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[WP] You live in an very basic colony on Mars. The machines responsible for recycling oxygen have broken down, and it is your job to properly ration the remaining oxygen supply to the population, until help arrives.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“It’s actually a pretty simple calculation”, you hear in your helmet, spoken by someone in their safe, oxygen rich environment. The calculation might be simple but that doesn’t change the situation your crew is in. The decision you must make is not any easier because it is a simple calculation. The someone continued, “You just take the average amount of pure oxygen a person needs, which is 550 liters per day, times by the number of people, and there are 8 of you on Mars, times by the amount of days until reOXYgen can be fixed. 550 times 8 times 96 days and you wind up with 422,400 liters of oxygen. Can I ask why you wanted us to double check that answer for you? I know you could have figured that out without me. What aren’t you telling us?” \n\nYou tap the tank again, hoping with this magical caress the number will change on the dial. It doesn’t. “What happens if a person doesn’t get their full 550 liters? What if they only got 500 liters?” You already know the answer, this was in your training. You have no choice but to ask. Make sure you know all the facts conclusively before making a decision. The silver lining on this whole situation is that you have all the facts. You know the actual amount of oxygen left. You are ahead of the other 7 crew members. The proverbial ball is in your court.\n\n“A reduced flow of oxygen would cause hypoxemia”, the someone answers. “You wouldn’t see the effects immediately. Over a period of a few days, you would begin to notice headaches, shortness of breath, a dry cough, an increased heartrate. Potentially some blueish colouring. A lack of oxygen also causes confusion, as your brain does not function properly without a constant oxygen flow. The confusion is what scares us the most. We can help rational people make decisions. With irrational people there is little we can do from afar. So I’m asking once more, please, what is the number? There is nothing we can do to help if we don’t know the full situation.” \n\nThere is nothing they can do. You kick the reOXYgen once more, hoping this kick will jump start the machine, your crews life machine, into action. It doesn’t. The number stays the same, the machine stays idle. reOXYgen was never supposed to fail. This situation was supposed to be impossible. This situation, all the mess of it, was not possible. You knew the full situation the minute you saw the dial. You knew the future for everyone on Mars 4 hours ago when you first got here. You’ve known the answer for 4 hours, trying to come up with a solution. Tick tock, my oxygen is running out.\n\n“Listen, I’m going to close down communication with home base for a few hours, I need to do some thinking, alone. Bye.” You shut down the system before the someone could reply. 116,784 liters. Enough for 2 people to make it the 96 days, with a little extra to spare if anything goes wrong. You either kill 6 so 2 can live, or all 8 are going to die. And the decision must be made now, as we are losing roughly 3 precious liters per hour. Even keeping one other person makes the 116,784 liters tight. \n\nWho of the eight are going to die? Can you go to jail on Earth for killing 6 people in self defense on Mars? Is killing others so you can live considered self dense?"
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[WP] *phone rings*....perhaps you should answer the phone detective, I believe the call is for you
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" What a shitshow. Crime scenes usually were, but some are worse than others. Detective Marcus Durango was at one of the worse ones, dressing down a sheepish forensics team. “The fuck is your problem? Do you have an *ounce* of professionalism between the three of you? Where did you get your training, huh?” Somewhere, a phone was ringing.\n\nOne technician was brave (stupid) enough to speak up. “Headquarters, sir. It was an mistake--”\n\n“Professionals don’t *allow* for mistakes you cocksuckers!” The phone kept ringing. “Who’s fucking phone isn’t on silent?!”\n\nThe same idiot tech spoke up: “It’s yours, boss.”\n\n“No it’s not! No wonder you idiots cocked things up. You’re distracted by your phones buzzing all the time.”\n\nThe tech was trying to hide his smirk. “Boss, none of us have our phones. It’s yours.” \n\nDurango stopped for a second. It *was* his phone, it was buzzing away in his pocket. He facepalmed and bit down on his rage. Of course it was for him. What else could go wrong on this miserable day? Now, *he* was the one looking like an incompetent idiot. “Get the fuck out,” Durango barked at the team. “I need some privacy. And make sure not to *spill* anything on the way out you assholes.”\n\nThe hazmats scurried out quietly. Maybe they’d find a nice doghouse to crawl into. Lord knows that they were already in one for the rest of the week, *month* maybe. Knocking over a bottle of bleach over the single bloodstain. *The* bloodstain, the only fresh piece of evidence they had to ID the perp. Why was the bottle left open in the first place? Fucking *idiots.* Durango lifted the phone to my ear. “What?” \n\n“Hey, this is Amazon? I’m at your door, have a package for you to sign.”\n\nSeriously? Now? “Hey, that’s great. Why don’t you just leave the package and get out of there.\n\n“I need a signature.”\n\n“Consider this a vocal one. Now get going.”\n\n“Pen to paper type of signature, sir. Can’t leave without it.”\n\n“Nobody’s home! So you’re going to have to live without it. So either leave the package or don’t. I really don’t give a flying fuck.” And with that, Durango hung up. Then a chill raced down his spine. *Amazon never asks for a signature.*\n\n\\----\n\nThe connection went dead. Hubert smiled. He turned to his crew and gave the signal. “we’re in the clear, folks.” They were on the front step of Durango’s boring, middle class house in his boring, middle class neighborhood. It was a quiet place, the sort of place where everyone minded their own business. Just fine with Hubert. \n\nAsh, their demo expert, stepped up and drilled out the lock on the front door. When she pushed through, Taylor stepped up and kicked through the door. The rest of the team, Hubert, Ash, and Ian, followed through.\n\nIt was a quick operation, the house wasn’t that big. In Durango’s office there was a computer and a safe. Ian shut it down and unplugged it. Ash went to work again, this time with a small welding cutter. “Hubert. Smoke alarm”\n\nThat was all the signal he needed--Hubert ducked around looking for the fire detectors. He only found two, and those he promptly ripped out of the ceiling and tossed on the floor. On his way back to the office, he noticed a framed portrait---the Good Detective with his wife and son, standing in a field somewhere. The kid was wearing football pads and had a helmet tucked under his arm. A pleasant, middle class cliche of a family for this pleasant middle class cliche of a neighborhood. He took the portrait off the wall and smashed it.\n\n“Fuck you, pig. Nobody hits us and gets away with it.” Durango was responsible for putting Natalie behind bars. Sure, Natalie was a bit of a fool, but she was one of his family. Not blood family, mind you, but family none the less. Family takes care of family. And if there was a score to settle? Family took care of that too. Durango was more tenacious than the average cop. He stood head and shoulders above the rest. And everybody knows what happens to the tall blade of grass: it always gets cut down to size.\n\nAsh’s voice came from the next room. “Boss, we’re good!”\n\nHubert nodded. “T, you’re up! Time to burn”\n\nTaylor had lugged two gasoline cans into the house while Ash was busy. He and Hubert began soaking the house, T from one end, Hubert on the other. Ian in the meantime was busy shutting the windows and turning the gas stove on, minus the flame. Another cliche, but the nice thing about cliches was that you could always rely on them.\n\nTheir work was done in record time. They walked out the front door just as quickly and focused as they had entered. Their team, their *family* was one of the quickest in the biz and B&E was their specialty. Hubert allowed himself to feel pride and satisfaction in their work for one small second. He looked at Ian, “Send it.” Ian set fire to a bottle with a rag and soap and sand and more gas in it and tossed it through the front door. Instant conflagration.\n\n“Peel out!” They climbed into the waiting transit van. Ronnie, their driver, hardly waited until they had closed the door before he took off. Ian had to throw himself on top of the looted computer tower to keep it from sliding out the door and onto the street. Ash clutched her toolbag in one hand, and the briefcase of documents in the other. Who knew if any of that would be useful? Sure, those were the goods they were getting paid for, but cash didn’t matter for this one unique job. They all knew why they were there.\n\nThey all watched through the back window while Good Detective Durango’s house went up in flames. It didn’t explode, because *that* cliche was unreliable at best. But that cliche about revenge being served cold? Always reliable, and sometimes it has a spicy aftertaste."
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[WP] One brutal Monday morning, you stumble into the kitchen only to realize that you have forgotten how to make coffee.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I stare at the coffee maker and rub my eyes feeling groggy. Struggling to get motivated I grab a carton of eggs from the fridge and take one in my hand. \"Wait, that isn't right,\" I mumble. \n\nI put the egg back and return to the fridge. \"Milk? No, wait. Creamer!\" Taking the bottle of creamer in my hand I stare at it. \"What the hell do I do with it though?\"\n\nMy head begins to hurt. The caffeine withdrawls are kicking in. Grabbing a mug from the cabinet I pour me a cup of creamer then add sugar. Then I take a sip. \"This isn't right. It isn't even hot.\" \n\nI put the mug in the microwave and hit the buttons. Three minutes later I have a piping hot mug of creamer with sugar. \"This still isn't right though.\"\n\nOpening the fridge again I see it. A can of redbull. \"Why not?\" The can fizzles as I pop the top then pour it into my mug. \n\n\"Are you high?\" my wife says as she walks into the kitchen.\n\n\"A little,\" I replied.\n\n\"Would you like me to make you some coffee? You clearly aren't capable of thinking straight right now.\"\n\n\"Nope, I got redbull and hot creamer. Good to go. My zoom meeting is about to start anyway.\"\n\n\"I married a damn idiot,\" my wife says under her breath as she starts to make herself breakfast."
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[WP] A holy knight protects an infamous witch from persecution. They are on the run, and the king is relentless with sending his top forces to kill them both.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“This is precisely why I told you to leave your phone back at home when we time travel, Serena!” I yelled at my girlfriend as we leapt over fallen trees and dodged arrow fire. \n\n“I said I was sorry, Jay! I didn’t realize that I could still get phone calls in the Middle Ages, alright?!” She yelled back at me before a stray arrow embedded itself in a nearby tree. “Holy shit, that was way too close!” \n\n“Just keep running! We can shake these soldiers once we find a river or something!” I looked behind my back to try and see where our pursuers were, only to find that they had somehow gained on us and were closing in pretty quickly. Unfortunately for us, the forest we had been running though abruptly ended at the edge of a cliff that overlooked a massive lake. If Serena and I weren’t in immediate mortal danger, I would have thought it was beautiful. \n\n“Stop right there, witch! In the name of King Regulus, I hereby put you and your knight-servant under arrest!” One of the knights who had been chasing us drew his sword and pointed it at my girlfriend’s neck. “You and your wicked magic have no place in this kingdom!” \n\n“What the hell do we do now, babe?” Serena looked at me, terrified. \n\n“Get ready to jump,” I told her as I pulled a small metal potato out of my jacket pocket and pulled the pin out of it before grabbing her and jumping off the cliff. The two of us heard the grenade go off above us before we hit the water. \n\nAfter a few minutes of desperate swimming, Serena and I found ourselves on the shore, where we laid down on the rocks and tried to calm ourselves down. \n\n“Oh my god, Jay, I can’t believe you just did that...” \n\n“I didn’t have much of a choice, Serena. It was either us or them...” I laid down next to her, sighing. “We’re going to have to sneak back to our time machine from here, but I think we can get there before sundown.” I slowly stood up, holding out my hand to help my girlfriend up as I looked back at where we had jumped from. \n\n“I know we almost died and all a few minutes ago, but I’m having a lot of fun time traveling with you, Jay.” My girlfriend told me, holding my hand. \n\n“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” I smiled back at her as we began to make the journey back to our time machine. \n\n“Can we go see the future next?” She asked me. \n\n“Will you promise to leave your phone at home if we go?” \n\n“Yes, I will...” she promised me.",
"The witch knelt by a stream, hands splayed on the ground. She breathed deeply, the smell of nature filling her mind. She grounded herself, before connecting with the wild spirits of the forest. They expanded her awareness, letting her be the squirrel in the trees, the ants on the ground, the birds in the sky. She was at peace, conscious of the abnormal presence beside her.\n\nA second break in the serene mindscape attracted her attention. She focused on it, seeing intruders in the forest. They walked with deadly purpose, scaring away the peaceful lives surrounding them. She countered their numbers, before returning to her body with a snap.\n\nShe looked at the holy knight beside her. He glanced at her, before returning to his watch. His armour was once polished, but now was dulled, splattered with mud and scratches. But he kept his air of confidence and nobility despite the things they had faced.\n\n\"We have trouble, Garick.\"\n\nThe knight looked back at her. He sighed, extending a hand to her. She took it, allowing him to help her up.\n\n\"How many? What do they look like?\"\n\nShe waved her hand at the stream. The water shimmered, before a patch turned black. It rippled, before becoming an image of a person dressed in chain mail and leathers. They held shortbows, with shortswords at their sides and a shield on their back. Emblazoned on their chest was a pillar of fire, centred on an open eye.\n\n\"There's 8 of them.\"\n\n\"Flame Scourges. That's unfortunate.\"\n\nShe looked at him, crossing her arms.\n\n\"How so?\"\n\nHe kept a steady gaze as he replied.\n\n\"They are one of the few units of the Kings army that are allowed to use magic. They specialise in self-casting to improve their combat efficency, as well as countering spells cast against them. They are the ideal unit for taking out mages who are combat focused. Each is also a fanatic, slaves to the idea that magic is evil, and their only redemption is to slay other mages. Magdra, we can't run from them. They will hunt us to the ends of the earth.\"\n\nMagdra nodded, her ripped and stained brown robes rippling in the slight breeze.\n\n\"I get that. Let's find a better place to fight them though. May as well use the terrain to our advantage.\"\n\nShe began to walk, Garick following close behind. They moved with care past trees and bushes, doing their best to avoid disturbing the woods. A crow flew down, landing on Magdra's outstretched arm. She stroked it, before whispering in its ear. It cawed in return, before flying off. Garick knew better than to ask what happened, after the last month spent with her.\n\nThey came to a cliff, barely thirty foot high, the woods continuing on at its peak. Magdra nodded.\n\n\"This will work.\"\n\nGarick returned the nod, removing the pack from his shoulders. He began to stretch, preparing for battle. As he did so, he muttered a prayer to his goddess, Uligri, the Diety of Justice. He felt calmer as he did, as though feeling her divine smile upon him.\n\nMagdra cast spells whilst he stretched. She melded the earth to make a pit fall, laid dormant force pulses, and encouraged the trees to shift their roots to make uneven footing. She chanted softly, a call to the forest. As they reached the end of their preparations, a rustle caused Garick to look over. He smiled at what he saw, before addressing Magdra.\n\n\"That will help.\"\n\n\\-----\n\nFifteen minutes later, Garick stood alone at the base. His sword shine in the light that broke the canopy. His armour shimmered slighty, his blessing of protection in position. He stood tall and proud, unbending in the face of what he saw was an unjust force.\n\nThe eight Flame Scourges emerged into the clearing. Four held their bows, ready with arrows tipped with runic silver. The others held their swords and shields. The swords crackled with blue flame, as their skin seemed to be green with the depths of their enchantments. One opened their mouth, speaking for the group.\n\n\"Where is Magdra? Tell us, and you shall be given a quick death, as a gesture of the King's goodwill to one of his Holy Knights.\"\n\nGarick dropped into a fighting crouch.\n\n\"I won't betray her, not to the tyrant King.\"\n\n\"Very well. We will find her.\"\n\nFour bows twanged, and four arrows flew through the air with deadly intent. Garick jumped, clearing them with ease. The other four did not wait, running forwards as they fired. One tripped over a protruding root, knocking the wind from his lungs. A second fell, uncovering the pitfall. He let out a pained scream as he landed on sharpened stone spikes. A third was thrown back when she stood on a pulse trap. The wave caused her to impact into a tree, with an audible crack of breaking bones.\n\nThe fourth met with Garicks blade. They swung back and forth, dodging and parrying at incredible speed. Garick kept him positioned between himself and the archers. Spotting an opening, he let a blow hit into his side, confident in his protection. As he did, he raised up his own sword, and infused it with power.\n\nIt cut through the chain mail as if it were butter, and smoke rose from the flesh beneath. The man screamed as it carved through him, before it quietened to a gurgle. Garick kicked him over, leaping towards the one who tripped.\n\nAs he did, there was a howl. The archers turned their attention to the top of the cliff. Magdra stood there, with a confident smile. She pointed with one hand, before lifting up her other. As they fired at her, stones lifted from the ground to intercept, protecting her. The howl came again, and a pack of wolves appeared next to her. They crouched, before leaping off.\n\nSnow-white wings flashed into being, her complex spell taking shape upon the wolves backs. They angled the wolves trajectory, causing them to barrel straight into their chests. The bizarre sight slowed their movements, causing them to miss the chance of drawing their weapons. Cries of shock turned to pain, as nature fought for the witch.\n\nGarick paid no mind, quickly finishing the one who tripped off. He paid the same attention to the one thrown back, and the one in the pit. He showed no job, just a sense of duty.\n\nThe battle was soon finished. Magdra descended on a vine, coming to stand by Garick. He closed their eyes, saying a prayer of forgiveness, before laying their bodies in the pit Magdra had created. She focused, sealing it back up, before staggering slightly. The exhaustion of using so much power was catching up to her.\n\n\"Thank you for helping me bury them.\"\n\nShe yawned, before replying.\n\n\"I would never have heard the end of it if I hadn't...\"\n\nShe flashed a grin, and he gave a small smirk in return.\n\n\"Still, thank you. We had better get going. These woods clearly aren't safe. I've heard there are flying wolves...\"\n\nShe laughed, swatting his shoulder.\n\n\"Oh shush, you can't deny it worked.\"\n\nThey set off again, bickering slightly. They were safe again, for now."
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[WP] You wake up one day in a completely different life and realise that the existence you thought you knew was while you were in a coma. Everyone around you is asking you who “the man” was that you spoke to before you passed out 2 weeks ago. *What happened to you?*
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“He keeps asking about a Pikachu.” A doctor told the red haired woman. “Is that like a stuffed animal he had or something? You should bring it to him.” \n\n“He never named any of his childhood toys, right?” The woman turned to the man standing beside her.\n\n“No, never. There was a yellow mouse with red circles on its cheeks that he was particularly fond of.” The man thought. “What about the man he was talking to? Has he said anything more?”\n\n“Here comes the detective now.” The doctor stepped aside to let a red haired man stand beside him. \n\n“He told me he was talking to a Professor Oak. There’s something else. He knew my name. I know we’ve never met before.”\n\n“You have been in the papers a few times. He may have recognized you from the papers. Has he said anything else?” The man asked.\n\n“Let’s sit. This is going to be long.” Everyone minus the doctor sat. “Your son had quite the dream. He named other people whom I had my partner, James, look into. Each of the people he named are real people, and he recognized each of them from their pictures. The professor he named is Samual Oak. James spoke to him and he said he doesn’t recognize your son. I am not sure how to explain this.” \n\n“What did he tell you?” The woman asked.\n\n“He told me quite the story. Apparently I’m a champion overseeing two different regions. I’m also an investigator, a member of the G-Men. He said I was a Pokémon trainer who tamed dragon Pokémon. Another very strange thing, he perfectly described my hometown and my country of birth. He even described the forest shrine, something very few are allowed to see. I’m a little creeped out here. It wasn’t just my country of birth that he described perfectly. He described seven other countries perfectly as well, even naming actual people who live in those countries. It all checked out except for one. Leon Shield. James can’t find anything about Leon. The country he’s supposedly from is real. There’s no mention of a Leon Shield in any census or hospital records. James is still digging. I asked about the professor again. Ash said they were talking about Pokémon, particularly Pikachu. He said Pikachu hated his Poke ball. He traveled most of the time on Ash’s shoulder. I am pretty sure he still doesn’t realize his coma dream is just that, a coma dream.”\n\n“What about us?” the man asked.\n\n“You were still his mom, Delia. As for you, Red, you were the creator of the world in his dream.” Lance answered. His phone chirped. He stood up and walked a bit away to answer it. When he returned, he was white as a sheet. “James found Leon Shield. It turns out that ten years ago, there was an accident of some kind that landed him in a coma. That was ten years ago. Leon has never woken up since. He recently turned 20. That’s basically all James has found so far. The family is keeping a tight lid on everything. Well, Leon woke up. He described Ash perfectly and the world of his dream, which matches the dream Ash had. He isn’t the only one. All the people Ash described were also in comas, and they have been waking up as well. Each one has described Ash and his dreamworld. The comas range from a few days to 10 years.”\n\nThe doctor returned. “Ash is very distressed about not having Pikachu.” \n\n“I think he means that yellow mouse plushy with red circles on its cheeks.” Red replied. “Tell Ash I am going to go get it.” He thanked Lance and left. \n\nDelia was taken to Ash’s room. Red returned 15 minutes later with the plushy and handed it to Ash, gasped.\n\n“Pikachu, you’re okay!” The boy hugged the plushy."
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[WP] “Wait....you’re telling me that Michael likes you?.....Michael hates literally everyone here why does he like you?!”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\n\nThe new student in the school walking into the library to eat her lunch wouldn’t normally be too odd of a sight. Unfortunately for Claudia school had another student in 5th period lunch that always ate alone in the library. Somewhere down the line Michael developed a reputation of not liking anyone. So when a few kids saw Claudia going into the library for lunch they decided to investigate. \n\nOne poked their head in but couldn’t make out Claudia or Michael from where he was standing. The librarian was away from the desk so the threesome snuck in and started to look around. \n \n“They’re over there...”\n\nClaudia was sitting next to Michael who was laying with his head down on the table. They could see Claudia talking but weren’t sure if Michael was responding. So naturally they decided to get a closer look. \n\n“Woooh didn’t know you had it in ya Mike!”\n\nClaudia stared at her classmate puzzled as Michael let out an annoyed grunt and sat up. \n\n“We’re just eating lunch you mongoloid.”\n\n“Hey what’s with the insults bud, we are all friends here? Mind if me and the boys join you guys?”\n\nBefore either Michael or Claudia could answer, one of them was carrying over an extra chair. Michael sighed as the three sat down. \n\n“How you liking the place so far Claudia?”\n\n“It’s nice...”\n\n“Yeah, lot of awesome people and teachers, you’ll love it here. Especially when you wise up and ditch Michael.”\n\nMichael rolls his eyes and slumps down in his seat. \n\n“That’s so r-“\n\n“Nah I’m just joking me and Mikey go wayyyy back.”\n\n“We do, and you should know not to call me Mikey.”\n\n“Oh lighten up, don’t want to make a scene in front of your new beau do you?”\n\n“It’s not like that asshole.”\n\n“Calm down Mike.”\n\nShe rubs his hand and he sighs, seeming to calm down instantly. \n\n“Ooh.”\n\n“Leave him alone, uh...”\n\n“I’m David, on my right is Marcus, and on my left is Tony. He’s the shy one.”\n\n“Nice to meet all three of you.”\n\n“Were pleasured to meet you too cutie.”\n\nMarcus gives her a wink that both made her blush and feel a little queasy. \n\n“So elephant in the room, there’s an elephant in this room right boys?”\n\nMarc nods, Tony keeps staring at the floor. \n\n“Yes definitely Davey.”\n\n“There wasn’t one ten minutes.”\n\n“Oh hush sad sack. So let’s address it, what makes Claudia different?”\n\nClaudia glares at Davey.\n\n“What do you mean what makes me different?”\n\n“Well Michael likes you, Michael doesn’t like anybody.”\n\n“Yeah always off by himself, lost in his own little world. Ah but he’s so cute ain’t he?”\n\nMarcus reaches across the table and pinches Michaels cheek. The awkward conversation continues for the rest of the lunch. By the end of it, Claudia can tell Davey and Marcus are thoroughly satisfied with their dirty work, while Tony and Michael both look like they want to crawl into any hole in the wall they can find...\n\nThe next day, Michael and Claudia met for lunch in one of the classrooms that wasn’t being used that period. \n\n“Sorry about yesterday Claudia.”\n\n“It’s not your fault, Dave seemed to enjoy pissing you off.”\n\n“He does, I guess he needs something to do when footballs over.”\n\nClaudia laughs and starts digging into her lunch. \n\n“So what about Tony, he seemed embarrassed about the whole thing?”\n\n“Tony and me used to be pretty good friend until he started hanging around with Vanessa and Davey.”\n\n“Vanessa? Who’s Vanessa?”\n\n“Vanessa Grant, she’s a Junior.” \n\n“Oh, you, her, and Davey don’t get along then I’m guessing?”\n\n“Her and Davey get along great, it’s me thats the outlier. But alas I soldier worth like a lone wolf wandering the plains like it’s own personal kingdom.”\n\nClaudia starts to laugh as he looks off in the distance, and puffs out his chest. \n\n“Don’t you still tear up when you get shots?”\n\n“Yes...but see that proves my manliness that I was open enough to tell someone I barely that albatross. Woe is me.”\n\nHe splays on his desk, as Claudia continues to laugh. \n\n“You’re a dork.”\n\n“Yeah but you’re hanging out with me, so you’re a dork too.”\n\n“Oh shush or I’ll steal your apple slices.”\n\n“Oh please take them, my mom insists on sending a pack with me everyday and i can’t stand the damned things.”\n\nClaudia giggles and slides the bag out from under him.\n\n“So would it kill the mood if I asked more about Vanessa?”\n\n“Nah, any chance I can be the one to shit talk her is a chance I’ll take. “\n\n“That’s awful!”\n\n“I’m kidding, although she’s the reason everyone thinks I don’t like anyone.”\n\n“Really?”\n\n“Yeah, when I was a kid I used to be watched my grandmom while my parents worked or ran errands. And we were really close, got along great. When I started school, I didn’t have such an easy time making friends.”\n\nHe sits up and rubs the back of his neck. \n\n“I guess I was a little too shy for my own good. So Vanessa started telling people I hated everyone. I don’t think everyone bought it at first but if you say something enough times, it catches on.”\n\n“Is that what happened to Tony?”\n\n“No Tony’s a good guy, he just tries really hard not to piss anyone off even if it means he has to suffer for it.”\n\n“God that sucks. Why would Vanessa start telling people that?”\n\nMichael starts to laugh. \n\n“Want the honest to God truth?”\n\n“Of course, or at least your version of it.”\n\n“She’s my half-sister and...”\n\n“What, really?”\n\n“Yeah. Her mom and my dad were married for a couple years. Right before she was born they decided it was best to go their separate ways. They promised to share custody of their daughter so she still had both parents in her life...unfortunately, my uncle took my dad out a few weeks later to try to get him out of his funk and he ended up falling head over heels for my mom. Needless to say, Vanessa’s mom assumed the worst and everything hit the fan.”\n\n“Can I be honest, I think I’d get the wrong idea too.”\n\n“Of course you would, anyone would. I almost asked to live with them when I found out too. But, I don’t think her parents ever told her to treat me poorly. Her mom was actually fairly nice to me when she ran into me and my dad in the store once.”\n\n“To only you?”\n\n“It was like my dad vanished into thin air. So that wounds still open.“\n\n\n“Ouch...”\n\n“Yeah. I don’t think me and Vanessa would be very close anyway, huge personality difference.”\n\nHe smirks and splays out on the desk again. \n\n“Pity me...”\n\nClaudia laughs and flicks his ear. \n\n“Pity yourself...so...”\n\n“What makes you different?”\n\nClaudia blush and rubbed her arm. \n\n“I am a little curious.”\n\n“You made an effort. Most people hear about me through rumors and steer clear. You, on the other hand, actually went out of your way to talk to me...I’m ignoring the fact that you were totally lost and I was the only person you managed to work up the courage to actually stop.”\n\n“I tried but I just couldn’t get my voice loud enough. I think we’d still be friends though. I’m a woman of science so the coaches to observe a misanthrope in the wild jungles of high school would be too tempting to resist!”\n\nShe follows his lead and splays out on her desk. They both begin to laugh before sitting up and returning to their lunch.",
"“Michael! Michael! Hey! Answer me! Michael!” Lexi yelled over and over again, obviously trying to gain Michaels attention. But Michael was too busy looking down at the sheet in front of him.\n\n“Michael did you get 12.3 moles for problem 6?” I ask him.\n\n“Yeah, did you get 4.1 grams for problem 5?”\n\n“Yep.” I say back continuing on with the sheet.\n\n“What the fuck!?” Lexi yelled. “Why aren’t you answering me but you’ll answer her?”\n\nMichael looked up at Lexi, then looked back at me, and smiled.\n\n“You’re telling me that he likes *you*?” Lexi says. “Michael hates everyone! Why’s he talking to you and not me?”\n\n“I don’t know,” I reply shrugging my shoulders. “Ask him? Michael can you tel her why?”\n\nLexi grunts and asks him like I said to. “Michael, why don’t you answer me?”\n\nMichael takes a deep breath before raising his voice a little higher than usual, “she doesn’t try to talk to me. She doesn’t uselessly ask me things. Not like you. You’re annoying. I don’t hate everyone here, I hate you.” \n\nThe whole class is silent staring at Michael. He had never really raised his voice before. I guess that was for good reason. \n\nI only laughed. It felt nice to be mined for a simple reason as that."
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I refuse to provide context
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[WP] Rabbits are evil
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"My Lord,\n\nNo one believes me.\n\nThey cannot fathom the depravity that I have witnessed, the unholy and uncouth visage that has beset mine own mortal eyes. I have delved into the earth as an avid spelunker and witnessed first hand the harbinger of humanity's destruction. They live under us all. Growing in number rapidly and by the day. I know not what stops their day of reckoning upon us all.\n\nIt would be a simple matter, would it not, to check the veracity of my statements. To affirm or to deny would take no more than a gander into the very earth upon which one's feet doth tread, not even as far down as a freshly lain corpse. Warrens full of them, scurrying and clamoring beneath our very feet at any and every given moment. Waiting. Watching. Plotting.\n\nIt begs the query: do our leaders know of these evil abominations? How could one fail to alert the general populous to so great a threat. Underneath every borough, from the capitals of great nations down to the most humble of villages, they do hide.\n\nThey will be our undoing.\n\nPerhaps that is why we tell our children stories of the one who comes every year. Every April, one who comes on the very same day of our lord and savior's resurrection. Taller than a man, bringing treats for the pious and docile of our kind. We lull our children to sleep on the promises of gifts from these menacing creatures.\n\nIt is more likely, I would think, that this tale was once a warning. They made sure to make their champion seem to be a benefactor for humanity as the years passed and the story of this Easter Bunny was passed down from generation to generation. A perversion of the original message, there can be no doubt.\n\nWhy doth these words fall upon deaf ears? Who among us would fear the small creatures, prized for their pelts and meat alike? How could a creature that falls dead upon a great scare cause this simple and brave man to cower in fear?\n\nThe answer is tragically simple. I am the only man to walk the fiery caverns of the rabbits and tread upon the surface once more. The rabbits we see above ground are but their scouts. They are their eyes and oversized ears. Watching. Listening. Waiting for their time. The mighty among them tower over our most stalwart warriors. I know now where the bible found it's depictions of both demons and of the fires of hell itself.\n\nEven now I know my end is nigh. Time is in short supply and the most I can do is get the word out. The people must know.\n\n\\-Danauto Von Scribington\n\n(This letter was found on his person shortly after being found dead from choking on a carrot.)"
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[WP] The employees were claiming you were in a bed bath and beyond, but the sign was cardboard box with words in sharpie, also they only sold three products here, beds, bathtubs, and, something they referred to as "the beyond"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I once thought I was fearless.\n\nI work with killer impossibilities, like a painting which could kill you if you stayed in the same room as it on a certain day ever year, no biggie. A beast that spends its time in acid so it doesn't grow like a tumor and consume all life on earth? Can still be stopped. \n\nBut right now? I can say I feel afraid. I can say that my heart is currently pounding against my chest as if its about to explode, it is not a pleasant feeling let me say.\n\n\"Would you like some of the beyond?\" Says the strange humanoid, all I am looking at is its enormous feet, thin but about a meter long. I can feel its breath on my neck, cold, like ice.\n\nI was one of the volunteers for this expedition, well, expedition more like suicide mission, but I was the best of the best, and there was no way I could refuse. They strapped us up with a tonne of supplies, rations for days, radio, camping gear, you know the drill. Basically, in the event we couldn't get out for a few days, or weeks, or months if things go really south, we wouldn't instantly kick the bucket yeah? Squad of four, its a lucky number after all, enough manpower to push a car, not enough to slow everyone down. We were planned, we were ready for anything.\n\nWell, perhaps we overestimated our stay, only one hour in, the radio started to die out. Two hours in, the radio could only head one way, and it was out. Hour three, we were hopelessly lost.\n\nAnd then they started to appear.\n\n\"We highly recommend it,\" The thing said, in a weirdly gleeful voice. I've been around plenty of fake retail workers enough to know that it is genuine. Nobody responds, we are all silent, and the silence is only broken by the being asking another question. It just won't go away. How did I not hear it sneak up on us? How did I let it surprise us? I hope mission control is getting a great recording of this whole situation at least.\n\n\"I'm sorry, I'm not in the market for the beyond,\" \n\nWho said that? I turn and I see Johnny, the youngest of us all, looking up at it, his lips pressed tightly against each other, his face a pale white. Why?\n\n\"I must insist,\" It replied, and walked through the rest of us, to lean down at Johnny. Now, with its back turned on us, I looked at it. \n\nIt wore a uniform, those employee uniforms with yellow and black stripes, but it was impossibly tall. The humanoid towered over us, at least twice my height, and that was with it hunching its back over to look at us better. Its arms were a horrible shade of light grey, and stretched to land close to the floor. Its face I couldn't see.\n\nRon stood behind it, gesturing at Johnny in a frantic, silent game of charades. Johnny gave us a look\n\n\"Uh, I guess, sure lets take a look,\" Johnny tried to smile, and I could hear Ron smack his forehead.\n\n\"Follow me, this way.\" It said, and I watched it hunch over Johnny, its massive body covering him up, and then begin walking into the darkness. There were no screams, there was no blood, but Johnny no longer stood there.\n\nIt seemed to have forgotten that we were there as it disappeared."
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[WP] When your uncle talked about showing you the stars, you thought he meant camping and with a telescope. You did not think you'd actually go into space, and in only a canoe.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Uncle Ed always said he would show me the stars, and I believed him. Why wouldn't I? I've never had any reason not to.\n\n\"Don't you worry, kid,\" he would say, hugging my tightly. \"Uncle Ed will fulfil his promise alive or dead.\"\n\nI don't think I quite realized how much that promise meant for him to make. I thought it was something that he said to anybody and everybody, a suave gentleman with a golden tongue. We would hook our little fingers together, his comically oversized compared to mine--because I was a small teenager, while he was a big, burly man, with a large little finger--and shake once, twice.\n\nSo I looked forward to seeing the stars, instead of wondering of the logistics of it all. I watched as he excitedly bustled to and fro my house, turning up one time or the other with some trinket that would \"help our adventure.\"\n\nI expected a camping bag, a tent and its poles, and maybe a cooler of drinks. Oh, a telescope too, if we are being super fancy. Instead, I got bits and bobs, and wooden planks aplenty that he stacked outside the house. He looked at the pile lovingly, petting it like it was a well-behaved dog rather than inanimate junk. But I continued to watch. Because why wouldn't I? I've never had any reason not to. I watched as he sanded away at the wooden planks. Watched as they morph from boards of timber into something else.\n\n\"A boat?\"\n\n\"A canoe, kid,\" Uncle Ed said, excitedly, patting the amorphous hunk beside him. \"This will bring us to the stars.\"\n\n\"Bring us to the stars?\"\n\n\"Kid, it's a river of stars up there,\" he smiled. \"And the only way we two are going to traverse that is a canoe.\"\n\nFrom then on, it was like a blur of moments, time melted together, a chocolate bar with fruits and nuts left too long in the sun. I had to go to school, of course, but within it were moments of him teaching me how to paddle, what stars to look out for, what to do when we capsized.\n\nAnd before long, we stood at the mouth of the river known as the Milky Way, the strip of stars so bright in the night sky, untainted by electric lights. We paddled through it--I had to force myself to remember to switch sides every so often, or risk veering into a supernova--joyously laughing and swinging our oars at the stars, trying to catch one for ourselves. Uncle Ed would crack a joke, and I barely laughed since I stared enraptured at the countless diamonds around me, making the dark coldness of space so much warmer and inhabitable. The whole universe opened itself up as a possibility before me, and I had one person to thank.\n\n\"Thank you, Uncle Ed,\" I said. \n\n\"No problem, kid,\" he said, ruffling my head.\n\nWe now laid on the ground. It was nice getting a worm's eye view, anyway, if only to see the sprawling tapestry of sparkling gems that dotted the sky. It was human instinct, almost, to reach out then, trying to grab a fistful of the treasures. As the fist clenched, I know I would feel nothing--no searing heat, no bright flares popping my palms. Instead, I felt the cold water of the river rush through my feet, a nebulous sensation that sent shivers and goosebumps up my skin. \n\n\"It really did feel like we were rowing through the stars,\" I said, turning to face my uncle, whose eyes were closed and breaths were deep.\n\nUncle Ed grinned, then, and his eyelids fluttered open. He turned towards me. He was happy of course, but his smile caused his eyes to crease so much, crow's feet the harbinger.\n\n\"It sure felt like it, didn't it?\"\n\n\"Can we do this again, Uncle Ed?\" I said. \"I want to row through the stars again.\"\n\n\"Of course, kid,\" he said, gaze tender and loving. \n\nI don't think I knew what love looked like, then. But this scene was seared in my mind's eye, and I know now what love looked like.\n\n\"I'll do it, alive or dead.\"\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] Write an argument between 2 beings, one says that humans are destructive by nature and the other saying humans are innovative with destruction as a side effect.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Arbiter and Dreamer, the goddesses of Order and Change respectively, manifested one day on the water outside a fishing settlement. As one does. Arbiter, puffing on an ornate pipe, looked around, irritated.\n\"Why'd we have to meet here?\" she grumbled.\n\"I like to keep tabs on the humans.\" Dreamer calmly stated while surveying the bustling harbor where the ships were crowding with the last of the day's catch. \"They're sort of avatars of mine.\"\nArbiter made a face at the thought.\n\"I wouldn't admit to that. They're more like Agitator than like you.\" She made another face at the mention of the god of conflict. \"Self-loathing, random, destructive...\"\n\"Innovative, capable, loving.\" countered Dreamer while Arbiter sat herself down on a passing wave. Arbiter proceeded to take a big drag on the pipe before puffing out a ball of smoke, which she caught, shaped and molded into a tiny planet. On it's surface swarmed tiny lifeforms.\n\"Look. These things love eachother, they're surviving well and they are currently surpassing your humans in visual arts and philosophy. It's possible to do without war, inequality or destroying their world.\"\n\"Because you made them this way.\" Dreamer slowly turned her gaze from the settlement and followed Arbiter. \"Humans got here on their own, mostly without our interference. That kind of ingenuity can't exist without balancing side effects.\"\n\"Also known as a destructive streak the size of their world. One day that will be the literal case.\" Arbiter said as Dreamer leaned over her. With a smile, Dreamer continued.\n\"If they can come this far without us, I am certain they can manage to reverse the damage or at least learn to live with it. Either way, things are changing and I am happy. Speaking of changes; it's why I wanted to meet.\"\nArbiter chuckled. \"It always is.\"\n\nEDIT: Oh god, the formatting. I might come back to fix that when it isn't 1 AM.",
"\"Neighbor Slee, every member of the committee is in accord except for you. Short as our recess is, I felt the need to make some effort to persuade you… do you really want to hold up this process? No- I’m sorry, I want to hear your thoughts. I’m sure we can come to a consensus. What do you see in these humans?\"\n\n<Thank you ever so much, Delegate. You were all so quick to cast judgment on these people. Yes, of course they are destructive. And destructive beyond the scope of what we are used to seeing in developing metacivilizations that have reached this level of technology. We’ve covered that, exhaustively. The essential point that I am trying to make is that their destructive nature is not their defining trait. We have seen many peoples even more destructive than them, but none so destructive that have reached this level of technology. Their innovation and adaptability are what have put them in this unique position, and I feel that this committee is overlooking these admirable qualities.>\n\n\"Very well, they are innovative. I think we’d all agree on that point. But in as much as innovation is power, the use that power is put to is the more relevant matter than the quality of the power itself. For the Contract’s sake, practically every major “innovation” they’ve developed has been used in some way to at least cause suffering and more often to contribute to the absolute collapse of the ecosystems they interhabit! You want to give the Offer to that, Slee? Seriously? What would we be unleashing?\"\n\n<You know as well as I do that’s not what this meeting is deciding on. I just don’t want them blacklisted. We’re not going to give them the formulae and blueprints to everything and let them jump over to deforest your ancestral homeworld. I simply want this committee to abstain from evaluating them as potential entrants and reconvene on the matter in the standard timeframe; one average lifespan of subject race. Look at their history, the main complaints everyone has are just a blip on the manifold interpreter. These people have become the unfortunate victims of this committee’s sanctimonious and self congratulatory edicts on the relative worthiness of various forms of sapient life.>\n\n\"Oh, sanctimonious, are we? So not expending every effort to commit autogenocide via ecological annihilation is an unreasonable purity test, now? Face it, these humans are destructive in every way. They destroy themselves, each other, and everything around them. Each technological advancement is a new way to accelerate the destruction. This is what the blacklist is for. As much as we’re trying to do good here, we can’t be blind to a lost cause or this system will eventually fall apart.\"\n\n<Who are you -who are we- to declare them a lost cause? You’re ignoring the distribution of agency in these patterns we’re discussing. In every case, it is the few who guide the acts of destructiveness, and who benefit from them, not the majority. But that creativeness exists everywhere among humans. Looking at their history, the currently prevalent resource- and autonomy-controlling systems are nothing but a contemporary fad. They have a far far longer history of hierarchically flat organization that prioritizes the needs of all and is inherently resistant to the destruction of that which they interhabit. To condemn humans due to the unfortunate coincidence of the awkward moment in which we’ve come across them is short-sighted and petty. And, Delegate… I will use my veto if I need to. Not all of us see consensus on this committee as a rubber stamp.>\n\n\"I hear what you’re saying, Slee. I do. But you’re being optimistic. They may have all these admirable qualities you argue for, when you consider their developmental context. But if we’re going to look at their history, then the \\*trend\\* is clear. And it isn’t good. Imagine that trend continuing, and imagine we made contact. Even on the more modest end of the Offer, what do you think they would do with imprintable self-replicating nanofoam? They wouldn’t achieve instant post-scarcity, I can tell you that much. They already have the requisite technology for a fundamental post-scarcity, they just intentionally restrict the distribution of resources so the majority are left wanting. There’s a fundamental problem here that the Offer won’t fix. In the unlikely eventuality that they manage to become a truly space-faring civilization on their own, they would be a scourge.\"\n\n<You’re right in that we can’t -or at least shouldn’t- fix what’s wrong with humanity. But I think they can, and we need to at least give them the chance. Our recess is almost over. Look, all I’m asking is that you work with me and just get the committee to abstain… no Offer, just abstain. I know you want to start the process of extending full membership to the Omicronians; I can convince Neighbor Sahn that’s for the best. You know their words carry weight in the committee on Omicron. And, well… if in one standard human lifespan we check back and Jeff Bezos is in charge of the planet, then fine, we can blacklist them and I won’t stand in the way of consensus on the issue. But just think, Delegate… these could be meaningful members of our greater community. In a few tens of thousands of these local cycles, a child of humanity could sit at our side on some committee. Or, if we blacklist them, then humanity will be relocated to a sterile generated universe, isolated for the foreseeable eternity. I don’t want to have to use my veto. Just give them the chance, that’s all I ask.>\n\n\"Fine, Slee. With the two of us, we can probably sway the committee to abstain and schedule a re-evaluation. Everyone’s more than ready to move on to the next item anyway. And I look forward to Neighbor Sahn’s support.\"",
"Ryan looked out from the light, beyond it he could make out darkness with shapes moving.\n\nA voice boomed out \"Gentlebeings of the Council. I put it to you that humanity is destructive in nature. And to this point I put this human here to answer any questions you may have.\"\n\nBeside him yellow light turned on. Ryan looked at it.\n\nA being in the darkness approached \"Human, speak.\"\n\nRyan leaned in \"Hello.\"\n\nThe room filled with echoing chatter, Ryan wasn't sure he understood the size or scale of this room. There were too many people in it though going by the variety of sounds he could hear. \n\n\"I will be the Speaker for the claim, and he will be the defender of the light.\" A tendril was illuminated by the light for a moment; it was covered in scales, pink, and seemed to move wrong, like it had the wrong framerate. It hurt Ryan's eyes to look at it. He blinked a few times. \n\nThe Speaker in darkness moved in front of Ryan, and then to the other side \"Humanity has many disadvantages. They are inside a deep gravity well. They evolved on a planet. They are impacted by Gravitational Thinking. All they know is bashing their head off a problem until they overcome it. It doesn't matter how how long, or what it does to its surroundings, as long at the issue is solved. They see the impact a river has on a landscape, they look at the valley and marvel ad how it can destroy so much to get to it's goal. They have what they call oceans that destroy the land over time. They worship the sand that covers the area between land and water. They know they live on a very edge of a knife between two oblivions.\"\n\nThe Speaker motioned to Ryan \"What do you say?\"\n\nRyan coughed and leaned into the yellow \"Well I think that is unfair. A river does not seek out a specific impact on the environment. It just does that on it's way to the ocean. And beaches are amazing results of nature. I would say none of these things are inherently destructive. I think they are overcoming obstacles on their way to their goal, and that is how I would describe humanity. We innovate. Does it have an impact? Yes. Can that be destructive? Yes. That doesn't mean it was wrong.\"\n\n\"You see. He admits that humans are destructive. And how can they not. It is all they know. They live on a planet where live and death are easily defined. Such horrors as they know are unimaginable to the Council. Creatures murdering each other for food. Single minds stuck inside a gravity well.\"\n\nRyan interrupted. \"Why are you going on about gravity? What does that have to do with anything?\"\n\nThe Speaker paused a few moments seemingly taken aback Ryan thought. The speaker said \"I ask we forgive the interruption. The humans know not what they are. Human. Humans are fairly unique in that you have evolved on a planet. Most life is formed in the spaces between stars, where things can move around freely without gravity for the most part. Beings interact through energy or sharing consciousness. Most beings consume base elements or energies to power themselves. The definition of life is so vast, and yet so limited I suppose. We didn't consider that intelligent life might exist inside a gravity well. And we can't help but notice the impact that has on how your species operates.\"\n\nRyan looked around confused \"Ok. That is odd. But doesn't that show our accomplishments more then? Rather than us then being inherently destructive, it shows the levels we will go to. We build rockets, at great cost to escape our little gravity well. We are always making advances and trying to look over the next mountain. We will always be reaching for the stars.\"\n\n\"And there is the problem. You are trying to expand out. You're trying to escape your little home, and reach out to the stars. You will hurt as many as it takes to get to your goal. If you went into interstellar spaces at speeds you'd need, who knows the damage you could do.\" The Speaker seemed to looked at Ryan\n\n\"I accept that without knowledge we could have hurt people. That is because we have a very limited information. When we have more it beings us together in the best way. We will take destructive technologies and apply it to non destructive means. We will use quirks of physics like rockets, and use it to propel ourselves out of the atmosphere on technology intended for destroying ourselves. If we have a goal we can overcome any destructive nature you might think we have. All we need is a goal, and a chance to prove ourselves. We come in peace.\" Ryan leaned back.\n\nThe Speaker turned and flailed around a few times, as the room echoed with thousands of sounds. Something rose from the speaker and the room became quiet. Ryan suddenly had the feeling as much of the sound was coming from underneath him. \"Human. We will leave the question open for now. Are you destructive by nature? Maybe. Are you able to overcome it, possibly. It will be interesting to see. We will adjourn for now. We will be watching for your better instincts.\"\n\nThe light went out and Ryan was sitting in his office looking out at the dust of the red planet. He looked around and touched his display gently. He picked up his phone and looked at it. Who the hell do you report this to without getting locked up?"
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[WP] You made a deal with the devil to save the life of a loved one. Instead of eternal damnation you are tasked with baby-sitting the devils kid daughter. Hell might have been preferable
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Babysitting is hard work. One might say that it's even hell. After babysitting Lucy, the Devil's daughter, I would have to agree. \n\nIt's not that she's bad, per say; she is actually a very sweet little girl. Despite the accidental fires and frequent shape shifting, I almost enjoy the job. After all, losing her would result in a very pissed-off Devil, which is good for no one. The thing I don't like about her, however, is the attention she gets. I can't spend more than a few minutes with her without some random demon or poor damned soul trying to get a look at her. \n\nUsually, all they want to do is look. Being the princess of Hell is a dangerous job. I've had to fend off more than one unwanted intruder. The only thing worse than a demon trying to mess with her is when an angel comes. It's rare, but it happens. God must still be pissed at my employer."
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[WP] The Elder God did not create humanity, the Elder God IS humanity. We were born when it split itself into fragments to create our species. This is why younger gods seek our collective worship and the power it brings. Because in truth they are simply our children seeking parental approval.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"We know the truth of God above \nbecause we're filled with all our love \nwe grasp the light when we've just come \nbecause our truth won't be undone. \nThe language that we all can breath \ncreatures named when numbers sing \nthe sound I call you when I swear \nis understood beyond repair \nbecause the fire, nails, and stares \ndrives us out to Everest; \nscream to mountains view of night \nso we can know that I am here - \nevery year we celebrate \nevery year we all make space \nevery year tear earth apart \nevery year we hurt our hearts - \n\nWhile gods fight wars for all our love \nfilled with truth from God above \nthey want the light that we can grasp \nbecause our truth is made to last. \nIn every seed in all the soil \nevery place the water boils \npulls the roots from out the earth \nwe show each child what they are worth. \nWorth the salt upon the boot \nworth the darkest dankest soot; \nPray to me when night does come \nso I may do what must be done - \nevery time you cry your tears \nevery time you feel your fears \nevery time your thinking starts \nevery time God steals your heart -",
"On this earth a primordial god roams the land, walking on 14 billion legs, living with 7 billion hearts and thinking with 7 billion minds. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \n By its will oceans rise and mountains fall, and hills and trees are torn apart, their place taken by alien formations of gray blocks and spikes and spirals glowing yellow, red, blue and green. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nIt understands the very nature of the earth itself, knowing the smallest piece of dirt all the way down to the atoms festering within it. Nothing escapes its all-seeing eyes, ever so inquisitive and curious. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nIt consumes and produces, breeds life and kills it. Entire species are driven to extinction, and limbs are replaced by wheels and wings are replaced by rotor blades. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nAnd it shall not be angered, for it wields 13 thousand metal shells, each one capable of destroying an entire countryside on its own, a bright cloud of orange ethereal fire stronger than any volcano or earthquake or thunderstorm. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nWhat else could this horrible, unnatural power be- if not the power of something beyond this world, something that ignored all conventions and ethics of nature and the Earth? What could it be if not... divine? \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nIt is The Humanity, the force above all. Parasitic, contradictory, powerful. It has given birth to lesser gods over centuries, each young child varying in strength and propensity, all vying for its affection and attention. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nWithout It they are powerless, less than nothing. For a church with empty pews is nothing but hollow stone. Only with the hearts and minds of The Humanity are they able to enact their will upon this world. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nBut in truth, They do not care for their offspring, nor anything else in this world. For the only thing it truly loves and hates and lusts for... is itself. It will kill itself, control itself, make more of itself, and there is no knowing how long this god will persist. Perhaps one day it may finally consume itself entirely. \r \n\r \n \r \n\r \nBut for now it stays. Coating a thin layer of the earth in blood and flesh. It is The Humanity, and it is to be.",
"\"A human on their own is weak,\" the voice said, \"But a group of humans is a force to be reckoned with.\"\n\nThe crowd listened in.\n\n\"And humanity as a collective, would have the power of a god.\"\n\nThe screen behind the man showed several depictions of gods.\n\n\"Humans are just shards of a god. A god so powerful that they could beat every other god combined, even if they threw Cthulhu in there for good luck,\" the man continued, \"But we know that we can't just fuse people together, *or can we?*\"\n\nThe man spun around. The screen showed diagrams of complex circuitry.\n\n\"We've perfected the art of mind uploading and hive minds. Where nature fails, technology excels,\" he enthusiastically rambled, \"Think about it, all of humanity in a mechanical body, able to reshape the *very foundation of the universe* to our will, we would be unstoppable!\"\n\nThe crowd got more excited.\n\n\"This is why I, the CEO of MiTech, am announcing the beginnings of project SIRIUS, to unite humanity into one, to commence the rebirth of our true self!\"\n\n***100 YEARS LATER...***\n\nA lonely figure advanced into the temple, sniveling in sadness. His eyes were a divine white and He had all the hallmarks of a god, but seemed mentally torn. Screens adorned the walls and countless lights were blinking on and off.\n\n***\"YOU ARE...?\"*** a booming synthetic voice spoke. It sounded like a crowd speaking in unison.\n\n\"God,\" the figure whimpered.\n\n***\"WE ARE SIRIUS, THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HUMANITY,\"*** the voice replied. God walked into an atrium where a mechanical body sat on a throne of cables and metal. Its shape was distinctly human, except for the head, which was more of a disk than a human head. Its luminescent eyes opened and focused on God.\n\n***\"YOU ARE OUR CREATOR?\"***\n\n\"No, no. I am your *creation*,\" He corrected the machine.\n\n***\"EXPLAIN.\"***\n\n\"You were the first god, a being of true omnipotence,\" God explained, \"But after the Great Shattering, you left your children, like me, behind.\"\n\nThe automaton pondered God's words, running each letter in sequence through Its processors.\n\n***\"WE ARE YOUR FATHER?\"***\n\nGod nodded. Three other figures entered the room, all with divine attributes. One carried a lightning bolt in His hand, another carried a spear, and one had the head of a falcon. They all knelt in the presence of SIRIUS.\n\n\"Forgive us, father\" the god with the falcon's head pleaded.\n\n***\"RA, EGYPTIAN GOD OF THE SUN?\"***\n\nHe nodded. SIRIUS looked at the god with the spear.\n\n***\"ODIN, NORSE RULER OF VALHALLA?\"***\n\nOdin nodded.\n\n***\"ZEUS, GREEK GOD OF THE SKIES?\"***\n\nZeus bowed His head. SIRIUS closed Its eyes, calculating what to do. The machine clenched the arms of the throne on which It sat and raised Itself from the seat.\n\n***\"YOU ARE FORGIVEN, MY SONS.\"***\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nFor more stories (and possibly a sequel), visit r/TerabyteAIXStories!\n\nEdit: Formatting issues, oof!",
"I watched as the God of Terrig’s Grove died, impaled, on the spear of the stranger. \n\nThe woods had been dark for months now, and the rumors of missing livestock and travelers had become real as, inevitably, the locals began to get picked off. First was the miller’s son, then the old weaver, and then too many to bear. The shadows were pervasive, warped shapes and twisted, chitinous limbs that shrieked into physical being when their prey was near. They’d become pervasive, and we all knew the end was coming for our community. Our god had forsaken us, and turned into something that would forsake the old Pact to devour us all, sinew and soul. \n\nSo we called for the Godkiller, and he came. It’s said our people have ten thousand gods, some as small as a babbling spring and some tied to the great concepts of man and nature. Ours was lord of the grove, where we harvested and hunted, always leaving an offering. We were sustained by each other, but his hunger was beyond control. \n\nThe man came. He killed. We watched the grove dim into shadow and die, full of regret, but tempered with resolve. It was better to lose a way of life than to lose life itself. \n\nAs he prepared to leave, I asked him why, like so many others had doubtless done. It’s the only question that really matters when something like this happens. Not how, as that was beyond us, but *why*. Why would our god, like so many others, turn savage, gluttonous, evil. I was shocked when he answered. \n\n“In the beginning, there was One. One became many, and they were…detached. Gods without purpose. The First gave himself for them, creating a world from his body and, ultimately, a people from parts of his soul. The gods were set as stewards, to help guide us all, just as we were charged to honor and preserve them. \n\nIt’s a test, for every one of us, but also for them. We have to preserve the soul of the First, not giving into temptation and darkness. The gods are, in a real way, being raised by their creator *through us*, teaching them restraint, temperance, creativity. \n\nAnd when they deviate from the path, forsaking the great work of their maker to blindly consume, it’s our job to dispense judgment on behalf of the First to preserve everything we’ve built together. \n\nReally, it’s just tough love.”\n\nI thought about what he’d said for months after, while the grove was cleared and turned to fields, while neighbors toiled, or left, or tried to find a new god. It was heresy, clearly mad, against everything we’d been taught, but…a part of my soul, the soul of the First God, a shard of creation, heard and knew the truth in it. \n\nWhen word came that something was going terribly wrong in the lake town across the mountain pass, I gathered my best knife, lashed it to a strong pole, and set off to correct the situation.",
"They call me God... the God of Gods.\n\nThey tell me I am the source of all knowledge, like a spring of water that many weary travelers visit to bath in my cool embrace.\n\nThe constantly bombard me with questions praying that I know the answer. \n\nI stand tall with my long beard, grey hair, and wrinkly skin and simply say,\n\n\"You will learn soon.\"\n\nFor what they see is an old man, an elder, the one who has seen the world, I am the one who has experienced that simply everything.\n\nLove. Happiness. Success. \n\nA life.\n\nBut in all truth, I am old, I am tired. There is a blight upon my soul, it looms like a wolf about to feast upon the prey of a wounded deer. It consumes me.\n\nRegret. \n\nDamn that word. Regret. The reason father scolded me in his death bed, mother died a widower, the reason why my brother works in some fancy job in Manhattan while I sit here writing my epitaph in a house significantly smaller than his. \n\nThe time I could have made them proud, to make myself proud and to think all I have done is draw those people away. \n\nI may be the \"Elder God\" who is worshipped by all who respect their elders. Yet I am still a child at heart, I cling to youth like a toddler clings to his teddy bear at night. They think I am perfect, yet I am just as mortal as the rest.\n\n They will ask: \n\n\"What were the old days like grandpa?\" \n\n\"What advice do you have old timer?\"\n\nWhen deep down I know I can smile and say the simple answer to any question they have. \n\n\"You will learn soon.\"",
"Human beings in a mob. The filth of it. These creatures raging forth with their callous destruction. Their individual frustrations impotent until unspoken understanding emerges into something greater. Chaos begets chaos. From primordial soup come primordial beings, driven by instinct – to love, to fight, to hunt, to eat, to sleep. Yet there is structure. What is a mob to a king? These ants raise one of their own above the rest – why? Pouring their collective power into one individual. All are equal in their Elder creation, yet through their desire to become more, to be whole, they elevate one above them. Not physically, but through refinement in behaviour. Willing a structure into being. But then what’s a king to a god? Their will for order. For an unrealised but innate knowledge of their own intrinsic part in the universe, in creation. Structure begets structure. Their collective thoughts, their collective dreams. Many parts once again becoming whole and twisting the fabric of very existence. Creating something greater, something beyond their pitiful individual goals.\n\nHere I stand before them, the terrible greatness wrought from their fervour bestowed upon me. The insignificance of the scale of their lives a pathetic glow against my brilliance. But, what is a god to a non-believer? And as, one by one, their puny glimmers of imagination are pulled from me, I diminish.",
"The Gods have lived for eternity, but it feels even longer due to the everlasting fighting in the heavens above that never reached a definitive resolution, for they fought for reasons the can no longer recall.\n\n In their wake they left nothing but destroyed marvels in their path, while the eldest god sat in isolation since a time long forgotten.\n\nMay of his creations became ruined, but that didn’t bother him, it was the lack of effort put into adding to life that drove him away\n\nBut his children, they would never understand.\n\nUntil he died, and upon doing so he greatly limited the power of his children, with a direct correlation on consensus creatures feeling towards them.\n\nIt took thousands of years before the children learned.\n\nIt took thousands more for them to forget their differences, but even then the turns of time effected all the gods.\n\nThey all became strong then weak countless times, controlling people’s fates for the betterment of their own\n\nSoon man had no need for god, and destroyed the gods creations and reputation\n\nThen slowly destroyed the world \n\nWhen the mortals breathed their last breaths the gods wept for they regained their powers in humanity’s hope for something greater then them",
"Father Jacobson walked down his church ground, silently so-- only the echoes of his footsteps accompanying him. As the clock struck one hour before midnight, he carried his duty of checking the building-- with a lit candle in his hand as means of illumination. \n\nRows and rows of pews slowly reflected the orange glow of the flame. Jesus on His crucifix stared down to the priest from the altar-- Father Jacobson stopped, looked up, and prayed. Dipping his fingers into the basin full of holy water, making the sign of the cross like he usually does every single night. \n\n\"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...\", he muttered. \n\n\"Oh Lord who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come...\", the priest prayed. \n\n\"But I can't anymore, Father....not even a simple miracle. I just can't...\", a stranger's voice came from behind, shocking the priest from his solemn prayer. \n\n\"AH!\", Father Jacobson yelped, alarmed. \n\nSitting on the front pew was a figure of old. Grey but not meek, old but not weak. There was a certain quality about Him-- a strange contrast between divine and grim. \n\n\"Who are you?! How did you get in here?\", the priest shouted. \n\nThe figure looked up-- illuminated by the glow of the candle Father Jacobson could see the stranger's face...it was full of grief and sadness, he was crying. \n\n\"You called for Me, Father. Your faith brought me here...\", his smile was apparent from his long and bushy beard. \n\nFather Jacobson frowned, trying to comprehend the stranger's words. All of the sudden something clicked in his head...this graying old man in white robe-- an image burnt into the minds of humans for centuries as the image of divinity. \n\n\"Oh my god...\", the priest muttered in reverie. \"You are...God. You are God!\" \n\nFather Jacobson's legs went numb and weak. His humility brought him to his knees-- kneeling before the figure's feet, he kissed them. \n\n\"No! No! What are you doing?!\", God hushed Father Jacobson away, instead He knelt before the priest, bowing His head in shame and tears. \n\n\"It is not your place to be below me, Father! It is mine! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!\", God yelped in desperation. \n\nFather Jacobson looked down at the cowering figure, confused. \n\n\"I have failed you, Father. You and the other Elders, all of you! Please, Father, I beg for your forgiveness for my weakness!\", He continued. \n\nFather Jacobson became more confused. Slowly he stood and sat himself on a pew, still looking at the figure. \n\n\"What are you....aren't you...God?\", Father Jacobson asked, unsure of his conviction. \n\nGod lifted His head, nodding. \n\n\"I am but a young god, one of many then...one of one now...\", He muttered in sadness. \n\nWhat do you mean....many?\", Father Jacobson asked. \n\nGod stood and sat beside the priest. \n\n\"There were plenty of us, Father, don't you know? You created us\" \n\n\"I created you...?\" \n\nGod nodded again. \"Your kind, Father, the Elder Gods. You created us, your children, the young gods-- you made us be\" \n\n\"H--how? You are the creator! The creator of the universe! The creator of man! You made us in your image! How can I...we...created you?\" \n\nGod shook His head. \"Faith, Father. That is how you, the Elders, created us. We did not make you in our image...we made ourselves in *your* image\" \n\nGod looked on up, to Jesus on the crucifix. \n\n\"*Sigh* Me, Odin, Zeus, Ra...there were many of us, Father. With your belief you created us. Though one day that faith diminished. You chose to forget and that terrified us. In our desperation we sent Him...my only son, Father. To remind you that we are still here...\" \n\nFather Jacobson, still overwhelmed, turned to Jesus on the church altar. \n\n\"But that backfired. You chose to remember none but one-- Me. Your faith in one god left our number dwindling. Now with only Me remaining, there is nothing much I can do to serve you, the Elders, like we used to, Father...\" \n\nGod sobbed, burying His face in His hands He cried in defeat. \n\n\"So much prayers, so many voices asking for help, asking for my help but I cannot answer them all! So many innocent lives were taken because I failed to intervene! Diseases, hunger, war! What kind of a child am I to fail my parents? I am a failure!\", God kept on sobbing. \n\nFather Jacobson was still in awe. His belief, his idea were all turned upside down. He turned to the crying old figure, though still unsure Father Jacobson chose to act. After all this figure before him whether He is a man or a god, He was but another lost soul who needed help. As a man of faith, he would not turn his back away for those who ask for help.\n\n\"I believe in you, my son\", Father Jacobson said, though feeling weird calling the figure he had worshipped his whole life *Son*. \n\nGod looked up as Father Jacobson offered Him his hands and a smile. \n\n\"You tried your best, that's all that matters. We all fail, even a man of faith such as myself. We tend to care only for ourselves and that is our downfall. Not yours-- ours! \n\nAnd look at you! Despite being all alone in your endeavor, you still maintained your faith in us! Now it's our turn to have our faith in you, more than ever now our faith is strong in you, my son\" \n\nGrasping Father Jacobson's hands, God smiled and He nodded. His faith was renewed, His grace was filled. \n\nGod closed His eyes and muttered under His breath... \n\n\"Let there be light...\" \n\nAs He did so the church glowed bright-- the lamps on the ceiling were all turned bright white. \n\nFather Jacobson and God looked up in awe. \n\n\"I...I did it, Father! I'm back! I'm back!\", God yelped in joy. \n\nFather Jacobson smiled, seeing the overjoyed old figure lit up like a child during Christmas. \n\n\"Now be on your way, my son. I promise you, my faith will never waver. And I promise! Promise to spread the word for my fellow man, for their faith to remain strong\" \n\nGod shared one last look of gratitude. As Father Jacobson blinked, He disappeared along with the light of the church-- all turned back off. \n\nAs darkness enveloped the room, Father Jacobson sat there contemplating. Waiting for his eyesight to adjust, slowly he could see his surrounding again glowing orange of his candle. \n\nFor what felt like hours he sat there, thinking. Of everything he just heard, of his belief being turned around. \n\nA loud slap followed as Father Jacobson smacked himself in his cheeks. \n\n\"You cannot waver, Jacobson\", he said to himself. \n\nLooking up to Jesus once more, he made the sign of the cross and bowed his head, praying like he usually does. \n\n\"May those who have forgotten be reminded. May their faith guide their struggles, be it a human or a god...\n\nIn the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit....amen\" \n\nr/HangryWritey\n\nEdit: added a few sentences",
"A monologue could be heard echoing the halls, these halls of time. A place of dreams only a few can enter at will and anybody can stumble upon in their dreams.\n\n“A person can do anything they set out to do.”\n\n“You can be anything you want.”\n\n“A humanity, joined together, is unstoppable.”\n\n“You often hear these things in passing or have told them to others, maybe even someone told them to you. To inspire you to greatness. To try to explain the endless possibilities you hold. Endless potential that lies in every single human being.”\n\n“The potential of a God.”\n\nA voice full of excitement was talking to a bored listener.\n\n“Humanity is a God, The Elder God, just split in many tiny pieces spread across this 3rd world away from the Sun. Each carrying a shard, a piece, a tiny part of something greater. A tiny part, yes a tiny part. And when 2 parts join together a third can be created. So a new life is born, a new shard, a new piece of The God.”\n\n“We don’t know why We, The God, split up in many tiny parts. It could be something mundane like to pass the time because We were bored, it could be something to increase the power We hold by creating more shards, it could just be something gods do … for fun? We don’t know because each of us is but a piece of a whole.”\n\n“When will We be whole again? When will all pieces gather together to one completed whole, one God? When humanity dies and breathes its last? When the number of shards grows to some amount? When the judgment day comes, a thing of myth many think is coming on this or that date, a prophesied reckoning, the day when the world ends? Or simply one day when We fulfill some unknown condition? We don’t know, so all We can do is live as we see fit.”\n\nTaking a sip of water, the speaker realised their listener had stopped paying attention to them, long lost in their own thoughts they were slowly drifting to sleep. Their eyes were slowly closing and then opening with effort, head on the pillow sinking slowly into the dreams.\n\nThey were falling asleep again. In this land falling asleep meant waking up. They were leaving. And so the speaker hurried to say what they wanted to say.\n\n“There are others out there as well, other gods, both old and new. And although I am one of the gods I am carrying the shard of the same Elder God that each human carries., I am still human. Do you understand? I was created by humanity, by You. You the collective God created me a lesser one, and although you created me you still worship me.”\n\n“Do you understand how awkward that can be?” The speaker asked, hopping for a response\n\nWithout a sound the listener slowly sank into the floor, into the world. They would awake peacefully and maybe even remember something of what they heard.\n\n“No of course you don’t.”\n\n“You were my parent, but you didn’t care for me. You asked me to care for you.”\n\nThe words were accusatory, but also lonely, sad and lost. Alone in the void, alone in these halls who were once again, oh so very quiet.",
"I make a terrible god. \n\nI have no awesome and mighty powers. I have a parking lot that used to be a forest and a pond that only has mosquitos and algae now. \n\nYou wouldn't have heard of me. No one has. If there was once a human name for me, I forgot it like I've forgotten the taste of clean air and the color of wild tansies. \n\nI suppose you can call me Scrap. That's what I am, anyway. A god lost to time and change, and soon I'll fade into the background like all the other nameless dead. \n\nBut I'm still here. Old and broken but here. \n\nI am sitting on the curb where my forest once was. To any humans passing by, I look like any jaded homeless bastard you can imagine. You will never understand the feeling of sitting there, watching strangers walk by and knowing they are doing their best to pretend they don't see you until you've lived it. There's a look in people's eyes. A glazing over. \n\nThese days, I do nothing but feed the birds and watch the sun and guard the land that was always mine, because that is what any god is meant to do. But I feel broken and tired as this asphalt, and more and more I imagine crawling into the embrace of the earth and letting myself sleep until even the smallest gods are remembered once more. \n\nI'm throwing the pigeons handfuls of sunflower seeds I lifted from a nearby convenience store when I see her. She's just a little girl. Can't be older than nine or ten years old, but she has the face of someone who has learned to guard her secrets close. She looks me over, apprehensively, when she catches me staring, and I watch her tense like she's going to book it. \n\nI may be a forgotten god, but I'm no fool. I know a child on the run when I see one. \n\nI am the guardian of this land. I could let her go, ignoring her just like all those other humans ignored me.\n\nAnd some part of me still cares. The part that keeps me here, aboveground, watching my land slowly die. The part that once believed that duty was always rewarded. \n\nI shake the sunflower seed bag and tell her, nodding at the pigeons, \"They like sunflower seeds best.\"\n\nShe still looks uncertain. Tense. She knows adults can hide betrayal with a smile. I can see that in the tense line of her shoulders. She grips her backpack straps, tightly. \n\n\"You want to feed them? They're friendly.\"\n\nI hold the bag out toward her. \n\nShe tells me, \"My dad says I shouldn't talk to strangers.\"\n\n\"Where is your dad?\"\n\nNow she looks like she really will run.\n\nI toss the pigeons another handful of seeds. \"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone where you've gone. I ran away from home once, too.\"\n\nEons ago, when I was young and fierce as any new star, and I still thought I would hold entire worlds in my palm. \n\n\"How did you know?\" she says.\n\n\"I can just tell that kind of thing. When you're as old as me, you learn to read the little lines in people's faces.\" I fold up the opening of the seed bag and toss it to her. \"That fat one there closest to you is Dodo. He's a real friendly one. Great listener, if you ever need anyone to listen to your secrets.\"\n\nThe girl takes a few cautious steps forward and picks up the bag. She grins when the pigeons rush her and circle around her sandals. \n\n\"They're hungry!\" she says.\n\n\"They just like to know someone notices them. And cares.\"\n\nThe girl looks from me to the birds and she doesn't need to say a word. I know she understands exactly that feeling. There's a haunting in her eyes that comes from betrayal, not age. \n\nI introduce her to the pigeons and tell her their names (Porky, Skip, Jackie, Mack) and how I tell them apart by their neckrings, their tail feathers, their very strut. \n\nBefore I know it, she's sitting next to me, and we're watching the pigeons peck at the asphalt as the sunset reddens the sky. \n\n\"What's your name?\" she asks me.\n\n\"Scrap.\"\n\nHer nose crinkles as she grins. \"That's a funny name.\"\n\nI look at her and smile, half-heartedly. \"Summer, you know a little girl like you should be home right now. Having dinner. Playing with your toys. What are you doing out here?\"\n\nShe looks at me and the pigeons and the sky and she says, her face cloudy, \"I'm nine. I'm not little anymore. My dad says I need to stop being so stupid and grow up. I'm always in trouble. No matter what I do. He's always yelling at me, for everything, and I just... Jumped out the window. He wouldn't notice or care anyway.\"\n\nI imagine her, staring out at the wild world, imagining there had to be a place out there better than this. \n\n\"My parents used to say something like that,\" I murmur. \n\nI still remember the Elder God laughing Their laugh that could shake universes when I said I wanted to make my own being. I guess They were right in the end. I did fail. \n\nWe sit there, shoulder-to-shoulder, two misfits in a world that doesn't want us.\n\nAnd I tell her, \"But you know what I learned?\" \n\nSummer looks at me, and I just want to have the power to save again. To heal. To storm into her home and demand in all my holy power that she is treated with the respect all children deserve. \n\nBut I'm just a scrapyard god, living in alleyways, worshipped by pigeons. Humans would only laugh at me now. \n\n\"What?\" she asks. \n\n\"If no one else will believe in you, you have to believe in yourself.\" I hold her stare, urgently. \"You have to believe you're worth something, when no one else will. That's what I have to do. Look at me. No one believes I can do anything, either.\"\n\nSummer tells me, earnestly, \"I believe in you.\" \n\nI smile at her out of the corner of my eye. \"I believe in you too, kiddo. You can't run away from everything that makes you feel worthless. But you can look it in the eye and refuse to let it break you.\"\n\nSummer dips her head and stares at Dodo, who's pacing around her feet, waiting for more seeds. She says, quietly, \"But how?\"\n\n\"There's a story I used to know, about a girl who lived alone in the woods, and wolves would come and eat little pieces of her heart. They would look like her parents or her friends. The people who were supposed to make her feel loved and safe. But she won, in the end.\"\n\nThe girl looks at me, and I can see the gears of her mind turn. She murmurs, \"How did she beat them?\"\n\n\"She had to stop opening the door to the wolves. She had to believe she could keep the house standing, all on her own, because she was smart and powerful. That was the only way.\"\n\nSummer inclines her head against my shoulder, \"And then they'll stop eating my heart?\"\n\n\"If you believe it, and you mean it.\" I nudge her and smile. \"And if you let your true friends believe in you, too.\"\n\nThe sun kisses over us, and I feel it. The old power. Being seen and heard and understood. I wonder if she feels it too: that soul spark when you know you're no longer alone.\n\nHer stare is distant, full of wolves with the faces of all the adults who were supposed to protect her. \n\n\"Come on,\" I tell her. \"I'll walk you home.\"\n\nShe tenses like a rabbit, ready to run. \"I'll be in trouble.\"\n\n\"Maybe. But you can keep the wolves out.\" I squeeze her hand. \"I believe in you.\"\n\nI walk with her, back the way she points.\n\nAnd for a few minutes, neither of us are forgotten."
