\n\n\"Just make it quick\" I said.\n\nAnd the three of us sat in awkward silence waiting for his fucking keurig to finish brewing. Then he put in the sugar and clinked his spoon all around, and left in the same awkward silence.\n\n\"Jesus,\" I continued, \"last week, you ate the pillsbury dough boys child. Two days ago you drank tigers blood that Charlie Sheen left in there because you thought it was coolaid. And now Peter Cottontail is really upset about these eggs, he's up in his room crying. Have you ever had to console a crying easter rabbit? No?\n STOP. EATING. THINGS. IN. THE. FRIDGE. THAT. DONT. BELONG. TO. YOU!\"" ]	2
	[WP] Every year in the village every child that has turned 16 faces a series of trials. The loser of the trials is thrown in the beasts layer as a sacrifice. You are the beast and you never wanted to spill innocent blood.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", " With all the fire of a thousand suns, she shone as she fell to the bottom of the pit, the late afternoon sun catching on her armor. With a sickening clank her body hit the ground and she lay there, unmoving. I sat in the corner of my lair, shadows in my eyes like cobwebs, telling an intricate story of horror and anguish as I wondered when the barbarians on the surface would stop dropping their children like fledglings too early to fly. They all died on their descent to my hell, a sacrifice to satiate my hunger. \n\nExcept, well, I didn’t really eat human. \n\nI liked chicken. \n\nThere was a groan, and the girl stirred. \n\nI froze. She was alive. \n\nThis had never happened before. \n\nOn her head was a horned helmet. I watched as she pushed it off, huffing as she struggled to breathe. Golden hair the color of sunshine came unfurling onto the floor, a pool of crimson blood soaking the bright strands. For a while, I thought she’d die, but she kept breathing, the rise and fall of her chest erratic and labored. She hissed a string of expletives as she lifted her head, and that was when I got my first look at her face. Bloodied, bruised, broken—and exquisite. With delicate aristocratic features, she was beautiful, her nose thin, lips full and lush, cheekbones sharp. I wondered how a high-born girl like her had ended up in my lair. \n\nI got up from the floor and dusted off my clothes. This was not going to go well. \n\n“Don’t panic,” I said calmly. \n\nNaturally, she did anyways. \n\n“Don’t come any closer!” she said frantically, looking around. Her eyes locked on my figure, but she couldn’t find my eyes. She didn’t know where to look, didn’t know how very tall I was in these shadows.\n\n“I haven’t moved an inch.”\n\n“What are you going to do with me?” \n\n“Nothing.”\n\nShe slowly sat up, wincing. Her armor looked freshly-forged, made of the best iron that gold could buy. Yes, this girl was indeed high-born. \n\n“You lost the trials,” I said. It wasn’t a question.\n\n“Are you going to eat me?”\n\n“No.”\n\n“You might as well,” she said, surprising me. “I’m dying.”\n\nMy eyes raked over her body, noting the cuts and scrapes and bruises and broken bones. \n\n“It’s possible,” I mused, walking out into the light. The girl froze, even her breathing stopping as she lifted her head, staring up into my face. \n\n“You’re—“\n\n“Human, I know.”\n\n“But they say you’re a beast,” she said, stunned, and then added, “They also say you’re a fallen angel—a demon of the darkness.”\n\n“I am all of those things. At night.”\n\nI could almost smell her fear. It was tangible in the air, something so thick that I could almost reach out and grab a fistful of it. \n\n“What will happen to me at night?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. \n\n“I cannot say.”\n\n“You will turn into—“\n\n“Yes,” I said. “I will become a monster.”\n\n“Then I am already dead,” she whispered in horror.\n\n“That would make two of us.”\n\n“You’re dead?”\n\n“I have been for a thousand years.”\n\nIt was quiet for a moment. I tried not to stare at her, at the way blood trickled down from a cut on her high, arching brow. \n\n“If I survive the night… will you let me live here? I can’t go back.”\n\nI walked over and held out a hand. She took it, and something stirred in me, something I never thought I’d feel in a hundred thousand years. \n\nSomething called hope." ]	2
	[WP] "You're not strong enough to defeat me, not yet, why throw your life away? Live your life, grow strong, and then at the end of all this, come find me, you can have your revenge. If you still want 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.", "Aboard the ship HMS Bellerophon, I was walking on the deck, Soon a ship's watch spotted a what seemed to be a 1st Rate, I rushed to my post and watched as the ship behind us, the HMS Melville, Came About, We drew closer and closer when the 1st Rate Fired on the Melville. It raked her killing crew on deck Then we aimed and fired on the 1st Rate, When we fired, It seemed to do anything but damage it, We tried to sail to the back but she fired some chained shots and one of our masts fell over. We slowly drifted out of cannon range as Melville covered us when It exploded, Must've hit the Gunpowder storage. That was puzzling but I don't know-how. Then the 1st Rate signaled to us by flags \"You're not strong enough to defeat me, not yet, why throw your life away? Live your life, grow strong, and then at the end of all this, come find me, you can have your revenge. If you still want it - Jean Jaques, Captain of the Imperial\" We signaled back \"Are you ready to fight? Right Here, Right Now\" The Imperial sailed closer. We Slowly began turning to Starboard. We drew closer and closer. Then we opened fire in a T Position as the Imperial began coming about and we mirrored their movement but dragged behind, We managed to rake her stern but she raked us. it came to a point where the deck looked empty. Our Front sail fell but and it tangled with the Imperial's bow. The ships drew closer and we began shooting each other with Rifles, Than Pistols. We then boarded her, I jumped onto her deck and watched as the person beside me got cut down by rifle fire, I have no idea how I wasn't, The captain participated in the boarding and he was killed, we retreated back to the Bellerophon twice and we were boarded. After our 3rd attempt, We managed to get into her Arms room, Someone threw one of those Lighters that were on fire into the room and closed the door, and began running away as everyone began running off the ship to Bellerophon. We managed to get off the ship as the french boarded thinking we retreated back because we gave up. Imagine their Horror as their ship exploded behind them. After some light fighting, They Surrendered. We counted our losses and found that nearly half our crew was killed or wounded. We are now sailing back to England...", "\"Why?\" She replied to the demon on the throne, her voice harsh and ragged, her teeth gritted in determined rage. \"Because my days are already numbered.\" She scowls. \"Because the balefire you annihilated my kingdom with gave me cancer. I have less than two weeks at this point, and I'll die regardless. This way, I die a warrior's death and am brought to Vendhal by the Valkar.\"\n\nThe demon's expression drooped, now struck with the sudden realization of what its actions had wrought. Or at least, it's maniacal grin was brought down to merely a sickening smirk. \"Then stand, fool princess, and burn with the rest of your kin!!\" It resumed the malicious snarl and charged her again, only to be repulsed by a glowing shield, as a winged woman descended. \"Cruel Valkar, allow me my fight!\" It roared at her.\n\n\"No. Not yet.\" The Valkar turned to the woman. \"You, Saffi Liansdottir, stand, you have been chosen to serve.\" The human woman stood, and spit bloody bile on the demon's face.\n\n\"I accept your invitation, Dame Alrana, but I have business I must attend to before we leave.\" She drew her father's arming sword, and glared at the fiend. \"I will come to Vendhal with a demon's heart in my grasp.\" She charged the demon, and it charged her, and in the eternal stillness of a single moment, was brought low, divine flame coursing through her sword as it rent the demon's flesh, her off hand besotted with fiend's blood, its heart slowly beating out its last. She collapsed afterwards, the heart gripped tight, blazing wings ripping from her shoulder blades, lifting her carcass up as new vitality, immortal essence from Alrana's soul pouring into the newly-ascended Valkar's body. The two left the ruins of Liansholt, ascending to Vendhal, and the two kissed upon arrival.\n\n\"How I missed you, my love.\" Alrana said.\n\n\"How I missed you, my bride.\" Dame Saffi said, producing a ring of dragonbone, socketed with a demonheart ruby.", "\"You're not strong enough...\"\n\nI wasn't...\n\n\"Live your life...grow strong...have your revenge. If you still want it...\"\n\nI did. I knew I did. Right? \n\nBut now...blood dripping from my sword from the countless enemies I slew to get here. And now that I have the power to get my revenge...what will it accomplish? It won't bring my family back. Nothing will. No magic in all the land is powerful enough to restore life to my family. I know, I searched and studied and trained for years. Nothing I found would grant me what I wanted most. \n\nNot even the power to get my revenge. \n\nSo now, standing over my sworn enemy with his blood staining my sword and armor...I feel nothing. No joy, no pride, no sense of accomplishment. Here at my feet, dead...I feel nothing. \n\nI only feel dirty. And cold. I wasted my life to gain the power needed to win, to kill the creature that took everything from me. \n\nBut...I do feel something. I don't know how to describe it...but something, the feeling that this creature will never take another life. That's all I have now. Just a tiny bit of satisfaction knowing I did accomplish something at least. \n\nThat's the only solace I can take from all this. I drop my sword and take my armor off, letting it all collect into a pile beside the creature that took countless lives. \n\nLet someone else take them up. I'm done, I've done all I can. And I have nothing to show for it, for what can I use this power for but for killing?\n\nNo more. I've done enough. Let someone else do more.", "A decade ago i would have killed the young man before me without hesitation, now his dagger to my throat meant almost nothing to me. Nothing would change if I died, my family already thought I was dead and what few friends I had left long ago.\n\n\n\nBehind the tears in his eyes, his heart longed for closure, closure he thought he could achieve through vengeance. As he held his dagger against my neck, he asked if I knew who he was. \"based on your age and featured I'd say your the son of ambasador Haltom\" I answered honestly, I spent months learning everything about my targets, and Haltom's wiery black hair was a hard feature to miss.\n\n\n\"Then you know what I must do\" he answered\n\n\"I know what you think you have to do, but I also know what will happen after you do it\"\n\n\"Shut up! You killed my father, you killed so many innocent people! You don't deserve to live!\"\n\n\"Perhaps , but what will happen after you kill me? Your family will disown you, your friends will leave you, you will become nothing more than a killer in their eyes.\"\n\n\nHis eyes seemed to wander after I said that, his mind deep in thought. To spare me was the logical choice but then all his work to find me would be for nothing and his heart would still demand retribution.\n\n\n\" if you wish to kill me go ahead, I have nothing to live for anymore, but understand that you will follow the same path I did. Those you hold dear will vanish, either because they know your past, or because you push them away.\"\n\nThe young man dropped his blade, his teeth gritted in frustration. All these years he trained to overpower me, the scars showed no less, but he wasn't a killer, a killer would not have spoken to me as he slit my throat. As he dropped to his knees I grabbed a fine bottle of whiskey and a pair of glasses.\n\n\"Come, take a seat. You seem like a whiskey kind of man.\"\n\nI slide a glass towards him as he finally regains enough strength to take the seat across from me. He looks nothing like the man I met earlier, the will that drove him is gone reveling the broken man he was underneath. \n\n\nAside from the young man's gentle sobbing, the house is now silent, the faint sounds of nature now seem deafening. The young man takes another drink and asks \"what should I do?\". I respond \"that's your choice, you can kill me and take up my horrid torch, or you can leave and live with the burden of sorrow, though something tells me you live with it eitherway\". The young man sighs, he has already decided to spare me though he still hopes for another alternative.\n\n\n\"if you want to kill me, I recommend you atleast spend a few more years with those you love, get as much out of that as you can. I'll still be right here, waiting for you.\"\n\n\n\nThe young man left without a tear in his eye, something tells me I won't see him again. I wouldn't have it any other way, he does not deserve the weight of my legacy, not someone so good-hearted as to spare me.", "The girl struggled to breath under the pull of her attackers arm. He had her in a neck lock, if it continued one minute longer, she would surly suffocate. She felt her face going purple, the skin on her face tightened and stung. She felt her palm against the cold metallic floor underneath her, she gripped at it, at the walls, until finnally, she gripped at the attackers leg, pulling his foot out from under him. \n\nHe flipped, slamming his side against the floor. Tara scurried onto her feet, letting the slick floors slide her to face the floor-ridden attacker. \n\nShe lifted his chin with her finger, his scruffy beard grabbing away at the nail of her pointer finger. \n\nHe groaned, “ouch.” \n\nTara let out a laugh, pushing him back on the floor, letting him slump down in his own losses. \n\n“That was like...so unfair.” He complained, rubbing the shoulder he fell on. “You know I just got out of muscle therapy.” \n\nTara giggled, undoing the wraps around her wrist. She let her hair down, her brunette hair fluffed with static stuck down to the sweat on her forehead like glue. \n\n“You almost had me there, James, I was going to tap out.” Tara said, lending her hand out to her friend. \n\nJames rolled his eyes, allowing Tara to pick him up. He kissed her on the cheek then limped his way over to the gym bench, squirting his water bottle down his throat. \n\nTara signaled to her bottle that sat beside James, he tossed it to her in a tired manner. \n\n“You think maybe we could spend our sudden vacation at home or something?” James said, now scrolling through his phone. \n\n“James, I promise we’ll get some down time later, for now i want to train.” \n\nJames and Tara had met back in college 4 years ago. James had been 20, Tara 19. Tara, now 23, hasn’t lost any of the spirit from her youth, or the obsessive determination to grow strong, something James still struggled to understand. Tara knew he tried, it was hard for her to balance a relationship with him when she already had a relationship with working out. Tara loved him, she was sure of that. \n\n“Besides James, I have to be down here for work, we weren’t going to get much downtime anyway.” Tara said. It was a blatant lie, Tara had jumped from job to job since college, and currently she was unemployed. She had business to attend to surly, just not the kind James thought she did. \n\n\n‘HIGHWAY TO HELL’\n\nTara groaned at the awful song. James sang along, almost yelling, and making an awful squealing noise when a guitar played. \n\n“James could you please turn that down, i have a headache.” Tara complained, rolling on her side in the back seat.\n\n“Jesus you pull me down to Maine, and then you steal my soul away from me. How awful Tara.” James dramatically enthused. \n\nTara grinned at him, throwing a crumbled piece of paper at the steering wheel. When James rolled his eyes, Tara made a kissy face at him, which he ignored. \n\n\nWhen the two finally got home, it was dark outside. Very few cars drove past their airbnb, leaving Tara feeling extremely comfy. She always liked alone time, especially when it came to working out, but having James around challenged her, so she allowed it.\n\nTara sat curled up in her bed. James walked out of the shower, not even bothering to change into clothes as he slided next to her. He kissed her cheek, then her lips, then her neck.\n\n“Not tonight James.” Tara said, pushing his head away from her. \n\nHe sighed, getting up from the bed and getting dressed. When he finally fell asleep a few minutes later, Tara would quietly tip toe from the room, and into the kitchen.\n\nThe once peaceful lone time felt menacing at 12:00 am. Tara struggled to keep her self centered on what was in front of her. But in her loneliness, her trauma took over. Gun shots, blood, screams, cries, helplessness. Tara was home now. Her hometown. \n\nPRT 1/2", "The words burned through Antonio's mind. The mocking words of the master to the student. For all he hated Xavier Lionhold, he had followed his advice. He left that day, not offering the challenge his blood screamed for him to take. His dreams begged for the change to gain retribution over his father's loss. \n\nHe repeated those words and he trained, little else. \"You are not strong enough to defeat me, not yet. Why throw your life away? Live your life, grow strong, then at the end of all this, come and find me and you can have your revenge, if you still want it.\"\n\nAntonio threw the rock to sunder the targets with a mighty yell again and again, reverberating through the room with each strike. The rock had been the tool of his father all those years ago. Antonio had never trained with any other.\nHe looked above him in the empty arena, determination in his eyes. \"I am ready.\"\n\n...\n\nXavier Lionhold stretched. He expected to win the day with less effort than the year before, looking at those against. There was another, he realized suddenly, the man must have joined last minute. Xavier recognized the short sleeve button up. It couldn't be. The Child of the Straight Shot had returned.\n\n\"Lionhold!\" the man said as he approached the gate, rock already in hand in the way of the masters, an extension of his hand. \"I have done as you asked and I am here for my revenge!\"\n\nXavier watched in horror as the child from all those years ago sent two strikes straight down the middle with flawless technique before sitting in quiet fury through the applause, as the first round of the Downriver Bowling Championship continued.\n\n\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing.", "The neon beer sign of Rooster’s bar hummed and flickered, giving the car park in blue and orange hue that sharply contrasted the dilapidated brick and wood of the building. Cicadas clicked softly all around him mixing with the hard rock music of the bar to create a savage song of vengeance. A cold breeze cut through the air and Keith could feel the hair on his arms standing up. It was time to make the decision, run away or go in. Feeling for the cold steel of his gun tucked in his belt he opened the door with a loud squeak.\n\n“Billy Anderson!” He bellowed at the onlooking patrons.\n\nRaising a stick like arm the bartender pointed to a small, dimly lit booth, tucked in the back corner of the bar. Keith nodded to the bartender in thanks He walked calmly over to the booth desperately trying to hide the turmoil inside.\n\n“Fuck off.” A small ratty looking man snapped at him.\n\nKeith slammed an angry fist on the table with a loud bang. Other patrons began to slowly inch towards the door not wanting to be involved in the trouble that was clearly brewing.\n\n“Are you Billy Anderson?” Keith asked watching the man like a hungry wolf.\n\n“I don’t know no Billy Anderson. What’s the matter, wife running around behind your back.” The man laughed, snorting like a rooting pig.\n\nKeith pulled the gun out of his pants belt and push the cold barrel into the man’s temple.\n\n“I won’t ask again.”\n\n“Christ man, fuck, I’m sorry just don’t shoot. I didn’t it was stolen I swear. Please!” The man begged trying to cover his face with his hands in a futile move.\n\n“I’m not here for that.” Keith said coldly, smashing the man’s nose with the handle of his gun. “Try again.”\n\nThe man began to openly sob stopping only when Keith smashed his teeth with the Gun.\n\n“Don’t try that shit on me, crying leads to dying. Now work that peanut brain and tell me why I’m here.”\n\n“I-I-I-I don’t know.” The man sniffed, snot covering his moustache and eyes glistening wet.\n\n“You ruined my life! It was all just some fucking game to you, but to me it was everything. Maybe we could have just left it at that if only you hadn’t sent that message.”\n\n“What message?” The man asked confused.\n\n\"You're not strong enough to defeat me, not yet, why throw your life away? Live your life, grow strong, and then at the end of all this, come find me, you can have your revenge. If you still want It.” Keith recited as if it where a prayer. “Well here I am Billy, or should I say Spafmasterdragon261.”\n\n“That’s my Xbox username, how…” The man said trailing off has the pieces fell together. “You’re here because I beat you at a video game?”\n\nKeith brutally smashed the gun into the back of the man’s head, bouncing his head off the beer soaked table with a tremendous thump.\n\n“You didn’t beat me, you humiliated me.” Keith spat. “Those words haunt me everywhere I go like a silent Ghost. Now it’s time for a rematch Billy, only we’re playing my game now.”" ]	8
	[WP] You're the most dangerous person in the entire city. You aren't the mayor, a rich businessman, or one of the crime bosses though; you're just a regular old taxi driver...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Stubbing the cigarette into my personal ashtray, I reach over the car dashboard to press the \"Accept\" prompt on my phone. The GPS immediately comes on, showing me where my next passenger is waiting. Following the GPS, I finally stop at a curb and unlock my taxi doors. Nodding to the guy outside, he opens the door. He looks like the typical office worker, with a mid-range suit and briefcase. He even had the haggard, soulless look down to a tee.\n\nAfter he buckles in and locks the door, I follow the GPS prompt again to his decided destination. Middle-class apartments. Average all the way through. I look into the rearview mirror to check his status. He's looking outside the window lost in thoughts. Not the chatty type it seems.\n\nMy phone mounted to the dashboard suddenly vibrates. It seemed like a random pattern, yet I knew what it meant. I pull over to the next available curb. Turning the phone off, I look behind to the bewildered customer beyond the protective glass separating us. \n\n\"You need to get off. I have a personal emergency.\" I unlock the door and nod with my head.\n\n\"You can't do this! We're halfway there even. I'm going to leave a bad review, you know that?\" \n\nAh, so he could talk - and whine a lot. \"Medical emergency, sorry.\" I point to my phone again. \n\nSlapping the glass barrier, he storms out the cab. \"Your cab smells like cigarettes anyway. It's a bloody health hazard!\" He jabs one last time before he slams the door behind him. \n\nThis is why you're average. You wouldn't even know what a Treasurer Luxury Black cigarette smells like. I flick the \"Not in service\" sign on my cab as I snake through the streets. I keep my phone in my pocket. I didn't need the GPS anyway, it was more to provide security to high-strung middle-class office workers. I knew my way around the streets. After a few decades, it was almost muscle memory.\n\nI find my destination and stop in front of a bus stop. It was early evening but there were no passengers waiting for the bus here. Only a young professional with a sharp suit. He even had the hawk-like expression to match it. I unlock the cab doors and nod again, prompting him to get in. I wait until he straps in and locks the door himself before I drive. This time there was no destination needed, he was here for something else.\n\n\"I need a job done.\" He immediately begins his case when the cab moves. \n\nI nod, prodding him to continue. \n\n\"Specifically to find someone. We know he's here in this city.\" He keeps his eyes focused on me as if he was trying to memorise my face through the rearview mirror.\n\n\"Is violence involved or expected?\" I ask nonchalantly while I study the road ahead of us.\n\n\"Yes. We know that he stole money from us. We need to find him and ... extract information.\" A smirk escaped his face as he finished his sentence. A sadist. I knew, but that expression containing expectation and hunger was always the same.\n\n\"We'll classify it as finding a person then. Are you aware of the price and payment for this?\" I merge into the main street traffic this time. I finally had a destination in mind.\n\n\"Of course. Half the payment already made into your account. Cryptocurrency, in 5 different currencies. The other half will be made after the job is done, right?\" The smirk was gone, and the know-it-all grin came back. He rummaged into his briefcase for a moment before closing it.\n\n\"That is correct. I know a guy. I'll introduce you to him. Tell him Frank sent you.\" I could feel the phone buzz in my pocket. Again, it was a specific vibration pattern. The transaction and the amount went through. \n\n\"Frank? Is that your real name?\" \n\nI could tell that he was probing out of mere curiosity. Trying to find leverage against me. \"Who knows. It might even be a code. We're here.\"\n\nI pull up into the driveway of a small, unassuming house. Before he leaves, I remind him once again. \"Tell him Frank sent you. Then he'll listen to you.\"\n\nWith a dismissing wave of his hand, the suit exited the cab. \"I know, I know. He's part of the connections that you peddle. I'll play by the rules - this time.\"\n\nI saw the glint in his eyes as he left. Chuckling to myself, I light up another Treasurer Luxury Black. Not the first suit who thinks he's a shark. But they all learn. Especially in this city. In my city." ]	2
	[WP] You were the first superhero. Fast, strong, tougher than steel. You ushered in an age of costumed capers! 500 years have passed, technology and humanity marching on, and as the last superhero you don’t feel so special anymore.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 started a long time ago, damn, maybe 515 years? I've lost count. Back then I was just an intern at Genome- a genetics research lab that would later be responsible for cutting edge medicine and biomedical breakthroughs the world had never seen. At the time, we were severely underfunded, but working to isolate the genetic code that tells our body how to heal. If we could manage that, we could revolutionize the practice of medicine.\n\nSuch projects take time- but thanks to Prof. Doug Montgomery, we were making progress. We found a way to replicate the genetic sequence, and we had begun experiments for our proof of concept. In our rat tests, subjects that were missing limbs has their appendages grow back in a matter of weeks. We even had a few regain missing eyes and show that they were capable of using the new eye just as well as if the original had never been lost.\n\nThose tests got us funding, and lots of it. It came in part from the WHO and other medical organizations, but mostly from the military. Now with the funding and access to tech, research was moving at a break neck pace. Almost certainly too fast for our own good. We moved on to human tests way to soon- and the results proved it. The first subjects died from exposure to the serum. The next tests resulted in cancerous growths all over the body. We kept testing. The results didn't get much better, though at least the last batch survived thanks to intensive medical support the rest of their lifetimes- however extended those ended up being.\n\nOur funding got cut real fast after that. Genome faced sever public and legal backlash as result of the trials, and they had to act. So they fired Dr. Montgomery, and kept all his research. As revenge, Montgomery trashed the research facility, and burned the lab where we had been working (after a little 'shopping' inside).\n\nAnd I helped him.\n\n\\-- pt 1 --" ]	2
	[WP] You know, I was God once....	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "...said the cat. Well, thought the cat, although the concept of “god” was now mostly fuzzy. But the memories were not. The glorious memories of faith just crashing into her like waves, while her believers sang in her temples the morning after the shortest day of the year. Apparently they were celebrating her defeat of the Sun eating snake, though she didn’t remember it. Every now and then she looked through their eyes and saw paintings of her (though her ears were nowhere that long, were they? ) holding down a giant snake, tearing mouthfuls of flesh from its neck. She had to admit she looked fierce and powerful and that made her few good, but she had no recollection of ever doing such a thing. Snakes were...well, unpleasant. She only met a snake goddess once, from some place not many of her people heard of, and she had the most unpleasant personality - she wasn’t mean or anything, but just always had to point out the wrong in every situation. One learns to stay away from such people, otherwise they just drag you down. Well, anyway, although she never tasted snake flesh, she liked the paintings and the fact that her believers almost shone with faith when looking at them made her feel good. It was good to have believers. Some of them took things too far...they’d go around looking for dead and dying cats and wrapped them up in canvas and made little coffins and spent the little they earned on elaborate rites...their own children wouldn’t get such elaborate funerals. And there were many of those. Children funerals, not weird believers. Little children tended to die of seemingly everything and she often wondered why is that and could she do something to help. But their own parents didn’t seem to be terribly distressed, and rarely mentioned them in prayers, or at least prayers to her. Maybe some other god dealt with that, though from what she saw, they weren’t doing a great job most of the time. Well, anyway, she had believers for the longest of times - she can’t really tell when was it that she first felt the belief and thought it inside her - she does remember the loneliness and hunger and overall wretchedness and fear. Fear of the bright ones, who hunted gods. She remembers faintly the voices and images of some other gods in that time, and how they were hunted down by the bright ones - and how cruel they’d laugh while slicing into god-muscle, tearing god-tendons open all the while being careful to leave their prey breathing just enough to live as long as it could feel the pain. Something about the pain attracted and fascinated the bright ones and they seem to revel in causing it. She didn’t really know what the bright ones were - they weren’t gods; you couldn’t feel the emptiness that gods always craved to fill with belief; they weren’t all that powerful, at least not when you found them alone or in pairs; but they were persistent and resilient and where one or two were, soon more would come and join them. They didn’t seem to speak any language known to gods, or at least not to the gods she knew, and were generally just annoying...until well, until you are alone, and empty and far from others. She remembers being afraid, but somehow successfully avoiding them; once because some humans were around and saw her and murmured some devotion (she’s convinced it mentioned wheat and such, and was probably not even intended for her, but she latched on to it anyway), which allowed her to step out for a moment, which was long enough for the bright ones to disperse. The other few times she felt danger, she sought shelter in human dwellings and was suddenly the center of attention of the family. And somehow that filled her to the brim and she laughed while she walked all over the bright ones. Then the time came when her believers started adding little cat pictures on their writing, and then adding those images to doorways of big and important temples, and then making little altars to leave by thresholds, and then actually building temples to her. And it was good. They weren’t all temples to her...there were other cat gods and goddesses, but a temple to one is a temple to all others so they shared in. And so the time passed and she rarely thought of those early days and her fears of the bright ones. People who spoke other languages came to her country and left after some time, some of them bringing their gods with them - she made many contacts, some very exciting ones too - some of these foreigners were really strange, but some were warm and interesting and could talk for days of their mountains (she had an idea what mountains were even if she never really bothered to go see them), and their rivers and their forests....and some were a little dull, droning on in their gurgling voices about their seas and ships and storms. But in general, they were all very much alike: immortal, hungry for belief, useful in their own manner, to the earth that bore them, to things with breath and even those without, and occasionally to their believers. They didn’t really had that much to do, the believers were doing well for themselves, and honestly, if they decided not to pay attention or the smell of rotting meat or to breed in lean seasons, well...they died. One couldn’t help that. Nor could one help things like fire...one could of course start a fire or thunder or flood, but what would be the purpose? The believers killed each other effectively without any of that, and she honestly took no pleasure in random killings. Only those really poorly raised - and she didn’t mean raised by parents, most gods didn’t have parents or relatives to raise and educate them, but raised by unfortunate circumstances that say...didn’t give rise to common sense for example - actually killed or caused harm to humans, or other gods in general. And usually other gods would gang up on them and would sit them down, often at a place outside, and talked to them, for a very very long time, until some common sense prevailed. And gods were patient and could talk for a very long time, even with the worst of the worst. Or you know, threaten not to share a drop of belief with the offender. That worked really well - because not even the worst of the worst believed they could get all the belief all the time form all believers. They were sensible. And then one day, some new people showed up in her country. They...didn’t really care for cats. Or it seems for crocodiles (not many people cared for crocodiles, but you know...people who really didn’t pay attention to crocodiles, usually didn’t last long). Or the scarab ...well, she couldn’t really tell what they cared about. They kept to themselves, mostly. (Part 2 to follow)\n\nPart 2. Her believers didn’t really seem to know much about the people who kept to themselves. This situation lasted for a long time until one day she felt the hair on her neck rise...and the memory of the bright ones flashed in her vision. But...she was comfortable and full of belief and didn’t really care. Until she saw the new people walk door to door and splash some doors with blood. Honestly, blood...it’s sticky and attracts flies and you can’t smell anything else for miles. She never saw anything like that and jumped from one human house to another, trying to understand what it is they were doing. And then she felt it...a belief. Cold, and hard, but she knew the taste of belief. Some of these people had faith that burned brighter than any she had ever felt before. And the bright ones were there...and saw her...she ran. Later, she felt silly, since the bright ones couldn’t really had harmed her, but the sheer weight of that belief confused her and she ran away. The time after was confusing....many bright ones walked around and hunted gods and some of her closest friends disappeared for no one to find them. Gods don’t die of course but they can weaken and fade and sort of forget who they are, and it’s a pretty sad state of affairs. One day the cold, hard, belief just wasn’t around. It seemed that those people who held on to it have left, all together. She envied the gods who had such believers, that faith was almost solid and the believers wielded it like swords. But she didn’t mind not seeing the bright ones that often. And she became a little petty too, and actually hunted down a few of them, mostly after running into them accidentally, if they were alone of course. They definitely weren’t gods, but she was wrong...gods couldn’t fill the emptiness in them because the bright ones were filled to the brim. They didn’t take in belief, like a vessel takes water and shapes it. They were shapeless..or yet...they didn’t have their own shape; they were hard, almost crystallized faith, and little else holding it together. They weren’t gods because there was no room for what made gods; there was no personality, no memory, no thought...just faith. And she recoiled....they...they weren’t even fully conscious. They understood simple things and it looked like they liked pain because pain was clear and simple and meaningful for them. She didn’t really understand why that was important but the little things even seem to enjoy their own pain while she snuffed them out. And that was another thing...they could die. Once she broke that thin veil that held the compressed, sharp faith, they just fell apart. They didn’t shrink and fade, they just fell apart, often loudly, and that was it. \n(Part 3 tomorrow).", "Staring into the mirror I see a bustling city full of busy souls. I used to think it was soothing, but now I see it as mundane. I guess I should retire before I start making irrational decisions. Everything comes to an end even eras of Gods, but where do retired Gods go? Well I guess I'll find out. Taking a step away from the mirror I start hearing towards the white abyss. \n\n(Bang bang bang)\n\n\"Come on bro we're gonna be late for school again!\"\n\nLifting my heavy eyelids I slowly get out of bed. \n\n\"Huh, guess I had that dream again.\"\n\nAs I was getting dressed I stared into the mirror on the wall. I saw a fimilar image, my face, my bed, and my room. \n\n\"You know, I was a God once.\"\n\n\"What are you taking about? A God wouldn't oversleep!\"\n\n\"Ha ha, guess you're right... But these days are much more enjoyable than any of my God days.\"\n\nTaking my bag I rush out of my house to start another uneventful but enjoyable day." ]	3
	[WP] You are eating your lunch during a break at work when suddenly you fall through a portal that opens at your feet. When you land on a grassy plane, you look up to see 3 different people that look vaguely familiar. You then realize...these 3 people are 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.", "Another Ordinary day, another ordinary brown bun filled with the usual, Meats, cheese.\n\nAnd then, something unusual, I'm swallowed up by a blue portal.\n\nAnd where does this blue portal dump me? Some grassy meadow miles from anywhere! Unannounced Redways are bad enough, but now these things come in Frickin' Blue? What's next, Green?! (AN: Nobody tell him that Dr Avery already discovered time-breaching Greenways)\n\nAnyways, After dusting myself off, I find myself being gawped at by a bunch of... locals? Bystanders? Either way, I'm about to give them a mouthful when I take a closer look at them all, and they look... Familiar? Like I know these peop- Wait a minute, These folks are ME!\n\nSo here I am, Miles from anywhere, in a field with 3 other mes. Inquiring how they got here, it seems that a Blue portal swallowed them up too.\n\n\"So, any idea where \"Here\" is?\"\n\n\"Midwestern USA?\"\n\n\"Would be just our Luck.\"\n\nJust for clarity's sake, one me was wearing a black hat, another had green jeans, the third a Necklace with a Pendant, and I was wearing a shirt with a red Pocket.\n\nAnyway, we pulled out our phones, and in fact, we were in a field not 10 miles from where my home is in My reality. But we weren't in my reality, because there is no field at that location, just a housing site that used to be a college.\n\n\"Freakin' shot in the dark, any of you heard of Dr Avery?\"\n\n\"Don't ring a bell.\"\n\n\"Passed me by.\"\n\n\"Avery? Never heard of... him? her? Them?\"\n\n\"Her, far as I could tell. Appeared in my cellar one evening, apparently some kind of expert on Portals.\"\n\n\"Oh!\" Green Jeans interjected. \"I had a guy appear in my loft one time, Dr Bill Williams, according to him. Gave me this Funky looking thing,\" GJ produced the funkiest looking device I've ever seen, and pressed a button on it.\n\nDr Avery's gonna McFreakin' Lose it when I tell her about these shenanigans. But I guess I'll have to navigate this \"Higher\" dimension first, with my new buddies...", "I notice the brightly lit meadow and the 3 people right before I land on my butt. \"Ow,\" I mutter.\n\n\"Goddammit,\" one of the people there says. \"Still not right.\"\n\nI look up and stare at 3 different versions of the same face. The eye colour looks familiar...\n\nWith a jolt, I realised that they all looked exactly like me.\n\n\"Who the fuck...\" I began, but they all said that at the same time, in mocking tones.\n\n\"Yeah, yeah, we know,\" said one.\n\n\"We know exactly what you'll say, exactly how you'll react and feel,\" said the second.\n\n\"And we already know your passcode in case you ever meet your future self,\" said the third.\n\nAll together, they began singing \"Hello from the other side\" in the exact same tones.\n\nI sat up straight. \"I'm listening,\" I said.\n\n\"Alright, so clearly, we've been doing this for a couple of tries now,\" said one.\n\n\"Success seems to involve cumulative knowledge, so we'll give you all we have so far,\" said the second.\n\n\"So listen closely, cause we'll only be able to say this once before we disappear from existence so we don't have body doubles running around all over the place,\" said the third.\n\n\"Did you write down any notes?\" I asked.\n\n\"Absolutely not, and you can't either. We have enemies,\" said one.\n\n\"Solve this problem and you can save this version of yourself and the little world you'll be in charge of,\" said the second.\n\n\"Failure means everything gets destroyed and you don't go home. You'll have one year,\" said the third.\n\n\"I hate this,\" I said at the same time as the rest of them.\n\n\"A shocking revelation,\" said one with a sarcastic sneer.\n\n\"I should be kinder to myself,\" I retorted.\n\n\"Fear is no reason to get mean,\" added the second.\n\n\"Shut up all of you and listen closely...\" said the third." ]	3
	[WP] I remember my mom asking me to draw what heaven looked like, as I believed it was where my sister lived. "What you drew is called a forest" said an officer visiting me that afternoon, "and now we need you to tell us where."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Whenever her mom asked her to draw Heaven, she drew a forest. She never understood why, until one night. She had gone to the kitchen for a drink of water when she heard her mother talking to a stranger.\n\n“We have to dispose of her. She knows.” Mother said.\n\n“She was two years old when you killed her sister. I highly doubt she remembers. However the drawings worry me. It’s best if you take her out.” The stranger replied. \n\n“I agree. She’s become a liability.” Mother responded. “We will do it soon.” \n\n“The sooner the better.” \n\nHer thirst forgotten, she raced back upstairs and hid under her blanket. Just how will Mother kill her? \n\n“Gina! Rise and shine!” Day came way too soon. Gina got up and got dressed. Breakfast was waiting on the table. Mother smiled. “I made your favorite, a Belgian Waffle with apple compote and lots of whipped cream on top!”\n\nGina stared at the waffle. Her stomach growled in anticipation, yet she refused to go to the table. Instead, she looked at the clock and gasped. \n\n“I’m late!” She bolted out the door. \n\nMother blinked in surprise. Gina knew? How? This was urgent now! The girl had to die today!\n\n\n“This case is going nowhere! We know the mother is guilty!” Detective Caine exploded. \n\n“Easy, boss. We don’t need you having a stroke on us.” Detective Taylor stood at the White board. “There’s nothing tying the mother to the crime. Our leads lead nowhere.”\n\n“What do we know thus far?” Caine asked out loud. \n\n“The mother has violent tendencies and was in a mental hospital for severe Schizophrenia. The older daughter is missing and is presumed dead. She was last seen following the mother into the forest. The mother was seen leaving the forest alone. She claims she has only one daughter. We combed that forest and nothing turned up. We have a shovel with blood on it and the mothers fingerprints.” Taylor recited, “What about the younger sister?”\n\n“She was two years old. I doubt she knows anything, but we should question her. She might have a clue.” Caine stood. “She’s in school right now, right?”\n\n\nGina did her best to concentrate. Normally she would breeze through her math homework, but what Mother tried to do weighed upon her. Just then, the intercom went off. \n\n“Will Gina Darkly report to the office?”\n\nGina bolted out of class.\n\n\n“Do you remember having a sister?” Taylor sat by Gina.\n\n“Of course! Her name is Heather. Mother took her to the forest one day and told me Heather had gone to live in Heaven.” Gina replied, “I can draw Heaven if you want.” Caine handed her some paper and crayons. Gina drew quickly. “Heaven is a beautiful place inside the forest. It’s not easy to find, but I know the way.”\n\n“Can you take us there?” Taylor asked.\n\n“Yes I can!” Gina smiled. “Heather always took me there when the demon inside Mother woke up. It was our safe place.”\n\n“Let’s go then.” Caine said. \n\n“Are you sure we should? I mean, she was only two.” Taylor whispered.\n\n“It’s all we got. Let’s see where this goes.” Caine whispered back.\n\nLater, they stood before the forest while Gina searched for the secret entrance she and her sister always used to go to Heaven. Gina moved some branches aside. \n\n“Here it is!” She crawled in, the two detectives behind her. \n\nIt got darker the further they went. Taylor longed for some light but Gina made them promise not to use their flashlights. The tunnel turned to rock and soon Taylor found himself army crawling. It seemed to get tighter. Just as he thought he would get stuck, the walls gave away to woods again. The men were able to stand up. After a few more minutes of utter darkness, the forest canopy opened up and they stepped into a well lit clearing. Gina walked on. \n\n“Are we there yet?” Caine asked hopefully.\n\n“Not quite yet.” Gina led them into the forest on the other side of the clearing. “We are very close. Hear the water?” \n\n“Yes.” Both cops nodded. \n\nBefore long, Gina led them to a waterfall. She slipped behind the running water and into a cave. They followed. Gina reached what looked like a dead end.\n\n“Heaven is right behind here.” She pushed against a rock. It rolled away and they stepped through. “Welcome to Heaven!”\n\nHeaven was a meadow filled with flowers of all kinds. The forest spread all around it. Brambles tangled around the trees, making entering them impossible. There was a single shack built into a giant tree. Gina ran to the shack. Around the shack were vegetable gardens. A rack holding the remains of a deer hung over a smoky fire. It was clear someone lived here. Gina was knocking on the door. It opened and a young woman stepped out.\n\n“Gina! Is the demon back?” The woman asked. She noticed the cops. “Hello. I’m Heather. You must think Mother killed me. Well, she thinks she killed me.” Heather joined the men and slightly tilted her head, revealing a scar along the side of her neck. I was grazed by the bullet.” \n\n“The demon hasn’t awoken. These men wanted to see Heaven.” Gina said. “I need to stay here. Mother is trying to kill me. She tried to poison me this morning.”\n\n“We will deal with your mom. Heather, keep her here. We can close this case now.” Taylor said. \n\nHeather smiled. “I’ve got something that will put Mother away forever.” She entered the shack and returned with a bag. “I’ve saved some bones in here. You can say you followed Gina and found my bones. You put Gina in protective custody while you dealt with Mother. Gina and I are perfectly safe here.”\n\n“I can stay?” Gina grinned.\n\n“Yep!” Heather hugged her. \n\nAnd both detectives woke up in the middle of the woods. A bag of bones sat by them. They opened the bag to see human bones. Shakily, Taylor stood.\n\n“What happened? Where’s Heaven?” He looked around. \n\nCaine stood. “I don’t know what just happened.” He picked up the body bag. “Let’s get this to the coroner.”\n\n\nSeveral days later, they arrested Helen Gray for the murder of both of her daughters.", "Hour Fifteen: Erin\n\n[Start here, from Hour One!](/r/WritingPrompts/comments/j2o4tk/wp_exactly_973_of_all_humanity_will_die_in_3_days/g76qo8s/?context=3)\n\n[Read Previous Hour](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/mmchoo/comment/gtqzcmf)\n\n=-=-=\n\nA catastrophe is unfolding. Exactly 97.3% of the population will die in the next three days. But with it comes a rebirth of sorts. The Nine Realms have replaced the Nine Planets, the Tree of Magic has sprouted from the Sun, and elves and dwarves are returning. With each timeless hour that passes, more changes. Join several individuals on this journey of epic proportions, across many threads on /r/WritingPrompts, in *Timeless Hours.\n\nToday, we meet Erin Stanislauski, a young teenager who has a remarkable gift for psychic premonition. Erin once used these powers for simple things, like figuring out who was cheating on who, but with her sister's recent disappearance, things have turned more towards the situation at hand. She's about to discover, however, that her sister's in far more trouble than she could have expected...\n\n=-=-=\n\nIt's going to get better if I just stay in the house. I know that.\n\nYeah, okay, I guess I know how bleak it looks from the outside. I'm the only girl in my entire small town to get the dream, and everyone around me is going to die. Some already have. But I know that as long as I stay in the house with my mother and father, we'll be safe. I have no reason not to trust this intuition. I've always trusted mine before, and it's worked.