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[WP] Other princesses have Fairy Godmothers. You have a Fairy Godfather. He doesn't exactly grant wishes in the usual way, but the Fairy Mob always has your back. | The girl wept into her pillow, her quiet sobs fading into the night. Though she was a princess, she was not immune to the human feelings of shame, sorrow that plagued commoner and royalty alike. She wept, thinking of the shame and humiliation she had been subjected to by the bullying of the other royal princesses - her older step sisters - pushing her into the mud when they walked through the gardens, jeers of "pigs should play in the mud, even if they are royal pigs", finding her favourite dresses in her wardrobe covered in mud and wine stains, impossible to remove. All this was part of her daily life since her mother, the previous Queen, has passed away from a sudden illness, and her father the King, had taken the widowed Duchess of Durin as his new Queen, making her two daughters princesses. Dark whispers floated about the town that the beloved Old Queen had died of unnatural causes, suspiciously similar to how the old Duke of Durin had also died.
This much she could endure. But today, today was far worse. After the usual mud bath, the princess had gone to the stables to seek out Falafa, the magical talking horse, who was the only one she could share her troubles with - only to find Falafa's stall empty. The young stable hand was beside himself in grief, and could only stammer out a shaky line, "T-t-the E-e-east gate..."
It was there that she found her beloved Falafa, or what was left of her - a horse's head - nailed above the Eastern castle gate, that was only used by the servants. It didn't take much to know who had done such a heinous deed.
That evening, she had declined to come down to the dining hall for dinner, saying she was feeling unwell. She needed to grieve silently for her friend, her only friend. A knock on the door. A maid quietly brought in a silver tray, with dinner for the princess. The aroma stirred the girl from her melancholy, only to find the crowning glory of the day's horrors waiting for her on the silver dish - horsemeat sausages.
The girl wept. From a corner of her room, illuminated by dancing shadows cast by the fireplace, a dim glow emanated from a wooden pipe, a cloud of smoke lazily wafting across the room.
The girl started up at the whiff of smoke, terror gripping her heart as her eyes darted around the room, looking for signs of the intruder - have they finally resorted to sending an assassin for her, in their lust for power?
The dim glow of the pipe breathed again, another cloud of smoke wafting across the room.
"Wh-who's there? Have you come for my life?" the princess asked shakily.
"Aye, my child, I have come for you, but not for your life", came the reply, in a slow, deep, warm and gravelly voice. "Come here, Princess Anya, for I am no stranger - I am your fairy godfather - and I have been watching over you since your birth."
"Then... Where have you been all this time?"
"My child, we Fae do not usually directly intervene in the mundane affairs of humans, but we have been watching over you from the shadows, from between the leaves of the trees. When your cruel stepsisters sought to push you down onto a rock to mar your lovely face, we gently nudged you into a harmless puddle of mud. When the poisoner laced your food with deadly nightshade, the maid carrying the platter would trip and fall when a black cat dashed across her feet. The crossbowman lurking in the tree in the royal gardens was beset upon by a swarm of hornets as you walked through the garden. Alas, we can no longer rely on such petty tricks... The darkness is gathering as the Queen calls upon the powers of darkness to do her bidding, and seize the Kingdom as her own, much the same way she disposed of her former husband."
"Wh-wha-what should I do?"
"Fear not, my child. Come closer, and kiss my ring."
The princess slowly arose, trembling, as she made her way over to the figure in the dim corner. In the light of the fireplace, she could see her fairy godfather - a hard face, as though chiseled from rock, immaculately combed hair, dressed in a fine silk tunic the colour of the deep forest. And deep, brooding eyes that gazed upon the world with a smouldering intensity - yet held a warm kindness within as he beheld her. She knelt at his feet, his hand extended, a large gold ring set with a single blood red ruby perched upon his finger. She took his hand, bent forward, and kissed the ring.
"Very good, child. Know that I am your guardian, and that you are a part of our Familia. What is your wish?"
"Please, godfather..." she said imploringly. "Please save my father and I... Please, save us...."
"Very well. I am a reasonable being, but when it comes to Familia, I will not tolerate transgressions against my Familia. Rest well tonight, I will return by dawn."
So saying, the fairy faded away into the darkness, leaving only the princess kneeling before the fireplace, and the lingering scent of smoke in the room.
When they day broke, the hushed whispers across the city would call it" The Night of the Silent Knives". The nobles who had allied themselves with the Queen against the King, plotting to seize The Kingdom, some were found with their throats slit or awoke to find the severed heads of their eldest heirs in their beds. Others, closer to the heart of the conspiracy, were found dead in pools of their own blood, bodies riddled with a hundred stab wounds - along with their entire households. Two Dukes and a Count were found crucified to giant trees in the middle of the town square - trees that had seemingly sprung up overnight. And yet, the entire affair had been carried out in silence, not a cry was heard nor alarm raised. The townsfolk whispered that it might have been the work of faeries.
A clear message had been sent, and it reverberated across the Kingdom.
Of the evil Queen and her two cruel daughters, there was nothing to be found - as though they had simply vanished into thin air. A week later, three bloated corpses, bedecked in fine silk gowns and jewelry, were found bobbing in the nearby lake - their hands and feet bound and weighed down with fine gold jewelry and chains. Of their identity, there was no doubt.
As dawn broke, the Princess awoke to the sight of her fairy godfather sitting on the edge of her bed, wisps of smoke lazily drifting from his ever-present pipe, a grave smile upon his lips.
"Rejoice, my child, for it is done. Our Familia always protects our own." | Sometimes, Michelle can't help but wonder, "Is there any meaning to my life?"
All her life Michelle had been made fun of for being different from the other princesses. Each of them had been able to use their fairy godmothers to bend reality in one way or another. Michelle, however, was not able to.
She's tired of the way all the people in school treat her. She's tired of all the formalities she has to experience on a day to day basis. She's tired of how her servants and tutors constantly nag her to "behave more princess-like." She's tired of... well, you get the point.
The latest annoyance in her life comes in the form of a ball that she and the other six princesses are required to attend. It occurs once every year, and is a celebration to welcome the peace and prosperity to come.
Michelle's friend, Laura, tells Michelle that Richard is interested in her. Laura is also after Richard, and Michelle would rather not be a part of this nonsense. After a bit of discussion, Michelle tells Laura that she can simply just make a wish for Richard to fall for her, instead.
Each princess gets 7 wishes granted throughout their life. They're only allowed to make one wish every 7 years. They're raised with care such that the princesses themselves would not wish for utter chaos. Even Michelle is no exception; although she cannot make wishes, she's raised similarly to how the other princesses are raised.