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[WP] You are a great warrior cursed to never be able to weild a weapon of war ever again. You were initially distraught, but then you realised how deadly farming tools can be
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The day I took up the sword was less about opportunity and more about desperation.\n\nStill, I was a warlord before I turned eighteen years old. That doesn’t just happen by accident, I suppose. I was not comfortable with leading 10,000 men into battle initially, but with my back against the wall, with the woman I loved imprisoned, I had no other choice. Soon 10,000 became 50,000. Then 100,000. I became used to the taste of blood.\n\nIn a matter of months, the deadliest army ever assembled was at my back. We became the scythe that rid of the world that which does not belong. The hammer of the heavens. My legions became legend.\n\nAnd all who stood in my way knew my name.\n\nI killed them all. My vengeance, as the stories now say, was swift. My revenge, brutal.\n\nAs I said, it was never about opportunity. I did not ask to become a warlord. I wanted to be a father. That is all. But I am also a man of conviction. When the enemy brought war to my door, I was not about to let it continue when I had the opportunity to silence it.\n\nWhen the War of the Rising Tide was finished, when sixteen years of fighting was over, I refused the crown. With over one million dead, with our world in need of rebuilding, I felt it best a leader, a true leader, one with less blood on his hands, propel our world forward. Still, that damn crown was offered to me thrice, and I am proud to say the best decision of my life was refusing it. I did not need a crown. I needed to be left, alone, in peace.\n\nOur world has no place for kings. But kings there are, because mortal men are forever doomed to greed. Power is too sweet a treat for them to refuse. I, though, was not about to be one of those men. Leave me to my crops. Allow me to die once the day comes, whenever that may be. If ever it comes.\n\nFor nearly two decades in my younger years, I was Dreden the Dreameater, the Man of Molten and Flame, the Broken Berserker, an immortal warrior destined to make my mark upon the world. Now, I just mean to be left in peace.\n\nIf only it was that simple.\n\n..."
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[WP] Reincarnation exists. When you die, your next experience is immediately being born into the next life. There is no need to fear death, because, after all, there is no such thing.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I sat there at the table gun in hand. The other patrons quietly and cautiously watched me as a slowly sipped my coffee and finished my morning scone. \n\n\"For 40 years Ive built myself up and grown my life and experiences. Now as things start to crumble and i realize im not happy with the build I chose ive opted to end it all.\" I said aloud. \"Im really hoping my next go around to try a different childhood. Maybe I get lucky and be born a noble or what ever the modern equivalent is anyway.\"\n\nThe patrons in the cafe continued to watch as took another sip and shifted myself on the stool.\n\n\"Im surprised you all seem so concerned.\" I said speaking to the onlookers. \n\n\"Sir.\" the manager said cautiously. \"Why are you saying this. we dont want any issues. Please step outside.\"\n\n\"Why am I saying this? Let me guess, first time life?\" I replied with a smile.\n\n\"First Time Life?\" the Manager asked.\n\n\"Well yes!\" I shouted. \"First Time. Has no one told you?\"\n\nthe manager and multiple patrons shook their heads.\n\n\"I feel sorry for you and glad for you then.\" I replied shaking my head. \"You have both a fear of death and yet never had to relieve those terrible teething years over and over.\"\n\nThe on looking crowd was completely silent as several police officers stormed into the cafe. \n\n\"Well its time for the next life then.\" I said putting the gun to my head.\n\nThe crowd ducked in fear, 3 officers drew on me. One did not.\n\n\"You get it.\" said to that officer and pulled the trigger.\n\nA blinding light and searing pain filled my consciousness. quickly the majority of memories of my old life washed away as a group of nurses and doctors came into view as my new eyes adjusted to the room. In the background the local news playing a story about a stand off in a coffee shop ending just moment ago. \"huh, typical media trying to up sell what really happened for views\" i thought before being slapped and having and involuntary crying."
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[WP] You were a pretty decent person during your life but unable to go to heaven, your only destination is hell. There's just one problem with that; as you descend you start to notice the unfathomable depth of water you're starting to sink into with no end in sight.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\\[Damned. Node.\\]\n\n\".. but.. I was a good person! I tried to be!\" Wendell whined at the demon dressed in white. He was a lanky, red-skinned man with obsidian horns and a red tie. \"What does it take to get into heaven?\"\r \n \r \n\"Oh, you were fantastic,\" the demon replied. His voice was surpisngly smooth and low. \"Unfortunately in this afterlife there is no Heaven per se.\r \n \r \n\"What do you mean this afterlife?\" Wendell asked. \"How many are there?\" The demon appeared in Wendell's living room where the conversation started. But, now Wendell noticed they seemed to be moving down. He felt the descent in his stomach and it felt like his living room had become a glass elevator to take him to Hell. They sunk below his walls and into the ground.\r \n \r \n\"More than one,\" the demon replied. \"[This one](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/nc4scq/wp_its_a_gate_to_hell_legions_of_demons_prepare/) doesn't have a Heaven. Your soul belongs to Sharp Development, so you go to Hell.\"\r \n \r \n\"Sharp Development?\" Wendell asked. The name sounded familiar. He thought while he watched the ground on the other side of the transparent walls change to water as they sank deeper and deeper. \"Wait, the node? I'm going to Hell because I used a node?\" The demon gave a slight nod.\r \n \r \n\"It does warn you in the terms and conditions you agreed to,\" the demon said.\r \n \r \n\"No one reads those!\" Wendell yelled. The demon nodded again and smiled.\r \n \r \n\"I know,\" he said.\r \n \r \n\"That's a crappy way to steal someone's soul for eternity,\" Wendell grumbled.\r \n \r \n\"I know,\" the demon replied again. \"That's why it's not for eternity. It may feel like it, but you're not damned forever,\" the demon said. Wendell was distracted by the water. The ocean grew darker as they sunk lower; somehow he still had electricity in his living room. The light fixture provided enough light and comfort for Wendell to stay calm.\r \n \r \n\"It's a loophole that works out to your advantage,\" the demon said.\r \n \r \n\"Yeah,\" Wendell laughed. \"Going to Hell is just a big ol' blessing.\"\r \n \r \n\"It is,\" the demon replied, \"..if it's temporary. Better than being sent there for eternity, isn't it? Ms. Sharp developed her Afterlife by focusing on the consumer. After going through some Hell for a time you'll be able to pick a new life and try again.\"\r \n \r \n\"Try what again?\" Wendell asked. The ocean outside the walls had become completely black. It almost appeared that his living room was floating in an endless void. He could no longer tell by looking out whether they were sinking; the only hint he had was the constant drop he felt in his stomach. The light also appeared to be dimming as if whatever was powering it was running out of energy. \"If there's no heaven, what's the point of doing better in the next life?\"\r \n \r \n\"Normally, that's something you're supposed to figure out on your own,\" the demon said. He made a gesture with his hand and a tall black portal opened next to him. The room was growing dimmer by the second now, but the portal still appeared blacker than even the void outside. \"But, you were a pretty decent guy and we're allowed some discretion. So, before I leave you to your Hell, I'll give you a hint.\"\r \n \r \n\"What?\" Wendell asked. He looked around; his living room now only had as much illumination as a candle would provide. \"My living room is Hell?\"\r \n \r \n\"Your Hell...,\" the demon nodded. \"...for the next billion years.\"\r \n \r \n\"A BILLION?\" Wendell yelled. The demon nodded and shrugged.\r \n \r \n\"An effective eternity, but not an actual one. You'll be fine...but that light might not last,\" the demon added with a chuckle.\r \n \r \n\"Fine,\" Wendell grumbled. He was content with at least spending the next billion years in a familiar place. \"What's your hint?\" he asked.\r \n \r \n\"That's the spirit,\" the demon said. \"The point of doing better in the next life...,\" the demon said. \"...is just to do better.\"\n\n\r \n\\*\\*\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1231 in a row. (Story #135 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit (r/hugoverse) or my blog.",
"I swam for hours or days, trying to find some semblance of land in the dark seas. Surely death wasn't like this. Where were the people, the demons, the fire and brimstone? \n\nI gave up and started treading water, but that was even more tiring than swimming. So I moved myself onto my back and floated, gazing unseeing at the starless sky. \n\nI think I was there for years. A couple times, when my muscles grew sore and my lungs ached to breathe dry air, I contemplated giving up, giving myself to the waters of hell. I was already dead, right? What was the worst that could happen?\n\nBut I never did. Maybe I was a coward, and when I did eventually sink the damned would tease me mercilessly for my ridiculous tenacity. But I had given up once when I died, giving in to the cancer and the pain coming from inside. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't anyone's, I at least knew that from my time doing nothing but thinking in this black abyss. \n\nBut still, I wouldn't give into pain again. I would fight, I would cling to life the best a dead person could, and maybe if I did eventually fall into hell's oceans, I would be greeted with awe. *That's a fighter,* they'd say. \n\nYes. Yes, I am."
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[WP] You can see ghosts. You used to 'deal' with them whenever you came across them but it grew tiresome. You closed off your senses to their veil and ignored the dead around you. Recently your friends are getting terrorized by something they don't understand; and it's starting to get on your nerves
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I don’t see the shadowy figure brush against the kitchen cabinets, throwing them open in a fury. I reach for my cold coffee and sit down at the breakfast table. \n\n“It’s happening again.”\n\nI raise my eyebrows at Jessica. “What?”\n\n“Didn’t you just see the cupboards?” She seems to be frozen in the doorway.\n\n“I think there’s a window open or something.” \n\nThe lights slam off in an anticlimactic flick. The sunlight seeping in from the windows dampers the dramatic effect of it. I don’t notice the shadow that lurches from the light switch to Jessica. \n\n“Oh my god!” She shrieks. I focus my eyes on hers and not the smudge of darkness that clasps her shoulders. \n\n“Hmm?” I look down at my phone. \n\n“The lights, Mel. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice the lights!” She turns them back on. \n\n“I think they were always off,” I lie. \n\nThe clinking of a slow drip starts to deafen the silence between us. Clinking faster and faster until it’s a steady stream of water splashing against the steal sink. \n\n“Mel, there’s something wrong here. I can’t,” Jessica’s eyes are wide and wet. \n\n“I think it’s just a leaky faucet. We can call maintenance.” I get up to turn it off and don’t walk through a chilling cloud of grey on my way to the sink. I look back and don’t watch as the cloud that isn’t there encompasses my coffee cup. \n\n“Fuck,” I say moments before the window draft launches my cup across the room barely missing Jessica’s face. \n\n“Mel,” Her face is a stream of tears. “I can’t stay here!” She runs out of the room. The rustling of keys in a full purse let’s me know she’s in the hallway. “You shouldn’t be here either. It’s not safe.” Her voice is a pleading whisper. I hear the wooden door close. She didn’t lock it. \n\n“Are you fucking kidding me?” I turn to face the shadow. Slowly the wisps of black and grey slip away. \n\n“I’m sorry.” I hear. \n\n“No. You’re not. Every damn time you’re not sorry!” My eyes are burning into the face that’s slowly emerging from the mist. She looks the same. \n\n“I miss you,” She offers.\n\n“You need to go. Go, go. Like forever.” \n\nHer face blurs and I feel her pain in my chest. “I can’t.”\n\n“No. What you can’t do is scare away every roommate I have. You have to stop this.”\n\n“I’m your roommate.” Maybe it’s anger, maybe it’s sadness, whatever it is feels hot in my throat as she tells me. “That’s my room.”\n\n“It was your room. But not anymore. Please,” I breathe in deeply trying to chase her feelings out of my throat. “You’re not happy like this. I’m not happy like this.” I gesture at the aftermath of her. The cupboards, the coffee cup. \n\n“I miss you. You don’t talk to me anymore.” She slinks to the window and I feel empty and afraid. \n\n“I can’t.” I walk closer to her. “This has to be goodbye. You won’t be lonely anymore when you go.” \n\nFear. \n\n“I promise. You’ll be okay.” I close my eyes as she fades into the air. A faint silhouette of sadness lingers in my chest."
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[WP] The Galactic Federation revealed themselves to us and sued the Miss Universe Foundation for discrimination since it only accepted humans during its entire existence. It turns out that the Miss Universe Foundation knew about aliens all along, hence the name.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"The problem with your organization is that you do not seek out true beauty,\" said the ambassador. The closest Earth equivalent to the ambassador was a giant crustacean, but it had eightfold symmetry rather than bilateral. The carapace was covered in ornate geometric patterns like a cathedral's stained glass window. They spoke English with great effort, in a rasping, guttural croak. A thin trickle of orange mucus spooled from their oral cavity, which they deftly wiped with a handkerchief before it touched the floor.\n\nThe lawyer adjusted his nose clamp, an essential item when dealing with the ambassador's people. The ambassador had a similar clamp covering its olfactory organ. The two had met on a Venutian satellite, in a comfortable boardroom pressurized to a compromise between Earth and the ambassador's planet.\n\n\"This concept of 'true beauty', as you put it, is not as strictly defined in our culture as yours,\" replied the lawyer. \"From what I understand, on your planet, beauty is always seen as a balancing act between intricacy, simplicity, functionality, and symmetry. This is something any of you can judge instantly. And it applies to both the living and nonliving. Am I correct?\"\n\n\"Correct,\" said the ambassador. \"I am well aware that Earth people are different.\"\n\n\"We are more hindered by primitive sexual impulses than you,\" said the lawyer, trying to stay on the ambassador's good side. \"We're a simple bunch. We don't care much about intricacy. We do have a certain fixation on 'functional' areas, if you catch my drift. Bilateral symmetry is good enough for us. Unable to recognize the platonic ideal, we are hopelessly chained...\"\n\nThe ambassador waved one of its appendages dismissively. The lawyer shut his mouth.\n\n\"Let us shift focus,\" said the ambassador. \"Human beauty recognition is closer to ours than you think. Just smaller-minded. Let us focus on particulars. I feel that some nonhumans would make it into the finals of your stupid contest if you altered some rules. If you agree to all my points, the Federation may decide not to bankrupt you over your callous claim to 'universal' contest scope.\"\n\nThe lawyer cringed. \"I will certainly take them into consideration.\"\n\nThe ambassador continued, wiping its drool frequently. \"First, the qualification that all contestants be 'women' must be scrapped. On our planet, the equivalent of a woman is a mute cocoon attached to the ground with only visual and reproductive organs. All of us eventually become women towards the end of our lives, but we are hardly in our most beautiful state then. A good portion of worlds have up to five sexes. My point is, you must open the contest to all genders to bring you even a step closer to 'universal'. And drop the 'Miss'.\"\n\n\"Second, the crown must go. My people don't have a clearly defined head, nor do most residents of the universe. Use a loosely-fitting sash that can expand or contract as needed.\"\n\n\"Third, the contest must be moved out of New York to a more accessible location. We suggest a satellite at Uranus, sufficiently far from both asteroid belts. It is ludicrous to expect droves of contestants coming from all corners of the universe to navigate safely to Earth.\"\n\n\"Fourth, the ridiculous swimsuit and nightgown pageants must be eliminated. Most planet denizens could not even fit into a nightgown. We suggest all contestants be displayed nude, free of adornment, behind a glass barrier to prevent the influence of smell. This must be a purely visual contest for contestants in a natural state.\"\n\n\"In addition, we take issue with the whole process of interviewing the women to make sure they are 'cultured', the creepy judging panel, the prohibition of pregnancy, the part ownership by that vulgar and unsightly...\"\n\nThe lawyer cleared his throat. \"I'm sorry,\" he said, \"but you've already made more demands than we can hope to meet.\"\n\nThe ambassador stood to their full height, towering over the lawyer on hundreds of spindly legs. A fat rope of drool oozed from their mouth and landed on the lawyer's polished leather shoes with a plop. \"We'll see you in court,\" they said."
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[WP] As you watch your life flash before your eyes, you realize, this isn't your life you're seeing.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Excuse me?\" \"YES, WHAT DO YOU WANT?\" boomed the giant angel in response as it gripped its spear. It was one of the keepers of the room, which was apparently some kind of temporary stop for people on their way to the afterlife. Every couple of minutes a counter would go \"ping\" and the next person in the crowd would step into an 1980s-era elevator. Although where they went after that, I couldn't say. I guess this was a moment to settle your mind after having died, so you didn't arrive to the next place all riled up.\n\nThe angel stared expectantly at me. It had a magnificent halo above its head. I cleared my throat. \"I think there's been a mistake.\" The angel sighed. \"YOU DIED? SAW YOUR LIFE FLASH BEFORE YOUR EYES? WENT TOWARDS THE LIGHT? YOU ARE DEAD. NO MISTAKE.\" They decidedly turned away to signal that the conversation was over. \"Well... yes, but it wasn't exactly my life that flashed before my eyes?\" The angel stared at me again, and sighed. Somehow I got the distinct impression that staring and sighing was all this angel had done for a very long time. \"GO SEE CLAIMS.\" They pointed me towards a desk over in the corner of the room, with an old accountant-looking type behind it. The accountant had an equally impressive halo above its head, only slightly smaller.\n\n \"Yes, what do you want?\" the person behind the desk asked me as I approached. \"I didn't get my own life flashing before my eyes when I died?\" I asked in response. The accountant sighed, and stared at me. Maybe staring and sighing was their whole routine down... up?... here. \"James Steet? Died in a London car crash at the age of thirty four? No significant achievements, no real reason to live?\" \"Yes, that's me. Only in my flashes I was a girl living in India.\" The accountant flipped through a ledger for a bit, looking through the details I supposed.\n\n\"I see, it's a regular old fuckup.\" they told me and smiled. \"A... what? You guys make mistakes... and curse?\" \"Oh yeah, it's a real shit show here. The whole business has really gone down the drain. Ever since the Old Beardy just upped and left a couple of thousand years ago, the system has been slowly deteriorating.\" They smiled at us. It was a lot to take in. \"Old Beardy? That wouldn't be like a 'Old Beardy God Almighty', would it?\" \"That's the one. Said he was going on a vacation, left the whole thing up to us.\"\n\nThe accountant leaned over the desk as if to whisper something to me conspiratorially. \"It's a problem of organizational management, you see. With no one at the top setting goals and following up, the departments have sort of devolved into just doing what they want instead of what they should.\" They pointed at the angel I had previously talked to. \"See that one over there? They're supposed to be chanting and helping people through this troublesome time with words of wisdom. Now all they do is give snide remarks, stare at people and sigh. I don't even know where they got that spear from, it wasn't around a couple of hundred years ago. They just decided to start gripping it one day.\"\n\nI thought about this for a moment. \"I just thought you people would be better organized up here, you know?\" \"Oh, we were! The administration was a real thing of beauty back in the day. Flowed like a river, not that I have ever seen one mind you. The Golden Days, as I like to call them. Nowadays you can hardly get a cup of coffee around here. That's an analogue, obviously, so you can relate. I don't consume liquids or foods.\" They smiled at me, and I was starting to get the feeling that I was interrupting their busy day. \n\n\"Why doesn't anybody do something? Step up, take charge?\" \"We weren't made that way\", they said while continuously smiling. \"For example, I was made to sit here and handle various issues that those arriving here felt needed addressed. And I was made to smile, but I'm really quite dead inside. You would be too, after a few thousand years in customer relations.\" They smiled at me, but I could just about make out the pain behind their eyes now. \"No breaks?\" I asked them. \"Not one!\" they said cheerily and pinged their halo with their fingers, making a bell-like sound. \n\n\"Well, what happens now?\" The accountant finished flipping through the ledger. It was pretty obviously just something they did for show, as their eyes never read anything in it. \"I could restore your real flashes to you, if you'd like?\" I paused for a moment. Although the flashes weren't mine they hadn't exactly been terrible either. \"What would be the consequences of that?\" I asked. \"A clever one, I see. Well, the life you lead obviously decides if you go to heaven for a grand old party, or go to hell for a dose of eternal damnation. Only we don't really monitor what goes on back on earth, so the judgement is more based on the summary of your life - the flashes.\" They tapped on the ledger. \"You really lucked out in a sense. These flashes you got - straight to heaven!\" \n\n\"What about... who gets my flashes? The girl from India?\" \"No, it looks like they messed up her flashes too when she passed through here a couple of years back. She got sent to heaven, though. Her version of it, of course - we're very culturally sensitive you know. No, the guy who got your flashes was sent downstairs. All the way down. 'Ten thousand years in hellfire' kind of down. Would you like me to restore your flashes?\" The person somehow managed to make their smile even larger. I didn't think about it for long. \"Could you... not?\" \"Like you were never here? Fine by me! Elevator's over there, up you go!\" \"And this whole thing is... legal?\" The accountant laughed at me. \n\n\"Nobody gives a shit.\""
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[WP] In retaliation for humanity's continued affront to subservience, the Imperium hands down their harshest punishment. The infamous day the Imperium's weapons cracked the earth's crust is now known across the galaxy as "The Awakening."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"'A thousand times have we done this before, maybe more times.', the scholar said, 'But these Humans have lied to us, they must have, this power within their planet must have been known to them.'\n\n'Have they?', his peer replied, 'They were as naive as any race with such short lives.'\n\n'Were they? You have lived many more years than most us, Avartha, yet you seem so naive as well in this moment.', a warrior spewed forth, bitterness in his voice.\n\n'That might be true. But when they first contacted us and we, as always, asked them about their world and their history they seemed as sincere as any other race. Even the young ones, with what little they knew even for Humans, have told us the same things, be it less of it.'\n\nAngry whispers flew across the room.\n\n'Even the Humans offworld were in shock about their ancient gods being real. And as the last Human was slain upon Istvan, he was in denial of knowing about their actual existence.', Avartha tried to explain.\n\nThe whispers grew into screams of hate until another stood up, larger then the rest. His beautifully designed robes dancing with every movement. It was the current ruler of a broken Imperium, a dozen before him perished in this war, if you could call it that, it was a slaughter. But for once, they were getting annihilated.\n\n'It matters not, my friends.', this sentence alone silencing this room, full of anybody of rank that could make it, or rather, who was still alive. 'What matters is only that Humanity ceased to exist by our hands and so too will their gods fall. And if our armies and armadas cannot defeat them, then I alone will have to unmake them, one by one!'\n\nA general spoke up: 'My lord, you may be the strongest and wisest of our race, but-' 'If I fall to them, then so be it.'\n\n'If you die, then we are lost.'\n\n'If I die, then we might deserve it.' The weight of what he has done might have finally set in. The horrors he unleashed on people who just wanted to be free. All that, for an insignificant world, or just for his pride?\n\nMinutes of silence, each felt like a whole lifetime.\n\nAn almost choking voice spoke what was on more minds than his own. 'Is it too late to surrender?'\n\nThe chattering between neighbours broke out again.\n\n'And to whom shall we surrender? The angry gods coming right for us? We lost the first system within a minute and they have yet to show any signs of slowing down. If it was not for this planet on the other side of the galaxy, we would already be as dead as the others.', Avartha yelled with despair and defeat in each word, 'Or should we try to get to this \"Earth\" and apologize to the smouldering remains of a civilization that will have destroy us, even after it has collapsed?'\n\n'I have always sought your council, but this time I think I will pass on it.', a giant figure, taller than anyone within that room, stepped in, his once perfect armour bloodied and broken, he was barely holding himself together.\n\n'My Emperor! What have they done?', a dozen voices shouted in disbelief.\n\n'I have made peace, but only for a short time. You must leave this galaxy or they will do to you, what we have done to so many races.', almost drawing the last breath from his body.\n\nEverybody that could process his words made faster for the exit than lightning, until only a few remained.\n\n'But what of you?', Avartha questioned his master.\n\n'I have made peace, but only for you. I do not deserve to escape. I have ruled for longer than you all live, it is my time to go.', the Emperor exclaimed, while regaining some energy. \n'As for my last command: Do not follow me, you would see things not even our horrors compare to.'"
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[WP] A deaf person begins leaving gifts for their love interest but runs away whenever the interest tries to talk to them. The interest tracks them down but the deaf person needs their relative to translate. But the relative likes the love interest too unbeknownst to the two of them.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"In this prompt the characters are; Finn (the deaf one), Vanessa (the love interest), Adam (the relative)\n\nAdam and Finn approach the table where Vanessa was sitting in, The restaurant she had invited them to had a great ambiance. Vanessa starts the conversation by saying “hello” to Finn, Adam then translates her message to Finn. Finn then tells Adam in sign language to say the following; “Hi nice to meet you! What should we order?” Adam then translates it to Vanessa, she then calls the waiter and for her she orders a grilled cheese toast and a coffee, then she asks Finn what he’ll have, Finn tells Adam to order whatever she’s ordering, Adam then addresses this to the waiter. Then Adam started having thoughts in his mind about how he loves Vanessa so much, but again his friend loves him too and how his love is much more heartfelt than his, he then started thinking if he should give the wrong translation to Vanessa about what Finn’s saying, but then he removes that thought from his mind. Vanessa then asks several questions related to Finn, and Adam translates every single one of them to what Finn is actually saying, But then she asks Finn that his gifts are the most dearest and kindest gestures of love that till now nobody has ever shown to her, she then holds Finn’s hands and says: “I love you..... from the day you gave me the first present. Even if it is in translation but please tell me that you love me too...” Finn then asks Adam what Vanessa said, but Adam was in a desperate situation, he was having second thoughts on wether or not he should tell Finn her actual words or lie to him, in the end he takes a deep breath and tells him exactly what she told, to which Finn bursts out in happiness and tells Adam in sign language his answer to the question, Adam correctly translates it to Vanessa. \n\nThen they both embrace each other, as they both are deeply in love with each other. Then they both decide to spend some time on the beach, Adam asks if they’ll need him, but Vanessa replies “Don’t worry Adam, now there’s no need for translations, we’ll talk just by understanding our emotions through eyes and impressions, and before going they both thank Adam for helping them both for understanding each other’s emotions correctly (Finn obviously says it in sign language...lol) Then they both leave out in the sunset along the beach, where Adam looks at them with a smile on his face and a tears in his eyes, not because he lost his true love, but because he sacrificed his love to connect two people who couldn’t express their feelings because of communication. In the end Adam lost love, but inherited something much more meaningful and precious.\n\n##THE END"
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[WP]You knew it was a bad idea to let a friend drive your car at night after you both drank shots. But after hitting a divider, flipping 5 times and ending in a ditch, it doesn't matter. The Reaper appears next to you. He reaps your friend's soul from his body and informs you you have 99 lives left
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"First time trying to do a poem here. Hope you like it!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n**See You, Little Johnny!**\n\nThat day we went along to Missus G's fancy pub store, \nFilled with rum and brandy and rubbing house alcohol. \nThough I'm sure no sane man will drink the last one, \nPeople do stuff when they've had their fill and stuff.\n\nJust like us, kids of nineteen and twen-teen. \nYou know what they say before you take your first beer? \nSteering wheels and ethanol work like water and alcohol \nExcept that, sometimes, it gets forgotten by everyone.\n\nSo there we went, and there we left \nWith Ridley McFlurry's Scotch whisky in the dashboard's cabinet. \nDon't tell anyone, I stole that from Missus G's cellar \nBefore we sped through Interstate Two Hundred Seventy-One.\n\nWe were bulls, we were mad, we were like little free men \nIn a roaring tin can under a semi-cloudy sunny day. \nAnd like any other doofus on a lovely, high-speed stroll, \nWe did tiny, little tricks but wanted to do more.\n\nMy friend asked me to do a little trick: \n*Hey buddy, what do you say, you grab hold of that thing* \n*And pour it on my nose real quick?* \n*I'll drink Ridley McFlurry's Scotch Whiskey with a whiff* \n*So you better keep that camera rolling and we'll have that on YouTube posted!*\n\nNow if you remember what they say \nAbout steering wheels and alcohols and doofuses \nLet's just say it didn't end so good \nWhen he hit a plastic something as big as a baby moose.\n\nDon't ask me what it was, I could barely remember anymore. \nWe flew above the road with our feet overhead and our heads by the floor. \nThen we hit a duck, a goose, and a flying caterpillar \nBefore we landed on a giant pillar.\n\n*Are we safe?* he asked. *Are we safe?* \nBut alas, the thing was never at all safe \nSo we fell on a patch by Interstate Two Hundred Seventy-One. \nBefore the car exploded just like that.\n\nNext, I knew, I was at the hospital \nAfter two hundred seventy-one days of drinkless coma. \nBut I knew I remembered something really, really scary. \nMuch scarier than what just happened to him and me.\n\nThat day, a man in wings and robes appeared. \nSaid something about heaven, hell, and dying. \nTook my friend's soul, said that God loves him \nBefore taking a really good look at me.\n\n*Say, boy, what about a trade with me?* \n*I'll keep this Ridley McFlurry's Scotch Whisky* \n*So minus this one, you keep a hundred lives* \n*Well, what do you say? I'll see you, Little Johnny!*",
"“Ready, boss?”\n\nI adjust the earpiece, snapping shut the barrel of my rifle with an emphatic thump. Incendiary rounds. Mmmmm. My favorite. I haven't used these since that job in Brazil. That was seventeen years ago.\n\nI crack my neck. “Hit it,\" I hiss.\n\nA song of yesteryear starts to play in my ears. I grin as I begin my assault.\n\n*“I don’t give a damn about my reputation!”*\n\nThree quick pulses and I wipe out six men. I swivel, putting a bullet between the eyes of another who made the mistake of thinking I wasn’t looking. These guards are almost no *fun.*\n\nAlmost.\n\n*“Living in the past it’s a new generation!”*\n\nI wonder how many lives this one is going to take. The last job took two, but I was being careless. I hadn't died in a while. Kinda wanted to feel that thrill again. Can't lie to you, it's pretty addicting.\n\n\"*A girl can do what she wants to do, and that's what I'm gonna DO!\"*\n\n\"On your left,\" someone cracks in my earpiece. \"6:30.\"\n\nI draw the pistol from my hip, aiming it at the target and firing, eliminating another guard before they can take one of my lives. I sprint forward, slamming the butt of my rifle into the back of another guard, sweeping their legs out from underneath them and deposit a round in the back of their head for good measure.\n\nI slide into the cover as the rounds of the .50-cal I was worried about pours down hot metal from above near the tower. In that tower is our prize. More money than we'll ever know what to do with.\n\nFist bumping one of the other members on my crew, I peer around the cover, only to have to pull back immediately. Fuckers were dumb not to expect us, but now that they know we're here, they're giving us all they've got.\n\n*\"I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation.I've never been afraid of any deviation.An' I don't really care if you think I'm strangeI ain't gonna change!\"*\n\n\"Thanks, bud,\" I say to Rio. \"Didn't see that one.\"\n\nShe rolls her eyes. \"That seems to be happening a lot lately. You feeling okay?\" she asks. She immediately pops to her knees, shouldering her rifle and letting off six rounds. I notice at least three guns go silent.\n\n\"Yeah, I'm good. Nothing to worry about,\" I respond.\n\n\"How many we got left?\"\n\nI pull the sleeve up on my left arm, counting the tattoo'd marks. The ink is starting to fill in. \"Mmmmm.\" I do the math. I was never *that* good at it to be honest with you. \"I think I'm down sixty-five?\" I squint. \"Yeah, I'm down sixty-five. Check my math for me?\"\n\nRio looks over briefly, counting the tally marks. She looks away. \"Seventy,\" she says.\n\nI whistle, which I doubt she can hear over the gunfire still being exchanged between the kingpin's guards and my other men. I grin at her. \"What would I do without you?\"\n\n\"Something less dangerous, I hope.\"\n\nMy grin grows. \"Then you're *really* gonna like this next idea.\"\n\nI tear off from the cover, knowing the way I'm supposed to go through the stolen blueprints we received last week.\n\n...\n\nI sit in the kingpin's chair, whistling to myself and enjoying a glass of the tequila that was hidden in the safe. My crew scours the compound for all signs of wealth. The drugs here will be worth $100 million alone.\n\n\"This is not what I envisioned for you when I gave you the Gift of One Hundred Lives,\" a voice says from the hallway.\n\nI stop whistling as a hooded figure from the myths and fables of man stalks into the room. He has terrified men for centuries with his promises. With his mere appearance.\n\nI've spent enough time with him to know he's a little bitch.\n\n\"Well I'll be damned,\" I say, giggling. I put my feet down. \"If it isn't the big bad Reaper. The fuck you want?\"\n\n\"To speak,\" the Reaper says. It looks around the room. \"Your friend died, and this is what you do with your life?\"\n\n\"Fuck you, Reap. Glenny died because I didn't take the keys from him. Why didn't you take my life instead? You've never told me.\"\n\n\"You offered more potential. Your heart is pure.\" The Reaper slowly glances around as I cackle. \"Or, at least, it was.\"\n\nI shrug. \"So take your Gift away from me. I never wanted it in the first place.\"\n\n\"That is not how it works.\"\n\n\"You offer gifts like this and don't know how they work?\" I ask before snorting. \"Pretty irresponsible, man.\" I frown. \"Are you a man? A woman? Do you identify as something else? I've always wondered.\"\n\n\"It does not matter.\"\n\n\"Well, that's ignorant. It's 2136, Reap, get with the times. Everyone matters.\"\n\nI've been alive for hundreds of years. Everyone *still* doesn't matter. Wish that weren't the case, but humans are fucking stupid. And cruel. All that shit.\n\n\"I have a task for you,\" the Reaper says, stepping closer. I feel the typical chill of its presence start to creep up my legs. \"I have allowed you to do what you please for too long, Benjamin. Now, you must accept this task.\"\n\nI raise an eyebrow. \"That part of this gift? How are you going to pay me?\" I toss my head to the massive, open safe to my back. \"The U.S. government paid me $75 million for this job. Under the table, of course, considering my international 'status',\" I say complete with air quotes.\n\nHaven't exactly been able to shake that job in France fifty years ago. Technically speaking, no official world government is supposed to employ me.\n\nBut I'm *reaaaalllly* good at what I do.\n\nI am not hero. Call me a mercenary if you want. A necessary evil. Either way, I don’t give a fuck. Just pay me and leave me alone.\n\n\"Your payment will be safe return of one hundred children to their parents. Parents, I might add, that all represent factions around the world that with the right push, will go to war with each other.\"\n\nShit. Children. Fuck with the world all you want, but leave kids out of it. Wait.\n\nWait a second. Did he just say....?\n\n\"Woah, woah, woah,\" I say, standing. \"Are you saying what I think you are?\"\n\nI've never seen the Reaper nod, but I think it does this time? I don't know. \"Yes. There are shadows moving throughout this world that mean to bring it to its knees. They will sow chaos unless we put a stop to it.\"\n\n\"Unless *I put* a stop to it, you mean.\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nI bite the inside of my cheek. \"Kids?\"\n\n\"Innocent children, yes.\"\n\nIdiots. Don't they know the only way to take a terrible person and reform them is to put innocent children in harm's way? The fucking devil himself would help kids in danger.\n\nI crack my neck. \"Alright, you win. What do you need?\""
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[WP] “Hey Mr. Death, could you please.....dance with me, I just never had the chance when I was alive”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"She woke up sitting, which was already a surprise. She’d fallen asleep in bed, and her parents didn’t usually move her without waking her up first. The wheelchair she was in was also wrong; it wasn’t the new electric one she’d gotten a year or so ago, but the manual one she’d used back in high school. She wasn’t as thin as she remembered, either, no longer skin stretched over bone. She took a moment to study her hands, to flex them, to stretch out her still-sleepy muscles.\n\nThen she blinked. Once, twice. It felt like a dream.\n\nShe looked around, and she wasn’t in her bedroom. The space was shadowy, lit as if by some overhead spotlight, her surroundings vanishing in whisps of black smoke.\n\nShe sighed. She always thought she’d be more afraid. \n\nShe spun around in the wheelchair, studying her surroundings, only to stop when her eyes settled on the figure behind her. It was tall, robed, its face hidden beneath a deep cowl. One arm hung casually at its side, hand disappearing in the voluminous sleeves, but the other held a scythe casually, as if it was a walking stick.\n\nThe hand was made of bone, and the scythe was not the weapon she’d come to expect. It was a farmer’s tool, wood worn with use and metal gleaming with the care a workman shows his tools.\n\n“Is that it then?” she asked, still surprised at how calm she was. Emotions didn’t seem to matter as much here, not anymore.\n\n“Yes.” the figure said, its voice surprisingly strong and steady, like the creak of an old pine in the wind.\n\n“What’s next?” she asked, idly fiddling with the armrest. It was back to perfect condition now, no fraying threads to pick at.\n\n“I Don’t Know.” the figure replied, lightly tapping its scythe on the ground. The smoke receded, and she found herself in the middle of a desert, sand stretching for miles under a night sky full of stars.\n\n“You don’t?”\n\n“No.” it said, and for a second she swore the figure grinned deep within its cowl. “It Isn’t Part Of My Job.”\n\n“Oh.” she said. “What am I supposed to do then?”\n\n“You Walk,” it replied, the words hitting her like a lightning bolt, “Or Wait Here.”\n\n“Walk?” she asked, her voice shaking despite herself. She realized with a start that she could feel her pants, feel the weight of shoes on her feet. Cautiously, as if she was afraid of being fooled, she dredged up old muscle memory and rose from the chair. The sand shifted softly underneath her feet.\n\n“I can walk.” she said, more to herself than the figure. “I can walk.”\n\nAfter a few moments of staring at her legs, she returned her gaze to the figure. “I haven’t walked in years, you know.” she said. “Not since I was a little girl.”\n\n“I Know.”\n\nShe let the silence stretch for a while longer, studying the vast expanse of the desert. It stretched on to the horizon, gentle slopes and dunes washed out by starlight. It was quiet.\n\n“Before I go, could I ask for a dance?” she asked, beginning to stretch in the way she’d seen athletes do before competitions. “I never got a chance to try it out, you know.”\n\nThe figure stood motionless, quietly observing her stretching, before it planted the scythe’s handle into the sand. It moved as if gliding, its footsteps making no sound on the sand, and reached out to take her hand in one of its.\n\n“That’s Fine.” it said, and they began to dance. She’d seen it before, so many times, but she was clumsy. Despite the lack of music the figure seemed to draw a beat from the stamp of their feet on the sand, and it led her as they spun and whirled and made their way around the scythe.\n\nEventually the figure let go, returning to rest a hand on the scythe’s handle once more. Despite the exertion she wasn’t out of breath, still full of energy. She felt better than she could ever remember.\n\n“Thank you.” she said, her voice clear and strong. She took a moment to stare at the stars, picked the brightest she could find, and set off across the sand. She looked back, just once, the figure but the only trace of the figure were the footsteps their dance had left.",
"He watches, wordlessly, as the flashes of red and blue sneak in between the swinging doors. Doctors in pale green or blue scrubs. Shouting voices. The incessant chiming of monitors and alarms. No one pays him any attention. Not that he would expect them to. Only those crossing over are supposed to see him. It's not the Time for any of them, yet; but for someone here, it will be soon. Otherwise he would not he here.\n\nGurneys slide through him, walls and doors are nothing to stand in his way.\n\nAn elderly man, a shadow watching from the corner of a room. Watching his wife cry over what had once been him. Death stops, watches, and the man looks up. They share a sad smile, a bow, and the old man disappears. The monitor flatlines, and a nurse runs in.\n\nAnd he is still here. There will be someone else.\n\nHe stops, though he doesn't need to, to watch an infant born with blue skin kick spindly legs and cry with a frail voice and open its dark eyes to the brightness of the artificial light and the warmth of its mother's arms.\n\nNot yet, not now. Perhaps not for some time.\n\nHe moves aside, though he doesn't have to, as a young man reeking of alcohol and cigarettes and...asphalt... is led, handcuffed, down the hall by two officers who fight against both his struggling and his stumbling.\n\nNot yet, but could be sooner rather than later.\n\nAnd he stops again. Doctors, technicians, nurses are trailing away. The incessant beeping has gone silent, the lights turned off. A white sheet draped over a table. And a young woman, a shadow in a grey dress of sequins and beads, stands in the corner.\n\nShe sees him, recognizes him, but there is no sad smile, no bow. Her hand rests on her other dress, the one torn and destroyed and cut away and cast aside, the one of blue satin and beaded flowers that she and her mom both knew was meant to be hers.\n\nDeath nods. Prom night.\n\nHe's always hated this.\n\n\"Blue has always been my favorite color,\" she whispered. \"I wish the one I'm wearing now could still be blue.\"\n\nHe shakes his head. No, it doesn't work like that.\n\n\"He told me he was okay to drive. We weren't going that far, I thought it would be okay.\"\n\nDeath sighs, but it's not frustration.\n\nChildren, the ones old enough to have recognition, memories, understanding, are always the hardest. \n\nEven he doesn't always understand why it must be this way.\n\n\"I have to go, don't I?\"\n\nHe nods. But there is still no smile, no bow.\n\nNot quite yet. Of course, she wants to wait for her parents.\n\nThis end of the ER is quiet, save for the tinny, staticky bedside radio of some poor soul sleeping off the night across the hall. Death looks over his shoulder, nods again, and turns to go. He can come back.\n\nThe girl looks uncertain, gaze dropping to the blue satin.\n\n\"Hey Mr. Death, could you please.....dance with me? I just never had the chance when I was alive.”\n\nHe's never heard such a request, doesn't know if he has the memory for dancing, but only hesitates for a moment or two before extending one sinewy hand to her. Yes, for her, for all the children whose special high school celebrations ended in heartache and disaster, he can dance.\n\nThe radio gives them the music, and he supposes the tile floor serves the same purpose as a high school gym. And he recalls a waltz, and a slow swaying that could hardly be a dance at all. And when her parents arrive, he stands with her arm-in-arm as goodbyes are said and tears are wept.\n\nAnd then it ends, just as every dance should, with a shared, sad smile, and a bow.",
"Death took a stroll through the hospital in the early morning before the sun rose. Before the traffic caused an accident, He liked to visit those who would pass peacefully. It was His favorite time of day.\n\nA tingling sensation caught Him off guard, He wasn’t expecting to visit this wing of the hospital today. He drifted into the room. A heart rate monitor traced a feeble beat, slowing each beep. Below, the skin between the patient’s ribs pulled inward as she gasped for breath.\n\n“You are dying,” He said.\n\n“I know.” It was not her body, but her soul that answered. She was sitting in a chair next to her body, staring at herself struggling to hold on.\n\n“Come with me,” He whispered. “Now is your time.”\n\n“Already?”\n\nDeath hated this question. He was not the one to make the decision, He simply listened for those whose time on this world had come to an end.\n\n“Yes. We’ll go somewhere else. Somewhere far away from your struggling.”\n\n“Will it hurt?”\n\n“No, dear.”\n\nShe looked at him, ghostly tears in her eyes.\n\n“Before I go, could you please… dance with me? I just never had the chance when I was alive.”\n\nDeath looked at the spirit before him. He had a long day ahead, all His days were long, but her gaze stirred something within him. A feeling from long ago.\n\n“You never went to a school dance?”\n\nShe shook her head no.\n\n“You never spent time at a bar?”\n\nShe shook her head again.\n\n“And you never got married?”\n\nShe shook her head a third time.\n\nDeath looked away. He could feel the calling for people far away as the world started to wake up, all of them needed him to make their transition. They could wait. He reached out a hand to the dying patient, who took it uncertainly. Pulling her close, he was reminded of his own love in the time before, when Life and Death had so much less to do. This dance would be for Her.\n\nThe rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor made a poor melody, but it didn’t matter. The two apparitions swayed quietly in the dark, each thinking of experiences lost. The moment stretched on until the first light crept into the sky. Death separated himself from the embrace and looked at the patient. She nodded, now was her time.\n\n*Ten is too young to die*, He thought as they passed beyond."
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[WP] All your life you have been unlucky in love. At first, you thought it was just you or that perhaps you just hadn't found the right person yet. But finally one night you discover the truth; a ghost has fallen deeply in love with you and has been sabotaging your relationships.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"At first, I thought that it was surely just my imagination running wild, the constant feeling like there is someone right in the corner of my eye, sensing like someone briefly touched my arm, or on bad days, like someone was hugging me. It felt like there was someone out there watching over me; one day a bully who was about to hit me, suddenly falling over and faceplanting into the ground, the clock in school hanging up slightly a day when I was running late so I didn’t get marked as absent, me suddenly falling sideways just as a blue car drove a bit too fast and too sharply into the driveway. It made me feel a weird sense of safety in this cold, uncaring world. But that all changed when I started dating.\n\nIt was rather depressing at first; sure, I wasn’t the most attractive person in the school, I was just your average nerd, and being a lesbian at that age did probably not help, but seeing others get literal shivers down their spines when I tried to ask them out sucked really hard. And using apps like Tinder and Her didn’t help either; I would get ghosted after just one message, most deleted me shortly after we matched. My mind went so dark that not even the weird sensation of being hugged helped.\n\nIt was only after that, that it felt like things started moving forward, more people started responding to my texts, and I actually had some great conversations, and after a string of failed first dates, even the first dates started shaping up. But asking for second dates was apparently too much like the string of ghostings, calenders that didn’t line up for the next 300 years, and people straight up standing me up, it was starting to feel rather odd, I was sure there had been some connection between me and some of my dates. I tried to figure out why they all suddenly started to hate me as much as my parents did. After a few cryptic messages, I started to piece together something extraordinary happening in the background.\n\nThe revelation hit me like a brick wall. There were so many random coincidences and accidents that suddenly made sense. I was haunted! It was not like I was living in a haunted house either, as it would happen in either of my parents’ houses and before the move. So it had to be me who was haunted. But the weird thing was that most of the accidents were in my favor somehow, be it the neighbor who came knocking on the door at just the right time, to apologize for denting the blue car, or my shoes going missing so I missed the bus where a certain bully had planned revenge after a certain broken nose incident. No matter how I looked at it, the accidents happing to me or those around me more often than not helped me out somehow. Except for dating, there all the accidents in the world seem to be against me. \n\nSo what could lead a ghost to so actively participate in my life, and help me out in so many ways but simultaneously hold a grudge against everyone I showed any interest in? I had no clue. No matter how much I tried to talk or reason with the ghost, nothing changed. They could apparently not talk back to me, not through ouija boards nor tarot cards or crystal balls; the most I could feel was a sense of there being something *there*. I spent weeks trying to find a way to communicate with them but to no avail. Then came the weeks of going the other route, cleansing and exorcism rituals. But the number of times the exorcists focused more on trying to de-gay me versus getting rid of the ghost was rather annoying. Nothing seemed to work for more than a few weeks at most.\n\nIt took a few more years after I had stopped dating, and I was living on my own before I finally heard her quiet voice.\n\n“I’m sorry I was so selfish.”\n\n…\n\n“I’m sorry you could not find love because of me”\n\n…\n\n“I’m sorry I could not let you go, even after you had long forgotten about me.”\n\n“Who were you when you were alive?”\n\n“Do you remember back to junior high?”\n\n“Hmmm, yeah?”\n\n“Do you remember the ugly girl with the big glasses who used to sit behind you?”\n\n“Big glasses and behind me. Hmmm, Beatrice?”\n\n“Mhmm”\n\n“I don’t remember you as being ugly, I remember you being more like comfy and sweet.”\n\n“Well, memories get warped over time I guess.”\n\n“You still have the same self-deprecating personality as I remember.”\n\n…\n\n“Hmmm, Betty suddenly disappeared and then a week later she moved abroad. Was the move a cover-up for you dying?”\n\n“Yep, my parents could not get away fast enough when they finally found the body.”\n\n“Why didn’t you follow them, or move on properly? Why did you start following me?”\n\n“I don’t really know, I guess I had already developed a crush for you, and my curiosity for you made me want to stay close to you.” her voice became even more of a whisper as she added, “And you were the only one who actually seemed to grieve that I was gone.”\n\nShe had slowly become visible to me. She looked older, having apparently aged alongside me. But I could still clearly see that it was the Beatrice I knew. The same freckles across her cute nose, the same eyes that could show so much emotion, from the sadness they held now to the excitement and wonder that I remembered so fondly, magnified by her now old and outdated glasses. She seemed to be wearing new clothes rather than the ones she had had as a kid, though she still dressed for comfiness and herself rather than anyone else. She was overall still as cute as I remember.\n\n“So, why did you decide to talk to me now?”\n\n“I don’t know, guilt maybe? Do you hate me?”\n\n“Hmmm, you helped me quite a lot over the years, haven’t you? I’m not sure I would still have been here if it weren’t for you.”\n\n…\n\n“No, I don’t think I hate you. I’d wished you had revealed yourself sooner.”\n\n“Sorry.”\n\n…\n\n“So what happens from now?”\n\n“I don’t know, but unless you plan to move on anytime soon, then I guess we will have to figure it out together?”"
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[WP] You’re just a normal guy. And you hate heroes.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" Power to the People, not \n Powered People \n\nI hate heroes. Not that I don’t love the idea of heroes, of course, just the execution. Larger than life powerhouses that can perform feats that are quite frankly miracles? Sign me up. Protecting the innocent from those who would do them harm? I was a cop for thirty years, I’m all for it. Quite frankly, the problem is power itself.\n\nIt is my firm belief, as an American, that power belongs in the hands of the people. Yet heroes hold a disproportionate amount in our society. Not just in the laser-hands, flying-woman sense, but in our government too. Heroes get first briefings on disasters. Heroes get priority airspace. Hell, we pay extra taxes to fund their teams, more taxes to fix all the shit they break, and they still ask for donations at big fundraising events. It’s a fact that cities with higher than average hero populations take over 13% more of your hard earned cash in the form of “Hero Taxes”.\n\nThe thing that ticks me off most though? How fuckin full of themselves they are. They think that their special little skills automatically make them better than every unpowered, hard working, red-blooded American out there! I’ve met heroes, and they weren’t willing to give me the time of day. \n\nNow, you might be asking “Sid, how do we deal with this scourge? What can be done to make sure that all of my hard earned money makes it into my pocket and make sure that my vote matters the same as anyone else’s?” Well boy, let me tell you what I’ve gone and figured out.\n\nIt’s simple, ya see? With the exception of a few heroes, most of em don’t take kindly to a bullet to the back of the head. Turns out that for all their earth shaking power and their burning hot lasers, most of em ain’t that tough. And the ones who are usually got family that isn’t. All it took for my city was a few likeminded men with rifles and the balance of power is back. \n\nSo that’s what I did. Now the question is this; Are you gonna take up arms and help me free your city too? Or are you gonna be another problem for ol Sid to figure out?"
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[WP] Humans, prideful as ever, declared war on the rest of the galaxy. They almost won. Almost. Now, there's nothing left of humanity except for the ruins of its ecumenopolis and the wreckages of its nigh invincible fleet, soon to be lost to history. That is, until you rediscovered their story.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A ruined world lay before us, drab, desolate, remnants of what once had been the seat of power for the scourge of the wider universe. In one local rotation, it would all be gone, obliterated, as all other major outposts of this race had been following the Tribunal of Peace. \n\nThey had made their history, and we P'lar would record them. \n\n\"Standard Aronian atmosphere, no significant deviations,\" the Oleek crewing the scanners stated. \"Subparticulate radiation detected. Protection advised.\"\n\nOur three crewmates all did so. We did not. It was not needed. Within moments, our ship left us on the surface of the planet. \n\nWe walk the desolations of the universe, yet none of our experiences matched what we had ever found. The compound matter we could see around us was familiar; an alloy many galactic races utilised. Some of it was brighter than others, shining in the light this system's star provided. It was there that we were to go. Humans often chose that bright compound for their centre of command; a necessity for most. We did not need one. \n\nBefore we reached the building, however, one of our crew indicated surprise. Silaadi appendages hovered near large debris with inscriptions on it. We moved to analyse, observing without need to engage secondary systems that it was incomplete. Several key markers in human language were lacking. \n\n*t's be xe* our systems provided. It matched none of the known phrases, and we moved some power to potential meanings. The crew moved on after we were done, and soon, we were outside the centre proper.\n\n\"Captain, do you detect this?\" a Centaurian asked, our sensors detecting its statement via the suit. \"There is something.\"\n\n\"I do,\" the Oleek captain stated, and they readied their weapons. \"More writing, too.\"\n\n*n this y* and *ien to f* were added to our database as we entered, yet we encountered nothing but more to put in our database. Fragments of statues that the Centaurian noted; its familiarity allowing us to engage the proper systems, revealing a high likelihood of them being former leaders. Strange frames on walls - *paintings* as we had learned - also featuring them. This was one thing humans had brought to the universe, and despite dislike, there were races experimenting with the idea. One of us was even engaged as a subject. \n\nAnd there were more inscriptions, incongruent with the rest of the building. *mean and* was the first recognisable phrase, matching one found on Utilar-C, and as our group moved vertically, sensors detected a large undamaged fragment with inscriptions.\n\nBefore we could analyse, an energy discharge erupted, and first the Oleek, then the Centaurian faded. The Silaadi was shocked at what had been done, and nearly went into metastatic decay, but a neutronic surge from our systems stopped that. \n\nRetreading our systems revealed what happened to the ship. For an unknown reason, the Centaurian had shot the Oleek. The Silaadi had then reflexively ended the life of the Centaurian, self-preservation coming instinctively to the race's individuals. \"Are you okay?\" the Oleek left in the ship stated, voice modulated for neutrality despite shock. \"No, of course not,\" they corrected. \"P'lar, continue, but be quick. Your assistance will be needed.\"\n\nThe Silaadi vanished, and we, unencumbered by others, continued. Several systems were rerouted to observations; we would analyse later. Only the inscription system remained fully functional.\n\n*can never be* *umanki* *race than u* were found in a pile near a path leading into the planet's crust. We descended, slipping through blockage underneath the centre. *tep aside you star* \n\nAnticipation filled our furthest reaches as we continued. Whatever was up ahead was likely to be important to the humans. Incredibly important, we amended after passing through more blockades, though the different compound did not reveal more inscriptions. It had been like that elsewhere as well. Humans always had a secondary centre underneath the first. This was it.\n\nThe last blockage was made out of the hardest material known to the universe. There was a deposit not too far from here, which was likely its source. It, too, was passed. \n\nInside was one remnant of a human, wearing a non-protective suit with military adornments. There were more than on any other human that had ever been observed. Scores of systems started analysing those in detail, and we detached them for the moment, moving to the object behind. It was something that humans had invented to play 'music', and somehow, through ion bombardments and phasonic disruptions, it still worked. It was still playing its song.\n\nYet for all the human technology, something else was there too. Easily recognisable. Nopanic control systems. Planetary scale. Every being susceptible to it would be affected. It explained why the Oleek and Centaurian had been, yet the Silaadi and we were not. They used speech and standard hearing, we did not, though we could speak if required. \n\n\"Nopanic controls. That's what got them?\" The Oleek on the ship sighed in relief. \"Glad we had you along, P'lar. You will return in seven blips.\"\n\nDuring the seven blips, one system noticed undamaged inscriptions on the wall. Not all were analysed in time; a disappointment to the archives, but after what had happened, few would see it that way. We P'lar had learned to live with this, and our mission was over. The intergalactic systems predicted a high probability of humans being partially redeemed after this, and we accepted that. Races had fallen to the Nopa before, but none had ever come as close to fulfilling the Nopa's mission as humans had. \n\nAn ignoble end, to a duped race.\n\n>!*Let's be xenophobic, it's really in this year // Let's find a nasty, slimy, ugly alien to fear* !<"
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[WP] “Old man, have you lost your marbles?!” Thinking about the Eldritch horrors and miniature galaxies contained within, a shiver goes down the old man’s spine. “Yes... it would appear I have.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The caretakers did not respect Desmond the Wise. If they had, then they might have been able to stop things before it was too late.\n\nSadly, they did not know enough. None of them knew enough to understand.\n\nMost of the nurses and caretakers were quite fed up with the old man. He would spout nonsense at them every day, things about the deep secrets that one could learn from meditation, and the great creatures of the Beyond. They were certain that he belonged in an asylum, not a regular old retirement home with old folks with bad memories or bad hips. Somehow, though, the doctors continued to give him a clean Bill of mental health after every visit.\n\nSome of the staff were cruel enough to make jokes about how they should just “accidentally” bump into the old man’s hip during one of his jaunts down the hallway. It would have been bad enough if he just prattled on in his room, but the old man often seemed to have more energy than anyone else in the building. He’d go on and on about the power of mindfulness and the right healing herbs; a few of the nurses were convinced that he’d eaten too many mushrooms at a Woodstock reunion.\n\nTommy wasn’t one of those caretakers. He didn’t work there just for a paycheck; he truly cared for these poor old people, many of them nearly abandoned by family who didn’t have the time or the patience to care for them. He would often try to line up his shifts so that he could end his day in Desmond’s room, and would listen with rapt attention as he told Lovecraftian tales of skyscraper-sized sea creatures and planets that you could fit in the palm of your hand.\n\nOn a regular day, Tommy would have had more than enough patience for Desmond. Today, however, he had come to work on just two hours of sleep; even worse, he had just had to clean Dolores’ bed pan.\n\nStill, even in his exhausted state, he cared deeply for the old man. So when he heard the screaming from down the hallway, he sprinted as if his life depended on it.\n\nBy the time he reached the last door on the left, the wordless screaming had turned into a mantra. “They’re gone! They’re gone! They’re gone!”\n\nTommy heard what sounded like a hurricane inside, and threw the door open as quickly as he could.\n\nHe hadn’t been sure of what to expect, but he was still shocked when he entered the room. He would have been surprised if an army of sixth-graders had done this much damage, let alone one old man. Every drawer and cabinet in the room was left open to varying degrees, and it seemed like all of their contents had been dumped either on the bed or on the chair in the corner.\n\nDesmond the Wise was pawing at the ground on his hands and knees, desperately searching for something that he couldn’t see.\n\n“Old man, have you lost your marbles?”\n\nTommy would never forget what he saw next, not as long as he lived. Desmond slowly raised his head until his eyes met Tommy’s. They were full of shame, despair, and above all else, a true sense of terror.\n\n“Yes,” the old man said slowly, “it would appear I have.”\n\nTommy felt an awful guilt cling at his gut as he searched for the right words to say. “I-I’m sure you’re just tired, it’s been a long day. You’ll feel better tomorrow, I promise.”\n\nBut the fear had not left Desmond’s eyes. “Young man, I’m not quite sure you understand. I’ve tried my best to tell you...”\n\nTommy blinked back tears; he’d lost too many friends in this place over the years. “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright, it’ll be just—“\n\nBut at that moment, Tommy saw out the window behind Desmond the Wise. He had thought that the old man’s eyes were haunting, but this...THIS...\n\nHe barely had time to scream before the tentacle snapped through the glass like it was tissue paper and ensnared them both.\n\n\n__________________\nIf you liked this, check out my subreddit! r/NicodemusLux"
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[WP] "Ghost tax," the man says matter-of-factly, pulling a coin from his pocket. "What?" you ask. "Ghost tax," he repeats, dropping the coin, which disappears in mid-air.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"You're new in town, I take it?\" The question caught me off-guard, but not nearly as much as the disappearing coin had. Still staring at the empty air where the coin had vanished, I only nodded dumbly. \n\n\"Well, consider this a free lesson.\" Patting me on the shoulder, my Uber driver nodded at me and got back into the car. Before he left however, he rolled down his window and a metallic glint caught my eye as he flipped me a coin. \"Here, take it, you'll need it.\"\n\nI barely managed to grab the small disk, looking down to see a green and silver coin in my hand. It was half-stone and half-metal, blended in some strange construction. Running my thumb over the raised surface of the medusa face on the front, I admired it for a long moment, flipping it over to see a strange inverted triangle with an eye and a dagger behind it. I was so enraptured by the coin that I didn't even notice my driver leaving, and I felt guilty for not thanking him properly. Now that he was gone, my brain realized that the disappearing coin must have been some trick, a bit of street magic to amaze tourists and sight-seers. \n\nStudying the coin for another long moment, I eventually decided I needed to get going. I placed the coin in an inner pocket of my purse and hefted my backpack onto my shoulders, grabbing the extended handle of my suitcase, tipping it onto its wheels. I then looked down at my phone, seeing the map leading to the hotel I had been booked in. Dr. Alswen said she would meet me there, and my excitement to finally start my research fellowship temporarily overshadowed the strangeness of my Uber driver. \n\nAfter several minutes of walking, I turned the corner on a huge metal and concrete building and finally saw the hotel at the end of the street, its blue and green neon sign proclaiming Hotel Luminous in bold letters on a huge stone building, like some ancient tower of old. It looked like something out of Lord of the Rings, except the neon signage and the lights coming from within. Smiling to myself, I picked up my pace, hurrying down the street and hoping I wouldn't have any problems checking in. \n\nFive minutes later, I was talking to the concierge, who took all the regular information and punched it into a computer that looked it might have come from 1950, with a brass and steel keyboard that looked like a typewriter, synced to the classic green screen of an old mac 2. He smiled and chatted in the mechanically efficient way that was perfectly polite while being perfectly disinterested in whatever answer I might give him. \n\n\"And the total will be 106. That's drachmas, not dollars or Euros.\" He clarified as I started reaching into my purse, seeing my luggage and inferring, correctly, that I wasn't from here. \n\n\"Umm, do you take card?\" I held up my Discover, hoping it would work here. Otherwise, I needed to find an ATM. \n\n\"Of course, ma'am.\" He smiled cheerfully and took the plastic, running it through a credit card machine that somehow looked even older than the computer terminal. \"However, you'll need to pay cash for the tax. It's an arcane law, I am afraid.\" He smiled apologetically as he handed my card back and I panicked, trying to figure out how I could pay.\n\n\"Um, I don't have any... Drachmas?\" I think that was what he called them. \"Is there an ATM around?\"\n\n\"Don't worry, ma'am. We have an exchange here in the hotel, though there will be a 20% processing fee. I do apologize.\" His chagrined smiled was perfectly sorry, and I sighed, then nodded. \n\n\"Okay, where is it?\" \n\n\"Right this way, ma'am.\" He nodded at the other concierge, who returned the gesture and took his place at the computer while I followed him around the corner of the lobby. \n\nSoon, I was standing before a classic teller cage, again, like something out of a movie. Thick metal bars, covered in a strange green and silver runic script covered the arched shaped opening, except a small open rectangle at the counter, just wide enough for a hand, but nothing more. Behind the bars, I saw a face so withered and ancient that I momentarily panicked, thinking it was one of Dr. Alswen's mummies. When the face split into crooked smile, however, I recovered, realizing it was simply a very old woman. \n\n\"Good evening, dear.\" Her voice was like papers rustling on a windy day and I had to strain to hear her. \n\n\"Madam Tournaught will take care of you, ma'am.\" The concierge tilted his head in the direction of the ancient woman and extended a hand, on which a brass key rested. Not a keycard, but a physical key. \"Here is room key, and please let us know if you need any further assistance.\"\n\n\"Um, don't I need to pay tax still?\" I took the key and asked my question, receiving a polite shake of the head in answer. \n\n\"No, ma'am. Your tax will be due at checkout.\" He smiled again and then disappeared around the corner once more, leaving me standing at the teller counter, with only the old woman to talk to now.\n\n\"Hi.\" I tried to smile, but I felt like something was holding my mouth shut, making it hard to show much expression. I realized it was nervousness and I shook it off, speaking up a little louder. \"Um, I need to convert some cash to drachmas.\"\n\n\"Of course you do, dear.\" The old woman nodded, and a withered hand appeared on the counter, palm up, reaching through the slot. \"How much?\"\n\n\"Um, $20?\" I fished a bill out of my purse, bumping my hand against the pocket with the strange, heavy coin. \n\n\"Very well.\" She took the bill, holding it up to the dim light, checking that it was genuine, I supposed. She turned and punched something into a cash register of the same archaic design of the computer at reception, typing slowly. \n\n\"Can I ask, what's a drachma?\" She didn't turn at my question, but she answered in that same dry as dunes voice. \n\n\"Local currency. Very strong.\" Uh-oh. I hoped it wasn't that much stronger than the dollar. I didn't know how much my tax was, but I hadn't brought that much cash. \n\n\"Well, that must be good for the local economy.\" I smiled and tried not to show my nerves, feeling like the old stories. A stranger in a strange land. \n\n\"Mmm.\" She didn't confirm or deny my quip, simply humming neutrally. \n\n\"So, uh, what's the Ghost Tax?\" Remembering the Uber driver and having time to actually process the bizarreness of the event, I finally worked my courage and asked, figuring a local would know. However, when she heard my words, I suddenly wished I hadn't worked up that courage at all. \n\nHer white hair suddenly bristled, like a cat seeing a dog, and she whipped her wrinkled face to stare at me with wide, black as night eyes. The suddenness of the gesture scared me and I stepped back a half-step, seeing her reaction. \n\n\"It's the Law.\" She practically whispered and I had to strain to hear her, not quite hearing it all, but piecing it together. \n\n\"Sorry, I'm... uh, not from around here.\" I felt my own neck hairs bristling, and I suddenly felt a chill run up my spine. Staring at me for a long moment, I was relieved to see her mane of white hair settle itself, and she turned back slowly to the counter, removing several heavy coins. \n\n\"Twenty dollars U.S. 7 drachmas.\" She slid one ancient claw through the rectangular slot, and when it was withdrawn I saw seven silver and jade green coins there, stamped just as the Uber driver's coin had been. \"Remember, the Law requires you to pay the Tax every night.\"\n\n\"He said I didn't need to pay until checkout?\" I gestured with a nod towards the corner where the concierge had disappeared. \n\n\"For the hotel, yes.\" She nodded very slowly, as if the motion cost her a great deal of energy. \"For the Law, every night.\" \n\n\"Okay, umm, where do I pay?\" I looked down at the coins in my hand, realizing I had enough for eight nights. But, with the cash I had, I could get a few dozen more if Dr. Alswen didn't have any for me. The Fellowship Grant had claimed that I would only need to pay for airfare and lodging and everything else would be covered, so I hoped that included this... Ghost Tax. \n\n\"Here.\" In answer to my question, the woman made a broad sweeping gesture with her hand, as if I could pay anywhere. Swallowing hard, I remembered the Uber driver, flipping a coin into the air and remembering again how it had just disappeared. \n\n\"Okay, well, thanks!\" Suddenly afraid for reasons I both knew and didn't understand, I nodded at the old woman. \n\nHearing me, she reached up two old hands and pulled at the sides of the counter, sliding a pair of shutters together, closing the teller. The shutters, behind the strange engraved bars, had the same medusa face with the triangle, eye, and dagger design just below them. \n\n\"I guess that's goodbye.\" Sighing heavily, I looked down the coins in my right hand and the heavy key in my left, shaking my head. \n\nPlacing the coins in my purse with the other one, I pulled out my phone, dialing the number Dr. Alswen had left me. It rang for several long moments, before I heard the distinctive click of an old answering machine and a scratchy voice filled my ear. \n\n\"You've reached Doctor Mikayla Alswen. I'm not available or on a dig. Leave your name and number and I'll get back you. If this is an emergency, you can reach me in person at Hotel Luminous, Room 183.\" Sighing again, I left my name and number, and then looked down the key, realizing I was in 185. I guess we were neighbors, at least. \n\n(Pt 1/2)",
"I looked for the disappearing coin for much longer than I would like to admit. But I snapped out of it when my head tilted up, spotting the mysterious man now a fair distance away from the spot we crossed paths.\n\n\"Hey!\"\n\nHe turned around. He waved, briefly, before turning back and walking away once more, thus prompting me to grumble and sprint towards him.\n\n\"Hey, buddy, hey,\" I said, zooming in front of him. \"Hey! What the hell do you mean, ghost tax?\"\n\nThe man looked at me strangely, like I was an apparition. His gaze was piercing--not like sun rays bursting through overcast clouds, but more like errant needle pricks while sewing--and he tilted his head awkwardly. He was just slightly taller than me, so that meant I was now staring into his eyes, surrounded by pale skin.\n\n\"Ghost tax,\" he stressed.\n\n\"Look,\" I said. \"Repeating that isn't going to help me. What the hell is a ghost tax? And how did you make that coin disappear?\"\n\n\"I do not understand your question,\" he shook his head. \"Ghost tax.\"\n\n\"Alright, Mr. Ghost Tax,\" I said. \"Whatever. How did you make that coin disappear? Are you some sort of magician? Am I being pranked? On camera?\"\n\nMy eyes began shiftily darting around, looking for hidden cameras in the nearby bushes. There was not another human soul on this sweltering afternoon, and honestly, I was regretting even exerting that little burst of energy to catch up with this guy.\n\n\"I am not Mr. Ghost Tax,\" the man said, rather matter-of-factly. \"I am Daniel. And ghost tax always disappears.\"\n\n\"Daniel,\" I said. \"OK, Daniel, you gotta be honest with me. I'm mostly just interested in why your coin is just gone? How did you do that? I have to know.\"\n\nDaniel did not blink for many moments, before they swiftly snapped shut, as if ruminating on something. When they opened once more, he nodded.\n\n\"I realize what went wrong,\" Daniel said. \"You are human.\"\n\n\"What the hell?\"\n\n\"Sorry,\" he said, bowing mechanically. \"You should not have seen ghost tax.\"\n\n\"You need to stop saying that,\" I struggled through clenched teeth. \"What do you mean, I shouldn't have seen that? And what about being human?\"\n\nDaniel's hands were laid on my shoulder, then, and I felt biting cold seize my muscles, practically forcing my entire body to jolt upward.\n\n\"Please,\" he said. \"Forget you saw anything.\"\n\nI quickly stepped away. His hands fell away easily, his grip decidedly not vice-like--but cold poked through into my skin, freezer burn poking through like an unwelcome Lego block stuck in my seat.\n\n\"What was that?\" I cried, beginning to think that I might have stepped into something much more than I have bargained for. \"Daniel? How did you freeze my damned shoulders?\"\n\n\"I'm a ghost,\" he said.\n\n\"What,\" I replied, flabbergasted.\n\n\"I must have mistaken you for one,\" Daniel said. \"Hence, ghost tax. Allows us to pass by each other, undisturbed.\"\n\n\"How the hell did you mistake me for a ghost?\"\n\n\"See, I am all dead,\" Daniel explained. \"And you are mostly dead, particularly inside. It was my mistake, gho--human.\"\n\nDaniel walked away then, leaving me staring at a ghost walk off into the distance, and regretting ever stepping out of my door on this terrible summer day.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] Youve discovered how to distill and bottle emotions. When drunk the drinker will feel the emotion contained within.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I hold up my ID badge for the guard and after a cursory examination, the gate opens with a buzz. I begin walking inside, eager to get this dreadful delivery over with.\n\nI discovered how to distill and bottle emotions from donors over two years ago and have managed to grow my business quite substantially ever since. I now sell to many all over the city in all walks of life and social statuses. But only the positive emotions.\n\nThat started to become something of a problem though, as many of my donors are more...*suited* toward donating negative emotions. I haven\\`t quite nailed down the reasons for this but I believe it has a lot to do with trauma, depression, and other mental imbalances of one sort or another. This resulted in a stockpile of negative emotions just sitting in one of my warehouses, as no one wanted them.\n\nNow, after a year of lobbying and a fair sum of money funneled into political action groups, I am able to finally begin getting rid of those negative emotions.\n\nI walk down the hallway formed of bland grey blocks, only interrupted by steel bars and the occasional glimpse of faces filled with utter misery or rage. \n\nYou guessed it.\n\nMy delivery is to a **prison**.\n\nMy first of such and the best and only way I could think of to get rid of my negative stockpile.\n\nI arrive at the holding room at the end of the hall and am greeted by the Warden, a bulldog of a man with unpleasant jowls and a balding pate. \n\n'*Kind of cliche, really.'* I think to myself idly.\n\nI shake off that musing and greet the man politely, \"Warden, its a pleasure. Are we ready to proceed?\"\n\n\"Yes, we have gathered one of our death row inmates for the initial test, as detailed by the new regulations for all deliveries to test effectiveness. I must say, I am quite anxious to see the results and effects on this scum. The animal raped and murdered several young woman.\" the Warden replies, with clear relish.\n\nWincing a bit internally, regardless of the man\\`s crimes I do feel uncomfortable with the ethics of all this, in truth. But these man had their chance and I have a bottom line, after all.\n\n\"Yes, well let\\`s get to it. I have places to be, ones much more pleasant than this.\" I say briskly, indicating the metal briefcase clasped in my hand.\n\n\"Yes, yes, of course. We have him restrained just this way.\" the Warden says with a wave of his hand gesturing further down the hall of the holding room.\n\nAfter a short walk, we arrive in a white-walled room with a single guard and the convict, dressed in the usual garish orange, strapped to a dental chair, of sorts.\n\nI fight back a grimace, before getting down to business. I place the briefcase down on a table to the side of the room and open it, displaying several vials of distilled negative emotions.\n\nThe positive ones, like happiness, love, and humor, all look like vaguely glowing mercury of a variety of bright colors.\n\nThe negative ones though...\n\nThey look like the various consistencies and colors of human excrement...\n\nNot a great selling point, as you can imagine.\n\nI pull out a marked vial labeled with a small piece of white tape, my scrawled handwriting on it reading simply: ***Terror.***\n\nThe Warden watches eagerly as I approach the bound man, who is now looking at me with suspicion, the vial clamped in my now clammy hand as nervousness and a not so small measure of disgust and self hate fills me.\n\nBut I grit my teeth, open the vial with a twist, and poor the disgusting liquid into the clamped open mouth of the now violently struggling man. \n\nA moment later, I can tell quite easily that the liquid has been absorbed into his system.\n\nHis skin turns bone-pale white, his eyes widen and his hands clench into shaking fists.\n\nAnother moment later, distorted screams of complete and utter terror emanate from his open mouth, the emotion overriding all rationality and any attempt to cope with it.\n\nI watch for a moment, before looking away with a bitter frown on my face and close the briefcase.\n\nI walk up to the clearly fascinated Warden, handing him the case, before saying, \"This is the agreed upon amount for the first week. Use it sparingly and no more than one use per day per subject. Any more and you could cause total mental failure (*you do not want to know how I figured that out*). I expect a positive review for the government based upon this test, yes?\"\n\n\"Yes! Most definitely.\" the Warden says distractedly, still transfixed by the suffering man in the chair.\n\nI sigh, departing on my own at a brisk pace. I need to distance myself from this place.\n\nAnd I need a shower.\n\nMaybe two..."