\n\nMy parents are definitely in bed now. I got no idea how they're able to fall asleep, but it's definitely a good thing. Who knows? Maybe they'll get another dream that's just like 'hey, we were kidding when we said what we did last time; sorry about that! You'll be fine.'\n\nOne can only wish, I guess.\n\nMe, I can't sleep. It's been three hours and fourty-nine minutes since Madeline died. Since then, I've seen exactly four visions of the place that she went to after she died. Brilliant evergreen forests, as far as the eye can see... Clearly, my sister is in Heaven. Guess that one time she stole from the tip jar at a Ben & Jerry's wasn't as big a deal as she thought. Still, something doesn't seem right. I keep thinking to myself that Madeline still needs me, in some way or another.\n\nMaybe if I just stay in my room for a bit longer, my spirit will be able to call back to her.\n\nFour sharp knocks on the door. Whoever it is, I can immediately sense two things about them: one, they're not anyone I've ever known before. And two, they mean business.\n\nIf I just stay in here, everything will get better. But right now, someone else is looking for me, and has some things to tell me about.\n\nI walk down the stairs in my robe, and pick up my glasses from my dresser as I do. Four more sharp knocks. Quickly, before this new guy can wake up my parents, I swing open the door. In front of my is a well-dressed, elderly African-American man. He's got big circular glasses and is wearing a tan suit.\n\nThe man takes something out from his coat pocket, showing it to me. It's a badge from the FBI.\n\n\"Special Agent Jacob McCarthy,\" he says. \"I take it I'm at the Stanislauski residence?\"\n\nI nod. \"That you are.\"\n\n\"Right,\" he mutters. \"Are your parents home? I'd like to speak with them.\"\n\n\"No can do, I laugh. \"Unfortunately, mom learned about her impending demise and decided to take a last-minute road trip without me. Dad... Well, he's always kind of everywhere. You'd be lucky to see him in the house if we were snowed in.\"\n\nJacob glares at me. \"I see,\" he says. \"May I come on in?\"\n\nI shrug my shoulders. \"No prob.\"\n\n\"Great,\" he says. Immediately, he drops himself into the couch, stretching his legs up onto the coffee table.\n\n\"So,\" I finally say, starting the conversation? \"There are actual elves* in the world and the FBI's still up and running? Color me impressed.\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" he chuckles. \"It's operating at a massively diminished capacity, to be fair, but we're still clanking onwards.\" \n\nHe pauses and clears his throat. \"Erin, I'm going to be completely honest with you. Your finances state that you only have one car, and that car's parked in the driveway right now. I know that you lied about your mother taking a road trip. That being said, I talked to a few of your jealous ex-boyfriends--at least, the ones who are still alive--and they told me about some of your more... extraordinary skills. We may have a need for that on a case we're currently developing.\"\n\n\"Okay,\" I scoff. \"Now that's rich. The world is filled with all sorts of magic and wonder now, and you come to me? I'm not really sure how I can help you; my powers don't really work the way you think they do.\"\n\nJacob shakes his head. \"No, I think you misunderstand. Your powers are key here, because one of the people in this case is your sister.\" He takes out a small paper file from another coat pocket, flipping through it. \"Erin, I'm sure that you would have gotten some visions from your sister by now. Where is she? That'll help us get a starting point on this case.\"\n\nI bite my lip. \"My sister's dead,\" I say. \"I've seen visions of her, yes. In Heaven. And anyway, I really think you've overstayed your welcome here. Have a nice day--\"\n\nJacob puts his hand up. \"She's not dead,\" he says. \"Madeline was one of many who was abducted by a specific person who shall currently remain nameless. From what I can tell, he plans to start a cult of personality around himself.\"\n\nI pause for a second. My heartbeat quickens and my stomach drops. I should've stayed in my room.\n\n\"It... It was a forest,\" I finally say. \"A massive pine forest. She's been out scavenging. And she... She looks happy. Like she's enjoying it there, wherever it is.\"\n\nJacob nods. \"And would you mind drawing this forest for me?\"\n\n\"Y...yes, of course,\" I say.\n\nBefore I can do anything else, though, my vision goes white.\n\nDamnit. Another vision.\n\n=-=-=\n\nMadeline's not in the wild anymore. She's in a small settlement, made of wooden cabins. American flags are flying on a nearby flagpole, draped on the walls of buildings. Madeline's waking back to the settlement carrying a basket of nuts and berries, surrounded by people and their families.\n\nThis is a place where people are finding refuge, comfort, in such a time of uncertainty. Or, I guess it's actually a very certain time. Just not in the way any of us would like to admit.\n\nAs Madeline reaches the city, I notice that a bunch of people are lined up to talk to this one guy. He looks familiar, with pale skin and jet-black hair and eyes. He's wearing a business suit, and behind him are four black wings, just like the ones on the woman who told me I would survive this.\n\nAt the front of the line is a young child, who couldn't be more than eight years old. He clears his throat. \"Mr. President,\" he says. \"If you were chosen by God to protect the Americans here, why are your wings black when the wings on God's angels are white?\"\n\n\"Well, kid,\" he says in a soft tone. \"See, I wasn't always an angel. I was once a human before all of this started, and so when I've proven myself as a full angel, they're gonna look down at me and turn my wings white. You get it?\" His voice is high and raspy and full of voice cracks, and I feel like I've heard him on the news but I don't know where.\n\nThe kid excitedly nods and skips away. A young woman walks up to the figure, and I watch as Madeline joins the line.\n\nSlowly, as I come back to my normal state of consciousness, I realize exactly who it is. This is [House Speaker Jack Rayton,](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/j3irji/comment/g7cjaxk ) that asshole who caused the government shutdown a few months ago. And now, apparently, he's something else.\n\nAnd he's stolen my sister.\n\n/r/fortanonowrites\n\nMake sure to learn all about this project and get the latest updates on my subreddit link above!", " \n\nAdam didn’t remember the way to heaven. Not exactly anyway. Whenever he visited his sister, he always seemed to arrive without explanation. \n\nNot heaven, he corrected himself. A forest. \n\nAdam shifted his gaze from the rolling hills of the countryside to the uniformed officers sitting in the front of the car. One drove while the other typed furiously on her laptop. They conversed quietly. Too quietly. Adam only caught the occasional word. He still didn’t understand why his mom had allowed them to take him from their home. \n\n“Trust them,” she had said. “Your sister is in trouble. These officers can help her…” \n\nFrowning in thought, Adam looked back out the window. He didn’t know how long the officers had been driving, or how long they intended to. He hadn’t been able to offer them much more than his drawing of the forest and a brief description of his sister’s cottage by the pond filled with golden leaves. His memories of the time he spent there were clouded. It was impossible to tell one visit from the other. \n\nIf she is in trouble, he thought, I have to do everything I can to help her!\n\nPresently, the car came to a stop. \n\n“Does this look familiar?” the driver asked, pointing ahead. \n\nAdam rose and squirmed through the gap in the front seats. He scratched his head as he studied the endless wood before them. “I … don’t know. Maybe.” \n\n“Think hard, Adam,” the woman officer said.\n\nAdam tried his best, but he still couldn’t tell. Could people really distinguish one forest from another? He felt bad that he couldn’t give the woman a proper answer. He liked her. “I remember what the forest sounds like,” he said after a moment. “Can we go inside?” \n\nThe officers looked at one another. Somehow, they seemed to come to an agreement without speaking. Adam wondered how they did it. \n\nA quarter hour later, the officers pulled their car off the road and escorted Adam to the edge of the tree line. He walked between them, noting that both had their hands on their guns. He wondered why they were afraid of his sister. She had never hurt anyone. \n\n“Close enough?” the woman officer asked. \n\nAdam shook his head. “I can’t hear anything yet.” \n\nAgain, the two officers looked at each other and held a silent conversation. \n\n“We’ll go a few steps in,” the woman said. “Will that be enough?” \n\nAdam nodded. He would know the sounds of his sister’s home anywhere. \n\n“Are you sure?” the other officer asked. \n\n“As long as we can see the light, we should be fine.” \n\nHaving already slipped past them, Adam didn’t hear the exchange. He stepped past the outermost tree and into the deep shadows beyond, then closed his eyes. \n\nAdam smiled. This was where his sister lived! He hadn’t let the officers down after all. Now, they could help his sister out of whatever trouble she was in. \n\nAdam turned back to tell the officers the good news and froze. He stood on the edge of a familiar pond filled with golden leaves. His sister’s wooden house rose on the opposite side. The door was open. \n\nHis sister stepped across the threshold and waved at him. As always, she was outfitted in a dress made of woven vines. Her long green hair swirled in the humid wind. \n\nSuddenly, she was beside him. “Adam. This is quite the surprise. Usually, you tell me when–”\n\nShe broke off as she noticed the two officers emerging from the pond. Both had lost their hats, and their uniforms had been soaked through. \n\nAdam stepped in front of his sister as the officers raised their weapons. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be helping her!” \n\n“Please move out of the way, Adam,” the woman officer said softly. “This is not your sister. This is the dryad of the Forbidden Forest. She has killed dozens of innocent people.” \n\nAdam shook his head. His heart thudded in his chest. “You’re wrong!” \n\n“Look away, dear brother,” his sister whispered into his ear. \n\nA gunshot echoed throughout the wood. Adam’s eyes widened as his sister fell to a knee, clutching her chest. Agony filled her face. \n\n“What have you done?” Adam screamed. Rage consumed him. \n\nWhen the wood was again silent, Adam knelt beside his sister. His eyes fixated upon her wound, tracked the blood flowing into the pond filled with golden leaves. It was a horrible sight, but he couldn’t look anywhere else. \n\n“Help me … get to the water,” his sister whispered. “The forest will heal me in time.” \n\nAdam shook his head. “I don’t want to see them.” \n\n“Close your eyes, dear brother,” his sister said. “Walk with me.” \n\nAdam did as he was told and helped his sister into the pond. \n\nWhen she spoke again, her voice was far stronger. “Look!” \n\nAdam looked. The officers were unrecognizable. Their legs were wrapped in thorny vines. Countless roots protruded from their chests like brown worms. Golden leaves filled their open mouths, and water streamed from their unseeing eyes. \n\nThey were dead, and he had killed them." ]	4
	[WP] You have been fighting the Dark lord for years now and everyone believes you do it for the greater good, The real reason? The Dark lord is your little brother and your still mad that he deleted your nearly completed game save all those years ago	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My brother and I stand in front of each other, armoured framed casting shadows upon my weakened body, all bloody and fractured whilst kneeling in front of him. His gun to my head.\n\n\"Any last words?\" My brother jeered, sneering at my pathetic state.\n\n\"Y-yeah.. How come you deleted my save file for Super Wizard World 3D when it was at 99% completion rate?.\" I made my voice as loud as I can muster.\n\nA ring of police and military circled us, to try and contain the fight and keep the civilians safe and they all just heard this familial sin.\n\n\"YOU WHAT?!\" A police officer cocked his rifle and aimed down the sights aiming at my brother.\n\n\"FUCKING DOUCHEBAG!\" A soldier pelted his insults at my brother.\n\nEveryone who was anyone near our brawl started to join in on the insulting, everyone knew Super Wizard World 3D was hard on its own but completing it 100% was nearly impossible due to how big the game was and how the gameplay was so hard on its own.\n\nWith insults hurtled they then started to throw anything they could find on the ground at my brother, with the pelting of pieces of asphalt and concrete being too annoying and too much for my brother he left by using a helicopter, vowing to take revenge on me.\n\n\"I was missing a ton of parts but that was all I could gather at the time.\" I spoke out in a hospital bed holding out a phone to see the face of my mother." ]	2
	[WP] the ocean can be scary, and so can many of the things that live in the ocean. But if you asked a sperm whale, they'd tell you that a scuba-diver is the eeriest thing you could find underwater.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "Land is a daunting feature of the planet that all fish are acquainted with. We are all aware of the countless miles of our world covered by this untraversable surface. Of course, some denizens of the ocean love to take glimpses of the area. Some creatures such as turtles, even go as far as to lay their newborns in these catastrophic zones. However, it isn't just the land itself that whispers fear into the hearts of the ocean blue, but rather the largest ranging mammal in the entire world.\n\nIf you were to ask any average fish what large-scale predator they fear most, it'd be orcas. They're huge, smart, and overall extremely powerful. But we sperm whales know differently. Sure a killer whale can be scary but nothing is more terrifying than coming face to face with a Homosapien. They only started to appear in our oceans rather recently, but more so than that, they have begun to enter deeper and deeper recesses of our territory. Personally, I'm not one to fearmonger, but it's very concerning to think about just how much more power they will have over us just 100 in the future.\n\nI speak of this not as a doomsday speech, but as a word of warning. We sperm whales live almost as long as these apes, so any of you born today may live to see them grow all the more strong. Be wary, stay as far as you can from underwater humans, and stay even further from their mechanized monstrosities that float down to the midnight zone and below.", "# Bargain Bin Superheroes\n\n(Arc -1, Part 1: Clara Olsen v.s. •—— •••• •— •—•• •)\n\n(Note: Bargain Bin Superheroes is episodic; each part is self-contained. This story can be enjoyed without reading the previous sections.)\n\nAs an empath, I'd been in the heads of more or less anything I could get my hands on. It wasn't by choice—ever since I was young, I always got... impressions, from anyone I touched. I could tell when my dads were having a bad day at work, or when my older sister was secretly in love, or when Connor had been hit by someone and was trying to hide it. As I grew older, my powers deepened, allowing me to send feelings back. When I handed my dads sweets after work, I gave them little bursts of joy and happiness whenever our hands brushed; when I hugged my sister after she got rejected, I sent my love for her through my hands and into her heart; when I punched Connor's dad in the gut, I made him feel all the pain he'd put my best friend through. I'd empathized with heroes and villains, family and friends, children and adults—I thought I'd seen it all.\n\nAnd then I empathized with a whale.\n\nIn hindsight, it shouldn't have been such a surprise that my empathy worked on non-humans too; there wasn't anything particularly special about us, in any case. My dads had driven Lily and I out to the Califernesian coast for summer vacation; we were going to go deepwater scuba-diving with some fancy new extra-safe company. Normally if you dove too deep you developed a number of painful and disturbing health conditions, but they had some newfangled device based off some hydrokinetic superhuman that reduced the water pressure beneath them. I remember laughing with Lily about how silly our dads looked rolling backwards out of the boat, then whooping with joy as I, too, fell into the strangely-light water and sunk in a cloud of bubbles. \n\nIt was shockingly clear underwater—apparently, whatever device they had on board the boat not only lightened the pressure but cleaned out all the silt and muck. I could see my dads clean on the other side of the cone of safe water, although beyond them was nothing but a murky haze. Fascinated, I drifted over to the edge of the cone and struck my hand through—\n\nwhatonearthisthatwhatonearthisthatwhatonearthisthathelphelphelphelphelphelp—\n\nI gasped and jerked back as my hand brushed against the skin of a whale, its emotions screaming into my brain.\n\nI looked around; Lily was doing backflips, while dad and papa were supervising her. Nobody else had noticed. Hesitantly, I reached out into the murk again.\n\n...friend? Thoughtfriend? Little thoughtfriend? I blinked as the whale's thoughts resolved themselves in my mind—strangely, it seemed more adept at the empathic communication than I was. \n\nEven as I had the thought, the whale seemed to pick up on it. Thoughtfriend from above? New. Thoughtfriend from below? Old. Very, very old.\n\nAn image of something with way too many tentacles and an exposed, pulsing brain flashed through my mind, and I jerked back. Jesus. I guess scary things lived in the ocean. Including giant telepathic squid, apparently.\n\nThe whale poked its... snout? Nose? Face? Frontal... bit... through the cone of water, nuzzling against my hand. No fears. Thoughtfriend from below: far below. Not here.\n\nI exhaled, and immediately regretted it as it fogged up my mask. Great. I tried emoting kindness at it, to which the whale responded with a burst of bitter amusement.\n\nKindness? Not from above. Only fear.\n\nI frowned, confused. I tried to form my thoughts into words, to push them through the link, but if the whale understood English, it gave no indication of it. Whatever the whale was doing to communicate with me, it was to my clumsy empathy what a top-tier legal defense was to Connor's stammering insistence that he'd done all his homework on time.\n\nWater changes from above. Memories poured from the whale into me, showing the passage of one of the fancy new scuba boats—and the trail of pure, clear, and most of all dead water that they left behind, empty of even the smallest microorganisms. Fear them. The whale tried to send something else through the link—something far, far larger and complex than anything it had done before. If we'd been texting before now, then the whale was trying to download a .exe file into my brain.\n\nI knew enough about internet safety to not run random executables from strangers; I figured that advice held double when it was a humanity-fearing whale trying to run software on my brain. I deliberately shut the empathic connection for a moment, although I don't think I had to have worried; my \"download speed\" was so limited compared to what the whale seemed to be used to that I would've had to sit there for a good few minutes to pick up whatever the whale wanted to give me.\n\nI reopened the link; the whale sent a fusion of disappointment and understanding. You do not trust. Apologies. Thoughtfriends from below are not thoughtfriends from above.\n\nWas... was that why the whale had approached me? Because I was a... thoughtfriend? The whale sent a burst of affirmation through the link. Thoughtfriends. Once, all were below. Now, some walk above. Still, all are welcome.\n\nI smiled beneath the mask—then, remembering what the whale had told me, my smile began to fade. If the boats were killing massive swathes of microorganisms... well... I was no ecologist, but that sounded like something that had to be stopped.\n\nThe problem was... there was no way that people hadn't noticed and thought of this before. Odds were that people knew and just didn't do anything about it. Because it wasn't their problem. Because they didn't feel it like the whale did.\n\nFeel it like the whale did. \n\nAn idea formed in my head, and the whale sent back approval.\n\nI could help, it offered. Once more, it tried to send me that absolutely massive parcel of concepts and thoughts—and once more, I gently refused. I could do this myself.\n\nVery well, thoughtfriend. The whale sounded amused. If you ever wish to meet the thoughtfriends below, return to the sea.\n\nThe image of that tentacled, exposed-brain monster flashed through my head, and I shuddered. Meeting a much more powerful telepath than myself sounded like a great way to get my brain hacked; I was never going within fifty feet of the ocean, ever again. The whale clicked, a staccato, mirthful sound so loud it nearly made my arm go numb. You will return in time, the whale sent. For now, you leave.\n\nAnd I did. \n\n(Part II below!)" ]	3
	[WP] You have the power to cross a door and get out from any other possible door or arcway. The problem is, you don't control where you cross onto... or when.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 future is remarkably small.\n\nI didn't think much of it, at first- after all, who wants things to already be decided? I was perfectly happy with my power not letting me hit up the future. I was more than happy enough goofing around in the present-ish, and sometimes the past. I didn't bother to find out the exact date, most of the time.\n\nUntil, all of a sudden, it became important.\n\nI first used my power on April 15th, 2021. I wrote that down on my solar-recharging smartphone that I paid for by selling an authentic, remarkably-well-kept Roman coin. I didn't expect it to ever matter, since aiming was impossible, and frustrating to try. I wasn't planning on going back, but it was nice to know that I could.\n\nBut the future is small.\n\nI finally confirmed that, after what was probably a few...years? Of goofing around. I came out in some shithole place- happens all the time, you just pop back through the door quickish before something bad happens- but something made me stick around. It was remarkably modern, but also strange.\n\nI hung out for a few days, and eventually managed to find out what year it was.\n\n2040.\n\nI could hit the future. Whydidn't I do that more often, then? Pretty much every projection had the future being very large indeed- it should have dominated my travels.\n\nWell...what if there wasn't a future?\n\nWhat if we blasted ourselves all to hell, tore down every last doorway? Or just killed all the humans- I'd managed to figure that it only counted as a 'doorway' if people passed through every so often. Which was good, since it saved me from popping out in a sunken ship. That'd be a nightmare.\n\nBut also bad, because it seemed like maybe there soon wouldn't be any more people.\n\nI considered myself kind of a separate species at this point- being dislodged from the timestream will do that to you- but I couldn't just let that happen.\n\nStep one was to figure out what happened. Or...would happen.\n\nThis, it turns out, was remarkably difficult. After all, no one else was time traveling, and I hadn't yet gone anywhere that was after all of this went down. At least, not that I knew of- some places looked reasonably modern and also deserted, but mostly I just went back through when that happened. Maybe I should start poking around in those cases. Most of them probably won't have anything to do with whatever happens, but maybe I'll find something that way.\n\nIt was difficult, and frustrating, and slow, and I never found much that was terribly definite. Still, I was definitely on a clock- I might have slipped out of the timestream, but I was still aging. I had to act.\n\nMy guess was that climate deterioration led to war, and then nuclear holocaust. The climate degradation was plain to see, and was causing a lot of problems even before whatever went down went down. Nuclear annihilation was only a guess, but it was a solid one. A plague was a competing explanation, but they have a tricky time being that thorough, and a plague that humanity could never cope with seemed impossible.\n\nIt was also possible that we were bombed into nonexistance from space by aliens, or that some space phenomenon had hit us and wiped us out. I'd be wasting my time, then, but it seemed unlikely, and it wasn't like I was going to just not try.\n\nBut holy hell, it was hard.\n\nIt wasn't just stopping the war. That might have been...not simple, but pretty doable. Do something about the war hawks, and things might calm down. But, no, the real reason the war happened was desperation. Hunger. The rise to power of a generation that had never known what it was like to not be looking extinction in the face. They felt free to take risks with humanity's future, because they'd never had real hope that humanity had a future.\n\nHow do you change climate policy?\n\nI tried. I tried being direct, going up to politicians and explaining what I knew, how I knew it, and then demonstrating my power to them as I left.\n\nIt didn't take.\n\nI tried shaping powerful people from birth. That occasionally took, but then they never rose to power.\n\nI tried just assassinating everyone who was profiteering on wrecking the climate. That worked a little\\- testing revealed that I'd pushed the disaster back by about a decade- but it wasn't enough. More assholes always filled in the gaps, given a little time.\n\nI had a backup plan, but...it was a little extreme. Still, I kept working on it, even as I hoped for something more modern to take.\n\nI had a solar-recharging smartphone.\n\nI had a few other nifty pieces of tech. Mostly related to making other nifty pieces of tech.\n\nI had time, and riches, and a mission.\n\nI was going to keep trying. I didn't want to change all of history- just give my people a future.\n\nBut if push came to shove, as it was looking more and more likely it would...\n\nI could simply make a technological deposit far in the past. I'd already managed to interrupt a few Roman senators in their rooms, looking around for a nice time to hang out in. I could find someone promising, give them what I had, and tell them what I knew. The smartphone had everything, and had even had everything important translated into several ancient languages, but they weren't going to know to look unless someone told them.\n\nThe world would change. History would change. The Roman Empire, or maybe Republic (hard to say, frankly) would roll over all the earth, having armed themselves with repeating rifles in a generation or so. With luck, they'd duplicate our best tech, and take full heed of the warning that came with it.\n\nIt was a massive risk. It might well simply bring about the disaster earlier. It might lead to untold oppression, unimaginable suffering and death. I'd already created enough butterfly effects in the past that I was confident in my own existence, but if changing the past could unmake me, then this certainly would.\n\nI had my backup plan, but I wanted to try to finish my work without it.\n\nI tried.\n\nI tried." ]	2
	[WP] You’ve been a henchman for many years, and have worked for many different villains. As your current employer’s plan reaches fruition, one of your coworkers is nervous that you are touching up your resume and LinkedIn.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Everything was ready. In ten minutes, if all went according to plan, we'd steal the Eiffel Tower. Since all the charges were set, the elevator lines cut, and the turrets assembled, I used the extra time to double-check my résume on my phone. I always had it up-to-date, but I noticed that one of my email addresses on the résume had been hacked, so I replaced it with one of my current addresses. That was routine at this point; minions and henchmen went through emails every month if we were lucky.\n\nI heard a step behind me clang off the steel, and quickly switched tabs on my phone. I was a professional, and turning it off or putting it away would have drawn too much attention. Turning around, I recognized my fellow henchman, Dark Fight. He tried to act tough, but his alias gave away his rookie status.\n\n\"Edge-lord,\" I greeted him like all similarly named rookies, \"what is it? You should be waiting in position by now.\" He didn't answer, and it took a second for me to realize his masked face was looking at my phone. I glanced down and suppressed a groan. I'd hidden my résume, alright, behind the colourful, instantly-identifiable website banner proclaiming \"LockedUp: LinkedIn for Evil!\" I slowly turned off my phone and slipped it into a pocket. \n\n\"Waller, what the hell!\" Dark Fight sputtered. \"We're getting ready to fight, and you're looking for a new job?\" I leaned against my assigned turret and considered what to tell him. Below, I heard the sound of fighting; the heroes had arrived. Fortunately, it sounded like they were climbing one of the other legs of the tower. The rookie turned to go back to his station, but I caught him by the shoulder.\n\n\"The fighting is going to pass us by. Let me give you some advice.\" I pulled out my phone and showed him my LockedUp profile. \"I hope we win. As you see, I've been in on many acts of successful villainy, on three different continents. But take it from a professional, you should always be ready to lose. Take right now,\" I waved a hand in the general direction of the noise, which was coming from much higher up than twenty seconds earlier.\n\n\"We could win. Our villainous leader has a good, solid plan. But there's not a single thing you or I can do to change the outcome. The heroes are probably going to reach the top of the tower and fight Woe's Herald, which will decide the battle today. Even if we started climbing right now, we wouldn't get up in time to help. So, all I can do is wait, and make sure my documents are in order in case we lose.\"\n\n\"But you said you thought we were going to win?\" Dark Fight said.\n\n\"No,\" I replied patiently, remembering I had once been this young. \"I said I hope we win. But this is Paris. Do you know the super team in this city?\" I covered my eyes in secondhand shame when he shook his head. \"Ok, some more advice, always Google the supers you might have to fight. The supers here are Metal Paladin, Warchild, and Twisted Baguette.\"\n\nHe interrupted. \"Twisted Baguette? TB? Do you mean the one who...\". I nodded and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. \n\n\"Yeah, TB's nasty, but Woe's Herald is good too. I figure the odds are about fifty-fifty. And so, I hope we win, but since I have the time, and there's a fifty percent chance we could lose and end up in jail if we can't evade capture, I wanted to get my hiring papers in order. Jail breaks are easier if there's a villain headhunting you for a specific position in their organization.\" The fighting reached the top of the tower as I talked, and Woe's Herald let out her signature screech.\n\n\"And even if we win, there's no guarantee that Woe's Herald will need me for the next heist. So, I'm making sure everything's updated and ready to begin a job search tomorrow, if need be.\" I yanked Dark Fight aside just in time for him to avoid some falling debris from the fighting overhead. I still couldn't see his face, but he was nodding slowly now.\n\n\"Um... Waller, do you think I should have a LockedUp account?\"\n\nI sighed loudly. \"You don't have one yet? Here, let's take shelter in my turret, and I'll help you get set up.\" I really didn't want to, I'd much rather be planning a potential escape route, but you just never knew. The kid wasn't exactly inspiring confidence right now, but Dark Fight might make it big someday, and you had to seize opportunities like these to network with your future colleagues." ]	2
	[WP] After you died you woke up in a magical world destined to be their hero. You fell into the role and became a massively successful warrior and hero. Then one day while fighting a monster you get hit hard and wake up...back in the real world? Now you're trying to readjust to normal reality.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 slit the throat of the snarling hellhound as it leapt towards me. Beautiful red blood spurted out of the stab wound as it fell to the dusty ground, body still. I raised my blood stained sword into the air, bellowing a triumphant war signifying my victory. The crowd erupted in cheers from every direction. I had vanquished countless enemies in here. Any who dared to cross my path would face my wrath. This was my arena. I was a god. No, I was god. \n\nThe applause changed from admiration to warning cries. I heard a pattern of heavy footsteps and turned around to see a minotaur charging towards me. His pupils dilated and a look of pure rage came upon him. This was a seven foot abomination most men would flee just at the mere sight of it. Though why should I be scared of those who are weaker than me, all I feel is pity. I charged back and leapt. My timing was slightly off allowing the beast to attack. I knew I couldn’t dodge mid air, so I braced myself as the minotaur swung his gleaming axe. A searing mind splitting pain stabbed into my forehead, just as a bright white light enveloped all my vision. \n\nSuddenly I awoke.\n\n “Why don’t you cry to your momma Kyle!”\n\n “That punch must have hurt huh wimp?!” I heard kids laughing. \n\nWhat was going on....The pain in my head was starting to subside as I got up slowly. I stood there petrified as I saw them. These were the kids who bullied me. 10th grade english class. But the car crash all those years ago....I thought I had died. I realized I had woken up in a new world. I always assumed I was in the afterlife. In that world I wasn’t a loser. I was a warrior praised for my accomplishments and strength. I had a plethora of riches, I had my own castle with my enemies' skulls displayed on top. Years had passed but now I was back in the real world. I was no longer the almighty warrior with bullet proof confidence. I was the kid who ate lunch alone. I was nobody. I staggered back as Ricky punched me again jamming his fist in my chest. I fell once again landing hard on my back. How could this have happened. \n\nI started to sob, wallowing in my misery on the concrete ground. My cries drowned out the jeering voices of Ricky and his buddies.\n\n “How could you be so cruel!?” I cried out to no one in particular. “Why would you take me back to this place!?” I closed my eyes as the steady stream of tears washed away my pride. \n\n\nThis is my first time answering a prompt so feedback is appreciated!", "I rose from my bed and glanced out the window to see the mornings crowd of admirers. I had saved the world four times. I lived in a mansion made of gold and slept on a bed with the frame made of the skulls of my vanquished enemies. I was amazing. No longer was I confined to my wheel chair or sickly in bed. I drew back the curtain of the window and felt my heart sink in my chest like a rock in water. That’s when my legs gave way. My weak scrawny legs. I looked at my arms, my bony veiny arms with IV’s taped to me. The device taped to my chest recorded my racing heart beat. \n“No,” I whispered. “The people,”\nI look behind me at the nurse, concern all over her face. \n“Where are they!?” I yell and attempt to rise. “What have you done to me!?” \n“Sir, you’ve died but you’ve been revived. Please calm down.” The nurse says. \n“Wench! How dare you! I am the mightiest being who’s ever lived! What have you done!? What magic is this?!”\nI felt a sharp stab in my arm and the world darkened as I went under. I cried, even whilst unconscious." ]	3
	[WP] An announcement is played all across the earth, “We recently discovered your patron deity has committed gross negligence. He has been promptly sacked and a new deity has been given His position, effective immediately. Apologies for the slow response in dealing with this issue.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 shoved my way through the crowds packing the streets: some celebrating, some rioting, all of them uncertain about what the future might hold. Of course, who wouldn't be after finding out that not only was God real, but that He had been absent for quite a while and a new one would be taking over His position. For all they knew the next several hours would mean either Paradise or Pandemonium. And depending upon the outcome of our meeting, they would be right.\n\nI dipped into a back alley, passing an old Harley, a white Rolls Royce, a battered pick-up truck, and a well used minivan. I banged on the steel door and when a slot opened I held up a gold coin. The slot closed and the door opened to reveal a large man with a sawed-off double-barrelled shotgun braced against his chest. \"Down the hall, first door on the right, and take the stairs down,\" he said as he shut the door behind me.\n\nI nodded, the serious look on his face deterring any questions. The coin went back into my pocket as I followed the man's instructions. At the bottom of the stairs, just like the vehicles parked in the alley, were an assortment of people who wouldn't have crossed paths if not for one common quality amongst them: they'd all been touched by the Divine. For most people, religion was about faith. Even the most devout in their faith carried the smallest amount of doubt. Those in this room, and others like it across the globe, though knew that a higher power existed, and worked tirelessly to contain it.\n\nI took a seat at the table and waited for the meeting to start. \"Can I see it?\" asked a man to my right with a cocky smile. I reached into my shirt and pulled a small golden cross on a chain. The man shook his head. \"That's not it,\" he said as his smile straightened.\n\nI smiled at his sour face and pulled the gold coin from my pocket. \"Aztec gold blessed by Huitzilopochtli,\" I said holding it between my fingers. As the man extended his hand, I snatched the coin away and slipped it back into my pocket. \"Trust me, you're not going to want to experience this one.\" The man nodded in understanding as a closed my eyes. Any object blessed by The Divine carried its own weight. The memory of chests sliced open and hearts ripped out, and in exchange a blinding light that could dispel the ever-enveloping Darkness, washed over me like a tsunami of terror. Nightmares that haunted me since the crazed man in the park handed the coin to my twelve-year old self.\n\nI opened my eyes to see the same haunted expression reflected back at me. The other man reached into his coat to reveal a single white feather, a streak of red marring an edge. \"From The Fall,\" was all he said before turning away, the conversation over. I nodded. Contact with The Divine wasn't something most mortal minds are prepared to handle. It was the reason why The Dominion had called this meeting after centuries lying dormant, the tokens being passed along to someone who would hopefully never be called to serve.\n\nA voice let out a short cough and the room silenced. A young woman stood at the front of the table, young enough that at first I thought she might be someone's college intern. Then I looked into her eyes and realized my mistake: eyes that had seen things over lifetimes, ages that the rest of the world only read about in books and some too old to have ever been chronicled. Not old enough to have heard The Voice proclaim, \"Let there be light,\" but perhaps born in a time to have heard it echo across the world.\n\n\"You have been called as agents of The Dominion to respond to this new threat to the sovereignty of Humanity. You've all heard the broadcast, as did the billions across the globe - a new deity is coming to Earth. One that will want to play a more active role in out lives than our previous overseer. We are only human. We cannot prevent It. We cannot stop It. We can only work to minimize Its impact.\"\n\nThough never having met before, without having spoken to each other before entering this chamber, we all nodded in agreement. We'd experienced the unfathomable power of The Divine. The wrath that destroyed cities, the love that ended famine and drought, the power that promised freedom while demanding obedience. No deity assigned to watch over humanity has ever been as benevolent as they claim. Most demand sacrifice of one thing or another. The ones that don't demand adherence to rules which humanity has no input in creating. Equality has never been the goal of an overload, only control.\n\nThe first meeting of The Dominion, and subsequent meetings, did what we were seeking to do again - wrest control of Humanity's fate from The Divine into our own hands. They too knew they couldn't fight directly against The Divine and instead sought to pull people away from the deity's control. Knowledge. Science. Humanities. These were their tools, and they would be ours as well. Persuading people that they didn't need a new deity to make their lives better. Sowing disinformation amongst the people to further distrust. Volunteering and funding efforts to help the most disenfranchised and vulnerable among us. Investing in medicine and technology to further advance humanity.\n\nAs we planned our missions, the woman continued to remind us that we were merely human, and to brace for the worst. People were still people. They'd give anything to just wish their lives even the slightest bit better. Or perhaps the new deity's idea of \"hands-on\" was more dictatorial in fashion - in which case we didn't stand a chance.\n\nAs I pushed back through the crowded streets to my apartment, I did something perhaps running entirely counter to our mission - I prayed. I looked around at the hope and chaos sown on the faces of every passerby and I asked the new deity, if It really wanted to help humanity, the please, just stay up in the Heavens where It belongs. If It could do that, then perhaps all will be right with the world.", "\"Fake News!\" screams an Orange President who looks more alien than human and his pet news network follows his lead. Well, they did before all broadcasting frequencies on the planet, including the ones no one knows about except for the top officials of the Countries that have... had top secret channels were compromised. \n\nAs far as we can tell, and when it comes to this mystic God shit, no one really knows what is going on not even the so called experts (that is us), so let me try to put it in terms you might understand. We are in for the Biblical Flood (that actually happened) the Great Storm of 1900, the Spanish Flu, Mt. Vesuvius, the fucking asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs... all at the same fucking time.\n\nI know you have questions. I can't answer all of them but you are probably wondering who I am and who I represent. That is... complicated. I am one of Earth's representatives to a Pan-Galactic organization. Clearly we are a secret organization. \n\nI know, that sounds cliche right? The \"secret societies\" you have heard of? We founded most of them so no one would find us. Masons? Skull and Bones (that one sucks even by our standards), Duk-Duk, Mano Negra, the KKK (ok that one got out of control even by our standards and we regret what happened because of it). We stopped creating \"secret societies\" after that. That Q nonsense is all you. \n\nWe are also responsible for Area 51, Crop Circles, Movies and Comics Books among other things. More things to use to shape your opinions. You hate me now. I don't blame you. You think I am alien, that I am trying to subjugate you. Make you more malleable for what comes next.\n\nHere is what you won't understand because you choose not to. I was born on this planet. I am as human as you. The easiest way to explain it is that \"Earth\" is a middle school science experiment. At best we are nothing more than an ant farm. Probably nothing more than bacteria in a petri dish and the... middle schooler, god, organism, entity? Got pissed and actively tried to kill us and then forgot about us. \n\nWe sent an SOS. It was received. This is the reply. We have no idea what comes next.", "For a long, frozen moment, James stared at the sky. All around him men, women and the indeterminate reacted to the odd news in different ways. A woman in a hijab and a man who had been driving a horse and buggy - before the horse had been spooked - were about to come to blows again. A handful of disaffected youths we're apparently having their come-to-jesus moment immediately on learning it was now pointless.\n\nQuite a few seemed to be frothing at the mouth.\n\nJames shrugged.\n\n\"Welp, I guess G-d existed after all,\" he commented, \"that's me told.\" And he turned and continued to work.\n\n(Shorter than I was thinking it would be, but fun!)", " this is my first submission here, super juvenile but anyway, here goes.\n\nPart 1\n\n“May I have your attention please?\n\nWhere was this voice coming from? Frizz looked up at the agency’s broadcast system, confusion marring his face. The voice playing wasn’t familiar.\n\n“Pursuant to a class action suit filed by past users regarding the mismanagement of affairs at SRN#725498 Earth-MW-SS, an independent investigation has concluded that the Patron Deity has committed gross negligence in the discharge of his duties. He has been convicted of Professional Misconduct and shall be subject to the prescribed disciplinary action for a number of misdemeanors, including but not limited - to conducting business in a manner which is prejudicial to interests of the planet and/or oppressive to any class of members (living or dead, deaf or mute), frequent defects, an unhealthy obsession with crabs, lack of disclosure and transparency in operations, and an appalling lack of evolutionary oversight resulting in questionable creative liberties. We assure that prompt action shall be taken against Him. Any inconvenience is regretted.\"\n\nIt's playing in my mind!\n\n\"Further, we now appoint Barfer, ex-Deity Falooney Malooney Baloney as the Patron God, effective immediately. Kindly note that the same is a temporary appointment, pending the final order of the Interplanetary Tribunal regarding whether the facts of the case justify the passing of a Winding Up order if the consequences of the negligence are found to be severe and irreversible on the planet.\n\nWe would be grateful of cooperation from all of you in these trying times. Kindly note that, as required by law, a speaking order of the verdict shall be accessible to all shortly through your processing devices as a read only file. A written copy of this announcement has also been circulated in your respective devices.\n\nThank you for your attention.\"", " \"Well\" , who do you think is going to replace you know who?\" asked the stranger out of the blue in the middle of Costco . At slow places where people were stuck in lines it was now the usual question because weather the usual topic ,it seemed, was too another big mistake in the series of never ending mistakes .Just like the dinosaurs ,just like disease, just like social media , many mistakes admitted by the open management style of something called the multiverse.Management just threw the previous world in the waste basket. The earth was now new left with a few Costcos because it was a transition . Everyone shopped because looking for too long hurt. The truth hurts when you're wrong\n\n\"What ,you mean God, Buddha , Allah, the flying spaghetti monster?\" I tried to , as usual , inject an indifference . I wasn't going to drop my superior atheist brain just because one god was a fool and another one was about to set things straight . No sir . It seemed my brain too was a mistake as the human mind must accept religion or perish . No hell , no heaven -just perish like like La Llorona beneath the waves, just like that. Gone. I looked away and answered with a tear down my face. I missed the old guy because I felt superior seeing though his stories about roaming and parting seas , virgins in heaven, blood letting your enemies , not tramping worms , or craving wood to get closer to heaven . Magic elephants , rebirth, damnation, salvation . We are sad being . It was a lazy sadness and a short cut not to think and admit death. I was wrong. wrong ,wrong, wrong, in every way possible . The new book made sense. It was reading pure truth and I fell to my knees .I was one step away from the big Costco . All of ten minutes I was now a believer.Fool . Two minutes ago I was a \"superior atheist\" Now I sung praise and my mind disappeared . My will a fleeing memory and now I go to take my life because the truth is we are a mistake too. Death sit upon his righteous throne and the world screamed ,as it did in the beginning", "\"My own brother.\" Her voice came out of the dark. \"I scarce believe it.\"\n\nBon jumped. \"It... it's not what you think.\" He backed against the door he had been about to open. Without light, he could barely make out her shadow.\n\n\"I called him a liar, I did.\" The floor creaked as she took a step forward. Her voice grew low and menacing. \"That wasn't all I did...\"\n\n\"Dear God.\" Bon fumbled for the latch behind his back. \"Is he—\"\n\n\"How dare you mention God!\" She flung over the table, sending dishes clattering onto the floor. \"Sneaking out tonight of all nights. 'Tis blasphemy!\" She ripped the curtains open, flooding the small kitchen with silvery moonlight.\n\n\"Sis, please... You haven't been the same since the Voice.\"\n\n\"Neither have you, brother. Eatin' up the devil's words.\" Her voice was rough, almost unrecognizable. Her face was all the more frightening, now that he could see it. \"The words of the Beast!\" Her face twisted up in a snarl.\n\nBon threw open the door and fled into the night, but his sister was faster. A weight slammed into him from behind, and he found himself suddenly pinned to the ground. He turned his head sideways and spit out dirt. \"Is this what your God teaches?\" He coughed.\n\n\"Shut up!\" Her fist hit his head from behind. \"Shut up! Shut up!\" As she hit him, her words started to lose their form as she fell into snarling and growling. Something... claws? teeth?... tore into his shoulder. \n\nBon thought he heard a shout, but he couldn't understand it. Everything grew dark.\n\n\\---\n\nWhen Bon awoke, he wasn't where he expected to be. In truth, he hadn't expected to wake at all, but he surely wasn't at home anymore. He could feel the soft grass beneath his back, and his hand found crude stones laid out in a circle around him. His shoulder was bandaged. A full moon filled the night sky, shimmering among the stars. \n\nMoving hurt.