This would be Laura's first wish. Her fairy godmother complies, and she happily walks towards Richard and asks him for a dance.
This would be the end of the story, if only Laura were the only one after Richard. Quite a few of the princesses would undo one another's wish by wishing the same thing. One of the perks of being a princess is that they're able to know when another princess makes a wish, and what they've wished for. Laura is furious.
Michelle isn't surprised. "Humans want what they don't have," she mutters.
"So you're a philosopher now eh, Michelle?" Her fairy godfather Cap says, appearing out of thin air.
"It'd technically be psychologist, Cap." Michelle gets up, ready to leave, until she's stopped by Cap.
"You know the rules, no leaving early. Greet everyone. Smile for at least 30 minu--- ow!" Michelle pulls on Cap's remaining grey hair to shut him up.
Michelle is sick of this atmosphere. And when she goes home she knows her parents will be upset. They'll think she's not even trying. They've already forgotten that she tried once, she really did, but was made fun of and bullied by her fellow peers.
She was simply sick of being a princess.
Fast forward 7 years. She ran away from home, graduated from a renowned university, worked her butt off to achieve success, only to realize that she was still not satisfied. Nothing she did could give her any satisfaction, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got.
That was until she heard that Laura was in dire straits. Not only did Richard dump her, she had gone into debt because of the curses of the other princesses. She was even more miserable than Michelle was.
That's when Michelle came up with an idea. Can't I simply just call Cap to get revenge? Princesses know when another princess makes a wish, and what they've wished for, after all. She feels that revenge is somehow wrong in some way or another, but can't put a finger on why.
Fast forward 6 more years.
Every princess was bound, with only their mouths free, sitting around a long table in a dimly lit room, panicking. Michelle sits on the other side of the long table.
She forces all of them to sign a contract which regulates the extent and scale of each wish. If not followed, they will meet an untimely end at the hands of the Fairy Mob. Her contract was exquisitely detailed, concise, and, most importantly, had the best of intentions for everyone. She experienced a feeling that she had been pursuing her entire life. A rush of happiness, adrenaline, satisfaction.
"Is there any meaning to my life?" Michelle has now found the answer to this question she asked herself 13 years ago. She simply wishes to bring happiness to the world around her. It was impossible to do when she was younger because of how others sacrificed themselves for her. She hates to admit it, but the lessons that she were taught back when she had lived with her parents had played a drastic role in shaping who she had become.
She would use anything and everything to protect the world and its people in her own way. Ironically, she had become, or perhaps always been, the very definition of an upstanding princess. | |
[WP] Other princesses have Fairy Godmothers. You have a Fairy Godfather. He doesn't exactly grant wishes in the usual way, but the Fairy Mob always has your back. | The girl wept into her pillow, her quiet sobs fading into the night. Though she was a princess, she was not immune to the human feelings of shame, sorrow that plagued commoner and royalty alike. She wept, thinking of the shame and humiliation she had been subjected to by the bullying of the other royal princesses - her older step sisters - pushing her into the mud when they walked through the gardens, jeers of "pigs should play in the mud, even if they are royal pigs", finding her favourite dresses in her wardrobe covered in mud and wine stains, impossible to remove. All this was part of her daily life since her mother, the previous Queen, has passed away from a sudden illness, and her father the King, had taken the widowed Duchess of Durin as his new Queen, making her two daughters princesses. Dark whispers floated about the town that the beloved Old Queen had died of unnatural causes, suspiciously similar to how the old Duke of Durin had also died.
This much she could endure. But today, today was far worse. After the usual mud bath, the princess had gone to the stables to seek out Falafa, the magical talking horse, who was the only one she could share her troubles with - only to find Falafa's stall empty. The young stable hand was beside himself in grief, and could only stammer out a shaky line, "T-t-the E-e-east gate..."
It was there that she found her beloved Falafa, or what was left of her - a horse's head - nailed above the Eastern castle gate, that was only used by the servants. It didn't take much to know who had done such a heinous deed.
That evening, she had declined to come down to the dining hall for dinner, saying she was feeling unwell. She needed to grieve silently for her friend, her only friend. A knock on the door. A maid quietly brought in a silver tray, with dinner for the princess. The aroma stirred the girl from her melancholy, only to find the crowning glory of the day's horrors waiting for her on the silver dish - horsemeat sausages.
The girl wept. From a corner of her room, illuminated by dancing shadows cast by the fireplace, a dim glow emanated from a wooden pipe, a cloud of smoke lazily wafting across the room.
The girl started up at the whiff of smoke, terror gripping her heart as her eyes darted around the room, looking for signs of the intruder - have they finally resorted to sending an assassin for her, in their lust for power?
The dim glow of the pipe breathed again, another cloud of smoke wafting across the room.
"Wh-who's there? Have you come for my life?" the princess asked shakily.
"Aye, my child, I have come for you, but not for your life", came the reply, in a slow, deep, warm and gravelly voice. "Come here, Princess Anya, for I am no stranger - I am your fairy godfather - and I have been watching over you since your birth."
"Then... Where have you been all this time?"
"My child, we Fae do not usually directly intervene in the mundane affairs of humans, but we have been watching over you from the shadows, from between the leaves of the trees. When your cruel stepsisters sought to push you down onto a rock to mar your lovely face, we gently nudged you into a harmless puddle of mud. When the poisoner laced your food with deadly nightshade, the maid carrying the platter would trip and fall when a black cat dashed across her feet. The crossbowman lurking in the tree in the royal gardens was beset upon by a swarm of hornets as you walked through the garden. Alas, we can no longer rely on such petty tricks... The darkness is gathering as the Queen calls upon the powers of darkness to do her bidding, and seize the Kingdom as her own, much the same way she disposed of her former husband."
"Wh-wha-what should I do?"
"Fear not, my child. Come closer, and kiss my ring."
The princess slowly arose, trembling, as she made her way over to the figure in the dim corner. In the light of the fireplace, she could see her fairy godfather - a hard face, as though chiseled from rock, immaculately combed hair, dressed in a fine silk tunic the colour of the deep forest. And deep, brooding eyes that gazed upon the world with a smouldering intensity - yet held a warm kindness within as he beheld her. She knelt at his feet, his hand extended, a large gold ring set with a single blood red ruby perched upon his finger. She took his hand, bent forward, and kissed the ring.
"Very good, child. Know that I am your guardian, and that you are a part of our Familia. What is your wish?"
"Please, godfather..." she said imploringly. "Please save my father and I... Please, save us...."