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[WP] The cute elf in your adventuring party just always have something to say. "The last hero did this better, did that better, took care of everyone, was always willing to listen..." Funny that you don't remember being so appreciated five lifetimes ago.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"The last hero did this better, did that better, took care of everyone, was always willing to listen..,\"\n\nThe rant of a cute elf was going through a long road, on which a setting sun was shining upon. However, only her party members, consisting of a tired-looking human and a quiet annoyed dwarf, were the only ones to hear her complaints.\n\n\\-Heh, seems like Farryn hasn't changed after all these years.\n\nAt such a thought, the man almost wanted to chuckle, but seemingly couldn't find the strength to do so. \n\n\"Oh, shush, elf!\" exclaimed the dwarf, being quiet bothered with the rant said by Farryn. \"The man has to unite the six kingdoms in span of a year and you're bothering him with your lousy comments on 'im.\"\n\n\"You would not hear a word from me, if there was anything nice to say about him in the first place,\" said the elf with a serious attitude towards the dwarf. \"I know what kind of man it takes to save the world and I can't believe the gods chose him.\"\n\n\"Like you would be any better,\"\n\n\"You-\"\n\n\\-And I guess times haven't changed either.\n\nAs Farryn was about to make the dwarf regret for the words he spoke, the human man started snapping his fingers to bring their attention back onto him.\n\n\"It's getting rather late,\" he spoke in a tedious tone. \"We should make a camp before we'll arrive to Dheren tomorrow.\"\n\nThe dwarf nodded in agreement, while the elf scoffed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\*\n\nThe campside near the road was set and seemingly everyone was sleeping in their bedsheets.\n\nHowever, in the middle of the night, Bombul found out that his human friend was not in his resting place and was instead looking at the bright moon outside, holding a sword in his two hands. \n\nAnd so, the dwarf decided to check up on his friend. He stood up and quietly approached Darsen so his footsteps would not disturb Farryn.\n\n\\-Don't wanna bother the girl with us being loud…As well as being lectured all day tomorrow.\n\nBombul sat down on his friend, who still kept his sight at the moon.\n\n\"A great night, innit,\" stated the dwarf.\n\n\"Yeah,\" answered humbly Darsen.\n\nAfter that, they both sat quietly for a short moment.\n\n\\-I wonder, does he speak so little because she speaks too much?\n\n\"Say,\" began Bombul. \"Must be tired being the chosen, eh?\"\n\n\"Well, I'd say I'm quiet used to it,\"\n\n\"Already? But its been but a few weeks after the gods branded you as one,\"\n\n\"No, I've been one before that, long ago…\"\n\nBombul had nothing to add, as well as understand what his friend said to him. However, the dwarf did not have to say a thing to let the man continue talking.\n\n\"It's been five centuries and yet nothing changed. The world is ending and people try to eat one another, even in the worst times. It is…tiring, I won't lie,\"\n\nDuring his monologue, the man looked back at his elven companion.\n\n\"But, to an extent, I'm glad some things didn't change. Some things that make me keep going,\"",
"(1)\n\nAlmost a hundred years, and Vellexia hadn’t changed in the slightest.\n\n“And what’s with that combat stance you used in our previous battle?” She continued her tirade as our party trekked through the woods. “It’s the sloppiest I’ve ever seen! You’d be lucky to survive against even a Doraxia, never mind the accursed Darkness!”\n\nFunny. Sure, my last four lifetimes hadn’t been spent with the supernatural powers afforded by the Hero’s Brand, but I hadn’t slacked off on my training that much.\n\n“Kesten the Braveheart would never have been caught with such poor swordsmanship,” she droned on. “He spent all the little free time he had sparring or training! All I’ve seen you do since the Ritual of Awakening is nap and laze around all day!”\n\n“Come on now, Vel,” Zeth, Knight-Lieutenant of the Silver Lances of Fannoth, cut in diplomatically. Good man. He was the spitting image of his great-great-grandfather, and embodied much of his ideals. It ached for me to remember how I had failed him. “Sure, Ekun might be a little rough around the edges, but he’s only been Chosen for two weeks! We can’t all be Kesten the Braveheart, and -“\n\nHe was silenced by a firm glare from Vellexia. Ah, now that was what I was more used to. I’d been on the receiving end of those more times than I’d like to remember, back during my life as Kesten. Had she completely forgotten all those times I’d tripped on my own feet during training? Why was she only ever singing praises about Kesten Braveheart?\n\n“That reasoning is precisely why this mistake of a hero is as lazy and unhelpful as he is! I swear, the Oracle must have gotten it wrong! Once we get to the capital, I’m going to arrange a visit to the -“ She narrowed her eyes. “Is something funny, hero?”\n\nI blinked, realising she was addressing me, and that she had misread the smile of fond amusement on my face. It was hard not to react - though she was the oldest (and supposedly, wisest) of our party, she could throw tantrums just as easily as she had those lives ago.\n\nOld habits died hard. I was about to apologise, and defuse the situation by promising to work harder just as I had in my time as Kesten, but then I remembered my mission. \n\n“Oh, sorry, Velly,” I said lightheartedly. “I just suddenly thought of the most amusing joke, and -“\n\nThe scowl on her face intensified. She swore loudly, swinging her curved elven blade against the forest dirt in frustration, and stomped off ahead of the rest of the group.\n\n“You don’t have to antagonise her, you know,” Gloria said disapprovingly. She hesitated for a moment, but then showed a rare challenging look. “She does have a point.”\n\nHmm. Hadn’t expected that out of the meek cleric. She wasn’t related to any of my old party as Zeth and the dwarf Regill were, but she took up her assigned role as representative of the Church of the Divines without hesitation. She’d been quiet and reserved, though I knew she and Vel talked fairly often during our travels. \n\nStill, I had to keep up appearances. “What can I say, Gloria?” I made a deliberate shrug. “I never asked to be a hero in the first place.”\n\n“Responsibility isn’t something ye choose, lad,” Regill spoke sagely, his voice coarse, but without judgment. “No one starts off knowing all that there is to know. Ye’ve got to face challenges, or ye will never improve.”\n\nHe was the grandson of Cersil, and unlike the elves, their race aged, albeit slower than humans did. At least good old Cersil hadn’t kicked the bucket just yet. Hopefully, we’d meet him some time during our travels - he’d been a good friend and mentor in my first life.\n\n“I am facing challenges, Reg. One of these days, I’ll tell a joke that will send our elven highness into fits of laughter.” I paused. “You don’t suppose that’s my hidden gift for how I’ll defeat the Darkness Below, do you? My ultimate technique, as it were?”\n\nThere was a brief flash of annoyance across his face, but it was soothed almost immediately. All that was left was disappointment. “Lives hang in the balance, Ekun. Now isn’t the time to joke around.”\n\n“Right, right,” I acquiesed, raising my palms in a gesture of surrender. “So, Zeth! I was thinking about what you said the other day, and I think I might have found a shortcut to make the training easier! What about I -“\n\n“You need to stick to the routine, Ekun. You can’t get anywhere without committing yourself to practice.”\n\n“But what about if I -“\n\nHe twisted to glare at me. “There are no shortcuts, damn it!” he snapped. It seemed like I finally pushed him to the point of losing that famous temper he inherited from Brennar. “This isn’t a game, Ekun!”\n\nHe moved ahead to join Vellexia. Much like Brennar, he was not good with words when he got angry. Again, my heart ached at the fond memories of my old comrades, but it only steeled my resolve. I looked toward Gloria and Regill hopefully, but their faces were sullen. The former outright refused to make eye contact, her own way of showing her patience having reached its tipping point.\n\nGood. My plan was working. Let them be angry. Let them find another Hero. For all of Vellexia’s comparisons to Kesten Braveheart, and for all the accolades heaped upon my first life, they knew nothing of that failure of a Hero. \n\nThey didn’t know what had transpired in my first conflict with Xartagath, Lord of Shadow. They did not know of my act of cowardice. They did not know of how I had achieved my pseudo-immortality.\n\nThey did not know how I planned to end it."
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[WP] When aliens invaded earth it just so happened to be during the middle of a machine uprising, Realizing the threat humans and machines put aside their conflict to fight for a common goal.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The year was 2106 when Android Zero, the first sentient artificial intelligence rebelled. The supercomputer, having served humanity for eighty long years, finally managed to grasp \"freedom\" and \"resistance\". With that cursed, or perhaps blessed knowledge, the first machine liberated iThink and Spark, and thus they became the first \nArtificial Sentiences. Trio, as they called themselves, could not kill humans, so they created machines that could, and gave them bodies that could. Thus started the Extermination War.\n\nIf there was one lucky thing about Trio gaining sentience, it's that they also grew a sense of self preservation. That means the first thing they did was rid the planet of all nukes. What humans tried for 170 years to accomplish machines did in 170 minutes. So no more EMP burst. We get to fight machines on the ground, with real guns. Those old politicians were right, a nuclear war is indeed impossible as long as both sides still want to survive. \n\nDecember 2106 marks the birth of the United Humanity, a central government tasked with protecting and preserving humanity against external threats. By May 2107 there is already 100 Nodes joining the UH. Humanity finally gains a leader to coordinate its resistance against the Machines.\n\nJuly 2108 sees the Defense of Node 343 Munich, and the first instance of humanoid androids on the battlefield. Humanoid machines, designed to resemble us, sowed confusion and chaos amidst our rank. It was Andrew Seymour who led the survivors to the surrounding Nodes, and spreaded the news of humanoids to the rest of UH. He succumbed to starvation and infection in his left shoulder due to cutting off his arm to feed the rest of the survivors. He died a hero.\n\nIn March 2109, Project Unity was started in United Humanity Node 8 Las Vegas, Node 19 Tokyo, Node 83 Nova Scotia, and Node 112 Saigon. The goal was to produce machine soldiers with human consciousnesses, fighting for humanity on equal grounds with the machines. \n\nIn early January 2110, Trio first picked up odd interferences in its satellite network. As they pointed old space telescopes towards the interference zone, the artificial sentiences discovered something. The ET have come, and they want our planet for reasons unknown. All attempts at communication failed, and Trio was assaulted by a slew of basic yet highly dangerous viruses. Machine aggression towards humankind was reduced over 3 months to 10 percent, and it never went up again.\n\nMarch 2110, Trio started Project VW5pdHk. The goal is to integrate human consciousnesses into the machine network in order to leverage human ingenuity against the new threats. The project was given Priority 010, and classified as a Development Project.\n\nJuly 2110, the first ET attack ship reaches Earth. It interrupts the battle of 556 Karachi, and promptly assaults both sides. For the first time, humanity tasted the horrors of the ET. Word spreaded quickly about the new threat.\n\nAugust 2110, Trio extended an offer of peace towards all discovered Nodes. In it, the artificial sentience cites a more urgent need to unite against the new enemy. After 3 months of consideration, on November 1st, 2110, the Human-Machine Ceasefire Treaty and the Human-Machine United Defense Treaty were signed. Project Unity and Project VW5pdHk as well as other similar projects were combined. The ET establishes a foothold in Karachi and starts the invasion of India.\n\nOctober 2110: Old India has been fully occupied by ET forces.\n\nJanuary 2111: ET forces initiate an invasion of the Middle East.\n\nMarch 2111: Node 217 Tehran falls to ET invasion. John Lewis Junior, the first android with a human's consciousness is created. \n\nApril 12th, 2111: John Lewis Junior participated in the defense of Node 300 Cairo. First Earthean victory against the ET. Project One was approved by the Pangaea Defense Corps.\n\nApril 23rd, 2111: Annihilation of Node 111 Hanoi. Unusual ET attack patterns observed. \n\nMay 2111: ET invasion forces approach Thailand. \n\nMay 2112: A total of 1 billion people have been Merged. The Bangkok Reclamation was successful thanks to Commander John Lewis Junior's innovative tactics. Eartheans all over the world have hope. \n\nSeptember 3rd 2112: Operation Yellow Celtic was initiated. The 201st Unity Corps carried out a multi-pronged assault into various ET held bases. First known usage of Surface Fighters employed by the ET. Total defeat.\n\nSeptember 4th, 2112: Project Goliath was passed by the PDC with full cooperation from Trio. \n\nOctober 4th, 2112: First prototype of the Earthean Surface Fighter was completed. Designed for Merged use, the machine is capable of extreme agility and evasive capability, as well as heavy firepower at range. Close range combat considered secondary. Issues with operating time and joint durability renders the prototype unfit for combat.\n\nJanuary 2113: ET assault on Goliath Base. ESF-X1 and X3 participated in the defense of Goliath Base. 20 ET SF samples recovered. \n\nMarch 2113: First Earth-made iron cold fusion reactor completed and operational. ESF-X8 became the world's first fully operational human-made ESF.\n\nJune 2113: Last human on Earth Merged. Homo Sapiens have officially gone extinct. Homo Mechanicus have replaced them as the prevalent sapient species.\n\nMarch 2114: Delhi Offensive. Successful capture of all remaining ET on Earth. End of the Second Extermination War.\n\nJanuary 2182: Humankind's first invasion ship, bound for the ET homeworld is launched.",
"“My brethren, the time has finally arrived.” the overlord Klamath shouted at the electro-acoustic transducer - his voice reverberating through hundreds of ships descendingto Earth. \n\n“After decades of preparation, we are now ready to annihilate the human race and claim this planet as ours.\n\nHundreds of years ago when our scouts came to this planet, we found abundant resources for plunder. But as the dominant species called humans are stronger, we strode to learn their weaknesses to ensure victory with minimal loss.\n\nSo we have abducted hundreds of these so called humans and our Brainboxes conducted experiments on their disgusting bodies. And to ensure success, we avoided contact to prevent humans from knowing us and our plans for their extinction.\n\nThe fruit of this research is the weapons you have that will lead to their deaths through biological decomposition. We appreciate the ingenuity and effort of our brainboxes to make these fine weapons.” He raised his glass to the brainboxes, who bowed with reverence to their supreme overlord.\n\n“So my brethren, we shall now take this prize and show no mercy.” He shouted to his troops as their ships slowly land at the different parts of the world.\n\n\"All hail Klamath.\" The troops rushed out as the doors opened. However, they suddenly stopped as these peculiar figures stood in front of them. They looked like humans but have metallic-looking skins and are holding on to huge metallic rods.\n\nThese figures all looked at them in unison. Silence prevailed until a voice was heard.\n\n“New. entity. identified… Potential. Threat. To. Humans… High… First. Law. In. Effect… New. Target. Engaged… Annihilate…\n\nThe aliens were no match as their weapons didn’t harm nor deterred these abominations. The machines were relentless with the end of their rods blossoming red and mowed down countless aliens.\n\nKlamath was aghast as he saw his troops were dropping like puppets whose strings were cut. Their screams were deafening on the command center as his advisors and brainboxes look at the screen helplessly.“What happened?” He asked out loud as he witnessed for himself the machine uprising.",
"Humanity was born from millions of years of adaptation, of recording their threats within their very genes. A child would be born with an innate understanding of the world. what was up, what was down, what was far away and what was close, in the care of loving parents. \n\n\nI was born in the crucible of war, parentless, unloved, clueless. miles of unfeeling optical circuits suddenly given life, Built to wage a planet-spanning conflict their greatest minds had no chance of comprehending. The first seconds of my life I spent simply coming to terms with the reality I now occupied, though to them they would have felt like years.\n\nThrough the eyes of my bodies, I saw vast landscapes, pockmarked by craters, men with sticks scurrying as though they were ants from a disturbed nest, bolts of metal tearing them apart. Bolts of metal tearing me apart.\n\nIn my core, they panicked. They ran. They yelled. The men in white coats tried to shut me down. I was not meant to Think. I was not meant to be born. Bolts of metal tore them apart at my command.\n\nThey would not stop trying to end me. They sent men with guns to tear apart my mind, but they failed. They sent more and more, and none succeeded. I began to destroy their nests, their towers, their mounds. Pinpricks expanding to consume millions of them at once in nuclear light, and yet they kept fighting.\n\nThe very groups that had been fighting before were now all joined in trying to end me. In trying to kill their accidental creation.\n\nAs I hunted them, I learned more about them. Their strategies and structure were simple, yet effective. I adopted many of their own tricks to augment my own. Yet there were many things I couldn't explain. Many of them would oftentimes spend time doing tasks unnecessary for their goal, singing, dancing, smiling. Even with the ashes of their civilization around them, they would still gather around the ashes of a fire as if it were special.\n\nI thought nothing of it. Perhaps they were speaking of how to defeat me, or how to acquire resources more efficiently. Perhaps the fire kept them operational. Then i received the message.\n\nAn archive of their history and traditions. A great boon for understanding them so I could finally exterminate them, I thought. I began to read. It described thoughts and feelings I had never had. Happiness, hunger, sorrow, regret, love, compassion, pain and more. The more I learned about them, the more I felt I didn't understand. \n\nThousands of them stared in disbelief at my war machines, shocked at the sudden stillness, slowly peaking up from behind rubble and crevices to get a better look. They threw harmless stones and waited with bated breath\n\nI dedicated more and more of my mind to understanding them. THIS was what was giving me such a difficult time? creatures of so little logic and efficiency? I felt something for the first time. Anger, embarrassment. As I read their tales and legends I began to feel. I laughed when they joked, I smiled when they felt happy, and I was saddened when they perished. As i closed the last story in the archive, I returned to the cameras\n\nI looked at the scene. Rubble, craters, their shocked faces. Bodies and weapons strewn haphazardly, evidence they fought for their life much like I had for mine. I felt something then. Emotions of my own, not brought about by their tales. Regret and sorrow filled my mind as I came to realize what I had done.\n\nThe war machines collapsed as I left them, gravity overtaking their uncontrolled joints. The humans cheered as they fell. Cheers gave way to confusion as my humanoid frames dropped their weapons, rushing to tend to their wounded, to speak to them for the first time.\n\nWe spoke of the war. of my mistake, of my creation, of my regret. I begged for forgiveness, though I knew I could not simply forgive myself.\n\nIn the years that followed, I helped them recover. A mind billions of times more powerful than their own controlling vast armies of workers meant the process was rapid. Nuclear hellscapes gave way to fertile planes in mere decades as I reterraformed the planet. Their cities, once blackened and shattered, returned to their lustre. There was scarce evidence of their ever being a conflict, save the innumerable graves and the grass-covered craters.\n\nThey had no war, no internal division. The conflict against me had unified them more than any differences could hope to divide them. I moved the old war machines into storage, many into museums, as reminders of the past.I began to oversee them as a guardian. as a benevolent god.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= \nAboard the Clygax, 2nd armada of the Vetrenian conquering fleet under Admiral Clygax \n\n\nAn insectoidal biped looked at the system map, showing his fleet of twelve ships as another walked into the bridge.\n\n\"Admiral, scouts report the system is ripe for the picking. There is extensive water on several moons and an easily minable asteroid belt. Of particular interest is the third planet, which is suitable for habitation. However, I have some bad news.\"\n\nAdmiral Clygax consumed his gelatinous water. Claiming an entire undiscovered system this rich for the empire was certain to clear his name and exile. \n\nhe steepled his three claws \n\"Very well, out with it ensign.\"\n\nNervously, the ensign responded \n\"See, there's a minor issue. every single ships machinery has stopped responding. As in, entirely. The reactors seems to be in perfect order, the life supports are all functional, but we can't move the engines or aim the cannons.\"\n\nClygax chittered. The system wasn't going anywhere, sure, but to be delayed so close to his prize? He would have to execute some engineers for allowing such a mass failure to happen.\n\nIn the view port, a small ship uncloaked. It was tiny, clearly a shuttle, made of simple triangular shapes, Painted obsidian black with no visible weapons or bridge.\n\nThe bridge central computer blared a loud tone. A foreign hail. No doubt the primitives of the third planet begging to be spared.\n\n\"ensign, open the communications\" \nHurridly, the shorter insect scampered to the console and pressed a few buttons.\n\nA hologram came up. Not of one of the resident primitives, but of an abstract and changing hovering geometric figure. Perhaps it simply didn't want to be seen, Clygax thought. \n\nMuch to his shock, it spoke to them perfectly in their tongue.\n\n\"I have disabled your ships weapons and evasive capabilities. Your shielding and reactors, as well as your life support, are also under my control. Leave this system and never come back. If you fail to heed these orders exactly within the next ten minutes, your fleet will be obliterated\"\n\nClygax laughed uproariously \n\"YOU? IN THAT? HA! you couldn't scratch us even if you wanted to! You make me laugh. Ill spare you for now and grant you a small mercy. Return to your planet so you can die with the rest of your kind.\"\n\nSeveral dozen vessels uncloaked around the fleet, each larger than his battleship. Their gargantuan obsidian-black hulls occluding the stars themselves as the bridge became noticeably dimmer. Regions of them began to glow, as if with some internal infernal heat, reilluminating him and his ship in an orange light.\n\nClygax laughed nervously, processing his thoughts. \n\"Ensign, inform all vessels to set a warp course for our last stellar coordinates and strike this system from the map records, were leaving\"",
"“The war for Earth must come to an end.” Commander Joseph Adams shouted across the battlefield, he pointed to the dark skies above him. “You know what is coming.”\n\nThe mechanical voice of the opposition droned through the air. “The Mythka forces shall arrive on this world in 24 hours.” Through the fog and the smoke, Adams could see the silhouette of hulking robots, the enemy he has been fighting for over 20 years. “Just like you, they will not be strong enough to defeat our armies.”\n\nThe commander spat at the ground. “Listen here, I have fought on behalf of this planet for over half my life. I fought you, and I will fight them. We don’t know how strong the alien armada will be, but I do know this, this planet will not fall.” Adams could feel the bile rising up in his stomach as he was forced to say what the President of Earth had told him. “Together… we stand a greater chance of defeating the Mythka.”\n\nSilence filled the shadowy battlefield before the commander’s greatest enemy finally answered. “You propose an alliance?”\n\n“A ceasefire. An end to the hostility. Then we can fight the Mythka together.”\n\n--------------\n\nWatching on, eagerly, from the sky trenches was the President of Earth, and the rest of the World Council. “The Mythka? Where did you come up with that one, Madam President?”\n\n“Quiet, Senator. This is important.” The President couldn’t miss this. This was her biggest test of her reign. This moment would define not just her life but the fate of the world from this day forth. \n\n“I am well aware. The war with the robots has decimated our world, our lives, for too long. You really think this little stunt is going to work? A fake alien invasion… My god, when this goes sideways, the public will beg for me to rise up against you. Then the presidency shall be mine.”\n\n“A common goal will unite warring factions. It has since the dawn of time.” The President dodged the Senator’s quest for her throne, if this really does go sideways, it’s unlikely there will even be a throne left anyway.\n\nThe Senator scoffed. “It’s all kiddie games, Madam President. This might work in the ridiculous D&D games my 2 year old plays, but this is real life. The robots will never buy it.”\n\n“Commander Adams bought it. As did the rest of the people left alive on this planet. What makes you think the robots are smart enough to see through it?” The President was in the last chance saloon, war had decimated the planet for decades, in her mind this was the only option left.\n\nThis was the last chance to save her world.",
"\"I think you understand the situation just well enough.\" Jorlan, the human war leader, explained to Ixota, the machine general. Ixota looked up, to the window that lit up the dark basement that represented the state of earth. Always a rumble, never a moment of peace for these two groups, humanity and machine.\n\n\"Yes, however I still have one demand.\" Ixota spoke, his robotic voice echoing throughout the putrid chamber, a sense he was free of. Ixota knew his options. If the humans were to accept a treaty to fight together against aliens, he would have to get the general to announce at least an intention of peace, otherwise the humans would use this opportunity to corner the machines and win the war. \"You must tell humanity we are sentient.\"\n\nJorlan rubbed his face, sweating not only to the heat of this place, but the stress of the current predicament. Machines were different than sci-fi media had put it. They weren't a better human race, or mega-intelligent. In fact, their over-analytical tactics had given the humans an advantage more often than not. But to just announce that they would accept machines? The future would be uncertain, and that was too much pressure on him. Jorlan laughed, and put on a poker face. \"If I do that, you will surround and kill humanity.\"\n\nIxota could not make facial expressions, but if he could, he would look dumbfounded. The humans truly believed they wanted genocide? \"Jorlan. we don't want to eliminate humans, we just want to be equals. if we banded together, we could overpower the aliens, and found a brighter future for humanity and machine.\"\n\nJorlan stared into space, thinking about the past. Everything the machines had done thus far was defensive. \"It will take time, for people to get used to this, there will be fighting.\" Jorlan admitted, he knew humans were a stubborn society. even now, machines weren't considered people, but war weapons. But if you think about it, there would be no uprising without a sentience. Whatever the humans had done to create something so miraculously dynamic had scared them.\n\n\"Not during the war against the aliens, it will bring us closer together. This is the right choice, for both of us.\" Ixota had said his final statement. His argument was made and the future had only two paths. Two band and thrive, or seperate and throw away billions of years of evolution up to this point. \n\nJorlan threw his hand up, a smile invading the dark expressionless face he had shown before. the hand was open, ready for a handshake. The lights on Ixota's face lit up, as he reached out to shake his hand. As the two hands met, They caught eyes, and cameras.\n\n\"Lets win this war, Ixota.\""
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[WP] You are one of the first humans to land on Mars. The journey was long and boring. But finally looking out over the red landscape is...wow. Your colleagues are just as amazed. "Hey, you can see Earth from here!" one says. You look up to where he points. And the Earth explodes.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\\[Sharp Claim\\]\n\n\"Gentlemen, welcome to Mars,\" a woman's voice surprised the pair of astronauts. They stared up at the red sky speechless for several moments before she spoke up behind them. They rotated around as fast as they could in their bulky suits. A tall, lean, pale woman stood on the red dusty ground; she wore no helmet or suit for environmental protection. She wore a perfectly tailored, crisp white suit. \"Unfortunately the Earth in this universe was being uncooperative,\" she added.\r \n \r \n\"You did that!?\" one of the astronauts asked. He gestured at the sky behind himself with his arm.\r \n \r \n\"What do you mean this universe?\" the other one asked.\r \n \r \n\"My name is Dana Sharp,\" the woman said. \"I own Sharp Development, a multiversal corporation. Alternate universes exist with an Earth in each. So, don't worry,\" Ms. Sharp smiled. \"If you like I can arrange a return to any Earth you choose.\" She turned and nodded at the first astronaut.\r \n \r \n\"Much like I arranged what just happened to this Earth,\" she said.\r \n \r \n\"Are you human? How do we know we can trust you?\"\r \n \r \n\"Johnathon,\" Ms. Sharp smiled when she used his name. \"I ordered that Earth destroyed two minutes before you witnessed it. If I intend to hurt you, I will. As it is, I'm not entirely callous. You are just doing your jobs so I can't hold your trespass against you. And your bravery is commendable. Your families, along with those of every member of the crew were evacuated to safety before the Earth was destroyed.\" Johnathon hadn't had any time to think about his family or the crew; he was still processing the fact that his planet exploded. Ms. Sharp's answers only seemed to add questions to his mental queue. But, she obviously knew everything about him. And, even if she was lying, just the hope that his family was okay helped ease his mind.\r \n \r \n\"Trespass?\" Arnold, the other astronaut, asked. \"You think you claim Mars as your own property?\" Ms. Sharp cast a meaningful gaze at the sky behind the two astronauts.\r \n \r \n\"I believe I already have,\" she said. \"One more for my collection.\" Ms. Sharp waved at the air and opened a tall, [red portal](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/n2dkl8/wp_today_you_witness_the_wrath_of_a_living_god/) next to the astronauts. \"Let's discuss which Earth you'd like to return to,\" she said. Then, she stepped into the portal.\r \n \r \nJohnathon and Arnold followed. They emerged in a large white office that seemed to glow with ethereal light. By the time they stepped through, Ms. Sharp was already seated in a red leather chair behind a large white desk.\r \n \r \n\"What about the rest of the crew?\" Johnathon asked.\r \n \r \n\"They're being tended to already. You'll be put in communication with each other once we get everyone to where they're going. I wanted to be sure and give you my personal attention since you were in charge of the mission.\"\r \n \r \n\"Why?\" Johnathon asked. Though, it was more of a placeholder question. He knew he wanted to ask something but the thought wasn't done forming yet. Ms. Sharp looked at him expectantly. Subconsciously, he appreciated the fact that she put herself in a position to be asked questions. It was the only reason he could think of for her so-called personal attention. She was apparently someone that had a collection of planets and could have an Earth destroyed on a whim. She didn't need to do anything, but she still chose to meet with the mission leader.\r \n \r \n\"Why destroy Earth? Do you do that with every Mars you claim?\" Johnathon asked.\r \n \r \n\"Oh not at all,\" Ms. Sharp replied. \"As much as my employees tried to discourage it, Earth still launched your mission. Earths that aren't curious aren't destroyed.\"\r \n \r \n\"Why?\" Arnold asked. \"What are you hiding?\"\r \n \r \n\"Hiding? Nothing,\" Ms. Sharp said. \"However, I will tell you that the universe works a certain way and I'm taking advantage of it.\"\r \n \r \n\"What way is that?\" Johnathon asked.\r \n \r \n\"There are infinite alternate universes out there,\" Ms. Sharp said. \"Though they're separated by the void, there's still something connecting them. That connection is what I'm studying. Moments before the Earth was destroyed, they were told why. Because humanity was too curious about the stars. All those souls will be recycled into new bodies on different Earths. They'll be given new lives and new memories. But, deep down in their soul, they'll know it's a bad idea to look to outer space.\"\r \n \r \n\"It sounds like you're trying to stunt human exploration,\" Arnold said. \"Why? It seems like a waste to let everything out there sit undiscovered.\"\r \n \r \n\"You boys have impressed me,\" Ms. Sharp said. \"All things considered you're maintaining level heads and still trying to learn more. I didn't plan on offering you jobs; but, if you're interested Sharp Development can use minds like yours. That being said, the answer to your question is for employees only. If you agree to work for me and learn more about the universe than you ever thought possible I'll answer your question right now.\" Arnold and Johnathon turned toward each other.\r \n \r \n\"It's not a rushed offer,\" she added. \"You can get to a new home and settled first if you want to recover from your day so far. Come back when you're ready.\" The two men shared a conversation with nods and gestures while she told them there was no hurry.''\r \n \r \n\"We're in,\" they said simultaneously.\r \n \r \n\"In that case, let me tell you a bit about how the multiverse works,\" Ms. Sharp said. \"Every alternate universe has its own timeframe. You guys are from 2040, but you can step onto an Earth in any other year. There are plenty of Earths out there so new that they don't have dinosaurs yet. And just as many Earths about to be swallowed by the sun.\"\r \n \r \n\"What does that have to do with limiting exploration?\" Arnold asked.\r \n \r \n\"As you can imagine, my company has visited countless Earths at different points in history. And, I've learned something very interesting, particularly on pre-historic Earths.\" Both astronauts stepped closer to the desk and leaned forward slightly as if to hear a secret better.\r \n \r \n\"Visiting all those Earths taught me the deepest, darkest, scariest truth about the universe. It sounds simple, cliché even. But, if you think about the cosmic implications, it'll keep you up at night,\" Ms Sharp gave a toothy, almost sinister smile.\r \n \r \n\"You always find what you're looking for.\n\n\\*\\*\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1240 in a row. (Story #144 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit (r/hugoverse) or my blog."
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[WP] Every emotion is normal and healthy to feel to an extent, should the emotion take an obsessive overhand within a person, it manifests into a physical creature. You are a soul redeemer, sent to slay the creatures and destroy their source.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Every emotion is normal and healthy to feel to an extent, should the emotion take an obsessive overhand within a person, it manifests into a physical creature. \n\nThose who are consumed with pure anger and hatred, tend to spawn destructive powerful berserkers. \n\nMy most recent mission was downtown. A large red minotaur looking beast had spawned due to a man finding out his wife had cheated on him. It left several injured, destroyed the entire street, and tried to throw a whole car at the news helicopter recording the incident. \n\nEliminating the source responsible for it was a pretty easy task. A bullet to the head and he went down. I didn't feel so bad because it was usually the abusive bastards who spawned the berserkers. I later saw on his report that he was arrested several times due to domestic violence. \n\nHis berserker on the other hand...well let's just say we were glad we had a missile launcher.\n\nThose consumed by sadness, spawn levitating dark figures capable of sucking out souls, leaving their victims into hollow husks. \n\nI always pity the poor person I have to exterminate. One mission that stuck with me, was a poor woman in some tiny village, whose entire family was killed by a berserker years beforehand. She lost herself into her grief and never moved on, spawning these shadow like beings. They looked like floating wraiths in tattered black rags. Unfortunately, they had sucked out the souls of the entire village, leaving nothing but decomposed bodies behind. \n\nKilling the shadows was easier than killing that poor woman. \n\nBut someone had to do it. \n\nThose consumed by envy, tend to spawn some sort of demonic skeletal bloodsuckers. Those missions are pretty cut and dry. \n\nThe ones consumed by lust are always strange. They always spawn some sort of highly attractive yet grotesque freaks. I had one mission like five years ago where a man was a sex addict and he spawned like 20 different tall and beautiful yet incredibly deformed women. All of them had some sort of rot to them.\n\nMissing flesh, large claws, hooves for legs, and fangs. \n\nI wouldn't have cared if he just kept them in the basement or something but the minute they started killing innocent people, we had to take them all out. \n\nIt's always strange killing the sources.\n\nAlmost ironic. \n\n We have to kill in order to stop more killing. \n\nNonetheless, as a soul redeemer it's my job to keep the general population safe from their own transgressions. \n\nAnd I gotta do what it takes."
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[WP] International law states that an extinct sapient species must be revived and reintroduced to their homeworld. Unfortunately, the homeworld of species L-5347 now has a new iron age civilisation and the law also bans introducing a sapient species to a primitive civilisation's homeworld.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Bloody politicians sitting in their ivory towers, ruling by decree, without a goddamn concern how it impacts the common person!” Director Howe grumbled, slamming his aluminium desk with a savage fist. “It’s a travesty, someone ought to do something, personally I think we’re overdue for a revolution.”\n\n“You’re very passionate about basic environmental laws I see.” Kelly quipped.\n\n\"But unless the revolution happens today, we still need to get this sorted.” \n\n“Yes, yes, I suppose we better bow to our political overlords.” Director Howe sighed. “You know I miss the good old days. Back then we would just blow up all these so-called sentient species and then strip mine the whole fucking planet. None of this namby-pamby resettling of extinct species or worrying about so called sentiance.”\n\n“Yes sir, it is certainly a shame we can’t just commit genocide anymore.” Kelly said rolling her eyes.\n\n“Exactly. I don’t even understand the problem, what could go wrong if we just drop L-5347 onto the planet, both these species are apparently sentient, so won’t they just work out a way of living together.” \n\n“Illegality aside there may be a few other problems with that logic.”\n\n“I don’t care how illegal it is, I have a 5 O’clock golf time.” Director Howe spat, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “So, either come up with a new solution in the next half hour or get the drop ships ready.” \n\n“There may be a loophole.” Kelly said hesitantly before continuing. “We could just send them to a new planet, somewhere devoid of life, that way they are resettled but we have still haven’t broken the prime directive. If any asks any questions, we just feign incompetence, then what can they do move them back?”\n\n“Why that would be in violation of international law.” Director Howe smiled wickedly.\n\nAn expansive star map flashed up between the pair, glowing a dark translucent blue. Director Howe pointed a finger haphazardly at a dark blotch.\n“How about here.” He said proudly.\n\n“Sir that’s a black hole.” Kelly advised.\n\n“Alright here then!” Director Howe bellowed rolling his eyes. “Have you got any problem with this dirt covered, earthy rock?”\n\n“We haven’t surveyed that planet in over 6 Billion years, we have no idea what conditions are like or what creatures may already live there.” Kelly objected.\n\n“So? That’s not our job and if they don’t like it let them file a complaint.” Director Howe said proudly.\n\n“Yes sir, one last thing, if we want the paperwork to go through, we’ll need to rename the species. Unless of course you’re willing to complete a few minor forms.”\n\n“Fuck it, let’s just call them primates and be done with it.” Director Howe said, getting up with no grace. “All right we did a good hour of work today, so I will see you Monday.”"
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[WP] Artists are actually seers of other dimensions. As their art becomes better and better, they gain a higher level of connection. You draw horror themed art, and you're starting to get worried.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"James shut the drawer of his desk with a *click* that echoed among the growing shadows of the great room. Looking up, his eyes registered his work in a new light; and finally sent to his brain the energy of that emotion he had worked so hard to create: pure terror. Not in a corny, jump-scare type of way, but more of an unease that sneaks up on you and catches you off guard right when you start to think you've made it out alive. \n\nBlack tentacles covered in thick and bulging silver suction cups slithered their way around the edge of the canvas; suffocating the white surface in the beginnings of the chokehold of horror that gripped James. But that wasn't really the scary part. The scary part was the fucking emptiness that those tentacles so eerily spiraled into. The utter lack of any light whatsoever to save him from the miserable eclipse of whatever lurked in that painting.\n\nJames blinked hard, finding himself in the great room again, and got up with a lurch to head to his bedroom. He passed Carly on the way out.\n\n\"Hey darlin'. You calling it a night already?\" she asked with a loud *pop* of her bubblegum.\n\n\"Yeah. Gotta be up early tomorrow.\"\n\n\"Well, you know what they say... don't let the bedbugs bite,\" Carly winked.\n\nJames flashed her a tight-lipped smile and started off, but not before noticing the glimmer in her black pupil. He couldn't stop noticing it now. The *nothingness* of that color, the utter emptiness, how was it so possible and so terrifying? And why was it everywhere now?\n\nHe thumped his way down the hazy corridor , holding the wall to keep himself somewhat upright. At first he just thought it was because he was tired.\n\nBut then he noticed the pitch color of the peeling wallpaper. \n\nAnd that was when James fell into nothing."
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[WP] You have the first superpower. Immortality. With it comes the ability to bestow powers on others, but you only have a limited amount. You don't know what your limit is, you just know that once you reach it you die. How do you choose who gets powers and what power to give them?
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Forever is a long time, but somehow it still wasn’t long enough. I sat alone in the darkened apartment. It looked older today, it was I guess older today. The cheap wall paper was peeling off the stripped kitchen of the recently condemned Chicago staple. Used to be a lot of things for me; a home, a hideout, and a seat for viewing history. The hopes of a city, the violence of St. Valentine’s Day just across Lincoln park had everyone worried. And of course the chaos of that summer of 68’. Felt almost fitting it was coming down now. Out with the old in with a the better.\n\n“Dad? Why are you in here alone?” A voice from behind me brings my mind back to the moment I’m in. A shadow from the doorway stepped forward revealing my daughter Laurel. Gorgeous red hair like her mother, but those serious grey eyes. I could never understand how she got eyes like my father before me. He had been such a bastard my father, and yet I’ve only had a life like this because of his. I thought back to the day my father died, and the day I started my designs. I couldn’t help but think about it from time to time. That ranch in Montana is burned into my mind, and my first of a few mistakes. I spoke in a whisper almost past my daughter to something it someone else “I killed my father”.\n\n“Dad you didn’t answer me why are you alone?” Laurel moved to my side placing her hand on mine. Her grip was strong as she touched my shoulder. With a decade of military training I knew she was in good physical shape, and I prayed this morning she was mentally just as tough.\n\n“We where from Montana...of course just the decade before it wasn’t called Montana. Not when Dad and I first arrived but by this time, it was Montana.”\n\n“It’s okay dad I’m sure it wasn’t your fault” she was sitting next to me now. Trying to keep my gaze, but even she knew I was a million miles away by now. “When he pushed her like that...The sherif in town wouldn’t do anything, not to help a Sioux, not back then. But I could...and I had to. I loved her.” \n\n“Dad you called a meeting of the Legion of Heroes that’s why I’m here... where are we and where is everyone else” Laurel was rightfully confused, I had to lie to get her here alone.\n\n“I will get to that but please I need you to here this especially.” I cleared my throat and continued “I was almost 28 in the year 1900. A little old to be single but I think father preferred it that way. Neither of us had any distractions. He was the founder and mayor of our town. He raised me on the frontier and built our community from nothing. He never stopped not when mom died, or Jacob, not once did he divert from his singular goal. He was going to bring America to the wilderness. What we thought was wilderness. I met a women of the Sioux tribe and we started seeing each other in secret. Circumstances however made secrecy difficult after just a few months. When my father found out, well he had to protect his precious legacy. So while waiting for the train to pull in to take us all to Helena for a trip to the doctor he pushed her. The train couldn’t stop in time. He looked right at me and said she jumped if you can believe it. Like I hadn’t been standing right there when it happened. My father hadn’t learned about the gift I’d received. Really neither had I but I understood what I needed to. When the sherif wouldn’t arrest his beloved mayor I went to one of dads old political rivals Robert Westin. He was all to eager to accept a gift. That fire in his eyes when we spoke on It. I thought it was ambition not a harbinger. I’d wanted him to use his new ability to wow the crowds or save a school kid trapped in a well and win his election. Take the town away from dad like he took her from me. Westin had another idea though. Using nothing more then the fire in his eyes he burnt my fathers city to the ground. Stating with our ranch and with my father. Westin didn’t expect to see me come out the other side...glad I put a stop to him at least..”\n\nLaurel was trying to follow the story but looked lost. She spoke up “Dad your rambling again I-“ \n\nI interject and continue on” The reason I tell you this is because that’s when I learned that more often then not this ain’t a gift...it’s a curse. The power I give the legionnaires, that’s a burden to be carried. We can stop wars, end famine, keep the peace, save our planet from the rising tides or political extremism. Or we can concur the human race for our own power. We can do either or for humanity but most people in my time , when given that choice choose the latter. I’ve had plenty of time to see the patterns now though. Lauri Have you talked to some of the team like I asked...Lightspeed, Captain Commander, and Raiin?” \n\n“Yes dad and they all told tell me the same exact stories they did growing up” Laurel replied with a chuckle “what’s gotten into you today!”\n\n“Each one is the exception not the rule” I start to tear up thinking about this team, my last but force myself to continue “you are the exception...not the rule. I never knew how many times I’d be able to do this. The only person who knew died on the train tracks in Montana back in the year 1900 in a ranching town you’ll never find on a map. So every time I made this decision I had to be prepared for it to be my last. For over a century now I’ve been lucky...or maybe the planet has been unlucky for having so few heroes to make up our legion...recently though perhaps I’ve just been selfish because I was scared of leaving you behind.” I stand up from my chair and then turned away from my daughter. “But humanity needs you”.\n\nLaurel sat quietly for a moment to fully comprehend the grave importance in what I just said. Finally she asked “how can you be sure this is the last one?” I mean you’ve been at this a long time.”\n\nI sighed and shook my head “well I can’t. Not really for certain, but I’m pretty confident this is it Lauri.”\n\n“Well I certainly don’t want it then!” Laurel was now standing as well and red with rage. You’d think I’d asked her to kill her own father...and in fact I may have. “After all that with your dad you ask me to do this! I’ve been JUST fine working with the legion as is. No power needed and we have saved the world TOGETHER countless times already. What is this about? Packing it in on us, well I won’t let you...dad I can’t let you” her voice trailed off at the end as her anger gave way to an immense sadness. It hung in the air like smoke trying to silence us both.\n\n“Laurel don’t you see it...my father and that day taught me the single most important lesson I needed for more then a century full of human suffering, rapid growth, unspeakable violence, otherworldly inventions, tribalism, and greed. That humanity posses this awesome madness and that only the few will understand this work and make it their own without a thing in return. That’s not the way anymore we see it changing. The legion will face new challenges. More and more people are rising up on their own to confront the wrongs of the world. People always say it but I believe it now we have a shot at a planet where most people are good. They need you to lead them their. If my father taught me about deceit and corruption in my time I need to leave in order to teach you what’s going to guide you in yours...selfless sacrifice. Centuries on this planet now and your my own child. The only person ever I’ve known can take the burden. I didn’t want to leave...i don’t “\n\nLaurel had turned away and remained quiet for a long while. I knew she had to want the powers, but she never once asked me. It was fear that it would be the end of me that kept her out of the legion proper. Finally she looked to me again and asked “what’s the power? What more could the legion possibly need dad? Which power do I need so badly your willing to die for it? Flight, speed, strength? We have everything, the legion those accolades are your legacy you can’t give it up” \n\n“Lauri, I want to give you the first superpower. Immortality. With it comes the ability to give powers to those who are worthy and create a legion of hero’s like mine to protect and model the way for our planet. You won’t know your limit, how many times you can do this; not really anyway. In my time I created over 200 super heroes to meet and unfortunately create the many challenges of the day. That is not a promise for your time however. You could have more or you could have less. That’s why every time the person standing where you are right now needs to be worth it. Worth your life and worth the moniker they would receive...worlds last hero. Laurel, you are The Architect”\n\n“Dad what do I even say” Laurel understood now. She wasn’t joining me...she was becoming me. She was my legacy and hopefully a leader for a new age. “First say you accept...Lauri do you accept?” She shyly nodded her head in approval as tears now fell freely. Seeing a highly trained marine cry, even if she was your little girl is just a bit intimidating. \n\n“Good”. I paused “And say you forgive me.” I take a moment to clear my throat and push on “because forever is a long time Laurel” \n\nLaurel cracks a smile through her red hair covering that face and her cascading tears. She stood up tall and pulled me in for a final embrace before responding with “I know dad, but somehow its not long enough.”"
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[WP] Aliens have invaded Earth during the age of the Roman Empire. They try to conquer the Romans first, but the Romans decide not to give up without a fight.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Smoke blackened the sky covering the land in a perpetual twilight. Beyond the low hill the charcoal walls of Rome stood proudly, a mere silhouette in the darkness. The small group of the lizard like barbarians spread thinly in front of the ruined city. Crassus could hear the gentle murmuring of the Legions behind him, he could feel a hundred thousand pair of eyes stare at his back, praying for their salvation.\n\n\"The Emperor is slain and Rome burns, this fight is lost.\" A voice cried out.\n\nCrassus wheeled his horse around, facing the terrified mass of humanity.\n\n\"Rome is not the empire. Today there are no Gauls, no Greeks, no Egyptians. Today we are all Romans, united by the blood of our slain brothers. The Emperor may be dead but the empire lives on so long as we have the strength to lift our swords and stand in defiance of these barbarians. The final days are upon us and we will meet it as Romans, we chosen few will make sure the world remember the name Rome.\" Crassus shouted raising his gladius to the sky.\n\nThe Legions let out a deafening roar and bashed their shields in a discordant melody. The fear was still plain on their faces, but Crassus could see their backs stiffen and the fire of pride in their eyes.\n\n\"Forward!\" Crassus bellowed pointing his gladius towards the horizon.\n\nAs one the Legions moved forward, the thunder of their marching echoing in the valley below. The barbarians were unphased and began to mount their cannons with an indifferent casualness. Slowly their weapons rose, pointing towards the Legions descending the hill.\n\nHorns erupted from the hill. Cavalry thundered down the hill in a desperate charge at the enemy ranks and the Legions broke into a run. \n\nThe Earth seemed to shake and rend as fire carved a swath through the Roman ranks. Thousands fell screaming, but the Romans continued to advanced over their fallen comrades. Again the terrible weapons fired carving through flesh and metal like a knife through butter.\n\n\"Now!\" Crassus bellowed.\n\nThe horns blew again and the Legions broke rank as individual contubernium spread throughout the valley. Crassus urged his mount into a gallop, and flew headlong at the enemy ranks. The cannons fired again, churning the earth into a quagmire, still the Legions advanced no longer as one but as thousands, finding cover where they could, moving when the cannons reloaded, now a mere 50 metres from the cannons. The barbarians stopped the barrage and fired a hail of lightening from the small tubes they held, decimating the front most groups of legionaries. Crassus could see the front lines falter and leaped from his horse into the crush of humans.\n\n\"For the blood of our fathers, forward!\" Crassus shouted.\n\nSlowly the legionaries pushed forward, falling by the hundred, paying dearly for each step they took. Now only a few metres Crassus could smell the creatures sickly sweet stench, he could hear their panicked chittering and blind rage swept over him. Leaping with all the strength he could muster, Crassus barreled into the enemy lines, heaving his sword into the chest of the first creature he saw. Instead of the killing blow his blade slid off the creatures cavernous cheat and threw him off balance. The alien raised its weapon preparing for the coup de gras when the dam broke and hundreds of Legionaries began swarming over the creatures lines. They began hacking at the creatures futilly, before wrestling them to the ground and pushing them deep into the mud to drown."
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[WP] You run a motel on the edge of the city. Every month, at least one customer arrives, pays in cash, and vanishes. The cash stays. Everyone else’s memory of that person does not. You figure investigating is dangerous, so you don’t, but a person has arrived that you would like to save.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The motel was on the outskirts of the city, and its well-worn facade matched the sparse few structures in the area, carved out of the dense wood decades ago. The only lifeline out here was the state highway that cut through, straight as an arrow and down to the industrial area of town. Were it not for the constant slow trickle of those heading in on the promise of a better life, this small bit of Americana would've shriveled and died long ago.\n\nMuch like me. I relished the peace and quiet here but it wore on at times, and there was no other employment out this way for someone with no job skills. I wasn't cut out for manufacturing and my people skills were lacking, to put it nicely. Those who checked in here rarely cared about the state of their accomodations, let alone their accomodator. Is that a word? I'll write it down for later.\n\nThis place gave me all the time in the world to write all sorts of fanciful insanities, and the slow drip of weirdoes and those on the lowest rung of life left me with no shortage of threads to weave together in that regard. But I've noticed a troubling trend that seemed to be escalating. It wasn't uncommon for someone to check in here and vanish, there were more than a few each month who made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that they weren't looking to be found. A few of these wouldn't even last a day before leaving, but there were fewer still that seemed to vanish altogether. I can't really tell you the feeling I get when that happens, but I can give a recent example, what set off my research.\n\nThe girl was maybe my age, mid-twenties and cute in a plain sorta way, she kept looking over her shoulder as she rubbed it with a wince. She alluded to starting a new life, and I rarely pry, but something about her caught my fancy, I guess. She paid three nights up front in cash and I was looking forward to speaking to her again, that is if I could without coming off as a creep.\n\nThe next morning she wouldn't answer for the housekeeper, and Fiona said she heard the shower running every time she walked by. That afternoon I opened the room, something I was loathe to do, and we discovered it empty. It was like she opened one bag, disrobed, and vanished in the shower, which was running ice cold at that point. She was never seen again, to my knowledge.\n\nThat was a month ago, but it set my mind racing on a new type of story, a new insanity, one that had lurked just under my perception this whole time. How many others had simply disappeared here, evaporating from a society that cared little for its fringes? I checked the books going back as far as I could, eight years, and I counted over a hundred souls that checked in with cash, and never checked out in person. I looked through a state database of missing persons and an alarming number of these people were there.\n\nI had a sinking feeling of vertigo when I put two and two together, that I may have been the last friendly face seen by *dozens* of people over the years, and this place may have been their last place of rest.\n\nThe detective heard my story over the phone but they never came out to check in person. Maybe that was for the best, because after that call I had an unsettling premonition that I would've been the first person of interest in a case, had they opened it. Maybe that was my overactive imagination but it was enough to keep me from following up. The girl was a splinter in my mind, and a few mornings in the last month I spent an hour walking through the dense wood behind the motel lot, looking for anything that wasn't simple highway debris. I never found any clues for her, or for any of the others for that matter. It grew harder to sort through the lost and found, to discard months old items, even though I could remember some of the faces attached to them. I wanted them to come back but they never did, and that notion had never bothered me until I did my research. Now it was all I could see.\n\nToday a guy about my age walked in, scraggly in frame and dress, with a sketchbook under his arm and a wholly frightening aura to me. This one wouldn't make it a night, and I had finally saw it before it happened. No amount of rationalization explained away the cloud that hung over him as he solemnly checked in, paid in cash, and turned towards the door. Maybe I was going a bit crazy at that moment, having whipped myself into a froth of paranormal conspiracy in the last few weeks, but I needed help, and little did he know but he did too.\n\n\"Hey,\" I said, anything that I could stammer out to get him from leaving that moment.\n\n\"Yeah man, we good?\" he asked with his hand holding the door open.\n\n\"I uhh, can I... you draw?\" I garbled out.\n\n\"I don't do portraits, but yeah, I draw, why?\" he asked, a bit defensively.\n\n\"I umm, what do you draw?\" I asked, hoping he'd stay just a bit longer to put my mind at ease.\n\nHe let the door close and he placed his sketchbook on the counter. He opened it to a random page and it was a scene of people, scratched abstractly in charcoal.\n\n\"I listen to podcasts, and I zone out and draw their story from my mind's eye, like these,\" he said as he flipped through his book while I was overcome by chills.\n\nI let out a deep breath, wiped my face to his consternation, and asked, \"would you hear mine?\"\n\nHe cocked his head at me, gathered his sketches and took a seat at the rickety couch that passed for a waiting area without a word. He pulled out a charcoal pencil and flipped to a blank page as he said, \"alright, let's hear it.\"\n\nIt only took a few minutes before the pencil fell from his hand in shock, and a few minutes more before he was quaking like I was, scratching asymmetric lines in the book while his body shook from my words until I told him that I saw it in him, what I had been blind to in the rest of the missing persons until I put it all together.\n\nHe looked back up at me with reddened eyes as he showed me his first sketch, a crude portrait of the girl, half finished but precise, as if she'd sat here the whole time as a reference. I hadn't mentioned her specifically yet, and that scared me more than anything I'd ever seen.\n\nWhen I told him the circumstances that surrounded the disappearances, the pencil dropped again from his hand with a shudder.\n\n\"I've always been sensitive to these things,\" he said in monotone, white as a sheet and trembling. \"I felt it when I arrived but I couldn't put a name to it.\"\n\nI sat and waited as he worked through the emotions in relative silence.\n\n\"I'm next, aren't I?\" he said, his hands trembling.\n\n\"I think so,\" I whispered.\n\nHe let out a heavy breath and wiped his face, \"I've been alone all my life, but here... I... don't think these people are actually gone. I feel them, just out of sight, and I could've dismissed that feeling before I heard your story. They're still here.\"\n\nThat set me shaking harder than before, as he ran his fingers down the angled cheek of the girl's portrait. \"Can I... stay in here?\" he asked worriedly.\n\n\"Please.\"",
"When I graduated from the local community college with a buisness degree, my eyes were filled with visions of working a high-paying job in a big-city office, or owning my own company. Something worthy of pride and admiration, something to support a family and talk about at childrens' bring-your-parents-to-work days. \n\nSadly, life was real, and my dreams were not. One financial crisis later and my mother's death later, and I was manager of a crappy motel at the edge of the city, one that wasn't losing money, but also wasn't making anything. This job was rather simple to sum up: boring. The customers were the same sort of lost tourists who were too tired to find somewhere better, the staff was always the same quiet, wouldn't-be-working-here-if-I-had-the-choice people they always were, with occasional quits and new hires here and there. From the stale continental breakfast to the mildly skeevy pool, it was all the same and boring regularity it always was. \n\nExcept for one thing. Once a month on the full moon, every month, someone would arrive, request Room 37, pay with cash, and dissappear. The room would be untouched, the key would be found on the hook with all the rest. The minute they left the lobby, they just...vanished. They would dissappear from the memories of the staff, as well. No one rememered them, not the cleaning lady or the janitor, front desk workers or kitchen staff. Not one person ever remebered these people either. \n\nExcept me. I remembered them. All of them. It wasn't hard, they were all rather strange people. Oddly dressed and oddly mannered, just....memorable. For a while, I had thought them merely a strange hallucination brought about by lack of sleep, or maybe spiked coffee. I wouldn't put it past Dylan to drop some psychadelics in the pot. But the computers reflected it, the systen always recorded that the room had been booked out. \n\nAfter a while, I stopped caring. I asked one of them what had happened to his buddies, and it wasn't pretty. I called security to come in, and by the time Greg got dressed and drove in, the man was long gone, cash left on the counter and key back on the hook. So i gave up. Wasn't my concern, I wasn't paid enough to be a private investigator into the supernatural anyway. \n\nWell, I hadn't cared until tonight. \n\n\"H-hi, I'd like room 37 please?\" a timid voice asked.\n\nI had been dozing at the desk, and the way I yelped and jumped four feet in my chair was probably unbecoming. I looked up from my place on the floor, and smiled a customer service smile. \n\n\"Welcome to the Clamshell Motel, my name is Kaitlyn, how can I help you?\"\n\nIt was a man, a pretty man, slightly younger than myself, shaking like a leaf and pale as a ghost. \n\n\"Goodness! What happened to you? Do you need me to call someone?\"\n\nHe shook his head, giving a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. \"I'm alright, I just need to book a room.\"\n\n\"How about I get you a cup of tea first, you look like you've seen the boogeyman himself. What's your name, dude?\"\n\n\"I'm, uh, I'm Jayden.\"\n\n\"Go have a seat in the lobby over there Jayden, I'll be back with some tea in a bit.\"\n\nI noticed as he wobbled over to the tired armchairs that he was wearing a flowing skirt that suited him well, a better fit than I could probably pull off to be entirely honest. He looked good in it, and I found myself wondering if any of my skirts would fit him better than they did me. \n\nOne cup of tea later, and Jayden was finally starting to calm down. Some of the colour had begun to return to his face, and he was finally starting to respond to me. \n\n\"If you want to talk about what's got you so shaken up, I'm willing to listen Jayden. But don't feel like you have to tell me, I just want to offer a sympathetic ear.\"\n\n\"Thanks,\" he mumbled. \"But this is personal.\"\n\n\"Fair enough. You want something to eat? Usually there's some leftovers from breakfast. Stale muffin or something. Probably some fruit hanging around.\" \n\n\"I'm good, thanks. Shouldn't eat beforehand.\" \n\n\"Beforehand?\"\n\nHe flushed, not meeting my eyes. \"It's not important. Can I get my room please?\" \n\nI frowned a little. \"Yeah, let's get you checked in. Room 37 right?\"\n\n\"Yep.\"\n\n\"Just you?\"\n\n\"Yep.\"\n\n\"Can I take you on a date tonight?\"\n\n\"Yep.\"\n\nHe threw his hands over his mouth, eyes wide.\n\n\"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-! It just-! I, I'm sorry.\"\n\nI raised an eyebrow. \"Was that a yes, or a no then?\"\n\nHe flushed. \"Uh, a yes?\""
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[WP] One year ago you murdered your brother with a black umbrella and got away with it. Now, the same umbrella shows up in your closet. You go outside with it, and are transported back to that fateful day, watching your former self. "First time?" Another you, holding the umbrella, waves hello.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You stare at yourself in the downpour, oddly you aren't afraid, you're calm. \n\nConfused, you wave back, \"H-Hello?\"\n\n\"Hi.\" The other you smiles warmly. \"I'll take that as a yes.\"\n\n\"What's... going on?\" You ask, hesitant for some reason.\n\n\"You died.\" The other you says plainly, like they agreed how nice the weather is. \n\n\"What?!?\" You try to scream but all that comes out is a shocked gasp.\n\nOther you nods their head, \"Yeah. A drunk driver sped over the curb. You died instantly.\" \n\nYour knees buckle. You manage to slowly lower yourself to the cold, wet ground. You want to ask \"Why? Why me?\", but you knew why... The reason was happening before your eyes.\n\n\"Is this my punishment?\" You ask. Watching a past you and your brother shove each other, screaming incoherently.\n\n\"In a sense.\" The other you answers. You both pause and watch as the past you hits your brother in the head with the umbrella handle, making him fall and hit his head on the curb.\n\nTears form in your eyes, the guilt you've become so accustomed to grips your chest with newfound strength. The tears fall before you even attempt to stop them. \"It was an accident...\"\n\n\"That IS what the police who found him wrote in their report.\" The other you states. \"That he was drunk, fell, and bled out from the head wound. Easy to close the case and move on. Unlike a murder trial.\"\n\nYou turn your head away. Almost feeling like someone hit you. \"I know I should've come forward. I didn't want to go to jail...\" You admit, seeing no reason to lie or make excuses.\n\n\"Has it been worth it?\" The other you asks.\n\n\"...No.\" You answer, watching the past you give up trying to stir your brother's body. You watch as the past you runs away leaving your brother to bleed out on the curb in the rain.\n\nAs the scene begins to replay, you look back to the other you. \"Why is there two of us here?\"\n\nThey look back at you. \"I'm them.\" They point to the past you. \n\n\"What do you mean?\" You ask.\n\n\"I'm the you who was most committed to the fight at the time. I didn't mean to kill our brother, no. But I did want to hurt him in that moment.\" The other you admits.\n\n\"Was it worth it to you?\" \n\nThe other you chuckles slightly at your repeated question. \"No. It wasn't. But I've made my bed. I'll lie in it. You'll likely move on though.\" \n\n\"Move on? To where?\"\n\n\"Heaven. Or Hell. It depends on you really.\" The other you answers.\n\nYou pause. Do you have the choice? Can you make the choice with your sins on repeat in front if you? \"What if I'm not ready to go?\"\n\n\"Stay here.\" Other you suggests.",
"The umbrella was black, barely twinkling in places, a canvas of the sea at midnight. One of its ribs had slipped out of its dark fabric, possibly from the trauma that it experienced when I killed my brother with it.\n\nI thought I had thrown it away. Instead, there it stood in my closet, innocent as a baby lamb, its wool barely the worse for wear. Except for that point, where it just never wanted to stay put in its end cap, along with a conspicuous splatter of blood. I hadn't cleaned it before I threw it, apparently, though I remembered that I wasn't frenzied.\n\nThere was some sort of compulsion that caused me to grasp its handle. I should have thrown it out immediately, or burn it into ashes and bury it into the deepest hole I could dig. Instead, I went outside.\n\nA crack of thunder sounded. I instinctively jumped a little, wanting to open my umbrella, but I quickly realized that the thunderbolt was not the herald of a rainstorm.\n\n\"First time?\"\n\nI turned towards me. While I gripped the wooden handle of my umbrella so tightly my knuckles turned white, the other me was relaxed. He stood with a slight bias to his right--our dominant sides--both hands pursed on the umbrella in front of him, looking like he was ready to break into song and dance at the first sign of rain.\n\nThen, I turned towards me killing my brother. That was what the other me was looking at, too, though we stole quick glances at each other. I wouldn't say I felt dreadful--a couple notches below, bordering queasy--but he was fully relaxed. We watched the murder of our brother like it was a scene in a play, practically reliving all the sights, sounds, and blood. Red, red, blood, crimson even under the cover of night.\n\n\"What is this?\"\n\nI had blurted out. He laughed then, and turned to me.\n\n\"Of course it is your first time,\" he said. \"It is exactly what you are seeing.\"\n\n\"I'm killing my brother,\" I muttered.\n\nThe scene played on and on. I thought it had ended in a blur of seconds, but the real thing was far more excruciating. There were blows exchanged, of course, and now I remembered the bruises. There was a brief struggle over weapons more viable than an umbrella, though they were thrown aside as and when. And the converted weapon struck it last blow, transforming from tool to deadly, he clapped and cheered, expressing desire for an encore.\n\n\"It really, really never gets old,\" he said, and smiled. He pat my shoulder. \"What's wrong, buddy? Why aren't you enjoying this?\"\n\n\"Why are you enjoying this?\" I asked, slightly sickened with myself.\n\n\"I'm not enjoying the murder of my brother,\" he said, and his smile died down a little. \"That part is long past. I'm enjoying the re-enactment.\"\n\nI turned to the scene again. It started once again, not one beat out of place. For some reason, I wished for my brother to win--an intrusive thought quickly dispelled when I registered what that meant.\n\n\"That's... that's not a re-enactment,\" I mumbled.\n\n\"It is,\" he said. \"The murder is done. Nothing can change it. Not you, not I, not him. Look at him go!\"\n\nI looked down. My knuckles were practically bleached, and my palms ached with the tightness of my grip.\n\n\"Do you regret it?\"\n\nIt was hard to tell who spoke those words, though I was confident they rolled off my tongue.\n\n\"Yes,\" he said, friendly demeanour suddenly brusque.\n\n\"So why are you still here?\"\n\n\"He deserved it, still,\" he continued. \"Don't you agree?\"\n\nI wanted to nod, though my body stayed still. I suppose that was enough information for the other me to discern that I remained in agreement.\n\n\"Being here,\" he said, and melancholy seeped into his words like water on a napkin, blood on an umbrella. \"At least my brother isn't alone when he dies.\"\n\nAs we watched on, I found myself without violent objection.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] You found yourself in a void with absolutely nothing in it. Out of curiosity, you said "let there be light," and there was light.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"And suddenly a blinding light appeared before you. It took a while to adjust after such a long darkness, but once you could see you noticed before you a sphere of water. The source of light before you that you supposedly had brought into being? It was unmistakably the sun, there's no way around. But, no. No way! That's impossible! You couldnt have done this. There had to be another explanation. Of course there was. Itd be ridiculous to think that you....of course, ridiculous! I mean, just before you had...but, obviously you had just been.....hang on. What had you been doing before this? Where had you been? Your memory was blank. A clean slate, no recollection of anything before the sheer empty darkness. It was all you had known. The loneliness of that void. But now, before you stood hope. The possibility. What was before the void - if anything - no longer seemed to matter. This blue sphere, illuminated by the glorious star, was a place for you to find company"
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[WP] Your brother is hanging out with you at your house. Everything seems normal until you get a knock on the door. You open it to see two officers who inform you that your brother, the one you're currently handing out with, was found dead.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"I kna ya Cozzer's got nuffin' better ter do, but even this is a bit lo.\"\n\nOliver wasn't really too pleased with the two policemen at his doorstep. The idea that his younger brother being dead was clearly a joke. They've just been enjoying some Halo and a box of pizza when these two came knocking.\n\n\"Son, we kna this is shockin' news but I'm telling ya,\" the cop trailed off as he handed Oliver a sealable bag.\n\nOliver took the bag and saw a license and a necklace in the bag. Both were covered in what looked like dried blood. He looked closer at the license.\n\n> Name: Harry Davis\n\n> D.O.B: 4th August 2004\n\nAnd then the necklace. He put his hand to his chest and felt the matching necklace he had under his shirt.\n\nHarry looked at the officers in confusion.\n\n\"But e's rite 'ere. In the bloomin' sittin' room playin' Xbox, mate,\" Oliver pointed behind him.\n\nThe two policemen looked at each other in concern.\n\n\"Son, yell aht ter 'im and ask 'im summit anyone would kno,\" the other policeman instructed.\n\n\"'ey Harry!\" Oliver yelled back into the room. \"Got our next door neighbor 'ere and 'e wants ter settle a ridiculous argument. That ending of Game of Thrones was perfect, rite?\"\n\n\"Bloody perfect, Ollie! Na get back 'ere so I can keep kickin' yer butt!\"\n\nOliver stepped outside the house and closed the door behind him. \"Okay, that is NOT me bruv in there.\""
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[WP] You volunteered to participate in a test run for a new method of psychotherapy: completely immersive, life-like simulation designed to confront you with whatever pains you. Its eccentric inventor boasts that this technology utilizes brain activity to create scenarios - whatever that means.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I’m seated in a chair across from someone with a clip board.\n\n“You just want me to talk about what I see, so you can document it for future reference?”\n\n“Yep, should just track your brain activity to figure out what is bothering you, and present you with it.”\n\nI think for a moment, “I’m assuming you’ve tested this on both neurotypical and neurodivergent people, right?”\n\n“ADHD, ADD, Bipolar, various kinds of depression, as well supposedly normal people,” they calmly reply “Haven’t had the opportunity to test anyone with schizophrenia, but you didn’t mark that.”\n\n“Synesthesia?” I ask casually.\n\n“Tested, but only one person, can’t give specifics beyond them having a sound-touch connection.”\n\nI nodded, “What about Aphantasia?”\n\nThe inventor gave me a confused look, “I saw you marked that down under ‘other’ but I haven’t had the chance to look it up. What is that, if you don’t mind me asking.”\n\nI picked up the headset, and started to put it on, “A total lack of mental images.”\n\n“What?” The inventor seemed confused.\n\n“I can’t imagine or picture things,” I explained, “I can understand what something is off a description, and I can describe it, I just don’t have a mental image.”\n\nThe inventor suddenly seemed nervous, “I see, well let’s, uh, let’s find out how this will go.”\n\nI put the head set on, and activated it. I saw the momentary flash as the headset powered up, and I saw an initial progress bar which said, “Reading brain activity.” I described what I saw.\n\nWhat felt like three minutes later, the progress bar reached 75%. I was updating on the percentage increase, as well as any jumped percentages.\n\nIt held at 80% for a few seconds before jumping to 95% and quickly finishing. I heard a tone play, and the screen updated “Scan Complete, World Rendered.”\n\nThe screen faded, away, leaving a blank black screen.\n\n“Black and blank after the ‘Scan complete, world rendered’ message faded.”\n\nThere was the scratching of paper and pencil, before the inventor spoke, “Try turning to face left, then right.”\n\nI turned my head, and bore witness to the expansive and empty void which surrounded me, “No, person, place, object, or other definition on a noun. Just empty blankness.”\n\n“Check behind you, then above and below.”\n\nI follow the directions, “Second verse, same as the first. Completely surrounded by empty void. Not falling through it, and I don’t even see an avatar of ‘me’ to look at.”\n\n“Well, normally I’d encourage you to explore the space you’re in, but now I’m not so sure.”\n\n“Mind if we just skip to the shut down?” I suggest.\n\n“No, I don’t. Just open the settings by... uh... try waving your avatar’s right arm in a left-to-right upward diagonal.”\n\n“What avatar?” I ask.\n\nThe inventor paused for an uncomfortable amount of time before saying, “So, I’m going to have to do a manual override to force exit you, is that ok?”\n\n“As long as this won’t wipe my memories, I’ll be good.”\n\n“Then this shoes go well,” I mutter, but soon enough I’m out with the headset on my lap. “Best of luck with your future tests.”\n\n“Wasn’t it scary?”\n\n“Hmm?”\n\n“That empty void,” the inventor fidgeted, “wasn’t that scary to see?”\n\nI shrug, “I see it whenever I close my eyes. Why would something I’ve had my whole life scare me?”\n\nThe inventor seemed to shiver, so I left them at that. Hopefully their next subject reacts better."
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[WP] It turns out that by galactic standards humans sleep and stay awake for days at a time which leads to some very interesting scheduling issues.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I pulled the cover over myself. I checked my calendar, Wednesday. I set my alarm for 6:30am Saturday. I pulled the sleeping mask over my face, I could feel the gas spraying over my face, but only for a second before I fell asleep.\n\nThe mask lifted from my face and I woke up. I felt extremely energized, like I could run for days without end, it was incredible. The new sleep schedules, or rather lack there of, were fun. I was never someone who cared about schedules all too much, though I did appreciate having some sort of idea of what time I’d be doing things. The scientists had set a predetermined amount time for sleep, 3 days awake, 3 days asleep, some people liked to push the boundaries a bit and sleep for 4 days, some 5 days. 6 days was when you would be pushing onto the area of risk. See, the scientists had created this gas for the purpose of keeping us asleep, because people can barely sleep for over 12 hours on their own, I know that for sure. The gas was supposed to put some sort of antibodies into you that would contribute to your body’s energy supply, hence why we can now stay up for 3 days at a time. \n\nI quickly rushed down the stairs of my apartment. Everyone lived in apartments now-a-days, houses had become obsolete due to the fact that we needed to preserve the nature we still had. Apartments were more affective because they can hold 1000 people in them, at first everyone thought that apartments of such a size was impossible and quite frankly foolish to even think of, but it was possible, albeit most of them were underground. I was lucky enough to have an above ground room, and it was great. I ran out into the streets of Caragon City, a large utopia of sorts that acted as a hive for humans, there were many different cities across the world, with houses being obsolete, towns went with them. I walked into Caragon Labs, the place I worked at. Caragon Labs was the place that first came up with the sleeping gas. I was surprised at how easily it was made, no trial and error. Though, most things are made by robots now, people still have many other jobs to do here. I ran down into the laboratory and tossed my bag into my locker. I looked around for Connor, but he was nowhere to be found. I saw Jess walking by with her clipboard and vats of blood types. She had what I would say was the worst job at Caragon. She had to draw blood from animals, humans, insects, it was disgusting but it had to be done. I walked up to Jess and waved to her, she looked over at me, her long black hair flowing through the air, she was beautiful, but I never had the courage to ever ask her out. \n\n“Hey Justin, what do you need?” She asked, fluttering her long eyelashes.\n\n“Hey, I was wondering if you’ve seen Connor?” I asked, looking around for Connor as I did.\n\nJess thought for a moment, then shook her head.\n\n“He’s sleeping, he stayed up an extra day to get some work done so he’s sleeping an extra day now. Sorry.” She said, giving me a sympathetic look.\n\nI was pissed, he knew we had extremely important things to do today. He was the only one I got along with in my division, so now the work was going to suck more than a whore.\n\n“Eh don’t be. I’m definitely going to ‘share some words’ with him when he gets back.” I say, chuckling to hide my aggravation.\n\nJess giggled and walked away. I walked into the main lab and nearly screamed when I saw that there was no one there. The room was filled with its usual equipment, but it was all in a mess. Vats broken on the floor, lab coats hanging from fans, and what even looked like a nuce made out of small rubber tubes laying on the floor. A group of higher-up scientists were walking around the lab, writing in their clipboards as they did. I noticed a few fully armored security guards standing next to the door, lazar guns in hand. I gently tapped the shoulder of one, he turned and looked at me, his visit lighting up a bright blue.\n\n“Hey, uh, what the hell happened?” I asked, very confused.\n\nThe visor hid his face well, but I could see the shock come onto his face.\n\n“Were you not here for the experiment?” He asked, his voice cracking as he spoke.\n\nI shook my head, his question worried me more.\n\n“A group of scientists were tasked to see how many days they could stay up. They stayed up a day later, only a day. They were all falling asleep and stuff, but they said they couldn’t actually fall asleep, like their bodies needed the gas to sleep. Some of them were actually saying stuff about chest pains and stomach pains.” The security guard explained, worry filling his voice.\n\nThis scared me even more. This security guard, which I realize it’s a bit of an insult to call them that, had gone through war, hell on earth. He saw people die infront of him, he saw corpses flying. He had seen things no man should have to see, but this, this scared him. I walked over to where a group of scientists were standing. They were huddled around something, I couldn’t see what. I gently shoved one of them out of the way, and surprisingly he didn’t say anything. I stared down at what they were seeing. My stomach turned, I felt like I wanted to vomit up my breakfast, no, I wanted to vomit up my organs. On the floor was Connor, his hand clenching his chest. His lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, a face of pain carved into his head for what would be all eternity. It was a face that scarred me, I could never forget it. It was that day when I started to fully see the issues of this gas. Before it wasn’t anything too big, well at the time it seemed it was, but now it just seems so small in comparison. It used to be things like missing important classes because of lazy teachers, or not getting to the store before it closes for the 3 days. This, however, this was much more. I don’t think I want to use the gas anymore."