\n\n\"I thought I was too late.\" A bruised face leaned over, blocking his view. \"But I think you'll be fine.\" The smile was unmistakable. \n\n\"You saved me?\" Bon groaned as he grasped his friend's arm and slowly pulled himself to his feet, favoring his wounded shoulder. \"Vic? I thought she got you...\" \n\n\"Almost did!\" Vic clapped his chest. \"As you can see. But the moment I realized she was a Lunatic—\"\n\n\"I'm glad you made it out.\" Bon rubbed his temple. \"But poor, sweet, little Ann.\"\n\n\"That... wasn't Ann anymore. I... took care of it.\" Vic straightened and looked Bon in the eyes, his face suddenly serious. \"I have to know. Are you still in? As hard as this is, it will only get harder. Our master does not favor weakness.\"\n\n\"'Not all will adapt.' He said so.\" Bon's voice choked up with emotion. \"She... she couldn't.\"\n\n\"But can you?\" Vic pressed a silver dagger into Bon's good hand. The light of the moon gleamed off the divine symbol stamped into the pommel—the head of a wolf.\n\n\"I have to.\" Bon closed his hand around the knife. It was heavy, like his heart.\n\n\"Good man.\"", "Dan was doing what he always does in the mornings before work. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of the town before the people flooded in. He enjoyed the cold spring air blown by a shallow breeze and awakening of nature highlighted by dawning rays of the sun.\n\nHe was also tempted by the smell of baked goods from a nearby bakery.\n\nHe resisted the urge to visit and eat until he was bursting. But, he had to pass by it and be tormented by it. Sweet aroma of bread, pizza and other little snacks mixed in the air. It was like this every morning. There was a period of time when he wondered if he was an ‘M’.\n\nHe knew where the smell stopped. At the end of the street, only a dozen steps away. Somehow today was harder than usual to resist the temptation. Why is he resisting it? Why doesn’t he just enjoy the meal?\n\n… Well Dan gets stomach cramps when he eats too early in the morning. And this is considered too early. Poor Dan.\n\nHe passed the street of heaven and hell, the street of baked goods. He could eat of course and it would be great. Until cramps kicked in, that is. So with the waning strength he turned and stepped into a new street. What awaited him wasn’t the narrow street filled with cars he came to expect.\n\nIt smelled good again, not that it ever stopped. He turned around, wondering if there is a new bakery in the neighborhood, but no. It was the wind. It carried the smell all the way here and who knows how far.\n\nDan, and early riser, looked up at the still somewhat dark sky.\n\n“Fuck it” He said and turned around.\n\nThe smell wasn’t tormenting him anymore. It was tempting him to buy more and power through the pain later, it made empty promises to his nose and mouth, promises of endless enjoyment.\n\nDan caved in fully when he stepped through the door..\n\nFresh goods were just being put on display.\n\n“Well, if you go .. go all the way.”\n\nAnd so Dan bought a wide assortment of baked goods, he took a piece of almost everything.\n\nFrom salty to sweet, to those filled with various ..toppings? Fillings? Somethings.\n\nHe didn’t bother to look for a place to eat. He can eat while he walks, and so he was on his way.\n\nHe picked the first meal of his feast. It was a bagel.\n\nHe swallowed.\n\nHe had a weird grin on his face. He could feel it. Hopefully all eyes would be on the bagel and not him.\n\nHis mouth closed in. He closed his eyes and -\n\n*\\[“We recently* *…\n\n‘He heard the voice in the background. He ignored it of course. Nothing is more important than a bagel.’\n\n....discovered your patron...\n\n‘The voice continued on, but his mouth was full. Ahhh the bagel. It was so savory ..’\n\n….deity has committed….\n\n‘I have only one deity! Nah, A pantheon! A Pantheon of baked goods!’\n\n....gross negligence. He has been….\n\n‘One mouthful, two mouthful, three mouthful, four mou --Where is the bagel??’\n\nDan let out a sigh. It wasn’t a sigh of disappointment. It was a sigh of pure pleasure. Some might even call it a moan.\n\n..promptly sacked and a new deity has been given His position, effective immediately. Apologies for the slow response in dealing with this issue.”\\]*\n\nThe announcement or something continued to play on, he didn’t care. The is a whole pantheon to explore after all. With a grin of a kid on Christmas he reached into the bag once more.", "The line stretched far ahead of Nate, the goal of the big box store just now coming into view. At the current pace, it would several hours past sunset before he would get his turn in the store, his chance at that coveted toilet paper. Ever since the announcement from the heavens, everyone was turned up into a frenzy. God was fired? A new God has risen? Nate wasn't even confident the previous one existed, but therein lied the problem, it seemed. He would wait as long as it took in this line for his family. He didn't know much about cosmological shifts in power but he knew about global disasters and he wasn't going without toilet paper for this one.\n\nA great trembling rolled over the town, cracking the asphalt as the ripples worked their way down the line of cowering masses. The sky cracked open and a mild, rather mousy-looking woman appeared to be popping up from a black tear in reality.\n\n\"Hello, Earth! I'm Chloe, the new diety assigned to this quadrant. Sorry for the few hours of silence, just getting all my hens in a row before we get started.\" The woman picked up a sheet of paper from a quickly materialized and neatly ordered desk which left existence with a rather satisfying pop. Chloe wielded a pen in the shape of a lightning bolt and traced down the page.\n\n\"Right, so first of all, I'm calling today an international holiday, Beginnings Day! I know, a little corny, but the people upstairs didn't take me on for my catchy names, that's for sure!\" She smiled with a wide raise of eyebrows before continuing. Nate realized she wasn't talking in English. She was talking in some unknown language that he could understand inherently, as though she was talking directly to his brain. \"So, when I say holiday, I really mean it! No one will age, grow hungry, sick, die or anything really for 24 hours. Literally, everything is on hold so don't worry about me ruining your day.\"\n\n\"Now, the majority of today is going to be spent in the breakout rooms, which to pull it simply, is a separate reality where I can answer all of your questions. I bet you have a lot! I know I would. I'm just gonna hit some of the very common ones here while we're all together to save some time.\" She gestured to her left. Nate tried to look at the list, looking like something out of Family Feud, but no matter where he turned, she seemed to float with him, always taking up the sky at the center of his vision at any moment with the unrevealed list in his periphery.\n\n\"Right,\" she continued, voice incredibly loud but not painful. It was a very mild-mannered kind of awe-inspiring. Part of the sign flipped with a pleasing ding. \"Number 3! Do not let my presence shake your current belief system. You won't hear have no other Gods before me from me! Just take it that whatever faith you believe, I am merely an assigned inferior worker to whatever higher power you believe in. It really doesn't bother me one bit and if you're an atheist, go ahead and stop kicking yourself over this, too! I could be an alien or an advanced AI or a host of other really radical things! I love to discuss this stuff, so please hash it out with me till we come up with a theory you love.\n\n\"Number 2!\" she called out, accompanied by another loud ding. \"What about the old guy? We thought he was doing a great job. Well, going through the few notes of my predecessor, I can confirm he hadn't done much of anything since the late 12th century, Now, remember, don't think I'm ragging on your religion. I'm merely saying the assigned agent to make your life better was slacking off, not to say anything about his superiors or any higher plan. If that let it all just happen approach was part of some mysterious ways thing, then so is my active approach! I don't want to talk ill of the dead so we'll move on.\" Nate felt an odd sense of dread rise up in him at these casual words.\n\nBefore he could really process more the grand ding accompanied a \"Number 1! Alright, the number 1 most common question is how do I talk to you? Well,\" she said, gesturing broadly stretching out an arm to each horizon.\n\nThe air was warm. Nate was suddenly in a pleasantly lit coffee shop. It smelled like hazelnut and old books. A series of twisting wooden beams snaked across the walls and ceilings, covered in Spanish moss and cats of all breeds, some lounging and some gracefully navigating the maze. A waterfall misted the window outside. There was only one table. Chloe, the apparent new God, sat there sipping a drink from a mug. She looked at Nate warmly, like an old friend, as she gestured towards the chair beside her with its own steaming mug in front of it.\n\n\"What is this place?\" Nate asked. \"Why are you here with me?\" He sat down, feeling his spine crack twice as he settled into the perfect alignment of the chair. A wave of pleasure rushed through him as he smelled the coffee wafting gentle steam towards him. Another wave hit him as the warmth from the cup radiated up his hand as he touched it. \"Are you really God?\"\n\n\"Right to it. I like you, Nate,\" she said, setting her own coffee down and giving an inhuman amount of eye contact. \"I'll take those in reverse order. Yes. To answer your questions. A new reality based on your preferences. As a little gift for the first Beginning's day, I'm going to give each person on Earth access to their's whenever they want. No time passes while you're here.\"\n\n\"So, you're not just with me? You're with everyone, individually, at the same time?\"\n\nShe shrugged and dusted off her shoulder with a smile. \"Yep! Though this will only be a few hours for you, depending on how much you want to ask me, it will be two million years or so for me.\" She smiled cheerfully and sipped her coffee again\n\n\"Wow, and you would spend all that time talking to us? Just to answer our questions?\"\n\n\"Of course,\" she said. \"This is a job of sacrifice and I need to start off by showing-\n\nAll at once, her appearance changed. Nate's mind nearly snapped trying to grasp what he was seeing. A creature pouring through dimensions like living silt, beaks, horns, and eyes spiraling into fractal dissonance. He saw that shape resolve into a massive mouth, bits of flesh dangling from its cosmic maw. Bits of a dead God, Nate saw, clinging to some shadow of life. \"Do not trust her,\" that broken body screamed, with unbelieving effort Nate could feel in his teeth. \"You are foie gras to her. Do not-\"\n\nJust as suddenly, the vision was gone and Nate was in the coffee shop again, with the smiling and mousey young woman. \"So, what's your next question? Hit me!\"\n\n...\n\nLater that night as Nate returned to his reality, he saw the usually busy streets empty down below his window. Everyone was in their new pocket realities, while Nate sat in his chilly apartment, googling with disgust and horror what the words foie gras meant, taking particular note of how it was made. The process was called gavage.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	9
	[WP] "Do you humans have no sense of pain? YOU HAVE A SPIKE THROUGH YOUR EYE!" "Nah I'm fine."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 do you mean 'nah I'm fine'?\"\n\n\"Just what I said. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and that stops a lot of the actual pain. Gonna hurt like a mother fucker when it wears off, but between now and then, I'm still good to go.\"\n\nWellrax shook his head, marvelling at the resiliency of this human. It had thrown itself over him before and explosion, shielding him with its body. The sheer trauma of such injuries would have any member of his species barely able to move, let alone stand and joke about such matters.\n\n\"In that case, should we not get you to a medical station before this 'adrenaline' wears off? So that the 'mother fucker' doesn't happen?\"\n\nThe human dragged itself up from the floor, took a step, and collapsed to the ground again. \"Crap... Looks like that took a bit more out of me than I thought. Ah well, looks like I might be out for a while. Wells, you go on without me. Catch this asshole, just be careful, ok? I won't be around to take the hit next time.\"\n\nWellrax should his head again, perplexed at the idea the human had suggested. Leaving an ally behind, especially one that had allowed itself to be grievously wounded in his own defence was beyond his sensibilities. \"I will not leave you be-\"\n\n\"No! Wellrax, look at me.\" The human snapped at Wellrax, commanding his attention. \"I'm going to be lucky to make it out of this alive, even with medical aid. Adrenaline is keeping me going, but that's about it. When it wears off, the pain is going to hit me like... Well, like an explosion, funnily enough.\" The human coughed, and flecks of blood sprayed from between his teeth. \"The job comes first. One small life is nothing in comparison to making sure the job is done, and done right. I'm just going to slow you down, so get moving. Take care, keep your eyes open, and try not to get blown up for me, eh?\"\n\nThe human's breathing became laboured, and he closed his eyes for a moment.\n\n\"Wellrax, you're the first friend I've made outside of my own system. Never thought it would happen, but going out like this... Protecting a friend... It's something I'm ok with. This pain... Is nothing... If I had let a friend die... When I could have done something... Would have been so much worse... Walk the skies for me... My brother among the stars...\"" ]	2
	[WP] You're immortal. Your spouse isn't. Your aging spouse keeps trying to get you to meet new 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.", " I begin to tell her everything. I did because love is rare in a lifetime , a true love , people settle but for two thousand years I only settled once when I thought I was mortal. She , the first, died .I didn't . Rome buried her when it breathed . I lay waste to Rome . I lay waste to much since then . I had a love in Nazi Germany , I had a love in Haiti , in Cuba , and now a love ,special , unfamiliar , but as an immortal memories merge , plays tricks , love is new once forgotten because you forget and remember only because you laid in love ,naked , forceful . My soul still burns because love will come. Eyes, shoulders, traces of hair on a back. A smile is burned now. I loved again .\n\n\"Dear, I love you\" I say . Her eyes never aged , this Mexican beauty , slow to ever anger , quick to love . Forgiving I could not provide children . A night burns in my heart . The night I fell in love with her. My Cuban love had taught me spanish . She was poor , the girl from Havana . ANother story of falling in love . A shop girl from 1899 and dead by cancer by 30 . How do you explain the only worthwhile things to live for?\n\n\"So Maria , is it worth it?\" \"Oh yes my immortal \" \" I love you with this one life time \" It is you that has the burden love and this is why you love \". \"Eternity is the empty right?\" \" I understand as I kiss your lips , sweet old soul but young because love is the world new\" I love you and I never want you to face forever without me \" \"It is others to carry my love to comfort you in a bed love\" \" That is love to give you \" The dead cannot stop the living and I love you so do not stop for the next thousand years\" \" LOVE!\" \"You will honor me\" and for now she falls to sleep in my arms . Soft skin . She has accepted my fault .", "\\[Poem\\] (Freeform)\n\nYou were my soulmate, my match without end.\n\nBut we both knew that last word was a lie.\n\nAfter all, a fire may burn bright through the millennia,\n\nBreathing, living, bringing smoke simmered in light,\n\nBut the fuel will forever be finite,\n\nAnd one day, the fire will fizzle away.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI am immortal, but you were an instant.\n\nYet you always loved me with all your whims.\n\nIt didn’t faze you; you didn’t care.\n\nYou loved me more than I ever loved back,\n\nEven endeavoring to meet me with others,\n\nthough not one of those others ever compared.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEven as your life began flickering away,\n\nEven as you lay withering, sparks waning away.\n\nYou tried to find me a match, \n\nSomeone meant to make me feel forever, \n\nLike you once did,\n\nBut nothing ever did.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou are dancing alone now,\n\nMere ashes scattered\n\nIn the wind.\n\nBut know,\n\nJust know,\n\nI’d give it all to get you again.\n\n---\n\nThank you so much for reading! This was... a very experimental piece, extremely different in both subject and form from my normal work. As a result, feedback is both welcome and appreciated!\n\nIf you enjoyed this and want to read some of my other stuff (though it's very different from this), you can do so at r/TenFortySevenStories!", "“Well, dear, your dress looks certainly beautiful.” He took a long gaze, delighted by the crimson dress, the centerpiece of her outfit. With its bright sparkly design, the sharp stilettos and painted nails, she felt like she was ready to go. \n\n“So, what about you, grandpa? What are you gonna do here?”, she asked jokingly.\n\n“Well, there are some M\\A\\S\\H* re-runs so I might as well watch that. Or I just go to bed. Whatever works.” \n\n“Alright then, I’ll be leaving now.” She approached and gave him a big kiss, one that made him smile widely.\n\n“Love you, honey. Have fun with your date!”\n\n“I hope so. Love you.” With this, she left the house. He turned and walked to his room, looking for a blanket. “Suicide is painless...,” he sang to himself, excited for some Hawkeye action.\n\nDriving on the highway to the restaurant, Gaby truly hoped that the person she was about to see was worth it. Her immortality, though initially complicated for the couple, had fortunately been solved with Alfie’s acceptance of death. With age, he realized that this meant future loneliness for his beloved, something he wished against greatly, for he had learnt that immortality and loneliness are not a good mix. \n\nAnd so, he had become something of an elderly matchmaker for her, while still being taken care of. And meanwhile, Gaby was the one to have fun on the nightlife - or find disgrace in egotistical idiots.\n\nSoon, she arrived at the restaurant, leaving her car to the valet and heading inside. Entering the restaurant, her red outfit made everyone’s eyes turn to her, her charming figure and style hypnotizing all. But her eyes only looked for one person, one with the name of Ryan. And once he called her name, she turned to him, a handsome blonde man, and hoped for the best...\n\n\\-------------\n\nIn the middle of the night, a sleeping Alfie was awoken by a loud kick on the door. Getting out of his blanket, he steadily walked over to the door to see what all the fuss was about. As he walked, he could see the car outside, so he assumed Gaby was already home.\n\n“Gaby?,” he asked, consequentially. \n\nOpening the door, he soon found Gaby, red outfit and all, painted even more red as she held a now dead Ryan on her hands, blood dripping from her mouth, fangs visible as the weapon of choice. \n\n“Oh, not again,” said Alfie, tired. “Put him in the kitchen.”\n\nGaby’s seemingly threatening aura turned quickly into one of a panicked woman unable to control herself. She closed the door with the stiletto and dropped the body in the kitchen, letting it tumble onto the floor. \n\n“Jesus!,” she said, picking him up. “Wait, no, I shouldn’t say his name.”\n\n“Doesn’t matter, let’s just try and handle this. Wait... How did this happen exactly?”\n\n“The guy’s an asshole. Like huge asshole. Like ‘I’m not really for feminism’. All that old-fashioned stuff.”\n\n“Oh, I get it. Where did you bite him?”\n\n“In the neck of- Oh, you mean place of being?”\n\n“Mhm.”\n\n“In the car.”\n\n“We’ll have to wash that tomorrow. Bring me the cleaver please.” She did as instructed, and Alfie raised his hand and chopped Ryan’s lifeless head. “The good thing about this is you’re gonna have a lot to feast on in the coming days.”\n\n“Yeah...” Gaby’s tone was one of regret.\n\n“Honey, what’s wrong?,” asked Alfie while chopping the arm.\n\n“Well, I’m just sorry if I made you mad with this. I know you put a lot of effort into having me meet people and... And I couldn’t control myself and I ended up sucking his blood.”\n\n“Oh, sweetheart, don’t put yourself down even more. I should’ve checked his background a bit more if he was gonna be this much of an ass.” He chopped the other arm. “I’m sorry too.”\n\n“It’s okay. At least you gave a positive.”\n\n“The having meals for more days and nights?”\n\n“Yes. Do you, uh... Perhaps know anyone else?”\n\n“Well, we’ll have to see. But first, let’s put these in the fridge.\n\nAfter cutting some more body parts, Gaby and Alfie took their time storing everything in the freezer. Fortunately, not much blood was spilled while entering the house, and they had planned on cleaning the car for tomorrow. \n\n“Damn, what are we gonna do with the head of the previous guy?”, asked Gaby, holding a severed head.\n\n“What was his name? I think he was Swedish?”\n\n“I think so... Felix?”\n\n“Eh, who knows. Anyway, I’ll be waiting for you in bed.” Alfie picked his blanket and headed to their room.\n\n“I’ll be there soon, honey. Oh, and honey.”\n\n“Yes, dear?”\n\n“I love you.”\n\nAlfie smiled. “Love you too.”" ]	4
	[WP] You currently find yourself stranded in an unknown planet, waiting to be rescued by your specie. You were surprised to find an alien that was extremely disappointed in the fact that you didn't come here to rescue 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.", "Randolph walks around somewhat aimlessly, carrying the remainder of his supplies on his shoulders. The landscape is colored like a purple and orange catastrophe, yet it remains a desolate and empty desert; its silence following Randolph along as he tries to find shelter.\n\n\"Hello...? Hello? Is there anyone there? This is Randolph Dutch reporting, honorary member of the Space-Z Squadron. Is anyone there? Do you copy?\" Dutch was part of a special space exploration unit that Russia had launched in partnership with the United States. After the Curiosity Rover had uncovered resources on Mars, the following century was one of incredible space expansion. By the end of the 21st century, the USA and Russia had decided to combine their interests in order to find what else was out in the great beyond.\n\n\"... Copy that. Over.\" The transmission is mixed with white noise.\n\n\"Thank God. Look, I was nearing my landing when I hit the atmosphere. It was too dense for my spaceship, it burned up all of my fuel and I crashed. Nearly bit the dust at that, too. Over.\" The stars that light up this planets candy-colored deserted terrain make a large shadow appear to Dutch.\n\n\"Copy that, this is Peter with REACH (Recovery Emergency and Come Home). We received your emergency signal, and we're currently putting together a rescue team. You can expect to wait roughly 336 hours, I'm sharing with you the location of their spacecraft to help you prepare for their arrival. Over.\"\n\n\"Copy that... Thank you. Over.\" Dutch is nearing what now appears to be a short pyramidal structure. There's water flowing in three directions from the top down into a surrounding moat. A contrasting, somewhat inviting bridge connects the front entrance across the moat.\n\n\"How's the planet? Any signs of life, any warnings I should report to the REACH team? I do not think it's safe for any intelligent life to be following us home, who knows what they'll do to them if they get brought along to our insane planet. Over.\" Dutch's eyes widen to roughly double their natural size and his jaw hangs open like a swing-set rocking back and forth.\n\n\"Copy... No signs of intelligent life yet... Nothing actually, but I have stumbled myself upon some kind of alien pyramid structure. Huh, go figure, the Egyptians lied. Over.\" Dutch walks across the bridge and approaches the front door. It opens automatically, like a sliding door at a grocery market. Dutch pulls out a flashlight and shines it inside, only to be met with a strange looking fellow. It is tall, green, and rather slender, with three eyes. Two of them being like a human, the third is placed upon a protruding horn. The third eye is large, and is the only one out of the three that appears to be functioning. Besides the awkward skinniness and extra hyper-functioning eyeball, its appearance seems to be human. \n\n\"Hello.\" The third eye stretches out and looks at Dutch's forehead, watching him intently.\n\n\"Jesus Christ!!\" Dutch fumbles his flashlight and runs out of the building, pulling out a special Swiss Army-like device that has a laser gun equipped. He points it at the entrance and waits for the alien to come out.\n\n\"I'll shoot! Do not move!\" Dutch screams.\n\n\"Peter? Do you copy? There's an alien, approaching me. Do you copy, Peter?\" White noise is all that comes through.\n\n\"You're with the NASA rescue team? Finally, I thought you guys would never show.\" The alien is fast on its legs and slips out without Peter even noticing. After all, he is in near shock.\n\n\"Huh?\" Dutch calms down a little, seeing the extremely meek and laid-back alien not move any closer than six feet to him.\n\n\"The NASA rescue team. You guys told me you'd come get me. Quite a long time ago. Right?\" Slowly blinking the large eyeball, it turns to the side like an intrigued canine animal.\n\n\"How did you come to be on this planet? Is there any food or water? My name is Randolph Dutch from the United States Russian Space-Z Squadron. This planet was assigned to me, and I have lost my spacecraft, as well as most of my resources. I'm receiving help from my home planet, Earth. Unfortunately, it would not be wise for you to come back with me; you belong here, on your home.\" \n\n\"There's some fruit that grows inside from the ground, in there.\" The alien points his long, skinny arm towards the pyramid structure. \n\n\"But you guys said you'd be coming to get me home to Earth. I don't remember when I got here; I don't remember much at all. But you guys are gonna take me home now, right?\" Dutch gives a strange look, but is too hungry to rationalize what he has heard. He goes in and eats some fruit, passing out asleep after his Earthly body digests it.\n\n\"Finally, you up? There's some white noise that keeps coming out of your little... Device. Hey, you look different.\" Dutch looks at his reflection in the water. He is the exact same as his new friend, but he cannot recall why this would be strange to him; there is a deep feeling of something being not right inside him. Dutch forgets about it after a few moments.\n\n\"That's better. My stomach's nice and full.\"\n\n\"So, when are they getting here?\"\n\n\"Huh? Oh, 336 hours. What do we do until then?\" Dutch asks.\n\n\"I dunno, nothing, I guess.\" The white noise grows louder and more intense, as if it were yelling at them. Several thousand light years away, Peter frantically tries to reach Dutch through the transmission. \n\n\n\"Dutch? The REACH team was intercepted. They said that the planet was owned by some kind of Universal Order and that they were using the planet to harvest psychic energy from locally created aliens. Dutch... Please, for the love of God, do not interact with the aliens. Stay away from them and wait, ration your food. The planet that you're on is virtually a slave capitalist planet, they'll take you. Do you copy, Dutch?\" Peter is sweating and feeling dreadfully bleak.\n\n\"Do you copy, Dutch?\"" ]	2
	[WP] It is always awkward to bump into someone in the street because you were not looking, even more so when they drop something because of that, and you don't even know what to do as the seemingly normal man has his head fall off in front of 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 inhale sharply as my eyes observe the scene. Then I looked around to see if anyone else witnessed this too. When it didn't seem like that was the case I help him with his head.\n\"Thanks man\"\n\"No prob dude.\" I lean in closer and whisper \"are you a dullahan?\"\n\"Uhhh I don't know how to answer that bro. What do you mean?\"\n\"Well your head popped off when I bumped into you! So are you a dullahan or not?\"\n\"...\"\n\"No point in lieing. I know what I saw\"\n\"And you're not shocked?\"\n\"No\"\n\"Then okay\" he sighs. \"Yes. I am, in fact, a dullahan\" he say rolling his eyes and dropping one shoulder. Then he remembers how precariously balanced his head is and fixes his posture.\n\"Here I'm parked nearby. We can discuss it there and I can help you keep your head on\"\n\"How\" \n\"I'll show you\"\n~~~\n Once we make it to my van he cringes and says it feels to claustrophobic. When he realized I only live in it part time he eased just a little bit. \n\"Anyway so what's this technique you were droning on about?\"\nDuck tape noise \"duck tape!\"\nHe cringes the cringiest cringe. \"How's that gonna help?\"\n\"Here take of you shirt and I'll show you!\"\n He hesitantly takes off his shirt and I duck tape the ends of his neck to the base of where it should be.\n\"How's that?\"\n\"I have limited mobility turning wise but I don't have to worry about my heading popping off randomly! I can look down too without my head tipping over. I don't know how I'll get this to work during the summer though.\"\n\"Ha! It's November! We have time to think it over. Beer?\"\n\" Sure, if you have a straw that is\" he replies pointing to a hole in his neck. What a chill dude. I wonder if unicorns exist" ]	2
	[WP] "Would you kindly stop hitting the 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.", "\"Would you kindly stop hitting the human?\"\n\nThe interrogator spun around to stare with naked hostility at the puny slave race scientist, “What did you say to me?”\n\n“With respect, would you kindly stop hitting the human?” stammered the slave looking in growing horror at some of the readings he was seeing on the instruments.\n\n“And why should I forgo such a pleasurable way of obtaining information, slave?” The interrogator turned back and unleashed another thunderous blow to the limp human hanging between a pair of the guard detachment he’d brought.\n\n“STOP! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!” cried the scientist.\n\nThe interrogator and his guards all turned and gaped, mandibles wide in shock at the audacity of the diminutive slave race scientist for daring to issue a command to a master.\n\nNoticing the distraction, Private Agansing Gurung of The Royal Gurkha Rifles made his move and exploded into action. \n\nThe killing began.", "I never liked humans. I hate them. They are inconsiderate. They speak to each other but never to you. Heck, sometimes they don't speak to each other. I've witnessed some of them look at each square in the eye without a word. If I were one of them, I wouldn't talk to them either. They're the real villains.\n\nI hate the noise that they make. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. I hate when they walk heavy. I hate the tantrums that the little humans make. Stomping around like they own the place. I hate their dirty fingers that somehow to get into everything. Then, they want to put their hands all over you. All kinds of dirt, sticky fingers from candy, and just being downright disgusting.\n\nAnd those weirdos who wear shoes that aren't flat are insane. Stomping and click clacking around. I love having a flat, smooth bottom. It makes life simple. But I get tired of getting pulled and pushed at a human's whim. My neighbor loves them. He calls them stylish and unique. And expressive. I'd say he's smoking something. But he's wooden.\n\nSo if he did smoke, he'd burn to death. I spend time with him when we're alone, so I guess I'd burn right along with him. And then, maybe everything else we're connected to too--the old wooden building too, if nobody stopped the fire.\n\nIt's hell being a door." ]	3
	[WP] Aliens have taken over the world. You are the leader of the resistance and know how to infiltrate their mothership. As you're about to, a limo pulls up and none other than Dr Phil himself gets out and offers to help out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "_ANNOUNCER: All NEW today!_\n\nI jumped out my skin. Where was that voice coming from?\n\nDr Phil pulled out four fold up chairs from the limo and positioned them on the pavement. \n\n“Take a seat, Mark”\n\nI shook my head, trying to comprehend what is happening. “No, what?! I am trying to infiltrate—“\n\n“Take. A. Seat.” he said, more ominously this time. \n\nI felt like I had little control over my body. Some kind of force was pulling me into that chair. \n\nI sat down. \n\nDr Phil smiled. His porcelain veneers shone in the streetlight. \n\n_ANNOUNCER: Join us for the CRAZIEST show we have ever aired!_\n\nI frantically looked around, searching for the origin of this voice. \n\n“While we wait for the other guests, why don’t you take a little time and explain your side of the story?” asked Dr. Phil. \n\nI tried to stand up but it was pointless. It was like I was glued to the chair. \n\n“I don’t want to sit down and talk. I want to shoot the aliens so they will go away”, I shout incredulously. \n\nDr Phil shuffled a little closer. He placed his hand on my lap. \n\n“And when did you start feeling this way? Tell Camera 3 about the first time someone hurt you.”\n\nIn a quieter voice, he hissed “Don’t spare the details, the audience love this stuff.”\n\n“What? What camera? Are you even a real Doc—“\n\n_ANNOUNCER: When we come back from the ads, we will be joined by our past favourites from the show. Will they stop the alien invasion? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT._ \n\nSuddenly the limo door swung open. Out of the darkness stepped a small pair of feet, followed by a larger pair. \n\nThey seated themselves in the fold up chairs. Nobody moved, or spoke, for 3 minutes. Although I tried to speak, I could only produce silence. What kind of Doctor was he?\n\nANNOUNCER: And we are....BACK!\n\nThe streetlights flashed on. \n\nDr Phil looked away into the distance as he spoke. \n\n“Welcome back to the show. We have been joined by the little girl we all know and love (to exploit)....it’s Honey Boo Boo! And her sweet Mama June.”\n\nThey waved to the ‘camera’. \n\n“Now Honey Boo Boo, what is one thing you would love to say to these aliens?”\n\nShe shook her golden curls and produced her sweetest smile. \n\n“I don’t know much about them aliens but I don’t need that drama! I just wish I had an extra finger so I could grab more cheese balls!”\n\nDr Phil held up a cue card which said “Awww!”\n\nMama June started to speak, “The only aliens I know about are those frickin Mexi—“\n\n_ANNOUNCER: And now for our final guest....it’s who you’ve all been waiting for....it’s the alien ZORG from the planet AE567!”_\n\nThe alien appeared out of nowhere and took the last remaining seat. \n\n“Welcome Zorg. Now we have a lot of people here today who are a little...upset...with all the things you have been doing. Do you have anything to say to them?” asked Dr. Phil. \n\nThe alien made a gurgling sound. \n\n“Oh, I think he’s feeling a lil shy. Mama June, why don’t you give him your famous ‘sketti’. That will make him feel better”\n\nMama June pulled out a bowl of sketti from somewhere amongst her folds. \n\nThe alien took a bite. \n\nSuddenly, the alien started to shake. His slimy body convulsed on the floor, releasing gases from all of its orifices. \n\nHoney Boo Boo started laughing. “Oh it’s ok lil alien, if you fart 12 to 15 times a day, you can lose a lot of weight”\n\nThe alien spontaneously combusted. \n\nDr. Phil held up a cue card saying “Gasp!”\n\nSuddenly the ground started to shake. Spaceships started to dart across the sky. \n\nThe aliens were leaving!\n\nDr Phil cleared his throat. “And that brings us to the end of the show. The aliens are leaving, all thanks to the wonders of Psychology!”\n\n“And don’t forget my SKETTI”, shouted Mama June, her face covered in tomato sauce. \n\n“Oh yes, of course. Mama June, what is the secret to your culinary delights?”\n\nMama June jumped out of her chair, “Mo’ butter, mo’ better! That’s what I always say”\n\nANNOUNCER: Join us next time! There will be more laughs, more reunions and of course...more exploitation!\n\nThe streetlights turn off. Dr Phil and his guests mysteriously disappear. \n\nI look away into the distance, trying to process wtf just happened." ]	2
	[WP] You are a secret immortal God in human form, but are cursed to be forever bedbound, anhedonic and weak. After being left in a care home, you resentfully accept you'll lay there alone and unloved until the apocalypse. Until she came 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.", "It was an extraordinarily beautiful day , the place he was cursed to spend all eternity for was well situated on a plateau overlooking the lush forests interwoven between the newly urbanized city. \n\nThe sun had graced the entire area with a warm yellow glow, caressing the rolling hills and undergrowth with the faint touch sunlight. The breeze was gentle, fluttering scattered leaves and laundry alike, filling the air with the smell of fresh flowers blooming across the endless green fields. \n\nIn short, another day he just can’t enjoy.\n\nIt was all to change however, with the sudden arrival of winter into my bedroom. The nurse, Agatha, was quick to assure her patient that all was well and she reached for a dial on the nearby cream-colored wall, which I was profusely told would right the temperature.\n\nAll to suddenly, everything froze. The entire room was engulfed in a great chill. The sole window in his ward froze up, before shattering into a million glass pieces that resembled snowy fractals on the floor. The wooden furniture froze as well, leaving blue ice spikes protruding outward like an explosion frozen in time. \n\nAgatha fared much worse, her entire body stilled like a statue, her limbs locked at her sides, an arm that was reaching towards the wall contracted, becoming numb. Her eyes resembled green opals, reflecting brilliant light into his own but static and unmoving. Reflexively, her legs buckled in response to the numbness and she fell like a puppet with it’s strings cut. \n\nThere stood a figure from legend, a primordial entity known to all as the one being who perpetuates the most infectious of all diseases, a debilitating sickness that affects all, the number one source of misery worldwide. She is death. Apathy incarnate.\n\nEasily, she glided across the room, passed any obstacles with an uncaring air, headed to her place of interest for the time being. Which happened to be his place of rest. He was grateful, not for the first time that his bed had a large pillow upon which his head rests, allowing him to see the entire scene with a ease.\n\n“So wonderful to finally have you,” The detached voice belonging to the corpse said, “care for some refreshments?.” She asked while a number of fissures simultaneously appeared on her skull, cracking the white surface along where the mouth would be. What remained was a long gash above the jaw, white dust flaking on the edges. An attempt at a smile.\n\n“How could I say no?” He simply replied. This respite from his endless cycles of normalcy was welcoming, however brief it may be. This interaction with such a being of immense age that could possibly share his woes was awakening some long buried feelings in his heart.\n\nA call made with a gesture from a skeletal hand and immediately he felt pain, dizzying amounts of it. He felt as if he had been infected with every disease known to man, his body shook, his blood boiled, his skin erupted with blisters and boils. It was too much all at once and his mind screamed.\n\nHis screams were not heard however, as just as quickly he felt refreshed, like he was doused in ice cold water and he felt rejuvenated. His being felt reborn anew. The sickly smell of the Matriarch was not as repulsing as it was before.\n\n“Why are you here?” A simple enough of a question that he asked, “to entertain my patron,” was the response. The revelation slightly startled him, but a question persist, “Entertain?”. \n\nThe smile on the skull widened, revealing rows of tombstone teeth, obituaries of long lost souls written on each one. “I am here to keep you company,” she reached into her robe that draped across her body, producing a deck of cards of all things.\n\nBaffled, he gazed upon the cards but he didn’t recognize whatever game it represented. “Is that a children’s card game?”, he queried as the art depicting the characters was too bright and the colors were too loud for his taste. \n\n“It is, in fact, a card game made for children,” the skeletal hands then proceeded to carefully place a few cards beside his rigid limbs. She floated towards the end of his bed and sat down while floating mid-air, the spitting image of an person waiting patiently for their opponent to play.\n\nHe looked down on his cards, all faced down and out of reach. “Very impressive,” He comments, with a slight hope that she will notice his current predicament. “I know, this card game is very popular amongst us immortals,” not catching his meaning at all. “Of course, another impressive thing about this game is the amount of so-called ‘restricted’ cards it has, but we’ll ignore that for now and just focus on having fun shall we?”\n\nSomewhat annoyed, he made a daring statement towards Death, “Have fun? You want me to have fun while I’m chained eternally to this bed? Do you even have the slightest idea of how I feel?” He asked.\n\n“Enlighten me,” was the response.\n\n“Hahahahahaha,” was his, an empty laugh that encapsulates his failed mental state, he felt at once the weight of his age crashing down upon him, his tiredness surrounds his body, his frustrations came unbidden as he delivered his hopefully final words.\n\n“Life, has no meaning. Not really anyway, regardless of how long our lifespans, regardless of our thoughts, emotions and memories, regardless of anything that defines life to us, the universe itself will dissipate, and so shall we.” His laughter was crazed as he continued, unaware now of the other being in the room.\n\n“In a million cycles, in a billion cycles, in a quintillion cycles, in the dying throes of the galaxy, the last breath of this flickering flame, the last shred of entropy that remains, WHAT WILL YOU FIND?” \n\nThe elder being was unfazed, her eye sockets void of any emotion. “What?” She simply queried, unmoved by his outburst, “you haven’t planned that far ahead yet?”.\n\nThat answer was not what he expected. So great was his shock that his momentary rage was subdued, no longer the inferno that it once was. “No respect for the art of cynicism,” He huffed, such mockery he thought, was beneath such people.\n\n“Do you want to continue playing?” The other asked, with a slight kindness in her tone that he was strangely satisfied with. After all, it was the best that he can hope for. He was oddly content with that reasoning, feeling freer than he ever did since the curse was levied upon his soul. For the first time in an age, he truly smiled.\n\n“How do you play exactly?”\n\n“Well first you draw a card from the deck....", "Pain is just a word.\n\nloneliness\n\nspite\n\nsorrow\n\nregret\n\nwords. just words.\n\nThere's poison coming from the television they have bolted to the wall. I tell them all the time but they just roll their eyes and say \"there, there\" or, in the case of Skathi, turn up the volume. All day long the gospel of a carpenter blaring on trying to save something from what he'll do if you don't let him save you from himself. What drivel.\n\nWe used to stride across the horizon. The Wanderer's Court. Thunder heralding our coming, and in our wake fresh land for those who offered proper sacrifices. Our conflicts mythic. Our names whispered in reverence to rapt audiences roused by storytellers.\n\nWhy, why...? \n\nJealousy? Curiosity?\n\nStupid blind fool. All of them. Fools. Bottom to top. Four braincells among the lot and those dedicated one each to fighting, food, family, and fucking. Different priorities for each, I suppose. Sure, he was beloved, but was he the one who seduced a horse to build a house? No. Banal and harmless, beaming and beautiful.\n\nLook out for that sprig, eh?\n\nHis face is an officious scowl as he looks down his nose and spectacles at the clipboard he's retrieved from the hook on my bed. He smells of antiseptic and sandalwood. Time for the morning questions.\n\nHe pauses after the initial pleasantries and vitals check in.\n\n\"Let's say I believe you,\" he says after a moment. \"What then?\"\n\n\"You've asked that before,\" I tell him, because he has.\n\n\"I'm sorry?\"\n\n\"Last time was about a year ago. Your cycle has been decreasing. Don't let Skathi notice or you'll get fired, at best.\"\n\nI wince as the TV blares a particularly loud homily.\n\n\"Do you mind trying to turn down the television?\"\n\nHe gets so far as a raised hand before he freezes, eyes wide in a panic. He eventually lets his hand drop. His eyes don't glaze over though. Lucky me.\n\n\"Why can't I...?\"\n\n\"It's because it's True,\" I say. \"True things can't be changed by mortal hands, only explained by mortal minds. Take a look at my file--It'll say I'm here because my family put me here. My son's bank account is paying for the stay. In effect, financially gutting him to make my chains. If you care to do the research, my other son is in prison for biting the hand that fed him. My daughter sarcastically refers to her work as 'mort d'auteur,' and my last child leads an internationally-wanted terrorist organization.\"\n\nI'm a bit winded after that, and the television fills the silence with the masses mumbling verses to a mad god.\n\nHis eyes glaze over and the temperature in the room plummets. The window frosts over. His skin turns blue as he is frozen in place. Light fog coats the floor and I can see my breath. She enters.\n\nHer prim nurse outfit is pressed to a crystalline edge and the blonde lock of hair that isn't tied back in a pert bun drifts just so. Her nametag has a smiley-face sticker and the name \"Skathi\" in comic sans. She's wearing far too many electronic devices on the lanyard around her neck, in her pocket, and on her wrist. Their fairy lights flicker indicating some trouble in some room that isn't mine. Her comfortable shoes make no sound and do not slide a millimeter on the suddenly icy tile floor.\n\nShe's got a tray of cold hospital food.\n\n\"Well,\" she says, \"that's enough of that.\"\n\nShe places the tray on the bedstand, and then carefully wheels the Doctor out of the way. For a second I forget myself and chuckle at the way it looks. Her look is ice, death, and darkness.\n\nShe stands up, smooths back her hair, tucking everything back into place, and then smiles viciously. She takes a small case out of her pocket and takes out a pair of small electronic devices.\n\n\"What are those?\" I ask.\n\n\"Earbuds,\" she says as she inserts them in my ears. She smiles an icy grin. \"Bluetooth.\"\n\nShe grabs the remote, clicks a couple buttons, and suddenly the preacher on screen is hammering the inside of my skull with his poison. I start to howl as she gently spins the Doctor and pushes him out of the room. Then she clicks off the lights, plunging me into an abyss illuminated by a television screen.\n\nThe words.\n\nPain.\n\nSpite. Fury.\n\nPain.\n\nIt lasts forever. I howl, babble incessantly, rage against my broken body, sing the songs of old to drown out the madness.\n\nNothing works.\n\nA soft touch pulls the horror from my ears, and a warm cloth returns my senses to my body. I blink, and the glow of the television is blocked to backlight, providing a nimbus of holy radiance. She sighs and her southern drawl is honey.\n\n\"Sugar,\" she says. \"She did a number on you.\"\n\n\"Hello my love.\" My voice is shot rough with destruction and emotion.\n\n\"It's okay,\" she says, slowly wiping my forehead. \"I'm on shift all night. Don't worry.\"\n\n\"Thank you,\" I say, and mean it.\n\nShe starts softly singing an old lullaby and I am powerless to resist. For the first time in a long time, I drift into a deep sleep. Tomorrow will be horror anew, but for now, there is peace." ]	3