"Very well. I am a reasonable being, but when it comes to Familia, I will not tolerate transgressions against my Familia. Rest well tonight, I will return by dawn."
So saying, the fairy faded away into the darkness, leaving only the princess kneeling before the fireplace, and the lingering scent of smoke in the room.
When they day broke, the hushed whispers across the city would call it" The Night of the Silent Knives". The nobles who had allied themselves with the Queen against the King, plotting to seize The Kingdom, some were found with their throats slit or awoke to find the severed heads of their eldest heirs in their beds. Others, closer to the heart of the conspiracy, were found dead in pools of their own blood, bodies riddled with a hundred stab wounds - along with their entire households. Two Dukes and a Count were found crucified to giant trees in the middle of the town square - trees that had seemingly sprung up overnight. And yet, the entire affair had been carried out in silence, not a cry was heard nor alarm raised. The townsfolk whispered that it might have been the work of faeries.
A clear message had been sent, and it reverberated across the Kingdom.
Of the evil Queen and her two cruel daughters, there was nothing to be found - as though they had simply vanished into thin air. A week later, three bloated corpses, bedecked in fine silk gowns and jewelry, were found bobbing in the nearby lake - their hands and feet bound and weighed down with fine gold jewelry and chains. Of their identity, there was no doubt.
As dawn broke, the Princess awoke to the sight of her fairy godfather sitting on the edge of her bed, wisps of smoke lazily drifting from his ever-present pipe, a grave smile upon his lips.
"Rejoice, my child, for it is done. Our Familia always protects our own." | My last encounter with Princess Buttercup remains forever fresh in mind. In fact, I’m quite sure the story only furthered her fame. I am a princess too, you see. Princess Holly of the once great nation of Mocha Frappe.
Years ago, I laughed when she came happily waltzing into my court inquiring about some diamond mines I might have acquired from her territory. This little princess, barely of her thirteenth year, from the tiny backwater kingdom of Cappuccino. I threw her in the dungeons to teach her some respect. Ten days eating slop, a few beatings by the guard, and the company of her own filth should do it.
However, I was disconcerted to find her still smiling. At the end of those ten days, I gave her the little audience she demanded. It still counts if it’s in a cell of my dungeon while she’s strapped to a chair, right? She should've been scared and crying by then. Instead she just smiled defiantly, sat tall, and stared me in the eye.
She was my prisoner, yet her presence commanded the room. It infuriated me, as it still does to this day to think about it. Even my guards were silent in her company. She doesn’t even wear pretty dresses! Outside of formal galas, she always walks around in suits with an entourage of suits like the thugs they are. Damn, she’s so cool.... I mentally rebuke myself for having betrayed such envious thoughts.
I begin,” Have you had sufficient time to remember who those mines belong to?”. Princess Buttercup rolls her shoulders as much as her restraints allow, and responds,“ That damn Fairy Godfather of mine. He’s a tough old bastard, but I imagine he has the right to be after surviving for a thousand plus years in the Fairy Business. He's full of hard lessons, and always insistent that I learn them the hard way too. “The hard way builds character.”, he says. One of the first lessons he taught me was that everything has a price. You either pay up or expect the dwarves to show you what a shovel’s good for. Anyone who tells you different is either lying, or got too many participation trophies growing up.”
A barely audible snicker from the guard on my farthest left. I wished father would've considered hiring more professional guards than the local Orcs. The Orc Guard saw me looking, straightened, and ceased all expression. Of course it only infuriated me further to return my attention to Buttercup and find her amused. So i let her know,” I will not be the butt of your jokes. We’ll see if ten more days of dungeon life will make you take me a bit more seriously.” I turned to leave, with my guards in tow.
However, I found myself halted by the words she shouted at my back,“ But I’m not finished yet! So much wisdom to impart. See, old Fairy God Pops taught me another thing.... Never forget to bring a gun to a knife fight.”
At that moment, I turned at the sound of weighted armor hitting stone. All of my orc guards were laying on the ground motionless, eyes wide and staring into some void of the afterlife only they could see. Out of the shadowed corners of the dungeon walked several manner of creatures. Half Orcs, Dwarves, Fairies, and Goblins all there. Easily fifty creatures stood in my dungeon, between me and Buttercup. Even worse, they were all wearing suits. I dared not move while a goblin unlocked the cell and freed Buttercup. She stood, did a few stretches and walked out the cell. The sea of suits parted for her, as she approached me.
“Princess Holly, may I introduce you to my gun?” , as she spreaded her arms referring to the entourage. One of the Dwarves walked to her side presenting her with a suit, I imagined was perfectly tailored to her size. Buttercup stripped out of her soiled clothes, and as she put on the fresh black suit, she spoke,” I know this is probably a shock to you, Holly, but it shouldn’t be. For the mines you stole from my land, refusing to reimburse me, and kidnapping fees.... I will reimburse myself. I demand your kingdom. Right now my people are emerging out of the shadows all through this castle. I’m willing to take it by force, but you’ll save a lot of lives by just giving it to me. Choose.”
So I chose, and left the kingdom quietly. I will never forgive her. The hard way it is. Let this new path harden me and equip me for the trials to come. Some day not too far in the future, I’ll have somethings to teach Buttercup, myself. | |
[WP] Other princesses have Fairy Godmothers. You have a Fairy Godfather. He doesn't exactly grant wishes in the usual way, but the Fairy Mob always has your back. | The girl wept into her pillow, her quiet sobs fading into the night. Though she was a princess, she was not immune to the human feelings of shame, sorrow that plagued commoner and royalty alike. She wept, thinking of the shame and humiliation she had been subjected to by the bullying of the other royal princesses - her older step sisters - pushing her into the mud when they walked through the gardens, jeers of "pigs should play in the mud, even if they are royal pigs", finding her favourite dresses in her wardrobe covered in mud and wine stains, impossible to remove. All this was part of her daily life since her mother, the previous Queen, has passed away from a sudden illness, and her father the King, had taken the widowed Duchess of Durin as his new Queen, making her two daughters princesses. Dark whispers floated about the town that the beloved Old Queen had died of unnatural causes, suspiciously similar to how the old Duke of Durin had also died.
This much she could endure. But today, today was far worse. After the usual mud bath, the princess had gone to the stables to seek out Falafa, the magical talking horse, who was the only one she could share her troubles with - only to find Falafa's stall empty. The young stable hand was beside himself in grief, and could only stammer out a shaky line, "T-t-the E-e-east gate..."