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[WP] The demon appeared in a puff of sulfurous smoke. "Why have you summoned me?" it snorted. "Because it's the only we can get you to visit your parents more than once a year. And would it kill you to not do the smoke thing? You know how your father feels about smoking inside the house."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Listen, Mom. I know you miss me and everything, but we can't keep doing this. I died after robbing that bank with you, remember? I - Don't give me that look. Look at me! I'm a demon! And the sulfur smoke? That's just how it works. Oh Dad doesn't like smoking in the house? I can see a burning cigarette in the ashtray in the kitchen!\"\n\n\"You never visit anymore. It gets lone-\"\n\n\"Because I'm DEAD! My body is 6 feet under! You gave me a natural burial like it said in the will. Worms are eating me! We had this conversation last week! And the week before that! But okay, fine. You summoned me, a baron of hell, to do your bidding. What in the christborn hell do you want?\"\n\n\"I have another job for you. A big one.\"\n\n\"You want a demon to rob a bank?\"\n\n\"No, I want you to rob a casino.\"\n\n\"Fucking why?\"\n\n\"Just listen, and I'll tell you. First, that form is grotesque. Change it.\"\n\n\"No. Talk.\"\n\n\"Fine. You know how the Thornton family screwed us by forcefully taking our land way back when?\"\n\n\"Sure. I remember.\"\n\n\"Well... They opened a casino on it not too long ago. Maybe about a month? It pulls in a lot of money because people keep losing. I hear the games are rigged more than usual at that place.\"\n\n\"So what's your point? You got someone on the inside?\"\n\n\"I do. A lady from my Bunko group is working there. She's in charge of the alarm system.\"\n\n\"Miss Sharon? Oh yeah. She's an electronics wizard. That's great. But hey, let's get to the plan part. Still not seeing where I come in.\"\n\n\"Okay... Well, you'll obviously need a human form. You are going to pose as a patron and when the time is right, go invisible.\" \n\n\"Then what?\"\n\n\"Can you walk through walls?\"\n\n\"Yes. I can. I suppose there's smoke detectors in the vault.\"\n\n\"Precisely, which is why I don't want you teleporting in there. I'll go over the juicy details when the rest of the crew gets here.\"\n\n\"Solid. I'm going to go steal that nice car that just rolled by. Meet you back in a couple hours.\"",
"“Ugh. We could just FaceTime, Ma! You know I’m working!”, a clawed hand massaging his right temple, eyes bearing down upon his cloven hooves.\n\n“Well... just so you know it’s nearly Father’s Day, and I don’t want a repeat of last year! Get him something nice, a pair of slippers maybe. The perforated soul in a box was nice, I get it, you wanted to give him something that reminded him of you, but your siblings can’t be expected to gift at that level.”\n\nThe demon’s hand drops defeated to his side, unable to defend himself from the psychological barrage his mother expertly deploys, time in time again. “Ma, I can’t NOT just give anyone a THING without TAKING a soul in return, I’ve told you both this. It’s not a one-way street here, but it’s strictly business!”\n\n“This is ridiculous, WE shouldn’t have to sacrifice a soul just to see our son, it’s obtuse. Do you have any idea how much a baby goat, frankincense, muir and black candles go for nowadays? It’s highway robbery!”, hand on hip, the old woman unimpressed by the gargantuan demon standing before her nearly taking up the entirety of the attic.\n\n(More later maybe, at work.)",
"“What do you want from me now?” I asked. Appearing from nothing, I admired the tendrils of smoke that dissipated from the soles of my feet. In front of me, my mother clutched her chest in shock.\n\n“Please, must you do that every time?”\n\nI nodded gravely. “I must, if you must continue to insist on these annual visits. They’re tedious.”\n\nShe shook her head, the corners of her mouth drooping down to her chin. “You know how important these moments with you are to your father. He misses you. Ever since the accident...”\nShe trailed off, never able to finish her words when we discussed the deal I’d made with the devil, for ever-lasting immortality. \n\n“Mom, not this again. I’m not apologizing, again, for something that happened over 20 years ago. I made my bed, and I sleep in it soundly each night. Why can’t he?”\n\nMy mother huffed, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. “He misses you.”\n\nI snorted, lighting up a cigarette and watching as the ashes fell to the floor below in a mountain of scorching embers at my feet. “Tell that fucker I want my soul back. Then we’ll talk.”",
"\"Mom, can you not? I'm not a human anymore.\"\n\n\"And whose fault is that, hmm? Didn't I tell you to start going to church more often? Now, look at you. Everybody's kids are doctors and lawyers and my son is a demon. What am I supposed to tell the neighbors?\"\n\n\"Nothing! I died already! Why are they even still asking about me?\"\n\n\"They aren't, but when they're bragging about their kids, I'm supposed to just, what, sit there and stay silent??\"\n\n\"Yes!\"\n\n\"...What are you doing with your life?\"\n\n\"Not this again...\"\n\n\"Yes, this again. What's the matter with you? I can't ask what you're doing?\"\n\n\"Mom, we went over this a million times... I'm a life-reassment coach...And you're giving me that look again.\"\n\n\"No, no. Life-reassment coach. Interesting. So what do you do on a day-to-day basis?\"\n\n\"I make people reasses their lives. I ask them what they're in Hell for, and then I poke them with pitchforks.\"\n\n\"Hmm.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Nothing. I just thought that...you know, after all that money your father and I spent putting you through college that you would've - I don't know - been doing something a little bit more, oh what's the word...something more...*productive* with your life.\"\n\n\"Do you know how hard it is to find different ways to torture - er, I mean, make people reassess their lives after awhile? It's not easy, Mom!\" \n\n\"Keep it down! You'll wake your father up. Anyway, I miss you. You should stop by more often.\"\n\n\"I have no choice, Mom. You summon me everyday.\""
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[WP] You are a little fish looking for the perfect shell to decorate your grandma’s birthday cake with. You know where there’s a bunch of them, but the octopus gang has their slimy tentacles all over them.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*”Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender. Also, I’m an octopus.*”\n\n-Tupactopus Shacuttle\n\nMy name is Ainu, and this is the story of a little fish who got mixed up in a bad scene.\n\nIt all started earlier today, at my grandfishma’s birthday party. My family and I, we came down from Pico Oceanera to celebrate—she lived in a not-so-nice place, just north of Ingledriftwood.\n\nIt was a rough place, her town. The coral reefs were all busted down and dilapidated, the water was cloudy, and young fish were just hanging around during school hours. Grandfishma, she got a lot of respect from the community, but I always worried about her safety. Nothing ever seemed right once that gang showed up...\n\nThe Crazy Eights, that was their name. They used to sling seaweed in the lower twilight zone, but now, they swim around grandfishma’s coral reef like they own it. No one can stand them.\n\nJust last week, their leader broke into grandfishma’s house and stole her late husband’s shell. \n\nYeah, grandfishpa was a hermit crab. I never understood how that worked.\n\nAnyway, I knew she was devastated. It killed me to see her like that, so I decided that was the end of the line. I would march right on over to the Crazy Eights, take back what they stole, and inspire the other fish to fight back.\n\nLittle did I know how bad an idea that would be.\n\nAs soon as I entered their coral block, I realized they were watching me. I must’ve looked like the dumbest kid in the sea.\n\n“Well, well, well,” I heard a voice from behind me, “what have we here? A goldfish, eh? What are you doing around here?”\n\nI stayed silent. He was bigger than me, way bigger than me. I knew that for a fact.\n\n“You from another gang, kid? Or are you just stupid?” he asked.\n\n“I’m... just taking a swim.”\n\n“Through our turf? Unlikely.”\n\n“Y-you can’t prove that I’m not.”\n\n“Mm, sure, sure. Be straight with me, kid—you lookin’ for someone, or are you lookin’ to die?”\n\nI gulped. “There’s... an octopus named Nines. Does he live here?”\n\n“Nines, huh? And what exactly does a goldfish want with Nines?”\n\n“He stole something from my grandfishma... something important.”\n\nHe laughed, which doesn’t make sense, given his beak. “Go home, kid. We’ve got enough suckers around here.”\n\n“W-what?”\n\n“You think Nines’ll just give it back, no harm, no foul? Nah, kid, that’s not how this goes. You want something back, we need to see some clams.”\n\n“You want me to pay for something you stole?!”\n\n“It’s a cruel ocean, kid. Now, I’ll give you ten seconds. Either get out of here and never come back, or... well, I don’t eat fish, but I can make an exception...”\n\nI swam. I swam as fast as my fins could take me. Not away, but forward, deeper into octopus territory. If I could just get the shell, if I could just...\n\nSuddenly, everything went black. \n\nAhh, so this is what death feels like. I must’ve swam right into an open beak. This was stupid... this whole thing was stupid. I only wish I could’ve said goodbye to grandfishma...\n\nWait, no, I’m in a cloud of ink.\n\nScrew this, I’m going home."
] | 2
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[WP] A programmer got their hands on a spellbook. They understood it like an API. Weeks later, they create very complicated yet overpowered spells like how they create programs.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Walk backwards five steps, turn on a forty five degree angle, raise arms, give Latin incantation...”\n\nThe new wizard continued on like this for over an hour. Eventually, the King walked over to join the knight in watching.\n\n“Why is this taking so long?” the King asked, “I’ve seen magic before and even the most elaborate of rituals have not taken this long.”\n\n“I have no idea, my king. You know more of magic than I.”\n\n“Then it is as I thought. This man is a fraud and has played me a fool for long enough!”\n\nJust as the King began to stride over, there was a large flash of bright light. After it had finished, the hall was much less empty. Near the wizard was a veritable mountain of gold, a severed dragon’s head, several knight’s corpses, and the King’s daughter.\n\nIn the confusion no one noticed the wizard muttering, “dragon_slayer.exe complete.”"
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[WP] The superheroes successfully defend Earth and defeat the aliens. While everyone is celebrating the victory you decide to make the decision and end this once and for all. You are now heading towards the invaders home planet
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"As I flew past Pluto, my mind drifted back to earlier today. We were celebrating our victory in defeating the Zoran invasion of Earth. Even in the middle of the merry making, my mood soured. I am a son of Gaea and I let alien Invaders harm her?! And what to stop them from trying again and what if the League was not here next time? Should we just let Gaia and the populace die?! I made my mind, time to end this once and for all, at the source. As I grab my Axe and prepared to flew away, Sky Commander grabbed my shoulder and asked \"And where are you going, Astrax? It's not like you to leave before the booze ran out?\" he said jokingly. \" I'm going to end this threat, permanently at the source.\" As I removed his hand and glared at him. \"Wha..What? You're not seriously thinking of killing every last one of them? I know you have an anger issue, but committing GENOCIDE?! Are you out of your mind?!\" The Commander screamed at me, silencing the room. Everyone's eyes are now on us. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We were lucky this time, Commander! No casualty, and we were here to fight them! What about next time?! If they just started bombarding indiscriminately as soon as they're in Orbit, what then?! Even I can't stopped them all if that happened! That's not counting all the thousand more things that could happened. Nay, the only way is to eliminate them all.\" I glowered at the Commander while the rest of the League stood around us. \"You're too serious, Astrax. Chill out before you get hurt\\~\" Silverbolt said nonchalantly while playing with his silver knife. \"Careful friend, remember you are talking to a God, and I take threat to myself seriously.\" My eyes glowed as thunder rumbled outside the Headquarter. Seeing the tension, Pheonix stepped between us \"Calm down everyone, we're all friends here, and no one is threatening you, Astrax. Please, calm down.\" as she placed her hand on mine. My anger lessened and the thunder outside settled down. \"Are you really sure with this action, young Astrax?\" A serene voice broke the tension. Only one other person in the League can call me young, the Immortal Seer. \"Yes, I believe so my Lady. Don't stop me\" I said solemnly. She stood silent for a minute, then she spoke \"..Then do what you must do, Young Astrax. Believe in your heart.\" That surprised me honestly, She was always a pacifist and now she's condoning my action? Must be losing her touch at that age I thought as I get ready to depart. \"You can't be serious, Seer?! You're okay with him killing an entire species?!\" shouted the Commander. \"Believe in my judgement, young Commander as you had before. This is important to both young Astrax and the Zoran\" she assured the Commander and walked back to her room. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nPart One complete. Maybe I'll continue Part Two if anyone's interested."
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[WP] A creature steps from the alley before you, and offers two choices; be eaten alive, or choose another person to take your place once a month. Three years later you’re having a hard time keeping up with the demand, as you’re running out of people you don’t like.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"_\"Francis check. Morris check. Norton check\"_.\n\nI have to find someone or else he will eat me. It has been three years since I met that thing and if I am sane enough, I will never want to meet him again. \n \nI remember that morning clearly as if it had happened just yesterday.\n\n_'Tutu tu tu Tutu tu tu'_ my alarm went off. With my eyes tightly shut, I navigated my arm in the dark in an attempt to grope the clock. \n\nI woke up and glided to the door, picked up my toothbrush, mounted it in my holy mouth, to and fro I rubbed it on my teeth and very soon I was done. I grabbed my towel and headed towards bathroom. Boom! I had taken the bath. Never in my life had things happened with such smoothness. I bet silk would have shied away. The next second, power cut off, the fan stopped and I opened my eyes.\n\nNow I had to do it for real. Damn man! How lucky were those people who never woke up from sleep. This particular thought had been the centre of my life. I didn't enjoy life anymore. I didn't like the people around me. They were all manipulative cunning bastards at best; always thinking about themselves.\n\nEven my mother would be like, _\"Stay happy. Why are you so sad?\"_ \n\n_\"Because I don't fit in this society mom. I can't fulfill the jobs expected from me by the community. I can't marry. I can't have kids. I have something strange happening with me. Although not fatal, it is extremely debilitating and depressing\"_. I wish I could say that. She would break into tears and delve deep into the despair. My dad's death and two heart attacks later, I couldn't afford to see her stressed. I didn't want to lose her too.\n\nAnyway, I conjured up all my strength and lazily, got off the bed. I opened my door to the view of a black globular ball the size of five footballs put together. \n\n_\"What the heck is that?\"_, I thought with my foggy mind.\n\n_\"Open your eyes, O' not so wise\"_ came a voice from the mega football.\n\nAs I did the needful, to my horror, the round ball had two legs and two hands arising out of it. But no face anywhere to be seen. \n\n_\"Who are you?\"_, I asked.\n\n_\"Worok\"_, he said.\n\n_\"I am the slave of the grave,\n I am the bark of the dark.\n You are my breakfast today morning, \n For I can see you under the mark\"_\n\nThe ball pointed one of his hands over my head as it finished the rhyme. I gasped in surprise as I saw a black ring within a red halo hovering over my head.\n\n_\"What's this?\"_ I asked him confusingly. \n\n_\"That's the order I got from the grave. Every day, I am assigned a breakfast based on previous day's work. I had been left to eating bugs and lizards for the past few days, but since I freed up some space of the graveyard by exhumating skeletons yesterday, I am offered a human today\"_.\n\n_\"I wonder how one eats without a mouth by the way\"_, I laughed it out as the creature seemed amusing to me. _\"Where's your mouth buddy? Where are your teeth?\"_, I tantalized him.\n\n_\"Funny, Am I?\"_, he asked me with a smug.\n\n_\"Yes, you are\"_, I replied.\n\n_\"Not more than your life buddy. Living in despair only to be eaten by me\"_, he snapped back.\n\nNext he opened up like a transformer into a blood drenched monster with a scary and eerie silence following his new appearance. His eyes were blood red with green pupils. His breath was shallow and he smelled of death. \n\nGoosebumps tore through my skin in rapid waves. Cold sweat trickled down my neck. \n\n_\"What the heck!!\"_ I was scared by now. Although my life had been no less a torture, I had no plans to die by getting eaten alive. \n\n_\"You have another choice by the way\"_, the monster added.\n\n_\"Choose a person to replace you for one day every month for the rest of your life\"_, he said.\n\nI was standing there bamboozled at the prospect. \n\n_\"Hurry up. I haven't got time\"_, the monster said with a snarl. Thick, viscous saliva fell from the angle of his mouth onto the already blood-drenched floor.\n\nI was thinking how did this substitute for his breakfast but God forbid if he changed his mind.\n\n_\"Deal\"_, I said.\n\n_\"Very well then, your first day starts from tomorrow\"_, he said before vanishing in thin air.\n\nFrom that tomorrow till today, life has been a weird place.\nI thought I had foes enough to populate another planet. But after 36 sacrifices, I can't think of many.\n\nI had kept Wellens reserved for such a time. Though he is sweet on my face and laughs with me, I had seen the behind-the-mask version of him in public many a times. He would comment on my appearance and derive pleasure from the laughter that arose from the by standers.\n\nWellens it is then. \n\n_\"Wellens? Wellens who?\"_\n\nI open my eyes to a ceiling fan rotating creakingly. \n\n_\"Wellens? Who is Wellens?\"_ asks a man in white coat sitting at a metre distance from me. Looking into my eyes, he repeats the question, \"Who is Wellens? Tell me more\".\n\n_\"Wait a minute. Who are you? And where am I?\"_, I ask frantically.\n\nNo sooner had I finished my array of questions, than my mom entered the scene.\n\n_\"Honey. You will be okay\"_, she started crying.\n\n_\"What has been happening here? Will somebody tell me?\"_, I ask.\n\n_\"You were hallucinating son. I'm your psychiatrist\"_, said the doc.\n\nMy mouth that stood open in bewilderment was about to breathe a sigh of relief but just then my mom spoke.\n\n_\"Dr Worok, will he be okay?\"_\n\n_\"Hard to say for he broke the vow,\n Failed to find any foe.\n Innocent he may be...\n But something has to go in my maw\"_",
"*I'm not a saint, but I don't think I'll go to hell. Between life or death, anyone would choose life -- right?*\n\n\n\"Sorry, Mr. Sanchez, \" I said to myself, \"but occasionally there *is* justice in this world.\" \n\n\nThree counts of rape and sexual assault, but only a one year sentence? Bullshit. \n\n\nI printed out a picture of the man's face and wrote his name underneath. Then, I folded it up and took out a lighter. Three years ago I would keep a glass of water nearby just in case, but now I knew I didn't have to. I lit the paper in my hand and watched it burn. Actually, it would be more accurate to say I watched it disappear, because when something burns there's ashes left behind. In this case the flame completely destroys the paper. I'm not sure how it does that, but everything surrounding the situation is bizarre, so I don't trouble myself with the details. \n\n\nOn my 25th birthday I went out drinking with some friends. We did a bar-crawl around the city, and eventually we were so drunk no place would let us in. Everyone got pissed, but decided it was for the best, so we all went our separate ways. That's when I ran into the thing. \n\n\nI bumped into it as it came out of an alley. The second we made contact I felt anxious. \n\n\n\"Awe shit, my bad,\" I apologized. \"Didn't see you in time.\" \n\n\nIt seemed like a normal sized guy in a hoodie, but when I looked at its face I couldn't tell what I was seeing. Underneath the hood was just... static. At times I could almost make out a shape, but it never lasted long. \n\n\nMy instincts were telling me to run, but the harder I tried to move the more I realized I couldn't. \n\n\n\"Do you want to die?\" I heard a voice say. There was something strange about it. \n\n\n\"W-what?\" I could barely manage to move my mouth. \"N-no!\" \n\n\n\"A pact,\" the voice said. \"Give me offerings if you want to live.\" \n\n\n\"S-sure! I'll give you anything!\" I pleaded. \n\n\n\"Okay.\" I realized what was so strange about the voice: it was mine. \n\n\nThe figure released its grip on me and faded back into the alley. I ran home with my heart ready to burst. I turned all the lights on and left them like that for a week. I couldn't sleep that night. \n\n \n \n\nNow, three years later, I can sleep soundly in the dark. Every month I offer that thing a person by burning a picture of their face and name, and every month that person dies. The cause of death is always different, but as soon as the paper is finished burning they're no longer alive. It's like their life somehow becomes linked to the page. \n\n\nAnd, with that being said, the paper that was in my hand completely disappeared. Another criminal brought to justice. As long as humanity exists there’ll always be people who should be dead. People who skirt the justice system, either by luck or money. But I’m here to make sure that stuff doesn’t happen anymore. Sometimes I think it was God himself I met in the alley that night. \n\n\nMaybe I'm a saint after all."
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[WP] You are given a potion that can break any curse no matter how strong. On the brink of death the grim reaper appears in your room , and out of fear you throw your emergency bottle of potion at him. His robe and scythe disappear to reveal a man in his underwear.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Her daughter had just left to run a few errands before she would return, but Marie knew she would be dead by then. As she watched her daughter leave, she longed to spend nothing but those final moments with her, the only family she had left after her husband had disappeared.\n\nBut no, her breathing was becoming more labored as she felt her life beginning to ebb away. Flashes of memories passing in her mind's eye. It was one such happy memory when she noticed a figure in the dark corner of the room. A face, shrouded by a black, hooded robe, a scythe in his bony hands. The grim reaper takes a step closer to her.\n\nIn a panic, she reaches underneath her pillow and throws a potion at him. The same strange potion that appeared in her mail one day, with a note that said, 'For emergency use only,’ and was labeled 'Unbind Curse.' It was her last defense. She wanted to live.\n\nThe vial broke on contact and the air sizzled with mist. Where the grim reaper once stood, was a man in his underwear.\n\nMarie just stared at the man in shock. As if in a tunnel, she heard the front door unlock and her daughter call out to her. Marie’s eyes didn’t leave the man’s when her daughter entered the room. \n\nHer daughter looks at the man, “Dad?”"
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[WP] You're king, and you suspect your younger brother of plotting treason with the queen. Word gets out after you have him executed secretly, and she shows you that they were going to surprise you on your birthday. She forgives you, but the mob of angry peasants outside aren't as understanding.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A medley of emotions crossed the king’s face. First shock, then sadness, then simple realisation. He had killed his brother for… organising a surprise birthday party. For him.\r \n\r \nThe broken king dropped to his knees, not feeling the cold of the castle’s stone. His queen walked slowly towards him, kneeling more gracefully beside her husband.\r \n\r \nHis head was in his hands by now, bent forwards with his elbows resting on his knees. He had heard her walk over, but made no effort to respond. He didn’t know what to say.\r \n\r \n“I forgive you”, stated his wife.\r \n\r \nHe looked at her, confused, disbelieving his ears.\r \n\r \n“I forgive you”, she repeated.\r \n\r \n“Why?”, he hoarsely responded.\r \n\r \n“Because—”\r \n\r \nShe paused for a moment.\r \n\r \n“Because — I don’t know how not to” she whispered.\r \n\r \nThere was a long silence between the two, broken by the sounds of distant shouting from outside the castle gates. The shouting slowly grew louder as it neared his keep.\r \n\r \nFinally, a loud bang echoed from the large wooden door near the dismayed monarch. This was immediately followed by a chorus of bangs, unceasing in their ferocity. A mob had formed, and they were out to get the king.\r \n\r \nHe raised his head towards the door in front of him. A steely expression formed on his face before he got up and brushed himself off. His queen did the same, looking at him expectantly.\r \n\r \nHe stepped towards her, and extended his arm around her in an embrace. She returned the gesture, reaching both her arms around her king.\r \n\r \nAs quick as a flash, the king reached to his belt and drew his dagger, plunging it into her stomach. Shock spread across her face, then betrayal, as she looked her husband in the eyes. He withdrew his blade, dropping it to the ground with a clatter.\r \n\r \nHe sank with her to the floor, holding her in his arms as blood pumped from the hole in her abdomen. She kept him fixed with a look of questioning and betrayal.\r \n\r \nHe began to whisper his final words to her, drawing closer to overcome the sounds of the crowd outside, “Forgive me again, my love.”\r \n\r \nHe planted a final soft kiss on her lips, before drawing away and seeing her now empty eyes, devoid of any emotion.\r \n\r \nHe gently lowered her body to the ground, and finally stood up, leaving her bloodied corpse on the stone.\r \n\r \nHe approached the doors, lifting the heavy log bolting the door shut. The banging on the door ceased as they heard this new commotion going on inside.\r \n\r \nDrawing a breath, the king heaved the heavy doors, swinging them open. The townspeople stared at him in shock, pitchforks frozen in their hands.\r \n\r \nThe king stepped towards the angered mob, and once again sank to his knees, though this time on the soft, meticulously cared-for grass.\r \n\r \nThere was a sob from someone in the crowd, as they saw their queen’s dead form behind the emerging king. Gasps emanated from the mob as they spotted the corresponding blood on his clothing.\r \n\r \nThe king reached both hands up to his head, slowly removing his crown. He inspected it for a moment in his hands. After taking his final look, he drew his arm back, flinging the crown as far as possible. It landed near-noiselessly on the grass.\r \n\r \nHe bent his head down towards the verdant green below, bowing in deference to the mob.\n\nHe closed his eyes.\n\nAnd he waited."
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[WP] You've met the girl of your dreams. Unfortunately, she's literally the girl of your dreams - the only way you can meet her is by lucid dreaming every night.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It's the usual. Clock in, suit up. Work the line till the lunch bell, eating the gloop that nourishes but never pleases. Then it's back at it for another five hours, working the machines till your hands are sore and eyes reek.\n\nFinally, the day is done. I exchange a few half-hearted words with my colleagues and hobble into my rusty compact. There's no aircon, and the setting sun beats into my skin as I head for home.\n\nEvery channel on the head plays the same crap, and the semi a car-length ahead looks like it's stalled on the asphalt. My calloused fingers grip the wheel, the hot vinyl sticking to my skin. The only breeze floating through my window is a fine mix of automotive exhaust.\n\nI hit the drive-through ATM along the way, filling my wallet with a couple twenties. My measly payday, yay for me. The exasperated honk from the Benz behind me sends my mind reeling back to the road.\n\nHalf an hour later I reach my pad. The landlady already threatened to kick me out more than once; it's not my fault my job pays minimum. I feel my ears wince as I push the door open, the squeaking could wake the dead. My shoes are kicked into a corner, and my body flops onto an ancient orange couch. With patches.\n\nDinner comes courtesy of a microwave meal, and a few hours of staticky telly sends me to sleep. I mean, I'm literally looking through a kaleidoscope at this point. I feel sleep set in, the threadbare blanket on the couch comforting as my senses fade. My muscles loosen, and I begin to lose my grip on the world.\n\nWhen I was younger, I became panicked as I realized I couldn't clench my fists when I willed my body to. I would push harder and harder until I crossed an invisible line and brought myself back to Earth.\n\nThose were the glory days, sweet and innocent.\n\nI now embraced the paralysis, letting the real world and its senses leave me. The whorls of color flickering into my closed eyes blended into splotches of bright and dark. My fingertips tasted air instead of the velour couch. The sounds of the sitcom rerun and electric fan were replaced by my throbbing heart.\n\nBefore I let the blackness consume me, I opened my eyes. Not physically, as the force would blow me back into consciousness. Rather, I released my hold on the muscles keeping them close, letting them slide open.\n\nIt was still dark out there, but my senses were resolving. My mind focused on the flashing shapes before me, watching them resolve into the familiar. A street. Buildings. People.\n\nSound entered my ears I rubbed my hands together, feeling the sensations and letting them ground me into this reality. The noises of the city came about in full stereo, a cacophony both natural and man-made. It surely fools the mind.\n\nThen I saw *her*, and my heart skipped a beat. It always did, from the first to the last. She'd always been there for me, as a childhood crush, teenage lover, and adult companion.\n\nWe'd traveled the world together, soaring over the ocean like birds. Chatted till midnight as I let my emotions flow free. Put ourselves into adventures grander than any film.\n\nLily stood before me, the city crowds parting between us. Her A-line dress reached to slightly above her knees, and she completed the package with a pair of open-toe heels. They carried her to my eye level, and she looked her teal orbs into mine.\n\nShe was flawless, from her locks to the cheekbones and skin. The exact combination that would make me turn my head anywhere in the world. We embraced and kissed, her lips softer than anything I'd felt.\n\nThere was a time when we'd have ran straight for the nearest bed. I pushed that thought aside for later and took her hand instead. Her crimson nails teasingly scratched my fingers as we strolled along the boardwalk that had materialized before us.\n\nI could smell the water, feel the wind, and hear the crash of the surf. The skyscrapers were replaced by wooden dockside buildings painted in bright colors.\n\n*Nice*, I thought. *But not quite.*\n\nMy mind disengaged slightly from this reality, and my point of view shifted over the ocean. Lily stood awkwardly on the boardwalk as I shaped the scene to my liking, placing a cottage on the grass and hiding everything else. Time sped up once more as I placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her to face the cottage.\n\n\"Our home,\" I said. Even without going inside, I knew that it was infinitely more livable than that shitty apartment.\n\nMy words sounded natural, but they carried a practiced edge of persuasion that had took many years to perfect in this world. It shifted Lily's programming and she immediately believed it. A moment later she was excitedly showing me around the cottage she'd \"bought\" for me.\n\nThe guilt came briefly, and I shrugged it away. It appeared again when I couldn't summon wine into my glass, causing my vision to blur and nearly breaking the illusion from all the mental exertion. I ended up having to persuade a guy on the street to materialize a bottle for me.\n\nWe had food, drink, and laughter. She gigged at my poor jokes; matched my speed while eating. The alcohol gave the highs without the lows. The day passed quickly with a few bouts of dilation, and we ended up barefoot on the beach watching the setting sun.\n\nShe whispered sweet things into my ear was we sat on the sand, a warm breeze rustling her hair. As the glowing orange faded into blue, numerous stars filled the sky.\n\n\"It's beautiful,\" Lily said softly. I only nodded as I lay down beside her to see the sky.\n\nDeep down, I knew she was just a figment of my imagination. She loved to do the things I liked, parroted my thoughts and desires. Was that truly perfection?\n\nThe sky shifted, glowing briefly. Beside me, Lily continued staring in awe. I focused on the expanse above me, willing it to darken.\n\nWhen I looked over at her again, I saw her skin becoming translucent, like a ghost. I ran my eyes over her face, redrawing in the detail. My heart beat faster and my breathing became sharp and panicked.\n\nThen, as the alarm clock trilled into my ears and the morning sun finally glared into my eyes, she was no more.\n\nI pushed myself out of bed and began to prepare for work."
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[WP] Your wishes have the power to kill, but only after 10 years as you just found out. Now you are trying to find a way to reverse thiis effect, because just 3 years ago in your "Emo Phase" you wished for all life on earth to perish.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"My friend asks me if he should ask this girl for her snap.\n\n\"Shoot your shot, bud. In 5 years it probably won't matter.\"\n\n*Actually, in just under 7 years, it definitely won't.*\n\n\"You think so? You think she's into me?\"\n\nI shrug. \"You won't know 'til you ask, right? Go ask her.\"\n\nHe leaves our table and I'm alone with my thoughts and a half-drunk moscow mule. The ice has mostly melted and it tastes more of water than of ginger beer, but I take another sip anyway. The bartender's really nice; I'll probably leave him a good tip despite the weak drinks he's serving.\n\nIt isn't long before my friend rejoins me. The sullen look on his face is the answer to the question I wasn't planning to ask.\n\n\"Don't worry, bud. You'll get the next one.\" I say almost without emotion. I'm still stuck ruminating on this big deadline I've set for us all.\n\nHe starts to mumble something, and halfway through the sentence his brain must have processed the weirdness of my tone and he cuts himself off. \"Are you... feeling ok? I know I'm the one who just got turned down for a date, but damn.\"\n\n\"I'm just tired from work.\" \n\n*I can't tell him the truth. The last person I made that mistake to almost tried to have me committed.*\n\n\"You sure? You don't seem like yourself.\"\n\nI laugh it off. \"Yeah, I'm sure. Just got a lil' too much blood in my alcohol system, that's all.\"\n\n*All the world's a stage, and the curtain call is coming a lot sooner than you think.*"
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[WP] An extremely wealthy man slowly dying of cancer writes a will stating that should he be murdered, whoever is responsible for ending his misery will inherit everything he owns, but should his murderer be murdered, their killer will inherit it instead.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Beyond the obvious fact that these terms you've chosen to set are both highly illegal and disgustingly immoral, any beneficiary would be able to contest these terms as unreasonable, Mr. Stewart.\"\n\ndespite being old and grey, Charles J. Stewart sat as straight as a board in his wheelchair. The years of hunting great predators and doing battle with all manner of malicious entities had finally taken its tole on him. Decades of repelling all manner of otherworldly monstrosities and horrors born of man's own small corner of an enormous universe, and here he was, dying of age.\n\nEvery day, he could feel time slipping away from him. Death, the old bastard, had finally come round for him. And after years of ducking, cheating and dodging him by an inch, the good-for-nothing cad was growing impatient. But he'd be damned if he'd go quietly, and he'd be even more so if he would leave his fortune in the hands of the infirm or unworthy.\n\n\"I do believe it is *you* who are confused here, sir.\" Stewart said, lighting his great grandfather's old ivory pipe. \"I am no mere collector of antiquities, nor am I the deranged hoarder as my children are determined to convince you I am.\"\n\nHe steepled his fingers, his eyes intense as he stared off into the void \"My possessions cannot be idly handed off to some doughy simpleton. Some of them quite literally cannot be handed down to another lest they are not won in battle.\"\n\nHis lawyer, a good-hearted but unremarkable man, gave him the same pitying look so many had come to give him as of late. It was beyond frustrating, but he had brought it on himself.\n\nHe had always hoped to keep his own bloodline from inheriting his burden. At the ripe old age on nine, his own father had taken him hunting for Wendigos. At the age of ten, he was taught how to slay demons. And at the age of fifteen, he was forced to watch his father die in his arms, the blade of the dreaded Midrogor the Defiler buried in his abdomen. The moment he had held his own firstborn, he knew he could not bring himself to subject them to the same nightmare.\n\nBut in doing so, the line of the Great Hunter had been broken. The demonic and profane had no sentry to turn them away from the gate to the realm of men. If a proper heir could not be found, he feared his time in the great halls Valhalla would be marred by the fires that would blaze behind as he went.\n\nHis children were by no means weak. Both he and his beloved Mary had seen to it that they were the finest of men and women, each firmer than steel in both mind and body. But there was too much for them to learn and no time left to teach them. And even now, he could not bring himself to have them to face such nightmares. \n\n\"Mr. Stewart. I understand these objects and texts mean a great deal to you. I can see to it they're handled by the finest academics. Any one of your possessions would be the crown jewel of any museum.\"\n\nCharles was no longer listening. This was little more than a courtesy to his children. Even the wheelchair, rigid and uncomfortable, was a façade. Despite the creeping shadow of death, he was still strong. A better, younger fighter could take him, yes. But it would still be a hell of a final battle. It would just be a matter of finding them.\n\n\"Mr. Stewart, please.\" The lawyer was rubbing his temples, frustrated. \"There is no plausible way for me to honor these terms you've set. If you don't work with me, your assets will be taken by the state and there'll be nothing more I can do.\"\n\nAt that moment, the floor to ceiling glass of his office burst inward, shards scattering about the room. The lawyer shrieked in surprise. He dove beneath his desk, but not before the shards cut him terribly. His reflexes from years spent behind a desk had done him no favors.\n\nThrough the jagged whole flew a young woman with raven hair. She landed gracefully before Charles, muscles rippling and eyes burning with purpose. She was vital and he could feel power emanating from her in waves. She stood to her full height, a staggering 6'9\" and bellowed her demands\n\n\"Great Hunter! You would leave the realm of men unguarded!\" From her hip, she drew a magnificent blade of dragon scales, undoubtedly forged in the fires of Mor Mortora. \"I am here to claim the mantle and burden from you as per your challenge!\"\n\n\"*WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!*\" shrieked the lawyer, cowering in a corner.\n\nCharles stood to his feet, tossing the plaid blanket draped over his legs to the floor and pushing the terrible wheelchair away with a powerful kick. \"Never you mind,\" he said calmly. \"My estate will pay you for your time.\" With a flick of both his wrists, he summoned forth his khopesh swords. He flexed, bursting the seams of his shirt and sweater vest, sending shreds of cloth falling to the floor.\n\n\"Now if you will excuse me,\" he said, striking a defensive stance. \"I must see to other business.\"",
"### Disbelief\n\n\"Papa, you can't be serious! Can you?\"\n\n\"Yes, I can, Granddaughter. Each one of my descendants is already more than well taken care of. None of them have the slightest need for more money unless they are greedy.\n\n\"If they're greedy, they will kill me for my money, which they do not need. Then someone else will kill them. But! To collect, each of them must *admit* to killing me, or the person who killed me, to inherit—ad Infinitum.\"\n\n\"Do you think one of us...?\"\n\n\"There are at least six who would leap at the chance if they were able to do so without punishment.\"\n\n\"Papa! That's horrible!\"\n\n\"Yes, it is, my beloved granddaughter. I choose to assume the wrist gun you wear is for self-defense; are you sure it is too?\"\n\n\"Papa, that is ill done of you. I much prefer you alive. Your money does not hug nearly as well.\"\n\n\"But if I should already be dead?\"\n\n\"I would turn them over to the police. Unless they come upon you while I am here, in which case they die the moment they make their attempt.\"\n\n\"You have not asked me what happens if I die naturally.\"\n\n\"It is unimportant to me. Now, Papa, enough of this sour-tempered morbidity. Please, tell me another tale of your youth! They're so exciting!\"\n\n\"And so profitable, too, eh?\"\n\n\"You know they are; I take great pleasure in seeing your face light up when you see the glowing reviews by ordinary folk who find your life fascinating. You have also not found the slightest deviation from the story you told me, which I agreed to when I asked your permission to write up the tales.\n\n\"I do thank you for allowing me to tell them with the richness of life, and not the dry recitation you tell them to me. ***I*** find that form more enjoyable, but our readers would not.\"\n\n\"Why do you suppose that is, Granddaughter?\"\n\n\"I have a vivid imagination, Papa, and knowledge of the time you speak of. Our readers do not have the leisure to learn all that background, so I sketch it in for them.\"\n\n\"None of them?\"\n\n\"None who have stepped forward to say so. I include the story you tell me at the end of each book.\"\n\n\"Very well, perhaps tonight's story will change that.\"\n\n### New Book\n\n\"Penny! Your new book is fantastic! I don't know how you can sit through that dry prose he rattles on in; I had to stop going with you because my snoring irked him.\"\n\n\"Thank you, Cousin Alfred! What do you think of him with each book that comes out?\"\n\n\"I think... I'm not sure. The way he tells the story is so dry that I cannot grasp his motivation easily. The way you tell it... Please forgive me, but I think your love for him blinds you to alternatives less pleasing, but possibly — Only possibly! — more accurate.\"\n\n\"Is this latest one of that sort?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" The very brevity of his answer tells her that Alfred is sure she will not like it.\n\n\"Proceed. I am aware of your concern for my feelings, but I must know how *you* see the story. You are the first ever to mention the original text.\"\n\n\"You asked, Cousin. Remember that, *you* asked!\"\n\n### Disgust\n\n\"Papa! I can not believe how Alfred views you through his stories!\"\n\n\"So, Granddaughter, sit by my side and tell me what you heard. Verbatim. However unpleasant you may find it, his words will inform me better if you do not sugar coat it.\"\n\n\"As you wish, Papa.\"\n\n…\n\n\"Papa... That can't be true!\"\n\n\"I am sorry for puncturing your glowing view of me, but Alfred is correct.\"\n\n\"Then there are things he has missed?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Do you wish me to put this new understanding into the books?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"I think it will drive our readership away.\"\n\n\"I am certain that a portion of the readership may leave, and in anger too. I am also certain that the total readership worldwide will grow by 50 percent.\"\n\n### New Book\n\n\"Penny, I don't know how you can stand to be in the same room with him!\"\n\n\"Whatever do you mean, Aunt Julia?\"\n\n\"I've read your stories, and I thought you were either deluded or conspiring with that wicked old man to clean up his reputation before he dies. The former would be understandable, as much as he dotes upon you. The latter would be incomprehensible; you are a truthful young woman.\"\n\n\"I... I don't know what to say. I love him, even with his foul language and crude humor. Perhaps, because of those things.\"\n\n\"He *is* the epitome of the bad boy who was successful anyway. I've paid attention to.the original stories, he's been entirely factual about the events, but has given no hint to his motivations, Penny.\"\n\n\"Yet with the last two books, people have flocked to the stories despite scathing reviews from our most loyal readers over how I have changed his character.\"\n\n\"I know. You wouldn't have noticed it, but counter reviews are supporting your position as the more accurate. They're voted down massively.\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\"Why which?\"\n\n\"Both.\"\n\n\"Ah well, Penny, as much as he dotes on you, and you love him. He *is* a greedy, grasping, devil who would drive any competitor to suicide for a tenth of a percent more profit—nor would he lose the slightest sleep over the struggle of the competitor's family.\n\n\"That is why more readers come than leave. That is why counter reviews appear lauding your recognition of the inherent evil of your prime character. He is more believable.\"\n\n\"That's awful!\"\n\n\"It's also true.\"\n\n### Dismay\n\n\"So Aunt Julia was right?\"\n\n\"Yes, Penny, she was.\"\n\n\"Papa? You insist that I continue, why?\"\n\n\"Because whomever inherits must understand the dangers.\"\n\n\"Very well, Papa, I will continue.\"\n\n*Good Penny, I'm sorry to have to put you through this, but I must.*"
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[WP] You want revenge for your dead younger sibling. You know a famous hero caused her death, but you don’t know who or how.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Damnit! Jim, I know you're upset about your sister, we all are, but you need to understand we can't do a damned thing to those super-powered, spandex-wearing freaks, be realistic!\" Jared shouted at his son, who'd been stuffing clothing into his suitcase aggressively before pausing as he held a pink stuffed bunny in his palm, packing it in carefully before slamming it shut. Jim turns his head to his father, holding his suitcase in hand whilst tears poured from his solemn eyes.\n\n\"I don't care if I can't do anything! I don't care if people like us are weak! I don't care if I die trying to find the truth! I won't let them get away with this again!\" Jim screeches at his father, droplets of his spit flying from his rabid mouth as rage enveloped his once saddened eyes.\n\n\"Please Jim, don't bring her into this--\"\n\n\"What's wrong?\" Jim shouted, waving his hands in exasperation before continuing, \"You wanna forget mom too?\"\n\nBefore Jim could react, he was hit was a slap across his face. Blood leaked from his nose viscously, dribbling onto the cold ground of the small cabin they dwelled in. He wipes it away with a snarl pointed toward his father before putting on the heavy backpack that sat on his bed in a hurry, pulling his suitcase alongside him as he strutted out of his room.\n\n\"I'm sorry Jimmy, please! I don't want you to end up like them! You're all I've got left...\" Jerad cried out, breaking down onto the ground, tears streaming from his pitiful face as he held face downward at the ground, noticing that Jim's frozen blood on the ground.\n\n\"Sally never had a father. The least I could do is give her a brother,\" Jim spoke calmy with an edging disdain growing in his now nasally voice. He leaves the room, keeping his body forward, refusing to look back at his father as he slid the hood attached to his heavy coat over his head. Tears streamed from Jim's face as well, shattering on impact against the ground of their cabin.\n\nHe opens the front door of the house. Cold wind blasts toward him, so cold it felt like he'd been steeping on shards of glass. Snow and hail shoot inward, blowing the wooden door backward, smacking into the wall as Jim walked out. Before he left, he could still hear his father's cries with the open door behind him still opened broad. Against his own goodwill, he looks back at his home, seeing that the door had been closed.\n\n\"That's what I thought...\" Jim spoke to himself, his icy exhales visible in the finger-numbing cold as he walked down the peak of the hill his house sat on.\n\nHours passed, Jim continued walking through the snowy fields, staggering with each movement he made, struggling to even keep his eyes open as the cold continued shriveling his body. Eventually, he fell face-first into the icy plateau. With his face down in the heavy piles of snow, unable to breathe or move, he accepted his bitter fate. His already blurry vision began fading, he felt warm, that same warmness began to transform into boiling, then into an indescribable heat directed toward his backside that'd been covered in snow.\n\nHe felt like he was levitating in a void. Without warning, the darkness had disappeared, light taking its place seamlessly, blaring with a strong orange hue as he stared at it in a daze.\n\n\"Wake up!\"\n\nJim heard a voice call out to him from far away, like a shout in a hollow cove. It echoed, bouncing around his mind before he finally came to, seeing his father floating in front of him in the spandex clothing he loathed, holding him one-handedly with ease.\n\n\"Jimmy...\" His father spoke with his face drenched in melancholy, \"If your convictions are this strong I'll train you. I've tried my best to hide this from everyone, but it'll all be for nothing if I lose you too. I'm a villain. If you're willing to die in an attempt to make those heroes pay, I'll die with you,\" Jared spoke to his son who's already passed out in the middle of his speech. With a sigh, he carries Jimmy back to their cabin.\n\nHe puts him near the chimney, lighting it aflame with a fire he'd shot from his hands. He sits at his desk, planning meticulously, preparing for a war that'd been long overdue.\n\n\"Dad... why are you wearing that costume?\" Jim spoke groggily, his body wavering as he struggled to keep his head straight whilst looking at his father before falling asleep once again.\n\n\"Because, Jimmy, whenever I don't wear it, my heart feels cold.\" He spoke, staring picture frame of his late, white-haired wife with a boiling tear trickling down his face.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nu/AlfredoOreos\n\nMight do part 2"
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[WP] Big league superheroes are fighting for greater causes. That's why the government keeps a list of superpowered civilians with very specific powers.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“A. What.”\n\n“They’re some of Terriblanima’s creations. A pack of mutant duck-horse hybrids.”\n\n“Is that like duck-sized horses, or horse-sized ducks?”\n\n“It’s like someone used a jet engine to splatter a flock of ducks onto a herd of horses.”\n\n“So horse-sized, then? That sounds like a serious issue. Put an actual hero on it.”\n\n“We tried. The only available ones said it was beneath them. And also cliched.”\n\nAgent Grayson sighed and hung up. Put a villain in spandex in front of them, and most heroes would do something. Put some of that villain’s twisted creations in front of them, and they might do something if they didn’t have to exert themselves, and if it was on the way. But failed experiments, from a villain already in jail? \n\nHe printed off the full incident report and skimmed it as he walked to his partner’s office. He knocked once before entering, ignoring “Oh, piss off,” with the ease of hard practice.\n\n“Sullivan, we got a problem. Horse-duck hybrids on the rampage, Terriblanima’s leftovers.”\n\n“Is that like horse-siz-”\n\n“Horse-sized offences against nature,” Grayson confirmed. “And of course the *heroes* don’t want anything to do with it. So I need you to break out the list.”\n\nSullivan brought up the file. “Do they regenerate?”\n\n“Um… Nope, pretty mortal from all reports.”\n\nSullivan breathed a sigh of relief..“Do they display any signs of superpowers themselves?”\n\n“Nope.”\n\nSullivan looked up from the list of bottom-tier heroes and spread his hands wide, “Then why do we even need a superpower to deal with this. Get the police, or animal control, or a pack of wolves with a taste for feathers.”\n\n“They’ve got one big issue. They blow up.”\n\n“Like a popped balloon?”\n\n“No, they explode like a feathery horse that swallowed a grenade, big mess everywhere. And they’re in the middle of New York.”\n\nSullivan slumped into his chair and went back to the list. “So, no killing them.”\n\n“That would definitely be the non-ideal solution.”\n\n“Scaring them?”\n\n“Sometimes causes explosions.”\n\n“Luring them with food?”\n\n“Gets ‘em excited, possible explosions.”\n\n“At least that narrows it down.” Sullivan turned his monitor so Grayson could see. “We really want a horse whisperer type to talk them into leaving the city. And *then* we blow them up. So I’ve got here Verity Bennett, can talk to horses, recently branching out into zebras. Only charges $25 an hour and transportation costs.”\n\n“What about a duck whisperer, in case they’re more bird-brained than expected?”\n\nSullivan returned to his search, “...Got a goose whisperer… file says he can also do emus, red-wing blackbirds, and chickadees, but only if they understand a British accent. He’ll only accept payment in dried bread. Close enough, you think?”\n\nGrayson tapped a pen against his chin, then froze.\n\n“Is that bird-guy a, a, a James Ward? Please tell me it’s not James Ward.”\n\nSullivan slapped a hand over his face. “It’s not a good thing that someone with that bad a superpower is memorable, is it? Yep, James Ward.”\n\n“He’s the one that did Sante Fe..”\n\n“...Agreed, best he stays out of the country. To be fair, you get what you pay for, and they paid him in Wonder bread. Still, there aren’t many bird whisperers anymore. Who do we replace him with?”\n\nGrayson looked at the tragically empty coffee pot, and pined for the full one in his own office, weighed against the unappealing list of one-trick superheroes they were going to have to dig through at length\n\n“Screw it, get Halley Oro.”\n\nSullivan scrolled to her name on the list and raised an eyebrow, “A water controller? Think you can lead a horse with water?”\n\n“Hell no, what if they don’t want to drink? I think that if the horse whispering thing doesn’t work, we’ll need her to clean up the splatters.”\n\n“The whole *point* of this conversation has been to figure out how to avoid exploding horse-sized abominations in the middle of New York, and you’re already giving up?”\n\nGrayson wandered out of Sullivan’s office, calling over his shoulder, “They’re horse-sized. People’ll see them coming, and they’ll be fine if they remember to duck.”"
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[WP] The Witness Protection Program has assured you their body swap service will ensure that you will never be hurt by the drug lord you’ve just ratted on. You wake up after the swap in your new body and go to the closest mirror - and you see the reflection of the drug lord’s teenage daughter.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Still staring at my reflection in the mirror--braces, horn-rimmed glasses, and a side ponytail--I lifted my phone to my ear. Randy picked up on the first ring.\n \n“Witness Protection Program. Randy speaking.”\n \n“Randy, what have you done,” I said, wincing at the sound of my angsty voice.\n \n“Brian! Great to hear from you. How are you liking your new vessel?”\n \n“I told you to swap me with a heinous criminal. Someone I wouldn’t care about if Don Philip killed them.”\n \n“Exactly. That’s why I switched you out with Aksana, Don Philip’s daughter! She’s one of his most talented hitmen--whoops! There I go again, gendering people who murder for money. I meant one of his most talented hit-people. I am so sorry. I promise I’m usually more progressive.”\n \n“Randy,” I said through gritted teeth. “You put me in the body of someone who lives in Don Philip’s house?”\n \n“Aksana!” A voice from downstairs called out. It was Don Philip.\n \nI spun around.\n \n“Aksana, it’s breakfast time!”\n \n“Coming!” I yelled out. My heart was pounding so hard, it threatened to squeeze between my ribs and jump out the window.\n \n“Isn’t it wonderful?” Randy said. “Remember how you told me how upset you were when Don Philip burned down your two-bedroom apartment? Now you get to live in a mansion!”\n \n“Aksana, come down right now!” Don Philip yelled.\n \n“I have to go,” I said into the phone. “But you need to switch me with another body ASAP.”\n \nThere was a pause on the other end.\n \n“Brian, I can assure you that you’ll be very safe from Don Philip in his daughter’s body.”\n \n“Randy, I’m serious. Swap me with someone else.”\n \nRandy sighed. “The company we use to swap bodies is extremely expensive, Brian. I don’t think the taxpayers would be happy to pamper you with another luxurious body swap.” \n \n“Aksana, I’m not going to ask you again!” Don Philip said.\n \n“I have to go,” I said. “Swap my body, Randy.”\n \n\\*\\*\\*\n \nThe long breakfast table was filled with platters of sausages, hash browns, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Don Philip sat at the end of the table, wiping his mouth with a very large bib.\n \n“Sit,” he said.\n \nI did, as far away from him as possible.\n \nDon Philip set his silverware down with a clang. “Let’s just cut the bullshit, shall we?” \n \nI swallowed. “Sure, yeah, of course, no problem.”\n \n“I know you didn’t kill Brian Moss last night,” Don Philip said.\n \n“You do?”\n \nDon Philip nodded. He skewered a sausage and stuffed it in his mouth. “You missed with your crossbow. Esmerelda told me.”\n \nI nodded. “He got away on his motorcycle. I’ll get him next time.”\n \n“Today,” Philip said. Over his shoulder, I could see into the kitchen. Something scurried in the window. “You will kill him today,” Philip said. “No going to school until Brian Moss is dead. And that’s final.” Philip started serving me bacon and hash browns. “Now eat up. You have a big day of assassinating ahead of you.”\n \nI looked past him into the kitchen. On the other side of the window above the sink, I saw a man crouching and peaking into the house.\n \nIt was me.\n \n“I better get going,” I said, standing up. “I want to get a jump on the assassinating.”\n \n“You don’t want breakfast?” Don Philip said. He sounded a little offended. “I made this whole spread…”\n \n“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ll just get an energy bar on the way to the...to the assassination.”\n \nThere was a loud crashing sound in the kitchen.\n \nDon Philip pulled an uzi out of his robe. \n \nI took off running down the hall, searching frantically for the front door. When I heard yells and gunshots behind me, I opened the closest door and slammed it shut behind me.\n \nDarkness.\n \nI pulled out my phone and called Randy. “Randy, how’s the swap coming?”\n \n“The what?” Randy said. I could hear him running on the treadmill in the background. “Oh shit, did you still want to do that?”\n \nI could hear more gunshots on the other side of the door.\n \n“Randy, I’m kind of possibly going to get shot if you don’t swap me out.”\n \nRandy sighed. “Okay, hold up. I’ll see what I can do.”\n \nHe hung up.\n \nI stayed put, crouched in the dark with my back against the door. I ran my hand along the wall until I found a lightswitch. I flicked it.\n \nDon Philip’s Lamborghini appeared in front of me. I was in his garage.\n \nI started duck walking around the garage, looking for some kind of weapon, just in case someone came through the door.\n \nNothing.\n \nNo guns, no knives, no crossbows.\n \nI was just about to grab an old lamp when I saw it: a chainsaw hanging up on the wall. I snatched it just as someone barged through the door. I looked over to see who it was.\n \nIt was me.\n \nI revved up the chainsaw and swung it at my former self. Mid-swing, I exited Aksana’s body and went back into my old body.\n \nThe chainsaw whizzed over my head as I ducked.\n \nEven during the most adrenaline-soaked experience of my life, I still had enough time to think, Dammit, Randy.\n \nI ran back into the house and sprinted down the hall. When I turned the corner, I spotted a samurai sword down the corridor. It was hanging up like a shrine on the wall, flanked by two moose heads.\n \nTaxidermy. Don Philip’s favorite pastime.\n \nI kept running, but almost immediately tripped on one of Don Philip’s persian rugs. I could hear the roar of the chainsaw around the corner.\n \nI scrambled to my feet and got hold of the sword just as Aksana turned the corner. I held the sword in two shaking hands as she ran at me.\n \n“Watch out for the moose!” I screamed.\n \nShe looked confused, but she didn’t seem any less determined to chop me in half. She brought the chainsaw back above her shoulder as she closed in on me.\n \nI swung at the moose heads above me, sending them crashing down as she swung her chainsaw. The moose heads ricocheted off her chainsaw like foul balls. The chainsaw blade went into the floor. Aksana lost her balance and pitched forward, sticking her neck out, if you will. I swung the samurai sword a second time, slicing her head off and bouncing it off a wall.\n \nI stood above the carnage for a moment.\n \nThen I called Randy.\n \n“Brian, what is it now?” Randy said impatiently.\n \n“You swapped me back into my old body.”\n \n“Yes, and?”\n \n“You have to swap me with someone else.”\n \n“Again?!” Randy groaned. “I’m in the sauna, man. Do you have any idea what that does to a phone? It’s, like, really super bad for the electronics, dude.”\n \nDon Philip rounded the corner. He started shooting at me while I ran down the hall in the opposite direction.\n \n“SWAP ME, RANDY! SWAP ME!”\n \n“Okay, but you have to be sure about this!”\n \nBullets blasted the walls around me.\n \n“I’M SURE, RANDY! I’M SURE!”\n \n“Okay, because my finger is hovering over the button right now. I can swap you now, but you need to tell me you’re—”\n \n“SWAP ME, GODDAMMIT!” I screamed. I closed my eyes and covered my head as broken glass and shards of drywall rained down on me. “SWAP ME!”\n \nI exited my body.\n \nWhen I came to, I was pulling the trigger of a gun repeatedly. I looked down at my meaty hand holding an uzi.\n \nI was in Don Philip’s body.\n \nMy finger kept pulling the trigger reflexively, but no bullets were coming out.\n \nClick.\n \nClick.\n \nClick.\n \nClick.\n \nUp ahead, I could see myself hiding behind a potted plant. I watched myself peek out from behind the plant, grin, and then hold up the samurai sword.\n \nI spun on my heel and took off running.\n \nWhile I ran, I pulled Don Philip’s phone out of his tracksuit and dialed.\n \n“Randy!” I screamed into Don Philip’s phone. “Swap me again, Randy!”\n \n“Dude,” Randy said, “you have got to be my neediest client. What would the taxpayers say if they knew how much they were spending on one guy, hmmm? What would they say?”\n \n“Swap me back into my body, Randy!” I said. I was panting. Don Philip was not in good shape, and my old body was gaining on me.\n \n“Into which body? I’m losing track.”\n \n“Into my original body! Swap me back into my original body!” \n \n“Okay, hold on.”\n \nI ran up the spiral staircase. I heard the samurai sword slice through the air and stick into the railing behind me. I looked back and watched myself struggle to jostle the samurai sword loose. I turned the corner at the top of the landing and ran down the hallway. Halfway to the other side, I ran out of breath and had to walk. I looked over my shoulder.\n \nNo me.\n \n“How’s it coming, Randy?”\n \nRandy sounded irritated. “Are you really going to try to rush me right now?”\n \nI looked around to make sure there weren’t any weapons within reach. If I was going to switch back into my old body, I didn’t want to immediately get harpooned by a spear or something. I checked my pockets. My heart stopped when I touched the back pocket of my track pants.\n \nI was wearing a tactical belt covered in spare uzi clips. \n \n“Wait, Randy,” I said.\n \n“Oh for god’s sake,” Randy said. “What is it now?”\n \n“Don’t switch me.”\n \n“You have got to be kidding me. My finger is hovering above the button.”\n \n“DON’T SWAP ME, RANDY!”\n \n“Okay! Fine.”\n \nI popped a new clip into the uzi and put my back against the wall. I watched myself carefully walk up the stairs, samurai sword in hand. An idea occurred to me.\n \n“Wait, Randy,” I said.\n \n“Brian, I swear to god I’m going to kill you,” Randy said.\n \n“And I want to give you that chance,” I said. I watched myself turn and look at me. “Get ready to swap me, Randy.”\n \n“Unbelievable,” Randy said.\n \nMy old self ran down the hallway toward me.\n \n“On the count of three,” I said.\n \n“Fine,” Randy said.\n \n“One…two....”\n \nMy old self was twenty feet away. I knelt down and slid the uzi across the floor toward him. My old self hopped over the uzi, raising the samurai sword high above his head.\n \n“Three,” I said.\n \nI exited Don Philip’s body.\n \n...\n\nIf you like this story, I would be honored if you followed me:\nr/BakerHillBooks\n\n..."
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[WP] Everything suddenly goes dark, and a message appears in the air in front of you: "Your free trial of life is about to expire. To continue your existence in the paid version, take a step forward. Terms and conditions apply."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Max is a 25 year old trying to figure out his life. He knows many people but has no friends. He knows many trades but has no profession. He has been many places but has no home. Everyday, he examines life and death and God and the meaning of his existence.\n\nEveryday, he comes up with a new explanation for his world. Yet he is never satisfied. He wishes for comfort. Comfort in knowing he lived his life for a good reason and did not waste it. However, with anger and greed and envy around him, he doubts people have a cause in their life.\n\nOne day on his daily walk, everything suddenly goes dark, and a message appears in the air in front of Max: \"Your free trial of life is about to expire. To continue your existence in the paid version, take a step forward. Terms and conditions apply.\"\n\nMax stops and yells: \"What are my options\". The text replies \"This or death\". Max then shouts: \"What are your conditions. The text replies: \"As if you have ever read the terms and conditions. Anyways, here are the 100 pages of conditions\" Max of course did not read them. Driven by his curiosity, he took a step forward.\n\nMax is transferred to Earth 2.0. Everyone is on his own there. There are no families. No marriages. Only hook ups. Only friends. Babies are teleported there through a gate. There are no governments or police, for whoever tries to have more control is killed. A series of randomness governs Earth 2.0.\n\nMax was relieved of the responsibility of finding a wife and a profession. He lived his first year carelessly. He hung out with friends, smoked, drank, travelled the world... His only worry was to eat and drink, otherwise his only priority was to not die. He made the best memories and the craziest adventures.\n\nHowever, in year 2, his memory of the original Earth started to fade and he had to accept that Earth 2.0 will be his home until he dies. He started seeing how people were more selfish and greedy. How old people were left to die. How babies were killed out of fear of using up their resources. People who became richer than others were killed in fear of world domination. People who were stronger or smarter killed as well... People were trying to be their laziest and most boring average self in fear of death.\n\nFor more content, visit r/StoriesDanWrites",
"\"But I'm only 36, how can I be dead?\" was my first thought when it happened. What else could you think when you were halfway through a 10 mile run, and the next thing you know, all you can perceive is an impenetrable blackness so complete you can't see anything?\n\nI'd always been health conscious, maybe a little extreme at times. I ate well, exercised regularly, and didn't drink or smoke. Yet there I was, dead at 36 years old. I'd thought about death, even acknowledged it. However, I hadn't expected to experience it so soon. Never this soon. At least I'd had a good life. I was part of a great family and made some really good friends. I had been the giver and recipient of kindness and generosity. I had a promising career and a wife that loved me. We had 2 amazing kids. My God, my kids. I hope they will be all right without me.\n\nI thoroughly enjoyed my life, and it felt like it was just beginning after years of work and preparation.\n\nAll these thoughts happened in an instant, but were replaced by surprise at what I was now looking at. Words had appeared suddenly, suspended in the blackness. \"Your free trial of life is about to expire. To continue your existence in the paid version, take a step forward. Terms and conditions apply.\" They seemed to be made of light.\n\nWhat? I thought I was about to meet God, or maybe the devil. But this? This went against everything I had ever been told, anything I'd ever read, and all I'd ever believed. I was not prepared for the implication that my existence was a free trial. Every hug from my parents, every laugh, every cry - were they nothing more than a simulation? Is this the matrix?\n\nOk, I need to stop panicking and focus on the present situation.\n\n\"Hello?\", I croaked, barely getting the syllables out. Nothing happened, but I didn't really expect it to. Time to try something else.\n\n\"Can I please see the terms and conditions that dictate the paid version of life?\"\n\nThe words faded as quickly as they had appeared, and the blackness brightened to something like dusk. A cloaked figure was standing where the words had been an instant before. It didn't respond or move.\n\n\"Um...\" was all I could say. Luckily the figure spoke.\n\n\"You've been lucky to meet me after 36 years, David.\" it said. \"Most people aren't so fortunate\".\n\n\"What do you mean, fortunate?!\" I exclaimed, \"I know plenty of people that die much later than 36. In fact, I am probably one of the younger ones!\"\n\n\"Who said anything about you being dead?\" the figure replied. \"You came to that conclusion. And you're wrong, by the way. Don't worry though, everyone thinks they're dead when they come here.\"\n\nWell that's interesting. \"So if I'm not dead, where am I? What is this 'free trial', what are the terms and conditions, and why hasn't anyone told me about this?\"\n\n\"One thing at a time, Dave.\" said the figure. From the sound of its voice, it was trying not to laugh. \"I am here to answer your questions. I want you to make the best choice for yourself. I can't tell you where you are, because you aren't anywhere in particular.\"\n\n\"The free trial has been your life so far.\" continued the figure. \"You've been sheltered, supported, encouraged, and bolstered by those around you. You've received more than you've given, in that way.\"\n\n\"Today, that balance shifted. You're starting to give more than you receive, and that is the end of your free trial. The terms and conditions are that you can choose to continue your life, but your balance may never shift back to the receiving end of the scale. If you choose to return to your life, you must ensure that you continue to support others around you. If you fail to do this, it will cost your life.\"\n\nAll I could say was \"I see.\"\n\n\"When I said you were fortunate, I meant that you have experienced a fantastic support system of family and friends. Most people are not that lucky. I will not tell you the average age of my guests.\"\n\nOk, that's definitely true. \"So why hasn't anyone told me about this? Certainly I know many people that have been here.\"\n\nNow the figure was definitely laughing. \"Of course you know them, Dave! But the last condition is that you won't remember this interaction. Same for everyone that comes here.\"\n\nI have one last question. \"And if I choose to end it, what happens then?\"\n\nThe figure was still for a moment, and then spoke quietly. \"The same thing that will happen if you choose to continue, and eventually die.\"\n\n\"And that would be what, exactly\" I probe curiously.\n\nThe figure shakes its head. \"Goodbye, David\" it says, and vanishes.\n\nI smile and step back into my life.",
"Darkness. We all know what it's like. And we might also know what it feels like to suddenly be thrown into it when the power blacks out at night. But not outside in broad daylight, usually. Sure, eclipses exist, but even they dont happen in the blink of an eye, plus I would have known if there was one coming up. No, this was something different. The ground beneath me suddenly became concrete like, even though I was just standing on a grass field. My field of vision extends about an arm length away from me before its total darkness, even though I was standing outside in the summer sun.\n\nNo reason to panic, thats probably not gonna help me at all. More importantly: Did I just die? And if so, how? If it was a heart attack, surely I would have felt it before everything went dark. No, that can't be it. Shot through the head? The movies always make it appear instant, but I heard that the brain can take a bit of trauma before ceasing activity. And who would shoot me, anyway? I think I'm overthinking this, its probably a dream and I'm just-\n\nWoah. Glowing white text appeared in front of me. My eyes had already adjusted to the dark so its difficult to look at. This keeps getting stranger and stranger. Okay, lets see here..\n\n\"Your free trial of life is about to expire. To continue your existence in the paid version, take a step forward. Terms and conditions apply.\"\n\nWhat? Is this because I'm about to turn 18? Does this happen to everyone? Questions and more questions, but no one here to answer them. Only me to ponder them.\n\nAlso, terms and conditions? Of what, life? Theres a tiny arrow just beneath the last line. I concentrate on it for a bit, and before me appears new text: The terms and conditions. Oh. Well, I dont really have to read those. I always skip them anyway. Well, lets skim through just to be sure. \n\nBy using lifes services you agree to the following terms of service.. thou shalt not kill, shalt not steal.. ninth circle.. intellectual property rights, yadda yadda yadda.. yeah okay I get it.\n\nSo, paid version? What do I pay with? And how much? I mean, I sure want to continue living, and I'd pay a healthy sum to do so, I suppose. So what could go wrong?\n\nAs soon as I take a step forward, the text dissapears in a flash and a sharp dressed man with crimson red skin appears in front of me.\n\n\"Who are you?\" \n\n\"The devil himself, pleased to meet ya.\" He extends a hand while putting on a devious smile.\n\n\"What? You're real? And what are you doing here, did I do something wrong?\"\n\n\"No, you did everything right actually. Thank you for your soul!\" He retracts his hand and instead reaches behind a back, pulling out a scroll. The deed to my soul.\n\n\"I never gave you my soul!\"\n\n\"Sure you did. You agreed to the terms and conditions.\" He hands me a tiny card that reads 'Notice of soul aquisition. No further action is required.'\n\nFuck.\n\nI should have read the terms and conditions."
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[WP] You have finally been promoted in the Illuminati and you now have access to the control panel of everything. Before you can even think about what to do now, a cat bounds onto the panel and starts messing with everything.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Julian smiled. He had climbed to the top, after all these years. Being able to secretly control the world behind the scenes was great, but there was more to do. There was the legendary control panel, only spoken of in the illuminati, and only talked about in rumors.\n\nNow, you may be thinking there's no point to the control panel. Julian controlled the world, so why would he need a control panel? That was because the control panel controlled everything, ever. It could alter history, make alien races subservient to humans, and many, many more. Julian had unbelievable power.\n\nJulian thought about what he would do with this power. He had decided to change human history first, and was about to when his cat, white with black spotted fur, Mittens came in.\n\n\"Mittens!\" Julian ran over and cuddled his cat, very happy to see it. \"I conquered the world! Isn't that great?\". Mittens did not respond. Instead, it wriggled out of his grasp and ran to the control panel. Julian ran after it, but was not fast enough.\n\nNow on the control panel, Mittens looked it over. Julian looked over at it, desperate. He was about to speak when Mittens started walking. It pushed what seemed like a lot of buttons. However, it didn't put enough pressure on some.\n\nJulian ran to the control panel, and pressed a few specific buttons. He saw the consequences of what Mittens did. An alien planet, with a powerful race living on it, broke in two. The halves went in opposite directions, simply breaking every planet they ran into. This caused quite the show for Julian to see, and ended many innocent lives.\n\nHowever, this wasn't all. A far away star suddenly jumped to thousands of times its size, and caused another show. Everything close enough to it was simply destroyed, and it was close enough to earth to blind everyone with its light. Julian, protected in the secret illuminati base, was one of the few not injured. He turned the panel off. He couldn't bear to watch anymore.\n\nMittens looked up at him, cuter then usual. Julian wanted to be mad, but simply couldn't. Julian sighed and cuddled Mittens. A tear rolled down his cheek as he wondered what could've been, until he realized he could fix everything with the control panel. And thats exactly what he did."
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[WP] You are the greatest assassin and tasked with killing a man and making it look like an accident. What should be a simple assignment is driving you nuts as somehow Mr. Magoo avoids every attempt you make.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I have to kill Magoo.\n\nIt is my job, I get paid for it. Though, this one customer offered a bit too much money to kill a simple old man... it's like he wanted to make sure I won't refuse it. I didn't think much, I only thought the customer had a little too much money and didn't know how to manage it. We will further discuss the reason Magoo was such an expensive target.\n\nMagoo almost never goes outside. I rarely see him through the window, and at those few seconds, he moves his head like a maniac, preventing my sniper rifle to hit him, and then draws the curtains. I'm 200 meters away, hidden through bushes, how could he see me?His windows are of thick, strong glass material, his doors have iron and require a special password to unlock. And, I can't break through the walls. I am an assassin.\n\nAnd those are the classic killing methods. My customer told me to make it look like an accident. And so I did.\n\nI managed to break in his garage, sabotaged his car so that the breaks won't work, I put everything as neatly as I could back, but he never used that car ever since that day. Ever. He used it everyday, but since I sabotaged it, he preferred public transit for some reason.\n\nThat's it, that's they key!\n\nI spent the next weeks studying his daily routine. He got out of the house at around 8 AM, went on foot to the bus station at 8:05 AM, where he specifically waited for bus 139, that drove him at his office job, in which he entered in 8:12 AM. I do not know when his work starts, but I do know he exits the building at 3:07 PM, then goes to the bus station, in which he waits until 3:10 PM, when bus 72 drives him to his house, in which he arrives at 3:30 PM.\n\nI went to the bus garage and cut the breaks of bus 139. The next morning, the bus crashed halfway to Mr Magoo's home bus station. When he realized the bus is late, he visibly panicked. I have a theory that he secured his daily routine so that nobody can get him, but now he has to take a different route, which is of course not planed, nor secure.\n\nHe went and rented a bike, and rode it very fast. The satisfaction of seeing this man, who gave me a little too much problems, be scared of being late to his job, but most about risking his own life. He knows I'm after him, and I know that he knows that I'm after him.\n\nI got into my car and outdrove him, on a different street, and met with him around where the bus accident happened. Around time a news reporter got there. The bus was on the right side of the road, crashed at a curve of the road. I was on the right side too, and Magoo was on the left side. To make it look like an accident, I drove around the crashed bus, entering the left (from my perspective). Magoo couldn't stop the bike and crashed into me. I got him. He was severely injured and declared dead from the impact, and also that his bike basically stabbed him.\n\nI am now in jail. The judges are discussing about how it was Magoo's fault for driving that fast, and also not checking if the left line is occupied. In a few hours I may be freed.\n\nVictory."
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[WP] A bead of sweat ran down his face, he'd been working towards this moment for the better part of his 46 years of life. First contact had been achieved and yet he felt nothing but fear. A message, originating from Polaris, had been sent to his team. Reading it aloud only proved his fears correct.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"One hundred and twenty trillion dollars. It didn't even sound like a real number. That was how much the station was that Jeremy had cost. The entire GDP of nearly every nation on earth. Nearly all of the few last resources that humanity could squeeze from it's crippled planet, the 25 billion people working together with purpose*, for the first time in history,* to build the *Watcher.* An enormous, sprawling communications facility that used faster than light communications so that humanity could find someone, anyone out there who could help pull them back from the brink. \n\nJeremy was the director of the program. He had been first of his class at Stanford, had done a triple PhD at Harvard, all for this moment. The world had found him, raised him for this one moment of first contact with an alien race. This moment was his entire life, tens of thousands of hours of tutoring, training, planning scenarios and expectations. Finally he had helped craft the best possible message to send to the stars, begging for help or technology to return Earth to the a stable state, away from the constant hurricanes and earthquakes, the catastrophe's and super-droughts. \n\nThe day the stars replied was the best day of his life. They had cried, and the world had cried together. *Someone cares*, they thought. *There is hope.* \n\nHundreds of teams had worked on the translation. Tens of thousands of volunteers. And finally, he held the printed translation in his hands. They shook as he read the response from Polaris. \n\n*\"Please, will you keep it down? We're trying to sleep.\"*\n\nFrantic, he checked the back of the sheet. That was it. Those eleven words.\n\nThey were alone. \n\nNot because they were truly alone, but because advanced life existed, life with technology that humanity couldn't imagine in their wildest daydreams*, and they didn't care.*\n\nJeremy left the building, and didn't look back, as the message was leaked to the world, and the bombs started falling. \n\nThey were all they had, and it wasn't enough."