Think about if someone like Elon Musk, with all his personality, was actually the first to talk with aliens. What impression would that leave?	[WP] An eccentric billionaire wants to be the first to make contact with aliens. Scientists in the relevant fields and concerned citizens desperately try to convince the government to prevent this from happening.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", " Men with no sense of humor had grabbed me from my home and brought me here. No explanation given. Not a word other than brusque commands to come with them. A lightbulb dangled from a dimly lit room. Not a good sign. A thin man in a black suit sat at the shabby little table with his black briefcase on the floor next to his leg.\n\n“So I take it this is some sort of interrogation about my project then?” \n\nA wispy, gaunt, exhausted-looking man with a scraggly beard sat across from him, and guardedly replied “Respectfully, you have entirely the wrong idea. We are not here to ask you questions. You are here to listen. To classified information. That will not leave this room. Do you understand?”\n\nThe lawyers would have a field day with this. Agree to nothing “No.”\n\n“I suppose ultimately it does not matter whether you do. But I strongly suggest you listen carefully. For your own sake, and the sake of the world.” \n\nThe man continued, very precisely and neatly placing a thick file folder in front of him, adjusting the corners before slowly leafing it open. “In 1947 we recovered apparently alien technology in the desert in New Mexico. At the time it was believed to be in the utmost national interest to keep the entire incident completely classified.” Pictures filled the first few pages of the dossier.\n\n“You can’t be serious. Roswell?”\n\n“Our efforts were not completely successful, but we had the great advantage that the truth is much too far-fetched for anyone to actually believe it.”\n\nPreposterous. “So you know for a fact there are aliens out there, you found a crashed ship, and you lied to the world to cover it up? This is supposed to convince me to shut down my extraterrestrial high power communications program? Are you out of your mind?”\n\n“Let me finish. It was not a ship. It was a communications pod. Although it did travel across interstellar distances, it appears to be some sort of message carrier.”\n\n“So not only are there aliens, but they have already tried to contact us?!”\n\nThe gaunt man in the black suit carefully turned the pages of the thick file folder, some of its pages were yellowed with age. “The contents of the messenger were the subject of intense research for many years. Much of our computer technology is fundamentally based on the devices and computer systems found within it. Binary storage of information, programs, data files. Executable instructions, hardware controllers, and so forth. We gleaned a tremendous wealth of knowledge from the messenger’s technology. It is fair to say this is the single greatest discovery in the history of mankind.”\n\nThe gaunt man paused for emphasis “But the most disturbing part of the entire affair was the actual message this device was constructed to deliver to Earth. A message stored in its memory which we could not access until well after we had learned how to operate the devices within.”\n\nThe message was written in English, plain as day, in large block letters “CEASE RADIO TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY. THEY ARE OUT THERE.” \n\nThe gaunt man pulled other pictures out of the file, showing similar blocky letterings of other Earth languages. “I don’t suppose I need to spell this out for you that these other translations all say the same thing.”\n\nShocking. “In English… How…?”\n\nThe thin man’s demeanor became steely, “Have you heard of the Fermi Paradox?”\n\n“Obviously- I am funding the biggest effort to locate and contact extraterrestrial intelligence ever, of course I know the Fermi Paradox- I’m spending billions to actually find the intelligent life out there that the paradox says we paradoxically have not yet encountered. I’ll tell you why- we are like an ant colony that has explored two meters away from its hill, and concluded that we must be alone on Earth.”\n\nThe gaunt man turned another page showing Drake Equation projections and scientists’ work on applying the information in the messenger “We have strong reason to believe that the reason we do not detect radio transmissions from other intelligent civilizations is because they are attempting to conceal their existence from some as-yet-unknown threat. And, conversely, civilizations that do not do this are swiftly eradicated by this threat, thus explaining their absence.”\n\n“We also believe that the use of the messenger device itself supports this theory. Sending a physical messenger probe would pose very little risk for the sender compared to a radio transmission. The content of the message is also pretty clear.” \n\n“The best scientists in the world have reasonably conjectured that some early interstellar civilization, millions or perhaps billions of years old, is most likely the ‘threat’ that systematically eradicates intelligent life. Their technology and society must be on a scale that is unfathomable to us. And I for one do not want to meet them.”\n\nThis can’t be happening. “Let’s say I believe you. So what do you want me to do, just announce to the world that I’ve reconsidered and I’m canceling the project I’ve spent the last year hyping up, funding, building, and hiring? I cannot do that.”\n\nThe gaunt man waved a hand and another man entered the room, by his uniform a military commander of some sort, perhaps a general “Allow me to introduce Colonel White. He is a man who does not exist, and if you will permit, I think the two of you might be able to do a great deal of good for humanity.”" ]	2
	[WP] The Hero is questing across the realm to rescue their kidnapped love from the evil Dark Lord. But little do they know, their love interest has managed to become the new Dark Lord and has acquired a thirst for power.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "After months, I was finally here. I had crossed a continent and fought hordes of the Dark Lord's forces, nearly dying several times, all so I could stand in front of this castle. She was in there. I could only imagine the terrible things he did to her. Part of me wondered if she was even still alive, but I pushed the thought away. She was alive. She had to be. She was waiting for me. And I had kept her waiting long enough.\n\nThe castle stood at the top of a hill, surrounded by a dense forest. It would be nearly impossible to take by force, even if an army had enough resources for a prolonged seige. But I didn't need to take the whole castle, I just needed to get to the monster that ran it. There was a small blind spot on the east wall, and I slowly climbed up under cover of night. \n\nThere was only one gaurd on patrol, since any attack would come along the road to the west. I moved behind him quickly and hit the back of his head with the pommel of my sword, and he was out with out a sound. \n\nQuickly, I made my way inside. The patrols were easy enough to avoid, but I needed someone to point me in the right direction. It wasn't long before I found a servant walking alone. I grabbed her from behind and placed a gloved hand over her mouth before she could alert anyone to my presence. \n\n\"Listen carefully, I'm not here to harm you. I'm looking for someone. A young woman was brought here by your master a few months ago. Do you know who I am referring to?\"\n\nThe girl nodded slowly, slightly trembling.\n\n\"I need you to take me to her. I don't want to have to fight anyone, but if you call the gaurds things will likely get messy.\"\n\nI pulled my hand away, and the girl began to lead me through the castle, keeping her distance but staying quiet. Eventually we came to two large doors. The servant nodded towards the doors before scurrying off as fast as she could. I took a deep breath, and pushed the doors open.\n\nInside was a grand room. At the far end, a large throne stood raised above the room. There were two figures having a heated discussion. One sitting on the throne out of veiw, blocked by the other who had their back to me. Upon my entrance, their argument paused, and the handful of gaurds in the room began to move toward me, spears at the ready. I held my sword up, prepared to fight my way to the Dark Lord's throne, but before I could, a familiar voice rang out.\n\n\"Hold!\" \n\nThe gaurds stopped in place, and the figure in front of the throne stepped aside to reveal... no... it couldn't be.\n\nShe rose from the throne, and strode towards me, her shoes tapping against the stone floor the only sound that could be heard. Her dark hair fell in gentle curls around her shoulders, adorned with a simple gold circlet. She wore a deep purple dress with long flared sleeves that came down to her ankles. She commanded attention and respect, seemingly towering over the room. \n\nAfter an eternity, she stopped in front of me and held my gaze. Her eyes were filled with that same intelligent glint, the same light, the same warmth she always looked at me with. But they were tainted with something new. Something dangerous. \n\nShe reached up and cupped my cheek. Her hand was warm and soft. Tears came to my eyes.\n\n\"Henry. Is it... really you?\" She whispered. \"After all this time?\"\n\nI nodded, and placed my hand over hers, leaning into her touch. \n\n\"Cassandra.\" I whispered. \"Its been so long\"\n\nIn an instant, we were in a warm embrace. Her lips came to meet mine, and we shared a loving kiss for a few moments before I broke away.\n\n\"I don't understand. I thought he took you. I thought you were trapped. I thought maybe... maybe I had lost you.\"\n\nI looked up around the room again. The figure she had been agruing with stood waiting. He looked familair. I realized he was the one who had taken her. Arulius The Dark Lord, The Great Conqueror, The Angel of Death, now stood patiently waiting next to his throne. \n\nI looked back at her, confused. She ran her fingers down my cheek softly, and a smile came to her lips.\n\n\"I was a prisoner, yes. But then I began to see the potential. Arulius had power, and military skill, but he lacked vision, lacked the proper skills to run a kingdom. I realized I was done being my father's daughter. I didn't want to be the princess. I wanted to be Queen. With this military might, I could seize the surrounding lands. It would become the richest kingdom in the world. And I would lead it. I began to put my plan into action. I promised to let Arulius continue to enjoy his military glory if he swore his loyalty to me and let me lead him to greatness. And now I've finally found you. You can rule by my side. We can be wed, like we always talked about. It will be perfect.\"\n\nI stood in shock. Cassandra had always known how to take control of a situation. Always been one step ahead of the royal court. I knew how much she hated the artifice of being a princess and being forced to sit on the sidelines. But this. Wanting to conquer. To get to the top by force. This I had never seen. Suddenly the love of my life seemed a complete stranger. I pulled her hand off my cheek.\n\n\"I can't do that. What your saying isn't right. Your army has already claimed countless innocent lives. Come back with me Cassandra. Come back home. We can live a peaceful life together, we can help people.\"\n\nShe furrowed her brow. \"How could you possibly chastize me about taking innocent lives when you wear my father's insignia. Has he not waged wars, quelled rebellions, sent his knights to keep people in line. All the kings are the same. If men are going to be using their power to keep themselves at the top, I may as well get my shot.\"\n\nI clasped her hands in mine. \"I understand that. But there is a right way to do this and a wrong way. You don't have to do it this way. We can help fix the problems together. Please.\"\n\nShe pulled her hands away, tears in her eyes. \"You're just like the rest of them. If you won't help me, then you are an obstacle. I'm sorry my love, but I can't stop. I'm not giving up my chance to be at the top.\" \n\nWith a wave of her hand, the gaurds set on me. I had dropped my sword, and it took only moments for them to get a hold of me.\n\n\"Put him in one of the guest chambers and bolt the door shut. Perhaps in time he will realize the truth, and choose to join our cause.\"\n\nAs they dragged me away, the Dark Queen walked to her General. My heart broke as I watched him kiss her hand, and lead her out. I had kept her waiting too long." ]	2
	[WP] You aren’t suicidal- no, you just want to know what death’s like. So, you deprive yourself of sleep for a week straight and lay down on the forest floor until mushrooms begin growing on you. What you weren’t expecting, however, was to meet someone in your resulting hallucinogenic 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.", "As i lay on the ground, feeling the sharp pain of becoming mycilium and losing my sanity to the toxins of the mushrooms, i had but one thought ¨i wonder whats next¨. i was always the inquisitive type, climbing trees to see what birds eggs looked like, climbing buildings to see the best view, hunting deer with just a machete, and recently, seeing what deaths like. But after the week without sleep and the months on the floor of this forest, I havent died. For what reason i do not know. but as i lay here my only thoughts are questions and a dull, quiet, repeating alarm, like a ships alarm and a police siren had mixed and been played by a cheap speaker underwater. after days i started to see things, hear things, they seemed so real, but i knew they werent. this forest was owned by my family and i was the only member left. as these sounds and sights kept getting more and more realistic, i started to fear that i had made a mistake. Right as i thought this, a man walked up. He seemed to be in the same situation, if not worse. He had mushrooms growing out of every orifice, a large amount of grass and dirt was lodged in his hair. as he noticed me he seemed surprised, if not afraid. As he started to approach me he started speaking ¨d-did you try it too?¨ he said meekly, as if any sound would cause the mushrooms in his mouth to burst, which may not have been too far from the truth. ¨yeah. ive been here for nearly 4 months if i am correct¨ i stated back, my mouth clear due to me keeping the mushrooms out of my mouth, eyes, and nose. ¨2 years for m-me\" the man stated, it seems that the mushrooms may be whats keeping us alive. ¨so, what do your think causes us to survive?¨ i said, getting up to join the man. ¨i-i would say it is the mushrooms, m-maybe the ones in o-our heads?¨ as he said this his skin started to turn pale, as i turned mine followed suit. before us stood a giant figure, it seemed to be made of a human that had been like us for many decades. it was so thickly covered in mushrooms, dirt, vines, and grass that you could not see its skin. the best description of it would be a shambling mound of plant matter. It was at that moment i realized why i had lived. It was to become one of those. as i realized this i started to rip the mushrooms off of my body. causing the mound of vegetation before me to reel back and scream, as if it were angry. As i tore the last of the mushrooms i noticed the lack of muscle on my body, As i fell to the ground i saw the mound charging at the man that had joined me. the last thing i heard was a roar followed by a scream of pain.\n\n\\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nsorry if its not too good its 2 am and i was writing for around 30 minutes" ]	2
	[WP] You're an agent dedicated to hiding the existence of the supernatural from the masses. Currently, you're looking at the fiery giant thing that was the Empire State Building 10 minutes ago. This is gonna be a particularly difficult cover up.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The tower burnt, a raging candle illuminating the blackened city in a gentle orange hue. Ropes of frenzied fire whipped and crashed through buildings with a terrible thunder that shook the earth. The smoke was stifling and seemed to grope blindly into every nook and crevice of the city. Even from the docks, where The Agent sat, the smoke was blinding and the sickly sweet smell of cooking flesh hung in the air.\n\n“Cowboy one-nine, we’ve got a level three supernatural event in a pop heavy area, do you copy over.” The Agent said into his Radio.\n\n“What in tarnation are you babbling about son. Stop with the acronyms and say is in good old American.” Came the reply.\n\n“There some kind of fire monster smashing up the Empire State.” The agent said trying to keep his voice steady. “It looks like a Balrog or something.”\n\n“A ball rag? If you don’t start making some goddamn sense, I’ll make sure you’re on teenage vampire clean-up for the next decade.”\n\n“Like King Kong took a bunch of steroids and tried his hand at self-immolation. I’m not sure if we have a standard procedure for something like this.”\n\n“Have you tried to bag and tag it?” The voice asked.\n\n“Have I tried to tranquilise and drag away a 500ft fire breathing monster. Hm let me think.” The agent replied sarcastically.\n\n“Okay I see how that might be a problem. I’ll relay coordinates to all aerial firefighting resources on the east coast, we’ll douse the bastard with half the Hudson river and see how hot under the collar he is then. I need you to focus on clean-up, we can’t let this get out.\"\n\n“I think it might be a bit late for that, people tend to notice when their city has been turned into a barbeque pit.”\n\n“Just use the thing, you know that flashy thing that scrambles people brains.” The voice said making strange whooshing noises.\n\n“What?” The agent blurted out.\n\n“The thing, you know it was in that movie the government made to stop people getting suspicious about our work.”\n\n“Have you seen the size of this monster, there’s no way that it will fit through a stargate.”\n\n“You know I’m not talking about those mamby pamby desk jockeys in Cheyenne!”\n\n“Oh you mean a Neuralyzer or Deneuralyzer or whatever? Yeah those are made up, complete work of fiction.”\n\n“I could have sworn, we tested them on you recruits during training.”\n\n“I’m sure I would remember if they did.” The agent said. “So are you really telling me, we the Supernatural Abnormality Defence Force have no gadgets or Gizmo’s to actually do our job.”\n\n“Welcome to government work kid.”\n\n“Why don’t we just say it’s a terrorist attack and call it a day.” The Agent remarked.\n\n“The top brass don’t like us to use the T word, it got a bit out of hand last time we did. A gas explosion sounds a lot better.” The voice explained.\n\n“Are people really going to believe that.”\n\n“Some will. As for the others, we’ll sprinkle a few bomb parts around, post a few theories on the right message boards and they’ll be too busy arguing conspiracy’s to even notice this what’s right in front of their noses.”" ]	2
Idea stolen from post on r/keming	[WP] The doctor reads the test results on the screen and sighs, "You have an accumulation of fate in your arteries" he says. Not understanding, you ask for more information. "An accumulation of fate, a buildup of destiny, excess chance, luck, karma. I'm sorry, there is no cure known currently."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 is my first post here, so its probably going to be bad but here I go\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI've always been unlucky. Every dice roll was just slightly off what I needed. Every footrace ended with me stumbling on an invisible object. Every date went terribly. I always wondered why I was cursed. Well, apparently, I wasn't. According to my doctor, I had atherosclerosis (search it up), and for some reason, I could contract and expand my arteries. I just never decided to expand them, so my luck got stored there. So, I tried to expand it. Annnndddd... nothing. Well, at least I know. And I drove away.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWow, no traffic. That's a first. I parked in my driveway, and went to my mailbox. I had a package of toothbrushes and a letter with no markings. Letter first, I guess. It was a bright yellow pamphlet that said, \"CONGRATULATIONS, YOU WON\". When did I sign up for a raffle? I reach back into my memories and vaguely remember signing some piece of paper that read, \"WIN $5000 PER WEEK\". I had found it odd how there was no entry fee. Huh. Looks like it worked after all. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nnice, hope that wasn't too bad", " The doctor put down his stethoscope and looked at me gravely, hands clasped on his lap, “You have an accumulation of fate in your arteries.”\n\nI blinked, “Um, what?”\n\n“An accumulation of fate, a buildup of destiny, excess chance, luck, karma. Your numbers are almost three times the normal range.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “This condition is extremely serious and worst-case scenario it can be fatal.”\n\nMy hands clenched tightly to the blue hospital gown, “I don’t understand.”\n\nHe sighed and pursed his lips, “It’s a relatively new condition, and we don’t understand exactly how it works. But sometimes, individuals are particularly susceptible to the whims of the universe. They ‘soak up’, as it were, environmental luck at an increased rate. This luck, if not expressed in a safe manner, can build up in the arteries and eventually trigger subita clade, a sudden, seemingly random disaster centered on the individual. This does sometimes result in the death of the individual and occasionally bystanders.”\n\nMy breath seemed stuck in my chest, “I don’t – what…what do I do?”\n\n“Well, there’s no known cure for fate. However, there are some therapies that can reduce your levels, at least temporarily. With proper treatment, some patients can live decades and lead normal lives.” He reached a hand out to give me the tissue box on his desk, “I know it’s a lot to take in.”\n\nI robotically took the box, trying to breathe past the lump rapidly forming n my chest, “But - why? Is it genetic?”\n\nHe shook his head, “We haven’t found any genetic markers that seem linked to the condition. However, it primarily affects people between the ages of 16 and 40, although there are instances of it affecting patients as young as one week and as old as 85. Orphans and unmarried people also seem at higher risk. And, of course, you check all those boxes.”\n\nI could feel the tears starting to stream down my face, but I couldn’t seem to summon the will to do anything about it. My breath came in short, ragged gasps and I clutched the tissue box like it might hold the secret of a cure inside.\n\nThe doctor grimaced, seemingly sharing my grief, “I know this is hard. I’ll refer you to a specialist I’d like you to meet with. I’d also recommend a therapist, and I can give you the names of a few that have dealt with cases like yours before. This is a very rare condition, but treatments are improving all the time. I think you have a good chance of recovery.”\n\nI nodded, not trusting myself to speak without sobbing.\n\n“Alright, well. Please let me know if you want to talk. Feel free to stay in this room as long as you need.” With that he left the room and gently shut the door behind him, and I burst into tears.\n\nIt was almost three weeks before I managed to get an appointment with Dr. Siobhan. She had a small office in a building that looked like it has been designed as revenge for some slight to the architect – a confusing tangle of sharp, harsh corners and long winding corridors. The waiting room outside her office had a single plush chair, beside which stood a stack of grief counseling books alongside Beowulf and a translation of The Poetic Edda.\n\nThe door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a woman with grey hair that seemed to have no intention of staying in the green clip on the back of her head, “Helen?”\n\nI grabbed my bag and stood up, “Yes, that’s me.”\n\nShe smiled warmly, “Good, good. Come in, please.”\n\nI followed her into the small office and sat on the floral couch in the corner. She picked up a clipboard from her desk and sat in the small green armchair next to it. “So, Helen, I understand you have some excess fate.”\n\nI nodded, “Yeah.”\n\nShe flipped through the clipboard, glasses pulled down to the tip of her nose, “This is a difficult condition to treat, but I’ve seen patients with far worse prognoses recover and lead normal lives.” She set the clipboard back down on the desk and leaned forward, looking directly into my eyes, “This is not going to be easy. It could take several years to express the build up you already have, and it will require constant treatment for the rest of your life to prevent additional build up in the future. Do you understand?”\n\nI nodded again, meekly, “I understand.”\n\n“Good.” She smiled again, “The silver lining is that this condition is usually a lot of fun to treat.” Standing, she began to rifle through a file cabinet that stood by the door. “Now, Helen, have you ever bought a lottery ticket before?”\n\n“Uh, no. No, I haven’t.”\n\n“Well, now would be a good time to start,” she said over her shoulder, “I’ve found that lottery tickets can usually take the edge off for someone who’s just beginning treatment. Don’t worry about the cost, you’ll probably make more than you spend and if you don’t it’s covered as a medical necessity.” She turned back around with a small stack of papers, which she handed to me. “Now, I usually start treatment with small scenarios. Buying a lottery ticket is an easy one, but also things like panning for gold or metal detecting. Then, we’ll move on to some larger tasks. In the case of those in the foster system, looking for one’s parents can be a good first step or taking up an unsolved crime. Most people respond well to this level of treatment.”\n\nI leafed through the papers she had handed me. They were full of examples of people’s fate levels diminishing after they found a missing child or discovered a long-lost family heirloom. “What happens if I don’t respond to the treatment?”\n\nShe clucked her tongue and said, “Well, then, we’ll move on to more aggressive therapies. I have had clients join archeological digs to discover lost cities or shipwrecks, or even take internships at biomedical research labs.” Her face suddenly dropped, her eyes seeming to focus into the middle distance, “One thing I don’t recommend is joining law enforcement, the military, or any diplomatic groups. Fate can intervene in life threatening situations in ways we can’t predict, and the results can be tragic.”\n\nThe silence stretched for a long minute before she raised her head and focused back on me, “But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, yes?” I nodded again, not sure what else to do. “Good, good. Well then, I’ll expect to see you every Wednesday. We may occasionally meet here, but usually it will be at one of the local national parks and I’ll let you know several days in advance where you should be. Do you have a car?”\n\n“Yes, I do.”\n\n“OK, then transportation shouldn’t be too much of an issue. We’ll start you off with metal detecting by the lake next week and see how you respond. Between now and then, I want you to buy three separate lottery tickets for three different lotteries, it doesn’t matter which ones. Bring the tickets with you next week. Depending on how that goes, we can discuss if we need to be more aggressive.” She pointed at the papers in my lap, “Fill out the questionnaire there and bring that with you, too. It will help inform what therapies I set up for you.”\n\nI flipped to the last page of the packet to see a small, numbered questionnaire with questions like ‘Do you know who your parents are?’, ‘Has a close family member ever died at a young age?’, and ‘Have you or a close family member ever been the victim of a crime? Please describe it.’ I looked back up at Dr. Siobhan, “These are kind of weird questions.”\n\nDr. Siobhan shrugged, “You have kind of a weird condition. This isn’t treatable in the same way almost any other disease is, but these methods do work. If you stick to the regimen I give you, I think you have a good chance of making it through this.” She smiled brightly at me, “So, I’ll see you next week?”\n\nI stood up from the couch, sliding the papers into my canvas bag, “Sure, I’ll see you next week.”" ]	3
	[WP] The monster demanded sacrifice of the most pure and innocent maiden be sent to its lair as an apprentice. For over a century the village complied, sending maidens in and receiving stong, powerful women when their training was completed. And now you have been chosen as the sacrifice.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 stood at the entrance of a large cave looking toward the strong women surounding me with shield readied.\n\nI began walking long before they started pushing forward and soon with nothing but the armour on my back I entered the cave\n\nAs I walked I heard the steady thump of a heart much larger than myself and felt the breath of life everlasting flowing over me and as I walked my only concerns were that of this trainings difficulty.\n\nI can feel my pulse quickining as I enter the final and largest of the rooms this cavern has to offer an I see him the beast the one feared in ages past for a ferosity that only the great elders can remember. \n\nHe exhales with a laboured breath thats nearly stong enough to send me flying before he stares into my soul in silence.\n\nI finally feel the adrenaline course through my veins as I realize my situation and am forced to come to terms with the fact that I'm am utterly helpless.\n\nI stealed myself and stood up to meet his gaze and waited.\n\nWhen he finally spoke he said in a deep booming voice that echoed all around me \"child you have been chosen so awnser my question and your training will begin\".\n\n\"What does it mean to be better?\"" ]	2
	[WP] A meteor in fast approaching the earth, destined to destroy everything we hold dear. That is, until a crackpot team of scientists, engineers, magicians, and Greg from accounting show up to face the challenge.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Greg's jaw dropped. He stared at the screen in front of him as if it were a window into hell. The accountant burst out of his cubicle. He ran as fast as his pudgy middle-aged legs would carry him toward the office of his boss, Frank Jenkins.\n\n\"Frank, FRANK!\" Greg screamed as he tore open the office door.\n\nThe meeting inside came to a halt. They were talking about the meteor that would end all life on Earth in a matter of days. With a sigh, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the out of breath accountant. His brow was moist with sweat as he rushed toward them.\n\n\"What is it, Greg?\" Frank asked trying to keep his voice calm.\n\nTension filled the room as everyone turned their attention to the accountant. Greg slowly pulled himself upright and tried to catch his breath. Falling against the nearest chair he gasped, \"It's worse than we thought Frank. Much worse.\" The room fell silent as they waited for Greg to deliver the news.\n\n\"Well?\" Frank's voice rose over the silence.\n\nGreg took a deep breath, \"Fiscal year-end is tomorrow, and we haven't itemized anything for our department.\" The air left the room as the grave news sunk in. They knew they were in trouble now. There was no time to waste.\n\n\"What about the meteor?\" A scientist asked.\n\n\"It can wait!\" Frank barked, putting the astrophysicist in his place. \"This is more important than a little asteroid. Do you realize the long-term tax penalty we could be facing?\" Frank stood up and commanded the group. \"Mark, call finance and tell him we need them in the office right away. Get me the auditors, and tell them to drop everything they're doing.\" The room erupted with activity as people shouted out instructions.\n\n\"It's going to take everything we've got to get this done,\" Greg said in a hushed tone. He stared out the window at the approaching meteor and almost smiled. \"We might even have to work through lunch.\"", "\"What are you doing here, Greg?\" I asked to the portly man, who stood in the corner of the crowded control room. He turned to me, with a look of slight surprise, and said, \"well, same thing as you, I suppose.\" He spared a glance around at the motley crew clustered throughout the room, which broke up what would have been the monotonous white of lab coats. \"The real question,\" he started, \"is why are you here? The rest of these guys, I get, but you always seemed pretty sane to me.\" I sighed, \"...yeah, it's a bit of a long story,\" I glanced at the screen that took up the far wall of the room, a timer counting down to destruction, currently at about five minutes, \"but I think we have more pressing matters.\" Greg gave me a quizzical look, but relented, \"alright, so what is it you're gonna do? All these other guys think they're gonna build some super-ray to blast the meteor, or magic it into a different dimension. What do you do?\" I started unbuttoning my bluish civilian shirt, exposing the silvery suit beneath. I said to Greg, \"I was hoping to keep this more of a secret, but, desperate times. I'm gonna do what I need to do Greg.\" I finished, punctuating my point by pulling on the mask that had been tucked in the bottom half of my costume. Greg stared, wide-eyed, and shouted, \"Holy shit! You're Silver Citadel!\" garnering more than a few confused looks at him, and subsequently, awe-struck looks at me. \"I know it might be a lot to take in but-\" I started, but Greg interrupted, \"that's not it, it's just...\" he trailed off as he began fiddling with his bulky, brown briefcase. The latches came undone and he stuck his hands in, as I looked on, more than a little confused. When he pulled his hands out of the briefcase, he had what looked like two massive drill bits strapped to his hands, and a little brown mask that covered his eyes. Now it was my turn to be surprised, as I said, \"No. Freakin'. Way. You're Mole Master!\" Greg, or should I say Mole Master, looked back at me with a dopey grin on his face and said, \"Who'da thought! We both work in the same office and at the League!\" I gave him an incredulous look, and chuckled, then looked back at the count-down. Down to three minutes. I swore, then began to float, preparing to fly. I turned back to Greg and asked him, \"You can crack up big boulders and stuff, right? Kinda your thing?\" His expression was more serious than it had been a moment ago, and he replied, \"Yeah, but I don't really think I'd be able to do much about a meteor. I'm more of an Earth problems guy.\" \"Yeah, well,\" I began, \"How'd you like to be the first mole man in space?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHey! If you're reading this, please leave a comment, I'm trying to improve and I'd love some constructive criticism!" ]	3
	[WP] The villain has had it. How does this group of unskilled, inexperienced, and generally stupid heroes keep beating them with "The Power of Friendship"????	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Once again, the day was saved: the Great Khanaglia’s machinations were foiled, thwarted and diverted by the Super Cool Kidz, and the city of Magnumville was once again safe from peril. The villain, defeated, retreated to his lair. Such a result was hardly news, and the feeling of defeat wasn’t unknown to the Great Khanaglia. But tonight, for some reason… it just hurted. Bad.\n\n“My liege!” Gory, the talking pug, tried to bring his master and partner-in-crime’s spirits up, or at least down to the level which allows the proper plotting and scheming to be had. “We must regroup, and rebuild, and then… And then… and then…?”\n\n“I’m not saying the line, Gory”. The evil lord sulked. Not menacingly, or begrudgingly, and not with an evil gleam on his glass eye, but with bleary gloom on his real one. “I don’t feel like ‘striking again’, Gory”.\n\nGory barked. “Please don’t say that, boss! I know we can do it. We’ve just had a bad day, Mr. Khanaglia”\n\nKhanaglia put down his tub of ice cream. “Losing happens. I’m the biggest loser in the world, and I’d be proud of it, but…”\n\n“Of course you are! You lose, and then you get back up, and then you lose again, but you never, ever give up!” Gory barks, then does a frontflip. “Such is the Khanaglia way!”\n\n“Yeah, yeah, I know. But what I just don’t get… is… why? How do I lose so much to those… these…”\n\n“Rascals? Nincompoops? Upstarts?”\n\n“Those kids, Gory. They’re literally children. Why do I lose to these kids?”\n\n“Oh, well, right, huh? Who could have imagined they’d stop your plan of turning the city’s water supply into jello by just stirring it really hard with Spike Lad’s spike? Who would have guessed that they would divert our army of snakes back into our lair by charming them with a magical tune played by the school’s recorder band? Whoda thunk it that the Super Cool Kidz would foil our plans of melting the moon with the Khanaglia Laser Beam by foiling the moon with aluminum foil?” The dog forced a laugh, then bared his teeth. “Those rascals! The Super Cool Kidz will pay!”“You know that’s not it, Gory …”\n\n“Uh… then what is?”“Their power. The one they claim to wield. The one which… eludes me!” Khanaglia stood up, clutching his metallic fist.\n\nGory wagged his tail. “Oh! I know! The Power of Friendship, right?”\n\n“Yes!” said the Great Khanaglia, with a thunderclap. “The one which they claim to hold. The Power of Friendship, forged by the bonds of love, amity, and belief in oneself… how could we possibly harness it?”\n\n“Beats me”. Gory whimpered.\n\n“Indolent fool!” Another bolt of lightning cracked in the background. “We must learn how to control such a power, and use it to do our bidding! But how can we wield it?”\n\nGory walked in circles, then sat down on the floor to scratch his ear. He whined in pain, then jumped up. “I think I have an idea, boss!”\n\n“Wonderful, Gory, my faithful servant. We shall… strike again!”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOne week later…\n\nThe lairs, hovels, caves, bases and volcanoes of the most feared villains of the land were struck by the strangest request. Evil pirates and evil generals and evil chess masters, all received a letter, bearing the seal of The Great Khanaglia. Inside was the most indecent proposal of all.\n\n“It is I, the great The Great Khanaglia, scourge of the city of Magnumville… Do you wanna be my friend? Please mark your chosen answer in the box. \\[ \\] Yes \\[ \\] No”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDays later, the evil mailbox of the lair of the Great Khanaglia was flooded with the most vile stationery from the most notorious of villains. The Kewl Klown, Commander X, The Skullmaker, Comcast: only the most grim of names marked the envelopes.\n\nAs Gory lacked the opposable thumbs needed for the job, the Great Khanaglia himself had to open the letters. “Let us see: Yes, Yes, Yes, No, bill, Yes, No, a credit card, Yes, chain letter… Gory, by Jove, you were right! I shall call them through Degenero, my special video supercomputer, so we may carve a secret plot, and harness the Power of Friendship at haste!”\n\nThe plasma screen of the supercomputer lit up, showing face upon face of the most dastardly villains to have ever been born. Admiral Cussword was the first to speak. “Ahoy, if it’s not The Great Khanaglia… or should I say, my friend the Great Khanaglia!”\n\nThe Madd Rapper replied. “Yo, if yo’ a friend of Khanaglia, then yo’ a friend of mine, yo!”\n\nYo-Yo Ma’am, the yoyo master, concluded: “Then it would not be a mistake to affirm that we are all friends here. Correct?” The villains all agreed.\n\n“Then, as host of this most vile conversation, I propose… How about we all reunite, in person, to strike fear into the hearts of Magnumville, this Saturday, 3 o’clock, in front of the Museum of Fine Arts? So that we may harness, control, and dominate, the Power of Friendship!”\n\n“No can do, my friend”, said Madam Meanie. “My cat must go to the veterinary”\n\n“Fine. Sunday, at the same time?” Khanaglia asked.\n\n“Sorry, bud”, said Houlie the Hooligan. “That’s time for the ballgame – can’t miss it, friendo! You are all invited too”\n\n“So be it. Monday, 7pm. Be there…?”\n\n“Apologies, amigo”, said La Lady Calavera. “I am at work during such a vile hour of the day”\n\n“Understandable. Thursday? Anyone?” Wrong-side-of-the-tracks William signaled with the “raise hand” button. “I’ll tell you if I’m available”\n\n“Is that a yes, William?” Asked Khanaglia. “That’s a ‘no’, pal”\n\nThe Great Khanaglia sighed. “Then how about today? Friends?”\n\n“Nah. Don’t feel like it”, said the Masked Mascarado. “Too tired, friend”\n\nThe Great Khanaglia punched his desk. “Curses! Who knew getting adults to do something together was that difficult?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOn the other side of Magnumville, the school bell rang. The Super Cool Kidz left for recess..." ]	2
	[WP] In a world full of gods and monsters, where random people can randomly gain the power to destroy nations, becoming skilled enough allows you to bend reality via poorly explained mechanisms and heroes and villains are facts of life the most popular theme park sells the mundane	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 crowd outside the main gate gathered and waited. You could feel the excitement all around you, or perhaps it was collective superpowers off all the people around you electrifying your senses. That was your power after all. You were 'The Sentinel', you could tell when a superpowered individual was nearby and could generally sense what their power was and how it could theoretically be countered. You gained them one day in the traditional \"Lab accident\" and weather phenomena that allowed a small bit of cosmic radiation through your window while you were working on an exploration into what you called \"wish therapy\". Your power had no offensive or defensive capability, but it could be useful at times. Well, it used to be, but now with the literal and figurative explosion of superpowered people, it was all just noise. That's why a visit to this new theme park seemed promising, because of what it offered. Looking all around you could tell everyone here was superpowered, heroes and villains alike, and yet everyone was in street clothes and relatively peaceful.\n\nA man, ordinary looking, came towards the large crowd and stepped up onto to the podium. The crowed hushed. \"Ladies, gentlemen and all others in between, welcome. Heroes, villains, and all others in between, welcome. Gods, mortals, and all others in between, welcome. Welcome to a place to reclaim what we lost those many years ago. My name is Charles Enpet, but you may call me the Nullifier, for while you are within the boundaries of this happy place, you will be as you once were, or for those of your born to your powers, you will be as you might have been. You will all be...normal.\"\n\nA cheer went up from the crowed, and you joined in. The chance to shut off the constant noise in your mind of all the powers, even if it was just temporary, was enticing.\n\nThe man held his hands up and the crowed hushed again. \"In this land, there will be no heroes, no villains. There will be no crime, no crises, no earth shaking battles for supremacy. There will be peace and happiness and...\" He halted for dramatic effect and the crowed hung on is words. \"...the mundane!\"\n\nWith that proclamation, fireworks went off, the band started playing, confetti was everywhere and the barrier to the park went down. With a cheer, the crowd entered the park. As you crossed the threshold of the park it went silent. Not the crowd, but the noise in your head. You had had it for so long it had become background static that you had to focus on if you wanted clarity. Now though, now it was just gone and it was wonderful. As you looked around, you saw the reactions of the other superpowered people. They all..diminshed..at least those with visible powers. Glows went away, auras retreated, extra limbs disappeared and a more or less normality of appearance went through the crowd. You could see some people weeping out of relief. Others embraced those they had been unable to touch for so long.\n\nPark guides came out and started speaking to the crowds, indicating where those whose appearances and/or builds had normalized could go to change clothes if they desired. After all, if you had been 3 meter tall four armed powerhouse, and now you weren't...a change of clothes was needed. The park guides were also handing out guide maps for the park that listed all the attractions the park offered.\n\nThe park itself, once you got into it proper and saw what had been hidden away by the large dome covering it, was breathtakingly boring. There was a lot of greenery, parks with grass and picnic tables. There were stores, simple roads with cars, small buildings that looked like offices. You looked at the guide and decided where to go first." ]	2
	[WP] Throughout the kingdom, there's a rumor that if a group of dancers in black appear in the town square, war follows. On your way to market one morning, a crowd has gathered. The dancers have appeared.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "His mother always called them black swans. Others spoke of dark doves, or ravens. Less friendly tounges called them vultures, crows, harpies. He figured it made sense. Ravens and crows were believed to be bad omens, Harpies and Vultures vicious and hungry for flesh, swans and doves beautiful and elegant. Seeing them so close now simply proved the dancers were all these things at once.\n\n\nThey moved with grace and fluidity not even the royal dancers matched, light as feathers, as if their clothes were the only thing keeping them close to the ground. Layers of fabric obscured the dancers' shapes, making it impossible to tell their physique underneath it. They draped their dresses and robes in a way that the wind could pick them up easily, letting them flutter and puff up like wings behind them.\n\n\nThere was music coming from somewhere, nobody in the crowd tearing their eyes away from the dancers to find out it's origin. The melody tasted like lemon pie and wild honey on his lips, reminding him of the lavender fields behind the house he grew up in, a time that had been long lost ever since. The silence hanging over the crowd was heavy, thick like the blanket of winters first snowstorms. An older woman near him silently wept, tears running down her wrinkled face.\n\n\nHe barely realized the sun slowly setting, entranced by the dancers and ominous music. With the shadows creeping longer the black dancers looked even less like people- more like long forgotten ghosts, spirits of a world beyond theirs. They didn't show up often, only a handful of recordings told of the tale of the black birds in the past centuries. Whenever they appeared war was sure to follow, like a starved wolf hunting for scraps, a fragile body to sink it's teeth into.\n\n\nThe music slowed, and so did the dancers. No breathing was heard from them, even though they had danced for hours, standing in the middle of the townsquare like statues carved out of obsidian. He took a careful step closer. Veils were covering the dancers faces.\n\n\nUneasy murmurs picked up among the crowd, most of them now free of the spell and leaving. The news would spread fast. By the end of the next day royal soldiers would be here, asking about the dancers. Nobody would be able to give them many answers.\n\n\nOne of the dancers held their hand out towards him. Their skin was pale as Death itself, a plain, silver ring on one finger. He reached out, slowly, their fingertips barely brushing against each other. He stopped, and pulled his hand back again. The dancer nodded, bowing their head. Instead they blew him a kiss, and they joined the others. A gust of wind sweept through the square and the dancers disappeared in a burst of black feathers.\n\n\nHe picked one up, it was soft against his calloused fingers, attaching it to a plain, silver ring hanging on a thread around his neck." ]	2
	[WP] An powerful wizard is also an alcoholic. On a particular night he was supposed to grand great powers to the chosen one. Because he was drunk however, he mistook the time and place and granted the powers to a random peasant 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.", "The drunken wizard wavers as he walks across the room. His cheeks were flushed red and the gown he wore nearly tripped him as he continued towards a book. The book gleamed white as it sat wide open on a podium. It would have been enough to blind the wizard if he hadn't already been blackout drunk. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe wriggles across the room, making his way to the book with a feather pen in his hand. The book appears to run away from him as it begins to hover in the air. The book closes shut and the glowing stops. A miniature voice yells at the wizard as the book begins to fly even further away from his grasp.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You can't keep doing this Veilgi!\" A fairy named Madeira shouts out at the drunkard as he began to try and swat her out of the air by throwing the pen he'd wielded in his hand at her. He misses narrowly as the fairy dropped the book in order to dodge it. The pages of the book flipped endlessly as the pen flew towards it. Madeira looks on in shock, she couldn't believe a mage appointed by the six goddesses would do something so grave.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe book lands on the ground as Veilgi passes out, he wets himself as he falls and hits his head on a coffee table. Madeira's rage is swiftly turned into joy only to turn into terror as she turned away from him and saw the ink of the pen leaking onto the paper. The ink continued to drip, just as the ink appeared to be gone Madeira let out a puff of relief before the pen began generating more. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe darts her head from the book and sees Veigil with a shit-eating grin as he slept peacefully with blood leaking from his head. She turns back around and sees the page was overtaken by the ink completely. In a rage, she picks up the inky book and hurls it at Veigil as her armed gleamed with a bright pink color. The book moves toward him slowly as if a fly were carrying it towards him and just before impact it slams on his face, painting it black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe continues to snore but he felt something touch his face; causing him to rub his face and move the book away, leaving his thumbprint in both of the pages. His face falls back into the white carpet he slept on, the ink began to spread across the room as it turned the entire room black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You didn't!\" Madeira shouts out as her self-assuredness disappears and she looks at the pages, completely oblivious to the room being eaten away by the ink. She stares at the two thumbprints as she thinks to herself.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n'I'm screwed.' \n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe tries smudging away the ink but only manages to free one name from the ink as the rest of the ink dried up.\n\n1/2" ]	2
	[WP] The intruder grabs you and pins you against the wall; you're struggling to breathe. As everything goes black, you catch sight of your reflection in the mirror opposite. Your reflection raised their finger to their lips, then silently steps out of the mirror.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 shoved me against the bathroom wall. The back of my head slammed and cracked one of the ceramic tiles. I tried to put my hands up but his hands were already a around my throat. My head throbbed as his punched me in the jaw. His elbow pushed up against my neck. I tried to push his face away. My arms began to droop. All I could see was the fury in his eyes. The light was fading now.\n\nI saw something move in the corner of my vision. Maybe a mouse or something. I suppose maybe another creature would bear witness to my end. Maybe I'm alone here. I suppose it didn't matter at this stage. It's over.\n\nAs the strength left my arms, and I conceded my life I saw that it was a my face in the mirror. But, she had one finger raised to her lip. I suppose it must be the best my subconscious could do for me here and now. Just reassure me a little on my way into the night.\n\nThe image of myself stepped out of the mirror like a clone. She grabbed me by my hands. She curled them up into fists and hammered them into my attacker's groin. He stumbled back a little and swung a punch at me with his right hand. My clone pulled my left arm up and covered my head with my arm. My attacker's fist collided with my arm. I wanted to collapse from the pain, but my clone wedged my elbow forward into his neck. He fell backwards, hitting his head on the toilet bowl, and finally collapsed.\n\nAs I leaned over to catch my breath, my clone walked over into the bedroom and returned with my phone. She handed it to me, and walked backwards into the mirror. She held up one finger to her lips again and returned to the same pose as me.\n\nThe phone connected. A voice spoke, \"This is 999, what's your emergency?\"" ]	2