It was there that she found her beloved Falafa, or what was left of her - a horse's head - nailed above the Eastern castle gate, that was only used by the servants. It didn't take much to know who had done such a heinous deed.
That evening, she had declined to come down to the dining hall for dinner, saying she was feeling unwell. She needed to grieve silently for her friend, her only friend. A knock on the door. A maid quietly brought in a silver tray, with dinner for the princess. The aroma stirred the girl from her melancholy, only to find the crowning glory of the day's horrors waiting for her on the silver dish - horsemeat sausages.
The girl wept. From a corner of her room, illuminated by dancing shadows cast by the fireplace, a dim glow emanated from a wooden pipe, a cloud of smoke lazily wafting across the room.
The girl started up at the whiff of smoke, terror gripping her heart as her eyes darted around the room, looking for signs of the intruder - have they finally resorted to sending an assassin for her, in their lust for power?
The dim glow of the pipe breathed again, another cloud of smoke wafting across the room.
"Wh-who's there? Have you come for my life?" the princess asked shakily.
"Aye, my child, I have come for you, but not for your life", came the reply, in a slow, deep, warm and gravelly voice. "Come here, Princess Anya, for I am no stranger - I am your fairy godfather - and I have been watching over you since your birth."
"Then... Where have you been all this time?"
"My child, we Fae do not usually directly intervene in the mundane affairs of humans, but we have been watching over you from the shadows, from between the leaves of the trees. When your cruel stepsisters sought to push you down onto a rock to mar your lovely face, we gently nudged you into a harmless puddle of mud. When the poisoner laced your food with deadly nightshade, the maid carrying the platter would trip and fall when a black cat dashed across her feet. The crossbowman lurking in the tree in the royal gardens was beset upon by a swarm of hornets as you walked through the garden. Alas, we can no longer rely on such petty tricks... The darkness is gathering as the Queen calls upon the powers of darkness to do her bidding, and seize the Kingdom as her own, much the same way she disposed of her former husband."
"Wh-wha-what should I do?"
"Fear not, my child. Come closer, and kiss my ring."
The princess slowly arose, trembling, as she made her way over to the figure in the dim corner. In the light of the fireplace, she could see her fairy godfather - a hard face, as though chiseled from rock, immaculately combed hair, dressed in a fine silk tunic the colour of the deep forest. And deep, brooding eyes that gazed upon the world with a smouldering intensity - yet held a warm kindness within as he beheld her. She knelt at his feet, his hand extended, a large gold ring set with a single blood red ruby perched upon his finger. She took his hand, bent forward, and kissed the ring.
"Very good, child. Know that I am your guardian, and that you are a part of our Familia. What is your wish?"
"Please, godfather..." she said imploringly. "Please save my father and I... Please, save us...."
"Very well. I am a reasonable being, but when it comes to Familia, I will not tolerate transgressions against my Familia. Rest well tonight, I will return by dawn."
So saying, the fairy faded away into the darkness, leaving only the princess kneeling before the fireplace, and the lingering scent of smoke in the room.
When they day broke, the hushed whispers across the city would call it" The Night of the Silent Knives". The nobles who had allied themselves with the Queen against the King, plotting to seize The Kingdom, some were found with their throats slit or awoke to find the severed heads of their eldest heirs in their beds. Others, closer to the heart of the conspiracy, were found dead in pools of their own blood, bodies riddled with a hundred stab wounds - along with their entire households. Two Dukes and a Count were found crucified to giant trees in the middle of the town square - trees that had seemingly sprung up overnight. And yet, the entire affair had been carried out in silence, not a cry was heard nor alarm raised. The townsfolk whispered that it might have been the work of faeries.
A clear message had been sent, and it reverberated across the Kingdom.
Of the evil Queen and her two cruel daughters, there was nothing to be found - as though they had simply vanished into thin air. A week later, three bloated corpses, bedecked in fine silk gowns and jewelry, were found bobbing in the nearby lake - their hands and feet bound and weighed down with fine gold jewelry and chains. Of their identity, there was no doubt.
As dawn broke, the Princess awoke to the sight of her fairy godfather sitting on the edge of her bed, wisps of smoke lazily drifting from his ever-present pipe, a grave smile upon his lips.
"Rejoice, my child, for it is done. Our Familia always protects our own." | I closed the door to my old room behind me, back in my old life for two weeks. It was dark, rain pattering outside as I stood in my class A uniform. I'd wanted to take off my shoes at the front door, but that would leave me in partial uniform; unthinkable. I was home for Christmas break from one of the most prestigious military preparatory academies in the country, where I was one of three girls in attendance, and the youngest female cadet in its history. I had just turned thirteen the week before, having been put up a grade in school already. I was doing well there, killing it even, with my demerits under the acceptable threshold and no hours spent marching as yet. There I was McGregor, a plebe; presently I'd get to be Lyric again, and see my parents, older brother, baby sister, and my friends.
In the gloom of the bedroom I looked for Lucky, my fluffy white cat I knew would be waiting for me... But when I saw him, and who was holding him on my bed, my heart almost stopped. Lucky purred in the hands holding and stroking him, translucent hands belonging to the man I'd tried to forget about, despite everything he'd done to help me. *My fairy godfather...*
"You wanted to see me." My godfather said in his raspy voice. "You specifically requested an audience before going to sleep last night."
I burned with rage at myself. Yes, I had wished for my fairy godfather to come back. He could make this right, what Mom had broken down and told me on the phone when we'd discussed Dad coming to pick me up for Christmas break. She'd gone from bubbly to sobbing, and had spilled what the seemingly nice guy she and Sophia always saw at the park had done to her, Sophia, my five year old sister. "I... I did, Vito." He'd let me call him that before. Would he still?
My fairy godfather barely frowned, almost imperceptible. I continued, "You know things before I do. You must know what that f..." *Well-mannered thirteen year old girls aren't supposed to say "fucker," and it isn't becoming of a cadet either.* "...What that sicko did to Sophia, and that the case got dismissed."
My fairy godfather nodded solemnly, as Lucky continued his purring. "I do know, yes. It's terrible. Why didn't you ask to see me last night?" he rasped. "You wanted to wait a day, and now you act shocked and afraid that I showed up at all. We could have talked in your room."
"In front of Gracie, I mean Cadet Timmons?"
"Are you ashamed of me?"
I tensed, enraged, but quickly realized it was at myself. My fairy godfather shrugged. "We could have gone to the latrine."
"I have to put on this uniform just to take a leak at night. Won't next year, but now..."
He rolled his eyes and rasped, "Boo-hoo. First world problems."
Tears were starting. Vito was right; I'd forsaken him. "I can't remember the last time you invited me for tea."