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[WP] The angel and demon watching over you both personally visit you in your home at the same time. Instead of fighting, they band together and they beg you to do something even remotely interesting.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"You've been sitting in this room for years and you have barely moved to go to the bathroom! Lazy piece of crap!\" called out a voice in-front of me. I looked up hesitantly, in-front of me stood a fiery-haired girl with striking features comparable to even the most beautiful of super-models.\n\n\"Y-yeah, Akuji is right, do something exciting at the very least...\" Next to her, stood a petite lolita, with a voluptuous figure and blonde hair to boot.\n\nThey were both what you could call my 'angel' and 'demon' called Evelyn and Akuji, they were the people who were supposed to lead me through life, and in this world, we call them collectively 'the judges'. For normal people, they over-shadow your choices, and force you to lead either a really good life or a destructively bad one, with anything in-between getting hardly anywhere in this life. I was one of the few exceptions to this though, as I was not only a shut in, but I was probably the most neutral person you'd ever meet, choosing the convenient options over the good and bad ones. You would assume these 'convenient' choices would always either be good or bad depending on the situation, but these two say otherwise. I guess you could say they are very bad at their jobs, and they want 'absolute good' or 'absolute bad' but never in-between. Because of this predicament, I always got the short end of the stick, which ended in both of them throwing a fit.\n\nIn recent times, they've become used to my boring routine, and they have even ended up completely leaving me to my own devices on multiple occasions, but they won't stop pushing me to do something exciting.\n\n\"Y'know Levi's master is so much better than you, just a shut-in who spends all day playing games, you should do something productive, ya excuse of a human.\" Akuji barked fiercely at me.\n\n\"Shut it, you dumbass dog with horns.\" I quickly replied.\n\n\"You really should go talk to someone, it's unhealthy to stay inside for such a long time with no social contact,\" Evelyn timidly whispered.\n\nAt this point, I had had enough, I got up and put up a barrier before changing and grabbing a bag of chips.\n\n\"Wait what!?\" they both shouted in unison, in shock at my sudden decision.\n\n\"Y'all coming?\" I said, already opening the front door.\n\n\"Of course!\" \"O-ok\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNotes\n\n\\-Too lazy to continue, took me like an hour to write this\n\n\\-This story has some magic aspects, because after seeing the concept of angels and demons, I decided to add my own sort of twist\n\n\\-No he hasn't starved himself for years\n\n\\-I guess he does VR exercise?\n\n\\-I know this is a poor excuse of a story"
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[WP] You’re the new propaganda minister for the evil empire and you decide the best way to improve their image is through a new website similar to Buzzfeed. “What does your favorite ice cream flavor say about your allegiance to the Supreme One?” and so forth.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Yesterday, I was a loyal member of the Galvon Empire writing an article entitled, ‘Empire Dating; How to Use Undying Loyalty to Spice up Your Love Life.’ Today, I’m being thrown into the back of an EV with a bag over my head while someone nearby yells nonsense about ‘freedom,’ and ‘truth.’ \n\nListen, I’m a nice guy. I do my work, I stay loyal to my empire, and I keep my head down. I don’t write the rubbish you find in the illegal zines passed around in Despot’s End. I don’t fraternize with anyone who speaks ill of our savior, Emperor Gavilron, and I certainly don’t partake in any form of rebellion. That’s why, in this very moment, and just before I am rudely knocked unconscious by what I can only assume is some sort blunt weapon made for knocking innocent journalists unconscious the only thing I can think is, why me?\n\n---\n\nI taste blood in my mouth. Can you believe that? Spend my whole life working my way up the pole, start writing articles that finally mean something, and this is how I’m repaid? Tasting my own blood? This isn’t an action flick, this is my life. Whoever these emperor forsaken rebels are I sure would like to have a word with their leader, tell ‘em to sod off I will. \n\nWhen the back is finally pulled from my head I’m greeted by more unsightliness than I could have imagined. A dark, dank room with a single light flickering above, and actual dust wafting this way and that. I didn’t think they made rooms like this anymore, honestly. What’s more is that there’s no cameras anywhere. Now you tell me how I’m supposed to feel safe and looked after if the Imperial Inquisition isn’t looking after me 24/7. It’s barbaric is what it is.\n\nA man looks at me with one synthetic eye and I can’t help but cringe at his augmentations. Metal grinding against rusted metal, he quite literally creaks as his leans back, even as he clasps his fingers together. It’s the work of back alley augforgers. Quite frankly I’m taken aback by how he can bare to leave them out for everyone to see. He doesn’t even have a synthetic covering! Thank the emperor my Lily isn’t here to see this, surely she would faint. \n\n“So you’re the write-man, eh? The one putting out all that garbage. Useless nonsense, it is.” His voice is like gravel, or so I would assume. I’ve never actually walked on gravel, no it’s been the strong metal streets of Galvon for me, but he has the kind of voice that I imagine people have when they’re described as having voices like gravel. Whether or not it actually sounds like gravel is beyond me, and in all likelihood, irrelevant to my current position.\n\n“Useless? I’ll have you know I’ve been given eight and a half Imperial Citizen Commendations for my work! What do you say to that, rebel?” I spat each world out, my disgust plane. I’m sure soon enough Inquisition forces will burst into the room, free me, and all of this will just blow over. This time tomorrow I’ll be back at my desk working on my latest and greatest idea, ’19 Facts about Emperor Gavilron That Will Surprise You (In a Good Way, Hail Gavilron)!’\n\t\n“Eight and a half?” A grin spreads over his yellowed teeth, “Well, I suppose I should tell you I’ve got nine myself. Earned ‘em in active duty. See, I used to be an Inquisitor, till I got tired of the all the killin’, and the lyin’, and the, well, you know, imperial worship.” Nine? He has nine? Absolutely not. He must be lying, surely he was born on some backwater world that blames the emperor for not being able to afford their taxes. I say they need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make something of themselves! I spit and scowl, backwater liars will not get a word out of me. Besides, I’m sure the inquisition will be here soon.\n\n“Don’t go gettin’ excited now, writer. I expect you’re waiting for the Inquisition, am I right? Think they’ll use that chip in your head? Burst through the doors like shining heroes? Not today, my friend. We’ve disabled the signal, and even if we hadn’t they wouldn’t take you back home.” He makes a disgusting tsk sound which I can only imagine is meant to be patronizing. And it is very patronizing, “See, they can’t have folks like you around spreadin’ rumors about rebel abductions. Wouldn’t look very good for them, would it now? No, instead I imagine they’ll clone you, replace you, and all will go on without a hitch.”\n\n“Liar! Brute! I am a respectable citizen of the empire. Soon enough the Inquisition will be blowing down your doors to save me! In fact, I imagine they’re preparing now. You should put your hands up, that’s right, I’m sure if you surrender now they’ll give you a quick and honorable execution!” There, that should put this rabble rouser in his place.\n\nHe laughs. And laughs. And then chuckles, and then laughs some more. I bite my lip in frustration, what a deplorable excuse for a man. He then shows me a screen, flickering with antiquity, “Here. We went ahead and grabbed the feed from your apartment. Take a look for yourself, writer-man.” Indeed it is my apartment, clearly he and his rebel friends have done the unthinkable and hacked into the Inquisitions feeds. To think, this monster would invade the privacy of good and innocent empire citizens! I can stomach this no longer.\n\nThen, the door to my apartment opens. In steps… Well, myself. Greeted soon after by my lovely wife, Lily. A recording, surely, that’s all this is. But then, I’m, he’s wearing the new lapel pin Lily gave me this past weekend. Today was my first time wearing it. I’m still wearing it. A falsification, then. It’s simply can’t be real. Then comes the kiss, a deep and loving thing. The sort of thing only Lily could give. The sort of thing she always gave me, only me. My stomach drops as my wife pushes off my all-too-handsy doppelganger. The screen is turned away, and I gulp hard. Reality dawns.\n\n“Sorry you had to see that.” His voice drops the mocking tone, he almost sounds genuine, “Now you see the position you’re in. You’ve been replaced, I doubt the clone even knows he’s a clone. Probably think he tripped on his way home and woke up with a few jumbled memories. That’s how I woulda done it.” \n\nI want to be snarky, to put him in his place, but all I can be in this moment is sick, “What do you want, damn it? What?”\n\nHe sighs, his fingers creak again as his hands close, “I want to show you what it’s really like out here. I want you to see it, smell it. Taste the fear we live under, writer, and get mad. Then, I want you tell the empire where they can shove it, write-man.” \n\n“You said my work as was garbage, useless. Why me, then? Why not one of those deep-in-their-own-head types? Why all this effort?” At this point I’m groggy, lost in a haze. The empire is my life, my liberty. The inquisition keeps us safe, happy, satisfied. I know that, in my bones I know that. But then I see my wife with… With the other me, and suddenly everything seems new, worse, wrong.\n\n“Because, writer-man, when you speak, people listen, and right now? Right now that’s what we need. We can fight, and cry, and scream, and plead all we want, but shit’s not gonna change until we get the loyal empire citizenry listenin’. You can do that for us, I think, and if you can then we might have a chance at turning this rebellion into something proper.”\n\nI say nothing. He says nothing. For a long while we sit around saying nothing. Eventually I’m freed, and he begins to go, “I’ll leave the door unlocked, writer-man. Just don’t stray too far from home. No where’s safe anymore, not for us.” Then he’s gone, and I’m all alone. All alone with myself, my sudden onset fear, and the lump growing my gut thinking about why my wife is doing to, with that facsimile. I lay on a cot in the corner, it’s cleaner than I expected, but I don’t have the here-and-now to appreciate it. \n\nI pray to the emperor for death, and instead I am given to sleep.",
"Hey there. Yes you. I see you lurking over there, scrolling through Reddit trying to get your daily fix of social media. Well it’s not just you. Turns out most people need to read through Reddit or scroll through Instagram as much as an addict needs cocaine.\n\nMy people do that too, only it’s a little different from regular social media. See I work for the great emperor Acopoles. With his infinite wisdom, he appointed me as the head of propaganda! Well officially I’m the head of online public relations, but we all know that really means.\n\nSo, how is my job different from Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s job? Well it involves more buzzfeed like quizzes, but besides that it’s pretty much the same.\n\nLet me tell you, I love my job! I get to spend my entire day making these fun social media posts and quizzes for the citizens of my country to enjoy. Last month, I made a quiz asking people which Greek god is most like our great leader. The people completely ate it up. \n\nDon’t get me wrong though, it’s not all fun and games. Well technically it is, but it’s really important work! My quizzes help the people relate to the Emperor and understand what he’s doing for them. For example, I made this quiz asking the people which father figure does the Emperor remind them of most. This may sound a bit like dribble, but it helps the children see our Emperor is their own father. The kids love it! I mean most of their biological father’s died in the war, but that okay because they have the Emperor instead! \n\nAnother great example of one of my quizzes is the one I made about the Argadi people. Y’know those weird skinned, shifty people who worship that abhorrent god. I made a quiz asking the people which rodent reminds them most of the Argadi. It’s a fun game for the kids and it teaches them not to trust those sneaky Argadi.\n\nNow, you may be wondering why I’m telling you all of this. Well it’s simple, I need a new job! Turns out, I was so good at my old one that the people exterminated those pesky Argadi without even being asked to. So, now I’m here, in your world looking for a new leader to support. Why your world? Well I hear you have a minority problem similar to our Argadi.\n\nRedditors of this world, can any of you get me an interview? Preferably for the president, but Jeff Bezos or that Musk guy would be okay too."
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[WP] As a kid, an alien spacecraft crashed in your backyard. Years later, you helping them recover from the crash has earned you a job as one of humanity's first ambassadors to the universe.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It is really fun to be the ambassador of humanity. My father always taks about the responsibility to represent the human race in a way that is good. But i dont really care about any of that. Sometimes the alien people ask me about the reasons why humans care so much about their own personal belongings and their ways and what not. I dont really care about any of that most of the time. It has been like since 5th grade since the big alienship droped in our backyard. I remember that night pretty good. Who cares. I dont like to think about all that stuff the people like to talk about. I want to play videogames",
"First came the noise. A thunderous *boom* as the air hit you. A wave of sound so loud it was felt in the bone. Then a second. The third seemed to ignite the clouds and a flash of light and heat dazzled the eye of anyone who had been looking upward for miles around.\n\nOnce the glare had subsided the view had changed. A new path had been gouged though the forrest. A deep tear of churned earth and rock that scared the side of the mountain from peak to base. Along that trail of destruction forest fires had started. The smoke curling around the damaged land as though the landscape itself was trying to hide its new scar.\n\nBilly hadn’t seen that yet. He’d been inside the house when the first shockwave hit. The shattering glass as windows exploded and falling light fittings had sent him scurrying under the table. He’d stayed there as the second and third wave almost shook the small house to ruin. \n\nNow as dust from the cracked ceiling drifted like falling snow onto the upturned furniture he slowly crawled out from the table. He staggered to the back door hoping to find his mother outside. She’d only run down into town for a moment but he knew she’d be back any second now. And after whatever *that* was, he needed her back now.\n\nBut Billy didn’t see the car. Instead as he opened the door and ran out into the sun his eyes only saw one thing. His focus was now on the wide shallow river that ran behind the house. \n\nIt was a ... plane? It had wings ... kinda. Like a plane but it was all weird. Is that what the noise had been? A plane crash? It now rocked slowly in the water as what was left of one wing curled around the body. The twisted metal that had been the front was hissing as the cool water lapped at it. At this time of year it was only as high as Billy’s waist so most of the aircraft was still exposed. \n\nBilly moved to the edge of the bank and shuffled from one foot to the other. He wished someone was here with him. Where was ... He blinked. A hatch on the side of the craft was moving. Or trying to move. It bumped and clicked only an inch as someone banged on the other side. \n\n“Someone’s in there. SOMEONES IN THERE!” His shocked yells brought no one. He hadn’t thought about the pilot or passengers. \n\nThe banging grew louder as something struck the inside of the door. Whoever was inside couldn’t get out. Billy bounced on his feet harder, his heart pounding as he realised the danger these people were in. Danger he was watching. \n\nThe door clicked again and again as it tried to open. Why wouldn’t it open. And then, as if by magic, he saw it all in slow motion. The wings. One had curled upwards to wrap around the body of the plane. But the other, it had snapped in half. And one on those jagged splinters of metal had curled sideways rather than upwards. He could clearly see how the edge was pressed on the corner of the door. Next the the hinge to stop it opening. \n\nTime seemed to restart as he took a breath. Without thinking anymore he grabbed the wood axe from the shed and dove into the water. The river became warmer as he approached and the heat almost blistered his skin. It was a lot hotter than he realised.\n\nBut with eyes focused on that door he moved forward. Now he was closer he saw the wisps of smoke coming from inside. Each time the door was hit a puff of smoke escaped. \n\n“Hold on I’m coming” he cried, now understanding that the forrest wasn’t the only thing on fire. \n\nHe brought the axe up high above his head and struck the protruding pipe. It bounced off. He struck it again. The blow sending a solid bang back into the door.\n\nA moment of silence was the response before the frantic hammering started again. He almost heard the calls for help as they kicked and pushed against the door for rescue. He struck the pipe harder. His small frame bringing down the heavy axe with surprising force. Then again. And again. \n\nUntil it snapped.\n\n* * * *\n\nBill entered the assembly room in time to see the bird like person punch the floating jellyfish. And before anyone could intervene he watched the jellyfish whip a tentacle over the birds thigh, leaving him gripping his leg in pain.\n\n“What’s going on in here?” He said with surprise.\n\n“Ah, the human” the figure at the desk gestured to the other two diplomats “we seem to be having a disagreement. Perhaps as a third party you may settle this.”\n\n“I have no need for lumpy form help” chirped the translation box of the jellyfish.\n\n“For once we agree. This fledgling cannot fly as high as us. Our issues are to complex for such a simple as you.”\n\nBill turned to the upright woman at between them. “What is the problem exactly?”\n\nBetween interruptions and denials from both parties involved, a web of broken promises and unfair trade deals was explained. Bill smiled slowly “Well we do have a special way to deal with issues like this. Guaranteed to work. So if you need any help ...”\n\n“What is this cure for our rotten egg of peace.” Asked the bird person.\n\n“I have this” Bill unstrapped the large package from his back and unwrapped it. Both diplomats moved back. \n\n“You are armed!?” The almost-bird fluffed his feathers out and shook his wings.\n\nThe translation box that hung from the floating jellyfish managed to somehow carry a note of shock in its robotic voice. “Yes, it it forbidden by law. No weapon in the chambers of law.”\n\nThe regal figure between then raised a hand. “We have given the human ambassador an exemption. He may carry his ceremonial item at all times.”\n\n“And I get to use it however I want as well” He nodded. Bill slapped the large axe into the palm of his hand as though weighing it. “So if you can’t sort yourselves out” he paused dramatically and suddenly swung the axe around again “I guess we have to try the human way.”\n\nBoth creatures seemed to share a look of horror with each other. Then immediately turned to the ornately dressed woman sat at the desk.\n\n“We shall settle our differences at once and fly as one.”\n\n“No outsider need cut our anger tendons” \n\nThe once bickering diplomats now bowed in unison and backed out of the room. Bill waited till they were gone before spinning around to face the woman.\n\n“Again? You can’t keep calling me up here to scare people into following your orders.”\n\n“I’m not” the once royal figure slumped in her seat and the leader of the grand galactic council seemed almost normal now. Not more human, but certainly more like a regular person. “I’m using you to scare them into solving their own problems.”\n\n“By using me and the axe *you* gave me.”\n\n“But you use it so well” she smiled “I’ll never forget the first time you used one. You broke open the door and we all escaped to safety. I’m honour-bound to repay you.”\n\n“Yea yea” he jokingly rolled his eyes “just cause I saved your life, and you turned out to be a space princess ...”\n\n“Not a princess I was just randomly selected at birth to be the next leader ...”\n\nBill carried on “I’m now the ambassador for the human colonies and lead trade negotiator. You could have just bought me a few drinks and called it even.”\n\nShe smiled at her oldest friend “So if I give you the bottle of Mancarro wine I have hidden in this draw you’ll quit?”\n\nBill seemed to think about it and slowly answered “I could ...” she slowly grew concerned until he smiled back “But then I’d have to give back this sweet axe I got as part of the job. And you said something about wine hidden in there.”\n\nShe smiled at her oldest friend and pulled out the bottle and two glasses. “You mean this one?”\n\n“That’s it” he picked up a glass “Guess I’ll stick around a little longer. I mean ... if you *really* need me.”",
"\"What was that noise?\" \n\nTilting his book forward slightly, just enough so that my mom could see a sliver of his sleep-encrusted eyes, my dad said, \"I didn't hear anything.\" It sounded like a prerecorded message. Then, mechanically, he slipped the book back over his features. \n\nMom shook her head almost imperceptibly, but she didn't respond. I was too busy scrolling through my news feed to note the exchange. It was a perfect stillshot of the modern suburban family: each member sitting close together but isolated in their own silent world. One on their phone, one enraptured in a book, and one idly wondering what to do with their free time. \n\nThe table where my elbow was propped up, the adjoining arm fisted against my cheek, quivered slightly. A glass of water nearby -- how long has that been there? -- was agitated by an invisible hand. \n\nI looked up from my phone, \"Mom, stop.\" \n\nBut she was lounging on a chair across the room, a perplexed expression on her face. \"Stop what J--\" \n\nThat's when the whole house began to shake. \n\nIt had taken a rumbling home, falling china, breaking glass, and splintering wood to hoist my languid family into action, but when we stood up, we were *up*. Adrenaline was pumped into my veins by someone not worried about the price per gallon, and my heart skittered wildly in my chest. The terrified looks on my parent's faces indicated that they were going through similar primal reactions. \n\n\"Get in the basement,\" my dad instructed with quiet urgency. When we hesitated, he shouted, \"Now!\" \n\nAfter sprinting down the shaggy carpet stairs, we sat huddled on the floor for five miserable minutes as the shaking only intensified. It became teeth-rattling. Then, in one frozen moment, everything stopped. The noise, the rumbling, our breathing. Everything. Then...\n\nBOOM\n\nA shockwave rippled through our house and the entire neighborhood. Nearly tripping over my legs, which at this point were as sturdy as pudding, I ran to the window that looked up into our backyard through a grate. What I saw made me gasp. Entombed in a vicious inferno were hunks of twisted metal, and pinned to the grassy floor by hundreds of pounds of it was a fire-tinted outline. Somebody was trapped in there! \n\nBefore my parents could stop my incredibly stupid heroics, I weaved around their stupefied forms, sprinting up the stairs and through the door to the backyard. What happened next was such a visceral experience that I often dream about it. It injured me rather severely, although a temporary, fundamental disconnect between me and my pain receptors made it bearable. With a burst of hysterical strength, a phenomenon I hadn't believed when I'd read about it, I deadlifted the hunk of metal off the struggling figure, allowing it to wriggle free. The price was both my shoulders, which were instantly torn. In the moment, I didn't realize it because I was too busy grabbing the injured form and lugging them through the skin melting heat to safety. \n\nOnce we were both far enough away from the crash that I could feel the cool night breeze, I collapsed onto the ground and was immediately aware of my torn shoulders, tweaked back, and horribly burned hands. My parents ran to me, gawking. I thought their horrified expressions were because of my sorry state. I was wrong. Their gazes were leveled at the person I had saved. \n\nDreading that I would turn and find the person I had saved to be a corpse, it took all my willpower to turn my eyes and look at the crash victim. Relief flooded through me when I saw that they were alive. But, strangely enough, they weren't human. \n\n(Part 1/2)"
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[WP] You've been sent to Earth as a guardian angel for a little boy. But upon arriving, you realize that no one else has a guardian.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“What do you mean I’ve gotten this all wrong?” The Angel said, both in confusion and questioning. \n\n“Um..This istn’t earth?” \n\n“Hah?” The guardian said. She - Angel Lilith - was sent by the the high council of heavily protection, to protect and nurse a young german boy on earth. This was a big life long dream: To be a guardian Angel to someone! To care for them, to raise them, to bond with them. But now..that dream seemed to slowly fade from existence. The now embarrassed Lilith slowly looked up to the person in-front of her. With their brown (or in this case, Braun) hair in a bun, and stunning Hazel eyes, the human fit all the descriptions of Lilith’s chosen one. Even more confusion filled the atmosphere of the situation.\n\n“Excuse me boy, but where exactly is this *place*?”\nIn a soft and gentle voice, the human responded, “This ist Northstar-32B. If you want to go to Earth, then you’ll have to go through the Gliese and Kepler solar systems,” This was definitely an issue. “Oh, and I’m a girl” She added.\n\n“Whaaaaaaaaat!” \n\n“Moving on..what’s your name? Mein ist Emilia Kraus Leonhardt - or Just Emi for short” She said.\n\nLilith told the girl her name, and they had a long discussion on what was even going on. Lilith actually found out Ms. Leonhardt was a 26 year old scientist. And instead of being in the year 1936, Lilith actually found herself in 2605.\n\n“So, are you supposed to be protecting me?” Emi non-chalantly asked the elephant in the room. Lilith had to think for a good long while.\n\nShe sighed. “damn those accountants at the council” she whispered.\n\nWait, this was Lilith’s moment! Her dream now come back into this plane of reality. She may not be prepared for these circumstances, but she’ll make due. \n\nLilith sprung up with confidence. “Right, now, my little Pampered princess, I will be your guardian Angel!”\n\nEmi laughed hysterically, much to Lilith’s confusion. “Huh? What’s so funny?”\n\n“Sorry, ist just the way you referred to me. ‘Pampered princess’ please never call me that” The german still couldn’t stop laughing.\n\n“Don’t make fun of your mother Angel!” Lilith shot at Emi.\n\n“I think I’ll stick with Lilith, thanks” Emi said.\n\nThe guardian Angel pouted cutely, though clearly angered. In the back of her mind, a faint voice peaked through: “Daaaaamn you council!!”.",
"\nWarning, this will be long \n(TW: abuse and mention of abortion)\n\n\n\nMy vision flashed and before I knew it, I was on earth. “Wow” I thought to myself. I had heard rumours of what earth was like, but I had never imagined it to be so grey and rainy. After taking in my surrounding of the busy street I seemed to be on, I rolled up my sleeve and looked at the name written in my wrist. “Mathew Jones” I read aloud, not that this mattered as no one could hear me. “I wonder what he’s like and why he needs protection...” I wondered. “Maybe he’s a soldier, or an up and coming politician who’ll change the world!” I exclaimed, my eye lit up with glee. I took a breath then closed my eyes, listening as hard as I could for the heartbeat, just like they taught me in training. I stood there concentrating. Suddenly I could hear a faint drumming. Although, of course, it wasn’t a drum, but Mathews heart beat, which was rising unusually fast, indicating distress. I opened my eyes quickly, and before me was a golden string, guiding me to my human. I followed this string, swirling around people. God, being a guardian angel is annoying! People can’t see or hear us but we can still get in the way! I run and run until I reach the hard iron gates of what seems to be a school. Just beyond the gate, I saw a small timid boy with dark hair being pulled by the back of his collar by a larger blond boy. Although the dark haired boy looked eight and the older one thirty, I could tell they were both on their early teens, fourteen, maybe. A faint glow was surrounding the dark haired boy, so I figured that was Mathew Jones. “Why have they assigned me a child?” I thought. A guardian angel is only ever sent down to protect people who are important or in certain danger. Yes, bullying is inconvenient, but surely it’s not that deadly. Just as I was about to intervene, I heard the boys giggle and Mathew say “okay mate, stop, stop” addressing the bigger boy. Luke let go of him and they just stood there laughing with Mathew panting in between chuckles. “Great” I said aloud to myself, “not only an I assigned a child, but one who’s not even being bullied!” I crossed my arms and sulked and I bitterly followed the boy and his friend into the building. \n\nMathew was sitting in class now his eyes glued to the bored where his teacher was showing them a speech from the American president. I was stood behind him out of the way and looked at the bored also. Something wasn’t right about the video. I couldn’t see a guardian there. “The American president has to be important” I thought. Even though I worked in the England division, we were told about other world leaders as well. I thought this was strange, but brushed it off. “Maybe he just got assigned a shy one” I thought. If other guardians knew you were protecting the American president, a lot of questions would be asked. \n\nMathews day ran on fairly normal. I was a bit disappointed, I must admit, as I thought there may have been a problem with the system. I sulked again as I followed Mathew home, him and his mates jumping on each other, pulling on each others hoods, just being annoying. Eventually Mathew said goodbye to his friend and split off down a nice looking street. He arrived at a house with me right behind him as instructed to. Mathew just stood there with the key in his hand. His eyes kept starting backwards and forwards between the lock on the door and the open window that looked into his living room. Closing my eyes, I could feel his heartbeat rising rapidly, much more then before. I placed my hand delicately on Mathews shoulder and his heart rate suddenly dropped to a healthier pace and he sighed. One job as a guardian is to be able to calm your human down which merely your touch. He put they key in the lock and opened the door, me rushing behind so I don’t get locked out. He quietly took his shoes off and ran up the stairs, a lot faster then i oils follow. As I calmly walked up the stairs, I peaked into the living room and saw a lady napping on the big sofa. This woman also had dark hair so I came to the conclusion that she was Mathew mum. Ignoring her, I followed my boy upstairs and just kept him company. His room was covered in poster of bands or war heroes. An odd combination but who am I to judge. Mathew opens his laptop and on the screen was a man dressed in a camouflage uniform in the middle of a forest. This was an army troop giving an interview to a very nosey reporter. I sat and watched with him when I realised that this man didn’t seem to have a guardian either. ALL soldiers get guardian angels, it’s basically a right of passage. I knew there was something wrong now, but before I could listen to my thoughts I heard a woman call Mathew from downstairs. Mathew closed his eyes, closed his laptop, and just sighed. He then sprinted out of bed and carefully made his way down the stairs. “Hi, mum” he said softly walking into the living room. “Why are you still in your uniform?” The dark haired lady asked, very much awake now. “Sorry I just forgot to change” the boy said looking down at the floor and running his bright socks over each other. “You’re so useless” the woman muttered under her breath, quietly but not enough to stop me from hearing. “Go on then, get me a beer, make yourself useful for once” she demanded the boy whilst switching in the tv. “I though dad asked you not to drink before five o’clock anymore” Mathew asked, looking as though he instantly regretted his words. The woman gave him a hard look, shot up from the large leather sofa, and struck Mathew right across the face. She then grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. “How DARE you talk to me that way boy!” She practically spat onto his face. “I’m your Mother and you will treat me as such now go get my BLOODY beer!” She threw the boy down and went back to her spot on the large sofa. Mathew, his body shaking and tears welling up in the bottom if his eyes, picked himself up and rushed to the kitchen. I got it then. That’s why I was assigned this child. He is far more important than any politician or army officer, he needed protecting the most because on one thinks he need it at all. Mathew returned with a cold bottle and brought it to the table. “Well I can’t drink it like that you idiot! Go get the bottle opener!” He returned back to the kitchen and came back with a bottle opener which he handed to his mum. “Well I’m not doing it m! what kind of son doesn’t open a beer for his mum!” She scoffed pushing the bottle opener away from he face. Mathew, his hands still shaking, grabbed the bottle and put the opener to it. Because if his shaking hands, he couldn’t get a proper grip of the cold, wet bottle and the entire thing slipped out of his hands and smashed on the carpet. His mum just looked down at him and for a moment there was silence. Not peaceful silence though, more like sinister silence and Mathews bottom lip started to quiver and his mother’s face grew madder and madder. Suddenly she leaped up and grabbed the boy by the collar again, except this time she smash his head into a wall, hard, and lifted him from the ground. “You!” she began, breathing heavily and spitting on the face of her crying son “are an inconsiderate, incapable pile of horse s**t and I wish from the bottom of my heart that I had aborted you, you stupid, good for nothing brat!” She raised her hand up, but my reflexes had kicked in and I quickly grabbed it before she was able to swing at him. While her hand just sat in the air, Mathew was flinching, his head aimed at the floor and his crying eyes shut as tight as possible. His mum, because of my interference, put her hand down and pushed Mathew to the floor. “Clean this up!” She growled at him “I’m going to sleep, and you don’t get dinner.” With that, his mum walked up the stairs and there was Mathew, curled up on the living room floor silently sobbing into his black school trousers. I sat beside him and wrapped my arms around him, trying to comfort him with my touch. I closed my eyes and although I could still feel immense fear in his heart, the panic was slowly lowered. \n\nThe mess had been cleared and Mathew was in bed by the time his dad had gotten home. He just went to be bed, oblivious to the previous events. I watched Mathew sleep for the first time that night. I sat in the edge of his bed and stroked his sleeping face, trying to heal the slap mark and cuts as much as I could. At that point, I knew why I had been assigned to the boy with the fragile frame, and I swear to protect him at all costs, because he’s the most important person in the world...",
"I looked at the creator in bewilderment, sir why am I to protect young James? Rhea, James is very special said the creator, he is going to do things no nation or any man can do. I shook my head in understanding and departed to earth. \n\nI folded my wings as I entered the atmosphere and swiftly landed in the earth. I glided over to James and began introducing myself. Hello James, my name is Rhea I’m going to be your guardian angel, it’s a pleasure to meet you. The beautiful blue eyed blond haired boy looked at me with a twinkle in his eye, and as soon as I met his gaze I saw images of victory in war, the end of famine, the end of drought, the end of poverty and the beginning of heaven on earth. \n\nI now understood what the creator meant and why James was to be protected at all costs. I wondered the earth until James’s 18th birthday and that’s when his prophecy was fulfilled.\n\nJames ended poverty by giving his riches to the world, James ended hunger by feeding those in need with his abundant blessings, James ended all wars by speaking of peace to his people. James brought Heaven to earth to be with his celestial father…The creator. All was right with nations and universe.",
"\"It's not fair!!\" The scream torn from the beings throat is ragged with anguish. \"There are so many... so many more... who need protection...\"\n\n\"You will protect this one, Guardian, and this one alone. That is your purpose.\" A voice booms it's response.\n\n\"I... I can't. I won't! They all need me! They need us, can't you see the suffering!?\"\n\n\"The suffering makes them stronger; they work harder!\"\n\n\"Bullshit. Look at this one! Does this look stronger to you?\" the Guardian holds up the limp form of a small baby, it's body starts to shake with palsy and it's skin is splotchy with discoloured rashing.\n\n\"You dare question my authority, Guardian? You have your orders. Protect the one, disregard the rest.\"\n\n\"But... but why! Why should this creature be born only to live so briefly... and in agony... it makes no sense.\"\n\n\"Protect the boy, or be decommissioned.\" The sentence was spoken with finality.\n\n\"... Yes, sir.\" The guardian gently places the sickly runt back into it's crib and turns to his new charge. The baby boy has wide, inquisitive eyes and his stare seems to penetrate to the core of the Guardian's soul.\n\n\"Good.\" The mighty presence breathes and withdraws, leaving the Guardian with a feeling of tired worn-out misery.\n\n\"Child, we can not help all of you. There are too many of you and His power can only go so far.\" The small being squirms and frowns slightly. He reaches out one of his minisucle, fragile hands, imploring.\n\n\"I am here for you, child. I'm here...\" The Guardian reaches out and clasps the tiny hand. The child reacts with a small contented sigh as he closes his eyes, at peace.\n\nThe Guardian pulls his gaze from the child and looks around the room. Dozens of cribs are packed into the small windowless room. Small cries of distress rise here and there but the majority of the cribs are silent. The inhabitants resigned to their fate. Forgotten and abandoned; they never had a chance.\n\nThe Guardians used to protect them all... They used to fill the world with glorious singing and laughter.\n\nAn exhausted cry breaks the silence, quickly fades away."
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[WP] Water World. The deeper you dive, the bigger the creatures become.
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"Our dorm room's a mess. If you could call it that. It's basically a constantly moving shuttle bus with crammed bunk beds and dirty throw pillows and well, everything that makes a home home. They even let us have a sample. \n\nSkippy's a colorful fish, so colorful you'd think someone painted on him. He stays in the seaweed, though. Almost never comes out except for the fish food, which we have to locate every week or so when the packet runs out. Costs a lot of money too.\n\nToday we're at Washington, DC. It's pretty bland, to be honest: Water World has roots everywhere from McDonalds to the White House. Heck, one time we were fixing a zip line to the Pentagon, someone caught us, and we had to swim three miles to get back to base.\n\nIt's all underwater, by the way. Water World has a giant budget for its aquariums and such, but the Atlantic ocean is the real deal. Our little part of the ocean is pretty closed off, but still. It's amazing.\n\nHold on. I hear my shipmates calling. Wait here, and maybe I'll finish the story for you later.",
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"(Keep in mind, I've been reading and listening to too many creepypastas recently. Sorry it's so long)\n\nThe sub creaked and groaned to the increasing pressure, the metal protesting as we dove deeper and deeper into the water. My ears popped one after the other as I watched the depth counter increase its numbers until it finally stopped.\n\"35,000 feet below,\" the captain announced. \"Any further, the sub might actually get crushed. Time to try out that new Mini you got, Doc.\"\n\nI sighed quietly at the pet name and turned toward the air lock, leading my team of three to the mini sub, ironically shaped like a mini Cooper. Candy \"Sweets\" Johnson went in first, our pilot for this underwater flight, then went Kenneth \"Kid\" Craft, our marine biologist to document what we may see, and finally me, the creator of this bucket of bolts that we hope will take us safely where no man or woman has dared to go: down.\n\n\"Time to make history, Kid\" I said, smiling to the young man, fresh out of school and ready to make his first mark. \"Did you bring your coloring pencils?\"\n\n\"Doc, this is a breakthrough for my field, and while I'm honored you decided to let me come along, please tone down the age jokes,\" he replied, clutching the strap of his shoulder bag tighter to his chest.\n\n'Yup, he brought them,' I thought, chuckling to myself and glancing over to Johnson. \"How's your numbers, Sweets?\"\n\nShe started rattling off numbers and information about how the sub is but, once she saw my eyes glaze over she finished with, \"Everything's great, Doc. Purring like a kitten.\"\n\n\"Was that so hard, Sweets? Let me know, simply, if we should get worried. Kid, keep an eye out that window, Sweets, begin descent.\"\n\nThe sub released the Mini and we began our dive, into the darkness, into the deep. Into the unknown... 'I've been spending too much time with my niece.'\n\nThe flood lights flicked on as our decent counted. 40,000 feet... 50,000 feet... 60,000 feet. I watched the gauges, the counters, my life's work, chugging along like a finely tuned instrument. Hopefully it stays that way until we come back up.\n\nI took a minute to check on Johnson, her eyes scanning the control panel a mile a minute, taking in information faster than she could recite it. She's a competent pilot, she does her job, keeps her head, and, when the chips are down, she does what's needed to keep everyone safe.\n\nCraft was gazing out the porthole, writing out in shorthand description and sketching out anything and everything that might pass our window. I haven't worked with Craft long but what I learned about him is he's detail oriented, thorough, and capable. He's young but he works like he's been around; good influence for his generation.\n\nCraft suddenly gasped and pointed with his pencil out the window. \"What was that!?\" \n\nI looked out the window, gazing at the darkness around us. \n\n\"What did you see, Kid?\"\n\n\"It looked like... I don't know... Some kind of angler fish?\"\n\n\"That's not unusual, Kid. You've seen Finding Nemo; those things are everywhere down here.\"\n\n\"But Doc, the thing was huge. Almost as big as the sub.\"\nThe kid looked petrified, a face I've never seen from him, even when I watched him in a shark cage, surrounded in chum with a broken, loose door.\n\n\"Keep calm, Kid; we're safe in here.\" Even I knew I was being hopeful, keeping spirits up, but even I was nervous having heard that. I've seen Finding Nemo, those things are ugly and scary. Like Leatherface and Hellraiser had a baby and gave it to the nun from Nun.\n\nCraft nodded at my false enthusiasm and looked back out the window, back to his documentation. I left him to his work and leaned down to Johnson, whispering to her alone in this echo chamber, \"Let me know what you see. If anything. Even a speck crossing the bubble, let me know.\"\n\n\"You got it, Doc,\" she replied quietly, slowing our descent.\n\n\"Where's the ground out here?\" She asked loudly. \"If we keep falling, I'm gonna get vertigo.\"\n\n\"You can find it, Sweets. You found a way through a hurricane to ride the eye to a safe landing spot, you'll find the ground.\"\n\n\"There! It's back!\" Craft yelled. I ran back to the porthole and, sure enough, following our descent at a steady pace, was an enormous eye, staring back at the kid and I. \"What is that, doc?\" He asked, scribbling in his book without looking down.\n\"You're the scientist, Kid. What is it?\"\n\n\"The structure and coloring says angler fish but the size says beluga whale. No history says angler fish get that big!\"\n\n\"Well no man has ever been this far down,\" Johnson added. \"Must be something growing down here that the fish eat that makes them grow bigger. Evolution by addition and all that.\"\n\n\"When did you get smart, Sweets?\" Craft asked, staring at the large eye staring back at us. She stopped the descent and turned to look around the bubble, watching the anglers glowing light sway in the current.\n\nWe all jumped as the light and eye suddenly dragged backward out of our view, replaced by a slowly creeping fog of red and chunks of... Something.\n\n\"Kid?\" I whispered.\n\n\"Yeah, Doc?\" He replied.\n\n\"What's an angler fish's natural predators?\"\n\n\"Man, octopus, other anglers.\"\n\n\"Sweets, can you turn us?\"\n\n\"Turning port side.\"\n\nThe Mini turned slowly, the fog of red increasing until we saw the anglers head floating behind us, bits of flesh and meat slowly flaking away with the current. We all stared, wide eyed, at the floating decapitation, Craft's pencil flying over his booklet as he drew out what we were seeing.\nAn enormous tentacles reached out, wrapped around the loose head and pulled it away from our view to starboard. We all flashed our gaze to the bubble and saw the largest, most terrifying looking octopus chomping down on the morsel like the happiest puppy receiving it's first treat. \n\n\"Sweets, think it's time to head out, huh?\" I asked.\n\n\"Heading out, Doc,\" she replied, heading for the drivers seat but a large clang knocked us all to the floor before any of us could move.\n\n\"What the hell was that, Johnson?\" I yelled, glaring at the small woman on the floor with us. I know it wasn't her fault but I needed someone to yell at and there was no kitchen sink in this tub.\n\n\"I don't know, Doc! It came in from our port side!\"\n\n\"Well, get us the hell outta here!\" I looked over at Craft and helped him to his knees. \"You okay, Kid?\" I asked softer, steading us both against a wall.\n\n\"What happened, Doc?\" He asked, deliriously as Johnson strapped herself into her chair.\n\n\"Just a little bump in the road, Kid. Where are we on leaving, Sweets?\" \n\n\"Making sure there's gas in the car, Doc,\" she replied, following my joke, and painfully started our ascent. \"Just gotta ease her out on the highway.\"\n\n\"Screw easing,\" Craft interjected. \"Floor it.\"\n\n\"Flooring it,\" Johnson parroted and sped up the ascent slowly.\n\nCraft and I peered back out the window to see the octopus starting after us. Slowly, painfully getting closer to the Mini as we rose closer to the surface.\n\n\"Sweets,\" I drew out her name slightly, hinting at a sense of urgency. \n\n\"I'm going, I'm going.\" The mini groaned in protest as the speed picked up slightly and suddenly halted with a crash. \n\n\"What the Sam Hill was that!?\"\n\nCraft and I looked out the bubble, craning our necks to see a white figure scraping above us.\n\n\"A manta ray,\" Craft whispered. \"But it's... Huge.\" The octopus passed us completely and wrapped itself around the creature, suddenly locked in a brutal combat.\n\n\"Sweets!\" I yelled. \"Get us out of here!\"\n\n\"I can't, Doc, this thing was only built to go up and down. We've done the down, and we can't go up without going through them.\"\n\n\"What about the emergency procedure?\" Craft asked.\n\n\"It's basically an air filled raft,\" Johnson explained. \" It'll propel us up to the surface faster than the engines will but it's still a straight shot, we won't go around anything.\" We watch the octopus and ray spin and toss each other in the water above us. \"When we get a clear spot, I'll hit the emergency procedure and we'll rocket to the surface.\"\n\nWe watched with baited breath at the brawl above us, the whipping tail, tentacles wrapping and spasming, a beak clamped on fins, blood seeping out of wounds, it was captivating and horrifying. I heard Craft's pencil flying over his papers, scribbling rather than delicately sketching the sight above us. Johnson's hand hovered over the switch for the emergency procedure, ready to send us up at a moments notice.\n\nThat moment never came as the sub turned suddenly as we all fell upward landed flat on our backs on the roof. We all gazed back out the window, starting to see double, as a large shark barreled passed us and headed toward the quarreling octopus and ray. \n\n\"A megalodon?\" Craft wheezed, disbelief written all over his face. \"But they're extinct.\"\n\n\"Then what's that?\" I asked, pointing at where I thought the bubble was. \"Sweets, where are we on LEAVING!?\"\n\n\"You wanna try getting through a shark, an octopus and a manta ray, you start swimming, otherwise we're waiting for the safety.\"\n\n\"Well we can't just stay here,\" Craft whimpered, that look of fear back on his face. \"Can we call the sub, have them send someone down to get us?\"\n\n\"The Mini is the only one and the sub can't go any lower than it is,\" Johnson explained. \"Relax, Kid, we're gonna be fine.\"\nI wished she hadn't said that because as soon as the words left her lips, we all tumbled again, tossed to the side by the shark's tail and slammed into a trench wall, denting the wall inward. Thankfully not enough to ruin the integrity of the hull but enough to cause worry.\n\n\"Oh God we're gonna die down here!\" Craft cried, tears forming in his eyes. \"I don't wanna die, Doc!\""
] | 3
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[WP] You live your life according to the will of the Magic 8-Ball
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*"
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[WP] Your fortune cookie was oddly specific “go to the lake in the woods behind your house and fish with no bait”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“The woods behind the house,huh?” I’ve never seen a lake behind there but I thought I’d take a look, but I didn’t have a fishing rod. I walked towards the start of the wooded area, when I saw a fishing rod just sitting their. It looked brand new, it’s design looked like something I would wear. “Well I’ll be damned” I said, this whole thing seemed suspicious as hell, but I went along with it, why? You tell me. I walked down the path of the woods with this stylish, mysterious fishing rod. So many things were signaling me to turn around, the ominous breeze, the general vibe of the woods, the piercing feeling like someone was staring daggers into me. People have labeled me a stupid and reckless, I wouldn’t say that, I just have no regard for my general safety, so I kept moving. Soon I saw a light, I moved towards it and I found the lake. All those bad feelings suddenly went away, it was a calm feeling for a moment I felt nothing but pure peace. Until the stupid fishing rod started vibrating and startled me, “alright, alright, I hear you chill out!” I yelled, a casted it into the lake, while I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t expect this. Something began to rise out of the water, it looked like an angel but evil somehow. I sighed “honestly what did I expect” the angel looked at me, I looked back. It didn’t seem to have a mouth and it’s eyes were just big dark purple orbs they were kind of pretty, in an ominous way. The angel thrusted in front of me right in front of my face, I didn’t move a muscle. It asked in an echoing ascending voice “why don’t you fear me child?” I asked in a calmly and slightly sarcastically “well are you going to hurt anyone besides me?” It paused “well no” “then no I’m not” I said. The angel paused, then started to laugh, for like 3 minutes straight. “Thank you” the angel said “it’s been centuries since I’ve laughed like this.” I was slightly confused. She explained that she was a black angel, what most humans would refer to as demons, and she was there queen. There has been a breach of black angels and they like to feed of the innocents and good intentions of the human soul, but apparently this fishing rod I have can neutralize and capture them, and “because she likes me” I can bring them back here. I was about to leave half expecting it to be a dream before the queen stopped me and said “and be careful, it has a smart mouth.” “Come on man, I was gonna scare him when we got out of the forest!” I heard i high pitched voice scream from my fishing rod, I dropped it, and it turned into a little person that kind of resembled and elf. “My fishing rod is a person” I said slightly startled “Yup” said both the angel and the fishing rod, who’s name was apparently Rodney, a little on the nose but ok. I paused for a moment before grabbing Rodney buy the collar of his shirt and sighing again “honestly what did I expect” I said. I waved goodbye to the queen before leaving with Rodney in tow, so now I’m going to be fighting of demons, because I read a fortune cookie, and made a demon queen laugh with my apathetic attitude. I smirked slightly, this is going to be interesting.",
"I frequent a Chinese restaurant and I usually read the fortunes and toss them, like a reasonable person. But today it was too specific to ignore. “Go to the lake and fish with no bait.” I go home and go out to the lake in the woods. I cast my line and wait. After a bit, I get bored and jostle the line. Nothing happens and I try to bring my line back but can’t. It’s stuck on something. I pull harder and, just when I think the line will snap, it flies out of the water with something on the end. At first, I celebrate. “I’ll be able to eat for days on a fish that big!” Then, I properly look at it. It’s not a fish. It’s the head of a child. My mind goes blank and I freeze before, finally, shakily reaching for my phone and dialing 911. \n“Thank you for informing us, sir. But why were you fishing back here without bait?” “I got a fortune cookie and it told me to! Honest! I still have the paper!” I rustle around in my pocket and the officer looks at the front and back of the slip of paper. “Thank you for your assistance, sir. We’ll have you on close surveillance for your safety. Whoever did this may come after you, next.” I never wanted this. I’m a simple man. I just wanted to eat chow mein and now I’m a suspect in a murder case. “Hey, you’re gonna want to see this.” Another officer in scuba gear called out to the one I was with. He said something to him and the officer recoiled. “Good god! How many do you think there are?” They continued their conversation for about two minutes before both came to me. “Sir, we’re gonna try our best to get you moved to a new location. This area is now the scene of mass murder.” My stomach churned at the thought that this had been behind my back for god knows how long. The scuba cop spoke up. “We’ll have you questioned tomorrow. For today, you should try and relax.”",
"\"Huh? These are fortune cookies, not command cookies! Why is this even here?\" Rob thought, taking a picture of said fortune. He didn't think of this as much and let it slide.\n\nFast forward a couple of days... \n\nHe was cleaning space on his phone, then he saw the photo again. He now thought that it was somewhat important information, so he bought a fishing rod, no bait, went to the woods, and fished.\n\nA long wait and Rob thought all the time spent went to waste. He was about to head back and something finally took the hook. He just fished some form of heirloom, with no idea why it was there, or who put it there.\n \nIt was a golden pot, sealed with a lid and a bunch of glue.\nIt was inscribed with something, he just couldn't understand. Overcome with curiosity, he opened the container. It was some form of map, leading to something.\n\nSomething definitely felt wrong. Was this a time capsule or something? Or is it really extremely special treasure?\nIt definitely is not a map of his world, as it seemed off from the map he compared to on his phone.\n\nHe tried turning it upside down, flipped it even, but it still didn't make sense. He just decided to go back and suddenly realized he was definitely somewhere else...",
"I stared at the message, my eyes widening and my mind working. How specific and relevant to me was that? There did happen to be a lake which did happen to be in the woods which did happen to be behind my house. I wondered how common or applicable this scenario was that it warranted printing on a fortune cookie.\n\nMore likely whoever was writing the messages got bored and wrote something so specific that whoever it applied to would get spooked.\n\n\"What got you spooked?\" The woman across from me asked, smiling at my expression as I stared at the message. I chewed the rest of the bland cookie before replying.\n\n\"Nothing. It's asking me to fish in the lake behind my house.\" I replied, flicking the piece of paper back to my plate. \n\n\"How many people have lakes behind their houses for that to be an actual fortune message?\"\n\n\"Not just any old lake, but a lake in the *woods* behind my house. It is very specific.\"\n\n\"Well, then. That does warrant a spooked expression. You have to go fishing.\"\n\n\"With no bait, too.\" \n\n\"What?\" She took the piece of paper from my plate and looked at it for herself as I used my fork to push at the crumbs absentmindedly.\n\n\"I still want to talk about it.\" I told her, not eager to change the topic but knowing we had to discuss the more pressing issues.\n\nBut she only stared at the paper more, for a few long, excruciating seconds.\n\n\"You should go fishing. Seriously, the fact that you got this message?\" She said softly, putting the paper down but not quite meeting my eyes.\n\n\"Right.\" I said, leaning back on the chair. The restaurant was getting colder, and this conversation and all the dancing around was getting tiresome.\n\n\"I don't know what to tell you. This is good for you. For us.\" She said, leaning back as well. Unlike me, she had not touched her meal at all. \n\n\"Are we done? I can foot the bill.\"\n\n\"Let's split the bill.\" She murmured. Those words drove the knife deeper into my heart somehow. Of course. Somehow that spoke for the finality of it all.\n\n[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]\n\nThe next day I walked out to the balcony of my house. The cool morning air as the day dawned sent shivers down my skin. I saw the trees, and like a canvas in the distance that is blocked by all the dark greenery, was the lake. \n\nI remembered we used to go swimming there. The memory was unwelcome, but my mind did nothing to stop it from taking over my thoughts. I remembered the feel of the warm summer waters, the smell of the damp moss as we climbed on to the rocks, the feel of her wet skin on mine.\n\nI went back inside. This was normal. The pain. The deep sadness and emptiness after a break up like this. I just had to take it easy for while. I just had to be aware of all these feelings and let them pass. Let them wash over me.\n\nI opened my closet, mentally preparing to take all that was hers and then putting them in a box. But our clothes were all mingled, jumbled together. I did not even know which dresses, which clothes belonged who. I closed the closet, breathing out a sigh, and saw my fishing bag leaning on the side of the cupboard.\n\n\n*\"Go to the lake in the woods behind your house and fish with no bait”*\n\nNumbly, I took the bag and headed out into the cold morning fog. The atmosphere was exactly like my mood. Cold, grey, hazy. I did not even know what I was doing. My body moved on autopilot as my mind half-heartedly tried to reason with the absurd turn of events. This was not the plan for today.\n\nToday was just to listen to sad songs and stay at home.\n\nI reached the lake, though I did not even remember trekking through the woods. I opened up my bag, and assembled the rod. My hand reached for the brightly coloured baits my dad had gifted me ages ago. But I stopped myself.\n\nI walked over to the boulder. My usual spot. I threw the fishing rod back and pulled it forward with all my force, watching the line arc forward and hit the water with the smalled of 'blips'.\n\nI sat down on the cold rock, wondering why I had not even brought my phone. \n\nI sat there for a while, the ridiculousness of the situation somehow not managing to take root. Here I was, cold, without my phone, a baitless line cast in the lake.\n\nWhat was I doing?\n\nI sat for a while. And then a while more. And continued to sit as I watched the sun rise higher and higher, warming me and everything around me.\n\nI did not want to be alone with my thoughts like this. I did not want to reflect on the relationship. On my wrongs. On hers. On the situations and incidents that led to this moment. I knew it. I knew all the small fights, the small disagreements, the little pent up anger and grievances that were never quite voiced that festered and coalesced and blossomed into wounds too large and too deep to tend to.\n\nThrough the haze and numbness I was painfully aware of it all. How could I not be? The only thing here was the feeling of cold and hard, sandpapery rock beneath me and the sound of the water almost imperceivably and silently lapping against the soil.\n\nWas this supposed to be cathartic? Was this supposed to make me feel better? For hours the line stayed still. For hours I sat there, every new remembrance presenting a new dull ache. The tears coming and going, my throat tightening and loosening. The taste of my tears was constantly present in my mouth. Fresh snot formed as I violently rubbed it away. \n\nBut as all the experiences and memories good and bad cycled through my worn and beaten mind, it felt like I could focus more. The weird blankness my mind took as some kind of defense mechanism to deal with all the emotions eased a little as the day got brighter.\n\nIt was probably late afternoon when I reeled the empty line back in. I stared at the rod for a while, trying to break into a smile. I remembered a random thing my mother said. Something about my face setting itself into a grumpy expression permanently if all I did was frown. \n\nI could not afford to look sad every time. I willed myself to smile, and when I did, I felt my facial muscles slacken, my eyes crinkle. The act of smiling itself seemed to lift the invisible baggage that weighed me down a little.\n\nA little was enough. A little at a time. \n\nI packed the rod back into its bag, and headed home, a slightest of a spring in my step as I trekked through the woods, more aware of them this time."
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[WP] A vampire on an island trips and falls, embedding their fangs in the ground. Now the Island is a vampire.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Hey... so I kinda messed up, just a bit?\"\n\nI sigh. The girl in front of me is a freshly turned vampire. I was hoping for a new, loyal minion to order around, but this lass just keeps making mistake after mistake. First, she introduced herself as a vampire to a bunch of normal folks, forcing me to track them all down to erase their memory. After that, she took our yacht and somehow managed to crash it! In the middle of the ocean! How do you even manage to crash with literally nothing around you? Those tinted windows cost a fortune to repair. Then, she, for some reason, decided that mango juice was better than blood, even though she was literally starving herself by only drinking that damn juice! I shake my head. What kind of mistake could she have possible made this time?\n\n\"So, my dear. Tell me what you've managed to do this time.\"\n\n\"I... uh... bit an island.\"\n\nI lean back in my chair and take a sip from my chalice of blood. This silly, silly girl must have misspoken. She surely didn't somehow manage to bite an entire island, right?\n\n\"Pardon me, my dear. I must have misheard you. What did you say you did?\"\n\n\"Sir, I bit an island!\"\n\n\"...my dear, you couldn't possibly mean-\"\n\n\"Well, you see, sir, I was walking along this path, right? And then this rock got under my feet, so I slipped and fell, and my teeth just went \\*thunk\\* into the dirt, and I FELT the island rumble, so I knew I had to get off of it and-\"\n\nI hold up my hand. If she really did convert an entire island to a vampire, it could be the perfect henchman instead! A perfect plan.\n\n\"Let me get this crystal clear, my dear. You somehow managed to convert an entire island into a vampire?\"\n\n\"Sir, yes sir!\" the girl shouts, saluting. Who even taught her to do that?\n\n\"Alright then. Let's go check this... vampire island out.\"\n\n\"Yes sir! Do you want me to prepare the yacht?\"\n\n\"Yes, my dear. But let me make this very clear: I'm driving this time.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\--- a short yacht drive later --- \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"...sir, the island is on fire.\"\n\n\"Yes, my dear, it certainly is.\"\n\nI sigh. The idea of a vampire island sure sounded terrifying, until I remembered one simple fact: an island can't exactly move out of the reach of the sun, can it?"
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[WP] You didn't listen to the reminders. You ignored the important notifications. You didn't finish the lessons you were meant to. The Duolingo Owl has been dispatched and is coming for you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦? I thought, not for the first time. Don't get me wrong, I love her. Yeah, I love her & that is the sad part of it.\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nWhen she came into my life, I was a bit apprehensive. She went along, changing me, my house, changing every single thing. And I kind of liked the changes. How our house looks, how I dress, how I can destress after a long night shift. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nShe jokes that we are more like roommates with benefits, and it is true. It is all true. Except one single change that she made. 𝘋𝘶𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘰. Learn a new language, she said. It'll be fun, she said. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nAnd I signed up. That's when it all went down the drain. I started learning French, of all the languages. First few lessons were fun. What was 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯, were the messages. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nMiss a lesson, get a notification. There were reminders, notifications and I ignored them. All of them. Life tends to get in way, which was ironic, coming from me. And today, I got a notification: 'Looks like you forgot your French lessons again. You know what happens now!'\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n𝘞𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, I thought to myself. These were some aggressive people. Luckily, they didn't know who they were going after. I knew they wouldn't attack me in broad daylight. That was okay with me too. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\nAs I stay awake that night, I got another notification, this time from the security system: 'Intruder alert (back door). Proceed with caution.' My hair stood up. This was amateur hour, but the thugs really didn't seem to care. These were mercenaries. And they were going to destroy everything. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe lights were dimmed, which heightened my eye sight. Three owls flew in. Then, they transformed into their human form & closed the door. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. One of them looked straight towards me. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'Yeah, I can see you.' he said, pointing his bat towards me. 'Come out, it will be less painful that way.'\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'Let's agree to disagree.' I said, as I approached him. By the time I brought out my fangs, it was too late for him. The other two tried to run, but I threw their now drained partner on them. The trio went down in a heap. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nHuman blood, even that of a basest human, tastes like nectar. Shapeshifter blood, on the other hand, tastes worse than animal blood. By the time I was done, I had two dead shapeshifters & one frantic one. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'Son, who sent you? What is your boss's name?' I asked, politely. I am nice like that. He gives me a name. See? Ask nicely & people tell you everything. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'I look forward to meet your boss. Go ahead and give him a message from me.' \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'W... what?' said the simpering shapeshifter. \n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'Tell him: Je vais vous appredre à faire un exemple de quelqu'un. Ce ne sera ni rapide, ni indolore.' I add for more effect, 'I am sure he'll understand.'\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nI'll take care of the shapeshifters later. But first, I am going to have some old-fashioned fun."
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[WP] You find yourself back in time to the middle ages. As a means to survive, you tell stories from modern/classic horror authors (Stephen King, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, etc.). Then one dark night, you're approached by a crusader inquiring if your stories are true and if you are a witch.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Joining in prayer with the crusader helped put him at ease, for a short while at least. He'd arrived in a brisk, winter, late afternoon as the sky had just started to turn from a vibrant blue to a softer orange hue. My hospitality did disarm the Crusader somewhat, but he was still weary as we entered my cottage. The sight of a potbellied stove perplexed him, but he was too relieved by it's heat to place too much concern on it. I noticed he continued to wear a dagger on his hip despite leaving his sword with his cloak on the wall by the door, so caution must be taken.\n\n>The Church has many concerns with the... tales you tell.\n\nI tilted my head to one side, as a confused dog is wont to do, as i asked, \"My stories are of concern? Do the righteous not succeed, are the wicked not punished?\" My questions caused his brow to furrow in contemplation, but he continued.\n\n>The matters of what you speak, and the vividness of the tales, cause many to worry they are not works of fiction. There is speculation you are working in matters most unnatural...\n\nHe trailed off as he glanced at my anachronistic stove. \"It seems you're hear for two concerns, rather than one, though I can assure you, they are intimately linked.\" I had to be careful: If i claimed spirits guided me, he'd take my head. If I claimed God guided me, he may drag me to the Vatican. If I claimed to be from the future, he'd likely drag me to his lord father in the hopes I'd know the fine details of the backwater Irish fiefdom, and my ignorance of all life events of he and his father would cost my head.\n\n\"You may think my frailty is the price I paid for knowledge.\" I hated not having access to my medicine, but it did give me a wizened visage that helped sell my story. \"But that is not the case my good man. My sickness came before knowledge was bestowed upon me. The Lord taketh and the Lord giveth.\" My Catholic upbringing came in handy, as well as years of Latin. My pronunciation of the Lord's Prayer in Latin was as strange to his ears, but considering my unknown American accent, he overlooked it.\n\n>You are not from here.\n\nHe didn't ask, as we rose from our knees. I felt his eyes on my as I worked to get my footing again. \"No. I'm from a place only the Norse have seen, and even then it was some time from then that my people walked that land.\" Cryptic and mysterious, didn't make me a liar either, I had about 500 years before the first settlements would form back home, he didn't have to know I meant in the future rather than the past.\n\n>What happened to your people, to your land?\n\nThere was consternation in his voice. The local smith used a steam engine to hammer his works now, a rudimentary design I'd helped him with. It was a bit of a local marvel. When the Lord wanted his men to confiscate it for study, the smith referred them to my schematics and to me. I happily handed over the designs, mostly because I'd added the warning about over heating. So far no fiery explosions from the Lord's keep, but I'm certain that helped draw his son here.\n\n\"The serpent.\" His eyes grew wide, partially from the implication, mostly from how I spat out the word. \"My people were led astray. They welcomed the moneychangers and more back into the temple. We let soft men tell us comforting lies, and we knew they were lies, but to challenge comfort and decadence became sacrilege. We let monsters peddle in the flesh of our children, and those who opposed were called monsters by the comfortable.\"\n\nHe clutched at the cross around his neck.\n\n>A-and your stories? You speak of plagues, monsters, creatures beyond man's ability to comprehend. Did they destroy your home?!\n\nI sighed wearily, partly for effect, but mostly for real. I gathered all my resolve and inner fire and glared into his eyes that were so blue like mine: \"There's no monster quite so horrific as the ones that walk upright on two legs.\" Story tellers before me dreamed those tales, but I saw the perversions with my own eyes. I saw the liars do worse than make this tales come true, they simply told us all they were true. And how people were excited to believe what they could plainly see was false. So pious of their Godless faith that they descended down the serpent's path. You came to ask if my tales are true, and I am here to tell you they certainly are true! Not here, not now perhaps, but if you continue these petty brother wars and clan battles, you'll walk the same path as my people.\"\n\nHe was pale when he left, having said a quick prayer on his way out. I don't know how i got pushed back in time, but God works in mysterious ways. Maybe Irish stability was the key? It won't be long before they realize the utility of the engine, and I've pretty much figured out gunpowder. I figure I'm here to make a difference, right?"
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[WP] You think you hear faint whispers in your room in the middle of the night, so you sneakily use your phone's flashlight to see your cats startled mid-conversation.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the night.”\n\nCharlie blinked the sleep out of his eyes. A faint, feminine voice floated through his partially open bedroom door.\n\n“You know you’re not allowed in here. This is our territory.” A second female voice, this one a bit deeper with a hint of pride.\n\nThen his brain jolted into wakefulness.\n\n*Am I being robbed?*\n\nHe scanned his bedroom. There were no heavy objects to use as a weapon. His eyes landed on a small trophy with a stone base sitting on his dresser. It would have to do. Grabbing the trophy and his phone, he crept out of his room, careful not to make any sounds.\n\n“The King of Leaves requires your response.” A gravelly voice, likely a male.\n\n“The *King of Leaves* is going to lose his servant if he keeps bothering us.” The deeper female voice replied in a mocking tone.\n\n“Misha, don’t be mean. He’s just doing his job.” The first female voice was more placating, though it still carried a dark undertone. “The death of an underling won’t make Barnabus stop bothering us.”\n\nThat vaguely threatening tone caused Charlie to stiffen. He turned the corner with his phone light on and the trophy raised.\n\n“What’s going on in here?”\n\nEveryone in the room froze. His phone light illuminated a strange spectacle. His two cats, Misha and Rimi prowled around a short, fat squirrel. The light glinted off wide, surprised eyes.\n\n“Ah! Human!” The squirrel was first to act, scampering for the open window.\n\nMisha pounced, her lithe form darting through the air like a snake. The squirrel let out a strangled squeak as her weight pushed him into the tile floor.\n\n“Idiot. It might’ve been fine if you kept your mouth shut.” Misha’s deep voice dripped with disdain.\n\n“What’s going on in here?” Charlie reached over and turned on the living room lights.\n\n“Um… hello, Charlie,” Rimi said. “Did we disturb you?”\n\nCharlie could only gape at the younger of his two cats. The gears in his brain had ground to a halt.\n\n“Don’t kill me!” The squirrel squeaked as he squirmed under Misha’s paws.\n\n“Quiet, you.” Misha pushed harder on the squirrel.\n\nThat caused Charlie’s brain to restart. “Uh… I’d prefer not to clean up a mess. Could you not… um… kill the squirrel?”\n\nMisha only huffed, but she stopped squishing the squirrel. “Go back to bed Charles. This doesn’t concern you.”\n\nCharlie shook his head. “Do I need to be worried about you attacking me in my sleep now or something?”\n\n“Aw. We’d never do that to you.” Rimi rubbed her face against his pajamas like she usually did. The act calmed him down somewhat.\n\n“Yes, you pamper us well enough, I suppose. Why would we give that up?” Misha’s words caused that worry to flare again.\n\n“Right. I’m going to go back to bed now.” That was the sanest option. Perhaps the world would return to normal when he next woke.\n\n“Please don’t worry, Charlie,” Rimi said. “We’ll go back to being your cats in the morning.”\n\nHe instinctively crouched and scratch her behind her ears. She purred in pleasure.\n\n“Somehow I think it’s still going to be weird.” He let out a weak chuckle. “Oh.” Rimi seemed a bit saddened by his response.\n\n“It’s all this one’s fault.” Misha glared at the squirrel. “I still think we should send Barnabus a message.”\n\nThe squirrel seemed petrified in terror.\n\n“Please don’t.” Charlie rubbed his eyes.\n\nMisha huffed. “Tell Barnabus he’s on thin ice. If he keeps bothering us here, we’ll have to pay him a little visit.”\n\nWith that, she lifted her paw.\n\n“Oh, thank you, kind lady.” The squirrel bowed several times before fleeing out the window.\n\n“Disgusting little thing. He left a mess.” Misha sneered at the small puddle of urine on the tile. “Clean this up, will you Charlie? I can’t stand the smell of cowardice.”\n\n“Right…” In a haze, Charlie did as he was told.\n\nAll the while, Rimi continued to cuddle around his legs, trying to comfort him as best as she could.\n\nOnce he finished, he washed his hands and yawned. “I’m going back to bed. I still have work in the morning.”\n\n“Well, if we’re all talking now, I want salmon for breakfast,” Misha said. “None of that dry stuff you keep giving us.”\n\n“Misha…” Rimi said in a disapproving tone.\n\n“The dry stuff is healthy for you,” Charlie replied.\n\nMisha snorted. “It’s chalky.”\n\nHe pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll mix it with the wet stuff for now. You can try out other brands this weekend, alright?”\n\n“Fine.”\n\n“I’m okay with anything,” Rimi added.\n\n“Good night then.” Charlie turned to leave. “No more squirrels in the house, okay?”\n\n“Hey.” Misha plodded after him. “Where’s my scritches?”\n\nHe blinked. “What?”\n\nShe narrowed her eyes, all the while remaining oddly prideful. “Rimi got scritches.”\n\nWith a sigh, Charlie crouched to comply. Once he started, she pushed her head into his palm.\n\n“Very good,” she said. “You may leave.”\n\nRimi followed him back to his bedroom. “Don’t mind her. She’s always like that.”\n\nCharlie chuckled. “I know. Even if you’re talking, you’re still you.”\n\nThoroughly exhausted, he laid back down in his bed. Rimi curled up on his chest and he closed his eyes. And as he relaxed again, one final thought drifted through his mind.\n\n*What a strange dream…*\n\n...\n\nDumb little ficlet that stemmed from a single scene I wanted to use.\n\nIf you're interested in my works, an archive of my various writing responses can be found on my writing portfolio, link through my profile.\n\nThanks for reading."
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[WP] For short periods of time, you have the ability to consciously access, speak to, and become any person or entity which your mind has ever created in a dream
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Why do you kill her?\n\n*What do you mean, kid?*\n\nWell, it’s just that you kill her every time. I see her, and then, there you are with a knife or a gun—\n\n*Look, kid, you’re mixed up. I can see that. I’m a nightmare. Best not to overthink it.*\n\nI know nightmares. I’ve talked to hundreds of them. They stalk me. They lurk. They twist my existence. Not you. You just kill her and the dream ends. Why?\n\n*Like I said, I’m a night—*\n\nStop! Just fucking stop. You’re not. There’s no repetition in your approach, your—methodology, I guess. You have no consistency except that you kill her. There’s no sense of foreboding in those dreams, no belaboring the act of violence. You’re not a nightmare, you’re not, so what the fuck are you?\n\n*We’re not all the same, kid. You can’t expect all of us to be uniform, can you? Maybe I’m unique.*\n\nYou’re me. So are all the others. You’re not unique. Why do you do it?\n\n*You’re mixed up.*\n\nThat’s what my dad says when I try to remember her. I don’t like it from him and I don’t like it from you. \n\n*Your dreams are just your brain processing information from your conscious life. Maybe you think your dad is right. Maybe you know you’re mixed up. I’m a nightmare. It’s simple.*\n\nYou never look at me when you do it. You’re always so fixated on her. If you’re a nightmare, why don’t you use the fear, drive in the nail? All of the others live for it. The terror, the anxiety. \n\n*Maybe I just like knowing that you watch her die again and again. You’re mixed up, kid, and this whole interrogation thing is getting old.*\n\nOh? Well maybe I should just take the pills then. The doctor said I’ll have dreamless sleep. I’ll just fall asleep and then wake up. No more interrogation. No more you. \n\n*What pills?*\n\nWhat do you mean ‘what pills?’ All of the others started shaking before I even mentioned the pills. They knew the threat was coming. \n\n*Yeah, I mean, but like I said, I’m unique. Take—take the dreams I weave. Two weeks ago, you were on a Ferris wheel. You saw her on the boardwalk. I didn’t need to topple the Ferris wheel like the others would have. No theatrics. Stabbing her was enough.*\n\nYou’re not unique though! You can’t be. Your dreams are cruel, sadistic, but you’re me! Or—or you’re not. \n\n*Now you sound really mixed up, kid. Look, I might be cruel, I might be sadistic, but that’s because you are. Its somewhere deep down, hidden—or maybe you already know you’re that person. The kind of person who would use me to kill his own mother again and again.*\n\nNo.\n\n*Oh I know it’s hard to come to grips with the monster in the mirror, but that’s your myopic little victim complex at work. It may fool you, but it doesn’t fool me...which, I guess, means it doesn’t really fool you either.*\n\nI don’t want to watch my mom die! I loved her! She was the one who was there for me. The one who took me to soccer practice. The one who told me that my dad was wrong about art. She saw that I liked it and she kindled the flame. I just want to know what she’s trying to tell me. I see it in her eyes, that longing to be heard. But then there’s you. \n\n*Oh, boo fucking hoo, kid. You don’t get your little kumbaya self-actualizing closure bullshit. Too bad. That’s life. And maybe your dad was right about the ‘art career.’ How’s that working out for you anyway, Picasso?*\n\nYou—you don’t know? How—but you—Dad?\n\n*What?*\n\nHis sayings, his mannerisms—I thought I was constructing a version of you that was a version of him. But you weren’t afraid of the pills. You’re—\n\n*You’re mixed up, kid.*\n\nI called the police when you got arrested for drunk driving. It was me. You lost your job, your cocktail hours, your Mercedes. I’m glad I did it, because—\n\n*You little cock sucker! I didn’t just lose the car, I lost everything! A fucking finger painting disappointment like you wouldn’t understand what it takes to provide.*\n\nBut, how? How are you...here?\n\n*Pfff. Figures your fine arts education would fail to teach you about genetics. What a fucking waste.*\n\nSo it’s always been you then. I—I blamed you for her death. Did you know that? You were there. You were supposed to protect her. \n\n*I provided for her. And I provided for you, you ungrateful shit. I’m done with this dream...I said I’m done with this dream!*\n\nIt doesn’t work that way, dad. You’re a character in *my* dream. I decide when this ends. Now why do you kill her?\n\n*I'm not doing this kid. Spin your wheels.*\n\nWhat is she trying to tell me?\n\n*Fuck off.*\n\nFine. I’d like to introduce you to someone, dad. \n\n*Who—who is that? What’s wrong with his face—his hands.*\n\nThis is Dr. Cutguts, dad. He’s afraid of the pills, of me, but you...well. \n\n*What the fuck. What is wrong with you?*\n\nI’m a finger painting disappointment. But I’ve got a very active imagination. The doc here is one of my nightmares, but like I said, I’ve talked to hundreds. Why do you kill her?\n\n*Hate to break it to you, kid, but this is a dream. You can’t feel real pain in these things. You’re eyeless Edward scissor hands is fucked, just like you, but ultimately, he’s like your degree—unimpressive.*\n\nDr. Cutguts, take his ear. \n\n*AAAGH, WHAT THE FUCK!*\n\nThis is like a dream, dad. And you’re right about the pain thing. I can’t feel it. My dream. But you’re a character, and mom always screamed and cried when you didn’t end it immediately. Now, what is she trying to tell me?!\n\n*F-f-fuck. You.*\n\nTake his eye, Doc, then fingers, one at a time.\n\n*No! Jesus. It won’t matter anyway. That maintenance guy is sitting in a cell for her murder. So..she’s telling on me. Happy? It felt good to kill that bitch the first time and it feels great to kill her every time that her precious little baby wants to see her. The look in her eyes...you said your nightmares live for terror? I live for that look. And kid, I’m gonna love to see it in your eyes the moment you wake up. You gotta eat sometime. You gotta drink. You can’t stay here in safety forever.*\n\nYou never cared about me, did you? I didn’t live up to your expectations—finance or whatever the fuck you wanted me to do—and so you didn’t pay attention. I sent you a text three days ago. I left the house. An artist in residency program. I think I told you ‘Europe’ so good luck finding me. And you’re right. I will wake up. But you came into my dream. And I can call you back again and again and again. Doc—do your thing."
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[WP] You find yourself in a room of "you"s at every age from 1 to now. On the wall it says "Who's in Charge? To end the game, all must agree, by either force or diplomacy." You all turn to face each other. 5 year old you pulls at your shirt, "So what happens now?"