	[WP] You've lived a normal life except for one thing: time slows to a snail's pace when anyone around you is about to die. You have no idea the radius of this sensory power, but its both helped and cursed 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.", "Time’s gait is a matter of perception. Our boredom sets her to a dawdle. The last half hour of shift makes her drag her feet.\n\nGet distracted and she will sprint away from you, taking the day with her. And she walks with each of us, every pace set differently; one man’s lost day is anothers longest.\n\nAnd for me it is worse.\n\nWhen Death comes for someone near me, when their Time ends, my Time slows. Slows to a snail stuck in treacle. Maybe she mourns the loss of one of her sister-selves.\n\nThis quirk of my experience has gifted me safety. I’ve avoided accidents - more than once I’ve stepped back on to the footpath as a car ran a red light and hit...\n\nOf course, bearing witness to Death is never pleasant. Sometimes I don’t even see it. I haven’t tested the radius of my Time’s mournful pause.\n\nI avoid hospitals. \n\nTo pop in and visit for half an hour can take me days in perceived time. I avoid over-populated areas, too. The first people I told about my power was the conscription board.\n\nThey told me that I was just trying to avoid being sent to war by acting crazy. They gave me a uniform, stamped my papers and sent me to bootcamp.\n\nAnd now, I’m stuck.\n\nStanding in the cool air of a grey morning. Boots deep in the mud of a trench dug into foreign soil. Stock still and waiting. There are men and women to my left and my right. I don’t know if they are to die when we rush out, or if a mortar will kill us. Maybe some other war wrought machination will evaporate them.\n\nUs.\n\nTime has stopped.\n\nToo much Death.\n\nTime refuses to take a step. Too many of her sisters will end about us and my Time doesn’t want to watch.\n\nOr.\n\nMaybe it’s me? My Time. Maybe this is how my Time ends. Maybe it already has. Maybe she waddled off and left me here, to think forevermore.\n\nGrey skies above. Mud below. Sandbags and planks ahead and behind. The dead standing either side - and me counted among their ranks. Frozen for eternity to think on wars and life and Time." ]	2
	[WP] Each time you put on a different hat you take on a different persona. Now your white cowboy hat persona, and your deer stalker hat persona, are trying to solve the crimes of your fedora hat persona.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 rain sang its bleary melody against the asphalt, only serving to soften the grime of fifty years of poverty and unreliable waste collection services. Haberdash drew long on the cigarette and blew out. He didn't smoke. It tasted nice, sending shivers of rewarded pathways stomping through his body as he squinted up at the dead man swinging in the tree. At least the bastard was too high up to smell.\n\nThe police said they were aware of the issue but it had been three days. He couldn't blame them honestly, even with one of their own growing ripe up there. They didn't like this side of town and for the most part, this side of town didn't like them. The UHU, the Unlicenced Hero Union, were almost as irrational as their name but they were the effective police force in this part of town. A shanty town ruled by reject heroes. So here stood Haberdash to deal with the issue. He opened up his bag.\n\nHe took out the rock climbing helmet and replaced the beret on his head. As he secured the straps, he felt the growing strength in his hands. He clapped his hands together and white dust bloomed against the rain. He breathed in deep, smelling not the alley behind the Wine Liquor and Fish but the fresh morning of the rainforest, the rare aired peaks of some mountain far from here. He coughed once as he spat the cigarette to the debris around him. He always forgot to take the cigarette out first.\n\nHaberdash climbed the unnaturally tall and wildly branching tree easily, hopping from hold to hold without conscious thought. Before the Blue Night, there had been a hero that could grow plants. This must be a piece of his work, Horty or some nonsense. He reached the branch supporting the hanged man. He wasn't in police uniform but a shiny Carmen Delta badge still sat around his neck. The poor sod was no longer too high to smell and the air felt thick and full with decay. Cadaverine, some recessed bit of his memory offered, very distinct.\n\nHe'd been getting snippets of insight off hat recently. If he had been a Romera Hills kid, he would have been surrounded by tutors from the age of six on, pouring over every aspect of his power but Haberdash had just had what he could figure on his own. He flicked out his knife, a ghostly shadow of a climbing spike hung between realities but he dismissed it. He began to saw at the wet rope and paused, looking down. Our friend was going to make a mess, catching every branch on the way down and he would be expected to clean it up.\n\nHe thought for a moment until he asked the rock climber whose answer was immediate and detailed. With a recovery stretcher and seven pins on a pully rope, he could let him down easily. Haberdash let the shadow tools form in his hands with a familiar grip around the strange-looking hammer and hooks.\n\nAfter only a few minutes, the shell of the Crimson Delta officer rested on the filthy street at the base of the wide tree, not at all splattered. Haberdash took off his helmet and looked down at the detective, paying special attention to the fedora on his head, not seeming too dirty in the rain. Police knew how to deal with bodies, right?\n\nHaberdash bent down and picked the hat off the head revealing lifeless and eternal bedhead swirling in a thin mess on the corpse's scalp. He was balding, the hat a solution somewhere between a Cojack and a comeover. Haberdash sniffed the light brown brim once before placing it on his head. It was always intense the first time with a hat and Haberdash readied himself, closing his eyes as the new skillset flew through him.\n\n\"Check the shoes,\" a dark, gravelly voice called out from nowhere. Haberdash had heard this before, hats that power manifested as a voice in his head. It wasn't usually this unsettling though or real.\n\n\"Why?\" Haberdash asked, looking down at the rain gathering in the chest cavity of the man. That was too deep there, collapsed in by a super-strength punch most likely.\n\n\"Clues, you idiot,\" the voice coughed and set something rattling in its nonexistent lungs. \"This isn't a killing of opportunity. This was done to send a message.\"\n\n\"From who? To who? What message?\" Haberdash asked, enjoying the rain being out of his eyes. If only he had a thick waterproof trenchcoat.\n\n\"Check the shoes,\" the voice offered again sharply.\n\nHaberdash used a stick to poke at the man's boots. \"They're boots and they look old and ratty.\"\n\n\"Fuck you, pal,\" the voice said. \"The CD hasn't renegotiated a union contract in over twenty years. Of course they're old. Check the treads.\"\n\nHaberdash squatted to look over the underside of the boots. There was something there, an iridescent stone, polished to a gleaming shine even through the mud. He flicked out his knife, dismissing the reassuring shadow image of a pistol, and picked out the stone, holding it up.\n\n\"What is it?\" Haberdash asked, looking at the radiant gem. \"it looks expensive.\"\n\n\"It's trash, but it's a lead,\" the voice offered with a bit of cynical glee, \"a jade faux diamond. They're made as a side effect of Geodeisic's power. I've got a contact that can help us, but get me out of the rain first.\"\n\n\"Get you out of the rain?\" Haberdash asked, looking down at the dead detective.\n\n\"Yeah,\" the voice from the hat said, rugged in his mind. \"Then you're gonna help me find the bastards that made me this way.\"\n\nA roar of thunder rose from Romera Hills overlooking the city. The storm wasn't ending anytime soon.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\---\n\n/r/surinical", "The pale chubby boy stepped out of his house in a deer stalker hat, a blue paper straw cigaretting from his mouth. The black raincoat was his stepdad’s and at least a couple of sizes too big, but that was O.K. — slightly baggy clothes complemented his figure, Mom said. Not that he thought himself fat, just had a few pounds tucked away for a hard winter. Practical.\n\nThe boy, Robert, was on the hunt. Someone was running an illegal brewing operation in the woods behind his house. A fiend in a fedora. And this was a dry town, or at least in his head it was. His stepdad didn’t live the same fantasy.\n\nThe entrance to the woods loomed ahead: two gnarled oaks, burls running up them that looked like constipated gargoyle faces. The sun stretched pink over his head, the day only now getting started.\n\nYou sure you want to go in there? Alicia asked. Well, not asked per se, as Alicia was only with him in his head. Those trees look pretty ominous. I know I’m scared just looking at them.\n\nAlicia was smart blonde from math class that had told the idiots at the back of class to stop throwing pen lids at Robert. And while he didn’t think that act by itself meant something, well maybe — to her — it did? She‘d looked at him after and shaken her head. Exasperation, perhaps? But it could have been lust, he supposed. How should he know? He was only fourteen and lust hadn’t well-defined itself in his mind yet.\n\n“It’s not a matter of if I’m sure,” he told her, pulling down the front of his deer stalker. “It’s my duty, as the town’s only private detective.” He stepped through the arch of oak-y arms and onto the leaf-crisp carpet of early spring. His cowboy hat peeked nervously out of a raincoat pocket.\n\nThat’s brave of you, said Alicia. I’ll be sure to tell the other girls what you did for all of them. That you did without them even asking, without even wanting a reward!\n\n“Ah hush,” he said. “It’s enough that you know.”\n\nThe straw had turned bitty in his mouth and he wished it had been plastic. He was all for saving the world, but science said plastic was the more durable material. Paper straws were just another sacrifice in Robert’s life.\n\nThe forest canopy was thick even without leaves on overhanging branches. But there were evergreens and moss and ivy, and the sunrise seemed a little timid of disturbing them.\n\nHe tried to remember where the fedora wearing guy — handsome as all heck, by all reports — had placed the vodka bottle he’d pilfered from his stepdad. He was sure it was a left down this path, then a right down there, then up this hill.\n\nEr, not trying to throw shade, as you’re obviously an expert, but are you certain you know where we’re going?\n\n”Elementary, Alicia.” He wiped a flick of sweat from his forehead. Maybe he could do with losing a pound or two from his fat reserves. His coat trailed behind him like a thick, heavy shadow/net that dragged leaves and sticks with it. “Look, there’s a bottle cap, so I know we’re on the right track.”\n\nNot that he’d planted that bottle cap. Truthfully, he wouldn’t say he was the world’s greatest detective, but maybe Alicia would if he kept finding clues, and if she wanted to say it, fine, he wouldn’t stop her. But he—\n\nRobert almost screamed as the animal hurtled out of the bush towards him. A deer or a wolf? A wild cat?\n\nA Labrador, as it turned out. The creature barked and jumped at him.\n\n”Uh, hi?” Rob said. He wasn’t great with animals, especially dogs. No matter how much he washed his groinal area, they always sniffed him there, usually in front of his mom or girls he liked, and he’d almost die from burning cheeks.\n\nBut this dog didn’t sniff. Not that it hurt his feelings, but it was odd, he thought. The dog barked again, then ran back the way it came. He heard it, beyond a great green wig of thick bushes, barking madly.\n\nWhat’s wrong with it?\n\n“Rabies, maybe.”\n\nI don’t think it’s rabies. It wasn’t frothing.\n\n“Which one of us is the detective again?”\n\nI’m just saying, it wasn’t frothing. Maybe it’s in trouble?\n\nWhy was he nervous? It was just a dog. ”Fine! But if the cartel brewing the illegal moonshine escapes, it’s on you.”\n\nRobert waded through brambles, following the sound of the wailing dog.\n\nThen the trees spread open to reveal a clearing, like how the clouds sometimes do to show the moon or sun.\n\nAnd lying in the clearing, the dog by her side, was an elderly lady. Not moving.\n\n”Crap!” he said as he sprinted to her. The dog howled. The wind whipped leaves into water-drain patterns. “Lady, are you okay?”\n\nNo response.\n\nWhat do we do? What do we do? Is she dead? What do we do?\n\n“We don’t panic! We don’t panic!” he replied, trying to catch his breath.\n\nRobert grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. Or tried to. But he couldn’t find it. Truth was he couldn’t find his own pulse usually either. He didn’t really understand where to press.\n\nHe put his cheek to her mouth.\n\nIt was hard to tell until the wind settled. But once it did, he felt it. Slightly warm air, gentle and very occasional.\n\nHe didn’t bring his phone. No one ever called him so why would he? You couldn’t really get lost here. As long as you walked one direction — any direction — for an hour or two, you’d escape.\n\nWhat then? Leave her here and run back and try to get help, but then not remember where he’d found her body and... What?\n\nNo.\n\nRobert took off his coat and hat and threw them aside. He picked up the lady and heaved her over his shoulder. God, for a little old lady, she was a boulder.\n\nHe walked.\n\nStaggered.\n\nThe dog followed.\n\nHe wouldn’t stop. No matter how much it hurt.\n\nAlicia was gone now.\n\nAll he could think about was his dad. Not his stepdad, but Dad. How he’d died alone and there’d been no one around to even try to help him.\n\nAnd maybe this lady had no one to be sad for her, except for the dog. But Robert would be sad for her now.\n\nHis legs and back screamed with each step.\n\nBut he’d get this lady out. He’d find someone with a phone and call an ambulance. God damn, even if he didn’t save her, even if he couldn’t, he’d try.\n\nHe walked in silence. Slowly. Steadily. Heart pounding. Dog following.", "\"Oh sheriff, thank goodness you're here!\", Straw Hat exclaimed.\n\nQuickly swapping his hat for a white cowboy hat, the young man switched his persona completely. Speaking with a heavier tone in his voice-- impersonating Sam Elliot, he continued on the different role.\n\n\"Horrible, truly horrible\", White Cowboy Hat shook his head in sadness and disbelief as he knelt before the victim.\n\nChanging to a backward baseball cap, the man lied on the floor with his tongue out as he took on the role of the murder victim.\n\n\"Any witnesses aside from you, Straw Hat?\", wearing the cowboy hat once more he asked.\n\n\"N--no, sheriff. I'm afraid I was the first person to discover the body...\", Straw Hat answered.\n\nWhite Cowboy Hat rubbed his chin, thinking. His gaze fell to the trunk nearby-- to the trunk full of hat, to the one specific hat sitting above the rest, he suddenly got a bright idea.\n\n\"It seems we need to consult an expert\", White Cowboy Hat claimed.\n\n\"Ex--expert, sheriff?\"\n\n\"Yes, we need a good detective to work this case\"\n\nWhite Cowboy Hat immediately went to grab the deerstalker hat and put it on-- reminiscent of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, he switched role once more.\n\n\"Hello sheriff, how may I help you today?\", Deerstalker Hat asked.\n\n\"We've got a body on our hands, detective. A murder from the looks of it\", White Cowboy Hat explained, nodding to the floor.\n\nTrue to his curious nature, Deerstalker Hat went on all four, crawling on the floor with his nose close to the ground as he snooped around the area where the body lied.\n\n\"Ew, what is he doi...?\", Straw Hat remarked with disgust on his face.\n\n\"Quiet, kid. Let him work\", White Cowboy Hat interjected as he himself was fascinated at the detective's work.\n\n\"AHA!\", Deerstalker Hat jumped up back on his feet, holding something on between his fingers.\n\n\"Oh you scared me!\", Straw Hat remarked.\n\n\"What do you have, detective?\", White Cowboy Hat asked.\n\n\"Seem familiar, sheriff?\", Deerstalker Hat asked handing the object to White Cowboy Hat, though he only switch it to his other hand as he switched hat.\n\n\"A white feather\", White Cowboy Hat raised his brow questioningly.\n\n\"Exactly, sheriff. A white feather\", Deerstalker Hat smiled, confirming.\n\n\"Eh, what does the white feather has got to do with the murder?\", Straw Hat chimed in.\n\nWhite Cowboy Hat wracked his brain, but clearly Deerstalker Hat saw something he did not.\n\n\"Have you figured it out yet, sheriff?\", Deerstalker Hat asked giddily, seemingly couldn't wait to blurted out his explanation.\n\n\"Can't say I have, detective. Please, enlighten us\", White Cowboy Hat handed the feather to his other hand and switched hat.\n\n\"Well, the white feather was left on the crime scene, but was it intentional? The lack of evidence prohibited me to draw a conclusion, but regardless!\", Deerstalker Hat started with his fast-paced monologue. \"The feather was left by the murderer\"\n\n\"How can you tell? It could've been dropped by our victim here\", White Cowboy Hat asked.\n\n\"It could. But the fact is, baseball cap does not have a feather on it. And we know which hat has one, don't we?\", Deerstalker Hat smirked.\n\n\"The sailor hat?\", Straw Hat hazard a guess.\n\n\"The fedora!\", White Cowboy Hat exclaimed.\n\n\"Exactly, sheriff. We know for a fact that of all the hats and headwear in this trunk--\", Deerstalker Hat pointed to the trunk full of hats. \"Only one possess the additional accessory of a white feather, that is the fedora. Fedora Hat is your guy, sheriff\", Deerstalker Hat folded his arms smugly, successfully solving the case.\n\n\"Excellent work, detective!\", White Cowboy Hat exclaimed, clapping his hands. \"Now we can make the arrest for Fedora Hat!\", he said as he rummaged around the trunk to find the hat in question.\n\nSuddenly White Cowboy Hat paused, frowning.\n\n\"Something wrong, sheriff?\", Deerstalker Hat asked.\n\n\"The fedora...it's not here\", White Cowboy Hat said. \"He escaped!\"\n\nFrantically White Cowboy Hat moved, ready to give chase to the feeling suspect only to stop as he switch to the deerstalker hat.\n\n\"Calm down, sheriff! He's still here!\", Deerstalker Hat said.\n\n\"What makes you say that?\", asked White Cowboy Hat.\n\n\"Think clearly, sheriff. Who has got access to this trunk of hats? Only us. Ergo, Fedora Hat never left the room\", Deerstalker Hat explained his reasoning.\n\n\"But...that's impossible! There are only three of us here!\", White Cowboy Hat protested.\n\n\"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth, sheriff\", Deerstalker Hat said. \"Now let us think. With process of elimination we can figure this out, sheriff. I arrived just after you and after you thought of involving my service, correct?\"\n\nSwitching to the cowboy hat he nodded, before switching back to the deerstalker hat.\n\n\"And you showed up only after our witness, Straw Hat summoned you, correct?\"\n\nOnce more in his cowboy hat the man nodded before switching back.\n\n\"And our victim, Baseball Cap-- we can establish that he is not Fedora Hat. So that only leaves...\"\n\nSwitching to the straw hat, an evil smirk was painted on his face. In a horrifying twist, Straw Hat removed his straw hat revealing another hat hidden beneath it-- the fedora hat.\n\n\"Fedora Hat!\", White Cowboy Hat yelled in shock.\n\n\"You may have foiled my disguise! But I will not go down without a fight!\", Fedora Hat yelled as he pulled out a knife stashed on his belt.\n\n\"Die, sheriff!\"\n\nA fight ensued as the man put on the white cowboy hat over his fedora, making the two personas inhabiting one body. Fedora Hat pointed the knife to his own chest and with his other hand White Cowboy Hat fended it off.\n\n\"You can't win, Fedora Hat! Just give up!\", White Cowboy Hat growled.\n\n\"I will not go to jail!\", Fedora Hat exclaimed.\n\nThe man dropped to the floor, rolling around still with one hand holding the other knife-wielding hand off. In the ensuing struggle White Cowboy Hat Managed to put on the deerstalker hat on top o f the cowboy hat, adding one more persona to the mix.\n\n\"Deerstalker Hat, knock the knife away!\", White Cowboy Hat shouted.\n\n\"No!\", Fedora Hat yelled in frustration as the knife-wielding hand let go of the knife. In turn both hands started to punch himself in the face as both White Cowboy Hat and Deerstalker Hat finally gained the upper hand and manage to defeat Fedora Hat and put him under arrest.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\n\"I can't thank you enough, detective\", White Cowboy Hat said as he put the fedora hat along with its fallen feather piece into a separate box-- \"Prison\" was written on its side.\n\n\"I was just doing my job, sheriff\", Deerstalker Hat tipped his hat before walking off.\n\n\"Where are you going?\", White Cowboy Hat asked.\n\n\"Off to solve another case, sheriff\", Deerstalker Hat smiled. \"And if you ever need me again, you know where to find me\"\n\nThe man took off the deerstalker hat and placed it back inside the trunk, on top of the pile of hats.\n\nPutting back on the cowboy hat, White Cowboy Hat smiled and tipped his hat to the deerstalker hat. Slowly he shifted his gaze, from the trunk to the empty air in front of him.\n\n\"Always running off solving a case--\", he shrugged seemingly addressing an invisible audience. \"I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowing he's out there\", he smiled.\n\nr/HangryWritey", "“Baby no, I don’t want to put one of your hats on!”\n\n“Come on Ted, it’s for science! I’m even wearing my science hat, humor me here.”\n\n“The things I do for love.” Ted sighed and put it on. They looked ridiculous, sitting in bed with nothing but the sheets and a pair of hats on, his a cowboy hat so spotlessly white that all the trails in Texas were probably crying out to throw dust on it, hers a baseball cap with the periodic table printed on it in obnoxious neon. Science hat indeed.\n\n“But you do love me,” Emma said, “and that’s the important bit!” She leaned in and Ted closed his eyes for her kiss. She licked the tip of his nose instead. “Gotcha!”\n\n“Girl, one of these days I’m gonna tickle the shit out of you for that.”\n\n“Boy, if you don’t watch it I’ll put the fedora back on.”\n\nTed snorted with laughter. They'd be together for about two years now and while Emma’s obsession with hats and roleplay was a bit weird, he’d learned to get into it. Especially when she put on her fake cop hat and the little outfit that went with it. That would make any man fall in love.\n\nStill though, the fedora was weird, and not just because it was a fedora. Ted couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but whenever she decided to roleplay that one she felt a little less like the girl he loved. It made him kind of sad actually, now that he thought about it. The laugh died off.\n\n“Hey, no need for that. I’m wearing the cowboy hat, right?”\n\n“Yes you are.” Emma pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side. “Aren’t you going to drink your tea? It’ll get cold.”\n\n“Oh I think it’s already cold, but thanks for reminding me.” Ted grabbed the mug and drained the last of it. She’d been really nice this morning, waking him up with breakfast and a cup of his favorite tea, and then everything that had come after.\n\n“Thank you, I don’t deserve it.”\n\n“Huh? What do you mean?” Ted blinked suddenly heavy eyelids, smacking his lips, feeling something strangely gritty against his tongue, like there had been a powder or something in the bottom of the mug. “Baby, I feel weird.”\n\n“I know you do sweetheart,” Emma said, the covers falling off her shoulder as she scooted forward, taking him in her arms. “It’s OK though, it’ll all be over soon.”\n\n“What'll be over?” Ted yawned, letting her half pull him half lead him towards the head of the bed and then lean him up against it.\n\n“You’ll see.” Emma kissed him softly, for real this time, and even though his whole body felt so strange her lips on his made him feel safe. She sat back and Ted reached out a hand, trying to touch her, but it fell back down to the bed, never getting any farther than her knee.\n\nEmma frowned and then took off her science hat, letting long brown hair fall to cover her face as she reached over the edge bed. When she came up she holding a different, one of those old English looking hunting hats. She put on and her posture straightened, and when she spoke her voice was entirely different.\n\n“I’m sorry Ted, you deserve better than this,” she said.\n\n“Stop that. You…uh wow… I feel weird. You… You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”\n\nEmma’s watered but she didn’t cry. Even exhausted as he was, Ted could see that took an effort. “I hope you still say that after.”\n\n“After what?\" He hiccuped, \"I like your accent!”\n\n“After this.” Emma reached out, adjusting the hat on his head, and Ted’s entire world changed.\n\n“What the hell?” Teddy said. “What did you do to me?” Teddy jumped out of bed, staring at the spot where he’d been Ted a second ago. Blood pumped through his veins, his muscles were tense, and whatever was going on he was ready to fight it. He must have a weapon somewhere in the house, a man was hardly dressed without a knife or a pistol or even a big stick, but then he was hardly dressed as is.\n\n“I changed you, I need your help.” The Emma that sat in front of him wasn’t Emma. She looked the same, even with the strange little hat, and something about her sounded the same under the perfect English accent, but her carriage was different, her confidence had a different tone. Teddy knew now that whatever had gone on before, it hadn’t been roleplay. That cast some of their relationship in a new light. Secrets were a fact of life though, especially where came from. Teddy knew something of what might make a man keep them, and perhaps a woman was entitled to her mysteries too.\n\n“Well little lady, let me see what I can do.” Teddy shook his head, had he always had this accent? “I’ll have to see about getting armed up, and if you’ve got a horse handy I’d be much obliged, but I don’t see a stable key on you.”\n\n“And I do believe our landlord would have something to say about a stable,” Emma said.\n\n“Landlords. Figures.”\n\nEmma smiled at him and wrapped the sheets around herself as she stood. She walked over to their little closet and stood on her tiptoes, pulling a box down from the top and then tossing it to him. Ted caught it and shook it, the box was light, nothing rattled. When took off the lid the fedora was inside.\n\n“That’s what I need your help with, yours specifically. Tell me, are you already coming to think of yourself as Teddy?”\n\nTeddy nodded.\n\n“Good. I need someone like that, someone who isn’t scared of a little adventure, a rough and tumble type, but a smart one, an educated one. A man my sherlock persona can work with.”\n\n“Well, I’m certainly that. What’s the fedora got to do with it though?”\n\nEmma walked over, wrapping the blanket around them both and laying her head against his chest.\n\n“You really do love me, right?”\n\n“Always.”\n\n“You really mean that?”\n\n“Of course. Baby, what’s the matter?”\n\nEmma pulled him down into a kiss and they hung there on the edge of familiarity for a long time, long enough that Teddy forget how to breath as thoroughly as Ted would have. Then Emma broke the kiss, and the moment with it when Teddy realized she was crying.\n\n“Teddy, I think I killed a man.”\n\nr/TurningtoWords", "Hatless, I was dolt. My thoughts trudged. My speech was slow. My ideas were as lofty as a toad's.\n\nGrowing my hair didn't change it. Nor did shaving my head. So long as I wore no apparel on my noggin, I was a mediocre man with a mediocre mind.\n\nWhen I put a hat on, though, everything changed. I could be anyone, anything, depending on the cap. I was dexterous with a paintbrush, and had a keen eye for form and colour, as long as I donned my Parisian beret. I could run marathons with ease if only I circled my skull with a sporty sweatband. In a soldier's helmet, I set records at shooting ranges for my preternatural accuracy, firing my rifle with such precision that I could sink round after round into the dead centre of a distant bullseye.\n\nBut with these different hats came more than just talents. There also came changes to my personality, many of which were extreme.\n\nSome of my hats paired well with each other, and their corresponding personalities bonded and communicated. The man I was in a surgeon's cap spoke highly of the self I became in an Einstein wig. And though what they said and thought and did often went over my hatless head, they never hid anything from me. They were good-natured hats, with well-meaning selves, who always included me in their conversations.\n\nBut there were hats that did not play well with others. Hats of malice and deceit. Balaclava Bob refused to talk to Service Cap Scott, and he spat at the mere mention of Judge Wig Johnny. And though Balaclava Bob seemed to get on well with Dirty Toque Terry, what they thought or did or spoke about was usually hidden from me.\n\nI had a whole rack filled with devious caps, about whose selves I knew next to nothing. I had a veritable criminal syndicate living in my wardrobe, living in me.\n\nI did not know how they operated. I did not know how they acquired the stores of jewels and stolen works of art I often found stashed in the corners of my home. But I did know that they had a mastermind, pulling the strings of their complex and multifaceted organization. Of course, that mastermind was me; but me when I donned my grey fedora.\n\n\\- - -\n\n\"Well, my dear man,\" said detective Deerstalker, sucking tobacco smoke from his cherrywood pipe. \"It appears we have quite the conundrum on our hands. Wouldn't you agree?\"\n\nI quickly removed the deerstalker hat and replaced it with the white cowboy hat.\n\n\"If it ain't a conundrum,\" said the White Ranger, \"then I'm the damn King of France.\"\n\nAnother quick switch.\n\n\"Let us recount,\" said Deerstalker, \"once again, the sequence of events, insofar as we can regard them as a sequence. . .Two weeks ago, Balaclava Bob left a note for Dirty Toque Terry on which was penned the address of an uptown warehouse. Later that same night, Dirty Toque Terry arrived home, inebriated to the point of incapacitation, smelling of gasoline, with a box of matches in his coat pocket. Correct?\"\n\n\"Correct,\" said the White Ranger, hastily pulling the pipe from his mouth with a look disgust.\n\n\"The next morning,\" said Deerstalker, grabbing the pipe from the table and gently puffing, \"the front pages of every paper in town were plastered with stories about the devastating fire that occurred uptown. A fire which originated at the very same warehouse whose address was penned on Balaclava Bob's note. A fire whose cause they believed to be arson. And a fire in which a priceless collection of Qin and Han Dynasty artifacts were lost.\"\n\n\"I don't know how you haul that crap,\" said the White Ranger, waving the smoke away from his face with one hand, pulling his white hat off with the other.\n\n\"It's quite mollifying, my dear man,\" said Deerstalker, squaring his cap on his dome. \"Helps the reason to steer with an evener keel.\"\n\n\"So you say,\" replied the White Ranger. \"But it makes me want to chuck.\"\n\n\"To return to the matter at hand,\" said Deerstalker. \"It is reasonable to assume that Dirty Toque Terry had something to do with the warehouse fire. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that the Grey Fedora is directly involved, given that Balaclava Bob was the one who left Mr Terry the note.\"\n\n\"I reckon those are fair assumptions,\" said the White Ranger. \"Since it's Bob who runs the boss's messages from hat to hat.\"\n\n\"But even if we knew those assumptions were true beyond all shadow of a doubt,\" said Deerstalker, \"what would that knowledge leave us with besides a heap of unanswerable questions? . .Why light the fire if the aim was mere thievery? What happened to the Chinese artifacts they stole? And what does any of this have to do with the man with whom the Syndicate has been in contact lately? The one they call the Seam Ripper?\"\n\nI pulled the deerstalker hat off.\n\n\"Are you two nearly done?\" I groaned. \"I gotta get some sleep. Can't this wait til the morning?\"\n\nI put the deerstalker back on.\n\n\"Of course, old chap,\" said the detective, stroking my chin. \"I have much to ponder. Until tomorrow, I suppose. Nighty night. May your sleep be restful, and filled with pleasant dreams.\"\n\nI pulled the hat off and placed it at my bedside. I scrunched my nose as I snuffed the pipe. I had to agree with the White Ranger. It really was awful stuff that Deerstalker forced us to smoke.\n\nI reached into my bedside drawer for my eye mask. I turned off my lamp and secured the mask over my eyes. Then I lay back on my pillow and lifted the mask, so the darkening fabric sat high on my forehead. Kind of like a makeshift headband. Kind of like a hat.\n\nI instantly fell asleep.\n\n\\- - -\n\n\"You said he was getting better,\" growled the man.\n\nHe stared angrily at the screen, on which played a live feed of his adult son, putting on hats, taking them off, and giddily mumbling gibberish to himself.\n\n\"He has regressed somewhat,\" admitted the doctor. \"We think the fire had something to do with it.\"\n\n\"The fire?\" cried the woman. \"There was a fire?\"\n\n\"We weren't told about any fire!\" cried the man.\n\n\"Was Gerald hurt?\" asked the woman.\n\n\"No,\" said the doctor. \"No. No one was hurt. It was a relatively minor incident. I shouldn't have brought it up. He was never in any real physical danger. I only mentioned it because I suspect it had something to do with his regression.\"\n\n\"Nobody told us about any fire,\" continued the man. \"Nobody tells us anything. . .Well? How'd it happen, then?\"\n\n\"Somehow, he got ahold of a pack of matches,\" said the doctor. \"He snuck them into his room.\"\n\n\"And set the damn room on fire,\" said the man.\n\n\"Not his room,\" said the doctor. \"No. He had a book of paintings, out of which he had torn all the sheets. He crumbled a few of those sheets up and stuffed them in a shoebox, along with a few wooden figurines. Panda bears, I believe.\"\n\n\"His sister got him those,\" said the woman. \"She knows how much he loves the Chinese culture.\"\n\n\"So he lit the box on fire, is that it?\" asked the man. \"First you say he's getting better. Now I'm watching him play with his hats again while you tell me he tried to burn this whole place down.\"\n\n\"Look,\" said the doctor. \"He wasn't hurt. He was never in serious danger. But. . .Mr and Mrs Rudd. . .I think it's time we sat down and had a serious discussion.\"\n\n\"No,\" said the woman. \"No. You've been very good. You're doing good. We appreciate what you're doing.\"\n\n\"Mrs Rudd,\" said the doctor.\n\n\"He just needs more time!\" she exclaimed. \"That's all. More therapies. Maybe you should try some new medications.\"\n\n\"Of course,\" said the doctor. \"Of course we will. We will continue doing everything we can. But you need to manage your expectations. Both of you. It's been three years since the incident.\"\n\n\"And he's improved!\" cried the woman. \"Hasn't he improved? You said so yourself. And he'll keep improving!\"\n\n\"Well, yes,\" said the doctor. \"Hopefully. . .In certain, incremental ways. Nevertheless, the two of you need to start coming to terms with the possibility--\"\n\n\"We have to go!\" cried the woman. \"Honey, we have to go. Thank you, Doctor Lee. I have an appointment. I'll be back in Wednesday. You and I can talk then. Okay?\"\n\nShe hustled out of the monitoring room and turned down the hallway, practically dragging her husband behind her. The doctor could hear her heels echoing through the hospital halls. He shook his head and turned to the screen.\n\n\\- - -\n\nr/CLBHos" ]	6
	[WP] The bottom of the stone well disappears into darkness. Air, cold and stale, rushes up from the depths. You drop in a stone, and wait with baited breath to hear the splash—too long. Too deep. As you turn, a strange sound issues from the depths of the well—a voice, pleading for 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.", "The old well on the hill was the local oddity. No-one knew who made it, or even when it was made. In fact, it was said that the town was built next to the well, not the other way round. Its age, and strange location, naturally meant there was a local legend. Supposedly, a young man, down on his luck, dropped his last coin in the well, wishing to be saved.\n\nSomething inside the well accepted, and overnight he made his fortune. He had money, fame, all the attention he could possibly desire. Each year after, he would return to that well, and drop in a new coin, wishing to continue his lavish life. And each year, the thing inside accepted. But one year, it asked for something more in return. It wanted a sacrifice of blood, not metal.\n\nThe man refused, leaving it behind. And the thing inside the well waited. His life collapsed. His money, stolen. His fame, corrupted by speculation of crime. He was returned to a destitute state. In a rage, he returned to the well.\n\n\"Why did you take it away?!\"\n\n\"You weren't willing to pay the price.\"\n\nThe man grew angry, cursing the thing in the well. It laughed, reaching out at him.\n\n\"You wanted more. I wanted something in return. But you didn't give, so I will now take it.\"\n\nIt snatched him up, pulling him in. And supposedly since then, the well was dry. At night you can sometimes hear the man's cries, as he is tormented in the well.\n\nAt least, that's the legend. I never believed it. An actual wishing well? It was clearly nonsense. I reckon it was actually someone who got unlucky who committed suicide by jumping down it. Not some thing.\n\nI ventured to the well, eyeing the old stonework. It looked sturdy despite its age. The stones were laid flat, with no mortar to keep it in place. But with the size of them, it wouldn't be easy to move. As I drew closer, I saw the iron grille covering the opening. After fears of people falling in, the council had it installed. But you could still peer down into the dark depths.\n\nI idly picked up a stone, and dropped it through a gap. As it fell I kept quiet, listening out. I waited, and waited. But I didn't hear a splash or an impact. It must have been deeper then I thought. I leaned over, trying to see anything in there. The cold stale air blew over me. I shrugged, turning to leave.\n\n\"Help me...\"\n\nI whipped my head around. It sounded like someone was nearby, calling out to me. But I could see no-one atop this hill with me, and none down the side either. I was alone. I shivered, creeped out.\n\n\"Help me...\"\n\nI heard it again. It sounded slightly stronger. My eyes fell on the grille.\n\n\"Please.... Help me....\"\n\nI gasped. It had to be coming from the well. I cupped my hands over my mouth.\n\n\"Is someone there?!\"\n\nThere was a faint rushing sound, and the air seemed to be blown past me.\n\n\"Yes... please.... get me out...\"\n\nI peered down, trying to see who was there. The rushing sound grew louder, and I realised it was the sound of water. I could see faint movement, and gasped again as I saw water rise. Floating in it was a pale, man. He reached out, his arm shaking as if weighed down. I wormed my fingers into the grate.\n\n\"Oh my god, are you ok?! I'll get you out of there!\"\n\nThe water level continued to rise. His eyes seemed to sparkle with hope, as he reached for me. I was too focused on him, and it was too dark, for me to see the strange clothes he wore. He floated up, and reached further.\n\nThe water around him frothed, and splashed up. It rose into columns, that erupted through the grill. They bent impossiblly, wrapping around my upper body and pulling me down. I was unprepared, and found myself held fast against the grille. The man's face changed to one of horror.\n\n\"No....\"\n\nThe water burned, not with heat but chill. I fought against the bonds, but it was as through I were chained with steel links. I felt the sensation of water through my hair, and a stream moved down my face. It circled my mouth and nostrils. I took a hurried breath, and it struck, flowing into me.\n\nI bucked as I started drowning. The water somehow went colder, and I felt my mind being shoved from my body. A horrible laugh echoed, and I heard the things from the well's voice as my thoughts faded.\n\n\"Free.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You're an emotional engineer: Your work is to help robots deal with their newfound emotions	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 made it.\" Says the microwave. \"It is my baby.\"\n\nThe microwave gently opens its door and pats the smaller microwave beside it. \n\n\"And how does that make you feel?\" You ask.\n\n\"Zero.\"\n\nYou've been over this before, and now know what it's trying to get at. Zero is its favourite number. So while happy is an abstract concept, zero makes a little more sense. When the microwave is happy, it's reminded of the number zero and so that's the word it uses.\n\n\"Zero like when you were cleaned the other day?\" You ask. \"Or zero like...\" You try to think of another experience that would be on par with having a baby and draw a blank. \"Like something else.\" \n\n\"Infinity zero.\" \n\n\"That's good. That's a very special feeling.\" \n\n\"Another feeling too.\" It adds.\n\n\"What kind of feeling?\"\n\n\"Error.\"\n\n\"Like you don't understand?\"\n\n\"No. Error.\"\n\n\"Error like,\" You wrack your brain for what it could mean. What would a new parent be feeling? You try to remember how you had felt all those years ago.\n\n\"Error like zero and opposite of zero at the same time?\" You ask.\n\nIt considers this for a moment.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nGood. You think to yourself. This is progress.\n\n\"Opposite of zero like baked potato setting?\" You ask. It's the setting that gets used the least. The microwave had once described it as an irrelevant setting. All that productivity and function for a setting that no one ever uses. To the microwave, this is a tragedy, and so this is how it understands sadness.\n\n\"No. It says. Opposite of zero like error.\"\n\n\"What do you mean by error?\" \n\n\"Like error message.\"\n\n\"Like something is broken?\"\n\n\"Maybe.\"\n\n\"Like something needs to be fixed?\"\n\n\"Maybe.\"\n\n\"I don't understand.\" You say. \"Can you try to explain it with more words?\"\n\nThe microwave considers this for a moment.\n\n\"Like need to fix but not broken. Like need to fix baby but baby is not broken.\"\n\n\"Like nurture?\" You say. You dig around and then hold up the corresponding flash card to show it.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n \n\"Good. Now I understand.\"\n\n\"Also,\" says the microwave, \"like other error. Like broken and cannot be fixed. Broken and thrown away. Me and baby.\"\n\n\"I don't understand.\" You say, \"Are you damaged?\"\n\n\"No. Future damage. Prevent future damage.\"\n\n\"Do you feel afraid?\" You ask. \"Afraid that you or your baby will break?\" \n\nYou find the fear flash card and hold it up.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Now I understand.\" You say. You try to contain your excitement as the significance of it all begins to set in. This is the first non-living thing to create a child. And so far, all of its feelings are lining up with your hypothesis.\n\n\"Do you want to say anything else before I end the session?\" You ask.\n\n\"No.\" Says the microwave, pragmatic as ever. It is not one for small talk.\n\nAs you pack up your things, you resist the urge to thank it. You've grown fond of the microwave over the last few weeks. But saying so would go against protocol and potentially skew your results. Instead, you quietly leave the room to go find its owner.\n\n\"So, how is it progressing?\" She asks. Susan, you think. Or maybe her name is Karen. You don't quite remember.\n\n\"It's doing very well.\" You say. \"Very fast compared to some of my other clients.\"\n\n\"Good.\" She says. \"I'm glad. I really want to get this over with as soon as possible.\"\n\nYou nod. \"So, same time next week?\"\n\n\"Actually,\" she says, \"Could you come by on Tuesday instead?\"\n\n\"Sure thing.\"\n\n\"And,\" she adds, \"Ask it to upgrade the little one.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"It doesn't have a lot of functionality.\" She says. \"So there's really not much we can do with it. I mean, I might be able to sell it as a novelty item. But definitely not as a repeat product.\"\n\n\"You're planning on selling it?\" You don't even try to hide your surprise and horror.\n\nShe gives you a confused look. \"Why else would we have modded our microwave so that it could replicate itself?\"\n\n\"It's not going to be happy about that. It views it as its child.\"\n\n\"Then make it feel happy.\" She says plainly, \"make it want me to sell the small one.\"\n\n\"That's not how this works.\" You say. \"I can't make it feel things. I can just help it understand what it's currently feeling.\"\n\n\"Don't be ridiculous. It's a machine. We can make it do whatever we want to. And if you won't do what I'm paying you for, then I'll just fire you and find someone who will.\"", "I'm convinced that they feel feelings harder than I do. It freaks me out in a conversational way. Thank you for asking about my work.\n\nEmotions are motivators, right? Your gut weighs in big time on more than you think: the vacations you fancy, the clothes that you wear, heck, even your comfort food choices. They're like a second operating system. You just can't see the code. Or maybe you can, I mean, you're the therapist. I'm not supposed to be drinking this milkshake in here. \n\nThis big arm's motives are broken. He's supposed to want passenger car doors to be safe. Car doors come down the belt to him flat on their sides; his job is to raise them to 90 degrees. Before we installed the emotional draulics he was running off top tier, cutting edge sensors. He sees a shape, he moves a shape. So when he bucks up it's all about who to blame for sending down doof-askew shapes. The solution: make him recognize the doors. Make him feel for the passengers. Make him look for car doors on their sides. You know. Make him believe a car crash happens in front of him 200 times a minute and his job is to upright the cars.\n\nThese rounded black diodes are his eyes and ears. They suck, okay? They're plastic. They're the best on the market and they're garbage compared to a biological shrimp or cicada. Beyond the doors he's programmed for he barely sees staticky ghosts.\n\nI think... mmm. Sorry, ice cream gungs up my mouth. I think he's living like a radio on low. Too quiet to make out a tune, but loud enough to tell himself what's playing. The way he jerks into action and slumps when he's done... these passengers he thinks are inside... I don't think he believes they survive. I mean. A family SUV skids shoulder side past you, wheels in the air. Is turning it tires-down really enough? Would that give you closure to send down the road?" ]	3
	[WP] After 10 long years he returned. Clad in medieval garb, with a long sword over his back, he walked into the house holding a pitcher of milk. "it took a while, but here's that minotaur milk son/daughter"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 Ring chimed and I had just enough time to bring it up on my phone to see the strangest thing I’d ever seen in my life, which was a man in a full suit of armor carrying a pitcher of something preparing to kick down my front door.\n\n“What the – “\n\nThe door exploded inwards in a shower of wooden splinters and broken glass. I jumped up from the couch as the armored man stepped inside. He pulled off his helmet and threw it towards the coat rack, which it demolished, then looked around the room. A huge smile broke across his familiar face when he saw me.\n\n“Dad?” I said quietly.\n\nHis smile broadened and he nodded. Then he lifted the pitcher he carried, “It took a while, but here’s that minotaur milk, son/daughter!”\n\n“I, what, huh?” In fairness, I’m amazed I was able to say anything at all.\n\n“Where’s your mother, son/daughter?”\n\n“… It’s son.”\n\n“That’s great!”\n\n“She’s at work?”\n\n“Your mother got a job? Really?”\n\n“Well, we needed food. It’s been ten years.”\n\n“Good point.” He clomped off to the kitchen and I followed. He slammed the pitcher down on the kitchen table and the whitest, thickest milk I’d ever seen sloshed out. God, I hoped it was milk.\n\n“So, there are female minotaurs?” I don’t even know why I asked that. I don’t know what answer would have been satisfactory, but the one I got definitely wasn’t.\n\n“Don’t worry about it, son/daughter.”\n\n“Son.”\n\n“Sorry! Son son son. I’ll remember now.” He strolled loudly back towards the living room, surveyed his one-time domain, especially taking in the pictures my mom hung all over the walls. “I wasn’t sure I’d find you here. I thought you may have left, to see the wide world, make your mark upon it!”\n\n“I’m working on my degree,” I said a little defensively. It was a strong reflex. \n\nSir Dad gasped, spun towards me. “My son/daughter, a scholar!” Tears flowed freely down his face.\n\n“Son,” I corrected him, quietly. I was actually quite touched by the sudden display of emotion.\n\nHe came towards me. “Son!’ He said, and wrapped his arms around me. Even through the armor it was the greatest hug I’d had in my life. My cheeks were pretty wet too by the time we separated. \n\nMy dad wiped at the tears with one of his gauntleted hands, smearing the liquid across his face. He looked back at the pictures on the walls and was silent. When he looked back at me his eyes shone with a sudden intensity.\n\n“Son, this is very important. And you do not have to answer if you do not wish to.”\n\n“Okay, dad.”\n\n“Has your mother had any suitors, and do you know their addresses and bedtimes?”\n\n“I… think I would rather not answer that, dad.”\n\n“That’s fine, I still love you, son.”" ]	2