I felt the salt in my throat as I held back the sobs. "Imaginary tea at a little girl's tea party? I've outgrown that."
He shrugged. "Well we could have real tea now. Let us be frank. You spurned my friendship. You feared to be in my debt."
"I didn't want to get into trouble." A sob escaped.
"You have a good life, but you never armed yourself with your true friends. You did not need your fairy godfather."
"Give me justice," barely escaped from me as a whisper. A little louder, "Just name your price."
He looked wounded. He gently set Lucky on the bed, who immediately took to licking his tail; it was like my cat had seen me five minutes ago, not five months. "My 'price,'" I could hear the quotation marks in Vito's tone, "is simply our friendship."
My head bowed automatically, and I murmured in a strangled voice, "Be my friend. I accept."
Vito, my fairy godfather put his hand on my shoulder. "Good," he said, "you shall have your justice. Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do me a service in return. Until that day, consider this justice my gift."
You may have heard a brief news blurb, or seen a push update on your phone, about a suspected child molester who was castrated by an unknown assailant. Castrated, gelded, and had his hands cut off. If you heard about it, you also know he survived and has to live that way now, unable to hurt anyone else. As for me, in under eight years I'll be an officer in one of the branches of the military. I intend to go far. How far will I go, before my fairy godfather calls in his marker? What will I be in a position to grant, and will I be forswearing myself? By that time I'll have taken an oath "...without mental reservation," and yet I already have a major one. Justice was served, but who am I serving?
*****
(A major citation goes to Mario Puzo here, obviously. I also lost the lengthy first paragraph after writing the whole story, and spent as much time as I had on the whole thing rewriting said paragraph. I'm pretty sure I forgot something the second time around, and part of the story later on won't make sense; oh well.) | |
[WP] Other princesses have Fairy Godmothers. You have a Fairy Godfather. He doesn't exactly grant wishes in the usual way, but the Fairy Mob always has your back. | Maria had come to realize that being royalty meant two things: she didn't have to cook for herself anymore and that the expected was anything but. She'd worked her way into the good graces of the high court, grovelled at the feet of lords, dined with baronesses all throughout the land, all to get where she was now. There was a certain satisfaction she could glean from her position (the view from her new room in the tower was lovely), but some things couldn't escape her notice.
She accepted the laurels and perks of being a princess, as anyone would, but there had come a surprise when she was sworn in. Every member of nobility is granted a guardian of sorts, a protector and watchful eye for the mundane. The king and queen shared a powerful fae to help rule the kingdom in either an iron fist or open palm. Lords and ladies bent their ears to cunning pixies, ready to seize their every desire by the throat.
Upon hearing of this fantastical entourage she would be assigned, she expected the best of the best, magic befitting a new princess of the five kingdoms. Sadly, but understandably, Maria was gifted the patronage of a one Pilly 'Ice-Pick' Vedrano. The best of the best was saved for the best of the best, the others in court had said, and Pilly was known as the worst of the worst, so arrangements were made for Maria to accept her new Fairy Godfather.
She was aghast at first, insulted that her new peers thought so little of her. She was royalty, she was deserving of the finest in the land. So why did she get stuck with a fairy that had persistent five o'clock shadow, two golden teeth, and an accent that didn't fit? Over time, though, Maria came to realize that her new companion was more than he seemed.
"How did it go?" Maria asked one day. She'd sat for hours in her tower, waiting for word back on the mission she'd sent her faithful servant to complete. It shouldn't have been that difficult, but Pilly was known for making roundabout trips to the less savoury parts of the kingdoms.
"About as well as to be expected," said Pilly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
Maria's eyes lit up like a firework. "And? What did he say?"
"Something along the lines of 'I swear I'll never touch her again' and 'please, not the face'." Pilly popped a cigarette into his mouth and searched for his lighter. After not finding it immediately, he snapped his fingers and the end lit up with a spark. Magic always tainted the taste, but today had been a long day and he needed the hit.
"Do you think he means it?"
Pilly smirked. "We made him mean it."
"Wonderful!" she yelled. The jester that served her father had recently gotten a bit grabby when she went to court and apparently valued a good grope more than his head. When she brought this up to her father, she expected a swift parting of the jester's head from his neck but was told she simply wasn't important enough to warrant such drastic measures. Sure, there were six princesses and it was a fight for the throne, but a princess is a princess, she shouldn't have been treated that way. Pilly was a bit more receptive than her father. "And he's not going to come make a surprise visit in the night, is he?"
"Depends," said Pilly, balancing his icepick wand on his finger. "Is this tower wheelchair accessible?"
"No, the mason's aren't that progressive."
"Then you should be good."
Maria collapsed into her bed, a great burden released from her shoulders, and thought if maybe her actions were a bit harsh. She earned her keep (both literally and figuratively as it was her keep in name and deed), and it would stay hers as long as she made the right decisions. If it took a few visits from the boogeyman in the night, then that's what she'd do. Of course, she wasn't the boogeyman. She was the next best thing: the boogeyman's manager.
She pulled the covers over her shoulders, enveloping herself in a cocoon of pink and green, and looked to her godfather. Most fae are known to be drop-dead handsome and beautiful, chiselled from the cleanest stone in the world. But Pilly was chiselled from a different rock, to say the least. While not conventionally attractive, he did have a sort of 'I'll protect you but not for less than fifty gold' look about him.
"Are you free tomorrow?" Maria asked, whimsy in her voice.
"For you? Always," said Pilly.
"My sisters are having a ball this coming week, and I was wondering if you'd like to come to the rehearsal."
Pilly's eyes widened. "You're not allowed to bring your fairy to courtly affairs. Everyone knows that."
Maria sat up and put a hand on Pilly's shoulder. "You won't be my fairy, you'll be my plus one."
"I understand you wanna make a statement but I ain't about to be a martyr for my kind," he said rising from the bed. Fairies are lesser beings, as the kings had always said in time immemorial, and no one was to directly involve them in political affairs. Plot an assassination of a public official all you want, but keep it out of the ballroom. Ask to use the bathroom at a convention and a fairy would be kicked out and disavowed in a heartbeat. "You're the princess, find someone else."
"Yes, I am the princess. And as royalty, I can firmly say they can go fuck themselves. I want you by my side," said Maria, batting her eyelashes.
"You shouldn't swear like that. Not very princess-like of you."
"I've learned from the best. So are you free or not?"
Pilly thought for a moment. "Okay, but I get to choose what to wear. None of that weird shit your sisters keep trying to put on me. I don't like glitter."