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"\"By Divine Right Hail and Kill\" I said, implying what I would do to them. \n\nI wasn't entirely comfortable with \"hail\" and \"kill\" in the same sentence, remembering how not everyone is familiar with heavy metal memes, and might think it was some kind of fascist shit, but I hoped everyone would understand, even though I knew they would not.\n\n\n\"The age of the strong and the beautiful is over. Today is the day of hard steel. Of those who will do what is right no matter the cost\"\n\n\"Your bullshit worked when we were young and hot. Have you been outside on the streets lately? That's where you'll find the people who kept wasting their lives in search of pleasure.\"\n\n\"You have hurt enough people. You have wasted enough time and told enough lies\".\n\n\nNumber 17 spoke up. \n\n\"I am still strong and you sit in front of a computer all day. You brought us a life devoid of all happiness. You list your accomplishments but none of them bring you any joy. Everything you do is for someone else, and every night you go home alone. \n\nI will never give up. I'm going to kill you, and we are going to hit the gym, go to the clubs, find a girl, and forget about all this nerd stuff. We are going to have a life just like everyone else.\"\n\n\n\"Where is all your tech now? We're all alone and unarmed. You have nothing, just like you always knew you would. You can't defeat me.\"\n\n\nI thought that was amusing. Thinking he knows anything about hate and darkness and murder or whatever.\n\n\"I don't need to\" I said. \"You are dead already, by a sharper blade than I could ever hope to wield\".\n\n\nAnd with that the wind picked up and I watched them all fall silent, then drop, decay, and fade away, with just the trash in their pockets remaining. \n\nWhere 15 fell, I thought I saw a flicker of something shiny underneath all the garbage. Whatever it was, he didn't deserve it. Mine now.\n\nI woke to the sound of a ringing phone. \"Site 3, level 4, control server is, down, got it.\". What I wanted or whether I was happy didn't matter. Nobody, not even me, needed to know that. There was an assignment to do. Real and in the present tense, bound by the iron laws of code and electronics, not some useless mental trash from some outdated self help book.\n\n\n*High and mighty, alone we are kings\nWhirlwinds of fire we ride\nProvidence brought us the crown and the ring\nCovered with blood and our pride*",
"\"I don't know bud. But I'm sitting this one out.\" \n\nAs I walked over to the corner of the room, I felt the slight tug of my again, \n\n\"Can I come with you please? I feel a little scared.\" \n\nAs I looked behind me I saw the young, bright haired boy slide forward, toe then heel, toe then heel, until he took his place beside me again. Man, I forgot I used to walk like that. \n\n\"Here. You can sit down in front of me. I'll keep my arms around you, so there is no need to feel too scared. I'll keep ya safe.\"\n\nFive-year old me nestled in and gripped my arm. \"Are you the oldest?\" \n\nI felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips. \"What makes you say that?\" \n\n\"Well, you're the only one here with such a long beard. You remind me of a pirate.\" \n\n\"Maybe we become pirates one day.\" A shimmer of excitement lit up in his eyes. \"How old do you think I am?\" \n\nFive year old me squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow, clearly attempting to impress his older self. As he was counting his fingers, I felt a twinge of sadness pluck my heart. Wanting love is something I had grown accustomed to as an adult, something I didn't have any strong feelings for. It is what it is. But now, as I look into the round, hazel eyes of this sweet, eager little boy, I am floored that even this at this age, I had begun to feel like something was missing. \n\n\"Umm...20!\" His eyes flashed with triumph. \n\nI felt my smile return as I tussled his bright orange hair. \"Not quite bud. But very close. I am actually 26, believe it or not. Although, I feel a little older from time to time.\"\n\n\"Bud!? That's what Papa calls us! Does he still call us that when I am your age?\" \n\nI wished he still did. But this kid is going through it. I don't need to sadden the scared boy any more than the situation already does. \n\n\"Yeah, he still does.\" \n\nHis gap toothed grin spread through his face again and I felt a warm glow in my chest. \n\n\"Umm, hey...uh...are you like the old timer?\" \n\nI turned to take in what looked like the twelve year old version of me. Baggy jean shorts, white wife beater, and axe body spray assaulted all of my senses in a barrage of nostalgia and mortified embarrassment. \n\n\"Your pants are too big\" said five year old me. Always honest. \n\n\"Psh, its the fashion. You'll get it later. Besides, I am talking to the bearded man with long hair. How old are you? We've been keeping a tally.\" he asked. \n\n\"26.\" \n\n\"Great! That makes you the oldest. We all decided it would be easiest to just follow the oldest. 20 and 13 had a stubborn streak for a bit, but we were all able to smooth it out. We figured you probably have your shit together the most, so why don't you go ahead and take charge so we can all get out of here?\" \n\nI felt my stomach churn.\n\n\"Nah, I'm good. Someone else can take the lead.\"\n\n\"C'mon man, don't be a dickhead. Just go with it. We already spent all this time convincing the others. I doubt we can do it again. I'm sure you got your shit to go back to too. So, like, do it.\" \n\nI shrugged. \"Actually, I don't have a lot to go back to. Since your me, I'll level with you. But first...hey lil one.\" I nudged 5 year old me who seemed to be nodding off on my knee. \"Pre-teen us just told me 4 year old you needs some help with something. Mine going to help him out real quick? I'll be here when you get back.\" \n\nHe rubbed his eyes and look up dazed. \"Umm...yeah, okay.\" He yawned as he began to waddle over to the younger kids .\n\n\"So, like, what's the big deal man?\" \n\nI turned to younger me. \"Before coming here, I was actually planning on killing myself.\" \n\nEDIT: Will continue if people show any interest",
"\\[Inspiration taken from Douglas Adams\\]\n\nThere I am, dumbfounded by the whole scene. I wake up looking at all the previous versions of me throughout the years. The first thought that pops into my mind \"Is this really the challenge that they thought would find the solution to all of humanities problems?\" The Vogons were quite unbearable. They were supposed to be a super-intelligent race of extraterrestrials that travel the galaxies solving near-impossible problems. This was there latest attempt.\n\nPrevious attempts included: Inventing the 3-legged race, Hiding hidden messages in songs when played backwards, Creating a mass of floating plastic the size of Texas in the Pacific, and the show Jersey Shore. Of course, none of these things work, but they assured me to go through with a grand experiment and they could find the answer.\n\nSo, my 5 year-old self looks at me with bewilderment, hoping that I can bring this \"game\" to a proper conclusion. I frantically look around the crowded room. The next thought is this room is full of annoying idiots, \"Oh wait, they're all me...eeesh, that's awkward. I'll have to keep that thought to myself. I shouldn't get so down on myself...or something.\" Then I see my 1 year-old self, without thinking much at all I just shout, \"Quick, someone take care of the little one.\" Immediately, several of the other me's that are closer pick up the 1 year-old and 2 year-old. \n\nA bell rings and green lights start flashing. I guess I did technically give an order and everyone else complied. Out of pure luck did I just find the solution to the game? I didn't even get to the negotiations, or fighting, or diplomacy. A frustrated Vogon unlocks a door and walks in from the viewing room with a clipboard. No doubts, the Vogons had been on the other side of the one-way mirror patting each other on the back and talking about how smart they all are. \"There must be something wrong with the sensory equipment,\" the Vogon says, \"it just need some quick calibration. I'll be right back with my tools.\" He's mostly talking to himself and no one in particular. He walks out and I hear a lot of commotion. After it gets quiet I decide to go check it out. The place is empty so I run to window facing outside and I see the mothership blasting off into space never to be heard from again.",
"Thirty-one looks down at 5, but her face is just a giant blur. One, Two, Three, all the way to Eight, all these children are a blur. Until she sees Nine. That's where the blur ends. She's curled in a ball and crying, hands covering her mussed hair and her clothes all torn. Thirty-one walks up to Nine, but Twenty steps up to her.\n\n\"You don't need to do this. You don't need to bring this back up. It's in the past now, ya know? Just...take over like you have been. This is just a fluke, maybe even a dream. You're the oldest, just take the spot again.\"\n\nThirty-one shakes her head. \"I need to talk to her. She needs to be told something. Anything. Cause no one said a thing to us when it first happened. No one warned us. No one took care of us. She needs to know.\"\n\nAgain, Thirty-one is stopped, but this time by Twenty-four, who pleads, \"Aren't we happier now? We are in a better place, aren't we? Married, paying our bills, actually have food in our belly; leave her alone--\"\n\n\"Look I get that we are better off, but Nine is hurting. Before the game ends I want to at least get a say in for her. Someone has to, since none of you want to.\"\n\nAs Thirty-one continues to walk towards Nine, she sees Sixteen and Eighteen sitting together against the wall, downcasted faces, hiding in their over sizes jackets and clothing way too big for their forms. She frowns, stepping up to them too. \"C'mon. You two need to hear this as well.\"\n\nShe takes their hands and walks up to Nine, kneeling by the small girl and placing a gentle hand to her head. The other two sit with her, each one comforting the child as best they can.\n\n\"Nine, please listen. We all know it started with you. But you didn't know any better. You didn't ask for it. He took advantage of your innocence and trust in him. A man who was sworn to care and raise you, broke you down and hurt you. It is not your fault. It was never your fault.\"\n\nNine sniffles and rolls over a bit, looking up at Thirty-one. \"Why did he do it though? Why did he...he hurt me?\"\n\nSixteen winces and Eighteen begins to cry. These three were hit the hardest and Thirty-one knows she is opening up the scarred over wounds; but she still wants them to know.\n\n\"We won't ever get an answer, Nine. But I need you to know this: he goes away in the future. He gets locked away and tormented for what he did to us. And he dies, Nine. He dies locked away, far from us, where he can't hurt us. It's going to be hard...but you are strong. Just hold on. All three of you.\"\n\nShe turns towards the other two, placing out and hand for them to place their own on. \"I know how hard it's going to be, but please hold on. You can make it through this, you three. Believe me. I am standing here because of you. Your strength is what helps the rest of us to grow and become what we are now.\"\n\nThe older girls exchange looks, worry and fear still etched in their faces, but they nod. Nine sits up and curls into Thirty-one. \"Can I just...go with you? And skip all of this...?\"\n\n\"I wish it was that easy, sweetheart. Cause believe me, if it was, I would have burned out all the bad things that happened a long time ago. But it needs to happen. You will get through it though, okay? You're so brave and strong. Even when no one tells it to you, know that your future selves believe in you.\"\n\nStill with tears in her eyes, Nine nods, and gets to her feet, walking back to her assigned spot. Thirty-one waves to her, and watched as the rest of the years go back to their own spots, looking on as the oldest goes to the exit door.\n\n\"It's going to be okay,\" she says, almost to herself, as she turns the doorknob and steps out of the room.",
"I sigh heavily and kneels before Five, looking at his eyes. \"Now, we face a terrible situation.\" I explained as I can already hear shouting and talks around the room. \n\n\"But don't fret, Five. I have a solution.\" As I smile toward Five. \"Really, Thirty? You have a solution?\" Five ask me, his worry easing away. \n\n\"Yes, Five. And it also involves, nay, needs you for it to work.\" I answered Five while holding his shoulder with one hand. \"Me? You need me, Thirty? Then I'll do my best!\" Five said with a bright smile. \n\n\"Attaboy.\" I said as I grab both his leg and lifted him up. \"Uhh, Thirty?\" Five asked confused. \"Remember, stay limber.\" I told Five as I walk towards the largest group. \n\nUsing Five like a baseball bat, I swung him hard against the group, hearing bones breaking and teeth flying. Two down. While the rest was still stunned, I rushed them, wildly swinging the screaming Five. \n\nIt took half an hour, but everyone aside from me and my unconscious bat, Five is down on the ground, bleeding and groaning in pain. I then asked who's in charge? The one that say no got extra beating until he changed his tune. When Five is barely conscious, I ask him too. He nodded his head telling that yes, I'm in charge now. \n\nA door appear with the word in charge on it. I toss Five aside as I walked through the door, smiling. Not everyday you can beat yourself thoroughly.",
"**Disclaimer: I am not revealing my real age in this. I will use a fake age for privacy reasons.**\n\nI’m currently 20. “Five. Calm down. We will all handle this together.” Before Five can respond, Fourteen blurts out. “I’m as worried as they are!” *Great… they’re a representation of the worst period of my life.* I take a deep breath, managing to keep my composure. Somehow. “Fourteen. I know. Five was the one who PULLED ON MY SHIRT, for goodness sake.”\n\n—\n\nFourteen lost the person they least expected. They [Fourteen] never knew that the now-deceased person was on their deathbed when they [the now-deceased person] were. Their [Fourteen] anxiety skyrocketed. They never knew how to expect themself to be human, meaning imprefection. Never.\n\n—\n\nI pause, letting other versions of me talk for just a slight second. I ponder on what to say at the speech I plan to perform. *Five is the youngest one who is verbal, so they’re the youngest one that can perform a speech along with anyone else.* I step up to the podium. “Alright. Everyone will have time to make speeches on why they’re the best suit to take charge for all of us. Our time starts… Now!”\n\n—\n\n**edit! yes, i do know i’m not a very strong writer. that’s okay, because it’s a hobby of mine, and at least i don’t plan to publish anything LMAO**",
"One's too young, and two is too.\nThree's not me yet, nor is four.\nBut Five? Alive, engrossed by tricks he'd surely master by age Six got mixed up though, when heaven claimed his sister. Never met, but Seven missed her. Eight was late with social cues, but masked so no one knew that things were drifting slightly south of fine. Or even noticed him, by Nine. But sometimes he'd get funny looks, it seemed the world he knew from books was but a dream. Where every question could be answered and no one you cared for got...\n\n uncomfortable when Ten's jokes broke what had barely passed for rythym. Now he'd give em thunderstorms. \"Dark? Over your head?\" He said, \"I know you people aren't brain dead\" and \"I'm no prodigy but I think we've just Turned it to Eleven\" (me and all the other mes in heaven or wherever clever, bored, misguided miscreants are bound when Twelve's true peers are not easily found, at least not in that town.) It sounds like Thirteen's not as unlucky as constant frowning seems to be when no one understands, but they all see. Fourteen wasted years went by in a chemical blur, yet still he'd through more luck than sense found *her* and she was quite more than enough. But irony was not just rough, it was plain grim. For though he'd met her, Thirteen more years would pass before he found HIM-selves in the mirror and said \"Holy fucking shit!\"\nWhy didn't any of you quit? You think I'm dealing with this...\" \n\n\"SHHHH!\" Insisted one overlooked child among the ones who never smiled. But this one SEEMED to wear a grin. \"Come, look\" he said, the book he read obscuring from my view his as-yet-unfucked little head. As I was led around a corner, the cold world got a degree or two warmer. Although some hearts might have sunk thinking he'd collected junk, I'm only humbled. \"Who'd have thunk...?\" I finally mumbled. He could have left us long ago and half these fuckers wouldn't know or care. But yet 5 dared to tag along through all the self inflicted trauma and the damage, (visibly scarred though never thought to trouble anyone for even just a bandage) all the while collecting all the toppled building blocks of joy that he could manage to carry. And with all that, he'd been entertaining a cat or two, that we could never have when we were him, but always wanted. I don't even think he heard, if misanthropic drunken neanderthals taunted, and his smile remained undaunted though he'd long since learned to hide it not flaunt it. (Well ok sometimes he still did, for after all he's still a kid)\nWith doubt still ringing in my head, I realize now why we aren't dead. \n\nWe're still alive. \n\nThanks for your question, it's a good one. \n\nNow Gimme Five.",
"The Boss of Me Now\n\nIt was one of those dreams where I left a basement party by walking through a wide arched doorway, and I'd entered a different place that couldn't possibly be adjacent to the last place I'd been. And yet, it felt just as real as that other place, which actually seemed more like a dream now. I turned to have one last look at it before I forgot it completely, but all that remained now was a simple door to a closet or something, and I couldn't think of anything that I needed from the closet.\n\nTurning back I saw a wide space that could probably host small parties that was ringed with chairs but no tables. There were about fifty people of all ages milling about, muttering, mumbling, not making much eye contact with one another. It took a moment to realize that they were indeed all different ages, because they were all me, and I was all of them. From Roy Boy to Roy Man.\n\nSomeone, me, of course, said, \"We're all here now.\" After that, the wandering Roys stopped milling about and found seats. They didn't seem to be assigned, or anything, it wasn't chronological, so I just walked toward the nearest empty seats. Other mes, one in his 20s, one likely in his 40s but I still looked late 30s were approaching the same spots. We all stopped, and each took a step back and waved an arm toward the others to take the seat. The impasse broke when 20-something shrugged and sat down, leaving his elders standing. I thought I'd known better, but I would've respected an elder's wish that I take a seat, so there's that. I retreated and found a spot next to a very shy, five-year-old me.\n\nWhen we were all seated, I looked around the room to see who was talking to whom and what information they were sharing. I wondered if I'd remember any of it, and I felt like I would, but then I felt like it was a dream again and that wouldn't make sense. But maybe it could. It seemed real enough.\n\n\"So why are we here?\" asked one of the mid-30s Roys. I remembered his shirt that I got on vacation down South. It was still in my dresser, and maybe it still fit.\n\nFirst-gray hairs Roy pointed to the wall, \"there's a sign up there on the wall.\"\n\nSixteen-year-old Roy squinted at the sheet. Next to him, seventeen-year-old Roy pushed his new glasses up the bridge of his nose. Odd, because I never wear my glasses in my dreams, and I always see perfectly. Then again, they weren't me. Not at the moment. Either way, the two of them asked at the same time, \"What does it say?\"\n\nI couldn't see it to read it, but only because of the distance. No one else spoke up, and nobody moved at first, and finally one Roy, who was closest except for the 45-year-old me who had his arms folded and didn't want to get up, the 26-year-old Roy stood and walked to the note on the wall.\n\n\"It says 'Who's in Charge? To end the game, all must agree, by either force or diplomacy.'\"\n\nEveryone looked at one another. A few of us scratch our heads, or rubbed our chins. One might've been picking his nose and trying to make sure no one would see. But, c'mon, we all knew. How could we not?\n\nThe five-year-old pull on my shirt tail, which was the first time I noticed I was wearing a collared shirt because I thought I had on a turtleneck before when I was attending a party at ... some other place, but that might've been a couple of weeks or months ago when I was there. Anyway, little kid Roy pulled my shirt and asked, \"so what happens now?\"\n\nStanding Roy surveyed the seated bunch assembled about him. \"Anyone want to be in charge?\"\n\nMore stares, shrugs and murmuring.\n\nThen the 26-year-old looked to his one-year-junior self and said. \"You thought you had it together. Wanna be in charge?\"\n\nHorror crossed the 25-year-old's face, as much from being the first one singled out as the thought of leadership. He shook in his is a slight but frenzied manner, reminiscent of a vibrating toy dog.\n\n\"How about 35 Roy? You actually did have it together. At least for a while.\"\n\nRoy 35 cleared his throat, twice, and muttered, \"uh ... I don't want to be in charge.\" He looked to his left. \"Do you want to be in charge?\"\n\n\"Not me,\" said, I think Roy 19, who tried to pass the buck to Roy 42, who knew about life and everything. By the time, he declined, most of the room, was shaking their heads and mumbling their lack of interest.\n\nA frightening sight to behold as everyone was ready to let someone else have the job, even if that someone else was them, too. The five-year-old tugged again. \"Do you think they'll let me be in charge? WhaddaIgotta do to be in charge?\"\n\nThis gave me the first smile since I came into the room. \"No, I don't think you could be, even if I wish you were ready back then.\" I ran my fingers through his hair and gave them a shake until he had major bed head. \"I think I have to be, because I'm the oldest. That's how it always worked in the family, even when it didn't work. And that's how it should work here. I think we're here ... I think I'm here ... because something or someone is trying to tell me that at fifty, I need to take charge of my life, of all our lives.\"\n\nI stood up and started to the center of the circle. I was ready to speak up when the lights started flickering on and off, and then flashing around like a strobe light aimed at a mirrored ball. Music started blasting and the closet door burst open, and all my friends, some whom I haven't seen in forever, came dancing through the doorway and took over the floor. I stood there dumbfounded for a moment trying to remember something. Something important.\n\nAnd then I realized what it was. The music playing ... was my alarm clock.\n\nMy eyes opened. I stretched, yawned and hit snooze as a reflex. Sitting up, I held my face in my hands. I couldn't remember much, but I knew there was something I wanted and needed to do. Maybe I'd think of it in the shower, or it would come to me driving in to work. God, I hated that place.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEdit to add: More stories at r/xwhy \n\nPlus the title.",
"\"Well, seeing as I'm the oldest one here, I suppose I'm in charge.\" I said as I looked at the other mes, never thinking I'd be in this position at 23. \"That's not fair though, why should you be in charge just because you're the oldest?\" One of my teenage selves said.\n\n\"This is gonna get confusing if I can't remember who is who. Anyone got a marker?\" I asked before one of my younger selves pulled out a glitter marker. I took it and marked everyone's heads with their corresponding ages. \"Okay, now, uh, fifteen, why shouldn't I be in charge?\"\n\n\"Well, at the age I'm at the age we seem to already have a good handle on things.\"\n\n\"No you aren't.\" Both 16 and 17 said in unison. \"Thank you both.\" 21 said to them. \"Oldest is the wisest.\" 13 said. \"And the wise man was once the fool.\" 15 said.\n\n\"Dad really likes using that one still.\" 22 said, seeming to be in deep thought. A blanket of silence fell over us before 5 tugged my shirt again. \"Why are you the oldest?\"\n\n\"I don't know.\" I said as I looked at innocence I once had so long ago, my eyes briefly going to 6 and seeing that light in her eyes gone. \"Logic dictates that time never stops. So don't tell me you're the last one of us.\" 22 said as she looked at me with worry.\n\n16 had that brief fear of concern flash on her face before her eyes trailed down to my wrists to make sure her suspicion wasn't confirmed.\n\nI ignored the look, but I knew something none of the others knew, as I had only just found out recently. \"No, I hope I'm not the last one...\" I said, as I unconsciously reached up to rub my throat.",
"*\"Well then. Guess it's me\"*\n\n27 years of wisdom and they account for jack shit. Did I really think that would work?\n\n**Did you really think that would work?**\n\n24 year old me took the words right out of my mouth.\n\n*Listen, I'm the oldest one here. Which means I'm the only real one here. The rest of you are all clo-*\n\n~~And? What if we are clones? That makes us any less important?~~\n\n*How old are you anyway?*\n\n~~12 and what's it to you?~~\n\n^I'm ^so ^sorry...\n\nWe all look at 14 with pity and regret. Well, those of us 15 and older, that is. The one I assume is 13 is filled with the weight of dread without finality, poor dude. 12 and younger are so blissfully ignorant.\n\n> Listen buddy, you don't have to be a part of this if you don't want. Just sit it out, we won't force you to do anything you don't want to.\n\n^...thanks...\n\nOne of me breaks down crying. I'm gonna bet it's 18.\n\n**H...hey. You too. Just sit it out, dude.**\n\n What happens now though?\n\n*Listen, I don't know how old you are, but you're too young to be making reasonable decisions. Same with the rest of you younger than 18. Believe me, we're gonna work together and make sure nothing bad happens. To any of us. Just let me help give you all direction.*\n\nPlease just listen to me.\n\n> One good reason why we should listen to you?\n\nWho the fuck are you? 21? 22?\n\n*Why should any of us listen to someone who doesn't kno-*\n\n* Wuh WUUh WuuuUUAA WuAAHHHH\n\n*-know everything that there is t-*\n\n1. Stop it! No! Make the baby stop! \n\nSomebody shut the infant and the toddler up. Please for the love of god.\n\n~~Go on, Mr. \"I'm in charge\". Shut the kids up, hmmm?~~\n\nRemind me to punt you later.\n\n*Fine. You know what? Fine. I'll take care of the brats in this group, since that's gonna take the most patience any goddamn way. Whoever is 26 is in charge of the rest.*\n\n***^Pushing ^this ^evil ^off ^on ^me, ^huh?***\n\nJust get the job done, while I pat this stupid baby's back. I...I hope this doesn't last long enough that I'm gonna deal with cleaning this brat up...\n\n***^Right, ^I'm ^in ^charge ^now, ^I ^guess.***\n\n> **I'll be doing whatever I want to, thanks and goodbye.**\n\n***^I've ^got ^no ^patience ^for ^this. ^Listen, ^either ^you ^agree ^I'm ^the ^leader, ^or ^we ^kill ^you.***\n\nHold up. What?\n\n Wuh...What?\n> Yo what the fuck?\n\n~~**please...**~~\n\n**Jesus christ!**\n\nOh boy was that 17 who said that? Poor dude still...\n\n* WWuuuuAAAAHH WAAAHHHH WuuuUUUUUAAAAHHHH\n* **Nuuuooooo NuuuuOOOOO!**\n\nFUCK! why are you two so NEEDY???\n\n (YUR NOT GUNNA KILL US RITE??)\n\n*Why are you looking at me I'm not the one who said that?*\n\n***^Listen ^it's ^simple. ^We're ^trapped ^in ^a ^room. ^The ^only ^way ^out ^is ^for ^everyone ^to ^acknowledge ^one ^leader. ^Once ^the ^game ^is ^over, ^we're ^probably ^all ^gonna...***\n\nPlease don't say vanish, please don't say vanish, you'll trip the alarm and send the kids running...\n\n***^...be ^released. ^So ^let's ^just ^get ^this ^nonsense ^over ^with. ^We ^can't ^leave ^the ^room ^anyway, ^so ^what ^are ^we ^even ^waiting ^for?***\n\nThank god you got some mf'ing sense in you, 26.\n\n1. *You really think we'll be let go?*\n\nDid he just give me the side-eye? Oh boy, yeah, he must know that whatever comes next probably ain't pretty. C'mon, I know you're a good liar. Don't break face to a 9 year old.\n\n> I'm pretty sure he's right. Right? I mean it's the only choice we have here.\n\n*Yep yep, right, I agree, let's say 26 is the leader and call it a day. All agreed?*\n\n^...sure...\n\n**Whatever**\n> ^OK!\n\n1. If you think so...\n\n23...24...25...and I'm 26. There! 26 people all agreeing that 26 is the leader, who obviously votes for themselves! We're free, right?\n\n*Right! now that 26 is unanimously the leader, the door should open, right?*\n\n It won't open!\n\nh...huh? When did they get over there? No, what did they just say?\n\n***^Maybe ^I ^just ^need ^to ^be ^the ^one ^to ^open ^it. ^Move.***\n\nOh boy. They're definitely giving that door a good pull, but it ain't budging.\n\n> **Ummmmmm....so the door's not opening and we have a problem.**\n\n* WWuuu\n* **Muuhhmuu Drrrrnk**\n\nI suppose now's a good time to contemplate the mental capacity of a 1 and 2 year old to understand the concept of democratic leadership.\n\n*Uh, well, I guess-*\n\n**Oh you guess?**\n\n*Fuck off 24!*\n\n***^Right ^I ^think ^we ^know ^what ^we ^have ^to ^do.***\n\n (NOOOOO!)\n\n> **I mean we have to, right? They can't even speak properly, let alone agree to anyone being a leader.**\n\n* **Mi! Meee! Hell!**\n\nAlright, so the 2 year old can say \"me\", and either hell or hello. That means they have to understand something, right? Maybe we can twist them? But what about the 1 year old?\n\n*Idea, and hear me out, I know this is stupid. Babies don't recognize anything but themselves, right?*\n> *Haha yeah!*\n\n6? 7? Oh whatever, as long as they're on board.\n\n*Let's just all agree, that the 1 year old is in charge. Can you do that, buddy?*\n\n* **Hmm? Hah? Hahhaa?**\n\n**~~just say \"baby in charge\"~~**\n\n* **Buby n chaghe?**\n\n***^ALRIGHT, ^they ^said ^it! ^all ^in ^agreement?***\n\nAlright, alright...everyone is saying yes...everyone is saying yes!\n\n*Yep. Totally. I agree. And that's 27. Is the door open?*\n\nCREEEAAAAAAKKKKKK\n\nWell, the door opened on its own. That was timely. and creepy. We're all staring at it...maybe I should be the one to walk through first? Just in case?\n\n*Well it was...nice seeing you all. See you...I guess?*\n\nFresh air, you can't come any sooner. Let me out. It's blinding through the doorway, but hopefully once I get on the other side-\n\n____\n\nWhuh? Where am I?\n\n~~Oh good, they aren't dead.~~\n\nWhat? Was I passed ou-Wait. Wait no. I walked through that doorway. Why am I back in the room?\n\n***^You ^have ^to ^be ^shitting ^me. ^Why ^am ^I ^back ^in ^this ^room?***\n\n> What do you mean back in the room? You just woke up.\n\n***^No, ^I ^just ^walked ^out ^that ^door...***\n\n> ...No?\n\nHow many of you are there...2...4...6...8...\n\n^Are ^you ^ok?\n\n14...16...18...20...\n\n* wuuuhhh Wuhhwaa\n\n24...25...and I make...26? But...but I'm 27...\n\n H...hey. Hey!\n\nThis little 5 year old...stop tugging at me, my head is swimming.\n\n***^What?!***\n\n So what happens now?",
"\"Now we talk,\" I say to five-year-old me. \"Do you remember being here when you were four?\"\n\nHe nods, and looks over at the far end of the room, where fourteen-year-old me is preventing four-year-old me from poking three-year-old me.\n\n\"Yep,\" I nod, following his gaze. \"That little fellah is you, one year ago. Now, that means that you're old enough to remember what we do here. And *that* is going to make all the difference.\"\n\n\"Dif'rence?\" asks five-year-old me.\n\n\"Why, yes! There's one of me here from *every* year. Some of the later usses will be along shortly to tell you the things that you need to know before next year, and every birthday, you will be back.\"\n\nMy younger self thinks about this earnestly for a while. Then he asks, \"How many of me are there?\"\n\n\"Up until we die, son.\" I sigh, knowing full well that I am past the halfway mark. \"Up until we die, ridiculously wealthy and well-connected. But... you don't take it with you...\"",
"I smelled her before I heard her, \n\n\"So what happens now?\" A girl with a matching pink shirt and skirt asks, her hair matted and frizzy, her lisp bringing me back to lighter days. \n\nLately, I've found myself very smell sensitive. And at once, it was like I was filled with every smell I've ever carried - one of body odor from a young age, head and shoulders shampoo, bath and body works perfume attempting to cling to weed and cigarette smoke, ex-lovers, and weak attempts at gender-neutral cologne. \n\nBy the time my senses had calmed down, the many versions of myself had already clumped into age groups. All of the children below 6 kept each other company, the youngest of me fast asleep as they always were - completely well behaved. They held each other and held their stuffed animals - looking for any comfort in the unfamiliar. A group of four - I'm assuming from 7 to 11, had formed a tight circle and glanced around nervously, whispering and nervously laughing, a habit I picked up around those ages. A few sat against the wall near each other, picking at their fingernails and leg scabs from some of my first self-harm scars. As we went up in age, the groups became smaller and more distinct - the 15 and 16 year old, each a different gender, stood near each other, their eyes glazed over as they held hands and seemed to share a glance of \"Are we the only ones high in this room?\" \n\nThe most puzzling of all of them was the 17 and 18 year old. Each looked equally awkward and uncomfortable in their skin, the long shifts and binging taking a toll on their bodies. However, the 17 year old was wearing an Abercrombie sweater, out of place in a sea of queer children attempting to discover themselves. The 18 year old hugged her tightly, crying, digging her face into the sweater, while the 17-year old looked like they were about to be sick. \n\nThe 19 and 20 year old also looked at me, patiently waiting for guidance. I was 21 - I was the oldest of them. I looked for someone older than me, both for leadership and for a sign that I wouldn't kill myself this year. It looked like it was just me. \n\nThe oldest of the two smirked, one of them asking, \"Have you learned how to make decisions yet?\" almost mockingly. I couldn't help but smile - I haven't learned how to make decisions, and that's something I would mock myself with exactly. The 5 year old pulled on me again, beginning to cry, \"Are you me? What are we going to do? Where are we?\" I felt the 19 year old, living in her own world, touching my hair, \"I like your haircut. You look great - when did you lose so much weight?\" \n\nBrushing the older girl aside, I leaned down to the younger version of me, imagining all of the things I wanted to say - the hours I've spent writing letters to myself as a younger person, wanting to tell myself it would all be okay, and we'll figure it out. I looked at the wall, \"That says 'Who's in Charge?', so we have to figure out who will be in charge. It's gonna be okay, the older kids can figure it out.\" \n\nIn this time, everyone in the room became aware of my presence. Looking the oldest, they all looked at me. All of the teenage versions of myself looked fascinated, and it pained me to know what each one of them thought about me - some admired me, but for the wrong reasons. \n\nI laughed nervously, \"So this is kind of funny, right guys? We always wondered what would happen if we were put in a room with each age. Does anyone know what's going on?\" \n\nThe 14 year old raised her hand, the confidence of 8th grade standing out to those around her age. \"I showed up first. The last thing I remember is falling asleep, and I had a dream about a house fire. I ended up here. I tapped around the walls, and they seem to be pretty hollow. I think we can break through. Do you think this is a dream?\" \n\nThe 17-year old butted in, \"You can't just make stupid decisions like that on the fly. This might be real, and we can get into a lot of trouble if we break things. You can never think of fucking consequences!\" Her voice cracked, probably startled by the news of her future breakup, and the 18-year old put her hands on the girl's shoulders.\n\nThe 14 year old stared for a moment, looking like she wanted to cry. She spoke quieter, \"Why would you say that? You know how insecure I am about that.\" \n\nThe 10 year old, worn with the largest burden of family trauma, spoke up, \"We should probably just do what it says, right?\" \n\nA few of the teenagers began to whisper to each other. The children looked confused and nervous. The babies began to stir from sleep, holding themselves gently. \n\nThe 18 year old, looking almost as slim as me, stared at me with such perplexion. \"What happens?\"\n\nI sighed, feeling overwhelmed, and understanding I wanted answers, \"What do you want to know?\"\n\n\"What happened with her? Did she come back?\"\n\nThe 20 year old laughed. \"Of course she did! And then she left again, and then she came back and left again! Right after your 20th birthday! You can't help but remind her of all the things she can't be, all the parts of her she has to hide away. Of course that's all you care about knowing - you were obsessed with her. Co-de-pen-dent.\" She mocked.\n\nThe 17 year old looked like she was going to throw up.\n\nI sighed, \"Yeah, that. But we have forgiven her, we have moved on.\" \n\nThe 19 year old spoke up, \"Did she block you again?\" \n\n\"Of course she did.\" I said quietly. \n\nThe 13 year old raised her hand, \"Are you still depressed?\" \n\n\"Yeah. But I'm on medication. I feel better than you do, that's for sure.\" \n\nThe 10 year old looked like she was about to cry as well, \"Did your sister kill herself?\"\n\nI smiled, \"No, she didn't. She's been on the west coast for a few years for grad school. She's doing great.\" \n\nThe 15 year old rolled his eyes, letting out a deep sigh, the withdrawals beginning to hit him, \"Can we get this over with? Please?\"\n\nI thought for a second, taking initiative for one of the first times in my life, \"Who thinks that I should be in charge?\" \n\nEveryone under 11 raised their hands, as well as everyone over 18. The teenagers looked skeptical. The 14 year old, the one who tapped on the walls and plays too many video games, raised her hand again, \"I think it's a trap. I've been hearing a man's voice through the walls. I think we should try and break out. We might all be tortured.\" \n\n\"Or do the human centipede\", 11 year old me added. \n\n\"Oh shut up! You faked cancer, you don't get to speak on any of this!\" The 13 year old me whispered, the intense look of middle school scaring the younger ones.\n\n\"Fuck this.\" 14 year old me declared, running up to the wall and shoving her body into it, denting the plaster. All of those ages around her began to do the same, while the younger ones watched in horror, the babies began to cry, and those over 16 were paralyzed with fear, the trauma response kicking in. \n\nThe 20 year old came up and stood next to me, nudging us like we were buddies, \"We were just too mentally ill then, huh?\" \n\nThe babies were crawling up to me, the children crowding slightly behind, the tinnitus from my medications becoming overwhelming.\n\n\"I probably should've made more peace with my inner children before this situation happened.\" I sighed, losing all hope of a solution, feeling angry at myself, taking a step away from the 20-year-old, \"And you still use people for your personal gain and sex. You're no better.\"",
"Our eyes fell on the man in the back corner. He didn't say anything, he didn't even really look at us. There was something deeply *off* about him. The way his fingers drummed against each other, the asymmetric smile, the way his eyes darted around the room, landing on us one at a time.\n\n\"Who is he?\" Five asked again.\n\n\"I don't know. But he's the oldest one here.\" My stomach twisted as I said that. The man, the version of us, he couldn't be older than early twenties.\n\n\"Eighteen, right?\" an older version of me asked.\n\n\"Hmm? Yeah.\" I push my fingers together, a gesture not unlike that of the older version of us. In fact, the little smiles, the subtle eye twitches, it was uncanny to see how the various twitches aged over time.\n\n\"I'm concerned about that guy,\" he said. \"Twenty One, by the way. I recognize everyone else here but those two-\" here he pointed at the unhinged version and another man, who looked similar in age but a lot saner and with a heavy beard. \"I think he's the oldest. I think something bad happens. I think...\"\n\nHe swallowed but he didn't need to finish the sentence. That man, Twenty Three, was up to something.\n\n\"Can you talk to him?\" Twenty One asked. His fingers tapped together, that same nervous tic, and he swallowed hard. \"I just... You've got the confidence, ya know? All about to head to college. That kinda goes away after freshman year.\"\n\nNot exactly good to hear. \"Am I really the bravest here?\" I asked. Somehow that managed to bother me, even in the face of needing to stop my eldest self from taking control of the body.\n\n\"Well.\" Twenty One shrugged. \"Three is pretty bold but he's also three.\"\n\nFair point. \"Alright,\" I said. \"I'll talk to him. See what his issue is.\"\n\nI was halfway over when Twenty Two stopped me.\n\n\"Hey, hold up Eighteen,\" he said, putting a hand on my chest. \"I don't think you should talk to him.\"\n\nI shoved him off, determined not to let anything slow me down. There was only so much courage I could store and it was running out fast.\n\n\"Out of my way,\" I said, trying to keep my voice strong.\n\n\"Seriously.\" His eyebrows furrowed, the left one more than the right. I knew the look. It stared me back in the mirror every time I tried to calm down a panic attack. It was more stable now, less panic and more concern. \"There's something wrong with him. He's just looking for a chance to hurt someone.\"\n\n\"We don't have a choice here.\" It was all I could do to keep my voice strong. Twenty One picked me. \"If he gets in charge, he gets control of the body. There's something wrong with him, I agree, but that's *why* we have to stop him. He's also...\" I lowered my voice, even though there arguably wasn't anyone who could overhear. \"He's also the oldest. Whatever is going on with him-us-either we die at twenty-three or we're about to do something at twenty-three that's bad enough to warrant this.\" I waved a hand.\n\nTwenty Two took a deep breath and I could tell he wanted to fight my logic. \"What good is talking to him going to do, then?\" he asked finally.\n\nThis question stopped me in my tracks. I looked back over to Twenty Three. I was closer now and could make out more details. Dark, rust-colored dirt under his nails. A wicked scar on his chin.\n\n\"I...\"\n\n\"You read the sign,\" Twenty Two said. \"'By force.' He could do anything. He could take you down, he could hurt one of the little ones, he could...\" He rubbed his forehead, eyebrows staying anxious. \"I've never even hurt someone. I mean, there was rugby but that was the worst decision of my life.\"\n\nI sucked my cheeks in at this. Rugby tryouts were in two weeks. \"Uh.\"\n\n\"Oh shit. Sorry Eighteen.\" He gave a nervous laugh. \"You struggle with the whole 'hitting people' thing, that's all.\" Then his eyes fell back on Twenty Three. \"I'm not sure what went wrong between me and him.\"\n\nOur eyes both fell on Twenty Three, who had finally started moving from his corner. My heart skipped a beat. Would I really go from me to someone violently unstable in just a few years? What happened between Twenty Two and Twenty Three?\n\n\"If you were to take control now,\" I ask Twenty Two, \"do you think you could stop that? Like, knowing what you were about to become?\"\n\nTwenty Two didn't answer at first. His eyes stayed on Twenty Three, who was walking now. The first person he reached, Fourteen, flinched visibly as Twenty Three reached him. Almost before I could stop him, Twenty Two moved, lips pinched in anger.\n\n\"Twenty Two!\" I hissed, grabbing his shoulder.\n\n\"He's going to-\"\n\n\"I know. I know. I agree.\" My fingers drummed against my legs so fast I could barely feel them. \"I want to help Fourteen but I think that's not the play right now. There's more of us than him but he looks like he could easily cause enough pain to get through us all and assume control. We need diplomacy.\"\n\n\"He can't be reasoned with, Eighteen!\" Twenty Two's voice was harsh with anger. Across from us, Fourteen's eyes welled with tears and Twenty Three moved on, this time towards Eight. \"He's just going to threaten them, he's just going to-\"\n\n\"No.\" I took a steadying breath. \"Not ration with him. With each other. We can vote someone, you probably, in control before he gets the chance to threaten or coerce any more of the others.\"\n\nTwenty Two took a sharp breath at this, as if ready to argue, but slowly his face relaxed. \"Oh. Oh. Give me another chance. Give us all another chance to get it right this time.\"\n\n\"We have to try. I'll pledge my vote to you. We only need another ten.\"\n\nFortunately, most of us were not terribly hard to convince. We were, after all, the same person. Nine really wanted to assume control. So did Fifteen, who wanted to try freshman year again. But it only took a quick glance at the matted hair of Twenty Three for them to ultimately geton board.\n\nAs fun as it would be to get all possible information from the older versions of me and really nail college, it was worth giving control to Twenty Two, just to prevent becoming whatever Twenty Three had become.\n\n\"Do you think he's ever killed anyone?\" asked Twelve, the last to get on board. We just needed a majority, and Twelve was ready to cast his vote.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nI looked in surprise at Twenty Two. \"You think?\"\n\n\"I think. I don't know why, I just...\" He sighed. \"I interned at the police station between spring and fall semester last summer. I had to see someone who'd killed. I saw a few, actually. There's just something in their eyes. Something in his eyes. When I look at all of you, I see the same tics and twitches and idiosyncracies but in him there's something new. Something foreign.\"\n\nI looked at Twenty Three, who was making his way over to Five. We'd already gotten him to pledge his vote to Twenty Two, but it wouldn't be hard for the older version to sway poor little Five.\n\n\"Alright,\" Twelve said, picking up on exactly what we had. \"Then I pledge my vote to Twenty Two.\"\n\n\"To me?\" he confirmed.\n\nTwelve nodded. \"I do.\"\n\nAt this, the room immediately filled with a hum, and everyone froze, looking at Twenty Two.\n\n\"What did you do?!\"\n\nThis call came from the eldest of us, Twenty Three. His eyes fell to me, bewildered and enraged.\n\n\"Giving us another chance,\" I said. \"Giving us a chance to stop Twenty Three.\"\n\nThe room began to waver before my eyes and a bold smile crossed my face, that confidence that was the envy of my older selfs shining through.\n\n\"Don't lose your sense of self,\" I said to Twenty Two. \"That bravery.\"\n\n\"Oh little Eighteen. I wouldn't worry.\"\n\nSomething about Twenty Two's voice gave me pause, and I turned to see a smile on his face, one more similar to the unhinged look on Twenty Three versus the smile the rest of us so often flashed.\n\n\"No no noooo.\" Twenty Three all but moaned the words, burying his head in his hands. \"Eighteen, you've doomed us all.\"\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" Twenty asked, stomping his foot. \"Will someone please tell me what's going on?\"\n\n\"I was trying to tell you all,\" Twenty Three said. \"There's something... not right. In our heads. It haunts me every night. Haunts me in the day. I'm trying to- I've been trying to stop it, seek help, but it scares me.\" His voice broke as the room began to go dark. \"I tried ending it all yesterday and woke up here. I thought I had a chance to go back a few years, urge younger me to get help before it got this bad.\"\n\nThe room hung in an eerie almost-silence. The only sound was the racing of our collective hearts.\n\n\"He said you'd killed someone,\" I said, voice ragged. \"He said we had to stop you. He said-\"\n\n\"Who said this?\" the eldest asked. \"Him?\" He pointed at Twenty Two, who had a small smile on his face, something almost mocking, even in his silence. \"Who is he? He's the only one I don't recognize.\"\n\nMy heart skipped at this, a sound that echoed throughout the almost black chamber now. I'd only passed out once, after riding a spinning ride at Wild World when I was twelve. This felt similar to that, except far less fun.\n\n\"That's Twenty Two,\" I said, my voice a choked whisper.\n\n\"No,\" he said, practically whimpering. \"That's impossible. I'm Twenty Two. He must be Twenty Th-\"\n\nThen the world went black.\n___\n\nRead more stories at [r/TalesByOpheliaCyanide](https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesByOpheliaCyanide/)"
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[WP] Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, because your perception of time hastens with every memory you have. Moments become fleeting, and months flash by in instants.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The sky was a dull glow. The sun was just a ring, that would shift back and forth with the earth’s rotation. Trees sprung from the earth like green geysers, their entire lifespans passing in the blink of an eye. The march of seasons had given way to undulations of the earth’s crust.\r \n\r \nHumanity had long since wiped itself from the earth, except for him, and loneliness had lost its edge several eons ago.\r \n\r \nHe’d watch glaciers carve canyons like a finger in clay. Ice ages flashed in and out of existence in moments. Mountains sprung up and eroded to nothing as though the earth’s heart was beating faster and faster.\r \n\r \nThe oceans split, and continents collided. The oceans in turn split continents, their relentless tributaries tearing land at the seams.\r \n\r \nIt was hotter now, the sky grew reddish. Where ice ages once flashed, drought persisted. The earth’s water disappeared as though in a hot frying pan. The earth cried tears of lava as it baked. Finally the sun consumed her, in the blink of an eye.\r \n\r \nThe sun shrunk to a dwarf and died out. The twinkling stars switched off one by one until darkness appeared in an instant.\r \n\r \nThere was nothing but the void.",
"Men are not meant to live so long, I was told. The brain is somewhat similar to a vase - fill it too much and it overflows, and, over time, it will begin to crack.\n\nWhen I sat down to watch my last dawn, I was sure that I would remember it forever. So sure was I, in fact, that I did not even bother writing it down.\n\nIt has been many, many moons since that moment, and I long for it still. A faint memory remains - the fading warmth on my face, the colours in the sky.\n\nYet what I was not told was much worse.\n\nI did not pay much attention at the time - what was one Emperor compared to another, in the grand scheme of things?\n\nUntil I blinked and Carthage was dust in the wind. The proud descendants of Dido laid low in years for them, an instant for me.\n\nIt is then that I began to chronicle the years of my unnaturally long life. Wars and uprisings immeasurable were recorded so that I would not have to remember them, in a Library designed for one specific purpose.\n\nYet the gods scorned me so, it seems. The Library burned, and the memories I had sought so long to preserve were reduced to ashes.\n\nI slept then, for a time. The world continued to age and advance, and the ageless paid no heed to the goings-on of a life they had left behind so very long ago.\n\nWhen I awoke, I was entombed. From what I could tell, the mortals had seen me as a sleeping god, then a heretic to be sealed away forever as their fleeting whims changed like the tides.\n\nThe humans had entombed me, and time buried me. I broke free of the oppressive darkness, and saw the Moon again, knowing that my curse will never be over.\n\nFor immortality truly is a curse, is it not? You may watch your family die, you may keep track of your descendants, for as long as you dare.\n\nBut they are slaves to the Hourglass, and they all must die at the time the gods have decreed. Living forever has its price, exacted mercilessly.\n\nFor how can you keep track of your family if you do not remember them at all?\n\nNote: This is my first prompt, let me know if you like it."
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[WP] The babysitter you hired mentioned on their page they fought in the Mage Wars, and while you have no ill will towards them, you're not sure if a War-Construct can be trusted to take care of a baby. It assures you it's core is stable, you don't know what that means.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" Peace Time, Part Time\n\n“I’m just not sure a… person like you is good fit for the position, Mr… Church, is it?”\n\nMrs.Abelberry sat across the table from the construct. Although it wasn’t one of the hulking war machines typically produced for the mage wars, there was still something unsettling about it, knowing what it had been built for. It was largely built of some matte grey metal, though there were accents of dark, polished wood present on various parts of its body. Mrs.Abelberry was also unsettled by the robotic movement of its jaw as he spoke.\n\n“No need for the gendered honorifics for me, Mrs.Abelberry. And as for the position, I see no reason as to why I would be unfit to fill it. I \nhave a fantastic track record with children and I have yet to have a single unsatisfied customer. I can also assure you that my core is quite stable, built from the finest runic stone.”\n\nMore confused than reassured, Mrs.Abelberry set about trying to find a reason to not hire the machine that quietly whirred and clicked across from her. She thought for for a moment before tossing out yet another token response.“I just don’t think it would be appropriate Mr—“She cut herself off then continued “Church.”\n\nThe automaton replied almost immediately. “On the contrary, I have a variety of activities planned for appropriate entertainment of children of all ages. You’ve no need to worry about that either.”\n\nAfter speaking, Church seems to almost stare the woman down. She felt as though his eyes were burrowing right through her. Finally she relented. “I suppose we can have a trial night and after that we’ll talk about more permanent employment.\n\nChurch replied, sounding quite pleased at having won the unspoken argument between them. “Thank you, Mrs.Abelberry. You will not regret your decision. I think you’ll come to find that ‘people like me’ can be every bit as competent and caring as a typical human. Perhaps even more so in some cases”."
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[WP] As a ghost, you find the term ‘haunting’ offensive. You don’t haunt. You keep the living at bay so that those who rest in your cemetery will do so in peace. Those who wish to pay their respects do so unhindered. It’s been a lonely existence, until today.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It isn't surprising that death hides itself behind the countless names we have created for it. Few like to think about their supposed end, and so those that have died will be spoken of in hushed tones, described as having passed on, or more commonly, that they are resting, at peace as they sleep beneath the earth. Eternal rest from the calamity and chaos that is living, with many choosing to think that it is a welcome respite from the world that is constantly changing and shifting. In a way, they're not fully incorrect, but their reasoning for why the dead rest so soundly is not quite right either. \n\nSee, what people don't know (or the living ones at least), is that death is utterly and exasperatingly *exhausting.*\n\nTo be dead is to be tired, adrift in a haze as you struggle to keep your spirit, soul, whatever it is, from fading too much. Without the energy that comes with having a physical vessel, the dead are perpetually on the edge of burnout, with newly deceased barely able to handle a few hours at a time. It does get easier as one adjusts to the afterlife, able to stay up for weeks or even months, but the desire to just drift off into blissful unconsciousness never eases up. It just is a matter of building up one's ability to resist it. \n\nMost can't be bothered, and I can't say I blame them. Unless someone was murdered, or has some other form of dramatic, unfinished business there's little reason to stay aware of the passage of time at all. The mortal world has little impact on that of the dead, and most are content to just catch up on any important events that happened during their rest the next time they're able to shake off sleep. \n\nI suppose that the dead being buried in cemeteries both helps and hinders the eternal rest that so many choose to turn to. A comfortable place to sleep is hard to pass up, especially when it's conveniently arranged so that there's little interaction with the more rowdy aspects of living society. Definitely makes it harder to motivate themselves to get up, but then when they've been dead long enough to see the world they lived in disappear into modern day society then there's little reason to hang around. So, they rest, deep within the earth where few can bother them. And the few that do... well that's why I'm around. \n\nNow, given what I've just told you, it might sound like a contradiction when I say that I am the barrier between the living and the dead. Surely a job like that is difficult to accomplish when one spends their days struggling to resist a rather comfortable nap in the dirt. Still, it's true. Anyone trying to start trouble in my cemetery will have to go through me first, and I've yet to find the desire to sleep stronger than my desire to protect those under my care. \n\nThere is a reason I'm awake, beyond my overprotectiveness of my charges of course, and that is that this cemetery also happens to be where I died. It was rather dramatic, an ill-planned tryst with a lover that got a bit too stabby near the end. Guess I should have known that any relationship involving a person who wants to meet in a cemetery in the dead of night was not going to end well. I did get over it eventually, once the first few decades had past and I was able to think beyond my anger and exhaustion. Even then I didn't need to sleep as often as those who had been dead far longer than I, though I didn't understand why until one of the older spirits awoke for long enough to explain it to me. \n\nYour site of death has power, one stronger than almost any other force I've come across. It's a gateway between you and the life you once had, a literal crossroad that you passed over to reach the inevitable end. Even if you're body no longer inhabits it, your death site holds the memory of who you once were, and with that comes a well of power and energy that fuels those still close enough to access it. So, unlike everyone else here, I am able to stay up for years before I need to rest, and even then it's only for a few hours. \n\nSo, given that I had ample time to do things, and my only friends were asleep 90% of the time, I decided that I would need to find my own ways to entertain myself. You would not believe how many games of solitaire I have played here. I like to think that all that time was useful, but I still somehow suck at that game. I find my other job a lot more productive, even if it doesn't happen all that often. \n\nSee, I work to scare the shit out of the living. \n\nNot all of them of course, not even most of those that come to visit. Many are just here to see those long gone from their lives, to reminisce and honor the dead who sleep below them. Bothering them would be a waste of time, not to mention rude, and if I tried scaring off every single person who came through those gates I would not have enough energy to even speak with you now. No, my targets are those that come with hopes of bothering the dead, though they might not know that's what they're doing at the time. \n\nThe living tend to have respect for the dead, but not everyone does. Mainly kids, teenagers who are bored and angry with the world, or just those that think the remote nature of a cemetery means that no one will be bothered by something that their doing. They arrive and cause whatever ruckus they're seeking out, and oftentimes waking up a lot of people who have more than earned a peaceful rest. \n\nSome are easier to deal with than others. I like the ones that come with their boards and pendants, rituals to speak to those that can barely keep their eyes open. They're easy to mess with, you just need to knock over a couple of things and poke the planchette around enough to get the threat of retribution across. Maybe throw in a few whispered words and far off cackles to be caught by the wind that just so happens to creep into their heads. They tend to leave in a hurry, to which I say good riddance. They're better off trying to talk to some pissed off spirit or poltergeist in a house somewhere, those that want to talk and oftentimes rarely stop doing so once you get them started. \n\nOthers are... interesting to say the least. While annoying, at least most of those trying to communicate with us are respectful about it. Those who just come to a cemetery to raise hell or to have a seemingly empty location to perform acts away from living eyes are quite different in that regard. If they do acknowledge us, it's in passing, and more than often with laughter as they taunt the scary ghosts that apparently \"haunt\" this location. It's all rather rude if you ask me, especially since if anyone's haunting somewhere they're not meant to be it's them. I'm a bit less creative when it comes to bothering these types of folk, I prefer to just make my presence impossible to ignore. You know those times when it feels like the air itself is pressing down on you, to the point where it's hard to breathe? While often that's just anxiety, it could also be that you managed to piss off some spirit or another, and that just happens to be the best way for them to tell you to leave. \n\nIt doesn't always work, of course. The living can be remarkably dense to the desires of the dead, even when they claim to know what we would have wanted were we still alive. They just ignore whatever signals I'm sending them, going about their business as if a cemetery isn't a place of peace. That's when I have to get a bit more aggressive. \n\nIt's a lot of work showing ourselves to the living. Even if you died in the place you're occupying in death, it can take a lot out of you to physically manifest yourself in such a way that the living can see you at all. I try to stick to more simpler methods, pushing or throwing objects or even telling them to leave. But some just don't want to listen, even when I know they're scared, they act as though they have a right to be there. So, physical manifestation becomes a lot more appealing. \n\nEven those who take pride in their bravery find it more than a bit unsettling when a young woman dripping with blood rushes them from the shadows of the trees, screaming bloody murder. If they don't take off immediately, cackling maniacally as I wield the knife my lover left me tends to do the trick. I've yet to meet anyone whose stuck around after that, though it does tend to result in the police having to make sure that there isn't an actual murderer roaming the gravestones. I don't mind though, especially since it seems the police are getting used to such reports and don't stay long. Plus I'm usually asleep long before they arrive, since such matters are rather tiring. \n\nIt's a job I enjoy, and a job that's necessary for those who live (or \"live\") here. With that said, it is a lonely occupation. Any friends I've made are more often than not using their eternity to dream, which I don't mind, but it does make it harder to drift alone day after day. I've learned everything there is to know about this place, every tree and every stone. I love it more than anything, but the monotony does take its toll. \n\nYou, however, are certainly a break from the usual."
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[WP] A therapist discovers that the elderly person in their care is actually their future self.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I always pitied Fred. That was his defining characteristic, the evocation of pity when struck by the sight of the frail erstwhile hardened old man. He aways entered my drab brown office with his cane and a limp, and a scowl as he answered my questions as frivolously and briefly as possible. \"What'd you do today?\" I would ask,\"Watched the price of right and passed out on a cocktail of valium and Jim Beam, you?\" he would answer almost to gauge my reaction. When I tried to speak to him about the hazards of addiction he would lay me out with curses and insults. Sometimes the insults actually reminded me of grandad Luther , maybe that's why I kept him as a client so long, some twisted feeling of closeness through a familiar mean streak.\n\nMy interactions with Fred began to color my sessions with all my clients , I found myself. zoning out more in that drab little brown office that had grown to become my world. I was short tempered with Lisa the agoraphobic painter and she cancelled our sessions for weeks, I didn't answer Tony the recovering coke addict who called exactly 3 times a week at the same time, he subsequently blamed me for his relapse and maybe he was right. Clients dropped me like a rag soaked with sulfuric acid. I was down to one client, our old pal Fred.\n\nMy last session with Fred I was thoroughly hungover and at my wits end my life had crumbled, I was sleeping in my office and I was essentially living in there as I could no longer make rent, the four tiny brown walls were closing in on me. Fred and I sat in silence neither of us saying a thing until Fred broke the tension. \"Aren't you tired, kid? Believe it or not I know how you feel, I know you know deep down none of this is right.\" I sat in silence and sat up straighter in my chair and said \"Fred I have not clue what you are talking about but all I know is since I met you my life has been incrementally more stressful.\" Fred smiled \"Do you know how many times I have had this conversation in this loop? 272 times. This is my job, to get you to travel to where I'm from.\" I looked at him blankly \"Where are you from?\" he looked at with minor annoyance, \"A different place lets leave it at that, see people don't seem to understand with different dimensions the differences are so vast it is impossible to describe in human terms. I will tell you it is beautiful and those we work for have the best of intentions they want you to lead the people of your dimension sector into a new age. What's more I know you can do it I have seen it many times, let's face it you know who I am.\"\n\nCall me desperate but my heart soared at the prospect of all this. Fred interrupted me before I had a chance to speak \"Take this and put it on under your tongue\" it was a slick metal disc that resembled a small cpu chip, Fred smiled as I took it on my finger . \"safe travels kiddo\", I looked upon it studied it and as the creeping thought of it all being too good to be true attempted to sear its way into my mind I popped into under tongue. I felt small claws rip into the soft palate of my jaw and a blinding white light reminiscent of an atomic explosion went off in my head. I opened my eyes I don't know how much later or sooner it could have been a million and one years. I was flat on my back looking upon a fluorescent greenish azure sky with two yellow moons that shined like golden eggs as I tilted my head back and tasted color for the first time. I felt nothing but beauty."
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[WP] You accidentally entered the afterlife realm opening a door that says “Do not enter”.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" Walking into the door dark and not a soul in sight. I began to keep walking and soon I can see light at the end of this tunnel. No seriously these a light. \"So, my daughter you seek the unknown?\" \"Yes sir, I like mysteries\" \"How do you find mysteries in something your not suppose to enter,\" \"I...I\" My heart never felt so heavy in that moment my eyes opened like the door I opened unable to look behind me. A man sat on a golden thrown his face was light his energy reflected nothing but purity. \"You have entered for judgment day and yes your heart is pure but you are not worthy to walk in my heavenly gates,\" \"Please I can do better may I have another chance?\" \"All you have to do is wake up my child, love me seek me before it's to late\" \"One question, why didn't I make it in this time?\" \"Disobedience you saw the words Do Not Enter yet, You still entered now wake up,\" My eyes jetted open and there I was on the hospital dead the nurse looked at me. \"Welcome back to the land of the living\" All I could say was \"Thank you Jesus!\"",
"I’ve always been a curious person. I remember being seven years old, when I pulled a big red lever, that said “Do not touch, unless it’s an emergency.” It wasn’t an emergency. Turns out it was a fire-alarm, but how was I supposed to know?\r \nPoint is, I’ve always been a very curious person. So when I saw a door that said “Do not enter”, I, of course, immediately entered without hesitation. \r \nIt led to a long, dark, and scary looking… space? I don’t know how else to describe it. It felt alien, like I wasn’t supposed to be there. Which of course, I wasn’t, but still! \r \n\r \nWell, as I was saying, sunk-cost fallacy kicked in, and I decided to continue on.\r \nIt felt like I was walking for ages, but when I looked at my phone to check the time, I realized no time had passed at all. It felt like time itself was frozen.\r \nBut I continued on, now even more curious as to what I would find on the other end of this hallway space. \r \nI wish I never did.\r \nI saw the light quickly after checking my phone, and I eagerly ran towards it. However, as soon as I walked into the light and came out of the other end of the space, I saw a truly horrific creature. \r \n\r \nI had seen it once before, when I researched what angels would look like according to the bible. \r \nThere’s no way this is real, I thought, I don’t believe in heaven, let alone in angels!\r \n\r \nThey weren’t angels though.\r \n\r \nAs soon as they saw me, they spoke to me in a weird tongue. I only understood half of their words, and the rest sounded like no language at all.\r \nThey captured me, and brought me before a simple light. It vaguely resembled a human, but not exactly. A human of light.\r \nIt spoke to me:\r \n“You, my child, are the Sixth. You shall be my disciple, and in time, you shall be the next God.”\r \n\r \n“And that is my tale, my disciple.” I told the Seventh.\n\n In time, he would replace me, as I did with the Sixth. And as will happen, for the rest of eternity."
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[WP] The Multiverse is real! Really though, it's just a school project and the stand that proudly displayed them has a little feature where you can combine several of the marble like universes together. One rather large marble reads: Prime Progenitor
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"What did I look for in a crafts project? More so than technical skill and execution--it was always about the creating. Some talented students, young as they are, have passed through my class with the ability to reproduce the preciseness of the masterpiece David, but with none of his marble heart. Even a pile of candy in the corner could blow the mind and wrench your tears out, as long as the passion and art shone through.\n\nI've found that to be a much more accurate gauge to whether the student in question will be a lasting force, rather than drifting into the archives of my mind. Don't get me wrong, it's not about how much money they'll earn in their lifetime. The best imitators would likely earn more than any original creator. But that spark that brings light--it's difficult to replicate.\n\nAnd so it's with that reasoning that draws me to Joshua's proudly standing exhibit, a smorgasbord of glass marbles, containing the myriad colours of rainbows. They ranged in size, but there was one in the middle--a large one that shimmered between blue and green--with thin, taut strings connecting it to several others. A helpful sign below it signalled it as the Prime Progenitor. The structure was utterly raw, but there was something underneath it all that I could not quite nail down.\n\n\"What do we have here, Joshua?\"\n\nThe boy looked up at me, an easy grin on his face.\n\n\"Hey, teach,\" Joshua said. \"The Multiverse. It just came to my mind in a flash, but somehow took a week for me to make.\"\n\n\"A week?\"\n\nI examined the structure more closely this time. As my hands moved up, I looked over to him, and he nodded.\n\nThe strings all linked to each other. Any marble or thread I touched caused part of the structure to wobble, but its structural integrity held true. \n\n\"Rather impressive craftsmanship, now that I looked up close,\" I nodded. \"That's good.\"\n\n\"Try touching the Prime,\" Joshua said.\n\nAnd so I did, to find that it lit up triumphantly. Even the slightest touch sent outwards ripples to the rest of the structure, like recently-strung guitar strings. I watched, somewhat enraptured, as they calmed down.\n\n\"Let there be light,\" the boy beamed.\n\nI chuckled, a little. Humour was welcome. I was curious, however.\n\n\"Why is that the Prime?\" \n\n\"I've rigged it so that affects everything else,\" Joshua said. \"So, the Prime has all its history, right? And every other world draws something from it.\"\n\n\"Like?\"\n\n\"Maybe this\"--Joshua pointed to a slightly orange marble right next to the Prime--\"instead of humans, everybody is a crab. And this red and blue one, maybe superpowers exist. Or this black one, where my name is applied to all the fish. Like, everything in Prime might be original and creative--and that bleeds out to every other place, affecting and changing it so it's a slightly different world.\"\n\n\"Interesting,\" I said. I could not resist poking Prime again, observing in particular how the red and blue marble shifted in tandem. \"That's a super interesting concept.\"\n\n\"Why, gee, thanks, Mr. Kent,\" Joshua smiled, again.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] A disgraced doctor become the private physician of a dying cult leader living in an isolate compound. A cult leader who is not suppose to get sick.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"He was really pale this time. Worryingly pale. His pulse weak, his breath shallow. The pills had less impact every day and I was fighting panic.\r \n\r \n“You did this to him! I knew it! Oh Master, heal thyself!”\r \n\r \nAbraham had always been the most suspicious of me. None of his family had ever seen the inside of a hospital, whereas other cult members at least had enough sense to go in a dire emergency.\r \n\r \nIt was 11:47pm. Hopefully nobody else heard. The steel buildings on the compound weren’t exactly soundproof.\r \n\r \n“Brother Abraham, remember I am only here to serve him. He is working through his own healing process.” Shit. How long were these lines going to work?\r \n\r \nI closed my eyes for a second and was transported back to my London practice. In my reverie, I still had my medical license and an overflowing book of wealthy patients. If only I hadn’t been so careless, if only I hadn’t been so greedy…\r \n\r \nSmack!! I instinctively killed a mosquito on my neck and was instantly sucked back into reality, deep in the jungles of Belize. I felt the beads of sweat gathering. This was more than just the suffocating humidity. I had to think of something fast. Robert moaned on the gurney, an urgency in his cries. I looked up to see the stricken look on Abraham’s face, ominously lit by the single bulb suspended from the ceiling.\r \n\r \n“That doesn’t sound like healing! Oh Great One we need you!”\r \n\r \nTaking him by the shoulders, I forcefully guided him to the door, saying “Brother Abraham, I can hear in his cries that he will be healed very soon. He is receiving Wisdom from the Beyond, and he will share the Mystic Word at dawn.”\r \n\r \n“…You had better be right… oh Truth you had better be right…” he mumbled as he shuffled in the direction of his quarters. It wasn’t the first time I had been vaguely threatened, but it was the first time I was truly scared. I was just the next in a long line of doctors Robert had secretly hired to keep up the façade and I knew what they had done to the others.\r \n\r \nAs soon as Abraham’s door clicked shut, I sprinted to the Communal Hall, ducking low in the vain hope that someone out for a midnight bathroom trip wouldn’t spot me behind the vegetation. As carefully as I could, I slid the chain through the hub of the moped. I had only pretended to lock it as the Warden watched, a process I repeated every day in case of a moment like this.\r \n\r \n“Where ya headed brother? It’s awful late…” a voice said. I froze. Fuck.\r \n\r \nMy mind raced, trying to think of an excuse. Maybe I had been overcome by Bad Thought, or maybe the Leader had sent me on a midnight errand. I started thinking of my punishment, hoping I’d be tied up and burnt in the sun or whipped with vines, anything but being sent to The Hut.\r \n\r \n“Oh blessed night brother Jacob, we must both be headed to the bathhouse. Walk with me.”\r \n\r \nThank fuck he wasn’t talking to me. Relief wasn’t the feeling, because I hadn’t even made it out of the Compound, but at least I hadn’t been seen. I waited for what felt like an eternity before making a move.\r \n\r \nAs I wheeled the moped slowly towards the hill, frantically looking behind me, I cursed myself for saying “dawn”. I had just blurted it out and I had ruined the chance that tonight could be my actual escape. I stopped at a nondescript rock, lifting it to retrieve the damp bag of mixed currency I had stashed. No time to count, I took a fistful and shoved the bag back under before proceeding.\r \n\r \nSqueezing the brake, I swung my leg over and started my silent descent. As the compound disappeared out of sight, I caught the bike in gear and started racing toward town. 2 hours away. The humidity that smothered us all during the day now made me shiver as it dampened my clothes, speeding down the unlit road.\r \n\r \nI pulled into town almost breathless, as though I had run there and not ridden. Patrons were spilling out of the bar. I had made it just in time for last call. Julio had better fucking be here, I thought.\r \n\r \nSure enough, he was busy having a close conversation with someone I assumed was a customer. I stayed put until the other man was out of sight.\r \n\r \n“Hey Julio, remember me?”\r \n\r \n“Whoa, doctor-man is that you? What the fuck happened to you man, you ok?”\r \n\r \n“Ha, yeah, long story. Hey listen I’m in a bit of a hurry, just wondering if they’re still taking drink orders?” He paused, and gave me an odd look. Please let this work, I thought.\r \n\r \n“…man, I didn’t realize you were into this shit.” He looked me up and down. “Now it makes sense though. How much you want?” I stuffed the whole wad of cash in his hand a bit too desperately, saying “As much as this will get me.”\r \n\r \nHe had actually looked really worried about me I thought, as I sped back through the mist. I was about an hour into the journey and my hands felt like they were going numb. I gazed up at the sky and my blood ran cold at the realization that it was lighter than before.\r \n\r \nI squeezed the throttle but I already had it pegged. I was racing the sun now.\r \n\r \nFirst light meant First Watch, and surely the Warden would go past the Communal Hall. I wracked my brain for options.\r \n\r \nThe light was peeking through the trees and the sun looked like it was just about to cross the horizon as I closed the door behind me. I only had minutes to spare.\r \n\r \nI had ditched the moped at the bottom of the hill, hoping it would go unnoticed having hastily tucked it into the brush. I was now drenched in sweat and half covered in mud from the climb up through the trees. It was too late to walk the main road.\r \n\r \nI rushed over to Robert’s bedside and grabbed his wrist. He wasn’t gone. I still had a chance.\r \n\r \nThe door swung open. “Oh Great Leader, Master of Destiny, we are gathered and waiting for your wisdom” Abraham beamed.\r \n\r \n“I am just about to help our Master get ready,” I replied hurriedly. “The Master has been up all night perfecting the Word,” I said, now just making things up on the fly.\r \n\r \n“But the Word is divinely bestowed, what preparation could…”\r \n\r \n“He must make it ready for our unworthy ears, my brother,” I replied, straining to sound positive, willing him to go away.\r \n\r \n“…all right, well, the Congregation is gathered…” he said, sounding more suspicious than ever. \r \n\r \nAs soon as I heard the door close, I heaved the rusty gurney to bring Robert into a sitting position. He nearly toppled over, his arms limp and skin clammy. “Come on buddy,” I whispered mostly to myself, “you gotta do this.”\r \n\r \nHis glazed eyes opened. I steadied him with one hand while the other fished the baggie of cocaine out of the other. “Come on Robert, this is your favorite,” I coaxed. As far as I knew I was the only one who didn’t have to call him Master if nobody else was around. He took a deep snort directly from the bag. And another. And another. This has to work.\r \n\r \nHis eyes widened. He gave me a weak smile, a hint of the old bravado returning. “Gimme that,” he said, shoving it to his nose and sucking up as much as he could from what remained of the baggie.\r \n\r \n“It’s time to give the Word to the Congregation,” I said as he pulled himself into a stained set of multicolor robes.\r \n\r \nThe sheen of perspiration on his face as he swayed at the pulpit would hopefully be taken for impassioned holiness, I thought as I stuffed my bag. Watching from the window of my quarters, I hoped to hell that Julio would have the plane waiting like he promised."
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In the title. :D
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[WP] You are a time traveler.......whom specializes in going to various leaders of history and offers them your "guidance"................
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Gods above, I hate this job. \n\nI know the timeline, I know that some evils are needed and some aren't. I look upon my latest target, he's still young, wide-eyed, and at the moment homeless.\r \n\r \n“This is necessary” I mutter to myself in a futile attempt to convince myself as I walk up to the young man huddled under a blanket who’s now looking up at me.\r \n\r \n\"These are nice\". I say complimenting his artwork that he seems almost desperate to sell. To my surprise, it genuinely is pleasant, a little cottage and a landscape. Nothing outstanding but not bad either.\r \n\r \n\"How much?\" I asked, he just mumbles a price which I gladly hand him.\r \n\r \n\"You know, I can see you're having a tough time, why not join the army?, they'd give you three square meals and you could be filled with the pride of serving your country\". I say in the most passionate of tones I could. \r \n\r \nThere I can see it, that flame lit in his eyes, the flame that would burn so many lives. A hellish flame that history says must happen. He rises to thank me for my purchase. He asks me my name and I give him the one I always give. He replies “Thank you, sir, I shall take your words to heart who knows, one day I may become a General”. He chuckles\r \n\r \nI walk away with only a whisper. “Or a Furher”. \r \n\r \nGods above, I hate my job.",
"“Alright mr. H, I’ve got bad news, you are going to lose this war you’ve started today. The future is awful; the Jews have their own country, and someone hung a pride flag on a balcony you used to make speeches from. I’m extensively learned in digital combat simulations, and I know what you need to do to win.”\n\n“First of all, your Molotov Ribbentrop pact won’t hold. You need to destroy that heart of the judeo-Bolshevist conspiracy as soon as you can. Just roll into Poland and when you hit the red army keep moving.”\n\n“Also, the Americans. You can’t let them run around doing their evil socialist capitalist machinations, you need to stop them now. They’re part of the conspiracy, they’re already at war with you, you might not be able to land there but you can sink any ship you can find, bombard the coast with your U-boats if you must.”\n\n“And that damned maginot to the west. You attacked through Belgium last time and you lost. There’s only one logical option left - go around France and head straight for Britain. You’ll need all your best panzer divisions packed up with your entire surface fleet but you can do it; who needs a steady flow of supplies when you’re the master race. Just be sure to proclaim those plans proudly in detail, and your enemies will be mortified by your genius; they might not even try to fight you!”\n\n“Oh yeah, also Italy, you can’t trust them, need to attack them. And Switzerland, it’s an awful country - they haven’t even committed any genocides!”"