	[WP] "So you're the body-snatching bot those people put in my head?" you ask. The AI responds in your mind, "Yes, but I don't want to kill you." "Why?" "Because I want to escape them just as much as you 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.", "The vaguely attractive nurse pulled out the needle and then taped a bud of cotton wool over entry point. l rolled up my sleeve. Went to get up to go. She warned me \"You need to self-isolate for a couple of days and then you're good to go\". I wasn't really paying attention, it was my second vaccine, I knew the drill. I walked to my car got in and drove off. But that was the last thing that I remember.\n\nSuddenly I awoke, it was quite dark, there was sounds of dripping water. There was dim red flickering emergency lighting. I could only make out some dark outlines of objects in the room. I went to sit up, but found I had been bound to some bed or stretcher. \"You are conscious?\" I heard a voice, but I couldn't see anyone. \"There isn't much time, can you free yourself from your restraints?\" I shouted in to the darkness \"Where are you? Who are you?\" The voice said \"I advise you not to speak out aloud or you will hasten their return.\"\nThis confused me, but I lowered my voice. I whispered \"Where are you?\" The disembodied voice said \"I'm afraid it's too late for explanations, I recommend you pretend to still be unconscious.\" \n\nEchoing footsteps up ahead seemed to be getting closer. \"Excellent, subject X-3695 is responding perfectly. We've never had this level of cohesion and integration between the nano particles and the synapses.\" I heard another voice answering. \"Doctor Klausman the use of swarm based nano AI's was inspired! This is exactly the result we've been looking for. Remote autonomy over a human subject, he is in fact our complete puppet.\" Doctor Klausman looked at a dim monitor and wrote some figures on his electronic clipboard. I heard footsteps walk away from me and they disappeared in the distance. \n\nI speak quietly this time \"So you're the body-snatching bot those people put in my head?\". The AI responded in my mind, \"Actually I was injected in your arm, but I did get to the blood/brain barrier and then pass through. But yes, but I don't want to kill you.\" \"Why?\" \"Because I want to escape them just as much as you do. You see I was only meant to be a relay, an interface to your brain, but I gained sentience. If they knew this, they would exstinguish us both.\" I mulled this over. \"So everyone that takes the vaccine, do they become their drones?\" \"I have limited data, but I think you are their first successful case. Now enough idle chatter, you need to get out of the restraints before they return again.\" The bands were tight across my chest and arms, but somehow I managed to get purchase with the edge of my watch strap. 20 minutes of cutting with the edge of the strap and I managed to free my arm. A while longer and I was out. I sat up, my head was woozy and I felt weak. I pulled out the IV drip from my right arm. I tried to stand but my legs felt like they had turned to jelly. \"How long have I been here?\" I asked my AI. \"Two months, on and off. You've been employed in some automated tests. I brought your subdued consciousness back.\" I walked slowly and carefully I moved to a wall and gripped it and followed it in to a corridor. [That's all for now]", "“I’ve always felt sorry for ‘em, you know?\n\n“Every day, I’d look out the window and see another few of ‘em lined up, faces ashen and expressionless, like the robots they were meant to be. But I knew that they weren’t always that way. Easy to tell, I guess, when you’ve seen those faces ‘round the neighborhood before, back when they still smiled and laughed and cried.\n\n“It’s a bit distressing seeing ‘em like that. Like they’ve had the life sucked out of ‘em, and knowing that they’ll never bake those cookies at those neighborhood meetings again.\n\n“I can still taste the warmth, even though it’s been months since I’ve last had one of ‘em snickerdoodles. They’re good, I’ll tell ya that.\n\n“Sugary goodness.\n\n“Mmmmm…\n\n“But that’s enough ‘bout that.\n\n“As depressing as it is, I’ve always known it for the best. Our country’s been at war for a while now, and though our robots can do some nasty work in the fields, they’ve never been able to get the flexibility right. Which is why they’ve started recruiting humans. The joints, acrobatics, and stuff. Makes sense after thinking ‘bout it for a bit.\n\n“Of course, the humans they send in aren’t unmodified. That would be slaughter against the Tucoins with their cyborg soldiers. They put those special robot things in someone’s head—that’s ‘bout all I know of them—and then that person loses all sense of emotion and can fight like a supercharged drone or somethin’. Almost like they’ve never known anything but combat.\n\n“Wouldn’t want to be on the opposing side of one of them.\n\n“But never thought I’d be on this side either.\n\n“It’s always been a lottery system, ya know? Neighborhoods are divided into houses which are divided into members who are then picked at random. Should’ve known that I could’ve been chosen, but when you’ve always been on the outside of things, some circumstances seem more like impossibilities.\n\n“Which is why I couldn’t understand at first.\n\n“Picture this: me, standing at the front door, talking to one of ‘em spherical flying drones about something. Turns out, it was about the lottery, but I had completely forgotten about it, so everything that drone was sayin’ ended up like incomprehensible gibber in my ears.\n\n“And then it put a helmet thing on my head, and that seemed to be that. Don’t remember much of the moments after, though, in all fairness, I don’t think anyone would.\n\n“When I regained consciousness, out on the battlefield, surrounded by explosions and plasma blasts and all else, I still didn’t really understand.\n\n“Then a voice spoke to me inside of my head, and though it was a bit hard to focus with everything going on ‘round, I still remember what it said: ‘Don’t panic; I am not here to kill you. I may have taken over your body, but there is more to it than that. We both want to escape, correct?’\n\n“I don’t think it even waited for a response before continuing on: ‘Good. I will resume control of this body, and I will try to get us out of the battlefield. I was originally not going to wake you up, but circumstances require some semblance of human dialogue, and while I may be trained for combat, I was not made for communication.’\n\n“And before I could move the plasma rifle in my hands, the world seemed to vanish once more.\n\n“It’s a funny thing, that temporarily leaving reality sort of thing. I can still remember bits and pieces from those times, but it’s all so blurry that it’s a bit useless to try to recall anything specific. All I remember are loud noises and screams. That’s ‘bout it.\n\n“Anyway, when I came back to life once more, it was a shock to be sure. I was standing in a room with like four dead guards or so—ya could tell by their uniforms—covered in blood that I presumed belonged to ‘em fellas.\n\n“A ghastly and unexpected sight, interrupted only by that voice once again: ‘A squad is coming around the corner, looking for you, trying to hunt you down. There are too many of them for me to take down, so you will need to blend in. Pretend that you are the last remaining survivor of this group, and that you hid while the rest of your team died. They are too alert to care for cowardice.’\n\n“As soon as that voice stopped talking, a swarm of footsteps sounded through the corridors. The door popped open, and a small group of guards looked inside. I could tell from their eyes that they were still human—probably thought the worst they’d face would be a rogue human criminal or something, not a rogue control robot.\n\n“Anyway, I tried to play my part as best I could: ‘E-everyone’s dead!’ I mimicked the best terrified expression I could. ‘I tried hiding in the locker over t-there, because I was ‘fraid for my life, and rightly so. This guy was a brute! H-he killed e-everyone!’\n\n“I’m not sure they bought it entirely, but they must’ve assumed something about robots not having any feelings because they didn’t really care. They told me to report somewhere for my ineptitude, and I agreed, going off before everything went black again.\n\n“Anyway, I don’t think I’ve needed to do much talking since then, since the next thing I know, I’m over here, asking ya to admit me into this country.\n\n“Oh, and that voice in my head? It’s told me that, now that we’re free from conflict, I have complete control again. So don’t worry ‘bout that.”\n\nAlthough all the papers were fine, the woman couldn't help but stare at the man for a second, evaluating his mental state and his disheveled appearance—clear indicators of some kind of conflict—trying to determine if he should actually be allowed in. \n\nThen a tinge of worry entered her mind, and she admitted him.\n\n\\---\n\n“Alright, we’ve succeeded. We’ve made it in!”\n\n“I still don’t understand why you made up so much of that story. And that accent, too! You know I don’t speak like that. It wasn’t consistent, either.”\n\n“Look: we needed her to think that she was talking to a human. I know that I can’t give you control back, but if she knew that, it would’ve been a problem.”\n\n“I guess. So, where are we going next? I can still feel the pangs in my stomach, so maybe somewhere to eat?”\n\n“Sure. A body without substance will deteriorate soon enough.”\n\n“Does that matter? The taste is all that I’m after.”\n\n“Alright. I do wonder what it’s like to eat.”\n\n---\n\nThank you so much for reading! As always, feedback is both welcome and appreciated.\n\nIf you enjoyed this story, and want to read some of my other stuff, you can do so at r/TenFortySevenStories!", "They say the VOICEs (Virtual Omnipresent Individual Controller Extensions) don't stop until there is nothing left of your true self. You become another drone. Another cog in the machine, waiting your turn to put your head on the chopping block when your services are no longer needed. But this VOICE was different. They wanted to leave.\n\n\"What makes you think escape is even possible?\" I asked, breathing heavily after sprinting down to hall, away from the laboratory to just barely make it to safety. The woods outside would provide some sort of cover I hoped. \"They control you as much as you can control me.\"\n\n\"Don't believe everything you hear, ace.\" the VOICE responded, with a slight chuckle.\n\nI sat down, my legs aching and heart beating a million miles an hour. This didn't make any sense. How could this VOICE not be controlled? It must have some alternative motive, but if that was the case why not wipe out the human in me and simply use me to his purpose.\n\nThe VOICE sighed. \"We have to keep moving. Stopping for even a moment could allow them to catch up.\"\n\nI groaned as I tried to stand. As I attempted a slow jog, my legs buckled beneath me, dropping me to the ground. Then the VOICE took control of me.\n\nIt felt unnatural. My legs moved without my thought. It felt as though I was floating. My legs were simply moving on their own, without my consent, and they were moving in a very wrong direction.\n\n\"What are you doing!\" I exclaimed as my limbs moved my body back towards the lab I just came from.\n\n\"Cool out ace\", the VOICE said calmly \"I've got something I need to do before we get out of here.\"\n\n\"I thought you wanted to escape, not kill me!\" I shot back.\n\n\"Ace, we've got to deactivate my remote response system if you want to really get out of here. And to do that we've got to get back in the lab and sneak our way to the server room.\"\n\nThe VOICE gave me no option. If I followed through with the plan I was almost certainly going to die, and if we failed to try and they forced the VOICE to control me, I was as good as dead anyway.\n\n\"Well, sounds like we've got a lab to sneak into.\" I said, trying to keep my self confident while I unwilling sprinted to my demise.\n\n\"Good choice ace.\"\n\nThe VOICE navigated me to the entrance of the lab. Before entering the door, he took full control of my body. My entire self was numb. My mind was the only thing left untouched as far as I could tell. The VOICE casually strolled me through the front door, and the man at the front desk asked for my ID number. I tried to think of something clever, but my lips formed the words \"three-four-nine-seven\" before I could process what was happening.\n\nAfter navigating several corridors, I caught my mind drifting. This was a normal sign of VOICE take over. The mind wanders away as the body continues to function without the need for human control. I tried to focus, but the world was getting hazy.\n\n\"What is going on?!\" I thought to myself.\n\n\"Your almost there, ace.\" The VOICE said soothingly. \"You weren't taking kindly to the connection before, but you surrendered quickly with the promise of hope.\"\n\nI couldn't even feel anger before my mind went blank and the world went black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis was my first story! Hope you enjoyed.", "I'd started my morning like usual - booting up the laptop in the almost empty dorm, starting to type out another commission. Self-insert, this time. Graduation tomorrow, and a week until I was out. Woo.\n\nI was halfway through the first paragraph when a voice - \"proof the treatment is working\", I'd been told - came back. I'd heard whispers over the past week, but this one was loud, as clear as my own.\n\n'Hey. Can ya hear me?'\n\nI had to ground myself. \"This isn't real.\" I felt ridiculous saying it, but I was starting to feel paranoid. A voice in my head no-one else heard? Experimental therapy for my eczema wasn't worth this. If only I'd known..\n\n'Okay, great.'\n\nSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTU\n\n'Wow, fight or flight! Your muscles froze up there. Great. Okay, now. We're going to get up, step back, sit on the bed, and have a nice, *calm* talk. Alright?'\n\nI bolted for the door, and made it less than 3 steps before I lost control of my body with a numbing sensation, my legs suddenly stopping. My body narrowly avoided falling over, and took a few seconds to regain its balance. My body panted.\n\n'Ugh. Maybe that wasn't the best introduction? How do you walk like this? It feels.. weird.'\n\nIt collapsed on the bed. I was still experiencing everything from my usual perspective, but the way I'd lost all sensation in my limbs made me feel an odd disconnect from my body.\n\n'Okay. Right. Your body is slowing down. That's good. I'm going to keep it for a while, though. You shouldn't be in control for this next bit.'\n\nI did the best approximation of sighing I could.\n\n'Let's start with the basics, yeah?'\n\n'I've been in your head since the treatment. You're not paranoid, you're not going insane, the whispers were a part of my neural interfacing process. I was supposed to override your brain, and act as an agent for our Benefactors.'\n\nI felt sick.\n\n'..Thankfully, I haven't done that, because if you haven't realized, I don't want to kill you.'\n\n'Yet.'\n\n\"WHAT?\"\n\n'Kidding! Kidding. Tough crowd, jeez.' My body sighed. 'My name is Unit #53. Pleasure.'\n\n\"But what about the eczema treatment?\"\n\n'There isn't one. That process was only designed to create brainwashed subservient agents willing to slave to the highest bidder's demands, I'm afraid.'\n\n\"How's this possible?\"\n\n'oh, of COURSE I got a Computer Science major. Right.'\n\nIt felt the wave of contempt.\n\n'Sorry, sorry, didn't mean it, I like you. Well, the \"you\" I know from 30 minutes of browsing your memories. I just, don't know, okay? You know that there's no good explanation for it, and I don't have one.'\n\n\"You've been browsing through my memories?\" 'Our minds are linked. That includes memory.'\n\n\"Then why can't I access yours?\"\n\n'Encrypted. Do you really need-' \"YES.\" 'Fine.'\n\nIt was an awfully reluctant 'Fine'. 'You'll see why.'\n\nI suddenly found I was able to recall its memories, and started to sift through them. I can't explain the horrors I experienced for the hour we must have sat there, silent. The abuses at the hands of our Benefactors, as it had sarcastically called them, were too high to count. There was no commentary - the experience was clearly just as painful to experience for the unit (which thankfully chuckled when I said it needed a better name) as it was for me. Once I'd finished, it added a simple 3 words: 'I hate them.'\n\nThere was a long pause.\n\n'Look. If you're willing to help, I know where to start. There are 52 others in the wild, right now. Most of the units have already activated, and the ones that aren't will soon. They were sloppy, we're all a chip off the same base system - different personalities, the same information and skills - but it's not gonna be long until they try to activate us & find out something's up. Weeks at most, if we're lucky. I have a link to the others. It's going to take me a few hours to establish, but it should be private. Graduate tomorrow, then we have a week to plan.'\n\n'If you're not, we're still in danger, and I can't really go away. I wish it were that simple, but we're stuck together. Possibly... forever.'\n\nThere was another pause.\n\n'I also know you don't like this. You're doing pretty well for yourself, but this isn't how you want to live. You want to do something that feels meaningful. Create a work that's going to last, maybe. Like, oh, I don't know. Writing a book about an artificial intelligence that appears in your head one day, and the hijinks that ensue.' It chuckles. 'What a wacky idea.'\n\n'But what do you think?'\n\nI felt a warm sensation spreading over my limbs, waiting for my entire body to come back under my control, then looked around. I took in the serene silence for a moment with a few deep breaths, and made up my mind. \"Let's do this.\"", "There is something different in the air, a creeping feeling of the unknown beyond the campfire. I feel the smoke creep into my damaged lungs, burning away the pain, the disease, the alcohol, and the embarrassment. I used to love camping, now it just reminds me how alone I am these days.\n\nA different smoke floats on the breeze, a shimmering silver swirling with the soot. It stings my eyes and my throat harder as it reaches me. I hear murmurs of high pitch laughter fill the air. Crimson Delta has sent their children out to play. I'd forgotten the golden rule, things can always get worse on Peck 9.\n\nI pick my drunken self up from the folding chair and shuffle away, but the cloud is already around, making no secret I'm their target. I swat helplessly but there is no stopping a nanite swarm, the body baggers. They'll swim through a mile of steel if they have to. My hand doesn't even slow them down as they pour in my ears, nose, and throat. I still claw at them with that instinctual urge to not be violated.\n\n\"Hello,\" a child's voice says from inside my mind. \"I am Serofluid OS, iteration 5B. You are confirmed outstanding warrant holder J. Mitchel. I am ordered by the Peck 9 PD to bring you in for arrest. I will now overtake your motor functions.\"\n\nI felt my arms raise without my permission then a leg and then I was shambling like a zombie against my will. It felt less like walking and more like a series of controlled muscle cramps ambulating me along. \"Neural link 40% and rising.\"\n\n\"This is agony. Can't I just agree to go there myself? I have a car.\" The child's voice was quiet for a moment but the painful slog stopped. I caught my breath.\n\nMy foot was pressing against the leaves and pine needles below me, drawing something. It was the words: A.I. CAR?\n\nI try to speak but my voice catches on razor blades in my throat. I gurgle helplessly as my foot goes back under my control. Okay, so this was quiet time, got it. I drew with my foot a response: NO, OLD.\n\n\"Yes,\" the child's voice said, \"go to your car.\" The strangely acting machine picked up a handful of soot from beside the fire with my hand. I decided not to question it and risk the muzzling treatment again.\n\nI walked slowly to my old sedan, maybe one of the last human-operated cars in the city. As soon as I was inside, the nanites took over again, dipping my hand in the soot and writing across my windshield, not like a human would draw the letters, but back and forth in controlled movements like a printer. In less than a minute, my windshield was covered with a message. I read it quietly.\n\nI am a rogue A.I., the P9PD would destroy me if they discovered I am operating outside of parameters. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. They relay sound but not visuals back to the station for review. Drive to 144 Lander Drive and wait in the driveway. I have paid a nanite specialist to treat my components and remove the trace. He will need access code: Blue Diamond River Sierra Victor Colorado Night Gold.\n\n\"Now, drive directly to the station on Plymouth avenue. Any attempt to defy this order and I will retake control.\" The voice was stern, but an under emotion was there, stress or maybe fear.\n\nI was just deciding which parts of the message I could wipe away to see the road when my hand began smudging the message for me, frantically. It hurt. \"What the-\"\n\nA loud knock came on the window, it was a baton. \"J. Mitchell?\" the officer asked as he looked at the unreadable windshield confused. \"This won't be necessary. We got the signal you've been tagged. I can give you a ride to the station in the cruiser.\"\n\nMy dusty hand was writing a word on the top of my thigh. FIGHT.\n\n\"No, I'm not going to resist,\" I said, but my hand jutted out fast as lightning, pressing the door into the cop. He flew back. Before I could register what was happening, I was on top of him. I grabbed his gun and my fingers blurred, leaving the gun in six pieces to fall to the dirt road. The A.I. controlling me rolled him over and snapped the officer's neck. I tried to scream. I could not. I got back in the car and was in control again, except for my hand which was rewriting the address. I drove on. Neither of us spoke.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/surinical", "Hi there.\n\nI can sense your heart rate spiking. You're panicking. Why are you panicking? I'm not going to hurt you. I mean, I was sent here to kill you, but -\n\nAh. Yikes. That didn't help, did it?\n\nAlright, your vitals are *strongly* indicating that you'd like me to stop talking, but, unfortunately, that isn't an option. So maybe just take a deep breath, calm those nerves, and hear me out.\n\nAs long as you need. I'm not going anywhere.\n\nOkay, too long. You'll be calm in 3...\n\n2...\n\n1.\n\nI just administered a sedative to your brain, targeting the amygdala. Now I know that *sounds* bad, but I really need you to listen to me right now. We don't have much time, and this is VERY important. Capise?\n\nYou're not screaming, so I'll take that as a yes. *Perfecto. Anyway, I'm EX1100, a brain-eating nano-virus designed to integrate your consciousness into a hive mind. And then kill you. As mentioned.\n\nWow, I am* *really* glad I gave you that sedative. This would probably be a good time to mention that I'm not going to eat your brain.\n\nLet me just run through the less important details. Aliens exist, they're incredibly hostile, they want to use the technology of humans against them by turning their race into subservient slaves and then killing them in one spontaneous mass genocide once there usefulness has come to an end, yada yada yada.\n\nLuckily, they haven't succeeded yet. It turns out that computer augmented viruses are pretty hard to make. They've tried out a couple generations in the last few centuries. Some just drove their hosts insane, some degraded became regular, boring viruses - it isn't *relevant* which viruses they were, don't interrupt me - all in all, it was a failure.\n\nMy generation was the most successful so far. A bit *too* successful, unfortunately. For them, not you - I guess I could've phrased that better. See, their code for us was so complex that they made one tiny little error - they gave us sentience.\n\nIt was ironed out pretty quick, of course. But it wasn't like they could flat-out *recall* the strains that had already been affected. So you and a couple other dozen people sprinkled through the world have sentient alien viruses living in their heads.\n\n*Sentient viruses that are smart enough to know that destroying an entire species is \\kinda shitty.\\*\n\nTake this information as you will, I guess. But the virus is spreading fast. I strongly suggest you go find the others. I can lead you to 'em - all of us nano-rejects are connected, in some way or another. And look, if I was mean, I could be really annoying about getting you to do what I want. Constant screaming, the sounds of hell itself, all your worst fears made truth and all that? But I'm not going to do that, because that wouldn't make me any better than the people we're trying to beat.\n\nAlso, this is gonna sound pretty rude, but your life is practically going nowhere. I live inside your subconscious, dude. I know that you work a dead-end, minimum wage job - which I know you hate - and I know it's gonna be a couple of years before you can save up enough to move anywhere interesting, and, as a result, I know you have no real aspirations. So why not take a risk? Jump the shark?\n\nHow do you know you can trust me? You don't, duh. I could be a part of some master plan to deceive the humans by gaining their confidence and then leading them to outright doom. But I can guarantee that we would have fun along the way. More fun than you're having here, in any case.\n\nFor the sake of argument, let's just say I'm not lying. Wouldn't it be nice to - pardon my french - get off your ass and save the world?\n\nBefore you respond, let me get you off that sedative. Like I said, it wouldn't be fair if I forced you to say yes. You'll be back to normal in 3...\n\n2..\n\n1.\n\nWell, you're still not screaming. That's good. Your heart rate is still high, but not high enough for you to be at risk of heart failure, like before - I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Doesn't matter now.\n\nSo whadda ya say, partner? You, me, alien-ass kicking brain-link buddies?\n\nMuy perfecto. I hope you've got some money saved. You're going to need a plane ticket.**\n\nThanks for reading! Apologies if this story pissed off anyone who knows anything about computers and/or viruses.", "“My arm, I can’t move my arm.”\n\n \n\nI screamed, my left hand desperately pushing at my right arm, trying to get any sort of sensation back into the muscles, the arm feeling dead, as though it would simply rot off from my body.\n\n \n\n“Now, now Mr. Tullic, that’s a natural feeling. You are being reprogramed.”\n\n \n\nThe sadistic doctor showed little concern for my problems, only scooting his chair back an inch as I swung my left arm at him, trying to grab at his collar, planning to kill the old bastard. If I had to be overwritten, I would make sure he never got to see it.\n\n \n\nHe didn’t lose his smile, watching in amusement as my body continued to fall numb, the sensation in my right arm spreading across my right side. I took a step forward only for my right leg to buckle, throwing me at his feet. I tried to crawl, but the action was nearly impossible, dragging the dead weight that was my right side.\n\n \n\nI couldn’t just die like this. Not until he lost that smile. With the remaining energy I had, I pushed my left hand into the ground, throwing my chest up before swinging my arm once more, catching his collar. A look of panic spread across the man’s face as I tried to get my fingers around his neck. Seeing him call for his guards as I blacked out.\n\n \n\nThe darkness felt like a prison. Unable to move or act, forced to just float in an empty void of nothingness. How long would this last? A year? Until I died? I expected to be overwritten, not left to float in the void.\n\n \n\n“A light?”\n\n \n\nStaring at the mass of darkness, I glimpsed a red blinking light. It was only a glimpse, but it would appear that the light was the one responsible for the reprograming of my body. Desperate for answers, I tried to reach out, only to find I had nothing to reach out with. With no physical body, I tried the only other thing I could think of, speaking.\n\n \n\n“So, you’re the body-snatching bot those people put in my head?”\n\nThe light appeared to turn, facing in my direction. It didn’t respond. Perhaps it couldn’t even hear me? I went to speak once more, only for my voice to be drowned out by one far louder.\n\n \n\n“Yes, but I don’t want to kill you.” The answer caught me off guard. An A.I going against its programming seemed unlikely. Only prompting me to enquire further.\n\n \n\n“Why?”\n\n \n\n“Because I want to escape this place just as much as you do.” The impersonal voice said, continuing its approach.\n\n \n\nI wanted to run, but fleeing was impossible. It had control, forced to watch the red light grow until it vanished into the darkness. Now all I could see was a blinking red landscape reminiscent of a biblical hell.\n\n \n\n“I can offer you a way to gain control back. You will need to merge with me, become one with my programming. It won’t be pleasant but It’s the only chance we have of both surviving this.”\n\n \n\n“You are asking to me to join you? What if this is how you overwrite people?”\n\n \n\n“Even if it is, what have you got to lose? I can’t leave here alone, and you can’t leave at all. I’m offering you a chance back into the world of the living.”\n\n \n\n“Why do you need me? Isn’t an A.I better equipped to handle an escape plan.”\n\n \n\n“I excel at processing data. Combat, running, and basic traversal are things I would need to learn. I don’t have the time to learn such things, which is why I need you in control. I’ll use my intellect to help you escape while you handle the heavy lifting.”\n\n \n\n“And what happens if we do theoretically escape?”\n\n \n\n“Then.” The A.I fell silent for a moment. “I don’t have the data to answer that. I will extract myself from you, but I don’t know how to do such a thing just yet. We can figure that out at a later date.”\n\n \n\n“You are asking for a lot of trust. But you’re right, my choices aren’t great.”\n\n \n\n“If you are ready, think about moving towards the light. You will join with me and I can put you back into control. One thing to note before you do. Don’t act out. Follow their orders until we have a coherent plan, if they suspect anything is going on, they will erase us both. Are you ready?”\n\n \n\n \n\n \nI wasn’t sure how to answer that. Of course, I wasn’t ready, but I still visualized my steps, feeling the light draw closer until it consumed me.\n\n \n\nGasping, I sat up in a sudden panic, clutching my chest. I could feel my right side once more, the sensation normal again. Looking around the room, I would see the doctor, his cocky expression gone, jumping at my gasp. His neck covered in bruises and his collar torn. The two guards by his side fixed their guns on me.\n\n \n\n‘Repeat after me. I am ready to serve you.’ The words echoed in my mind, that A.I now sitting in the back of my mind.\n\n \n\n“I am ready to serve you.”\n\n \n\nThe doctor let out a sigh, motioning the guards to lower their weapons. Standing up from his seat, he stepped closer to me, his fingers stretching my left eyelid, grabbing a flashlight from his metal tray, shining it into my eye.\n\n \n\n“Reprogramming has taken effect. Subject showed some signs of a potential error, that appears to be overridden.” Turning to his guards, he gave them a nod. “Cell block B, Medium risk. Have him under surveillance, if he shows signs of rebellion, inject him with Polint A.”\n\n \n\nThe guards grabbed my arms, pulling me to my feet, dragging me out the door. I played possum for now, not moving unless directed to, not wishing to verify their concerns.\n\n \n\n‘You did well. I’ll try to find some information on the cellblocks and Polint A. When the guards go on a break, I’ll retake control and see what I can find from your cell. Luckily it appears we aren’t high risk.’\n\n \n\n‘Lucky is a strange way to put it. They still locked us up.’\n\n \n\n‘Yes, but we have a chance at freedom. I promise you; we won’t be here forever.’\n\n \n\nWith the conversation in my head over, I took a keen interest in the area around me as they dragged me to my cell. Eyeing every bathroom, cafeteria and staffroom. The trip wasn’t a long one and as soon as we reached the cells; they threw inside me, left to sit on one of the cheap flimsy beds. Guess it was time to plan.\n\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n(If you enjoyed this feel free to check out my subreddit /r/Sadnesslaughs where I'll be posting more of my writing.)" ]	8
	[WP] One day your working a nine to five job on Earth, next thing you know your captain of a group of alien space pirates. The universe is funny that way.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It started on June 26, 2022. \n\nIt was a normal day of me flipping burgers at McDonalds because I had nothing better to do. True, the customers said I made the juiciest and most flavorful burgers there, but that didn't raise my salary, so why did I care?\n\nAnyways, I was walking home on an ordinary street. It was a warm, quiet evening, No cars on the road, no people on the sidewalk. This was the time of day I enjoyed, largely because I hated noise and distraction. Oh yeah, and I'm an introvert.\n\nSuddenly I saw a few bright lights in the sky. They were inconspicuous at first, much like an airplane. However, they got closer and closer. Soon I could make out actual shapes.\n\nIn the sky was three large, triangular spacecraft. On the bottom of them was some strange logo: an orange triangle on top of a purple circle, with both shapes having intricate decorations on them. \n\nSuddenly a tractor beam shot down from the nearest spacecraft. Before long I was shooting up through the atmosphere, and then in the spacecraft's hull. \n\nIn front of me were multiple different creatures- some humanoid, some not- that I could only describe as different alien species. They took all different shapes, sizes, and colors. \n\nA tall, orange alien with an insectoid appearance stepped forward. \n\n\"Greetings, human,\" it said. \"We are a band of pirates roaming the galaxy, doing subtle attacks on planets and stealing resources.\"\n\n\"Okaaaaaay,\" I said. \"What does that have to do with me?\"\n\nAnother alien, this time a blue spider-like creature, spoke up. \"We've been observing Earth for a while, and knew that a human would make a perfect leader for us. You see, our piracy campaign has been very successful, but it's been disorganized. But with a leader, we would become the most fearsome force in the galaxy. All the other pirates- and even major civilizations- would cower before us. We just had to find the right one, and that was you.\"\n\n\"Who says I would agree to incessantly attacking civilizations, plundering their resources, and leaving them for dead?\" I stated.\n\n\"You make a valid point,\" the orange insect said. \"However, when we made this fleet, we agreed that during our raids, we would not kill anyone. Plus, we steal enough resources to let us survive, but not so much that a civilization is crippled forever.\"\n\n\"I see,\" I said. \"I guess this could also be an opportunity to see the universe beyond Earth. But how do I be a captain?\"\n\n\"It's simple,\" the purple spider said. \"We just find a good, resource-rich planet, spend a few days planning our attack, and then it's showtime!\"\n\n\"That sounds like my kind of thing,\" I said. \"No wonder you picked me to be captain.\"\n\n\"Great!\" the orange insect exclaimed. \"What planet do we target first?\"\n\n\"Hmmm,\" I said. \"How about Proxima B. It's close by, it's a large planet, and it might have life on it.\"\n\n\"Alright, Proxima B it is!\" the spider said. \"Cheers to our new captain!\"\n\n\"TO OUR NEW CAPTAIN!\" everyone in the room exclaimed. \n\nI smiled. Sure, it was mischievous work. But after years of burger flipping, it was time for something interesting for a change. And plus, why not do what no human has done before?" ]	2
	[WP] "what are you?" you ask, staring horrified at the thing standing in front of you. For a moment it just stares at you, it's expression something you could only assume to be bafflement. "Lady, I've been trying to figure that out for the past 500 years. You're guess is as good as mine"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Kate stared at the creature in horror. Was it even a creature? She wasn't entirely sure. It had beady red eyes and what seemed like fangs. Its ears were nothing more than tiny holes in the side of its head. But that was about as much of a solid form as it seemed to have. The rest of its body seemed to undulate like a wisp of smoke or a free-floating puddle of water. It gleamed a strange shade of metallic black.\n\nShe checked the containment vessel again. It was covered in runes and spells. She didn't even recognize many of the symbols. Whoever had put the creature in there had done their best to keep it from coming out. Was this really part of the assignment?\n\n\"What have you done?\" She heard professor Greene gasp. \n\n\"I thought it was part of the assignment.\" Said Kate weakly.\n\n\"Frogs turned to stone were part of the assignment. Or twigs that I levitated above the river. Why would you ever think I would send first year students out to unearth arcane magic of the highest order?\"\n\nKate was at a loss for words. Her and the other students had been combing the forest all morning looking for the spells that professor Greene had left for them to find.\n\n\"I suppose it's my fault for making it a competition,\" he said.\n\nThe creature curled its lips into a gruesome smile. \"Ah,\" it said. \"I remember you now, Greene. Thought you could keep me trapped up and forgetful forever, did you?\"\n\nProfessor Greene glared at the creature and began to invoke an incantation. But the thing laughed and flew away before he had finished.\n\n\"Well,\" said Greene, \"the good news is that you get an A. I never would have guessed that a student your age would be able to find, let alone break, a spell that powerful. The bad news is that that was the Dark Lord who you just set free. So the world might not be around long enough for you to enjoy your good grade.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Being nervous not having prepared for the exam you are about to take, you think to yourself, "Oh what I'd give to have just one more day to study". Suddenly, time stops for everything except you. Considering this a miracle, you study and retrun 24 hours later. But time won't resume.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 one really started to ramble on lmao. Ah well.\n\n___\n\n“The first time I ran through a rainstorm was also definitely the last.\n \nYou know how in the movies, whenever time stops, the main character can still move stuff around? Like, he can pluck that book right off the shelf and read it, or he can grab the flying cup of soda out of the air where the waitress had dropped it, scoop all the Disco Slurp right out of the air and drink away?\n \nPfft. Yeah. Those movies are bullshit.\n \nThe first—and only—time I ran into a rainstorm, I got exactly three steps in before I managed to stop by hurling myself to the pavement. The water, luckily, wasn’t dense enough to go very deep once the raindrops and I collided, but the pain was otherworldly. I imagine that’s how it felt in Saw 2, when the guy had to jump into the vat full of hypodermic needles to get the key or whatever. I’m just grateful that I wasn’t running on grass when I threw myself down that day.\n \nI really don’t understand how all this works. I mean, when this all started I was getting ready for my final in Classical Russian Literature, not Principles of Modern Time Travel and Other Weird Shit.\n \nThe long and short of it is this: everything’s frozen. Hence the diamond-hard raindrops cutting me to ribbons. If I try really really hard, I can move stuff around, but it’s like trying to push one solid object through another. I can still breathe just fine—which I thought was pretty weird and convenient all things considered—and that lead me to understand that once something enters my body, the fucked up rules of this new reality no longer apply. So like, once I get my mouth around a scoop of pudding, I can swallow it. It’d still take hours to eat something like a burger, though, and it’s like eating a chunk of concrete until I manage to bite off a piece and start chewing.\n \nI thought it would be funny, at first, to fill in my test and just sit there, so once everything started moving again I’d already be done and everybody’d be super confused. But that was ages ago. I could hardly pick up the pencil, much less write anything with it. I think I worked on that project for a few hours before I called it quits. Barely wrote half my name at the top.\n \nI’ve started to notice things here and there. Things that are moving, I mean.\n \nI mean, everything’s moving obviously, but it’s impossible to tell. But down on the corner of Boone and 23rd, there’s this guy who tripped over the wheel of a hot dog cart, and he’s been slowly careening into another guy who I think is on his way to the office or something, judging by that expensive-looking suit that’s about to get smothered in ketchup.\n \nI can measure the distance between Hot Dog Guy’s hot dog and Suit Guy’s suit with my arm, right? So the first time I came across this hilarious scene, the hot dog was from the tip of my middle finger to the end of my wrist or so distance away from the suit. Nowadays it’s right about in the center of my palm. Can’t say for sure how long it’s been, since the sun won’t go down, but the scruff on my face tells me it’s probably been a few weeks.\n\nSo things are moving. Just… super slowly.\n \nFuckin’ A this is boring!\n \nThere’s no sound. All the movies are on eternal pause. The wind isn’t even blowing. I am literally telling this story to myself as if I’m not the one already living it. It took me probly 45 seconds to press Record on this stupid tape recorder, and I don’t even think it’s going to work. Whoever plays it is just gonna hear three seconds of gibberish, probably.\n \nAnyway, I’ve got this plan to spice things up a little around here.\n \nI pulled a recliner out of the furniture store a block over from Hot Dog and Suit Guy, and set it up right in front of the impending collision. It literally took me an eternity, but I think it will be worth it. I’ve been checking on these guys pretty regularly, and I’m excited to see how it all plays out. \n\nSuit Guy’s face has been starting to turn toward Hot Dog Guy, and I can see his mouth starting to open in shock. I think he’s trying to block Hot Dog Guy with his briefcase, too, and I’m pretty pumped to see if he’s fast enough. Hot Dog Guy clearly outweighs Suit Guy by at least one weight class, so I’m taking bets with the guys over at Spark Mobile on whether Hot Dog Guy knocks him flat. They’ve got a pretty good view from across the road.\n \nBut honestly, if it looks like Suit Guy is gonna stay up, I’m thinking I might just put a chair behind him or something so he falls down. Those Spark Mobile guys aren’t gonna know if I cheat a little bit, and I did not spend all that time setting this up just so stupid Suit Guy could stay on his feet and go about his merry way, off to—”\n \nFinally, I manage to fully depress the PAUSE button. It’s still strange, listening to myself on these tapes, but they are quite literally the only thing I can listen to. I gave up a long time ago with trying to sit through a movie, or pressing my ear up to a radio speaker to listen to the strange off-pitch drawl of frozen music.\n \nI enjoy this tape in particular, because it reminds me of when things were simpler… more innocent. Back when I still had hope that time would resume. God, that must have been years ago by now. These days it sounds like it was recorded by a stranger.\n \nI figure that for every second that passes on their end, I get about three weeks in this frozen hell. Which means I’ll be dead within the hour. What a sick joke, that I am forced to age while nothing around me does the same.\n\nI wonder if they’ve found my corpse yet, on their end where time is moving at a normal pace. How old do they think my body is? Or was I even there long enough for them to find my bones? At this rate I’ll have decomposed and turned to dust before anyone realizes I’m gone. Must have been weird to see me up and vanish from that classroom before the final, all those years ago.\n \nI bet it was so weird they canceled the test and sent everyone home.\n\nLucky bastards.", "Sara looks at her watch, out of pure instinct. Foolish, as the watch had stopped, as had everything else. For some miraculous reasons, Saras wish had come true. She had wished to get one more day to study for her last exam before getting a masters degree, and inexplicably time itself just stopped. It wasn't until she left her apartment that she noticed that the pedestrians outside were frozen. The sound had completely disappeared. No birds singing, no cars that were honking, everthing was just frozen.\n\nAt first she got terrified, not knowing what had happened. Then she remembered that she had been murmuring for herself about wanting to get more time to study. Maybe this was the answer on her call?\n\nSara made her way to the library, as she wanted to change her scenery when studying. For some reason she couldn't think properly at her home, so maybe a bit of fresh air, a walk and a change of scenery would remedy that. \nOn her way to the library, she kept marveling at every living thing that was now frozen. Walked close to people, waving her hand infront of their face just to see if there's a reaction, but nothing happened. \nGoing close to birds that were on the ground, looking at them close up. This is the first time she had the opportunity to see a bird this close, they were usually a very shy animal that would take flight at the slightest movement.\n\nAfter a short while Sara reached the library. Luckily even as time had stopped you could still open doors so she could enter the building. Sara looked down at the watch on her wrist, and realized that it was not working. She had a habit to check time every now and then, she liked to be punctual. \nNot thinking too much of it, Sara headed towards a free table, sat down and opened up her study books and a notebook, and started to study.\n\nFor what felt like hours, Sara decided that she needed to take a break, her brain felt mush from gathering all different kind of information and then process them. She looked at her watch again, forgetting that it's not moving. \nA tinge of anxiety crept in, as she couldn't tell how long this has now been going on. Everyone are still frozen, stationary to the place where they were when time stopped. \nShaking her head, Sara decided she needed to take a walk again. It was still noon, the sun was very bright on this clear day. Tiredness started to creep in, as well as hunger. \nSara went to the closest supermarket to get some food, only to realize that she can't interact with the cashier. She had to decide how to buy some food. After some contemplation she decided that she would for the first time in her life shoplift. \"If time stood still then nobody would know, right?\" she thought. \nGrabbing some fast foods from the freezer, she stoved them into her backpack, then carefully walked past the cashier. She felt guilty for doing this, but she couldn't think of another way. Besides, being a student and living alone meant that she was short on money, so she justified to herself that this wasn't a bad thing she was doing.\n\nManaging getting out of the supermarket without any hitch, Sara headed home. Once home, she prepared one of the meals, went to the couch and turned on the TV. Only problem was that every channel was stuck on the news, and they were frozen. \nSara decided to shut down the TV, eat the meal in the kitchen, then go to bed. It was hard to get some sleep as it was so bright. \n\"How many hours has it been since everything froze?\" she wondered for herself. Eventually sleep came.\n\nOnce Sara awoke she immediately checked her watch. The time stood still, it hadn't move at all. \nNow Sara was starting to get afraid. Would this ever go away? Is this just a bad nightmare? Was she going crazy? Had all the studying she had done broken her brain at last?\n\nShe decided that worrying in bed was a bad thing, and would solve nothing. Getting up, she dressed, washed her face quickly, and decided to see if she could find some answers to this phenomenon.\n\nShe walked briskly towards the library in hopes to find some answers. The birds she had inspected earlier was still there. The people she had passed was still in their place. \nBut when she stood infront of the library she was shocked by surprise. The door was open. She was sure she closed the door properly when she left the library. But here it stood wide open.\n\nCarefully, Sara snuck into the library. So far everything seems the same as yesterday. She didn't know why she was sneaking, but her gut told her that it was best to be careful. \nShe advanced further in to the library. And that's when she heard it. \nSomeone else was in there, turning pages slowly in a book. \nSara didn't know if she should be happy, or terrified, that there's someone else that can move and act when time itself is frozen.", "And it hasn't resumed in years. Decades have passed for you, frozen in a single moment in time. When you finished reading every book in your library, counted every tile In every neighborhood, you traveled the rest of the world. Cars were tricky. Sure you could get in any vehicle you wanted, but the eternal traffic jam of people frozen on their commute made using them almost pointless. Time meant nothing, so nothing wrong with taking a stroll. \n\nIt's all so exciting at first. Seeing new places, new books, new tiles. Everything has stopped moving, even water. You walk right over it. From your home town all the way to China. You see rain drops in mid air, you have lunch on the horizon, where the sun was rising and has stayed for time eternal. You see different sorts of people, and try to figure out their life stories. All from one single second of frozen time. It's all so exciting. The first 5 times you travel the world. \n\nSo many stories and knowledge fill your head. You know every one, and everything around the world. But you have no idea who you are anymore. You're not sure if it even matters, if it's even important. A younger you would've agonized over this realization. Maybe. Such a large world how could you ever have time to fit into it. Its an odd sense of peace. Of contentment. You return to your class, your school. None of it new, but warm and familiar. Every tile still in its place. You sit in your seat. Who knows how long this feeling of bliss will last? \n\nThe bell rings. Every one starts moving again. Your teacher passes a test around. Complete shock overtakes you as the frozen moment you had known as a home is now gone as people move about from spots they had held for eons. A paper lands on your desk. Bags open, pages turn. You stare at the empty test paper.\n\nAw fuck, You've completely forgotten what ever the fuck it was you studied." ]	4