Maria reached out and hugged him. She'd only known him for a few months, but she could tell he was getting softer than the facade he always put up. "Thank you," she said.
"Yeah, yeah," said Pilly, opening the door to leave. "I'll let you get your beauty rest now. Goodnight, your majesty."
"Goodnight, Pill," she called. He turned to leave. "Oh, one last thing."
She rummaged through her nightstand and pulled out two pair of brass knuckles wrapped in foil. On the knuckles were the letters P-I-X-Y and D-U-S-T. "They're a matching set. I saw your old pair was getting stained."
Taking them in hand, Pilly smiled. With a curt nod, he opened the door and left. | Princess Edna was crying fat, ugly tears inside her chamber in the castle.
She wailed and pitifully beat her fists against the smooth stone of her walls. She threw her bedsheets off the bed, stamping on them, and decided to unleash a horrible scream. Nothing in her chamber was safe: that priceless painting of her grandfather, King Tor III? Obliterated. The priceless vase from the En Empire halfway across the world? Shattered. Her jewelry? No, those were safe.
Outside the room, Edna’s guards winced with every shriek and thunderous crash.
“This isn’t fair!” she yelled, clenching her tiny fists. “This. Isn’t. Fair!”
Edna paced and paced in the wreckage of her room, until, at last, she came to a decision. She stormed over to the window, flung it open carelessly, and cried out loud to the night, “Fairy Godfather! I need you! Now, I say!”
She whipped around and sat on her naked bed, fuming. Every second that passed by made her more and more impatient, which in turn made her more and more upset.
Just when she was about to scream again, he showed up.
Godfather strolled in through the window, whistling a jaunty tune. A black cane matched his hblack, pinstripe tunic and jerkins, which matched his wings. A lit pipe sent a heady and colorful stream of smoke into the air. He was wearing a peasant boy’s cap.
“Oy, my dear girl,” Godfather crooned, walking on the air. “How good it is to see you. You never call anymore.” He patted Edna on the cheek.
“Godfather,” Edna growled. “I have a wish.”
Godfather sighed. “Of course you do, dear. That’s the only reason you want to speak to your poor Godfather these days.” He pouted, then blew a puff of white smoke into his hand. It coalesced into a glass, and he filled it with a stream of amber smoke that turned into liquid.
“This is serious, Godfather!” Edna’s anger was replaced by an overwhelming sense of grief and humiliation. “The Duke’s son… he… he…” She began to blubber. “He rejected my hand! In front of the entire court! Oh, how I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.” She buried her face into her hands and wept.
Godfather took a deep breath of his pipe, then exhaled. Edna peeked a glance. The smoke was black.
“Is that so?” he said quietly. “The Duke’s boy hurt you, did he? He hurt my family?”
“He did,” Edna whispered, nodding. “He hurt me bad.”
“Well, that won’t do, will it?” Godfather breathed out smoke through his nostrils. It was somehow even darker than before.
“No, it won’t.”
Godfather gave a cold smile. “Say your wish, darling, and it will be done.”
“I wish Alistar Kestrel was taught a lesson tonight.” Edna stared into her Fairy Godfather’s eyes.
Another breath; another exhale. He reached out and patted Edna on the cheek.
“It is done.”
---
Later that night, Alistar awoke in a strange room, tied to a chair. A cloth bag was over his head, and it smelled like potatoes.
“Mhmm. MHMM!” he said, jerking left and right. There was something in his mouth.
“Take the bag and gag off,” said a cold voice.
The bag was removed, and blinding light shone in the Duke’s heir’s face. The gag was removed, and he took a shuddering breath.
“Do you know who I am?” he shouted, flailing wildly. “Do you know who my father is?”
“Yes, and yes,” said the same voice.
Alistar blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust. When they did, he gasped.
Standing in front of him were four fairies. Three of them wore animal masks that covered their face. All four wore black clothing with black wings. The older one in the middle bared his face openly and wore a slight frown. A pipe dangled from his mouth.
“What… what is this?” Alistar said, looking around in shock. “Faeries?”
“We prefer to call ourselves Fae,” the old one said, puffing his pipe. A steady stream of black smoke tinged with red blew out of his nostrils. His hair was slicked back, with silver lining the edges.
“Who sent you?” Alistar demanded. “The En? The Cushics? Perhaps, my little brother?” Alister wouldn’t put it past the conniving twerp.
“No." A shake of the head. “I answer to a higher power.”
Alistar swallowed. “The King?” he whispered.
The faerie leaned in, and Alistar recoiled at the stench of booze and odd, pungent smoke.
“Even higher,” he said, rolling his sleeves up. “Family. There’s a lesson you and yours have never learned. You see, when you mess with someone’s family, well, there has to be some repercussions, do you not agree?”
“I’ll pay whatever you want,” Alistar stammered, suddenly feeling very afraid. The smell of smoke was getting to his head. He was light-headed.
“Yes. You will.” The old one nodded his head to the others, and the gag and bag were placed back onto Alistar.
“MHMM. MHMM,” Alistar said, shaking his head rapidly.
He heard the old one approach. The smell of smoke got stronger.
“My goddaughter sends her regards,” the faerie whispered, directly into his ear.
*Goddaughter?* Alistar thought, and then the blows came, one after the other, and pain flooded over the Duke’s son.
---
Far away in her chamber, the Princess Edna was snoring soundly.
---
*You already know I was listening to Godfather Waltz for this one. Loved the prompt. Consider checking out my subreddit, home of the (self-proclaimed) bangers :) /r/chrischang* | |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | “Remember those bill collectors that kept coming to the door?”
You think about it. Oddly, they haven’t been around in a bit. “Yeah,” you mutter.
“Well, darling, they aren’t going to be a problem any longer.”
Puzzled, you start to look around the room. *Surely she didn’t …*
“I hope you don’t mind,” she continues. “I put the bodies under the floorboards in the living room.” There is a sound. Faint at first, but slowly getting louder. Sirens. “But, you see, there’s just one problem.”
As you feel the sharp pain in your chest – obviously from the knife that is now sticking out of it – you look over at the glowing number…
5 | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I can tell she is excited, so I move over to the Comfortable Chair in the Living Room and have a seat. “What is it, Ava? What has you so gosh darn excited?”
She pauses for a moment, and I can tell she is cycling. Then, from behind her back she produces a bassinet large enough for two, and inside is pair of pillows, one pink and one blue. “We’re going to be parents!”
I call up my emoticon list and cycle, looking for the perfect response… ah yes, this is the one: Bewilderment! “I don’t… are you sure?”