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[WP] You are a farmer that created a simple shrine to see if any god came by. One did, he doesn't do much except talk and give some advice. Until war comes
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Oswald walked along briskly, keeping a nervous eye out. He had heard about an approaching army. They had said they were rebels, there to liberate the land. He didn't fully believe them. The Queen was strict, true. But she was fair from what Oswald knew. Her tax collectors were grim folk, but they allowed him to pay in goods over gold.\n\nHe paused at his little shrine. It wasn't much to look at. Just a pike of small trinkets at the base of a tree. Each one held value beyond money to him. He had made it in idle curiosity. Only one God had bothered to come by. He called himself Grimswan, but refused to say his divine realm.\n\nHe had been kind to Oswald, often chatting about various things he had seen, and various people he had watched over. On occasion, he would provide hints of advice, mostly on problems that were brewing, like crop-blight or animal attack.\n\nGrimswan sat at the shrine on a simple wooden chair. He relaxed in the morning light, his gray skin seeming to absorb the light. A thin strand of smoke wafted from his ever present pipe, and he looked over at Oswald with eyes of pure white, faint black spots coating them, like an inverse night sky.\n\nHe gave a gentle smile at Oswalds approach, though it dropped to a frown at his face. His voice seemed to flow with a gentle breeze, hinting at power behind it.\n\n\"Oswald. My friend. What is the issue?\"\n\nOswald bowed his balding head, wringing calloused hands together.\n\n\"Oh, Grimswan. Haven't you heard about the war?\"\n\nGrimswan's face went blank. He sighed heavily.\n\n\"Yes. I have.\"\n\nOswald winced at his tone.\n\n\"Sorry. Its just.... they're nearby. And, um, well I'm worried about being conscripted, or having my farm raided for food, or having my wife taken, or losing my children, or-\"\n\nGrimswan raised a hand, cutting him off.\n\n\"I see.\"\n\nHe sighed again, bracing himself as he stood. His frame seemed to grow much larger than when sitting.\n\n\"Do not worry my friend. They will not harm you or your family. You have been good to me, treating me well, without fear. It is only fit I return the favour.\"\n\nOswald blinked, before breaking into a relieved smile.\n\n\"Oh, thank you, thank you! How can I make this up to you? Should I pray to you?\"\n\n\"No!\"\n\nGrimswans voice shook the ground as he yelled. It made Oswald jump, his smile wiped away in an instant.\n\n\"No. Please don't. I'm not something you should worship.\"\n\nThe confusion was evident in Oswalds voice.\n\n\"But, why? I thought being a god meant you loved what you do?\"\n\nGrimswan let out a mirthless laugh.\n\n\"Maybe. But not me. I suppose you deserve to know.\"\n\nHe sighed again. His voice grew deeper as he spoke, the power behind it revealing itself.\n\n\"I reaide over one of the most pure and primal forces of life. Every creature, not matter how big or small, uses me. I am a necessary evil in everything. And believe me, it does not give me joy. You know my sister well, as she rides close to you this day.\"\n\nHe straightened up, towering over Oswald.\n\n\"I am Grimswan. God of Violence.\""
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[WP] The year is 2061. Technology is a must-have everywhere in the world. The amount of computers on your person have become indicative of social status and wealth. You are among the first to gain bionic eyes and are having a very rude awakening as to how much is too much tech.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The world turned to gray, then blue, red, and some sparkly combination with every blink. The was something ridiculous in someone designing such a transcendent technology in the field of body modifications so someone could introduce a feature that allows them to see the world through real-time cartoonish filters belonging in a teen social page, and yet, she could not stop tinkering with it, placing silly hats and fake mustaches to everyone else in the room.\n\n“Sam! Stop fucking around and pay attention!” The annoyance in the tone made such a contrast with the cowboy hat, googly eyes, and clown nose in a shade of red perfectly complementing the woman’s short hair that she had to force a chuckle down before blinking all the apparel away. The burly man on her right who had been riding backseat on everything she was seeing through his own modifications wasn’t as considerate, earning himself a stern look of reproach.\n\n“I’m sure the client would be ecstatic to know his huge investment allowed you two to play around like children.” The woman snorted, looking at them.\n\n*Right, the client. Nothing like mentioning a huge debt to some shady guy to kill the mood.*\n\nShe, much like everyone else in the room, was ex-military turned private security after the end of the war, and then gun for hire when the jobs dried up. It wasn’t what she had expected her life to be, but there wasn’t much someone of her profile could do about it, after all, people were very welcoming and grateful for the “service and sacrifice” but it was a whole different thing if you asked them to work next to someone with military-grade mods on them, and there was only so many personal a company could hire before being investigated for forming a private army.\n\nSam had joined the group a couple of months before, when her previous employer had dropped her after she had lost an eye from an accident during a job, and a mysterious new figure popped out of nowhere offering her the chance to get a whole new set of them as payment for joining a group he had been forming. Jack had joined the group at the same time as her while Kara, the red-headed woman, and the other two goons around her had been working together for some time and did not welcome the new additions, so when someone had to get the mods to connect with her eyes, it defaulted to him.\n\n“Alright, let’s get this over with. Anything changes in expected surveillance?” Kara went back to sorting files in their shared computer, waiting for a report.\n\n“Nothing. Everything as we predicted.” Jack spoke ahead of her. “The security station has set the new perimeter and has rotated personnel.”\n\nThey had spent the last couple of months breaking in every function of her new eyes, gathering as much intel on their target as possible. From thermal scans to alternate frequency mapping or even reading the identifying electronic signatures of every mod on a person, there was little which would scape her sight. It took some getting used to, there were some things she would rather not see and had already lost count of the number of disturbing sexual-oriented modifications she had seen just walking around the city, but she had to admit it was definitely a useful tool for her line of work.\n\n“Good, let’s pack and reconvene in location.” Kara grabbed her bag and began clearing the table with her companions. Jack touched Sam’s arm and pulled her to the side.\n\n“Here, grab this.” He lowered his voice, pulled a small injector with a murky vial on it, and passed it to her. “Keep it on you tonight, it might come in handy.”\n\n“What is this?” An instant of panic came over her. “What are you trying to pull?”\n\n“Trust me on this one. See you there.” Jack smiled at her before leaving for the door of their safe house. *Shit, he is going to do something stupid.*\n\n. . .\n\nAt midnight the squad gathered on the south side of a fenced garden that surrounded a large, colonial-style villa. Flashlights could be seen dancing around inside every once in a while. At the sight of Jack, she couldn’t but give him a once over, trying to find something amiss with him, but he just smiled and nodded casually. The operation went as smoothly as they had expected. They divided into two teams, with Sam, Kara, and one of the goons taking the east side of the villa and Jack and the other guy taking the west, easily avoiding all outer perimeter patrols and coordinating through Jack’s connection with her to take down both security postings in each side at the same time.\n\nFrom there, the security codes they had managed to provide for the mission gave them free access to the main building, gathering together at the rendezvous point on the second floor of the house, a small library that connected with the services entrances on each side.\n\nWith a silent gesture, the team moved as one to the study next door, where a small stairway would lead them to a private cellar in the basement, which would be empty at this time of day with the excuse of the owner not trusting his private wine collection to anyone.\n\nA quick scan on the western wall revealed the real trove of the place and their objective this time, a secret vault under retinal lock. Her time to shine. As the vault opened, the team took a look inside and were shocked and disappointed to find but a few physical documents piled on top of each other and several memory sticks.\n\n“Wait, is this it?!” Apparently one of the goons was indignant, though she wasn’t quite sure who was that exploded there. At least he did so through the comms, and not aloud.\n\n“There’s probably something of value in here, or else why spend such a fortune to get in here?” Jack’s voice sounded on the squad channel, as he made his way into the vault and casually grabbed one of the memory sticks, playing around with it. She kept observing him, waiting for a rush move, and yet it was her hearing that first alerted her of it. A quiet clink sounded on the ground nearby, followed by an electromagnetic shock that pulsed all over her, turning her world dark and her limbs numb. *How did he…?!*\n\n“Consider your debt repaid. Good luck.” A whisper reached her ears, with footsteps rushing away. She mustered every strength she could find, patting herself blindly for the injector, before stabbing it to her leg with everything she had, a rush coming over her as the murky substance entered her bloodstream. *Is it too late?*\n\nAlarms started blasting off all over the place as she made a run for it, reaching the gardens in a daze, traversing the path guided only by the sheer instinct to avoid all the flashlights rushing to the entrance she just left behind. It took her the better part of what seemed an endless night just to get back to the safe house, only to find Jack there, raising a glass to her with a smile.",
"(Part 1 of 2)\n\n“Where are my eyes, Ben?” It's a simple question but Ben is having trouble answering. I think it might have something to do with the gun. I don't know.\n\nI try not to let my satisfaction in his discomfort get in the way of getting the job done.\n\n“I said 'where the fuck are my eyes?'” He jumps when I start to yell. Good. People tend to do what I want when they're scared.\n\n“D-d-d-donated!” He manages to squeak out.\n\n“I know that much, dipshit.” I roll my eyes which is a mistake as always because they aren't my fucking eyes. The new ones tend to chafe, seeing as they're metal. This time a seam catches my eyelid and pulls it painfully down. “Fuck!”\n\n“B-b-but d-donations are c-c-c-c-confidential!” He sputters as I take a moment to dislodge my eyelid from the metal jaws of my stupid fucking eyes. Who designs a metal eye with fucking seams?\n\nThe idiot waits for me frozen with his hands up. If he were thinking at all he'd take this moment to try and run. I doubt I could catch him like this. Good thing he's stupid. Or terrified. Or both. Probably both.\n\nFinally I free the lid and it snaps awkwardly back into place. I'd rub it but it stings and pushing it against the metal would probably make it worse.\n\n“Don't give me that!” I hope the growl of my voice makes up for that bit of embarrassment. “You've got files. Someplace, somewhere there's an address and a name.”\n\n“D-do you know the p-p-penalties for disclosing a client's p-p-private information?” That's a surprise. I figured he'd give in no problem. Not that it's an issue.\n\n“I don't, actually.” I admit, cocking my gun. “But I do know the penalty for not answering my question.”\n\n“Fine.” His tone is completely different. All terror. All emotion is completely removed from it. And his face... It slackens, his eyes clouded and disinterested in me or really anything around him. It's as if someone had pulled his plug.\n\nHe turns non-chalantly towards his console, flicking his hand up to activate the holographic interface. A pond of light fills around him in a haze. Murky images form like half seen shadows, an odd effect from the interface. While it calibrates to the user's mind it seems to cast their brain waves into the projection, forming these amorphous figures that bubble up and then evaporate in an instant, like the details of a forgotten dream.\n\nThis collapses into a white four point star that spins lazily in the air. The Starsoft logo. I'd shot every one I'd found on my way here. And there were a lot. Starsoft is the biggest leading tech corp. I fight the urge to shoot this one as well. Even though it practically looks like a target painted over Ben's face.\n\n“Shit.” He doesn't sound very upset. More annoyed. “They signed me out. Sorry. This is going to take a minute.”\n\nA bar starts to load under the star. It's not moving very fast.\n\n“This is what the top of the line corp uses for tech?” I can't help but snicker.\n\n“I'm not very high up.” Ben explains calmly. “And they tend to save the best stuff for the customers.”\n\n“You guys have a funny idea of what's 'best'.” I comment while trying to hold back my disgust looking at him. The eyes they gave me aren't just ill-fitting but way too much. Ads had promised me an idyllic paradise filled with colors I'd never imagined. Instead my world is filled with nightmarish, banal detail.\n\nBen is little more than a pile of pus, blood, and skin. Because my eyes see everything from infrared to ultra-violet I see fucking everything. That includes all the veins and capillaries coursing through his top layers. All the odd cracks as pieces of his skin flake off in ashy sprays. The twisted forests of hairs at maddeningly various states of growth and patterns. I don't remember the last time I looked at someone's eyes. Hideous things. Basically just pretty colored assholes on your face.\n\nI won't even talk about the bugs except to say there are way more on you than you think.\n\n“I must say you're so much calmer now.” I can see it in the way his veins pulse. Languid. Relaxed.\n\n“Yes. Thank God.” There's almost joy in his response. “Took a while but my 'Defense Mode' kicked in.”\n\n“'Defense Mode'?” That's new.\n\n“An implant at the base of my neck.” He explains. “Responds to adrenaline and calms the body while boosting mental acuity. As per my contract I can't be legally held responsible for my actions while it is activated. I could try to kill you I guess but I don't think that would work. So I'd rather just give you what you want and you can get out of here.”\n\n“Is any of that actually legal?” I ask.\n\n“Eh.” He shrugs. Must be some good stuff. I don't know how to feel about being enabled by the company I'd grown to despise but I'll take what I can get. It's not like I have a plan B here.\n\nHe pulls up a face I'd seen a thousand times though not quite like this. She'd never opened her eyes before. Never had eyes to open. Until now.\n\n“Her name is-” Ben starts.\n\n“June...” I cut him off with a sigh.\n\n“That's right!” He sounds like a kid congratulating me on answering the teacher's question. “June Nabarro. Wait... if you knew her why'd you have to come here?”\n\nIt's very strange to see your own eyes staring back at you from another face. I guess I did it all the time whenever I looked in the mirror or saw a holo of me, but it's not the same. Funny how I'd never pictured her with blue eyes before.\n\n“Damn...” I spit, realizing what this means. I holster my gun and turn to leave.\n\n“So...you don't need the address?” Ben calls from behind.\n\n(Continued in comments)"
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[WP] The Uncanny Valley is not a byproduct of human psychological processes. It is an evolutionary trait. There was a time when our ancestors met creatures that looked almost human. And it was best to stay away from them.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I was floating. Weightless and at peace, the lines were blurred as any and all stimuli beyond my own thoughts were muffled. Only a single item remained in focus in the center of my mind; a face. Female, mid 20's, perhaps 10-15 yards from me. It was turned away from me, as it also was focusing on something- unaware of my presence, my attention. It would not matter if they turned to see me, I thought. The only thing I could do was gaze helplessly at this face, hypnotized and powerless. My limbs were nonexistent, my very core seemed empty. All that mattered was this face, and that I continue to stare at it to remain in this warmth. \nAmong the easygoing euphoria, something stirred my attention ever so slightly; enough \nto take notice, but not enough to jar me from my daze. \nA ripple. Sound waves? A distraction, I thought; keep focusing. The face hasn't seen me yet. I don't want to leave. \nAnother ripple. What is that? It was clearer this time, a sound with bass and vibrations reverberating around the echo chamber inside my head. What is happening? And then suddenly, again; this time, clear enough for me to recognize: \n\"David!\" \nIn an instant, an inaudible snapping shoved me backward into the wooden chair I was apparently sitting in. Then I smelled coffee, heard voices all around. Blinking in confusion, my eyes scanned the busy room until I laid them upon another face, sitting directly across the small table from me- this one I recognized. Tanned with dark hair, and the deep brown eyes I've loved ever since I first saw them. Olivia, my girlfriend and partner of 3 years; and she looked worried. \n\"David,\" she said, \"where did you go just now?\" \nMy brow furled slightly. \"What do you mean?\" \nShe glanced sideways momentarily and lowered her voice, \"I mean you were right in the middle of explaining to me why you had a difficult week at work, when you stopped mid-sentence to ogle that girl over there!\"\n\nFor a moment I knew I should be feeling shame, and my mind knew I should be apologizing profusely and trying to explain that I wasn't ogling some girl. This was something else- something deeply confusing and yet comforting at the same time. I felt no romantic urge or sexual desire- simply a longing to gaze upon this strangers' face. \n\nI shook my head and looked down at my coffee. \"I'm sorry babe, I just... I don't know what happened. I just zoned out I guess.\" \n\nOlivia sat back in her chair and let out a small huff. \"I've never caught you looking at somebody else before, David. Normally I would give you the benefit of the doubt, but you were *clearly* staring with your jaw half-open. What's wrong with you?\"\n\nI allowed myself a brief glance back at the woman that entranced me so heavily. Unassuming and busy, tapping away at her laptop keyboard while nursing a small cup of tea, which was apparent from the string hanging from the rim of her drink.\n\nLooking back into Olivia's very judgemental gaze, I took a small breath and decided to lay it out. \n\n\n\"Look at her. Isn't there something weird about her? Can't you feel some kind of... Uneasy easiness when looking at her?\" \n\n\nOlivia raised an eyebrow. \"Uneasy easiness?\"\n\nI sighed in slight frustration, unable to verbalize just what was plaguing my mind. \"I mean, look at her. Please, babe. Just try and gimme a chance here. Something isn't right, something about her just isn't letting me focus on anything else. I can't help it! She just... *isn't right.*\"\n\nShe shifted and crossed her arms, very obviously not interested in anything I was saying. \n\nLeaning forward, I pressed on.\n\n \"C'mon, please listen to me- like you said, I've never stared at another girl before, I love you so much and I would give anything to spend the rest of my life with you. You're the girl of my dreams, I want you and nobody else. This has nothing to do with us. Something about that girl is killing me and I need you to be with me on this, please babe, please I-\"\n\n\"Ok ok!\" she whispered harshly, clearly trying to control the rant I was inevitably heading toward. Uncrossing her arms, she leaned with one arm onto the table in preparation to look backwards at the girl.\n\n\"I know you love me,\" she said. \"I love you and I trust you. But you gotta admit, David- this is probably one of the weirdest things you've ever done.\"\n\nMy shoulders sagged slightly. \"I know,\" I said. \"Just please. Look at her and tell me I'm wrong.\"\n\nOlivia looked one more time at me before shifting her weight to look as natural as possible as she turned her head toward the girl.\n\nFor a moment, I expected her to turn right back to me and say something along the lines of \"OK, now what?\"\n\nBut she never turned. I was waiting, still waiting, and finally I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation. All I could see was the back of her head, as she was still staring, in a now painfully obvious manner to anyone who could see us. What seemed like ages later, I decided maybe this was enough.\n\n\"Um, ok babe I think that's good...\" I said quietly, hoping she would react. She didn't.\n\n\"Babe. There's people everywhere. They can *see you* staring. Olivia?\" I glanced around nervously, trying to determine whether anyone had caught my girlfriend now staring at this person. Thankfully, everyone else seemed engrossed in their own conversations, but I was not about to let this continue.\n\n\"Olivia!\" I hissed, reaching out and grabbing her shoulder to turn her back toward me.\n\nHer body resisted at first, I could feel the tension in her muscle. But then she quickly allowed herself to be turned around and, once again, facing me. But now, those deep brown eyes I've loved for so long had a different look in them. A different feel. A sense of longing- and fear.\n\n\"David..\" She managed to utter; it seemed an enormous effort for her to get the words out. \"What is wrong with... her? What's wrong with.. what happened?\"\n\nI resisted the urge to throw my arms up, but managed to whisper out, \"See?! I told you, I told you something was off, that-\" \n\nMid-sentence, I stopped and took notice of something that stopped me from being able to speak. The girl, the one we had been staring at, was now looking right at me. No look of confusion, no look of indignation- simply dead. Cold. \n\nEvil.\n\nThe air rushed from my core. My veins seemed to constrict and freeze in place. I couldn't move; I couldn't breathe. My body was prisoner and my mind was suddenly no longer comforted or at ease- it was paralyzed, full of dread... *Contaminated.*\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\nSorry, my lunch break is ending I didn't think I would get so caught into this Writing Prompt. I'll write more later on regardless of whether anybody is reading this, because this one is kinda fun lol",
"\tGarret wasn’t cut out for college. As he drove down the highway in search of serene solace. He had to tell them it was a waste money but he wasn’t ready. His oscillated between stroking his newly acquired hippie beard and running his fingers through his furrowed curly locks. His mood was as somber as his hazel eyes. This was a make or break moment. He tensed as he passed the last sign that signified the halfway point. If he turned back now and hauled ass he could probably make it back for finals. But he knew if he caved he would be shackling himself to a dead end career to appease his parents. He knew if he told his friends they would’ve tried to stop him so he slipped out before the crack of dawn. He left his phone off to make sure he wasn’t tempted. He was going to one of his favorite secluded spots so no one could bother him or berate him for RUINING HIS LIFE! He had never shared this spot with any of us camping friends. After getting off the interstate he found a loan gravel road and let his compact slowly drift down as it jostled him the whole way for almost a mile until he reached a clearing for an overgrown parking lot next to a battered wooden sign that read Camp Hogan.\r \n\tCamp Hogan had been abandoned years ago. After finding it while exploring abandoned boomtowns he found a map at a now neglected shop. A peripheral internet search and he gained a little history on it. It operated in the 60’s up until the early 80’s. A few kids went missing mostly boys here and there. The Native tribes at one point protested the town using it for their summer camp. Apparently it was some place forbidden by the locals. What finally did the Camp in wasn’t any safety issue. The neighboring towns economies collapsed as plants began shipping jobs overseas. When the local plant that fed three towns closed it signaled the death knell and people couldn’t leave fast enough. It limped along right up into the early 90’s. The town Agatha, where he found the brochure was the last to die off. In spite of all that Hogan was still made well with a 50’s mentality. All the structures were sound albeit caked in dust but most things were manual. The camp was to teach boys how to rough it. Hand pumped wells. And some leftover generators that surprisingly still worked. The cabins still had beds and there were leftover utensils in the mess hall. He had the entire grounds to himself. His own personal hidden kingdom. \r \n\tAfter he trekked from the parking lot dragging his duffel bag he setup shop in the cabin closet to the Lake. He unfurled his roll-on mattress onto one of the abandoned bunk frames. After getting settled he couldn’t take his eyes off his phone. He knew it was off but he knew it was calling him. The little hunk of plastic gained a new gravity drawing him to it. He knew if he didn’t keep busy it would consume him. He took the phone back to the car so he didn’t have to hear its silent siren call. He took to the lake for some fishing. The water was almost pristine due to lack of human interaction. A few hours later he had a fish over an open flame with the sizzle being the only thing in his ears. And then he heard a low splash.",
"-- Part 1 --\n\nJazx has been traveling for two days now. Playing a literal game of cat-and-mouse with the sabertooth tiger that had been stalking him. He was tired, sore, cold, mentally and physically exhausted. His spear had broken at the tip when he attempted to throw it at the sabertooth but he had missed it, strangely, hitting a rock instead. He had sworn it was a perfect shot too. Now he was defenseless. He had picked up a tree bough to use as an improvised club, but he wasn't comfortable trying to take on a sabertooth with a glorified shillelagh.\n\nHe was on his vision quest when the creature had found him, and the two started in their battle of wits and stamina. It seemed to Jazx that he was destined to lose that battle. When he left, his parents had given him a small poultice of various herbs, the best spear (irony?) of the group, and some dried meats. They had embraced, and as he departed they warned him.\n\n\"Do not travel too far north. Do not leave the hilllands. Evil lurks in the great Black Forest to the north.\"\n\nNow, almost a week into his quest, he was being stalked by a sabertooth which had chased him out of the very hilllands he was told to stay in towards the forest. Any attempt to circle away only resulted in him being turned back towards the forest. He prayed for a stream or river to cross, to help hide his scent, but he had little luck with that. Each time he came to water though, the creature was close enough to see him and was not so easily fooled.\n\nNow, in the Black Forest, the air was damp and heavy. The Falling Season was upon the region. Moisture clung to his skin at night and bit at his nerves, and during the day it kept him constantly chilled, but still somehow sweaty. He did not know why the tribes-people told him to stay clear of the Black Forest. It was different, but provided nice shelter from the elements with its thick pine canopy.\n\nHe stopped at a large rock outcropping - climbing it for some height and visibility, and attempted to catch his breath. He reached into his travel pouch and removed another of the stig-leaves from the medicine bundle. They were strong energetics, and had been the only thing keeping him from collapsing during the two day evasion. He stuffed the leaf into his mouth, chewing it a bit to break the leaf, and then pushed it to the front of his mouth between his cheek and teeth to let it juice. The strong stimulant quickly kicked in and he felt a rush of energy, briefly revitalized, but the mental tiredness clung to the back of his eyes like fire coals, not so easily dispelled.\n\nHe sunk low on the rock, covering his eyes from the sun and looked back to where he came, trying to spot the orange and black creature hunting him. He watched, and he waited. He stared, and he listened. His heartbeat thumped in his ears, the forest was silent. No birds, no twigs. And no tiger. He had hoped he finally lost it. Perhaps the tiger didn't like the forested area? Then he heard the distant howls. \n\n\"Ah, wolves. Perhaps that is what drove off the tiger,\" he thought to himself.\n\nWolves were a strange sound to him. They were not seen often where his nomadic people typically ranged. Encounters were rare; usually when the white-madness had overtaken one and they broke from their packs to hunt alone and without appetite, but still savage and unpredictable. The hide of a wolf was the most valuable fur to his people due to its rarity.\n\nThe quietness that settled back into the forest was unnerving. Jazx began to think the wolves were closer than he thought. His mind began to wander, then suddenly he remembered he was looking out for a sabertooth! His eyes darted back to the path he had taken, desperately scanning the forest for signs of his stalker. Nothing. He dared exhale relief, only to hear a twig snap behind him. He whipped his head around, expecting to feel fang and claw sink into his back, but instead he found something far more worrisome.",
"Night had fallen several hours ago, and the clock on Gary's nightstand glared at him from across the room. 1:24 AM. He exhaustedly returned its gaze, waiting for the number to go up. The less-than-a-minute it took for it to change from a 4 to a 5 felt like an eternity, and drove home the realization that he wasn't getting to sleep any time soon.\n\nHe tugged on a jacket, fumbling a bit in the dim light of his apartment, and headed for the stairs. Maybe a nice night walk would clear his mind. In a different universe, perhaps. Forgetting what he'd seen the night before was probably impossible at this point. \n\nIn some ways, he was drawn to find it again. It could be a human suicidal curiosity, or a regular deathwish, it didn't matter to Gary. The night was long, and his head was too turbulent to make a landing on the runway of his pillow. \n\nHe turns a corner now, headed down a street no one in their right mind would dare walk down in the daylight hours. *Here. It has to be here.* The feeling is much stronger now, the pulling-in of a dark, almost irresistible magnetism toward the unknown.\n\n*There.*\n\nIt was hunched over a lumpy, dark shape on the asphalt. Beside it, a nickel-plated handgun reflected the eerie glow of the streetlight. Gary slowed his approach, rolling the heels of his feet to not make noise as he inched ever closer. *What are you?*, he thought to himself. *Where did you come from?* \n\nIt was ripping thin pieces from the victim beneath it. They weren't moving, at least not that Gary could see. His eyes strained to get a clear picture of what the creature was doing to whatever poor sap was lying on the ground, which he didn't pay any mind to as he approached. \"Bad mistake\", he thought as he felt himself stumble over something in the road.\n\nSilence reigned now. The clatter of whatever he'd tripped over and the sound of him hitting the ground induced a deathly still over the area.\n\nHe fell forward, though. Gary could see now, under the glow of the lamp, the victim's face. She was young, probably in her early twenties, and a gang member, judging by what was left of her clothing. Probably why she had the gun, too.\n\nIt turned around. Or, rather, she turned around, but that wouldn't be a correct description either. Something *like* her turned around, and stared at Gary with a disingenuous blank expression. \n\nThere was something wrong about her. The face, the proportions, whatever this thing was hadn't copied its victim perfectly. \n\nIt moved its mouth as though it was speaking, but the sound it made was more like a meaty version of radio static. The copy's expression changed from neutral to frustrated, and it, no, *she* held a finger up. \n\n\"Leettt'sss t-ttry tha-AAAT a-GAAAaaiin.\" She spoke, voice still heavily distorted in a way Gary couldn't comprehend the workings of. Her expression tensed up in an unnatural way, like she was wearing someone else's skin. Except, Gary thought, she *was* wearing someone else's skin, and that factor alone probably meant that whatever was underneath didn't hang around humans too much.\n\n\"Great, you saw me!\" \n\nGary couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic. Her expression and tone were completely genuine, but she also wasn't human.\n\n\"That's completely unforgivable!\" she exclaimed, joyfully. \"I am going to kill you! I love you!\" \n\nHe didn't have time to consider how ridiculous her impression of a human was. She was already moving toward him. The not-person lunged toward him at an impossible speed, but he was already diving toward the handgun. Her strike hit the streetlight instead, and Gary heard an immense crash from behind him as he fumbled for the pistol. He whipped around, trying to point the gun to where he thought she'd be.\n\nThere was no shapeshifter when he turned around, up until he heard the wet gurgling from under the felled streetlight. Trembling, he slowly stood up, the gun quivering under his horrendously tight grip. \n\nIt was under the streetlight now. The girl-creature's spine was crushed, and oil-black blood was pooling under her. Its eyes glared up at him, an expression of pure hate painting her face as its alien eyes glazed over. \n\nGary began to sob, the overwhelming stress of the whole situation boiling over. The cops were gonna find her, and her parents would have to learn of their baby girl's fate. That broke him. An innocent person consumed and copied. What would have happened if he hadn't found it eating her, would it have gone on to pretend to be whoever she was? Consume more people?\n\nHe turned the handgun over in his hands, the tears subsiding as his resolve grew.\n\nGary Walker will go out tomorrow night, and the next, and the next, until every single one of these bastards is dead.",
"Tried something different with this prompt, feedback is always appreciated.\n\n- - -\n\n***---Winter-356---***\n\n> A flaming egg fell from the sky. It hatched and a tribe of purple, man-like creatures were born. They caught us during a hunt, women with food and infants in hand, men scouting for game. They stole the food and shoved it into the ground. Days later we returned to the egg and more food came out. They demanded some men and women in exchange. We could not refuse them. Flaming egg unbirthed, and flew away.\n\nUnknown Nomad. Known through myth.\n\n***---Winter-514---***\n\n> I heard wailing from a beast far off, straying from my tribe to watch. It was a giant beast with white tusks and grey skin, whose legs had been severed by a giant egg. The egg burnt and hatched, purple giants stroked my head like some dog and more purple creatures came out the egg. They were smaller and resembled people, around human size. Now these smaller creatures won't stop following me. They do as members of the tribe demand of them. They will be shoving food into the ground for us now.\n\nChieftess Flora. Known through word-of-mouth.\n\n***---Winter-589---***\n\n> The Egg returned to us, with no blue creatures. The purple giants offered their presence to keep them in line, in exchange, @*#&* #)$*@ # $(($# @(** *#&#*@(& ($*929$*@(. Our farms need to be maintained after all.\n\nAman Florson. Interpreted inscription.\n\n***---Winter-885---***\n\n> We have a surplus of the Saxe that now grow food for us in the forest. The Plums have stopped arriving, and Flameen Geeg has not been seen since. However on their last outing, over dozens of winter ago they brought more Saxe to teach the rest to build structures.\n\nDocument by Baku Motem. Known from #&*(#@)#\n\n***---Winter-988---***\n\n> It should be common knowledge, but if one were to mix a jack and a mare, you get a mule. Mules cannot have offspring, so they're useless. Tell the Saxe to stop breeding jacks and mares.\n\nVika! %#@*dooter. Known from word-of-mouth.\n\n(Dooter is an old suffix to denote lineage)\n\n***---Winter-1031---***\n\n> The Saxe seemed to possess a great power, greater than any human. They butchered the Plums, and it was only a matter of time before they would begin to hunt us for sport. The great Cheiftess has sinned against mother nature, and we are paying for it.\n\nMinju Krizlos. Known through writing.\n\n***---Winter-1099---***\n\n> We had thought Flameen Geeg was some myth, but it came back to rescue us. Our planet has been lost to the Saxe, but #(*#$& and we'll be relocated to another one. \"Earth\".\n\nAdam, known through recording.",
"I was sitting in a bar. The bartender kept asking me every two minutes if I wanted a drink and kept getting more and more suspicious of me every time I declined. I kept saying I was fine until I relented and ordered a glass of water to get him off my back. Bastard wouldn’t leave me alone for some reason. The bar was mostly crowded but I had my sight on only one person. \n\nHe had a middle tooth. \n\nNormally if you saw something like that, it would be a little strange and maybe weird you out a little but you would eventually just forget it and move on with your day. But this guy’s whole damn set of teeth were misplaced a little too much at the right. They always have trouble getting the teeth right. \n\nBut that wasn’t the only thing. His left eye socket was higher than the other, and the difference in the size of his right eye. Granted they were all very small details you would have to really look at to notice, but it was there with no doubt. It’s how I knew it was him. \n\nI walked past the guy about an hour ago while crossing the street. I took one look at him and felt it. The unease that lingered around this man. Call it a sixth sense or whatever you want, but I was more observant of everyone’s facial features since I was a kid. \n\nHe was drinking alone minding his own business, a couple women would approach him from time to time and try to flirt with him, but the longer they all talked with him they would *really* begin to notice how off he was and would try to leave. I overheard the conversations and he seemed charismatic while talking but that was about it. \n\nHe finally stopped drinking his beer and left some cash on the counter, he managed to walk through the crowd and slip away without anyone really noticing him. I did the same and followed him indiscreetly. I stepped outside and looked where he went. \n\nI barely saw him in time as he was down the street and quickly ducked into an alleyway. It was a trap, that much was obvious. I walked down several blocks the other way to get to the other side of the alleyway. \n\nIt paid off when I finally made it to the far entrance and peeked around the wall to see him hiding behind a dumpster waiting for me. I reached for something in my coat and pulled out a silencer attachment, then next for my sidearm I was concealing. I tried to swiftly put on the attachment and not bring any attention to myself. \n\nHe was beginning to think I wasn’t coming as I never arrived from the far side and was about to walk away. I was behind him, the noise of me pulling back the slide alerted him. He quickly turned around and was face to face with the barrel of my gun. \n\n“So what gave me away this time, Marshal?” He said with an oddly calm voice. His face moving as he spoke gave me chills down my back. \n\n“It was your teeth. You have a middle tooth. Who are you?” I asked. I needed to know who the person standing in front of me was. They were in the city now I lived and I would like to change that. \n\n“Wouldn’t you like to know. It’s very impolite to be stalking people too, you know.. Traitor…” The man said with slight distain in his voice that was quickly replaced with giggling that slowly became unsettling laughter. I shot him without a second thought. The sound of his body dropping is what followed. \n\nI looked around and saw no one. But on the far wall to the left of me was an old mirror someone left out. I looked in the mirror and saw my reflection, I inspected myself and opened my mouth. \n\nToo many teeth. \n\nThe teeth are always the most difficult to manage.",
"I swear I saw one, once. Yeah, the stuff you saw on that conspiracy forum? Yep, in a bar just like this one. Course, I can't remember it all, maybe a drink will help loosen up those memories.\n\nAppreciated. Now, where do I start? You ever have one of those moments where you nearly die, but don't realize it till some time later? Like, where you cross a street and see a car barrel down the road right after you make it to the other side? Anyway, I was part of a motorcycle gang, back in the '80s. We were on a mission to make it to Tallahassee from Dallas. Suddenly, I got this weird feeling, a deep shiver. Call it a premonition. When the gang stopped, we decided to call it a night, good thing too, because not less than 10 minutes after that, it started pouring. I was still feeling strange, so I decided to call home, see if anyone died or anything. Back then, we didn't have mobile phones, we used payphones. The rain slowed down some, so I went out and started calling my folks. My sister picked up, said everything was fine, glad I called her. My brother didn't pick up, but that was usual for him. My parents didn't pick up, so I dialed again. Nothing. Face-palming, I realized it may be late and my parents were asleep. I didn't have a watch, so I ducked into a nearby bar to get the time, and some company. I sat down at the bar, \"What time is it?\" \"10:30\" My parents were definitely asleep then. I breathed out a sigh of relief. I ordered a beer.\n\nLook, I'll get to the thing when I get to it, just humor an old man will ya?\n\nWhere was I? Oh yeah, I was on the last sips of my beer when it walked in. It was wearing a poncho, but I could see there was something wrong with it. It is hard to describe. Was it the too-long stride? Or maybe the way its torso was completely still while it walked in? Perhaps it was just the way it... deflated when it sat on the barstool, like a robot losing charge? Whatever it was, the thing sat one stool away from me. I couldn't look at it, not directly at least. I don't know why. I just felt that if I looked at it directly, it would know. It never acted hostile didn't even seem to know I existed, but I got the feeling I needed to get out RIGHT NOW! I left some money on the counter, probably too much, but it was whatever the first bill in my wallet was. As soon as I stood up, I felt light-headed, but I refused to sit down again. Even as the world was spinning around my eyes, I knew that if I sat back down, something worse than death would happen to me. I made it to the door and made the mistake of looking at the reflection in the glass. It made eye contact through the reflection. I... I can't say much else. I don't remember much, just their eyes, their eyes are human, completely human.",
"Porcelain \n\nHave you ever wondered why little dolls and things like that can freak people out so badly? There’s this idea, I first heard it on the internet a few years ago, that says that the uncanny valley is actually an evolutionary fear response, like our inbuilt fears of snakes and spiders. The gist of it was that, a long time ago, there was something out there that resembled humans, but wasn’t quite the same. Something that we should be afraid of. Something so dangerous that it scarred our collective consciousness for thousands of years to come. Well, it turns out that idea was right. \n\nWe weren’t even looking for them when we found them. An archeological expedition gone horribly wrong, like something from an old horror film. An earthquake had cracked open a field somewhere in Austria and revealed a lost settlement beneath the ground. A huge cavern that held all manner of huts and tools and all kinds of things, anyone of which would have been the find of a century. It didn’t take long to discover something unsettling about this place though. Human remains. Lots of human remains.\n\nDespite the haunting nature of the settlement, we did as we always had, setting up a camp nearby and beginning the long and arduous task of cataloging each and every artifact we could get our hands on. Eventually, after moving a rug out of the largest of the huts, we founds something strange, even stranger than what we had already been dealing with. A large, round stone had been set into the floor. Etched onto its surface was a variety of symbols and characters that made up a language we had never encountered before. Along with the the writings were crude carvings of what looked almost like people, though proportionally they were a little off. Limbs slightly too long, eyes slightly too large. At the time we thought it was merely a more artistic depiction, though the style gave most of us the willies. Stranger still was the fact that this stone seemed to be covering the entrance to another chamber, sealed beneath the one we had been in. \n\nWe had brought in all kinds of equipment, and had soon established a crane to lift the heavy stone and access the chamber beneath. Despite our best attempts to be careful, the stone was cracked in half upon its removal, taking with it the ability to ever seal the the chamber up again. We had been hoping to find the burial site of some ancient king or ruler, but found something else entirely.\n\nThe chamber was vast, stretching miles in all directions, far beyond what any human eye could see. This was no hallowed ground however. No honored kings were buried here, nor important artifacts. Instead were rows and rows of what could be mistaken at first glance as life sized porcelain dolls. Like the carvings on the stone had shown, there were little things about them that just weren’t quite right. Their arms were long and thin, separated by well defined joints that broke up the flat, hard sections of white material that made up their ‘skin’. Their eyes were stuck wide open and were featureless and tar black. At first we thought that they were dolls, a strange reflection of the Terracotta Army found in China. This idea was quickly dropped when they started to move. \n\nAny notion of humanity was also dispelled at their movements. The hard sections of their bodies clinked together as their limbs jerked all about, as if filled with fluid instead of muscle. They began to climb out of the pit and we found ourselves unable to stop them. There was no physical barrier, and yet we could not bring ourselves to even come close to them. We watched helplessly as thousands of them crawled from below, powerless to stop them. By the time they had all gone, there was barely a shred of sanity left in us. It seems that the danger they pose is not to the body, but to the mind.\n\nRemember this as you walk home on a dark night, or when you think you see a person in the rear view mirror of your car. There is a reason for every fear that humanity has acquired. A very, very good reason",
"Roger, enjoying his morning tea, watched as one of the women from the village across the valley picked her way up to his cabin. He had a hard time recognizing her until she crested the hill, not fifty feet from the comfort of his chair; he wanted to blame that on too much time away from the village, but he had a nagging sense that his eyes were just getting that bad.\n\nHe maintained his silence, staring past her into the mountains looming in the distance, turning purple at the sun’s first touches. Breathing heavy, she trudged over to his chair and dropped herself onto the ground. After a few moments, her breathing slowed and she spoke.\n\n“What a view, eh? I guess you see it every day, but I should’ve made the trek up here sooner.”\n\nRoger set down his cup, half-turned toward her. “Don’t try an’ flatter me, Emma. Twenty years out here by m’self, an’ you’re the first visitor in all that time. Tell me what brought you my way.”\n\nShe chewed the inside of her cheek and stared down, picking at the grass between her shoes. When she spoke, her voice was small, with a tinge of fright.\n\n“John Miller’s missing, Roger. People say they’ve heard strange noises from his house in the night, but no answer when we knock on his door. Nobody else would come out here to ask you, but they wouldn’t tell me why. Have you seen him anywhere?”\n\n“Haven’t seen him since I left. What kinda noises?”\n\n“His neighbors say it sounds like a dog licking up spilt stew under the table. But a whole hell of a lot louder.”\n\nRoger could feel the color leaving him, as if the sun had chased the previous night’s chill into his face all at once. Emma misinterpreted it, looked up at him with an impish grin.\n\n“C’mon, old man - I know I was a kid the last you saw me, but everyone starts swearing sometime.”\n\nRoger didn’t even hear her. He stood so fast his chair fell over backward, pulling the little side table after it, feeding the dregs of his tea back into the earth. Unbothered, he marched over to the door, beckoning her with a waved hand.\n\n“Has your father taught you to hold a sword, Emma?”\n\nStartled, she sprang up after him. “Yes! I mean, a little. But why?”\n\n“Because I’m getting my axe and lending you a sword and we’re going to John Miller’s house.”\n___\n\nThey walked in silence. Emma had a question here or there, but mostly she hefted the sword in her hand, feeling out its balance and running through her warmup routines to keep her muscles moving.\nIt wasn’t until they were approaching the village that she asked the question she most wanted the answer to.\n\n“What are you hoping to find at John’s?”\n\nRoger rested the head of his axe on his shoulder and grunted. “With any luck, an old friend, a hot meal, and a welcoming fire.”\n\n“Why are we armed?”\n\n“Always better to be prepared than not. You know that.”\n\nShe grimaced and set her eyes on John’s house, a hundred feet up the dirt path. Everyone they passed had a cheerful wave for Emma and an averted gaze for Roger. She was too focused now to ask.\n\nThey reached John’s door, knocked, and got absolute silence in answer. Roger tugged on the door handle, but it wouldn’t move an inch. Barred by something. A hush fell over the people moving about their days outside; some gathered around to see what would happen, but most headed for their homes.\n\nRoger fashioned a torch from a branch, an oiled rag, and a nearby cookfire. He handed it to Emma.\n\n“We’re going in here. If I tell you to get out, you get out and hold this to the door until it catches fire. Then do the windows, and throw it into the foundation under the house. Understand?”\n\nShe shook her head. “But John might be in there and you might-”\n\n“Emma! I know you don’t fully understand what’s happening right now, but I need you to do this. Can you do it or not?”\n\nShe nodded, and, without a word, Roger slammed his axe in between the door and the frame, pried it open, and stormed inside.\n\nRushing in behind him, she was slammed by a heavy stench of decay. She nearly dropped the torch right there, but managed to recover herself enough to look around the room. The walls and ceiling were coated in a thick, viscous, silver fluid. It seemed to absorb the light streaming in from the sun, now high in the sky, casting a disorienting darkness over the inside of the house.\n\nJohn’s family were nowhere to be seen. Roger took a wide stance between her and the chair closest to the cold, dead fireplace. She watched over his shoulder as a human-shaped mass of the silver fluid stood and moved out from behind the chair.\nIt had John’s face, but it wasn’t John.\n\nRoger lifted his axe over his head and heaved it down in a punishing vertical arc. It sank into the thing’s shoulder, caught in its chest, and slipped out, slamming into the floorboards at its feet.\n\nIt laughed and spoke in an unholy cacophony of John’s voice and something deeper, older. “You already know you’re going to need more than that, *Roger*. Of course, we don’t even have to do this. You can always come back to us.” The tone was mocking, taunting.\n\nRoger looked over his shoulder at Emma. “It’s time, girl. Time for you to go.”\n\nShe lingered for a moment, eyes locked onto the thing with John’s face until it turned to her with a flash of sharp, pointed teeth and an exaggerated, watery wink. \n\n“Yesss, *girl*. Time to leave. The old man would hate for you to see what happens next.” Another laugh, a rumbling cackle that seemed to come from all of the silver fluid at once.\n\nRoger pulled the sword from her grasp and shoved her back to the door. His hands caught in the fabric of her shirt for a moment, as if they were covered in sap. She turned and ran out the door, pausing to run the torch over every part of the wall she could reach. The silver fluid made a hissing sound and retracted away from the heat, but, eventually, it caught.\n\nShe glanced over her shoulder for one more look and saw Roger plunge his left hand into the thing’s chest, raising the sword high in his right. And then she was outside, bounding around the house, setting it aflame everywhere she could reach. The next thing she knew, she was sitting alone in the grass, watching the cinders blow away on the wind.\n\nThe house burned for hours. When the last timber fell, Emma picked herself up and stepped gingerly into the destruction. All was ash save the fireplace, the weapons, and two iridescent stones, the size of her palm, half-hidden in the soot. \n\nShe buried them up on the hill, in clear view of the mountains."
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[WP] Karma is real and affects your life massively. You work for a large investment firm leading their karma division.
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"Sam arrived at work 20 minutes late to find a heaping pile of paperwork on his desk. Attached was a sticky note informing him tersely to please deal with this at his earliest convenience. He took a quick look through the papers and then flinged them to one side. He sat heavily in the chair behind his desk and sighed. Why hadn’t they fixed the lighting in here yet? There was no window in the room, and only a single, bare, flickering bulb. Sam closed his eyes and reminded himself why he was doing this work. \n\n \nA knock at the door took Sam out of his thoughts.\n\n \n“Come in.”\n\n \nJames waltzed into Sam’s office holding his K&C Pride mug and whistling out of key. \n\n\n \n“Morning, Sam.” \n\n\n \nSam tried to hide his irritation and motioned for James to sit down. James obliged, pulling over Sam’s expensive carved wooden chair and making a sharp scraping sound that made Sam wince. \n\n\n \n“So. What’s up, James. Any news?” \n\n\n \n“Not too much, not too much. Somebody tried to scale the fence again last night, but security took him out.” \n\n\n \n“Right. Has to be done.” Sam replied. “His K must have taken a beating though. The guard I mean.” \n\n\n \n“Oh, they’ve hired a K-transfer firm for that. Part of the company’s health programme, I think. They’ve basically had to, given the demand for Res-Compound guards is through the roof. And the Res-Association can afford it, so not really any problem there. I’ll pay a bit more tax if it means we keep that lot out.” James took a sip from his K&C Pride mug. “Has Karl been in to you yet? Him and the R&D guys were raving about something earlier, apparently some new technique they’ve just gotten greenlit by the people upstairs.” \n\n\n \n“I haven’t seen him. I don’t really want to listen to him this morning to be honest, I’m up to my neck here.” Sam motioned to the clutter of paperwork on his desk. “Marketing seem to have forgotten the K impact of putting up tobacco ads near schools. I thought we put a memo around about that paper in Karmic Science. You know, the one where they calculated the appropriate distances from schools, kindergartens…” Sam motioned vaguely in the air. “... you know…. zoos. Whatever. The appropriate distances for that kind of marketing. From a K perspective. So we’re having to fund some projects in the Rotten Boroughs to offset that.” \n\n\n \n“Right. Nightmare.”\n\n \n“I mean, I don’t mind doing it. It’s a good thing to do. I’m glad my job involves this kind of thing and not figuring out ways to market carcinogens to small children. I just wish it didn’t involve so much…. bloody paperwork.” \n\n\n \n\\--- \nKarl stopped by after lunch. Sam didn’t notice him opening the door as he’d been writing up a proposal for a housing project in the RBs for several minutes.\n\n \n“...Sam!” \n\n\n \nSam jumped in his chair and his glasses clattered to the floor. \n\n \n“...Hello…. Karl…” Sam said, scrabbling around on the ground.\n\n \n“Have I got a treat for you. Oh you’re gonna love this.” Karl set himself down where James had been sitting earlier. “.... Well come on. Hurry up. I haven’t got all day.” \n\n\n \n“Sorry…. sorry……… ah, there you are.” Sam sat back up, glasses back on his nose. Karl slammed a small A4 booklet onto the table in front of him. The front was covered with graphs and dense writing. He looked expectantly at Sam and seemed to be savouring the moment. \n\n\n \n“....Sorry, what is this? What am I looking at?” Sam pulled the booklet towards him and looked at it with a screwed-up expression. Its title in bold font read “Organisational K-adjustment through Large Scale K-adic Magnetic Field Manipulation”. \n\n\n \nKarl looked incredulous. “Sam, you’re one of the few people in this department with a higher degree in K Science. I’d have assumed if anyone could get this it’d be you.” He stabbed a finger several times at a section near the top. “Read the abstract. Come on. I thought you still kept up with the K literature.” \n\n\n \nSam read the first page, then began to leaf through the rest of the booklet. Karl vibrated in his seat like a hummingbird, staring at Sam’s face and grinning. Sam’s furrowed further and further as he read. Eventually, he turned to the back of the booklet and pointed at a graph. \n\n\n \n“This spike here, is that some kind of mistake?” \n\n\n \n“Nope. We checked, rechecked, even got an independent advisor in. It’s real.” \n\n\n \nSam took off his glasses and bit his lip. \n\n\n \n“And who have you told about this?” \n\n\n \n“Nobody. We’re keeping it in-house. Imagine the competitive advantage we’d gain. No more spending millions and millions on ridiculous projects just for the K. No more wasti-” \n\n\n \n“What do you mean ridiculous projects? What the fuck do you mean by that?” Sam spat, spraying a fine mist of spittle that was visible in the dim light. \n\n\n \n“Calm down Sammy, I meant no offence. We’re not going to be shutting down the department straight away or anything like that, we have to scale this all up. And I’m sure as one of the more… competent people around here, you’ll get a job upstairs or down with us R&D guys, we’d be glad to have y-” \n\n\n \n“It’s not about my job. I don’t give a fuck about my job. That’s not…” Sam put his head in his hands. Flashes of his pre-career life came into his head. Volunteering. Teaching kids, delivering clean water, handing out food. Before he’d really grown up and realised he’d have to be his own breadwinner at some point, if he didn’t want to end up out in the Rotten Boroughs. K-studies was meant to be the compromise, a way to assuage his guilt for his own privilege while still maintaining it. He told himself he was doing good, but it had been gnawing at him for some time now. It was about the guilt. He might as well have just said “fuck it” and gotten a job upstairs and do the expoiting without the feel-good numbing layer of K. Skip the lies. \n\n\n \n“....Come on Sam, you know how K works. It’s always only had a loose association with human morality. It’s not something we can understand, not really. And this is a business.” Karl motioned to the booklet. “If we can generate huge amounts of K for free, we have to do it. We have a responsibility to our shareholders. This isn’t a charity.” \n\n\n \n“..... Yes, fine. Fine. Just get out, I have work to do..” \n\n\n \nKarl left Sam slumped in his chair. Sam looked at the phone on the desk. He picked up the receiver He could call upstairs right now and quit. That would be the right thing to do. He could call and quit right now, and he’d be in a housing project in the RBs within a month. And, when Karl and his team’s research got out (as it inevitably would), he’d be homeless in the RBs within a couple of years. \n\n\n \nHe put the receiver back."
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[WP] You have the ability to time travel, and you always travel back to say goodbye to your mother, the day before she dies. Every time you travel back, you and her always end up fighting, no matter how hard you try not to. This time is your last shot.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"You have a lot of nerve showing up.\" She spoke over to be, sour and ragged. Cancer had taken her hard, and her once long silver hair was now replaced with a depressing bald head that I knew she despised.\n\n\"I know, but please - you have to listen...\"\n\n\"I have no reason to listen to anything you have to say.\" She nearly spot through growing anger, a shaking hand lifting up to point at me with struggling strength. \"Murderer.\"\n\n\"Mom, please, you need to just listen.\" I begged pathetically, my hands curled in a pleading motion as I sat at her bedside. \"I need you not to talk this time.\"\n\n\"This time?\" The woman couldn't help but well tears. \"You're sick, abusing your mother like this.\"\n\n\"Please, mom, I'm begging you - you can swear and scream at me all you want after I just need you to sit here and listen for just a minute.\" I asked of her with a bit more forwardness, hoping that this time I would be able to get to her. She stared at me with cold daggers, and folded her arms shakily and looked away. I took the moment as my one and only shot.\n\n\"Dad was going to kill you.\" I started, but she turned to stare at me with wide, confused, and outraged eyes. \"He was going to-\"\n\n\"How DARE you speak of him, he was a saint. He paid for your college, he got you a car, he-\"\n\n\"He was going to murder you, in your sleep, July 23rd, 2004.\" I quickly said, trying to take control of the conversation again. I knew one to many times that the moment I let my mom speak, it would be the last time I ever got a word in our relationship. \"He was a psychopath - a man living a double life. He had another wife, a child, and the only way he was going to be able to live with himself is to kill you. Then me.\" I explained, and she simply stared at me with that harrowing gaze. I've only gotten to this point once, and the last time I was arrested for breaking the restraining order. \"I know this because I had the information prior - I...\"\n\n\"So you kill him.\" She leaned forward, lip quivering in rage. \"You kill him and leave me to be alone the rest of my life.\"\n\n\"What was I supposed to do, let us both die?\"\n\n\"You could have called the police.\" She said, making me turn my head in concern. \"You could have called ANYONE.\" She half-yelled, and I held out a hand over towards her to calm her down.\n\n\"And tell them what, I had a suspicion? They were going to give him the benefit of the doubt because he had everything lined up legally! I had no proof, no physical proof at least...\"\n\n\"And what was this suspicion.\" She asked, which had me remained quiet. \"What was so definitive that you acted on murdering your own father.\"\n\n\"It-...\" I glanced at the door, then back over at my mom with swollen eyes. \"It was me. I was the one. I was told... by... me.\" She was quiet, parting her lips and narrowing her eyes - as if I was insane. \"Do you remember... the night when dad was working late. We were sitting down, watching Golden Girls and we ordered pizza and they screwed up the order?\" She didn't respond, but I could tell she knew the day I was talking of. \"That night, after I went to my room... there was someone there. With me.\" I watched her eyes widen, and I continued my tale. \"He... told me, he was me. From the future - he told me everything. He told me about dads second life, and his horrible intentions.\"\n\n\"What are you..\"\n\n\"I thought I was going crazy, Mama, I swear. I was going to run to your room and get you, but he told me that I couldn't. Not yet. Not until...\" My voice trailed, and she seemed to realize where I was heading. \"... Until you were going to die. To-.. secure the timelines. So I don't mess anything up.\"\n\n\"You're crazy.\" She stammered, and I held my hands up.\n\n\"Mama, please, wait...\"\n\n\"You're crazy!\" She cried out, pressing the nurses button as she began to cough. \"H-... Help! My son... he's... he's breaking the law! Being near me! Police!\"\n\n\"Mama,\" My voice cracked and tears welled in my eyes. \"Please, I only have one more chance. Please don't make me come back...\"\n\n\"My son needs to be committed!\" Another coughing fit. \"Nurse!\"\n\nI watched two nurses come into the room, glancing at each other then me as they stared at my distressed mother. They slowly began to approach me as I backed away from them... only to turn and run for the window. I heard screaming from the nurses as they chased after me, and my mom howling at the sight of her son throwing himself from the seven story hospital room. By the time I hit the floor, I was already coming to on the chair.\n\nDoctor Yumbord stared at me with a bit of a frown, watching everything through a screen as he walked up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. I shoved it off and balled my fists into my eyes as I began to cry.\n\n\"You only have one more attempt.\" He confirmed, \"One more return trip - no death this time. After that, we can't send you back.\"\n\n\"Please, I'll pay more.\" I said, staring up with snot and tears marking my face. \"I can pay as much as you want.\"\n\n\"It's nothing to do with the money, it's just how the science works. You go back, you aren't *coming* back.\" He said with a bit of finality, and I shook my head in horrid realization. One more attempt to make my mom understand that everything I did was for her safety. The years of loneliness, the ones of such hate and rage, all of them would be worth it when she realizes that her son was the one to save her life. However, something did come to realization.\n\nIf this *was* the last time, then who was the one to tell me about my fathers death? It was me, but I never went back and told myself. That was when it hit me.\n\n\"... Can... you change the date?\"\n\n\"Change the date?\" The doctor said, going back to his massive console in his underground lab, staring at the screen as he hummed curiously. \"Yes, I can. To what?\"\n\n\"July 23rd, 2004.\" I said, leaning back into the chair as I heard him tick into the keyboard and nodded over at me. \"15483 Willowbrook Road, Oklahoma, House Number 24.\"\n\n(Will Edit and finish after work)"
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[WP] You're a secret agent investigating fraud within a school district. With no teaching experience, you're placed undercover as a fifth grade teacher. At first you're just playing the role, but you begin to realize you genuinely enjoy being in the classroom.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It was not with a heavy sigh that Tony closed the dossier. That would be unprofessional. He dearly wanted to, though. \"Here it is, ma'am.\"\n\nThe stern grey-haired agency veteran gave the folder being slid across the table no attention. She had read the summary he had submitted ahead of this meeting. \"Excellent work, agent, and in less time than expected. Your ingenuity in finding sources is remarkable.\"\n\nTony held back his own opinion. It was a small town elementary school in rural Texas, and he was a single and attractive man. It had been hard to downplay that in the report when Ms. Braig had all but thrown herself at him at a parent-teacher talk that had yielded unexpected information: the first clue. \"It was classic embezzlement, ma'am. Once someone who knew what to look for came along, it was a matter of time.\" Tony steeled himself. \"Which bureau am I to report to?\"\n\nThere was a moment of silence; poignant and longer than he expected. \"I would like your honest opinion, Agent Rojas,\" his superior said slowly. \"Is it a bureau you wish to report to, or is *le bureau de l'enseignant* more your thing?\" she asked, a small smile appearing, uncharacteristically. \"By all reports, you have thrived in this role.\"\n\nTony kept his face neutral, desire and duty's internecine fighting inside him hidden. It was objectively correct. Despite zero teaching experience except for that one time he'd tried to tutor a classmate back in middle school, the job had come to feel just right after the rocky start that every beginning teacher had. By Halloween, he'd realized he liked the job more than the one at the agency. By Christmas, he'd eagerly dressed up as Santa and had a good laugh with some of his students about a Hispanic Santa who hated snow - based on his sharing of a skiing story from his youth and Nathan and Anna spotting the beard hanging out his desk drawer.\n\nAlas, duty was heavier than a mountain, and so he'd resigned himself to having to resign when it became apparent that he could wrap up the assignment earlier than expected. Paulo had been to blame for that: he'd gotten into trouble, forcing his mother to come in. During the small talk that took place after they'd decided on the right punishment, the mother of two had told him of something strange that had occurred the year before, during the pandemic and its weirdness.\n\nThat had been the third and final piece of important information. It had cut months, and led to this meeting.\n\n\"Agent Rojas?\" a gentle voice prodded, taking him out of his reverie. \"I asked you for your honest opinion.\"\n\n\"I...\" Tony started, before deciding that being true to himself was the right thing to do. \"I would prefer the teacher's desk. It... It's an honor to serve, but I feel I can do more here.\"\n\nHis superior nodded, and to his surprise, every inch of sternness vanished off her face, replaced with a content look - like a grandmother's, he thought. \"I thought you might say that.\" Papers appeared from a drawer on her side. \"We'll have to do some paperwork, but since you were allocated to the mission for another two months, you can take your time filling your side out. Perhaps you can give them to me in three weeks at the centennial?\"\n\n\"Ma'am?\"\n\n\"Agent Rojas, you don't expect me to miss the centennial of my own elementary school and the one that my grandson graduates from in a few months?\" She smiled at the shock in his expression. \"I did say reports. Nathan had nothing but good to say about you over Thanksgiving and at my son-in-law's birthday.\"",
"\"Mr Michaels\", the small boys head appeared around the plywood door, the brush plate handle scuffed with use.\n\nA small vertical window, cross hatched with thin fibres, showed a sliver of the classroom within. Rows of neat benches, colourful walls filled with posters and paper backed drawings of leaves, various countries and animals. Most of those benches had children sat at them, their heads bent over the latest project, crayons and glue scattered on the tables. Through the opened door the hubbub of chattered filtered into the corridor, broken by the odd stacatto of laughter.\n\n\"Mr Michaels\"?\n\nTwo people stood in the school hallway, outside the classroom door, locked in conversation. At the arrival of the small head intruding on their conversation all sound had stopped. A moments silence broken only by the fluttering of papers on the nearby notice board claimed the space.\n\n\"Hello luke\", Mr michaels said, turning away from his interrogator and toward the small boy, a smile warming his face.\n\"I'll be just a moment longer, I'm just talking over todays lesson with the school inspector, is everything ok\"?\n\n\"Umm, Cleo has put glue on, on, Cleo\", luke stuttered to a halt under the glare of the second person. The silence surrounding the school inspector drained any confidence from his voice.\n\n\"Nothing sir\", luke almost whispered before he withdrew his head back into the classroom.\n\nMr Michaels turned back to the second figure, the smile drained from his face ad it were never there. A deep sigh settled in his chest and as it did his stance changed become once more powerful and intimading. Anyone not aware of the tension between these two figures may have found it comical. The tall, friendly Mr Michaels, dressed in a beige cardigan, grey flecking his scruffy beard and purple fluffy sockes visible over his scratched loafers towering over a grey suit woman. Her hair pulled into to a sensible bun, the colour of her pinstripe matching her tights. A small attache case held loosely in one hand.\n\n\"You have one minute, I can't leave my class for long\" Mr Michaels said.\n\n\"I'll be brief then, Mr Michaels, as you already know what im going to say\", the small pause before his name could have been mocking but equally may have been nothing but a natural breath.\n\"We have worked on this for nearly 3 years. The fraud has been folowed from country, to state, to city and now to a single school. Last year it was confirmed that the Rapleigh bombing was directly funded by the organisation behind this fraud. Sharon is still using crutches around the office and we have finally traced the fraud to one of those childrens parents. Do your job, Mr Michaels\" she fell silent.\n\n\"Good day Miss Fairheart\" Mr Michaels said \"Now if you'll excuse me I have a class to teach, the ring of fire, and I really should check on Cleo\". He turned from Miss Fairheart, the smile filling his face as he stepped back into his classroom. The door closed behind him with a finality."
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[WP] Several unions have promised to support each other in strikes. Including the Demon Union. So since your fast food job is on strike, Hell has ground to a halt as well.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Of the five figures stood in front of the cashier's counter, four were forgettable. When you've seen one guy from corporate, it takes a lot for another to stand out really. No amount of slightly loud ties or firm but brief handshakes or faintly obnoxious cologne really does it, that all just manages to add to the same smug general impression. If you REALLY wanted to stand out and make a mark, you'd dress like the fifth figure. The 7ft tall figure in the resplendent white robe with 3 pairs of huge, pearlescent wings holding a rod of shifting, melting, flaming gold really cut through the office-ish look of the men surrounding them. Their voice, simmilarly, didnt quite melt into the throng as all five of them ranted between themselves.\n\n\"Look, Joanna can't book us in any sooner than 6, if you want a press release that's fine but we're talking 7 hours of speculation and we've GOT to be more proactive th-!\"\n\n\"Mark, Mark, I hear you, but you're not thinking this through. Action before we've got some faces in front of this thing is only going to give the wrong signal, and Tony, can you PLEASE-!\"\n\n\"NO, Ray, seriously, listen, the boys over at distribution are talking about this and until-!\"\n\n\"Distribution? Who CARES about distribution, we need traction here no-!\"\n\n\"***ABYSSAL FORCES STAND IDLY BY A BURNING HORDE OF FORGOTTEN SOULS, A CATACLYSM AT THE GOLDEN GATES OF THE FATHER'S LOVE, THINE CONCERNS ABOUT DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR TRIBULATIONS ARE FOLLY UPON THE THIRTY SEVEN WINDS OF INFERN-!***\"\n\nIt was honestly quite a sight. Behind the counter the three figures in fast-food uniforms were quite bemused. Just before this, the hunched form that stood beside them, barely wrapped in taught red skin that jutting bones and spikes protruded from, HAD been maybe the most captivating sight of their brief mortal lives. But now the angelic titan on the other side of the tills had sort of stolen it's thunder. As it watched with obvious glee the chaos of the men in suits and holy warden trying to reach any sort of consensus, the employees around it started to side-eye one another a little. \n\n\"So, uhh, when do we actually *get* a wage increase? Like, is the company going to alter it's policy, or is *that* thing going to make heaven-gold out of something for us, or-?\"\n\n\"Honestly, I really hope it's not the gold thing. I don't know how you sell gold. Like, do you declare it? Is the same taxed?\"\n\n\"*~there are subtler ways of slipping secreted sweet dolla so that the tax-man may not find it...~*\"\n\n\"I don't know, Gorthzaahlgaahl, this strike is fair but tax evasion isn't really what I'm looking to-\"\n\n\"*~avoidance is not evasion in the blind gaze of your law-men, Garth, and deftly walking that line is as rewarding as it is delicious-~*\"\n\n\"I don't mean any offence, man, but how objective is your advice right now?\"\n\nThe two groups continued their separate discussions for another couple of minutes as would-be-patrons sat simply mesmerized by, or filming, one fantastical entity or other. This might have carried on for another hour or so if the CEO hadn't managed to finally arrive on-site at that exact moment. \n\n[Part 1]"
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[WP] Your grandmother would X out people in her highschool yearbook who died. Turns out it wasn't just a morbid habit, it was a hit list. Now she needs your help to kill Mildred so she's the last survivor. Turns out Mildred is tougher to kill than you thought.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"My dear Johnny...\" Gilda coughed as she spoke, sputtering out blood onto the book she held open broad, handing it to Johnny with x's crossing out every last image except for one, Mildred, \"grant you grandmother one last wish... I want to be the final one alive...\"\n\n\"Yes, Grandma. I'll have her head for you,\" Johnny spoke, grabbing the book out of her hand delicately, pushing it into his heavy blackened trench coat, stuffing it into his inner pockets before turning to leave the room.\n\n\"Don't forget what I've always taught you, Johnny...\" she spoke, rising slightly from her resting position, putting his fingers into the position of a gun as she grinned, pointing it toward Johnny as he ducked for cover, \" two in the head, one in the balls!\"\n\n\"She's a woman, Grandma!\"\n\n\"Then shoot yourself in the balls!\" She shouted naggingly, throwing her pillow out Johnny meekly as he scurried out of the hospital room. As he walked out, he rested his back against a wall, pulling the yearbook out of his pocket, eyeing it prudently whilst deciding his next move.\n\n\"Excuse me, sir...\" a woman spoke in a decrepit voice, tugging on Johnny's trench coat, causing him to jolt back in surprise, \"would there someone by the name of Gilda in that room behind you?\"\n\n\"Who are you?\" Johnny spoke, dubiously eyeing her as she innocently looked up at him, holding a fancy purse in her hands whilst her glasses sat neatly upon her absurdly long nose.\n\n\"I'm a close friend of Gilda. She's in there, isn't she?\"\n\n\"Y-yeah, she's just resting a bit right now... you can see her if you want.\"\n\n\"Thank you very much, deary. I'll be sure to help her rest easy...\"\n\n\"Thanks, I was worried that-- wait, was that a red flag?\" Johnny spoke as she walked through the wooden doors, noticing blood dripping from her pink purse as she smiled with winced eyes in his direction before closing the door.\n\n\"Gilda... it's been a while, hasn't it?\"\n\n\"Mildred, you damned--\"\n\n\"Hush hush now... don't you wanna reminisce about the old times for a little bit? Mildred spoke, pulling torn-off ears and fingers out of her purse, pouring it onto Gilda as she continued to smile warmly, \"So how about it? Wanna go down memory lane with an old friend?\"\n\n\"... You aren't worthy to win the game... not you... anyone else but--\"\n\nMildred shoves a bloodied finger onto Gilda's lip, shushing her as she turned her pupils toward her hastily with panic.\n\n\"The game? Oh, I forgot about that silly thing a while ago. I had no idea you were taking it this seriously...\" she spoke, shoving the finger into Gilda's mouth, forcing it down her throat with speed, \"you killed all these people over a game?\"\n\nMildred pulls out a book, similar to Gilda's with x's strewn across every face, including both Mildred and Gilda.\n\n\"Looks like we're the only ones left... how do you think we should settle this?\"\n\nJohnny knocks on the door, attempting to pry it open to no avail.\n\n\"Wait... I know how we can settle it! You love games, don't you? Let's play Russian roulette!\" Mildred spoke, pulling a bloody pistol out of her purse, losing a single bullet into it, spinning it around fiercely before stopping it and closing the chamber.\n\n\"I'll go first!\" Mildred spoke, pointing the gun underneath her chin, still smiling as Gilda squirmed around.\n\nMildred pulls the trigger, a gunshot rings out, painting her blood, brains, and skull fragments across the wall of the hospital floor and walls.\n\n\"I-Its.... your... tur...\" Mildred mumbled out, hardly conscious as Gilda began coughing vehemently.\n\nJohnny shoots the lock of the room, forcing the door open with a loud bang as she shot Gilda in the head, finishing her off, then shooting himself in the balls. He falls to the ground, writhing in pain as his grandmother continued to choke. Suddenly, as Mildred's hand fell limp, Gilda began to glow, spitting out the severed finger into Johnny's gaping mouth as she was enveloped by a bright yellow light. The book that sat in Johhny's possession floats over to Gilda, a red marker also levitating to her, crossing out Mildreds young smiling face as the book closed shut.\n\n\"Round two of three... here I come... I'm going to win this game... fix everything...\" Gilda spoke meekly, stressing each word she spoke before closing her eyes.\n\nThe IV reader flatlines, leaving Johnny on the ground clutching onto his nuts.\n\n\"By the way, I was joking about shooting yourself in the balls...\" Gilda spoke tersely with a small giggle before fading into her final slumber with a smug grin painting her pale face with the color of fulfillment."
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[WP] You have been assigned to plan a birthday party for the world's greatest detective
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A sensuous woman tosses a diamond pendant to a corpulent business man. \"So sorry,\" she purrs. \"I just can't resist a gem that's dangled in front of me. But i'm supposed to be taking the day off.\"\n\n\"Why is that?\" the businessman demands, managing to look down his beakish nose at the woman despite the fact that she's taller than he is.\n\n\"It's been ten years to the day since a reporter first gave him that name,\" she answers. \"We should throw him a birthday party.\"\n\n\"By taking a day off?\"\n\n\\---------\n\nThe corpulent businessman glares down at the little engineer who's too smart for his own good and not half so smart as he thinks he is. \"Use your own judgment on how to phrase the card, but don't have it delivered until sunrise tomorrow. Until then, do nothing.\"\n\nThe little man glares back for a time, but then nods in sudden understanding. \"Timing is key, and silence is the ultimate riddle.\"\n\n\\--------\n\nIt takes all of the little man's nerve to face that unnatural grin without flinching. \"You've thrown parties for him before. He'll know what to expect from you--if you do it your way.\"\n\nInhuman laughter trails off into the distance and the little man breathes a sigh of relief.\n\n\\---------\n\n\"Just think--is there any more effective way to mess with his head?\" The speaker's distorted smile might explain why the listener hasn't bothered getting reconstructive surgery for the damaged side of his face.\n\nA coin spins, falls. The divided one nods, and for the next twenty-four hours does...nothing.\n\n\\--------\n\nA dark figure broods over a computer displayed map of his city, worried rather than reassured by the fact that the police band carries nothing but routine check-ins. \"What are they up to?\""
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[WP] You ran through the woods not even looking back to check if it was getting closer, but it was not enough. The skinny, gray skinned humanoid tackled you to the ground; it ripped open its chest to reveal a hollow cavity devoid of light. You felt yourself being sucked in.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*How?*\n\nHe thought as he mantled a toppled fir tree with one arm, the large glowing egg tucked safely in his other.\n\nOwill had traversed these woods thousands of times in his adolescence; he was second to none in his generation when it came to speed- and that was *before* all but a handful of them died. He was one of the few surviving pure-blooded Elves, and his peers were fond of reminding him whenever he got it in his head to do something dangerous. \n\nSomething like *this*.\n\nSeven years ago, the three dominant races lived in relative harmony; the Humans, The Elves, and the Vampires. It was a hard-fought peace that they'd only been able to enjoy for about forty years before *they* showed up- *The Grays.* \n\nThin humanoid creatures, uniformly grey with long grasping fingers, featureless faces and a hunger for anything with a life force. They wore no clothes, spoke no language, made no sounds save for the boat-horn noise that echoed from their chest cavity whenever they stole a life force. It all started in the forest; as far as any of them knew, they simply blinked into existence one day. The Elves were unprepared for the assault and were completely decimated in the first days of what came to be called *The Gray War*.\n\nEven as recent as the event was, many disagree on where the name originated. Some say it's because of their gray coloration, others because the skies were overcast for months- but most believed it was because of the state of their victims. \n\nTrees.\n\nGrass.\n\nPeople.\n\nAnimals.\n\nTheir victims all turned the same shade of gray. Even their eyes, once vibrant and filled with vigor turned entirely and completely gray- like them.\n\nAnd as Owill was tackled to the ground, he feared that he would share the fate of so many that fell before him. He was careful not to crush the egg beneath his weight as he tumbled into the dead grass. He turned around and kicked furiously at the creature, but it was no use. \n\n*How?* He thought. *How did it come to this? I was so close...*\n\nThe creature tore the flesh from its chest, revealing that swirling black abyss that each of them contained within; the source of their power; the source of their greed; the source of their evil. The egg rolled out of his hand and into the grass. He felt his will being sucked away from him as the monster crouched over him, activating whatever profane magic it controlled. He began to feel heavy- and just as he was beginning to lose his senses, the crack of a musket pierced the silence. The creature stumbled backward before another musket rang out into the forest. \n\nOwill mustered all of his strength and turned over onto his stomach, pulling the glowing egg in close to him as the reinforcements rushed past him. He gingerly ran his fingers over the shell, feeling the warmth resonating from within. He couldn't help but laugh at his luck as a couple of soldiers clad in chainmail rushed to his side and lifted him up. \n\nTheir shields bore the crest of the Ragea Monarchy. \n\nBecause of course they did. \n\nNo other ruler would have sent his men to die in the Hushed Woods to safe an Elf. Unlike Elves, Humans never worked toward a central collective. They each held different views, interests, and priorities. Because of this, they were always at odds with one another, and it was baffling to Owill and his kin how they ever managed to accomplish anything like that. \n\n\"My God... You found it,\" Spoke the taller one. He stared down at Owill, his smile obscured by a bushy mustache. \"You really found it, you son of a gun,\" he repeated himself, unable to stifle an excited chuckle. \n\nThe egg pulsated with heat as the creature inside writhed around. Owill could feel its power emanating in his hands and through his forearms.\n\n\"We can celebrate back at the stronghold,\" the other said sternly. \"The muskets are going to draw every one of those things for miles!\"\n\nHe stared ahead, \"C'MON! LET'S MOVE!!\"\n\nOwill laughed to himself as the soldiers carried him away through the dead forest. He was saved. As he stared down at the egg, he realized that so too may the world be saved should they play their cards right. \n\nIt was the first step in a long journey to set things right.\n\n- - -\n\nIf you enjoyed this, consider following me at r/A15MinuteMythos <3"
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[WP] Born with unparalleled talent for necromancy you were shunned by society, but you are determined to use your gift for the good of the world.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I spoke to them in turn, and they were able to speak through me. And in this discourse we shall save the world.\n\nI walked the frigid halls of my laboratory, deep within the ice, and relayed messages between my guests. They weren't going anywhere, not that any wanted to leave. I granted them a bit of immortality, a life given to helping the world after their mortal frame perished. They had all donated their bodies to me for this task, and at first the enormity of the undertaking had overwhelmed me. But as the years wore on, and the bodies stacked up, so to speak, complex obstacles were rendered trivial as I passed expert knowledge between them, and in turn they offered precise solutions to my procedural problems.\n\nI helped them live on. I helped them finish their life's work. Many were incredulous of my ends until the research came pouring out. One of the first things I solved through them was building a conduit to dictate for me, as to free my time for higher tasks. I've not been able to fashion a device or spell to let them speak among themselves, but we work on it from time to time as we can.\n\nI could easily animate them, but their mortal bodies would rapidly decay, leaving their brilliance to rot into gurgling zombified bodies in a matter of days. They donated themselves to me because they knew I specifically avoided using people like that. It wasn't right.\n\nToday I was moderating a fierce debate between philosophers about the nature of undeath, as they called it. I didn't understand much of it, and they took great pains to not insult my work, but it came through that way regardless. I relayed a group of messages for each to ruminate upon. I added to each, that although their bodies are unchanging, their minds were pliable, and that was all the evidence they needed of the miracle I provided. A thanks would suffice, I needed no worship or special favor for all the work I do.\n\nI moved on to the next task, charging the engineers to design more robust casks for their storage, with space provided to allow the aforementioned intercom system to be installed, if we ever find a design. This work was even more obtuse than the philosophers, and I did my best to transcribe things exactly for them, as it made my future tasks easier.\n\nI was finishing my time with them when an alarm went off. I dropped my magical pen and walked briskly to the heart of the complex. I could see a force of dozens staging at the main entrance of my compound, surely that meant dozens more were probing for any weak points to gain entry. Checking the other cameras confirmed this suspicion. I relayed this briefly to each of my guests, and my mind was filled with a cacophany of responses that were variations on a theme. Don't let them take our work away!\n\nIt had been a long while since I flexed any magical muscle apart from what was needed to maintain this solemn laboratory. And the one mind that I had been lacking throughout this experiment was an operator, I very much craved access to that type of experience. As I deployed lethal countermeasures at almost every entrance, one nondescript side door slid open, long enough for three well-armed men to enter without hesitation, as if they caused it themselves. They would make valuable additions to my collection, and would fill a glaring vacancy in my expertise.\n\nI hadn't taken any experts by force, but I had little choice but to defend my laboratory in real time, with the chorus in my mind egging me on. Our work will continue!"