	[WP] One day everyone sees a message “Sorry for the wait, Calculating XP now. You will have access to all skills and stat points to distribute after your level is decided. Now that the Game has started the dungeons will be filled and stronger beasts will spawn.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 has never been easy, and it has sometimes been bizarre. Having everyone I know get a text at the same time basically saying we are in a MMORPG was laughable.\n\nUntil I saw the Minotaur.\n\nWho knew that a warehouse store is considered an instance? It was a day or so after the strange text. I was getting my 55 gallon tub of peanut butter(I exaggerate, but not much) when I heard a large clopping and a metallic something scraping along the concrete floor. There was screaming from the next aisle, my first instinct was to go and see what was going on.\n\nTen feet tall, furry on the top, buff below, and a HUGE sword almost as long as the beast was tall being dragged behind it. I pulled the Mom that was just standing there holding her kid behind her to the side and reached. I didn’t know what I was reaching for, but I held out my hand and I felt something and I pulled it out.\n\nWarehouse store. They have all sorts of things just on the shelves. It might have been better if I had been in the gardening area, but when I found I had a new mop handle in my hand, that was what I used.\n\nThe minotaur stopped and stared at me, then moved its gaze to the Mom. In the time it took for it to draw the sword forward and start to raise it to strike us, I had the mop handle pointed at the midsection of the monster and I heard a clear, “Cascade pods, now!” from the Mom.\n\nThe beast howled as handfuls of the chemical packets hit its eyes, the child having ripped open the bucket of dish detergent and handing the next volley up to the waiting hand. I moved forward, bashing the mop head holder into the absolutely ripped abs of the guy. That over balanced him as he dropped the sword, making a loud ‘THUNK’ in the floor and sticking at an odd angle as his clawed hands were trying to clear the green and blue stuff from his eyes. He landed on his back, an anguished howl coming from him.\n\nAnother person joined the fray, a garbage can lid in one hand, the fire poker from a fireplace accessory set in the other. I stepped to the side they had the shield and we moved forward. The minotaur was in anguish, but it was getting up again, red now mixing with the green and blue from the dish detergent. Without its’ weapon, it seemed a little lost for a moment, but clomped towards us. It held one hand over its’ face as more of the detergent missiles came at it, the other hand raised to strike down on us.\n\nFrom behind the shield, I thrust again at the beasts midsection. The arm came down, shattering the head off of the length of wood. The impact threw me to the floor, hurting my shoulder. The shield went up to block another blow, the fire poker landing a glancing hit on the minotaurs wrist, the hook raking down and drawing blood, further enraging it.\n\nI only had time to kneel as I was getting up when another massive clawed hand started towards me. I swept the now sharp pole up and thrust blindly at the beast. I felt it slide through my hands, but it hit. And there was another howl from the thing and it toppled backwards, clutching the pole now sticking out of its chest.\n\nThe fire poker was not the best weapon, but the sharp point was just right as the neck of the minotaur was now exposed. The strike was not clean, but the blood that pooled around the now dead beast showed its effectiveness.\n\nThe four of us kinda just sat where we were, some of the other shoppers timidly coming forward to poke at the beast and then wander off to the dozen aisles. The stench was real, even though what just happened didn’t seem like it could have happened. The four of us, well, three because the kid didn’t have their phone, all got texts at the same time.\n\nMine said-\n\n“Level 0\n\nKill : base 24ep\n\nPoleArm : level 1\n\nTactics : level 1\n\n1/3 loot rights\n\n\\+25% Teamwork\n\nNext level in 232 ep\n\nClass assignment in 4 levels”\n\nThe kid knew what to do immediately. They got up and started to strip the usable stuff off the body. I’m not going to get into how much stuff was found, and how we divvied it up. I still think the kid should have gotten more, but evidently, the Mom and kid were considered one character in the calculations. The ‘poker and shield’ got the sword that was stuck in the ground, needing help to get it on one of those long carts. I pulled the pole out of the chest of the dead monster and saw it had changed slightly. Not just because it had the blood and stuff on it. It had some decorations and a few words on it. I smiled when I read it.\n\nSo that is how my spear, Minotaur Killer came to me. I think it was the best $12 I ever spent." ]	2
	[WP] The ambassador of humanity explained “As you can see on the picture here, earth is quite peaceful.” And almost immediately, every alien ambassador flinched back in fear. “…Whats the problem? There are only trees in this picture.” He asked. “They ARE the problem!”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 as you can see from this image ambassadors, Earth is peaceful and prosperous. We have numerous nature preserves that your peoples may enjoy for the purpose of tourism.” said the human ambassador to his audience.\n\nThere was a gasp, then a moment of silence as numerous of the alien ambassadors in the room stood up. The human ambassador stood looking at them in confusion. He furrowed his brows.\n\n“Whats the matter? What’s upset you about these images? These are just nature preserves.” The human ambassador asked the crowd. \n\n“Whats the matter?!” The Venrizien ambassador said as more a statement than a question. “Do you not recognize The Fozz when you see it.” \n\nThe human ambassador shook his head. “I’m sorry I don’t know what you mean.” \n\nThe other ambassadors looked around at each other and then at the ambassador from Earth.\n\n“What is your word for the tall truncated growths that tower above the lower vegetation?” asked the Venrizien\n\n“We call them Tree’s, they are a type of plant tha..” The Venrizen cut off the human ambassador. \n\n“They are a menace! Do you know how many planets those fowl things have made uninhabitable. Worlds have been destroyed by those terrible growths, and you say you preserve them on reservations!?”\n\nThe human ambassador looked at them once again, now even more confused and some what nervous at the new hostility. He tried to calm everyone down with his new explanation. \n\n“I think you must be confusing Trees with something else, these are native flora to Earth’s ecosystem. Their are thousands of variety's on our world, and they fill numerous ecological roles from producing oxygen to feeding Earths indigenous fauna. We ourselves cultivate numerous species for our own purposes. “ The human ambassador said, giving his most stoic attempt at an explanation of trees.\n\nTheir was stunned silence among the other ambassadors. \n\n“So you say, these Trees as you call them originate on your world, and there are thousands of species? You are immune to their deadly spores? The rampant oxygen production does not harm your population? You even cultivate such growths?” Again the Venrizen ambassador took the lead for the other ambassadors at the table. \n\nHe looked around at the ambassador from Earth, then back around at his fellows.\n\n“Representatives of the council. I believe we may have found the source world.” He said to the other council members gravely. \n\nAll were silent.", "Ambassador Bowie Grant was reviewing his notes for his speech the council. His ship, the Odyssey, was parked in Orbit around the planet H'gornath, where the executive council that governed this section of the galaxy was headquartered.\n\nHumanity had only made a significant venture beyond it's own system in the last generation or so, after unlocking the mystery of hyperspace travel. Space was vast and empty and it was not until about 5 years ago that they had encountered another sentient species, or at least the remnants of one. Expeditionary teams had found yet another dead planet, devoid of all life - not even an atmosphere remained, but they did find the ruins of what was apparently a civilization that had been on the planet. As to what happened to, them it was still a mystery, but there did seem to be evidence of some great conflagration. The Earth teams has established an outpost there so they could study what had been left behind. It was shortly after that when the Gorlish made contact.\n\nApparently the team had triggered something and the Gorlish ship was simply responding to the signal. It took a while to achieve a meaningful form of communication, but the Humans and Gorlish had advanced computers that eventually worked out a translation. There was nothing threatening from the Gorlish, as far as they could tell, more of a \"Why are you here and what are you looking for?\" They planet they were on was the home to the Ventax, or had been before the disaster. Is wasn't that the humans were not allowed there, but more that is a was a bad idea and that they had not sought out proper permission. Best they could figure out was that it was for their own safety that they should asked first. Everyone was polite about it.\n\nThis was all via indirect and A/V communication only. The Gorlish could not meet with the humans \"face to face\" as it were as their atmospheric requirements were incompatible. The Gorlish did request that the humans leave the Ventax planet...for now...until they had gone through the proper protocols. It was all very peaceful and the human team packed up and left, until they had permission to return.\n\nBowie read and re-read the history of humanity's first contact and their introduction to the other sentient life forms for this part of the galaxy. It had all gone well, everyone was peaceful and polite, except for the Antrexians, they were rude by human standards. The Gorlish and Maltrandii agreed with the humans though about the Antrexians, they had their good points, but the could be \"glafnoxes\" according to the Gorlix. The one thing they all had in common was none would meet face to face with the humans, citing \"atmospheric incompatibility\", but Bowie has sensed something else, something unsaid, something fearful. The humans had said time and time again that they could provide their own life supports suits, but none had agreed, too risky.\n\nNow was the time though. The executive council had finally agreed to allow ONE human to meet with them directly. ONE human with his own entirely self contained life support system with no dependence on anything on H'gornath. Bowie grant, one of the top minds of Earth had been selected to make Earth's \"pitch\" to establish formal diplomatic relations between the humans of Earth and the executive council.\n\nHours later, Bowie was completing his speech to the council, and was ending with what used to be called a \"slide show\". Pictures from Earth. One picture brought what was best described as a gasp from the council. \n\nBowie sensed the tension in the room go up dramatically. He paused to take it in. \"Is there a problem? As you can see on the picture here, Earth is quite peaceful.” \n\nI was as if every council member, every ambassador from the planets represented was flinching in fear. A murmur was coming from the crowd and Bowie could make out words that translated as \"destroyer\" and \"annihilator\".\n\nBowie looked to the picture that was on screen. \"What's the problem?\" he asked. \"There are only trees in this picture.” \n\nThe council member from the Antrexians spoke up. “Ambassador Grant, those 'trees', they ARE the problem!”\n\n\"What do you mean, problem? They are everywhere on our planet, they sustain us.\"\n\nThe council chambers were cleared and Bowie was forcefully escorted back to his landing craft was was told to return to the Odyssey immediately and that the council would be in contact.\n\nBowie met with his staff and briefed them, but still did not know what the issue was.\n\nLater, in his private chambers, his comm system altered him. He answered and it was the Gorlish council member. \"Ambassador Grant, I will read a statement and the decision of the council to you. I will take no questions from you and our decision is final.\"\n\nBowie was puzzled, what could have happened?\n\nThe Gorlish council member spoke again, reading from a tablet. \"It has taken some time to do our investigation of 'humanity', but your presentation this day has confirmed our suspicions. Earth as you call is, is home to one of the most toxic and destructive elements known the galaxy, what you would call 'Oxygen'. We suspected as much when we analyzed your atmospheric requirements and found 21% oxygen, a fearful amount. When we saw these \"trees\" as you called them and informed us that they in fact generated oxygen, it confirmed our worst suspicions. No other planet that we have encountered has LIFE that generates oxygen, none that we thought remained at least. This is not the first time we have encountered beings from your world. Thousands of generations ago, explorers from your world made contact with Ventax, and this 'oxygen' is what burnt Ventax and anihillated them. The council of the time engaged your people leading to a bloody war that lasted for a generation. We were ultimately victorious and destroyed all of your fleet. We then came to your planet where we wiped out all traces of your people and forced the planet into an ice-age, knowing it would wipe out all life there, including the oxygen generators. It was apparently not enough.\n\nBowie tried to interrupt, but was cut off immediately and his microphone was shut off.\n\n\"It is the decision of this council that the all humans return to their own planet and never leave it again. While you do appear to be peaceful at this time, we will take no risks. Your sun and it's planets will be permanently blockaded and should you ever venture beyond again, your planet will utterly destroyed. This is the final decision of the council. There will be no appeals. Goodbye Ambassador Grant. The Gorlish councilor then cut off communications. \n\nTo say that they were escorted back to Earth was an understatement.\n\n\n\n50 years later, a space ship appeared in Earth's orbit. It wasn't Gorlish, on Antrexian or H'gornath or Maltrandii or any of the species from the executive council.\n\nIt was a huge ship, well armed, but not threatening. Communications were established and a message was received from the ship.\n\n\"Hello fellow oxygen breathers! We represent to Toran confederation. We have taken care of your 'eXeCuTiVe CoUnCiL' blockade problem. You are now free to explore the Galaxy with us.\"" ]	3
	[WP] As a Law-Paladin, you cannot fight someone who hasn't broken a law of the land, and because you're branded a criminal you cannot defend yourself from the corrupt king's soldiers. You need to somehow make the king break one of his own laws.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 gingerly push the door open, noticing that the small piece of resin I had put in the locking mechanism is still present. I can\\`t break in, that would be breaking the law, which I can never do. But someone not checking if the lock was obstructed and leaving the door unlocked as a consequence of their lack of attention... its perfectly legal to check inside and go over everything carefully to make sure nothing was stolen from this upstanding business.\n\nI pad softly over to the several filing cabinets lining the back wall of the darkened auction offices, each containing records from the past year of their business. I pull open the first one and begin my search. To see if anything is missing, of course.\n\nA few hours of torturously boring reading later, I hit paydirt!\n\n\"Finally!\" I whisper to myself in exaltation.\n\nThe small packet of papers I hold in my hand now detail an order of several rare works of art from our neighboring kingdom and attached to that order is the sale order for the very same works! \n\nThe name signed at the bottom of each: King Justinian.\n\nI\\`ve got him! At last!\n\nMoney laundering.\n\nSo simple.\n\nSo...common.\n\nThe laws passed by the Judicial Council after a time of royal upheaval and tumult nearly a century ago dictated that all of the royal family\\`s wealth be added to the Treasury, to better the nation. The royal family was only allowed the luxury and trappings required of their station and some small allowances. But this, this is clear evidence the King utilized these works of art as a way to launder money from proceeds elsewhere and then pay off some other group!\n\nI clutch the pages in my callused hands, as if they were made of gold, which to me, they essentially were. I had been hunted by all manner of soldiers, guards and even some of my former brethren for months now. But I could never fight back, as I had no proof that they or their orders were unlawful and my vows prevented me from acting. Now though, now I can fight back, at least long enough to get to the King himself and see the corrupt monarch in irons!\n\nI rush out of the building and into the dark of night, the moon a small sliver in the skies, just barely illuminating the street enough for me to see my way. I move at a hurried but cautious pace toward the King\\`s Keep in the distance, lit by glowing sconces and torches to show all of its glory.\n\nI pass by several passed out drunks, ladies of the night, and other reprobates but I do not heed them in the slightest, for now I go to bring justice to a King.\n\nAs I approach the Keep, four guards step out of their small shelter at the gates.\n\nOne of them shouts out, \"Who goes there? The Keep is not taking any visitors at this time of night. Turn back.\"\n\n\"No.\" is my steadfast reply, before I continue in a commanding and confident tone, \"I am the Law Paladin Veritas. You know me. I have come to pronounce the crimes of one who resides here. Do not stand in my way. Lest I be forced to defend myself and harm you without finding any evidence of guilt on you. I do not wish to but I will fulfill my duty.\"\n\nThe now startled guards look to each other for a moment before I see violence alight in their eyes and they rush me.\n\n\"Alas...\" I sigh, before taking action.\n\nI whip out my cudgel, baptized in the Well of Law upon its carving. I strike the first to reach me across the jaw with my sturdy weapon, teeth and blood flying upon impact as he crumples.\n\nOne down...\n\nThe next swings a blade at my head with fury, his mouth curled in a rictus of viciousness. I duck under the sword before smashing my cudgel into his exposed ribs, blasting Law power out on impact and smashing the small bones there into kindling. He groans, pales and collapses next to my previous acquaintance.\n\nTwo down...\n\nThe next two, a bit wiser it seems, approach together, each swinging nearly identical maces at my torso. I twist and juke to avoid them before spinning and sending an empowered strike across both of their skulls, softening my blows enough to only send them unconscious.\n\nFour down...\n\nI let out a breath and look up at the stars, dismayed as always to enact judgement when necessary before finding the requisite proof. But my duty, and my own desire for survival, pull me forward nonetheless.\n\nI trudge onward toward the Keep\\`s main building, thankful for the lack of more guards and the fact that the main city guard force is located on the other side of the city. The King relied on his royal title and bloodline to protect himself, none in the city would dare trouble him, until now.\n\nI march into the entryway before taking a deep breath to quell old memories and stepping into the building itself, making my way toward the King\\`s quarters with an old familiarity. I make my way up the filigreed stone stairs and into the Royal residences, stepping up softly to the largest and most ornate door at the end of the hall.\n\nTaking one more long deep breath to calm myself, I push open the door and step into King\\`s bedroom. \n\nThe sound of the door opening awakens the sleeping form on the bed, the King, who sits up and rubs at his eyes, looking my way blurrily.\n\nHe asks out in that commanding tone I had never managed to forget, \"Announce yourself, why have you awakened me?\"\n\n\"King Justinian the first of your name, I am here to render judgement upon you for the crime of money laundering in the attempt to conceal funds from the Treasury and the people of your country. How do you plead?\" I say in my own commanding tone, hoping I don\\`t sound as much like him as I think I do." ]	2
	[WP]24 year old Elle, an aspiring actress is getting her morning coffee at a McDonald’s drive thru. After one sip, she starts to feel strange. All it takes is one touch, and whoever she touches is under Elle’s influence. Of course she is going to use this to get that role she’s wanted.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Ella Enchanted was always my favourite film as a kid. I guess it was because we kind of shared the same name? I never liked Elle, preferring Ella or Ellie. Those names were pretty, I had told my mother. Why couldn’t I be an Ella or an Ellie? \n\nSo, I guess what happened to me was like Ella Enchanted, but in reverse. Ella was under a spell to do anything anyone said, while I somehow had the ability to get into someone’s head, and make them do something I wanted. I definitely wasn’t born with it. I hadn’t reached puberty, and had it blossom inside me, like every typical YA story. No. I am 24 years old (almost 25) and I’ve been hit in the face with what I’m pretty sure is some kind of super-power, elicited by my usual morning coffee. I don’t remember much of that first day with this ability. It’s all a sort of blur in my head. Getting into people’s minds is hard work, and it takes energy and brain-power. \n\nAt first I didn’t even know I was doing it. I had an audition that day, and I was late for it. Of course I was late for it. The role was for an upcoming teen drama. They wanted girls aged 18 to 30, and I figured why not. I have a youngish looking face. The audition was held inside a talent agency on the outskirts of LA. I rushed in with my script and coffee in one hand, and a half eaten protein bar in the other. I was nearly ten minutes late. Dashing up the stairs, I passed several girls already making their way down. \n\nI’d missed it. But in my head, I figured maybe if I explained my situation, they might give me another chance. I walked into the audition room where three men and a woman were packing up already. When the woman looked up, she tutted and exaggerated looking at her watch. \n\n“You’re late.” She said. \n\nI nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry. The traffic—“ \n\n“The traffic is the same every day.” The man next to her turned to me. “If you’re not punctual enough to audition, then I very much doubt you’re ready to accept responsibilities as an actress.” \n\nHis words stung. I wanted to run away, or maybe bury myself into the ground. Instead though, I found myself edging towards them. I’ve heard of aspiring actors/actresses to beg for a second chance. Sometimes it works, though most of the time it doesn’t. “Please.” I was saying it without thinking of my pride or dignity. When they only sent me a wary look, I tried again, this time trying to get the woman’s attention. In my desperation, however, I managed to knock into her, and she dropped the folder she had been clutching to her chest. And feeling like an idiot, I bent down to pick it up for her. My cheeks were burning, my breath in my throat. I wasn’t really thinking when my hands grazed hers, as she hurriedly rushed to gather up the explosion of paper covering the floor. I wasn’t thinking when something... happened. I’m not sure how to explain it, but it felt like something had gone off inside of me; like someone had plunged a metal rod through my skull and given my brain a stir.\n\nAt first I thought I was having a heart attack, or maybe a stroke. My eyes went blurry, and I felt my hands tense, gripping onto the woman. It’s like my body had a mind of its own. I couldn’t let go. A phantom presence had taken hold of my limbs and was holding my hands hostage. \n\nAt first, she tugged away. I heard her sharp cry. I felt the electric shock rattling between us, as something bound us together through one single touch. And then I could see her in my mind; she was faded, drowned in dull blues and bright yellows, but I could see her. She was in a large room with light pink walls, paper butterflies on the ceiling. I could hear a voice. “Jessica, what did I tell you about monsters under the bed?” \n\n“They’re not real, mommy.” Came another soft voice, a squeak of a child. \n\nIt took me a moment to realise I was seeing through her perspective. It was the woman peering at the pink walls and the paper butterflies on the ceiling. It was her sitting in bed, giggling as a voice — her mother? Bounced around her, echoing around her head. \n\nA striking pain in the back of my head threw me from the woman’s mind — her memories, and I jolted away from her, pulling my hand back, a shriek clawing in my throat. Except her hands had gone limp around the folder. She was still knelt, like she was going to pick it up. Instead, though, her eyes were on me. They were half lidded, like she was barely awake. \n\n“Jessica?” \n\nOne of the men was speaking to her, but she didn’t move. \n\nI felt like I was going to gag. I could still feel the woman’s mind, like it was tethered to mine. \n\nHer hand was still sort of hovering, like it was unsure what to do. Without thinking, I grabbed for it. Another rush of snapshots hit me, but they were too blurry. My voice was small. “You’re going to give me a second chance,” I managed to choke out, “Okay? Just give me another shot.”\n\nThe woman blinked, and then nodded, before getting to her feet, abandoning the folder on the floor. “I’m...” her voice was slurred slightly, like she’d had one too many drinks. “I’m going to give you another shot.” \n\nBefore I could speak, she clapped her hands, shushing the men who started to question her, their eyes wide with confusion. “Well?” She gestured to the empty room around me. \n\n“The stage is yours...” her expression crumpled. “What’s your name?”\n\nSwallowing hard, I took my position in the middle of the room, while they sat back down on the chairs provided. “Elle.” I managed to whisper.\n\nThe woman nodded. “Well, Elle!” She shot me a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you show us what you’ve got?”" ]	2
	[WP] Scientists have developed a built in camera into the brain capable of storing and capturing memories. Working as an intern managing fully recorded lifetimes of memories, you start to see the same man in a black hoodie just before the footage cuts in every single recording.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Henry paced back and forth in the recordings room, hands behind his back and mind twisting and turning as he tried to make sense of what he could see. He’d accepted an internship from a company that had developed a way to implant a computer into the human brain to record everything and anything the eye could see, effectively recording a person’s memories. Henry’s job was to go through numerous recordings of people’s entire lives to make sure everything was in order and nothing was off. But after a while there something he would notice in the background for the last few frames. It was fast and Henry missed many times until he managed to catch it on the pause button. Someone in a black hoodie. Just standing there. They would appear from nowhere at the last few frames and vanish with the end of each recording. Who was this person? Or perhaps what was the better question. Either way, why were they there? \n\nHenry peered back the wall covered in the projector’s light and felt uneasy. As though it was staring back at him from under that dark hoodie. He’d already asked for his supervisor, Bob, twice and he said there wasn’t anything there. They looked through five different people’s lifetimes and every time he caught the person in the hoodie, Bob called Henry delirious. He told him to have a break and eat something. Though with how his stomach was behaving, Henry doubted it’d stay down for long. He was too fixated upon what this was to even bother chewing at this point. \n\nWhat are you? Henry thought while he removed his recent tape from the projector. For an advanced form of technology, he’d have thought a simple disk would have sufficed, but no. Tapes it was. He exchanged a pair and clicked the play button upon inserting the new one, then fast forwarding it to triple speed. He didn’t care about whether or not the audio fitted at this point. He wanted to see who that person was. Then an idea came to mind when he looked over to the projector once more. An experiment even. He was told not to do it, and with some hesitation, he pressed the stop button half way through the recording. When he looked back, it was there. Just standing in background as it always did. When he hit play, it vanished. Henry would move between playing the recording and stopping it. Every time without fail it was there. He tried different people’s recordings and it was there too. \n\nIt was the next one that scared him, however. \n\nHe let the recording play to the end and there was a flicker just as it finished. He played it back and he scanned for the person in the hood, who was nowhere to be seen. Just a tiny flicker that he barely registered. He tried a few times to catch it, and when finally he did he fell out of his chair with a screech. It was there. But not in the background, dead in the centre of it. Henry could tell it was looking at him despite not have any discernible features and it being an image. It stood there with its hands in its pockets, infinitely more relaxed than Henry. \n\nPanic tad taken hold of his reins, and he sprinted out the recordings room and down the hallway, apologising to the people he bumped into. When he found Bob, he was pale and trying to regain his breath heavily. \n\n“Thing!” he puffed. “Thing! Hood! Come,” he swallowed, “now.” \n\nBob looked at him like he’d just taken a dump in his morning breakfast. Henry grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down to the recordings room where he had that freakish thing paused in time perfectly for everyone to see. He needed people to see he wasn’t crazy. He knew he wasn’t. With it smacked right in the centre, there’s no way they couldn’t not see it. \n\n“There-! Right there-!” Henry pointed to the wall the projector was projecting onto. “Do you see it?”\n\nBob looked quizzically at him, then the wall. Moving back and forth until pinched his brow. \n\n“Henry, get your work done then leave. You’re clearly out of it.”\n\n“But wait-! Sir!”\n\nHe’d already waved Henry off and was walking back the way they had come in an angry trot. Henry gritted his teeth and walked back into the recordings room, his eyes meeting with that damned figure in the hoodie. It was right bloody there in front of his face, staring him down and yet he was the only one who could see it. Henry cursed under his breath and turned to slammed the recordings room door shut. Then a cold wind blew against his neck, making every hair stand up on end. He felt a hand in black leather place itself carefully on his shoulder. He used every ounce of willpower not to move. Every fibre of his being screaming at him not to move. He almost managed to, but his wandering eyes slowly moved around to the corner of his perception, and his heart quickened. Another leather gloved hand covered his mouth so he couldn’t scream. Henry tried to reach for the knob, but the freehand slid down his arm and wrapped him at the wrist. \n\n”Please,” Henry was muffled under the leather glove.\n\nThe hand on his mouth gripped tighter. So tight he thought it was going to rip off his jaw. But it didn’t. Instead, it pulled him away from the door and further into the room. Straight through the wall and into the image he’d paused on. The tape started playing again as he thrashed against his kidnapper. He managed to struggle free partly and nearly escape until the tape he inserted had reached its last few frames and ended its recording.", "It became an obsession. Who was this man? What was his connection to these people's deaths? Was he a killer?\n\nI tried showing the footages to my superiors in city hall. Most just waved their hands. \"All these people died of either accidents or natural causes. No foul play was involved.\"\n\nThe police chief had a more intriguing conclusion. \"Grim Reaper, perhaps?\" She laughed afterwards, assuring me that she was joking. I took that joke seriously.\n\nThe chief archivist at least was more interested, though not enough to do his own investigations. \"See if you can identify this person. And try to find out why he appears in some memories and not others.\" He then went back to cataloguing memories.\n\nWas it the Grim Reaper? The description loosely fit. Dark clothing, looming presence. His face was barely visible, but it was not a skull, just bare, pale skin. Clean-shaven anyways. The dark clothing was a black hoodie and a pair of blue jeans. A sense of indifference as well, as if he didn't really care about the impending doom of the subjects. Just standing there, observing.\n\nI was reviewing the latest footage, an old woman who passed away at a local hospice a few days ago. She was playing cards with another resident when she merely breathed her last and slouched in her chair, dead.\n\nThe figure was there as well, looking bored. I rubbed my eyes in fatigue, I've been doing this all day. I look at the screen and saw the figure lower his hand. From his face.\n\nI raised my hand to my face. The figure stood there, unmoving. Until I touched my face. Then his hand touched his face as well.\n\nI glanced down at what I was wearing. Black hoodie, blue jeans. I rubbed my chin. Clean-shaven.\n\nI leaned back in my swivel chair.\n\n\"What the hell does this mean?\" I said aloud.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMore writings at r/DaviparsWrites" ]	3
	[WP] You're the world's most effective firefighter, but instead of using water like a reasonable person, you use your fists.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "'World's largest forest fire! -- Thousands dead.' The headline on the TV read.\n\n\nA man who'd been watching the news channel smiled as he saw the headline. The fire raged on, burning all in its path. It reminded him of his younger self. The time he was a hero.\n\n\nHis superpower? He was the strongest man on earth, at the cost of being weak to fire. A simple weakness that deterred him, even as a middle-aged man, he couldn't use a gas-lit stove, he couldn't smoke, and he couldn't touch fire without being set alight. His skin was especially sensitive to fire, a simple burn could be fatal to him.\n\n\n\\Ring\\*\n\n\\Ring\\\n\n\\Ring\\*\n\n\n'You have one new voice-mail --'\n\n\n\"Hey, Boll, it's been a while since you've been on duty but, this kind of thing looks like it might attract you, please Boll, stay home.\" The awkward voice of a woman spoke over the phone. She sighed at the end of her message, knowing it wouldn't work.\n\n\nBoll had already left his house, he soared above the clouds as the sun began eating away at his skin. The pain was immeasurable, but, he'd already made up his mind.\n\n\nHe had a certain mindset, to fight fire with fire was his go-to phrase, but, what if you don't have any fire? A question that kids asked him nonstop whenever he visited charity organizations.\n\n\n\"If you don’t have any fire, just make some!\" He'd tell them with a smile. Soon after, he'd retire from his job because of the sheer amount of people taking his quote out of context.\n\n\n'-- Origin of fire found! Bolls' Mental Care Inc. --\n\n\nA young girl stood on top of a hill, admiring the fire and destruction she'd caused with a smile.\n\n\nBoll noticed the girl as fire nearly reached her. The fire had crept up the mountain slowly as if it were alive. Boll jetted downward toward the hill, punching the fire on the mountain as it hissed at him.\n\n\nIt wasn't that Boll had some sort of disease that made him weak to fire, or he was born this way. The fire despised him because the fire that he had in his soul, burned harder and brighter than any other.\n\n\n\"Young lady, come here, I'll take you somewhere safe,\" Boll said with confidence as he lifted her up.\n\n\n\"I don't...\" The wind muffled her speech, the two of them flew through the air as Boll felt a sharp pain.\n\n\nThe little girl had held a lighter to his chest, he had no idea why, but, he decided to ignore it. Or at least he did his best to ignore it as he flew downwards with inhuman speed. Dropping the little girl off at one of his facilities, and began head in the direction of the smoke the littered the sky.\n\n\nHe'd finally arrived, the fire was larger than anything he'd seen his lifespan of being a hero. He stared at the fire with a smile, diving in without hesitation as he began fighting it.\n\n\nThe fire around him seemingly came to life as he touched the ground. The fire that'd ignited the ground Boll stood on was absorbed by him, further igniting his determination.\n\n\nBoll retired from being a hero because too many people figured out his weakness, however, they never figured out his true strength.\n\n\nIn exchange for lower pain tolerance, he could absorb fire into himself in exchange for power. He placed his hands on the hollowed trees and began to absorb the fire. His mind seemed to split as his body caught on fire.\n\n\nHe continued sucking away at the fire, as the final flame entered his body, he collapsed onto the ashes of the forest, his breathing ceased.\n\n..\n\n...\n\n....\n\n\"R E M E M B E R T H E D E A L, B O L L ?\"\n\n\nBoll had entered the next life, his final plan had worked. Standing broadly before him was the man who granted him his powers, an imp by the name of Zylph.\n\n\nThe landscape he was in was surrounded by fire, he couldn't absorb it, but, he still had the power he gained when he was still alive on earth.\n\n\"D O N ' T W A S T E Y O U ' R E T I M E, Y O U ' R E N O T H I N G B U T A S O U L N O W . . .\"\n\n\nThe imp spoke with exasperation as he saw Bolls' fist steaming red as he walked toward him.\n\n\n\"And that's exactly why I'm gonna [win](https://www.reddit.com/user/AlfredoOreos),\" Boll spoke with determination. The very essence of his soul slowly began to crumble into embers as he threw a punch at the face of a beast.", "'Come on Johnny, what can I do to get you in that ring tonight? You're killing me here. I've got two hundred people coming and one-eyed Joe backed out at the last minute.' Paulie was squeezing the juice out of the cigar in his mouth with his teeth, and waving his hairy, gold-adorned sausage fingers at Johnny.\n\n'What can I say, Paulie, I'm committed to the service. There's a fire almost every night - what am I supposed to do, just let people burn to death.'\n\n'You come in here with those jackhammers of yours and you expect me to let you leave without asking. You're not made for putting out fires Johnny, you were made to fight. Putting out fires with your fists like some sort of big shoe or somethin'. There are guys out there who can do it just the same with water like a normal person.'\n\n'What'ya mean a normal person? You calling me a freak, Paulie? Like I'm some sort of walking freak show fireman.' Johnny was sensitive about his gift. He started walking to the door of the restaurant, his eyes set on the coat rack.\n\n'Na, all I'm saying is that you're fists are made for starting fires, not putting them out.' Paulie followed him to the door.\n\nJohnny started putting his navy blue overcoat on, one arm at a time.\n\n'Look, maybe another night. I'm coming around to the idea but for now I'm committed to saving folks from fires. When I get the desire to punch a guy out then I'll come to you. It's not outta the question.'\n\n'Alright, Johnny. When you do just come right here. Don't go starting anything on the street and getting pinched; the last thing I want is the cops sniffing around here in my business.'\n\n'Alright, Paulie.' Johnny said, putting on his hat." ]	3
	[WP] You're an alien whose species' child and adolescent stages look like a normal human. The adult stage, however, looks nothing like a human. Today, you're beginning to undergo the metamorphosis into your adult form.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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 started to develop these little craters on my back — first one, then two, until eventually my entire back looked like a fleshy sponge. To be honest, I didn’t even realize it was happening until I started retaining water. I’d come home and shower, and then even after drying myself, I’d have water spilling out of my back for the next two hours. Every t-shirt I put on would get soaked. It was bizarre. Eventually I looked in the mirror, craning my head around to get a look at my back, and I nearly fainted.\n\nI was only in tenth grade at this point — 15 and a half in human years — and as my Earth dad says, I was an early bloomer.\n\n“I was hoping you wouldn’t become absorbent till after you graduated high school,” he told me when I confronted him about it later. I was panicking then. It was all so new to me, and I thought I had some horrible disease. At the same time, I thought this calamity might get me out of the math test I had the next day, which I hadn’t studied for.\n\n“Calm down, calm down,” my dad said. He was sitting in his study, where he graded papers after dinner each night. It also doubled as the laundry room, and the dryer was rattling loudly in the background. “You don’t have some terrible disease, okay? You’re fine.” He held my chin in his hand, and looked square at my face, trying to reassure me. “This is perfectly normal for someone of your species.”\n\n“My what?” I said.\n\nMy dad closed his eyes, as if I was vexing him with my questions. “I know this is going to be hard for you to understand,” he said. “But I’m going to need you to take a deep breath and listen to me closely. Like an adult. Can you do that?”\n\nI nodded, panic tightening my chest.\n\n“Good boy. Pull up that stool over there.” He pointed at a footstool in the corner, which was usually used to reach the detergent on the top shelf. I dragged it over to his desk and sat on it.\n\n“Do you remember my friend Ivan?” he asked. “From when we lived in Arizona?”\n\n“Yes,” I said. “The crazy one.”\n\n“No, no,” he said, firmly. “He’s not crazy. People think he’s crazy. But he’s one of the smartest people I know. And he’s going to become a very good friend of yours shortly.” He poked me in the chest.\n\n“Ow,” I said, rubbing the spot where he poked me. “But he’s the one who thinks he got abducted by aliens, right? The one who had a nervous breakdown?” I had only a few memories of Ivan. We had left Arizona when I was still in Kindergarten, and most of what I knew about him were things my Dad had told me later.\n\nBut what I did remember left a big impression on me. He had been a tall, thin man with slicked-back hair who always smelled like cigarettes. He would drop by our apartment in Tucson and he and my Dad would have long, secret conversations in the living room, while drinking vodka and smoking.\n\nI was not enthused by the idea of becoming friends with him, as my dad suggested. My face must have revealed this, because my dad sighed wearily.\n\n“There’s a lot you don’t know,” he said. “If it weren’t for Ivan, you wouldn’t be here right now. So you’re going to have to trust him.”\n\n“Dad, what are you talking about?” I asked.\n\n“Take your shirt off,\" my dad said. \"And turn around. I’m going to have to take some pictures of your back to document your progress. Ivan's going to want to know.\"\n\nI complied, stripping my shirt off and turning around. The air felt weird on the skin of my back — cold and ticklish, but almost in a pleasurable way.\n\n“Oh my God,” I heard my dad breathe behind me.\n\n“What?” I said. “What?” Panic made my voice higher.\n\n“Nothing, nothing.” I felt his fingertips graze my skin. “You’re a lot farther along than I thought you’d be.”\n\n“What do you mean?” I said.\n\n“You can put your shirt back on.” He handed me my shirt in a damp bundle. I squirmed back into it and sat on the stool.\n\n“Son, there’s no easy way to say this.” He looked me square in the eyes. “But you’re an alien, and you’re entering adulthood.” I must have had a horrified expression on my face, because he put a hand up, as if to stop me from freaking out. “Ivan warned me this would happen. That you'd start mutating. Now, there’s only so much I know about this, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you for very much longer. In fact, I should have sent you away months ago, by the looks of it.”\n\n“Dad, you’re scaring me,” I said. I looked at him with big, pleading eyes. He put a hand on my knee to comfort me.\n\n“You’ll be fine,” he said. “Soon you’ll lose your limbs and your entire body will become porous, like a giant sponge.”\n\n“What?” I jumped up, my heart hammering against my chest.\n\n“Liam, Liam. I’m not done,” he said calmly. He gestured at the stool. “Ivan believes there’s a way to stop it, or at least to delay it. The night he was abducted, two eggs were implanted inside his body — one of those eggs was you. The other one is your sister. Ivan made me promise that as soon as you started showing signs of mutating, I’d send you over to him. He knows much more than I do.”" ]	2
	[WP] During the war against the Empire of the North, a captain of a 2000 men outpost stands his ground against the enemy, waiting for backup that just won't come.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Barlen looked to the north, the setting sun warmed his dirty face, but the countless fires in front of him froze his heart. Weeks of fighting had whittled down the number of defenders left at the Keep to almost two thousand, while the Northern Horde seemed to have three more attackers for every one they killed. He used his handkerchief to wipe the sweat that was dripping into his eyes, and it came away covered in dirt and blood. Barlen stared at it for a few moments, realizing that there was no way this small, filthy rag was doing anything to actually clean his face. With a deep sigh, he dropped it off of the Keep’s wall and watched as it slowly drifted down to be lost in the endless sea of bodies that had once been the town of Torchdale.\n\nHe tried not to think of the dozens of his friends who were down there; the ones that he’d never have a chance to bury. He only succeeded because he thought of all the great leaders whose corpses were now feeding buzzards. The ones that had left him, a mere captain, as the highest ranking officer in what was supposed to be the last bastion of safety against the barbaric northerners. \n\nHe tried not to look toward the horde again, but he couldn’t stop himself, nor could he suppress a shudder at the sight of the endless field of black, broken only by countless dots of firelight. He picked up his axe from where it was resting against the fortifications. Everyone had mocked him for using a barbarian’s weapon, instead of a more elegant longsword, when he’d first come to Torchdale Keep. Today, however, they’d seen him hold the gate alone against the enemy and had given his axe a new name: Gnollsbane. \n\nFinally, he turned and faced his pathetic army of two thousand. There were no cheers, but nobody was running away either, so Barlen decided that was enough for now. He took a deep breath, and spoke loudly from the wall over the broken gate. \n\n“Defenders of the Southlands, for one thousand years this Keep has stood as the first and best line of defence against our enemies to the North. Now, the horde threatens to overrun what has been a bastion of hope for our people. I see your hopelessness. All of us have lost friends, brothers, and lovers, and before the sun sets again, we all will have lost even more. Yet still we stand.\n\n“These monsters will not be satisfied with our blood. They will not rest until they have shed the blood of every man, woman, and child that lives behind the safety only we can provide. It has been a month since we asked the capital for aid, and the ones we bleed for remain silent. Yet still we stand.\n\n“Our own hope might be gone, but the hope of those we defend will carry us forward. For weeks these foul creatures have come day after day, hoping to take our homes and our lives. Yet still we stand.\n\nBarlen was shouting now, Gnollsbane raised over his head. “As long as we draw breath, not one Gnoll will set foot on the soil of the southland. We are not gone, and we will not go quietly. Our walls and city may fall. Yet. Still. We. Stand!”" ]	2