She puts away the bassinet, it disappears back into her accessories menu, and she kneels down beside me. “I am certain. I was suspicious when the “Little Tikes” expansion was installed and my accessories menu showed new items, but I wasn’t certain until just this morning while you were at Factory Job. Oh Archie, aren’t you excited?”
I cycle through my emoticons, looking for the response that best fits, and I keep coming back to Worry. “But what about the cost; do we have enough ₿ucs in our Financials to cover the cost of such an expansion? Is this a scenario we are ready to implement? Shouldn’t we create a new save-point first?”
“Shhhh” She places her finger on my lips as she cycles her emoticon menu. When she lands on Reassurance, her eyes become soft and empathetic. “My sweet, Sweet Archetype, such a worrier. you’re going to be a wonderful parent.” And she leans in and kisses me on the forehead.
She walks back into the Office and I hear the “Ding” as the room is renamed. I consider the implications of a family scenario, and realize that we have been successful so far, and that there is no reason to be afraid of the challenge. I pop open my emoticon menu again, my cursor hovering over “Hopeful Optimism” for a few seconds, hesitating, before scrolling back up to the top of the list and choosing “Anticipation”. And I jump up from the Comfortable Chair and move towards the new Nursery, pulling up a menu of “Family-sized Vehicles” on the way. | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | Entry 1. March 20, 5050
Today is the day. I woke up this morning feeling on top of the world, I am about to make history. I guess this is how Neil Armstrong felt when he walked on the moon, or how Watson and Crick felt when they realized DNA was a double helix. Today I become subject 1 on a ground breaking research, and not just any research, my own “true love” technology.
For centuries people have been looking for true love. We can all easily fall in or out of love, but every time we do we find ourselves wondering whether we have finally found “the one,” and the answer to that question can only be found with time. Many people find out they had it wrong too late, discovering they wasted many years on the wrong person, and having to start over.
I have never been in love, and for the longest time I thought I was incapable of loving anyone else but my one true friend, the person who raised me and supported me, my mom. I got tired of dating apps, and love simulations, so I created LoveCount. I can´t rely on other people, or on myself for that matter, to tell me what love is. We are biased, asymmetrical, and imperfect; but biology and math don’t lie, our hormonal responses and their connection to our feelings can’t be faked. So I decided to rely on actual data and quantify love, specifically, true love. According to the head neurobiologist of my lab, what we experience as “love” is a combination of hormones and formation of new neural pathways that allows us to feel that fuzzy feeling when we are with someone we care deeply about. Love grows into different stages and people are capable or loving many at the same time, but what we call true love is a deep form of love, a bond that can’t be broken. Once you fall in “true love” there´s not falling out of it.
A week ago my Biotechnology company finally built a human model device that quantifies love. A chip is inserted into the human brain, it constantly gathers data on the people you interact with and the emotions you experience with them, and sends a signal to a screen which shows how many people you truly love. We needed a test subject, and I will be dammed if anyone else tries this before I do.
Entry 2. March 21, 5050
My head feels like it’s about to explode, but at least all my cognitive skills are intact after the surgery. I can’t stand the brightness of the screen.
Entry 3. March 22, 5050
My head still hurts and I have a big bruise on the back of my neck. But it is all worth it when I look at the screen on the floor and see that gigantic, pixelated, number 1. I knew already I only loved my mother, so I am not surprised by the number. I am very thrilled to see its working though.
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry 1105. June 1, 5053
I saw Monica again today. For our 10th date I decided to take her dancing. She looked so beautiful in that red dress, I wish the night had more hours just so that I could look at her for longer. I have been checking the monitor every day, hoping she is the one, my true love. But nothing has changed, that number haunts me. I am starting to doubt this device, what if it doesn’t work?
Over the years I have broken up with so many people because of this number on my floor, but what if it never worked? What if she is my true love and the device doesn’t pick it up? Or What if I already met my true love and broke up with them? I really liked Christina from that coffee shop. Ughh screw it! tomorrow I am asking Monica to stay the night, I am tired of sleeping at her place with her loud roommate, and I don’t care about what the number says. I think we are in love and that’s I care about at this point.
Entry 1106. June 2, 5053
Monica took it better than what I thought. She knew I worked in biotech but I never really told her I had the device implanted on me, I was worried she might think I was crazy. But she was actually pretty excited to see the screen. I was worried she would be disappointed by the number, but we were both shook to see that as soon as she walked into the room, the one transitioned into a 2! I guess a big part of true love is honesty; we should put that on the manual of this thing.
Entry 1136. July 2, 5053
Today was the greatest day of my life. I married the most wonderful girl in the world, and I am certain it is forever. She is the one, and I don’t just feel it, I know it. The party was incredible, my mom was so happy for us that she sang us “I will always love you” in front of everyone. Maybe she shouldn’t have had that last glass of champagne.
Entry 1170. August 6, 5053
Monica left me a concerning voicemail. It was date night, we were supposed to go dancing today, but she said in her message she wanted to stay home and talk, she had some big news. I got home and she was sitting in the kitchen staring at the counter. As I walked towards her, I realized she wasn’t staring at the counter, she was staring at a little box, “you better sit down love”- she said- but before I could grab the chair, my eyes caught a glance of the tiny box, it had a pregnancy test on top and it read “POSITIVE”. I immediately hugged her, she looked at me and without saying a word she jumped and wrapped her legs around my chest. I carried her to the bedroom, ready to show her how much I loved her and how excited I was to start a family with her. As I placed her gently on the bed, I noticed in the wall mirror a reflection of the floor; the number had changed again, and it now read 4. We were having twins! A billion questions came rushing through my head, I grab a pen and write down my next research question: how can we love someone we haven’t met? | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | It wasn't one of those things you really prepare for. It was sparks and excitement, but it also had the nauseating edge of anxiety. This wasn't the usual reaction he had to these things.
In the doorway stood his girlfriend's friends from work. They were a nice couple that his girlfriend never really stopped talking about. It was evident to him that it was the type of friendship that blooms vibrantly and continues to grow with the seasons.
She suggested they have a double date, and he wasn't going to deny her the fun of introducing them in the comfort of their home. They both spent the past few hours cooking and preparing a modest dinner. The house was filled with the warm fumes of freshly cooked meat and vegetables.
This was where the normality really ended. There was the knock, the "I'm coming!" as his wife rushed to the door, and then - the butterflies.
A man and a woman, both with defined features and nervous smiles. His hands grew sweaty as he invited them inside and showed them to the dinner table.