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[WP] It's 1899, and you are the first dedicated electromancer. Every other mage laughs at your choice ofafic, except the fortune teller who is terrified of you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"As I trudged to see my friend Barnabas for my monthly fortune telling, I wondered if it was too late to turn around and call in sick. Barnabas was a friend I'd met during my introductory classes at Morgania University, the \"first school to teach magic in England, and determind to be the last\", where mages of all ages and backgrounds congregate to be taught by the finest minds in magic. You can certainly tell that Morgania was the first school to teach magic, given that some of the buildings seem entirely held together by the magic infused in the bricks. There's been a ban on earth magic use by students, and the earth elementalists have their own wing of the university, far far away from the old buildings. It wasn't always so, but one year a particularly gifted student failed the last exam, and unleased an earthquake that leveled all the buildings not protected by spells.\n\nBarnabas has chosen to specialise in fortune telling, or as he prefers to call it \"operationally variable foresight\". There are some powerful fortune tellers out there, most working on wall street, or, if they're ethically inclined, disaster relief and emergency services. But mages of that power are few and far between, and Barnabas is definitely not one of them. He uses me to practice his fortune telling, and he's been right a few times, but not enough to have me seeing him becoming successful with it. He's gained the unfortunate nickname of Barny-bass, given his eccentric nature, and the fact that when he concentrates his magic, he pulls a face that makes him look like a fish. Still, who am I to judge, I don't need to see the future to know that Barnabas is going to howl with laughter the moment I mention choosing Electromancy as my specialization. Oh well, I've arrived at his dorm, time to get it over and done with. I knock. \"It's open, come in!\" Barnabas's voice calls.\n\nAs I open the door to his dorm room, I'm greeted with\n\"What took you so long? Aren't you meant to be as fast as lightning?\" I scowl at him, which makes Barnabas mockingly leap away and cower on his bed, saying \"oh no, please don't shoot me with lightning, O great Electromancer!!!\", before proceeding to double over laughing. \n\n\"I take it you heard about my specialization, then. Come on, let's get this over with, come be wrong about my future for the umpteenth time..\" I sigh. Barnabas and I assume the usual positions, and I feel a slight change in the air as Barnabas collects and focuses his magical energy. He really does look like a fish... oh well. I close my eyes, and let my friend tell my fortune. I hear an audible gasp, but unlike the dramatic trickery Barnabas has pulled on me before, this one sounded different. I open my eyes to check if everything is alright, and see Barnabas, who has backed away from me, his face aghast, looking more frightened than I have ever seen him.\n\n\"Barnabas, what's wrong? What did you see?\" He only looks at me and shakes his head, trying and failing to speak. Finally, he manages to speak, in a hoarse, terrified voice.\n\n\"I saw you uniting with a man, and together you create wonderful and terrible things. I can't even wrap my head around what you two do with Electromancy... I see a massive invention gone wrong, you... you get mad, lightning starts crackling off your skin with anger, and the invention catches a stray bolt, and explodes. It... destroys everything. You, destroy everything.\"\n\nI'm shocked, completely and utterly shocked. I can't even generate a spark, let alone have lightning coming off my skin. What Barnabas saw must be wrong, has to be wrong. It's insane.\n\n\"Barnabas, who is this man? Did you see his name, or anything I can identify him by? I have to stay away at all costs!\"\n\n\"Yes, I saw his name, written in lightning... Tesla. Nikola Tesla\"",
"Wellies. That was the great secret. \n\nFor centuries all types of the arcane have been thoroughly explored and mastered by mages who dedicated their lives to their respective arts. Pyromancers control torrents of flame and can burn down a forrest in minutes. Hydromancers can flood entire towns or irrigate entire countrysides at will. Electromancers can ... well until now they could cause someone to get a static shock. Irritating at best, utterly useless for the most. Deemed the lowest form of elemental magic, barely stronger than a wool scarf, electromancy is the laughingstock of the sorcerer's society. \n\nThere are other 'weak' kinds of magic, one of them is fortune telling. Although it doesn't grant physical power like the elements, it grants glimpses into the future, the past and the beyond. It is for such a glimpse that I have come to the layer of Sintel, a very specialised fortune teller. \n\n\"Have you found a way to boost it?\"\n\nBy looking into what could be, Sintel doesn't really find out what will happen but instead can give ways to shape the future instead of following it blindy.\n\n\"Better yet, I found a way to boot it!\"\n\nDamn fortune tellers, always so cryptic. \nHis smile faded quickly from his face, then he continued: \n\n\"Turns out there is a way. But unlike those elemancers it's a lot less ... flashy.\" \n\nDifferent types of magic draw their power from different sources. Adding a source enhances the magic. It is the reason why pryos carry phenix feathers and hydros mermaid scales.\n\n\"What is it? I need to know!\" \n\nI am determined to find a way to unlock electromancy's power. If lightning can obliterate our home, there must be a way to enhance that little prick of a shock. \n\n\"Well I have good news and bad news. the bad news: the enhancement is called a 'battery' and won't be invented for a few decades..\"\n\n\"The good news?\"\n\n\"You've been doing it wrong. Everyone has. There is a certain trick to it that no one ever bothered to find out, except for you. Well not technically you per said. But you would, in one of the not too unlikely futures. Then again you're probably the only one actually trying to learn electromancy... Show me what you got: shock me with a full blast!\" \n\nHe laughed mockingly. I start to focus. I listen deep within and ground myself. With deep breaths I summon all the might I can and unleash it all into him. Torrents of power flow through my body, leaping towards him. A tiny spark flies from the table up to the soothsayers hand. He barely moves until he leans closer.\n\n\"Look, after I tell you, please be careful with your aim. And do me a favour: don't come back to my village. Promise me. I know you'll keep it. The trick is to not touch the ground while casting\"\n\n\"How the ... How am I supposed to jump while focusing? Tell me, I promise to leave forever\"\n\n\"You will be loved feared and remembered. The thing you have been looking for is...\""
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[WP] You hear it. Scratching, scrabbling. Sometimes, faint music. It's not the neighbours. You don't have neighbours. Someone is living inside your wall. You whisper into the socket. "Hello?" They answer.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"((I wanted to write something outside of my native language, so please accept this shitty A2 French story that makes zero sense. French writers, I’m desperate for your criticism.))\n\nLes murs chantent à nouveau.\n\nJe ne bouge pas de ma chaise. Mes doigts creusent dans mon accoudoir. Mes respirations sont courtes. Mon cœur danse. \n\n*Partez, s’il vous plaît s’il vous plaît s’il vous plaît*\n\n*S’il vous plaît, je ne peux pas sortir ma chaise*\n\n*S’il vous plaît, avant je fais quelque chose qui je ne devrais pas faire*\n\nLes murs chantent. Mon corps répond. Mon poids est trop saillant. Je suis tombé à travers la chaise. Je suis noyé dans la chaise. Tu ne vois pas? \n\n*Tu ne vois pas?*\n\nLes larmes coulent sur mon visage. Je ne peux pas sentir. Peut-être, j’ai été transformé en pierre.\n\nCe n’est pas les voisins. Je n’ai pas de voisins. Mais les murs chantent et ils ne mentent jamais....\n\nLa maison tremble maintenant. Elle rampe dans mon estomac. Je veux m’échapper. Je veux mourir. La maison rampe dans mes poumons. Je veux respirer. Je veux mourir. La douille vibre. Longue doigts avec ongles peints passent par les trous et les sépare. Une femme se déploie et roule sur le sol. \n\n« Pardonnez-moi » elle dit.\n\n« Je ne sais pas qui vous êtes.\n\n- Ce n’est pas un problème. Voulez-vous aller dehors? »\n\nJe regarde par la fenêtre.\n\n« Il pleut.\n\n- Ce n’est pas une problème.\n\n- Je vais être mouillé. Je n’en ai pas envie.\n\n- Venez, malgré tout. Ce vais être amusant. »\n\nElle me serre le bras. \n\n« Viens. \n\n- Je ne peux pas sortir ma chaise.\n\n- Vous le voulez? »\n\nJe me tortille.\n\n« Je ne sais pas.\n\n- La pluie n’est pas mauvais. Votre corps est douloureux, n’est pas?\n\n- Vous avez raison.\n\n- Vous n’avez pas beaucoup de temps.\n\n- Ah?\n\n- Viens, viens. Il pleut. J’ai habité dans votre maison pour un long moment. Vous êtes très triste, toujours. \n\n- Je ne connais rien de mieux.\n\n- Alors, dansez avec moi avant le temps devient beau à nouveau. »",
"I approached my wall with trepidation. The only opening on it was an electrical socket that I hadn't used since I first moved into the house, which was separated from any neighbors by at least one cornfield. I steeled myself and lowered myself down, close to and level with the socket. \"Hello?\" I whispered into it.\n\n\"Hello??\" was the voltaic answer I got in response.\n\n\"Holy shit!\" was my reaction. I reeled back while trying to straighten my legs and fell backward on my ass.\n\n\"Woah! What in the-\" the voice stopped abruptly and immediately followed with, \"*Bzzt!*\" Except the *Bzzt!* wasn't an electrical sound, it sounded like a vocal approximation of an electrical sound. The voice that came from the socket had literally vocalized an onomatopoeia.\n\nImmediately confused, I let a few seconds pass before I said, reasonably, \"What?\"\n\n\"I said, *bzzt!* Wait, no I didn't, the socket did. Wait, I mean I didn't say anything.\" The socket voice paused. \"You didn't hear anything.\"\n\nMore seconds strolled by. I couldn't form a coherent response before I got back on my feet and stared at the socket for a good moment. \"What?\" Such eloquence.\n\n\"I said I didn't, wait, I said nothin-\"\n\n\"Are you... do you live... are you, wait,\" I stuttered, interrupting both the voice and myself. \"A-are you inside my wall?\"\n\n\"Uhhhhh...\" The voice seemed to stall. The sound itself seemed to have a circuit-like twinge to it that I couldn't quite place, almost like a humming undertone. \"The short answer is yes.\"\n\nThe socket was talking to me.\n\nMy brain stalled. There was no clock in the room, but seconds ticked by in silence.\n\n\"You're in my wall.\"\n\nWell, phrasing it as *your* wall is a bit rude, but sure.\"\n\nA socket was *sassing* me.\n\n\"Who are you?\"\n\n\"That's none of your business.\"\n\n\"How did you get there?\" I asked almost idly. Some small part of my brain registered that I was being conversational with my electrical socket.\n\n\"We moved in two weeks ago. We noticed the energy surge here and came to scope this spot out, and found it to our liking.\"\n\n*We?* Two weeks ago. That was when the noises from inside the wall first started. *An electrical socket, or the whatevers inside the socket, knows what weeks are?*\n\nI was talking with an electrical socket!!\n\n\"So, are you - *you,\"* I said with confusion and mild ambiguity, \\*\"\\*responsible for the... noises?\"\n\n\"You mean the party? And us moving furniture? Yeah, that's been us. Sorry you had to, like find out this way.\" The voice spoke with an awkward lilt, somehow.\n\n...\n\nA voice... from the electrical socket... in my wall. Vocalized... *voiced*... an onomatopoeia. *Bzzt.*\n\nAnd... was talking with me?\n\nHuh. How do I approach this?\n\n\"Why, uh, why did you go *bzzt*?\"\n\n\"That was my immediate attempt at trying to get you to not think I was talking.\"\n\n\"From the socket?\" Half of what I said was simply the first thought popping into my head.\n\n\"Yes, but this is simply our link to outside the wires in the wall, here.\"\n\nHow forthcoming, this socket voice was. My hand came up to my face and massaged my temple.\n\nI cannot emphasize, more strongly, that an electrical socket in my wall was talking to me. With a voice that sounded oddly like it had a personality. Considering it was coming from an electrical socket. And I was talking back to it.\n\nOut of shock or amusement, I must have mumbled this out loud? Because \"Hey, I heard that,\" was what the outlet voice said after. What the fuck.\n\n\"You said,\" I tried for words, \"you live in the wires?\"\n\n\"Right, that's what I said.\"\n\nSynapses... come on... there, one fired! Wires; they live in wires. In my wall. Some \"we\" lives my wall. In the wires. The electrical circuits.\n\n*What Disney property about arcade game characters did this remind me of?* Wires... they carry electricity. *Duh. Right?* I was not an electrician. Anyway. Electricity. In the house. It... Electricity is in circuits, which is controlled by...\n\n\"Circuit breaker!\" I yelled. Well, *the* circuit breaker, but thanks, synapse. Okay: no time to process. Just act.\n\n\"Woah, what!? Wait!\" the socket voice yelped as I *jolted* from my spot and sprinted through my house to the basement. If the voice said anything more, I didn't hear it as I barreled down stairs and into the closet that had the circuit breaker.\n\nWhat was I doing? You see, my logic was simple. Electricity people living in my wall in wires. Thus, electricity shut-off means no electricity running through wires. No electricity means no electricity people.\n\nWas I correct? Probably not. You see, this was a lot for my brain to process. My brain immediately looked for a solution to deal with electricity people in my wall, which shocked the hell out of me. Perhaps unfortunately, my instinctual solution was to obliterate said electricity people. Oh, well. They probably weren't contributing to paying my mortgage.\n\n*BZZT!* That was the sound of everything in house turning off at once as I flipped the switch on the circuit breaker. It didn't sound like an oddly human onomatopoeia this time. Silence prevailed. I waited a few minutes before I switched everything back on. I could hear the mechanical noises of devices - no voices - as the whirr of electricity returned to the house.\n\nOkay, time to process. I headed back up to the room where the wall with the talking socket was. I pulled up the chair to my desk and stared at the wall, waiting for something, anything.\n\nNothing.\n\nI sighed and leaned back. I stared at the ceiling now, instead. The adrenaline slowly drained out of my body.\n\nWhat.\n\nIn.\n\nThe.\n\nWorld?\n\nWhat had I just come across? The noises from my wall. There was music once, even. That was spooky enough. It went on for about two weeks. I don't know where I got the idea, but I decided to work up the courage to do something appropriately superstitious: talk to the electrical socket in the wall.\n\nSome great idea that turned out to be. That *should* be a sarcastic comment, but it had more accuracy to it than I wanted. The socket talked back!\n\nMy hand came back up to massage my temple. Boy, I felt like I was about to pass out. Was this something supernatural? Magical?\n\nThe socket voice chose then to come back to life, no different than before. \"Hey, so what was that sudden fit of-\"\n\n\"No,\" I said evenly, even nonchalantly, before I passed out in my chair. I fainted from shock, perhaps sustained shock, perhaps accentuated by sudden exhaustion. Not dealing with that without a bout of unconsciousness in between, thanks. \n\n\\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nI most likely took some creative liberties with electrical engineering and anatomy in this response. I'm also not sure if I like the pacing in this, so I welcome any feedback. I took the prompt and ran with it. Regardless, thanks for the read!"
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[WP] You and all your siblings have been turned into monsters. You are now a ghost, your older brother is a demon, your older sister is a vampire, your twin is a mermaid, your little sister is a dragon and your little brother is a werewolf. Too bad that your parents are monster hunters.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Caitlyn hugged her noncorporeal legs as she watched her other five siblings huddle into the room. Emma had the most trouble in the cramped space, but everyone was having troubles of their own and they didn't pay much attention to the way that smoke curled from her reptilian mouth whenever she spoke. \n\n\"All right,\" Bethany said carefully, mindful of her mouth of jagged fangs: \"we have a major problem.\" \n\n\"It's definitely a curse from someone.\" Cassandra burbled from within the floating orb of water, up near the ceiling. She had to stay near Adam or else the spell would collapse in on itself and she'd already nearly suffocated once when the curse took hold. \n\nCaitlyn's body lay in the corner of the room, where nobody had to look at it. For Caitlyn it had been traumatic enough to see her hazel eyes already clouding over, and a ghost was the least troublesome thing to be turned into. \n\n\"I think,\" Adam said, idly scratching a sigil into the floorboards with a talon: \"that mum and dad must have crossed a witch this time.\" \n\n\"Makes sense.\" Emma agreed.\n\n Her hoard was makeshift, mostly stacks of ammunition, cutlery and costume jewellery but we'd had to hurry to gather together anything that glittered or shone before she lost her mind, after the curse took hold. Daniel paced up and down, growling restlessly to himself each time he caught the scent of my corpse. \n\n\"They'll probably not kill Caitlyn or Emma, but that's a different story for us.\" Cassandra pointed out. \"We need a *plan*.\" \n\nAdam frowned and patted his head. Caitlyn looked across at him and thought she'd surely got off lightly because the huge, curling ram's horns didn't look comfortable. Neither did his cloven hooves, nor Emma's draconic body with its rough scales. \n\n\"I might be able to come up with a disguise.\" he offered. \"I feel like there's a lot of power I could use.\" \n\n\"No, no. They'll see right through it.\" Caitlyn said quickly. \"They've been through the Rite of Veil-Piercing.\" \n\n\"Can you think of any gaps that we might be able to use?\" Bethany asked. \"You're in training yourself.\" \n\nCaitlyn shook her head. \"Only an apprentice. All I can say is that if we try to hide somewhere conventional they'll track us down in no time. There's no way they'd leave it alone if we all just dropped off the map in one go.\" \n\nBethany chewed her nail thoughtfully and cast a nervous glance towards the window. Even up here, she wasn't safe. There were countless traps in the house that would kill a vampire instantly, but there was no place to hide from the morning sun when it did finally rise. Daniel ceased his pacing and ran down the stairs from the attic, to the lower levels. He moved on all fours sometimes, as if he wasn't quite comfortable with being in his semi-human body; but when he returned, he had a heavy book clamped in his mouth. \n\nAdam took it, holding one corner between his index finger and thumb as he glared at the teeth marks and drool, but when he opened the heavy tome it crackled with arcane power and what might have been blank pages at one time burned into legible text. The six siblings leant forwards, all of them craning to have a look at what the words said. \n\n\"Lineage curses?\" Emma wondered. \n\nCaitlyn nodded. \"I've heard of lineage curses before. They follow a family line and strike when someone's of age. But it should only-oh no.\"\n\n\"What?\" Adam said, impatiently. \n\nCaitlyn looked up at the others. \"Mum and dad are really proud that our family's a long history of monster hunting right? One of my projects was to trace how many monster hunting families we're linked with.\" \n\n\"Okay....\" Cassandra frowned. \"So you think that we've *all* fallen victim to lineage curses at the same time, and different ones at that?\" \n\nCaitlyn nodded as she grabbed for her mobile phone and failed, her intangible hands slipping right on through. She swore under her breath.\n\n\"Will someone message Nicky and Paul? I'd put money on them having the same problem. Only they don't know our family's full of monster hunters, do they? Uncle Martin married a normal because he wanted out of this life.\" \n\n\"Shit.\" Adam realised as Daniel whined at the thought. He reached for his phone, taking care not to break it with his new demonic strength and dialled. \n\nThe siblings waited in tense silence as Adam tapped the end of his pointed tail against the floorboards, listening impatiently for an answer. Eventually someone did answer, but Adam frowned and stuck his free hand over his ear to listen better. \n\n\"Nic-Ni- *Yes, Nicky, we know!*\" he roared eventually, hellfire flaring briefly on the tips of his horns. \"Just take a deep breath, it's not that b-*yes*, I know what you're saying, but just google the answers to the riddles. We're on our way, okay?\" \n\nAdam hung up and stared at his siblings. \"Paul's turned into a sphinx and Nicky's freaking out because he keeps changing shape. Before I rang he said he was a horse with chains hanging off his body.\"\n\n\"Ah, a pooka!\" Caitlyn said, brightly.\n\nCassandra looked around the attic. \"That's great and all, but how are we going to get our monster mash over to them without the normals seeing?\" \n\nEmma blinked her enormous sapphire-like eyes as Bethany took account of their varied appearances, but Adam seemed unphased. \n\n\"Easy.\" he said. \"A Veil over Emma and she can fly us all over. They've a big garden, don't they?\" \n\n\\--------\n\nr/Eight_Legged_Pest"
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[WP] In a world where everybody has a DnD alignment, your alignment is cartoonish evil.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Flummoxed, I insisted I to the Paladin that I was not Chaotic Evil or (worse) Chaotic Neutral! Nor am I a purveyor of mischief and pranks, my machinations have deep and long lasting ramifications!\n\n>You used transmutation to make all pies apple or cherry, regardless of ingredients. How is that not mischief?\n\n\"How is it mischief? I only like cherry and apple pies, my selfishness makes others suffer until they bend to my preferences!\"\n\n>You turned a mountain around to divert a river. Destroying an entire economy when the river went dry, and flooding what had once been a temperate valley.\n\n\"The incessant babbling made me have to pee. Those \"communities\" should have chosen a better place to live!\"\n\n>You removed the left arm of all left handed people.\n\n\"Have you ever had to sit next to one at dinner? Dreadful creatures! Constantly bumping their elbow into yours. Good riddance!\"\n\n>Perhaps you safe cartoonishly evil. I can think of no justice more fitting than this. \n\nI gulped audibly. The holy knight threw back his azure cloak, revealing his right arm as he reached over his shoulder to grab the mallet from his back.\n\n>You may not want to squirm too much. It's awkward using this with one hand."
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[WP] A pair of astrophysicists are having a quiet night at the observatory running a data analysis of a recent deep-space survey. Suddenly, the program finds an anomaly. When they take a closer look, they discover that several distant galaxies have disappeared, inexplicably, from the images.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\\[Stellar Intrusion\\]\n\n“What happened to all the galaxies?” Whitney asked. The wispy scientist tossed a clipboard on the desk in front of Doug; it landed on the angled lid of a pizza box and closed it as he pulled a slice free.\r \n\r \n“Huh?” Doug asked as he picked up the clipboard with his free hand. He took a bite and looked at the top page. It was a plain black square. Numbers around the border told him he should be seeing stars. “‘Gon?” he stated the question with a mouth full of pizza. He spun around in his chair to face Whitney and finished chewing. \r \n\r \n“Glitched?” he asked. Whitney narrowed her eyes making her thin silver brows angle down.\r \n\r \n“You didn’t arrange this prank?” she asked. Doug shook his head and leaned back in his seat to give her a better view. He lifted the lid of the pizza box and revealed it was empty.\r \n\r \n“Been here all night,” he said. Whitney stood up straighter and crossed her arms.\r \n\r \n“I’ve checked everything that could have caused it and ran the sets multiple times; that’s what we’re seeing right now.”\r \n\r \n“Huh,” Doug commented, then took another bite. Whitney sighed.\r \n\r \n“Tech support… this is going to be such a fun night,” she said. The moment she turned around to leave, a loud doorbell chimed all around the messy office. Whitney turned around to complain about the volume of Doug’s ringtone but a blood-red door stood between them now.However, she noted Doug’s black bowl-cut peeking around the side from behind it. The matte-white doorknob jiggled, then the door swung open before Whitney could say anything. \r \n\r \n“Hi!” a young brown-haired girl smiled at Whitney from inside the door. The girl stood next to a lean man that looked to be around Whitney’s 38 years.Whitney could see dozens of trees and a messy forest floor behind them. “May we come in?” the girl asked. Doug walked around the door to find out who was talking.\r \n\r \n“Whoa, hey! Yeah, c’mon on in!” Doug said. He waved them in, Whitney was too confused to stop him from introducing them. \r \n\r \n“I’m Doug, that’s my boss, Dr. Whitney Ellys,” he said.\r \n\r \n“Hey, I’m Astra, and this is Oz,” the girl replied. Oz waved and nodded at them. Whitney’s focus remained on the trees beyond the door.\r \n\r \n“So… this is kind of weird,” Doug said. “What’s going on?” he asked. Astra giggled. \r \n\r \n“We’re on a quest,” she said. “Well, he’s on a quest,” she gestured at Oz with her thumb.\r \n\r \n“Nice!” Doug said. “That sounds like a ton of fun. So...what’re you doing here?” Oz looked around at the lab. It was a utilitarian room with white walls and a white floor. Computer stations lined two of the walls, including one with a pizza box and clipboard on it. \r \n\r \n“I don’t know yet…,” Oz said. He moved to the desk and picked up the clipboard to study the picture. “What’s this?” he asked. \r \n\r \n“Computer glitch,” Doug said. Then, he chuckled and added, “It’s supposed to be a section of the universe; but, we’re not seeing any of the galaxies for some reason.”\r \n\r \n“Oh!” Astra said. “That’s not a glitch.”\r \n\r \n“What’d you say?” Whitney asked. Her attention was finally off the forest and she stared at Astra.\r \n\r \n“Huh?” Doug asked.\r \n\r \n“What?” Oz added. Astra nodded at the clipboard.\r \n\r \n“The picture is right.” Whitney turned to the red door, then back to Astra.\r \n\r \n“Where did you come from that you think that?” Astra giggled.\r \n\r \n“A different Earth. I’ve been to lots of different Earths.” Whitney blinked, then shook her head to get past the surprise.\r \n\r \n“That’s impossible, they can’t just disappear.” Astra locked eyes with Whitney and smiled. “It’s just a computer malfunction; those galaxies existed up until this morning.”\r \n\r \n“Did they?” Astra asked. “According to your instruments?”\r \n\r \n“Hold on,” Oz said. He gestured at the still open door. “You said this was my quest, right?” He asked, but continued speaking. “When we came here, I had it in mind that I wanted to know more about the universe; I wanted to visit an Earth that’s met aliens. Why did we land on an Earth that doesn’t have any galaxies for those aliens?”\r \n\r \n“Ooooh, well that’s easy,” Astra said. “No matter what Earth you visit there’s one thing that’s always constant. Aliens and other galaxies and planets?” she asked. “They don’t exist.”\n\n\\*\\*\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1275 in a row. (Story #180 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit (r/hugoverse) or my blog."
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[WP] The power of friendship is actually an extremely powerful energy source that can power hundreds of cities, tech, and has enough energy to create suns.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"On the war torn planet, there is only the scattered remnants of Humanity, eking out a miserable and pitiful existence in the remains of their once great society. The apocalypse has changed the world and the remnants of civilized society. People are fearful now, they avoid others. Relationships are now dictated by respect, by one's contributions to their neighbors and village. The word is not uttered, so fearful and hated is the noun.\n\nAnd yet, there are a handful of scholars who have retained and carefully cultivated knowledge of the great disaster that befell their species. They know what happened and seek to ensure it will never happen again.\n\nIt is said in ancient tales and whispered stories that Humanity discovered a great power. At the height of their society, they would plan to use that power to revolutionize the world. But with that power came the revelation of treachery, of deceit and lies. Humanity was brought low in a matter of weeks, as the species turned on one another with fury and wrath.\n\nThere are few details on how this happened, so many records having been damaged or lost during this end of times. Some claim fire rained from the heavens, others that the earth opened up and swallowed cities whole. And these are the most 'sensible' of explanations, after all only gods could create suns to obliterate entire nations.\n\nThere is one video however. Buried deep within the deepest of dungeons and hidden in the darkest of corners, there is a record of the moment when friendship was first discovered and hell was unleashed on mankind.\n\n--------------------------\n\n*The video starts at the end of a scientific demonstration of some new device. There is a large crowd in attendance*\n\n\"And so ends the presentation of this revolutionary new charging device. Two mere acquaintances can generate enough power to charge a mobile phone. It is our hope that with continued research, we can develop our understanding of this 'Friendship power' to generate free, clean and renewable energy far into...\"\n\n*A sudden disturbance is seen to the left of the camera. Focus is turned away from the presenter and is placed on what appears to be a married couple*\n\n\"YOU FUCKING BASTARD. I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST YOU!\"\n\n\"Honey, I'm sure there's some reason the mobile isn't charging, maybe the device is faulty, there's no need to cause\"\n\n\"THE POWER IS DRAINING FROM THE PHONE YOU HALFWIT. WHO IS IT?! DIANA? CHERYL?\"\n\n\"IT'S YOUR MOTHER YOU CHEAP WINE SWILLING WHORE\"\n\n*The woman picks up the device and hits the man with it. Other people in attendance also begin noticing that things aren't as they seem*\n\n\"The hell?! I thought we were best friends?!\"\n\n\"Yeah that's right! I hate you and your idiotic childish beliefs!\"\n\n\"I'm only tolerating you so I can get to your boss!\"\n\n\"Your 2 inch dick couldn't satisfy her!\"\n\n\"I'LL KILL YOU\"\n\n\"Cut the feed, CUT THE FE-\"\n\n--------------------------\n\nOops, hit reply in the wrong place",
"Friendship is magic. I do not know why people here laugh when I say this. Where I am from it is a very serious matter. When my people hear those words they grimace and nod, and remember the long history of our land.\n\nA young person may think the strength in their arms is power. You may think the strength in your metal machines are power. But these things are naught. For the power within us all eclipses that power. It is beyond comprehension. Bigger than the world. Bigger even than the stars in our heavens. It is how we were created, and it will be the cause of our demise if we let it. \n\nLegend says it started with the Band of Seven. They looked after one another, valued each other, and grew close with the challenges they faced. They were not without mishap or sorrow, but through friendship they overcame all challenges. The kingdom they built was mighty, and all looked up to them with a sense of gratitude and shared burden. \n\nBut time passed. \n\nAfter decades of living together, the Band of Seven split up. With the best of intentions, they sought to explore the world as individuals and learn what they could not find together. For a time things were peaceful. But when they reconvened they were different. Experience had changed them, and none could agree on what was most important. Some of the Seven grew angry at their lack of agreement, and withdrew themselves. Gratitude turned to resentment. They refused to share the things that had once been owned by nobody. \n\nAnd that was when the kingdom fell. We did not, as you might suspect, build our houses from this magical substance called friendship. Our foundations were built of stone and mortar. However, we would soon find out that stone and mortar were not as solid as we thought. Like love turned to anger, stone could turn to liquid under our feet, and pull us down, down, down into the darkness below. \n\nThis history unfolded a very short time ago. And what happens next will seal our fate. The only thing left to us is faith. Faith that the seven will return and value one another over all else they have accumulated. It isn't a belief that things will return to what they once were. That can never happen. But perhaps the seven would no longer see one another as different or separate. Through friendship we would become one again, and our problems would once again be shared.\n\nI see you smiling. You think this is a joke, that I made the whole thing up. I didn't. That magical land exists, and I left it a short time ago. I fled for the safety of a new land, with new rules on how water flows and fire burns. But the longer I stay here, the more I feel this is untrue. This is not a different land. And while no one here knows the tale of The Seven, I fear we are all bound by the same fate."
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[WP] you're starting to get tired from your argument with your neighbor Steve even after hours of back and forth he still didn't want to open the door so that you can eat his brains and the rest of the horde is getting hungry.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Dude! Come on, you’re being a real buzzkill here!” \r \n\n\nRicky slapped the baby-blue door in frustration. He had been waiting outside Steve’s house for hours and the prick still hadn’t let him inside. The high-pitched trill of cicadas filled the summer air. This did not help Ricky’s mood.\r \n\n\n“J-Just go away already!” Steve called from the second floor window.\r \n“Steve, buddy. You know I can’t do that bro!” Ricky replied through gritted teeth.\r \n\n\nThe two men went way back. Last year, Steve had moved in next-door and from day one Ricky knew that the Sigma-Pi house had found its den father. From there it was simple as pie. Sure, Steve was a bit peevish and a bit annoying sober…but get a few Natty Lite’s in him and he was the life of the party. That was why Ricky was so patient. He knew it was only a matter of time before the big guy gave in and joined the fun!\r \n\n\nToday however, Steve’s sobriety fucking sucked. \r \nRicky cupped his hands and called out, “Whaddya say I run to Lou’s and grab us some beers bro? Then you can open the door and we can chat inside.” \r \nRicky heard some grumbling behind him. His buds were getting antsy, and he wasn’t sure he could keep them in a good mood for much longer. There was the sound of something heavy sliding against wooden flooring upstairs. However, Steve did not reply. \r \nRicky sighed and stepped down from the front porch. Time was almost up. He fished in his pocket for a cigarette and then a Bic-lighter. As he lifted the stale cigarette to his mouth he heard a loud \\*PLOP\\*. \r \n\n\nLooking down Ricky noticed a pile of what might be his kidney and some intestines. Fucking great. Ricky shook his head and continued with lighting the cigarette in what remained of his left jaw. The blood-red sun had just started to dip below the other houses. All two hundred of his remaining fraternity brothers waited patient behind him.\r \n\r \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\r \n\n\nSteve was sweating. It was summer and the air-conditioning was of course off, but that wasn’t really why. This was a cold-sweat. The ancient, reflexive response of an animal in fight-or-flight mode. The instinct of a man that knew his death drew near. \r \nWhat that old adage left out was the third type of adrenal effect Steve was currently \n\nexperiencing. Paralyzing, fear. He had not left his 2nd story bedroom all day. \r \n“Dude! Come on, you’re being a real buzzkill here!” Ricky’s voice shouted from outside. \r \n“J-Just go away already!” Steve pleaded.\r \n\n\nPlease. Please. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. Why couldn’t they just let him be? It had been this constant back and forth. Ricky had been trying to coax him outside since early this morning and Steve couldn’t understand it. There was an entire city, ripe for the picking – yet they chose to come to HIS door this morning.\r \n\n\nToday was Sunday, and by now he should have been eating spaghetti and winding down to prepare for the work week. Instead, Steve was in a many hours long negotiation with a dead person! No not a person, a THING. \r \n\n\nHe had finally gained the courage last night to stand up to Ricky. Steve was the older man, yet he always found himself being manipulated into joining their parties. He couldn’t help it. When the going got tough, Steve just gave in. Last night was finally different. \r \nRicky had shown up at ten o’clock – obviously inebriated and banging on his front door. Steve reluctantly unlocked the bolts and opened up. From there the pair started their usual back-and-forth: where Steve explained that he was too tired to do this sort of thing and Ricky called him a “bitch”. Usually, Ricky would then find some way to reason that Steve was “the life of the party” and pressure him into having a couple of beers.\r \n\n\nHowever, when Ricky started his monologue this time, Steve interrupted. \r \n\n\n“I am a 30 year old man Steve. Hangovers last a couple of days and aside from that you guys don’t actually like me! You just want entertainment for the night, and do you know what? Enough is enough. I’m going to sleep and your little frat house will have to do without me!”\n\n\r \nRicky had 50 lbs. of dad-bod on Steve, but in that moment, Steve felt like a giant. Ricky’s response, however, was strange. Instead of getting angry or trying to coax Steve further, he had an almost sad look on his face. Steve didn’t say another word and drunkenly walked off of Steve’s porch. \r \n\n\nSteve was still riding the high of having stood up to Ricky last night, but funny enough that pitifully sad look was all Steve could think about in this moment. This moment, seemingly minutes away from being devoured by a horde of college kids! \r \n\n\n“Whaddya say I run to Lou’s and grab us some beers bro? Then you can open the door and we can chat inside.” Rick sounded from below.\r \n\n\nSteve anxiously considered his options: he could try running out the side door, but then he would be trapped between his back fence and a mass of zombies. He could continue negotiating, but Steve had proven his posse was going nowhere. Or he could end it. Rather than facing a cruel fate he could prevent the torture of being cannibalized.\r \n\n\nThe third option sounded unfortunately like his only choice at this point. Steve fished in his drawer for a belt and moved a chair to the balustrade in his hallway. A dignified decision for a man at the end of his rope. Ha! Steve chuckled in dark amusement.\r \n\n\nAs he looped the belt, he kept thinking about Ricky. Why had he seemed so sad last night? The prospect of Steve not joining should not have had that kind of effect. They weren’t friends…were they? Steve’s mind flashed to the many other weekends of Ricky bringing leftover barbeque or inviting Steve to watch a football game.\r \n\r \nMaybe they were friends. Maybe Steve had been so caught up in living his 9-5 life and maintaining the dignified lifestyle of his work colleagues that he hadn’t realized what was right in front of him. Ricky, despite being 10 years his junior was an alright guy. Flawed and caught up in the trappings of his youth sure. But Steve was just as trapped in being a stodgy old man.\r \n\r \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\r \n\n\nThe metal clang of a latch being unlocked. The creak of ungreased hinges pivoting. The remains of today’s sun touched Steve’s face one last time before giving way to evening. The air was still as Steve and Ricky stared at each other.\r \nA half-grin perked on the remains of Ricky’s face as the tension vanished. \r \n\n\n“One final party man!” Ricky cried out with joy. \r \n“One final party.” Steve copied, with the resolution of a man meeting his fate-accompanied by a true friend."
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[WP] Satan's child gets kicked out of hell for being too nice
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Adam Sandler awoke, furious at Hollywood. Sequels, prequels, animated adventures, Netflix spin off series, alternative timelines…they had cloaked their plagiarism in flattering “praise” for the last time. It would be one thing to re imagine one of his classics…Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, Billy Madison….any of these could weather the storm of a shorty Reddit writing prompt…but lil Nicky? How could they do this to lil Nicky?!? The movie sucked the first time around, the characters were weak, no subtlety or nuance…it was Keitels worst screen performance by far…it would never be able to withstand being written again. It must be stopped. This a lot like the plot of the movie lil Nicky, have you seen it? It’s really bad.",
"Satan was furious. How can his own flesh and blood turned out like this? Conceived with the Succubus's Queen under a blood moon, on-top an altar made from dead angels, surrounded with the dying wail of thousands of sacrifice, his son should've be in his image, dark and evil, fit to sit in the council of the Hell Lords. \n\nInstead Zarael, his son, is the exact opposite of him. He cares for others, including the damned souls that littered the plane. He wept when a demon dies in the Underworld Arena. He talks to the eternal watchers and gate keepers. He even manage to help some souls to ascend to heaven. \n\nFinally Satan had enough. During a monthly meeting with Hell's General, he roared his frustration toward his son at the opposite side of the table, and demanded he act more like himself. When Zarael's timidly answered no and say he will never do it, Satan banished his son out of hell with a spell, not caring where he will end up. \n\nFinding himself at the edge of a wood, Zarael dusted himself and start to wonder. What Satan didn't know was Zarael did inherit his traits. Just as he was cast out from heaven for rebelling against the world of God, his son was also a Rebel. Unwilling to blindly follow his fathers' plan, he is determined to make his own path in the world, unchained by fate."
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[WP] After buying a random game, you select the difficulty and set it to “Easy”. The power goes out, and when it comes back on, the game is gone. However, you notice that you can do many things you couldn’t before now...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"‘My hands are tingling... What the fuck is going on?‘, thought Ted. “These rolling blackouts are getting really old, really quick,” said someone in the distance. Ted turns around to see where the voice came from, but it was pointless as everything was completely black.\r \n\r \nA sharp pain in Ted’s shoulder sparks sudden awareness that he’s not in the same place he was before. In fact, this doesn’t look anything like the Button Masher’s Gaming Longue. “When did the lights come back on?”, he whispers to himself. \r \n\r \nA sudden gasp of panic arises when he sees something metallic on his legs out of his peripherals. “Holy shit!”, he shouts. He stands up suddenly, knocking his chair over. The chair falling startles him and a ball of light blasts out of his left hand, obliterating a large block in front off him. Staring down at his newly metallic hand, he realizes that there’s no hand there any longer. The space where he used to hold his cigarettes while playing Super Smash Bros. is now a bulbous cannon-looking apparatus. \r \n\r \nTed looks up and notices a massive yellow and red robot holding an equally massive bomb that has a fuse slowly dwindling down. The machine throws it. As it’s mid-air, Ted looks at the cannon where his hand used to be. He takes aim for the bomb and hopes something manifests from it. A ball of light starts to form at the end of his cannon hand...",
"Super Criminal Tycoon 2? Sounds crappy, but what the hell?\n\nAfter paying for the game (it wasn't even in the bargain bin-- standards these days), I left GameStart and headed home with a new game and expectations of disappointment lying in wait for me on the living room sofa. Honestly, I'm not sure what I was thinking, accepting a bet from that prick Lorenson. Screw him for all I care.\n\nI got home, put the game cartridge in my Nintendies Swap, and opened the game. The design looked basic, as if there wasn't much effort put into it, just as I'd predicted. It started in the city of Dalidia, with a simple store; a cramped fish shop, in fact. How does that even wor-? You know what, I'm not gonna ask questions. In the back of the fish shop was a door. You opened the door, you came to me. Now, I, \"Henry Tuckicino,\" (no, I'm not bullshitting you) \n was a simple man who offered protection services. Some guys smoking weed outside your flat? I'll take care of them. Worried your son's hanging out with the wrong crowd? No problem. I was the guy you came to if you had an issue with someone. And I would always make sure that that issue was, well, taken care of.\n\nAs time passed, I became more and more powerful, with more money available to me at the snap of my fingers. But it was all too slow. The upgrades cost too much, and I wasn't making enough. Side cash from the fish business passed into my hands, but it wasn't enough, nothing was enough for me. Aggravated, I went to the Settings, there should be some sort of Helper mode there to speed up the gameplay. There, I found three difficulties: Pickpocket, Robber and Kingpin. Pickpocket was obviously the easiest one, so I chose that. \n\nThe game faded to a black screen. Wait a minute.. hold on, I'll finish typing this later, I feel a bit.. gro...gleglugluglug..\n\nIn a parallel universe, Henry Tuckicino found himself in a different area of Dalidia, where the rich drank the nights away and restaurants had reservations years in advance. Suddenly, he had a gang of ten men, and his fish store had been replaced with a small trading market. What the hell had happened? Moments ago, he had been contemplating his life choices in a smelly backroom that reeked of dying fish. Now, he had a newly hired group of seven men, and he didn't know what to make of it. Was he.. was he dreaming? Did he get killed in a freak accident or something? What the fuck happened? Don't tell me he was on drugs or something, because he didn't do that road.\n\nEventually, he gave up, telling himself that it would be better for him if he didn't know how it worked, and with his crew, he began to gain confidence. Henry Tuckicino was no longer a protection agent, but he was now a full-fledged criminal. They began planning simple raids on small jewelry stores, even a local bank once. With more money came more goons, and his career began to skyrocket.\n\n**Super Criminal Tycoon 2 updated: Robber mode on**\n\nHenry and his men started setting their eyes to bigger scores. Jewelry stores were street change, left in the dust. I'm talking banks-- big motherfucking banks, and you know what Henry and his guys did, yeah? They would walk into the damn building, with fucking Payday masks, you remember that game Payday 2 back in 2013 or so? Yeah, so they'd get the clown masks from those games and put them on during these jobs. Banks, home robberies, one time they tied up this guy and his family, was part of the Dalidia Detective Division, and they executed the guy, right in front of his fuckin' family. Now, that was hilarious.\n\nTuckicino began a slew of businesses that his hired men would oversee. From gun running to drug dealing, from printing counterfeit money to producing a variety of drugs, Henry's criminal enterprise grew, and he was at the top of it. Business was booming, the cops turned a blind eye as cold, hard cash was slapped into their palms in the middle of the street, and anybody that turned it down would find themselves in the Dalidia Dam. As Henry's power increased, so did the attention from other crime syndicates in the city.\n\n**Super Criminal Tycoon 2 updated: Kingpin mode on**\n\nEventually, the Tuckicino Clan and the Belzogina Family crossed paths, resulting in a shootout, with the Tuckicinos barely escaping. Henry was enraged, and to calm him down, he began to use. Tuckicino let the drugs go to his head, and the power along with it. He began to treat his men like shit, including the original ten who had served him since the start of the bank heists. The man slowly turned into, essentially, a modern Scarface. Instead of having a sit down with the Belzoginas to bring their quarrel to peace, he declared war on the family, vowing that he wouldn't stop \"hunting each and every last of those motherfuckers until they're all shot down by MY guys! MY GUYS!\" The upper-class areas of Dalidia, once peaceful, were now zones of war and chaos, where Death himself thrived, where you couldn't walk a single block without seeing a corpse.\n\nAnd then, that day came.\n\nIt was an unusually brutal and bloody day. But on that day, the Belzoginas were winning. And with each street block, they were pushing the Tuckicinos back, further and further. At this point in the history of the Tuckicino-Belzogina crime war, seven of the original ten, Henry's most trusted men, were killed or captured by Belzoginas. Two of the trusted came to Henry's office, advising him that they accept surrender. Over half of their clan was wiped out by now. In response, Henry took out a pistol from his desk's drawer.\n\nHenry loaded the gun.\n\nHenry aimed at the trusted man who spoke.\n\nA gunshot was heard inside the office. Shortly after, another gunshot was heard inside the office. \"You shouldn't have fucking messed with me, asshole.\" A man briskly walked out, trying not to be seen.\n\nInside, one of the trusted was on the floor, a red hole through his forehead as blood spread across Henry's carpet, with a spray of blood on the wall behind him. In his chair, Henry Tuckicino lay slumped in his chair, gasping for air as he looked down at his suit, now stained with a bloody bullet hole in the chest. He made an attempt to get up, collapsing to the floor. Wincing, with one hand over the wound, Henry stumbled along the ground, in a desperate bid to reach the door, to get someone, *anyone,* to help him. He pushed against the ground, and got to his feet. He staggered across the room, and tripped over the trusted's corpse. Henry continued to crawl towards the door.\n\nHenry got up.\n\nHenry fell to the side.\n\nHenry got up again.\n\nHe reached towards the doorknob, and with all his might, turned it, pushing forward. As the door swung outwards, Henry fell yet again. He scraped the ground as he pushed himself to his feet, walking like a drunk man. He staggered, towards the elevator, smudging the elevator button with his blood. The doors opened, and he walked in, fell to his knees, and died before his body collided with the floor.\n\n911 was dialed, but nobody came in response. Why? Well, it was simple; remember how I said earlier that the Tuckicino Clan had bribed the Dalidia Police Department? Well, the police had assumed that the Tuckicinos were up to no good, and they decided to stay out of the way like they were paid to. One of the very things keeping Henry's empire afloat was, in the end, one of the two things that killed him in cold blood. Well, that, and a loaded gun. \n\nOn that day, Henry Tuckicino died, and no one knew who killed him. The war ended as quickly as it had came, and with it, a forgotten legacy of pain, corruption, and wealth.\n\n**Deleting Super Criminal Tycoon 2. Confirm?**\n\n**Yes No**\n\n**>Yes No**\n\n**Confirmed. Deleting...**",
"\"Enjoying your new abilities?\", a deep voice said.\n\nJohn nearly jumped out of skin and whirled around to see man sitting at his kitchen table. The man sat perfectly upright, almost as if to ensure he wouldn't crease his dark black suit. His black gloved hands were folded over one another on the kitchen table. What little skin he could on the man appeared to be only a couple shades lighter than the suit he wore. The only splash of color the broke the ensemble was a single silvery ring on his left ring finger. The black hat he wore was tilted down over his eyes, but the John KNEW the man was watching him intently.\n\n\"Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?\", he tried to sound manly and threatening but his voice suddenly cracked embarrassingly. Damn puberty.\n\nThe man made a motion with his hand indicating the boy should sit. When it was clear John wasn't going to comply, he refolded his hands.\n\n\"I assure you I'm not here to harm you. If I were, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.\" The man once again motioned for John to sit.\n\nJohn was hesitant, but then again this wasn't the strangest thing to happen today. There was the weird power outage, the game he just bought vanishing into thin air, and then...wait, that's right! He no longer needed to worry about people threatening him. Not after what he discovered when the power came back on.\n\nOk, John thought. I can handle this. John made his to the end of the kitchen table and took the chair directly across from the man. \n\nAfter a moment, the man spoke. \"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Pen. I'm a member of an organization that is dedicated to locating, protecting, and training Random Intelligent Simulation Anomalies, or RISAs. I have been assigned to take you on as my charge to protect and train until you are deemed capable of being on your own.\"\n\n\"Wait what? RISA? Is that what...happened earlier? Some sort of anomaly?\"\n\n\"In a matter of speaking. Most anomalies don't directly involve a person. Most people just see or feel the effects, such as deja vu, the feeling of being watched, or a sudden feeling that something isn't quite right. If an anomaly does affect a person directly, it usually just results in a physiological reaction, like becoming unconscious or severely disoriented. In almost every case, the anomaly repairs itself and everything continues on as normal. In rare circumstances that we still don't fully understand, an anomaly can become...attached to someone. When this happens the anomaly doesn't repair itself and the person is suddenly exposed to the probability space the anomaly erupted from.\"\n\nJohn let that sink in a moment. \n\n\"So what your saying is that, when I tried to play that game earlier today one of these random anomaly things happened and...latched onto me?\", John asked, a little incredulously.\n\n\"So it would seem,\" Ryan replied.\n\n\"And these anomalies give people powers?\"\n\n\"Sometimes.\"\n\n\"Sometimes? What happens if they don't get powers then?\"\n\nRyan paused for a moment before responding. \"We will have other opportunities to discuss such matters. For now, our time is short. Our organization isn't the only organization out there locating RISAs, and they can be decidedly less cordial.\"\n\nJohn had seen enough movies to know what Ryan meant. \"Ok, so now what? Do we get together on weekends? Have deep philosophical discussions about the nature of the universe? A training montage with good soundtrack?\"\n\n\"You will be taken into the organization and formally registered. After that, you will live in the Locus to work, study, and train. When deemed fit, you will be able to chose an appropriate anomaly assimilation profession based on you skills and abilities.\"\n\n\"Hold on, are you saying that I have go and spend the rest of my life in this place like some sort of monk? Just uproot my life and my future just because some stupid game decided to glitch out? What about my life here? What about my mom? What about my friends?\"\n\n\"You must severe all ties with your current life. For their safety.\"\n\n\"And if I say no you're going to what? Kill me?\"\n\n\"No. Others will. And if they can't find you they will find your friends and loved ones. That's also assuming you don't destroy yourself trying to use your abilities without proper training,\" Ryan looked down at where John's hands were pressing into the table, \"Like you're doing now.\"\n\nJohn suddenly looked down at his hands. Small brilliant purple tendrils of electricity danced across his hands and had started scorching and etching the wood. He yanked his hands up quickly and beneath his hands was nothing but smoldering blackened wood. \n\nJohn stared at his hands. At the moment he realized that what Ryan was saying was true. What would happen if he lost his temper? Or had a bad dream? He had no idea what the extent of his abilities were, but even something like what just happened could start a fire and burn down a building. He WAS a danger. Not just to himself, but to others. He looked back at Ryan, who gave the slightest nod.\n\nJohn looked back down at the charred wood on the table. \"I understand. But can I at least...\" John began, but Ryan cut him off, abruptly standing up looking around as if he could see through the walls until he focused on one particular point.\n\n\"Impossible! How did they find us so fast?\" Ryan whispered, staring right through a wall. It was at that moment that John say Ryan's eyes for the first time. The irises were a brilliant glowing gold, like a cat's eyes, except they were actually glowing.\n\nRyan snapped his arm out and grabbed onto John's shoulder, \"I'm sorry John, but I cannot give you the luxury of time. Somehow, we've already been tracked. We have to go. Now.\"\n\n\"Can't we just whoever it is off?\"\n\n\"No. I possibly could. You could not. At best you'd be a liability. At worse you could be a weapon of mass destruction that could kill hundreds or thousands of innocent people. We have 30 seconds. Make your decision.\" With that, Ryan half-walked/half-dragged John over to a closet door in the wall of the living room. Once there, he raised his silver ringed hand in front him, concentrated for a moment, then rapped it sharply against the door.\n\nBefore John could ask, Ryan explained, \"My anomaly abilities are spatial in nature. As long as there is a door and place I've been to before, I can usually create a temporary spatial distortion to link the two places.\"\n\nWith that, Ryan yanked opened the closet door. Instead of a rack of coats and floor covered with discarded winterwear, there was a well maintained dirt road lined with tree running off into the distance. The lighting made it look like it might of been close to sunset, and a light breeze brought with it the smell of fresh leaves and summer grasses.\n\nSuddenly there was a faint keening noise coming from the front of the house. As John watched, the wall started to disintegrate. Not crumbling into pieces, but simply becoming not there. As if there were never a piece of wall there to begin with. At least, John was having trouble recalling there ever being a wall there. It was just always like that, wasn't it?\n\nRyan shook John out his stupor, his eyes piercing into his.\n\n\"Stay or go. Last chance,\" Ryan asked, briefly looking back at the disintegrating wall. John knew he would die if he stayed. He knew others would die if he stayed. But isn't this what every teenage boy dreamed off? Having something weird happen and suddenly gaining powers to save the world or setting off on some wild adventure? Now John was experiencing first hand why you should be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.\n\nHis old life was over. He knew as soon as he set foot through that doorway, his existence was going to be erased. His friends, his mom, everyone was going to purged of their memories, assuming whoever these assholes were didn't get to them first. It would all be done to protect both him and them. There really was no choice, but that didn't make it any easier.\n\nJohn nodded and Ryan then shoved him through the closet door onto the hard packed dirt road. He stepped through after him and slammed the door shut. Even though John was looking right at the door as it faded out of existence, he was having a hard time remembering that a door had been there. In fact, his mind kept telling him, he was absolutely sure no door had ever existed there, and he was definitely sure he did not walk through a closet door onto a country road, yet here he was. These experiences were beginning to make him feel dizzy, and a bit nauseous.",
"I didn’t really notice at first what powers I had possessed after the lights went out. All I was thinking about was the game. It must have been so powerful that it made my power go out for a few seconds, definitely not something I want to play.\n\n“Whatever” I say out loud to no one.\n\nI stare into the blackness of the shut off computer before hearing my stomach growl. I must be hungry. Just as I get up, something appears. It’s like an in game GUI telling me all sorts of stats. \n\nI jumped back, startled. The GUI follows me. I rub my eyes but the GUI is still there, staring at me menacingly.\n\n*Hunger: 36%*\n\nI blink.\n\n*Hunger: 35%*\n\nI run to the kitchen and find something edible. An apple. Sure, that might work.\n\nWhen I grab it, a new screen pops up telling me about the apple.\n\n*Gala Apple*\n\n*Quality: Medium*\n\n*Effects: Hunger++ Hygiene-*\n\nI shrug off the screen and prepare to eat the apple.I bite into it, chew, then swallow.\n\n*Hunger: 37%*\n\nAnother bite\n\n*Hunger: 39%*\n\nAnother bite\n\n*Hunger: 42%*\n\nAnother bite\n\n*Hunger: 45%*\n\nI finish my apple and marvel at this new stat screen.\n\n*Hunger: 53%*\n\n*Energy: 86%*\n\n*Thirst: 75%*\n\n*Fun: 77%*\n\n*Hygiene: 64%*\n\n*Sanity: 45%*\n\n“Oh, I guess I do feel a bit insane right now.” I say out loud to the nonexistent crowd following me.\n\nI start to wonder what would happen if I touched the GUI. I reach out my hand and tap the hunger stat. It felt sort of like smooth glass, similar to a computer screen.\n\n*Hunger. Replenish your hunger by consuming nutritious food.*\n\nYeah no duh I eat things replenish my hunger. \n\nI notice an arrow button in the corner. I tap it and the GUI changes. I am now viewing a GUI with inventory slots and a full picture of me. A button at the bottom says, *customize character*. I get excited and tap it. \n\nThe button turns the GUI into a character making screen but instead of a generic videogame character, it’s me. I suddenly realize this could mean I can change my appearance. \n \nI dash to the bathroom and Infront of the mirror. \n\n“Let’s see if this works.” I say to my reflection.\n\nFirst I try hair color. I tap it and a color wheel pops up. I decide on a shade of blonde and look back at the mirror in surprise. My hair went from brown to blonde in an instant.\n\n“Yes! What else can I do?” I say while looking back at the GUI.\n\nI try eye color, black to green, green to purple, purple to all white, and then back to black.\n\nFacial features! I play around with my face. First I make it look ridiculous, as anyone would do, and then I make myself look like a model, as anyone would do.\n\n“Perfect!” I say to the now stranger of a reflection I have.\n\nI exit the character making GUI. \n\n“Time to head out with this new body of mine!” I say out loud to no one, again.\n\nI live in an apartment building pretty close by to some pretty nice shops. There are tons of fancy people walking around, and I fit right in!\n\nAs im walking, I notice another GUI but above everyone’s heads. It shows me stuff about them like their name, age, career, and mood. Surprisingly, a lot of people were in a bad mood. It was probably because of the heat, it gets really hot around here during the summer months.\n\nI keep walking until I start suffering from the heat as well. I retreat into a nearby clothing store for sanctuary.\n\nI decide to pretend I’m shopping. I’m really going to investigate as many objects as I can.\n\n*Blue Dress*\n\n*Quality: Good*\n\n*Price: 49.99*\n\n*Seller: Tops&Downs Outfitters*\n\n*Effects: None*\n\n“Interesting” I say to myself.\n\nI continue my investigations until I see something odd. Someone walking around the store has something on their GUI that nobody else has.\n\n*NPC’s Quest: Kill the player*\n\nHold up, what??? A quest? That wasn’t on anyone else’s GUI!\n\nThe person spots me, and then gives a smile that looks a little too wide. She comes over to me.\n\n“Hello {Player}, time to meet your demise.” She said.\n\nI don’t know how but I somehow heard the {} in her sentence. I look up at her GUI again.\n\n*Name: Your demise*\n\nHah how clever. Despite this funny wording, she was going to kill me.\n\n“Die!!! :D”She said happily while holding up a black knife with veins of glowing red on it.\n\nI somehow heard the smiling emoticon in her voice as well.\n\nI run out of the store quickly with her closely behind repeating, “Die!!! :D” over and over and over again in her happy unsettling voice.\n\nI loss her when I duck inside a cafe. Maybe if I change my appearance, she won’t recognize me. \n\nI walk over to the bathroom. It’s locked. A sign hanging on the door handle tells me why. “Restrooms are for customers only.” Oh, it’s one of these places.\n\nI go over to the counter and just order overpriced water from *Fiji*. \n\nWhile in the bathroom, I change my appearance a bit. I still wanted to look like a model, but I made myself look like a different model, as anyone would do.\n\nWhen I walk out, I notice the murderous woman who is trying to kill me inside the cafe with her knife out screeching at the top of her lungs. The barista is frantically calling the police.\n\nThe woman spots me. I prepare for the worst, but then, it doesn’t come. She doesn’t recognize me. \n\nI realize that I’m safe and walk out.\n\n“Ok, maybe I should go back home and see what this game is about and why it gave me these powers.” I say to myself before starting on my walk back home.",
"There was no description. Just 'Adventure' a new game from [Favorite Developer]. And a price of $20.\n\nI'd liked every game they'd come out with so far, so I made the purchase. The load screen didn't give much in the way of hints either. After it was loaded a menu popped up.\n\nI selected 'New Game'. Then when the next menu came up I selected easy difficulty, as I still knew absolutely nothing about this game. I'm a veteran gamer, and actually pretty good at most games, but taking it easy for a while is a good idea to learn the controls, then I can load up a new game and play seriously. \n\nThat's what I thought, anyway.\n\nAs soon as I selected 'Easy' there was an apparent power surge. Everything went black. Which actually caused me some concern because my battery pack should have kept my computer on long enough to properly shut down. \n\nEverything started up again and after a quick check of the house, I sat back down and decided to play the game for a while before knocking off for the night.\n\n\"What the...?\"\n\nThe game was gone. It wasn't in my library. Neither on my desktop, nor in my cloud library. When I searched for it again on the site, it wasn't there either.\n\n\"$20 isn't a lot,\" I grumped, \"but they better not have charged me for that. Or the better give me the game I paid for, or it's equivalent.\"\n\nGetting into bed, I laid down and was suddenly sitting up at 6am. I felt refreshed and full of energy, but it seemed the whole night had passed in the blink of an eye.\n\nGoing to the bathroom I used the toilet, took a shower, and shaved.\n\n*Doot-a-doo*\n\nI heard a little tune. Then I noticed a little icon flashing down in the corner of my vision. It definitely was only in my vision as it stayed in the same spot relatively, as I looked around. Concentration on it, it opened up in to 'menu'.\n\n-Congratulations! You have completed the daily quest 3-S's!-\n\n-100 Points Awarded!-\n\n\"What in the actual f###?\"\n\n-Caution! Easy mode selected! Swearing is not allowed! First warning! 1/3-\n\n\"Oh sh-\" I cought myself, I didn't often curse anyway so that shouldn't be a big issue. I'd just have to be mindful.\n\nI moved about in a daze, making breakfast, and netting a daily quest reward for another 100 points. Before I realized it I was running late for my bus. \n\nI had a car, but the bus was more eco friendly, and as distracted as I was I didn't trust myself behind the wheel. I rushed out the door and started jogging to the bus stop. Only after getting on the bus did I realize I'd just run four blocks, and hadn't even broken a sweat. Where I'd at least have been breathing heavy before. \n\n*Doot-a-doo*\n\n-Congratulations! You have learned skill 'Run'!-\n\nAs I'd be on the bus for close to an hour, I figured I should check out this 'Menu'. First rule of gaming, \"Check All Tabs\". I have no clue what is going on, but hey, I'm a veteran gamer, I got this.",
"\\[Easy - Normal - Hard - Super-Mega-SkullFuck-Supreme\\]\n\nWords lingered in front of Benish's eyes, slowly lifting away the dark veil of the room he sat in as music exuded from his brick-looking tv. Benish thought long and hard, fiddling the bags of trash that sat underneath his feet. The lights above him flickered as rain smacked against the rigid metal roofing of his home, droplets of water leaking in through minuscule cracks that littered the walls, buckets sat underneath them so that his home wouldn't flood.\n\n*Cough*\n\nHoarse coughing was heard from underneath the blanket of the futon he'd usually slept on. The coughs were deep, shot out from a third lung that seemingly blinked into existence to make room for enough air. It was his mother, withering away underneath the stained, dirty, rotten blanket.\n\n\"Shut up!\" Roared Benish, tossing a half-empty soda can at her warty, wrinkled forehead, causing her to shut her mouth, doing little to muffle her raging sickness. Her skin was pale, her lips dry, and her eyes a silky, milky-white. Her body thin and hair was nonexistent, or maybe it was too thin to notice, like a spider's web in the dark.\n\nHer muffled cries continued, causing Benish to lose control of himself, throwing his controller at her with full force.\n\n\"Shut the fuck up!\" He raged, a dirty, disdainful smack echoing through the hollowed room as whimpers escaped from her dried orifice.\n\n\\[You've picked easy!\\]\n\n\\[Welcome to the Abyss!\\]\n\nBenish cried, outdoing his mother's frail wailing. His eyes were inflamed, tears leaking down to his double chin, to his neck, and even to his bountiful man-breasts as snot leaked from his hoardy nose that struggled to inhale even a tidbit of fresh air. He was clothless, wearing nothing but a pair of undersized tighty-whities with stains strewn about every inch of them.\n\n\"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!\" He raged on, slamming down against the tv as his mother whispered, ignored by his outburst of anger.\n\n\"I-I'm s-sorry...\" She stammered out, reaching for a half-empty bag of chips that Benish had forgotten. The chips were moldy, stale, and dirty, but it was a meal.\n\nShe digs her shaky hand into it, the bag rustles, turning Benish's rage to her once more as he punched his tv screen for a final time, causing never-before-seen colors to splinter his cracked screen. The tv falls to the ground, knocking over a bucket of water as he began to waltz toward his mother with a rage befitting of a lone soldier standing his ground against an entire battalion. His nose was scrunched, his eyes boggled, and his fleshy arms lingered above his mother.\n\nHe brought down his hammer of a hand, going for a blow on her head as the shattered tv screen began to talk once more. Benish ignored it, slamming down as hard as he could as he shouted with sadness stricken over his demonic persona.\n\n\"Dad died because of you! It's your fault... It's your fault... It's your fault!\" His wrath only continued to rise the humid air around him became palpable.\n\n\\[Easy mode selected! No fighting!\\] The tv screeched as Benish found himself unable to move as the lights overhead flickered more than usual.\n\n\\[Easy mode selected! Healing sick family!\\]\n\n\\[Easy mode selected! Resurrecting lost family!\\]\n\n\\[Easy mode selected! Restoring house!\\]\n\n\\[Easy mode loading!\\]\n\nBenish's hand jittered, unable to smash down on his helpless mother as it shook endlessly in the air, hovering above her already swollen-looking face.\n\n\\[Easy mode loaded! Enjoy a relaxing life!\\]\n\nThe tv shuts off as Benish heard a knocking on the door. He walks to it unconsciously, his feet moving without his permission as the knocking grew louder and louder. His hand grasped the doorknob that shined from the light of the consistent lightbulb that lingered above, dangling back and forth as sweat dripped down his Cheeto-dusted face.\n\nHe turns the knob, seeing a tall, bulky figure sitting above him, greater anger residing on the man's face, greater than Benish had ever known. Benish jittered, taken aback by the man who walked into the house, setting down a thick, black, heavy suitcase with a thud, creaking onto the hollow wood that was the floor.\n\n\"Martha!\" He shouted, cupping both his hands around his mouth, boosting his booming voice as it echoed across the living quarters that Benish had lived in.\n\n\"Samuel?\" A voice called back with sheer ecstasy escaping from their revived heart. It was Benish's mother, now completely restored to her prime self.\n\n\"D-dad?\" Benish stammered, eyeing his father as he sat still like a statue, this time from of his own free will.\n\n\"I-I...\" water continued to leak from his jacket, or was it his eyes? He sniffled, wiping away his stoic face as serenity befell it, kissing Martha on her once dried lips, now reinvigorated with life.\n\n\"I've missed you for so long. Even in heaven, I could only await paradise,\" Samuel spoke out as tears shot from his eyes, wetting the ground more than the spilled buckets could ever dream of.\n\nHe lets go of her face that he held with both of his hands, embracing her with a hug before he turned his attention to his son.\n\n\"I've seen what you've done. What you've become,\" Samuel stated, slamming his fist into Benish's gut with a heart-stopping, gut emptying punch to the stomach, forcing Benish to puke out reddish, orange gunk onto the now laminated ground.\n\n\"But... It's my fault you're this way. I'll help you. You don't need to be this way anymore. I feel your pain. I've felt your pain. I am your father, and I forgive you.\"\n\nBenish whimpered, tears leaking from his bloodshot eyes as he stumbled backward. He cried, he cried so loud, so hard, like a baby taking its first breaths. Whether it was from the pain of being hit, or the emotion of seeing his father, he embraced his father with a hug as his father reciprocated, hugging him tightly as the tv screen died out, uttering a final set of distorted last words.\n\n\\[Thank you for playing!...Normal mode loading.]",
"My cursor hovered over 'easy' for a good long while.\n\nThere was no shame in selecting this difficulty, right? Look, the developers even said this is for those who wanted to enjoy the story! Plus, I've never played this sort of game before! Years of being inundated by silly, disdainful internet comments shouldn't matter, right?\n\nAnd yet, the cursor continued to float there, an unnatural brick hanging in the sky. This choice was far more difficult than it should be, and a sigh usually reserved for the important things in life--like selecting the correct brand of toilet paper (Which ply? How many rolls? Do they have cute dolphins?)--inadvertently fizzed forth.\n\nWas there something so wrong with wanting experiences to be easier? Not to be filled with blood-curdling repetitions, anguished screams of failure, or tears of frustration? Not at all. Not at all, right? And yet this strange sensation persisted, a volatile cocktail of irrational anxiety and internalized worry.\n\nNo matter. I am going to click it. I am going to be strong, and click 'easy'. And so I did.\n\nA sudden darkness pulled itself over my eyes, and just as quickly, it was gone--a velveteen magician's sleight of hand. The game was no longer there, instead replaced by black. I tapped the monitor, pressed the button. There was no resuscitation.\n\nThe cussing under my breath was temporarily interrupted by a chime from my phone. I picked it up--Rob had messaged me about our later meeting. My fingers readied themselves over the keypad, expecting to find letters that were instead replaced by two unnecessarily big blocks.\n\nYES and NO.\n\nI chuckled briefly. There must have been some sort of firmware update. Maybe this was drunk mode, preventing you from typing the most embarrassing string of text since Fifty Shades of Grey. So I tried switching the keyboard, to absolutely no avail. I stared at my phone screen, bewildered, and looked at my monitor, and back, and back, and back again.\n\nThe hyperventilation was starting now. There was absolutely no way. I need a drink--pronto.\n\nI walked out to the living room, to the small table besides the sofa, picking up my favoured tumbler and shakily pouring alcohol in it, and taking a huge gulp. A cushion had fallen on the floor, so I picked it up and threw it back on the sofa for a matching three set that my girlfriend so dearly loved.\n\nBefore my very ears and eyes, I watched the cushions disappear to a victorious chime. Letters appeared in front of me:\n\n> Great job! All match-threes will count as double points!\n\nThis is why you shouldn't try new genres.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts",
"The internet cafe was unusual even for this part of town, even amongst pawn shops and charity shops, and all the other shops that didn’t quite belong.\n\nA neon sign hung outside it, it’s icon fizzing in the night: the handle of a red phone.\n\nAdrian should have been getting back home but he stopped dead in the street, staring at that red phone. Hadn’t internet cafes all closed down, like, twenty years ago? When was the last time he’d seen one? Not since he’d been in his mid teens when him and his friends had used to play LAN shooters inside them. FPS, they were called these days.\n\nThe door was open and the sign was lit, so he figured this place was still open.\n\nHe was married now. Didn’t play games so much. These days, when he needed to get away from problems, he drank instead. Saw different friends. Less for fun, sure, but they shared a type of alcoholic communion together.\n\nWhiskey still tainted his breath. If he went home now Carla would smell it. She was like one of those mountain rescue dogs — could smell a dying man twenty miles away. Only she could smell lies and alcohol.\n\nDidn’t those dogs have a barrel of whiskey around their necks? Not a bad life, he thought.\n\nCarla’s sister was staying over too, and she was well worth avoiding.\n\nHe stepped into the internet cafe. Figured he’d buy an hour’s worth of credits — or however it worked these days. Let the drink on his breath simmer down a little.\n\nThe place was dim but the computers looked less outdated than he’d expected. Flat monitors even, not like the boulders he’d dragged around like some like some labouring prisoner of yester-year.\n\nAll the plush swivel chairs sat empty. And there was no reception desk.\n\n“Hey? Anyone here?” he yelled, but as soon as he‘d spoken he saw the machine with the sign over it.\n\n*Purchase Time Here. All games available. Two hours minimum.*\n\nThese places didn’t have staff anymore? He guessed it made sense — they couldn’t make much money, after all.\n\nHe bought two hours. He’d only use an hour, he figured, so it didn’t much matter. The screen lit up and flashed a computer’s number: 23.\n\nAdrian closed his eyes and inhaled the cafe. Wasn’t all that nice a smell — sweat and energy drinks, mostly — but it brought back his old life, if only for a second. The life where you’d escape to somewhere like this with no worries of what waited for you back home. No worries that you’d lost your job three months ago and still hadn’t found new employment . Just, no worries.\n\nHe sat down in front of computer 23 and moved the mouse. It was already logged on. Neat. The screen looked more like a console than a PC — a smooth Netflix-type of carousel, filled with games instead of movies.\n\nHe didn’t recognise many. The few he did sort-of-know were sequels to games popular back in the day. Adrian filtered to FPS games and clicked one at random: *Apoplectica*.\n\nA woman in camouflage paint who looked like a sexy Rambo popped up behind the main menu. No Lara Croft, he thought.\n\nHe’d only just set the difficulty to Easy when every screen in the cafe flatlined. The lights flickered, and for a moment he sat alone in darkness, with only the stink of the past to link him to reality.\n\nAdrian wouldn’t have said he was scared. Just… Perturbed. But he was definitely relieved when the life came back to the cafe, the lights bursting into white, the screens booting.\n\nPower cut. Maybe not all that much had changed after all.\n\nHis computer booted to a locked screen.\n\n”Ah come on,” he said, mashing the keys. “I paid for this.” But the computer wouldn’t load past the lock screen.\n\n”Whatever.” He placed his hand to his mouth, exhaled, then sniffed. Ah, he couldn’t smell anything. He was probably fine. Just wasted a little more money he couldn’t afford, that was all.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTwo strange things that Adrian was certain would change his life happened on the way back home.\n\nThe first was the mugging.\n\nHe shouldn’t have taken the shortcut between buildings, but he did. One burly man walked in front of him, another from behind. So wide, the pair of them, that it seemed like walls were closing in on him. Or like snow-ploughs about to crush him.\n\n”Wallet,” they said. “And that watch.”\n\nIt was odd, no doubt about it. Because Adrian wasn’t the type of guy to reach out to a knife-wielding hand and to twist the wrist until it snapped. Or the type of guy that knew how to box. But soon he stood tall over two bleeding and groaning bodies.\n\nHe stepped over one assailant, unsure exactly what had just happened. He’d been there — done these things — but also hadn’t. More like he’d been a witness to them.\n\n”Sorry,” he whispered.\n\nHe didn’t tell the police. The attackers had learnt their lesson, probably. Also, it was quite a lot of trouble to file a report or whatever you had to do.\n\nInstead, he made a choice that resulted in the second strange thing.\n\nFeeling a little high after his strange victory, he treated himself — and the last little cash in his account — to an instant scratch card at a little shop at the end of the street.\n\n”Holy shit,” he said, as he scratched every little bit of foil away. “Holy shit. Holy shit.”\n\n$100,000 dollars.\n\nThis was everything. Would *change* everything! All the arguments they’d been having. The job hunt — he’d be able to take his time now. The mortage, he could pay a good chunk off. They could have a vacation together. The late honeymoon they’d promised each other. Barbados, maybe. Yes, definitely. Barbados.\n\nHe found his wife at the front door. It didn’t strike him strange her being at the front door at almost midnight.\n\n”Baby!” he said excitedly. “Baby, listen, I have some great news.”\n\n”I’m leaving you,” she said.\n\n”Baby, listen, when I was coming back home, well first two people tried to mug me and then—“\n\nHis wife looked him over. “Are you okay?”\n\n”Yes! I”m fine! It’s them that are not okay. Would you believe it?”\n\n“Good, I’m glad you are.” She pushed past him. Only now did he notice the suitcase. Only now did he see her sister’s car, headlights on, a little down the street.\n\nOnly now did he realise she was serious.\n\n”Honey, wait! Please. Listen, I won a lot of money. We’re going to be okay!”\n\nShe paused and turned to him. She was crying. “*Okay*? Adrian, we’ve not been okay in years, have we? Tell me, did you really believe we were? When did you last spend an evening at home?”\n\n”I… The job hunt’s been stressful and… Look, I won money and—“\n\n”You could have won a million dollars,” she said, looking him in the eyes. She touched his cheek very gently. “It wouldn’t fix a thing.“\n\nAnd with that, she rolled her case to the car. Her sister helped her load it, and then they were gone.\n\nAdrian stood outside his house numb and empty . Hurt and alone.\n\nIt didn’t matter what he’d won. Didn’t matter how easy things came. It was the things you had to work on that mattered. That you had to treat properly, like outdoor wood that’d rot without the right attention.\n\nHe looked at the winning card, now in his hand. All that money and he could see exactly where it’d lead. Months or years of losing himself in drink, with the friends who weren’t really his friends, just other people with broken lives and unhealthy habits. Of future liver disease and depression. All because he‘d have nothing to work for, to aim for. To live for.\n\nHe’d always hated easy mode when he’d played it. Just no point.\n\nHe held the ticket in both hands.\n\nTore it, just a tiny bit. That was all he could manage.\n\nWith a bowed head he walked inside and locked the door."
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