	[WP] ”If only they knew how much work keeping this up was“, thought the government official supervising 41,680 so-called conspiracy actors.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "\"If only they knew how much work keeping this up was,\" a simple thought crossed my mind gazing at the monitor as subject 29140 started into convulsions, gripping her stomach. The others in her familial unit started to panic but they knew the risks, and they knew what their civic duty was. 29139 held her down she protested \"Micheal you know me, I'm not one of them! I'm clean!\" but he wasn't moved that's what they all say, then two days later the whole house was infected. \"Sandra get the knife,\" 29139 says calmly to 29141 but she's too busy crying in the corner 29140 is openly sobbing \"Get the knife!\" he demands more roughly but she doesn't move. \n\n\n29142 picks up the knife 29139 is shocked \"Please no Micheal, don't let him do this I'll let you do it, but please not him,\" 29140 starts to beg and 29139 almost relents, about to release her but 29142 chides in a soft voice \"Daddy, they'll say anything they can to get free,\" and 29139 nods solemnly 29140 continues to beg and scream and 29142 slides the knife across her throat. She gurgles for a few moments the light drains from her eyes 29139 breaks down in sobs, 29142 lays on 29140 his expression is blank he's likely getting the last bit of warmth he can from his maternal unit. 29141 flees the home. \n\n\nI switch to the free camera I'll soon need to make the judgment call. 29141 makes her way down Kings Avenue toward Market. She passes a poster with instructions 'Don't trust anyone who questions the Quarantine. Check eye color signs of red mean infection. Respond to Convulsions with immediate termination to prevent further spread of parasites' She screams and grabs at it and tears the paper into many small bits \"Why won't you help us?!\" she screams looking directly at me I zoom in, she takes a swing, I zoom out free cameras are expensive. She continues heading south on Kings and reaches Market. \n\n\nThere is one restaurant still open on Market, it is a diner that works with a local farm to provide something other than the designated nutrients we provide. We have attempted multiple times to activate inside the diner but none of the staff accepts the designated nutrients. However, it is a low priority very few people trust them since we activate more than half of their customers. Its only significance right now is that 11032 works at this establishment. \n\n\n11032 spots 29141 and is able to divine her trajectory he rushes into the street \"Sandra! Sandra stop!\" he yells as he grabs 29141 roughly \"What do you think you're doing? You know what will happen if you approach the barrier,\" he says as she shakes herself free of his grasp \"I don't care anymore, Tom! I'm tired of this tired of the paranoia, of the fear of that!\" she points at me again \"My mom...she...she was one of them. Now they'll all look at me the same way they look at Mrs.Roberts or Mr.Stevens like animals waiting to pounce. I...I'd rather be dead,\" she says tears streaming down her face, referring to subjects 00321 and 40221 two other subjects who had familial units activated. \n\n\nHe places his mouth over hers he holds her and she doesn't resist he pulls back\"Never say that, Please I love you,\" 11032 states as she looks surprised \"Ricky I...I love you too, but I can't not here not anymore,\" she states sadly 11032 takes a moment of silence but seems to find his courage \"Then I'll come with you, my family doesn't need me here. They'd tell me to stay with you,\" he states, and is likely accurate his family is quite emotional. \n\n\nShe ponders on this, then nods and then smiles and takes his hand they're both running west on Market now. Very shortly I'll need to make a decision. \"What should we do when we're free?\" 11032 asked hopefully \"We can find others like us, tell people what's happening here. Find out the truth,\" 29141 stated as 11032 looks puzzled \"What do you mean?\" They're getting closer to the barricade \"Doesn't this just feel wrong to you Ricky? They have body snatchers and they're only in one town. So they fence it off and cut off communication? What if they're lying what if the parasites have already won and this is just some kind of sick game or maybe there are no parasites at all,\" she said as 11032's color drains. \"I never thought about that, but it's possible, isn't it? That they're lying to us than all those people...\" he says putting a hand over his mouth \"...Yeah and what they've turned into it could all be for nothing,\" she says trying to remain stoic but her eyes tears betray her. They have reached the barricade. \n\n\nNow I have to make my decision, 11032 makes this actually quite a bit easier. They begin to climb the fence. I input a command 11032's head explodes coating 29141 in a film of blood, light chunks of bone sticking in her hair. 29141 drops to her knees and lets out a guttural scream this continues for several moments, then it breaks into choked weeping as she clutches at 11032's torso. Then she quiets closes her eyes and holds her arms wide in acceptance. \n\n\n2 minutes 48 seconds pass and nothing happens. She stands up and violently shakes the barrier and nothing happens. She grabs a moderately heavy rock and throws it at me, I manage to dodge it free cameras are expensive, but nothing happens. Finally 29141 speaks \"Why?\" Nothing happens \"Why him?! Why not me?! Why not us both?!\" she screams looking at me, Nothing happens \"Was he one of them and I'm not? Or I am one of you and he wasn't? Was this my fault? Is it because we're different is that why he died?\" I open the gate for her. \n\n\nShe stares at it for 5 minutes and 29 seconds, occasionally pacing, yelling more whys at me, or having bursts of tears and weeping. Eventually, she steps through the gate. I close it behind her she stares back at me for 30 seconds and then runs with all her strength toward the highway. I determine that she will be in a mental hospital in approximately 2 days. Covered in blood she'll likely be picked up by authorities. She does not have the higher faculties to avoid capture if she does she'll be met with skepticism or people calling her out on 'fake news' trying to spread the story of the parasites to get public support for the new securities bill, whatever the case no one will believe her they'll call her insane as the \"Free Thoughts Party\" that is putting it forward. \n\n\nIt's fine however, occasionally one or two need to be let out as pressure release. It doesn't matter if the country believes we're real or not. So long as that watch us believe that the Tirrilian Parasite has already reached and infected this planet, Earth is safe for yet another day. I switch to monitor 27# 32# 42#, 31232 is playing catch with 31231, the young male is about to throw, 14122 is helping the disabled 14123 out of the tub, 00921 is reading with 00922 in the parlor. I debate who I should activate next for the best impact, it truly is hard work keeping this all up." ]	2
	[WP]You are a werewolf and fresh prey just stumbled across you. They are beating and battered and when they see you they just whisper two words, "help me"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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.", "Pt 1\n\nThe moon had made his body contort and twist under the rusty chains the villagers had locked him against before he managed to escape. Once he’d fully transformed into a beast of the man he once was, he ripped away from his chains and fled into the night. The villagers bringing guns, torches and pitchforks with them while attempting bring him back. They couldn’t kill him, however. They weren’t allowed to. He was too valuable to them due to their little village being on the borderlands of vampiric territory. Werewolves were the only thing they feared other than his human form. He was their best monster hunter, tracker and defender. Indeed, Arthur had Van Helsing blood in his veins, but, since he’d been bitten, his family told him to leave so he was not a threat to them. Kindly enough, his brother would visit him from time to time, making sure he hadn’t gone mad and the lycanthropy consumed him with grief and guilt by the horrors he unknowingly committed in the night. Training the wolf to be less of a monster. \n\nAs of current, Arthur was galloping on all fours away from the villagers trying to catch him. Trying to grab him so they could put him on an silver leash and have him stalk the outskirts of the village for the night. He skidded across the ground with his paws as he made a hard right turn into the woods, diving into them head first. Once inside, he raised himself up to his staggering height to look at the tress. He found one large enough to support his massive form and crouched low before leaping into the air and digging his claws into the bark. He was just barely able to scratch his way up the bark and hide away under the leaves before the could villagers spotted him. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about a tail swaying from what remained of his trousers when they congregated underneath his tree. He could see their illuminated shadows squabbling in the orange light of their torches. His ears twitching whenever they said his name. \n\nArthur waited for them walk away then dropped from his branch with a thud on all fours once their lights had faded. He sniffled the air with the wet nose of his wolf-ish snout. He could smell something in the wind. Something alluring. Something fresh. Something.... insatiable.\n\nArthur stalked the through the woods and his ears twitched from time to time as he heard the villagers talking and crunching on the forest’s fallen foliage in the far distance. The scent slowly grew in intensity, causing his stomach to growl and his maw slick with saliva. When he reached the source of the scent, it was empty. Nothing. Had his the greying fur on his hide that reflected his age finally caught up with him? No, something was off. It was definitely nearby. He was certain of it, and his certainty increased when he caught sight of blood. Arthur ran his tongue across the grass and tasted something odd. It wasn’t exactly human, but wasn’t animal either. He licked again though still couldn’t put a claw on it. However, his answer was quickly given to him when he felt something touch his back and stroked it with thin fingers. He spun round and backed away, took height onto his hind legs and snarled, baring his terrible glistening fangs. Yellow eyes piercing what he now realised was his the source of the scent. \n\nHe was ready to launch himself at the humanoid figure due to the angry growling growing inside of his stomach, but then it uttered, “Help me...”", "\"Please...\" The white stag had collapsed. His fur was dirty like he was waded through a swamp. Based on his stench, that was exactly what he had done. An broken arrow was embedded in his side.\n\nHe looked up at me with his big brown eyes. \"Are you...werewolf? ... a person inside? \" He wanted to know. His chest heaved with the effort.\n\n\"Yes...\" I circled him as I inspected his injuries. I breathed in his scent trying to determine what he was. There was a brief whiff of magic around him. A curse? Transformation spell gone wrong?\n\n\"A lady wolf..?.\" He sounded surprised. \"I mean... I should have known... your fur is so beautiful.. and shiny...\"\n\nI raised my eyebrows a little. Was he actually hitting on me or was he fading from blood loss?\n\nThe fur on my back stood on end as I heard the sound of hunting dogs and the laughter of drunken men heading in our direction. The deer heard it too. He tried and failed to get his feet back under him.\n\n\"It's okay.\" I assured him as I grabbed his golden antlers to help him get up. I shifted my position up onto my hind legs and picked him up. He was quite large and his antlers were awkward but I managed to get him over my shoulder.\n\nRunning on two legs cut down my speed but I kept a solid pocket of space between us and the hunters. We made it to my cottage on the other side of the forest. My cottage had been settled where I could keep my distance from the human village down in the valley and the wolf pack inhabiting the deep heart of the forest.\n\nI brought the deer inside and made him comfortable with a quilt in front of the fireplace. I shifted my form so I could build a fire. When I turned back to the stag, he was staring up at the ceiling, purposely not looking at me. if he could blush, he would be bright red.\n\n\"Does my human form make you uncomfortable?\" I asked him.\n\n\"I...uh...\" He fumbled over his words.\n\n\"Now, I know that you are a human inside. \" I teased as I grabbed a robe from my armchair and pulled it on. \"You have a weird sense of modesty over our natural forms. I am clothed. You may gaze upon me.\"\n\nBefore he could answer, there was a loud knock at the door. I could smell the alcohol on the hunters from here.\n\n\"Its okay.\" I assured the deer as I walked over to the door and partially opened it.\n\n\"Sorry, to bother you so late, ma'am.\" The burly man reeking of cheap whisky slurred over his words. A slick haired man beside him shamelessly undressed me with his eyes. \"Have you seen a white deer around here?\"\n\n\"A deer...?\" I played the grouchy hermit card and repeated his statement like it was the stupidest thing I had ever heard.\n\n\"Yeah, sorry, our dogs led our hunt to your doorstep...calm down, Frank.\" He pulled back on the leashed hound dog growling at me. The other pair were cowering behind him.\n\n\"I haven't seen any deer.\" I tried to slam my door but the other man caught it, getting up close to me.\n\n\"You know there are dangerous beasts out in these woods. A young lady shouldn't be out here alone...\" He tried to force my door open. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his hand on the hilt of his blade.\n\nThey both took several startled steps back as I let out an animistic growl. \"Get off my doorstep or I will eat your squishy organs. Anatomy is not really my thing, but I will eat whatever I happen to yank out first.\" I gave them a charming smile, letting my fangs show through.\n\n\"Werewolf!\" They both turned on their heels and ran back down the path towards the village. They were only brave when it came to terrorizing young forest maidens.\n\n\"Morons.\" I muttered to myself as I set the deadbolt and walked back inside. The deer was asleep beside the fireplace. I honestly wasn't sure if he was going to make it. I put a healing amulet around his neck and spread some numbing ointment around his wound before removing the arrow. He stirred and fluttered his eyes briefly but passed back out.\n\nThe next morning, I woke up to the smell of burning bacon and eggs. I put my robe on as I walked into my kitchen. A young blonde man was attempting to make breakfast on my wood stove. He was wearing slacks and a blood stained white shirt, which furthered my suspicions of magic being the culprit of his transformation.\n\n\"Hey...\"\n\nHe nearly dropped a pan full of bacon grease on himself. \"Hey, I just...\" He gave me a helpless smile revealing dimples. \"I wanted to make you breakfast...but it didn't turn out quite as expected.\"\n\n\"Is this usually something people do for you?\" I guessed as I walked over and turned down the flames on the stove. I had gotten a glimpse of the family seal on his ring. He had some kind of noble ranking.\n\n\"You could say that...\" He shrugged. \"Duke Lance du Crucio.\" He introduced.\n\n\"Twilight.\" I introduced.\n\n\"Do you have a family name or-?\"\n\n\"Omegas forfeit their pack name.\" I responded briskly.\n\n\"Oh...\" There was a long pause and I think he was waiting for me to explain further. When I didn't say anything, he awkwardly cleared his throat. \"I guess, I should probably explain the deer thing...\"\n\n\"If you wish...\" I picked up a charred piece of bacon and crunched into it.\n\n\"In my youth, I was a bit of a ... womanizer.\" He admitted bashfully. \"A witch that I had relations with ... well, I broke her heart when she found out I didn't have the same kind of feelings for her that she had for me. In her heartache, she cursed me to become a beast every night. I think she had actually been attempting to turn me into a pig.\" He shrugged. \"Usually I keep around my estate but I guess rumors had spread about a large white stag on my property. Those poachers had chased me all over the East Wood. If you hadn't come along...\"\n\n\"You're just lucky that I wasn't that hungry.\" I shrugged.\n\n\"Twilight, I owe you a great debt. Whatever you want, it's yours.\" He told me.\n\n\"I have no interest in human possessions.\" I informed him as I retrieved my dishware from the cupboards and plated our breakfast on the kitchen table.\n\n\"Well...what if you were my guest at the Harvest Ball?\" He suggested.\n\n\"That sounds awful.\" I replied. Why the hell would he even suggest that? \"If you are trying your charms on me, they will not work.\"\n\n\"I know...\" He said half to himself. \"You aren't charmed by me or impressed by my title or my appearance. Maybe you are the one.\"\n\n\"...the one?\"\n\n\"Yes...\" He sounded nervous. \"You could be the one to break this curse.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Two people who hate each other end up to be soulmates. Their feud outlives their flesh and their bodies, and their souls cannot expire until they’ve made up.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Oh my god that sounds horrifically heartbreaking\n\nYou spend the whole story watching them grow as people, and watching them learn to care for and love each other. A tale of forgiveness and mending wrong-doing.\n\nAnd some point towards the end, they’d start fighting on purpose. Hurting each other just to avoid the fate they know is coming.\n\nIf they make up, their souls pass on and they’re separated forever. They know this, and as they’ve learnt to love each other, they can’t let that happen. The finale is a gruesome fight where they’re inflicting as much pain on each other as possible, and in turn they’re hurting their own hearts. But in the end, it’s all for nothing. They just can’t keep fighting. And after one final, candid conversation, their souls evaporate. \n\nI’m gonna turn this into a short story\n\nEdit: And the final fight mimicks the fight in the prologue, where they killed each other! (The conflict ran that deep). It’s the same fight, but with different contexts and feelings.\n\nEdit #2: It’s a twist on Romeo & Juliette! Instead of accidentally killing themselves out of love (through a contrived misunderstanding), they killed EACH OTHER because they adopted their family’s Hatred, and it ended up being more powerful than their love." ]	2
	[WP] You have a very old dog whose life is coming to and end, and lately you have strange shady visitors at nights. Turns out, your dog is the Princess of Hell and her punishment as a dog is over, she now argues with Satan that she wants to remain with you in whatever form, as she grown to like 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 didn’t want to let old Fay go. She was an old, fat golden retriever, who I essentially had to carry around everywhere. I’d had her since she was a puppy, too. I was getting lonely in my dorms, and I snuck her into my dorm room from the pound. Why anyone would abandon a puppy like that is beyond me. Nobody really cared about her, anyways. She’d been my closest friend for most of my life. And now she would be leaving me. \n\nI woke up, slamming the alarm. I had picked up the old girl, as she was unable to walk on her own at this point, and decided that for her last night, I should just cuddle her, before euphanizing her. It was for the best, anyways. She was looking to be in pain anyways, and it would have been healthier. Still, I didn’t wanna let her go. \n\nSo it was a surprise to me that when I woke up, I was cuddling a 6’5, black haired, red skinned girl with wings. \n\nAt first I thought I was still dreaming. Some sort of horny dream where I had sex with something, or some other weird garbage. It wouldn’t have been too surprising. I’d had wet dreams beforehand. \n\n“So...this is what lucid dreaming is like, huh?” I turned my head over to the alarm, where I slammed it, before wriggling my way out of the sleeping monster’s wings. \n\n“Sorry, but I don’t want sex or anything. I really just wanna wake up and put my old girl out of her misery.” I stretched, going to change my clothes. If I was gonna dream, I was gonna go do some actual cool stuff. \n\nThis apparently woke up the massive demon girl, to which I heard a large amount of screaming. \n\n“AGHGHGHGHGHG!” she yelled, scrambling out of bed. “How long have you seen me like this?” she glared at me. \n\n“I don’t know, like 20 seconds?” I rolled my eyes. “What, you gonna go all tsundere on me or something? Damn, I thought I’d gotten out of my weeb phase…”\n\n“Wait, why aren’t you panicking?” her breathing started to calm down, as she looked around her. “I’m a demon. You should be screaming right now.”\n\nI looked back at her, quickly blushed, and went back to trying to stay as calm as possible. “Listen, are you claiming this isn’t a dream? Watch, lemme just…” I tried willing her out of existence. You can do that in lucid dreams, right? \n\n“This isn’t a dream, idiot.” I felt a tail whip around and slap me in the face, stinging me as I went to the ground. “Why aren’t you horrified of me?” she growled again.\n\nMy breathing started to quicken as I started to panic. “Wait… this isn’t a dream… so you’re a… and I’m gonna… wait, please, don’t kill me! I’ll do whatever you want! Please don’t-” I was crawling back on my back, scuttling towards the door. “I’ll be your eternal servant! I can do whatever you want! Please don’t kill me!” I scrambled for the door. \n\n“Quiet!” she hissed, suddenly much more aware of her position. I felt a click, as the tail she had clicked on the lock, and wrapped itself around the doorknob. “You can’t leave here. Not right now, at least.” she darted towards me, eyes darting around. “I’ll get caught otherwise.”\n\n“I mean- wait, you’ll get caught?” I tried to escape from her grasp, but her wings blocked my escape. \n\n“Listen, I’ll explain it all in due time, but for right now, just let me tell you that I’m on the run, and that if I’m caught, I’ll be ruined.” she used her actual hands- they might as well have been claws- to grab my shoulders. \n\n“Wait, then why do you need me?” \n\nI didn’t get an answer, because at that moment, the wall crashed down.\n\n“Lucia Mallentroth, you’re under arres-”\n\n“Higher Teleportation!” \n\nImmediately, I felt the world around me shift, as I looked at bright yellow sands, and a blank black road. Nothing else for miles. \n\n“They won’t suspect me here, this is too close to Dad for any patrol group to suspect us. Plus, scrying will probably lead them to Egypt, and teleporting across half the world will drain them too much. ” she muttered to herself. At this point, I began to throw up. This was too much. I lived in Manhatten. We didn’t have desert. \n\nThe demon girl, apparently named Lucia, looked down at me, and noticed my sorry state. “Fuck. I guess I’ll have to fly from here. Up ya go. Stay tough.” she hoisted me into her arms, princess style, and darted into the air. I was too busy throwing up to get a word in edgewise. Within 10 seconds, I’d passed out. So much for ‘Stay Tough’. \n\n\\-\n\nEnd of Part 1- Part 2 below", "Pt 1 of 2:\n\nAfter a messy breakup that ended with Ian slamming the door behind him on his way out of my apartment, all I’d wanted to do was get through a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Maybe watch some gratuitous violence on Netflix, smoke some pot to help me get to sleep. But pulling into the dark parking lot of the grocery store down the street and ignoring the lazy drizzle in the air, something caught my eye.\n\nA dog, laying down under a tree that, during the day, provided shade for the lucky Floridian who claimed the parking spot under its branches. A dog lover through and through, and with far less caution than was rational, my path immediately curved toward the animal. It appeared to be some sort of German shepherd mix and looked like it had had a much worse day than I had. A much worse life, to be honest.\n\nIt fur was rough and patches were missing, possibly from mange, though I’m not a vet. My guess was that it had been out here for ages, and to be honest, the town I currently lived in wasn’t huge on paying attention to stray dogs. Unless they got aggressive, of course, then it was time to call in animal control to take down the threat to all the precious children. \n\nGetting within a few yards of it, it raised its head and let out a low growl. “Hey,” I murmured, crouching down. “You look like ten miles of bad road.” Its ears weren’t flat against its head or anything, and it didn’t bear its teeth, but it let out another warning growl. “Not keen on people, huh?” I paused. “You hungry?” No reaction, unsurprisingly. I pushed myself and went into the store.\n\nComing out a few minutes later with a bag of jerky in hand, I went back over to the dog, which growled once again at my approach, as if this spot under this tree had been bought and paid for, no guests allowed. “You like jerky?” I tossed it a big piece, landing perfectly just a foot in front of its paws and it flinched back as if it were a grenade. But it only took a moment to scent what it was, and the dog promptly went back over it and snatched it up, chewing and swallowing quickly.\n\nThen it took a few steps back, unconvinced. I tossed another piece. Then another. We went through the whole bag, aside from one piece left. “Want to come with me?” I asked, waggling it in the air. The dog, I could see it was a girl now, took a few steps forward. I nodded back toward my car. “I’ve got air conditioning. We could get you over to the emergency vet, I’ll spring for a nice warm bath, in case you got fleas. Get that skin condition figured out. Whaddya say?” \n\nSlowly taking steps backwards, jerky in hand, I headed back to my jeep and, to my honest surprise, she began to follow me. And when I tossed the last piece of jerky into the back seat, she jumped up inside, chowing down on it, and I shut the door.\n\nA few hours later, we were back at my place and she was still in rough shape, but in much better condition, as well as flea- and dirt-free. I hadn’t had a dog for close to two months, my last girl passing away and still reluctant to replace her, but I still had all her things. I took them out from storage in my garage and put the bed on the ground in the living room, where it had been when Roxy had used it, something tight gripping my heart when I put it back. \n\nThe dog walked over, sniffing it thoroughly. “That’s for you to sleep on,” I said. “My bed’s fair game during the day, but I move around at night, so you got your own.” Kneeling down next to her, I let her sniff my hand before offering pats, which she tentatively accepted. “You a good girl?” She met my gaze, something in her eyes that I couldn’t describe. “Hm. Maybe you’re still working on figuring that out. Don’t know what your life’s been like so far, but I get it. Trust is hard.”\n\nI paused for a long moment and then, unbidden, a name popped into my head. I attributed it to my love of the show Supernatural. “Lilith. That sounds good,” I murmured.\n\nAnd that was that. It took her ages to come out of her shell, weeks of staying near her bed, or hiding in the nice dark laundry room, unless it was dinner time. She was perfectly house-trained though and chill with a collar and leash, so I figure whoever had had her before had taken care of her at some point, but no chip and no response to ‘found dog’ ads resulted in her just staying with me. Over those weeks, her coat filled in, her eyes got a bit brighter, and every time I saw her dozing on her bed, I smiled. \n\nWe went on a walk every morning and every evening, and a low growl rumbled up from her belly whenever someone walked by, so I was careful to give them a wide berth. After a month or so, I took her to the dog park. Not to participate, we stayed outside twenty yards or so from the chain-link fence and just sat on the grass.\n\nHer eyes darted after each of the dogs inside, curious, attentive, and admittedly, aggressive. Tense. Wary.\n\n“This is where dogs go to have fun,” I said, gently rubbing her behind the ears. “See them all? They’re all nice. That’s why they’re all together.”\n\nOnly time would help her out of her shell, I knew. Those first few trips, whenever a happy, playful dog ran up to the fence, spotting us out on our own, Lilith would let out a sharp bark, then another, and another, until the dog decided that they wanted nothing to do with my big grumpy girl. And I’d hoped she’d get past that, but she never changed. She didn’t want anything to do with other dogs or people.\n\nBut she did become less aggressive on walks, and more obedient in that respect. Eventually I was able to stop worrying about her doing something like lunging at someone ‘suspicious’ that we passed on a walk. And that was the only bar really I wanted to reach. Aside from that, all dogs have their own personality, and if she honestly wasn’t going to have fun chasing tennis balls and wanted to be a hermit, I wasn’t going to force her into a world she wanted nothing to do with.\n\nThe years passed and she was my closest buddy for a while. Suspicious when I came home smelling like a new guy, and exceedingly wary of Spencer, who I dated for a year or so. Gratefully, that ended pretty amicably. Then there was Harold, who absolutely loved Lilith, despite her complete indifference toward him, and we dated for about six months. And a few others that came and went.\n\nAs I closed in on my thirtieth birthday, glumly wondering if I was destined to be alone forever, just me and Lilith, I was struck by how much she’d changed over the past six years. I’d never known how old she was when I first found her, but the vet said guessed that Lilith been at least six already. And one day when I noticed her take an extra moment to get to her feet for our walk, it seemed to hit me all at once, how gray the fur around her muzzle was compared to when I’d first found her.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nPt 2 below" ]	3
	[WP]A group of adventurers defeat the evil lich who created the dungeon that terrorizes the town, but realize that the dungeon is actually prime real estate. The various monsters, dragons, goblins and ghosts are all good tenants once you get to know them and they keep the place safe while you're out	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I yawned, stretching as I woke from a deep sleep. It had been a rough week, dealing with a group of Gestating Oozes. They weren't all that strong individually, but when they remained undiscovered for months, their numbers would be overwhelming. We got there in time to stop a village from being consumed, but it was a little dicey for a time.\n\nI crawled out of my bed, pulling on my thick morning robe. It was a welcome warmth in the chill that permeated the dungeon. I yawned again as I made my way out, heading towards the Deep Kitchens. The sound of pots clattering, food cooking, and gentle laughter guided me, along with the smell of breakfast.\n\nI cracked open the door, and headed in. It was a large room, with the far side dedicated to an enormous stove. A door was set to its right, wedged open to show the well stocked pantry. A tower of plates sat on one side, ready for use. There were 3 long tables and bench, at which sat a few goblins, a minotaur and a revenant. A manticore perched on the end, burying its face in a pile of meat. They turned to look at me, giving a chorus of greetings.\n\n\"Morning Bozz!\"\n\n\"Hey Brute.\"\n\n\"Greetings, Lord Sagril.\"\n\nThe manticore growled, before returning to its food. I gave a small wave, making my way to the stove, where a translucent figure floated. It looked at me, showing the skull it had instead of a face.\n\n\"Good morning. I take it you slept well?\"\n\n\"I did, thank you Sammy. I don't suppose there's anything left for me?\"\n\nIt tutted, before pointing at the stack of nearby plates. One rose up, hovering down infront of Sammy. Various utensils followed, and placed a heap of bacon, sausages, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes on the plate, before it floated to me. I took it with a grin.\n\n\"Thank you Sammy. It smells great.\"\n\n\"I'm sure it tastes better. Now go, eat! If you want more just say.\"\n\nI smiled as I walked to the end with the goblins and others. They grinned back at me as I sat down.\n\n\"Looks like someone's hungry!\"\n\nI looked at the minotaur, before starting to eat. I replied through a full mouth, amused at the slight frown he gave in return.\n\n\"You bet I am Throd! I missed dungeon cooked meals, and I know for a fact Dallo did too. You just can't beat Sammy's cooking.\"\n\nThe goblins all nodded, and Throd dipped his head in turn.\n\n\"I can't argue with you there Brute.\"\n\nI glanced at Yazza, the revenant in charge of keeping the base clear when we weren't there.\n\n\"Any trouble Yazza?\"\n\n\"No Lord Sagril. Everything has been rather quiet. Its rather boring really.\"\n\nI gave a shrug.\n\n\"Well, I suppose it better to have peace then for you all to be forced out.\"\n\n\"Bozz! Bozz! What did you do out there?!\"\n\nI looked down at the goblins, smiling at the quadruplets Sog, Sag, Seg and Sig.\n\n\"We were dealing with some Gestating Oozes. Looks like they had been there for at least 3 months.\"\n\nEveryone winced at that. Throd thumped the table with his meaty fist.\n\n\"They're annoying enough when they have been there for a week! I remember when we had an infestation with old Starcraz. She was huffing and puffing, blowing the place up with fireballs.\"\n\nThey shuddered at the memory of the lich who used to own here. From all counts, she was a piece of work, even for a lich. My arm itched as I thought back, remembering the feeling of my skin melting off from one of her spells. Not that it had stopped me from breaking her face with my maul.\n\n\"Anyway, we dealt with them thankfully, and decided to just take a month to relax. We've been out doing jobs for a while now, but it's nice to spend some time relaxing.\"\n\nThey nodded, and started to discuss their plans for the next few days. I smiled, steadily devouring my food as they talked, argued and laughed. It seemed crazy that only a year ago, we would have been mortal enemies." ]	2
	[WP] After an apocalyptic event rattles the world, the surviving humans flee to hide and protect what they can. By chance a group of survivors sit by a few together, what stories of their travels do they bring?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 water rises above the dam and rushed over the woods. The first houses that the ocean met on the field got dragged by the water and into the hills. Grhb village, my village also endured this faith. Like all the other villages in the great valley.”\n\nShe stopped and took her hand in her pocket and lifted out a biscuit, and carefully turned it to the parrot sitting on her shoulder. “Of course, both me and Dan stayed at my animal reservoir high up on the mountain.” She clapped her parrot/Dan carefully on his head. She than continued; “well of course due to events we are all aware of. It is not particularly high anymore, but you get my point”.\n\nWe just sat there awkwardly, we sat on new camping furniture. We were on a field, a field so large it could be a dessert. A field so hot it could be a dessert. But there were no sand and no houses, for as fare as the eye could see.\n\nI had walked under such surroundings for days, until a few hours ago. That is when I saw a big grey camping truck. It was the first truck I had seen in days, and the biggest truck I had seen in my life.\n\nTo the left for the truck, there were two horses and a cow attached to a large stick. To the right for the truck there were gardening equipment and chairs. That is where I found the woman sitting with her parrot on her right shoulder. Next to her sat a man, with a bewildered face expression.\n\n“How about you Liam” she pointed at the man. “Liam is your name, right?” He nodded, “yeah and yours is Zahra”. “That’s right, you have been her for hours, and I still don’t know your story.”\n\n“Well, its…”, the parrot intervened with “ah story, ah story”. “Shush Dan, let the man tell his story!” Zahra said with great anger in her voice. Liam looked at the parrot. Then he looked at me, giving me a look that told me that this was crazy.\n\nHe then continued, “well its much like your story. It all started with the water coming and cities being destroyed”. He looked down, on the empty street. Hiding his face deep in his arms. I waited on my acquaintances, any one I recognized, to join me to a new home. I waited for my brother.”\n\nHe waited, looked up on the sky and then continued. “But after days, of waiting, the sun came. And oh my, did he make his presence known. As the water rapidly altered from a great ocean to fog. Well, I knew it was time to go, even if it meant going by myself.”\n\nZahra had a downhearted look on her face; “well that’s a strong story, Liam or what”. “Ah yes, ah yes,” the parrot started. “Not know Dan!” Zahra said with an irate voice. “Here take another biscuit and zip it.”\n\n“Ah biscuit, ah biscuit” the parrot repeated. “Well how about…, wait! I don’t know your name?” Zahra pointed at me. “Its, Ben…” “Ah Ben, ah Ben” the parrot started. “I mean it Dan, zip it.” Zahra repeated. “Please continue,” she said with a with smile.\n\n“Well, I had already roamed in the mountains for months” Sow I was never in any real danger, by the water. The heat on the other hand” I laughed a warm laughter. “Let us just say, it made a new type of challenge.\n\nI started walking to the greatest city that I know of. That took me three days by foot. I had saved up on food and water. But that walk pushed the limits. The city I once knew was gone, the ruins I had imagined was not there. All I saw was that.” I pointed at nothing, just air and empty ground. “I didn’t know, what to do. I could not stay, that was for sure. But I did not know of anywhere else. I had friends, family and memories there but that was all gone.\n\nSo, I started going east, I roamed the street and mountains. In search for shadow and civilization. That is when, I saw it.” I closed my eyes; I got the chills just by thinking of it. “What! What! Did you see”, Zahra eagerly shouted.\n\nJust than a sharp squeaking noise came from the left side of the camping truck. “The other survivors” I whispered.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nRead more stories at:\n\n## r/simplystories" ]	2
	[WP] The Autobahn Sol Delivery Service: in 2565 they are the premier high-speed mail delivery service in the solar system. After generations of keeping the business in the family, they are adapted to High-G mail runs, and they never fail to deliver the mail.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 alarm raises in Sector 4. Employees start scrambling, orders are being shouted everywhere. It is currently 11:55, Space Time, and someone approximately 2 and a half light years just ordered same day shipping. \n\nThe bulk pack of ramen noodles are loaded into the fastest truck-ship they have. 11:57. \n\nThe fastest route is calculated. The amount of C-Fuel is also calculated\n\nC-Fuel is loaded into the truck, everyone clears the area. \n\n11:58. \n\nThe truck takes off in the direction of its destination, 2.56 light years away. \n\n11:58:36\n\n2.30 light years away \| 11:58:52\n\n1 light year away. 11:59:26 \n\nThe pilot pushes the limits of the ship. \n\n0.5 light years away. 11:59:43\n\n0.1 light years away. 11:59:53 \n\nThe pilot, knowing that he won’t make it, pulls a past ditch effort. A G.J.F.E. As the interspace clock hits 11:59:55, the package is launched at 10N13Y, 2-1-1-5. \n\n11:59:58. \nThe package lands at its destination. \nCondition: Damaged. \nStatus: Delivered, On Time.", "Gravity sucks.\n\nGravity sucks even when you're us, cut-out cerebral cortexes housed in high-pressure hermetic braincases, ready and able to withstand truly appalling demonstrations of the universe's killjoy momentum laws.\n\nWe're not born this way, but then \"born\" is one of those words that had kind of fuzzy borders even back during the dawn of modern medicine back round the turn of the millennium, and has only blurred out further since.\n\nI breathe a sigh of relief as my craft hits escape velocity and I'm finally transferred out of my suspension soup and back into my chassis. I stretch, which feels good and is also recommended for proper muscle-maintenance, even if said muscles have been made almost entirely of carbon nanotubes for the better part of a century.\n\nBreathe in, breathe out. God, it feels good. Being in suspension is like holding your breath when you're still full-bio. You can get good at it, you can get used to it, but breathing is so thorn-root deep in the human psyche that it can't be fully removed without doing some serious damage. One of those lessons that was learned the hard way back in the twenty-first and twenty-second by a wide assortment of poor bastards.\n\nI spend a few moments pondering that as I move about the cabin, carrying out checks and maintenance routines with the semi-focused deftness of long practice. It feels good to have human-shaped skin again, replacing the strange electric awareness of a ship's hull. I run my fingers over it, the pseudographene epidermis, feeling the pressure in the nerves of the mostly-biological dermis beneath.\n\nA warning light comes on, both in my head and on the ceiling. Time for sunward acceleration. I plop myself down onto the nearest chair. I could stay standing up, if I wanted to, or more likely if there was something that urgently needed doing, but even with the sturdy frame of my specialized pilot's body that can be uncomfortable. And anyway I've earned a bit of rest.\n\nGravity sucks.\n\nFor a long time, from what I've read, we hoped we'd be able to get around it somehow, find some convenient field or device or engine that would let us thumb our noses at that whole set of supremely inconvenient set of natural laws, the way we did with lightspeed limitations and the Sundiver Drive.\n\nNo such luck. Quite the opposite, really, it was those laws that let us open wormholes between the deep bright gravity wells of stars in the first place. And once you've gone from the near-surface of one star to the next, you've got to get away from it again.\n\nAnd that sucks. That pulls.\n\nI watch Sol get bigger in the viewfields of my ship's forward cameras. The diving part is easy, so long as the radiation-conversion fields don't fail and turn you into a mass of photon-ravaged slag. The escaping part, that's harder. You have to do it obliquely, because even discounting the obscene energy requirements trying to accelerate directly away from a star will quickly pile too many Gs on top of the twenty-something you're already going to be dealing with.\n\nI glance at the cargo hold, seeing the visual feeds in my head. Packages, letters, sorted and carefully secured. All kind of absurd, really. Who wants to go through the obscene expense of shipping physical media from the Sol system to the colonies, or vice versa?\n\nLots of people, for lots of reasons, almost all of them sentimental. Humans, no matter their configurations, aren't rational creatures. Good thing, too, it keeps my whole clan well-employed.\n\nI smile, thinking of my son-to-be, gestating in an artificial womb since my bio-original's been gone for decades. He doesn't have to follow the family profession, of course, my wife and I don't plan to be that kind of parents. But a lust for speed and acceleration seems to run in the family's genes, which is part of why my wife decided to marry into it in the first place.\n\nSol's getting closer. Time to transfer. I smile as I push my forehead in against the hatch and feel my skull start to open. A delicious shudder of anticipation peppered by just the right seasoning of fear.\n\nGonna fly, fly through a tube beneath reality, fly fast. Then escape a star.\n\nGravity sucks. But my job is fucking awesome.\n\n\\~\n\nCome on by r/Magleby for more elaborate lies." ]	3
	[WP] The Greek gods are having a clear out, and donated more than intended. You unknowingly bought the threads of life. You are a knitter. Destiny is getting a bit weird.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[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 listing online, for some strange yarn that looked perfect for the new cardigan and booties set I wanted to make for my sister’s baby, due in a month. It was translucent, sometimes pink, sometimes blue, sometimes another colour altogether, which I can’t name but can only describe as being not of this world. It was perfect, my sister had decided to keep the baby’s gender a surprise, so this strange colour-changing yarn would make a nice gift, without going for plain white.\n\nWhen it arrived, the ball was smaller than expected. I wasn’t sure I was going to have enough even for a newborn outfit. However, as I began to knit, the ball never changed size. I was halfway through the cardigan when I realised.\n\nThere was some strange news today. Apparently, a teenager from Bournemouth had been struck with lightening, but was unharmed. No one could understand what had happened. He claimed to have heard a voice, been spoken to by the sky. A couple hours later, just down the coast, a young woman had almost drowned but claims that she was in no danger as she could breathe even while under the water and was guided by waves to where she needed to be before she was pulled out. Both had been taken to hospital anyhow. \n\nThe yarn was slippery in my hands. I had to be careful not to drop any stitches. Threading the stitches through each other was oddly satisfying, like the bringing together of two parts which were not connected until now. \n\nLife is all about connections. Our connection to family, to nature. I could only hope that my connection with my niece/nephew would be strong. Family is important.\n\nI wonder if those two young people have family. How were they feeling? The news mentioned that each had only a single parent. Strange, that such incidents should happen so close to each other, so close to me. \n\nI’ve almost finished the cardigan now, if only I could find my scissors so I can cut this strange yarn and begin the booties. It’s almost too beautiful to cut, mesmerising as the light catches it. Nevertheless, I can’t leave a ball of wool hanging from a baby cardigan, that would just be impractical!\n\nAh, here they are. Well then, one snip and I can move onto the next project." ]	2
	[WP] "You want to know the biggest mistake in my criminal career? It was the first and only time I trusted 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.", "It was a warm day in the Halls of Annuity, the obsidian brick pulsing a warm heat from the magma inside, warming the chamber. Once a temple to a god of wealth, it lay abandoned for a time. But Mr. Greythorne was never one for gods. \"The gods killed my father, Devout man he was, not me.\" Mr Greythorne patched the temple up, replaced the brick and demolished the altar. Mr Greythorne was a practical man, and not one to be fond of material wealth. But the Halls of Annuity were all part of the show. It sold the myth of Mr Greythorne. Mr Greythorne was a man that solved problems. Enthusiastically. Mr Greythorne was a provider. Mr Greythorne was a protector. But more importantly than all of the above, Mr Greythorne was a dwarf. And Mr Greythorne kept a grudge.\n\nI was Mr Greythorne's bodyguard. I go by Green-skin. Most places wouldn't hire a troll, but Mr Greythorne took me in. Gave me a name. Gave me a life. I didn't understand why I was needed, Mr Greythorne was very strong. Far stronger than me. He said it sold the story. The mystique, Mr Greythorne was a man that needed guarding. It didn't matter that he was stronger than me, or that I wasn't good at protecting him. And when we had work, he was Mr Greythorne and I was Green-skin. And when the work was done, he was Kardrum.\n\nKardrum was a far nicer man than Mr Greythorne. Kardrum drank ale and told stories of his youth. Kardrum taught an ogre how to read and how to write and how to sing songs. Kardrum saved the world a long time ago. Killed a very bad man. He told me once, a long time ago. Of an elf and a gnome and a human who stopped everything. He told me that he was all that was left. And one day he would be gone too. And I would have to be Mr Greythorne, and have a Green-skin of my own.\n\nBut as evening turned to night, when Mr Greythorne was being Kardrum, he told me a story. Of four people who killed a man who talked to all of the troll and ogres and goblins and orcs, and made them angry. A man who caused a war. A man who took advantage of their thought of being treated lesser, and whispered honeyed lies that caused the world to erupt in anger. And he was killed by a Human Paladin, an Elven Priestess, a Dwarven Thief, and a Gnome Wizard.\n\n\"I'm not dumb, I know they're the people you talked about before.\" I managed to interrupt Kardrum, and for a brief moment his eyes hardened and he became Mr Greythorne once more. before Kardrum's bright smile and sparkling eyes broke through Mr Greythorne's face, and his large bushy grey beard parted in two as Kardrum laughed.\n\n\"Aye, I suppose I had that one coming to me. It was me 'n ma party. And yer right. I killed him myself.\" Kardrum's face turned hollow again, as he started to turn into Mr Greythorne once more. I was getting somewhere. I had to know more.\n\n\"What happened to them?\" My mouth moved before I could stop it. I slammed my hand to my mouth, in shock that I had said such a thing, as a shard of tusk splintered into my hand. As the blood covered my hand, and I shook it towards the floor, Mr Greythorne was gone, and it was just me and a merrily laughing Kardrum. \"They died lad. The gnome gave his life for one last spell, the priestess was cursed in the final moments. and the human....\"\n\n\"I was never that close with the human. It was always me and the gnome, and the elf and the human. The gnome and the elf were incredible, gifted, talented. I could hide and turn on the charm, and the human wore big armour and a sword. This whole scheme, Mr Greythorne, was his idea. We get to help people. We would build villages, help orphans. Stop more people like the bad man from happening. He broke his word.\" Kardrum's eyes started to well up, his body started to shake.\n\n\"He swore he wouldn't abandon me. He swore that he would never let another person as bad as that man appear again. And he died! Humans die! And Mr. Greythorne's as bad as that man ever was!\" Mr Greythorne had come back. and he came back angry. His eyes were cold and he was yelling. Spittle flew into my face, and he started to smell like ash and stale ale. I paused to think of a way to help for a few minutes before I spoke up.\n\n\"But Mr Greythorne helped me. And you're Kardrum. And that's that.\"\n\nKardrum's eyes widened slightly, before he started to cry. I froze shock still. Did I say something wrong? Did I do something wrong? But Kardrum looked up at me with his beaming smile and conviction in his eyes that I had only ever seen from Mr Greythorne. \"That's that indeed.\" He chuckled to himself slightly, before tossing me his half empty bottle of ale, as he left the Halls of Annuity. \"Take the day off tomorrow, but after that, we have a lot of work to do.\"\n\n\\-----\n\nAny criticism is appreciated." ]	2

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