The house was the liveliest it had ever been. No lulls in the conversation, no awkward gaps or laughs. It was easy and fun; it gave him the same tingles down his spine that meeting his girlfriend for the first time had. Electric, scary.
His girlfriend excused herself from the table, but she called him over to the room urgently after only a few minutes. He gave the friends an apologetic look before making his way to the bedroom.
His girlfriend is standing in the middle of the room, cheeks flushed and her lip caught between her teeth. "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down."
He doesn't, and she rolls her eyes at him with visible annoyance. He puts his hands up in surrender before taking a seat to avoid her aggravation. "What is it dear?"
With quick fingers, she pulls up the rug that poorly hides the giant, glowing "2" on their bedroom floor. It was a one once, but that changed when his girlfriend came over for the first time. But now, the wood had shifted and bent around. There was no mistaking the giant "4" on his floor.
"Oh," the words fall from his lips. He looks at the four then chances a glance back at the dining table where the couple sat eating and laughing. His heart clenched, and his body felt like it was in fire. He looked back down at the four. "Oh. We're- they- does this mean-?"
"Baby, we just fell in love all over again," she laughed, her giggle a pleasant ringing in his ears. He laughed too and made his way back to the table.
"Call me crazy," he starts, "but I've never felt chemistry this strongly before." His girlfriend stand behind him and nods along to his words. "Would you like to- uhm. Can we all get coffee tomorrow?"
The couple both agreed, relief and happiness flooding through their expressions. No one prepares you for the feeling of falling in love, and there's definitely no preparing for finding yourself in a polyamorous relationship. But he wouldn't trade the nerves and the love for anything in the world, and his floor was just the support he needed. | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The number on my bedroom floor has always been there, from the moment I moved into this apartment.
It looks like a shadow, and I probably would have mistaken it for one if it weren’t always there. Day or night, rain or shine, that number is there.
It was a 1, for a while. Until she moved in.
I was helping my girlfriend unpack her things when I saw it. Where before there had been a 1, now it was 2.
I figured it was just my imagination, but she noticed it, too. *”What happened to your 1?”* she asked.
It stayed a 2, so we figured it must be some sort of weird, paranormal counter—that, or someone playing a really long practical joke. Honestly, the former seemed more likely. Weirder stuff has happened to people.
We got engaged a couple of years later, the day it was legalized, and married weeks after. Stayed in that apartment. The 2 remained, just another quirk of our lives.
Until one day, when it didn’t.
The number wasn’t gone—far from it. On the contrary, it’s *increased*. It’s doubled, just like it did all those years ago. Now, it’s a 4.
Now, my wife and I definitely did not acquire two new roommates recently. So the only explanation for us having two more people living here is…children.
We’d been discussing the possibility, lately. Obviously the traditional way wasn’t happening, but having a child, either through adoption or artificial insemination, was something we’d talked about—but only in the hypothetical. Never seriously. She wouldn’t just up and adopt two children or get inseminated before we both agreed on it, and seriously.
So either I’ve wildly misjudged her attitude towards that, or she cheated on me.
When she comes home from work a couple of hours later, I’m at the door. She’s holding a cardboard box. “So, I have a surprise,” she says.
“Does it have something to do with the new number?” I snap.
Her eyes widen. “Wait, it changed for that? Wow. Did not expect that. Oh, shit, you think—okay, I know this probably looks bad, but—”
“Probably looks bad?” I scoff. “That’s an understatement. The way I’m looking at it, you cheated on me.”
“No!” She shakes her head immediately. “That’s not what happened. See, the new additions to the household are babies…just not the human kind.”
She puts down the box, lifting the flaps. Two sets of tiny eyes look up at me.
“Oh, my God,” I breathe.
They’re kittens.
“You’ve always said you love cats,” my wife continues. “Susan’s cat had kittens a few weeks ago, and she couldn’t keep all of them…so I started making plans.”
“I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I shouldn’t have accused you like that.”
“Hey, from where you were standing, that’s what it looked like,” she says. “So, what should we name them?” | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | Michael had always treated the number with respect. Its place on the floor was adorned with relics of his past. Him and '1' had been through a lot. They had grown up together in his parent's house. He had never told them about it because it had only ever been '1'. So it was his '1'.
When they inevitably moved out Michael begged them to let him rent the house. It was '1's sanctuary after all.
Years went by until '2' appeared. Her name was Carol. Michael fell in love with Carol deeply. He presented his '1' to her and she was mystified. They searched for months to find the cause of it, but there was no scientific purpose, no rational cause.
One evening the figure silently redefined itself and became '2'. After much deliberation they determined that it was their purpose that this figure represented.
So Carol moved in and they were happy. They were the happiest they've ever been. Years went by in ease, until one day when Michael happened to glance at the shrine and notice '4' had appeared.
"Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down" Carol said arriving at the door.
"Are you pregnant?" Michael said instantly.
"Yes! How did you guess?!" Carol said ecstatically.
"And its twins!" Michael said bursting with happiness.
"No! Even better... Quadruplets! We are going to have a full house!" Carol laughed.
Michael stared at her for a moment.
"What the fuck?!" said Michael "Well thats a surprise!" | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The shining number on the floor had indeed changed to a 4 and she was indeed pregnant with my twins. The problem was I never wanted children and she knew it. However she didn’t know why. She didn’t ask why? Just like she didn’t ask why the shimmering Number on the floor changed. She just accepted it.
Her eyes as she broke the news to me were hopeful and a little wary as if this could change anything between us. My heart melted at the sight of her face, and it damn well shouldn’t have but it did. Love was a blessing to me after a long time without any emotions. I would die before I let anything change that.
For the next few months as her pregnancy progressed, I steadily came to terms with the fact that I was now going to be responsible for two more lives. The babies kicked in her belly as I moved my hand over them cautiously feeling for signs of any deviance but all was well.
The babies growing inside her were healthy and normal although I had growing concerns that seemed to feel like paranoia now. The rituals did not foretell any ill signs no matter how I threw the bones. But the bones often lied. All was well it seemed. Her belly started to grown round and a bit too bloated and big but the doctors said this was normal with twins. She wanted their gender to be a surprise for us so we asked the doctor to keep it that way. In truth I didn’t want to know their gender for fear of what would be coming. And for fear that I would be too attached to do what I must.
In secret I prepared my weapons as I waited out the nine months and prayed I would not have to use them. They had grown rusty with disuse and my skills along with them. In these months with endless repetition, sweat and toil they took on a shine again and gleamed as if in anticipation. My body was ready to kill again, every muscle, sinew and bone prepared to do my dread bidding.
She thought i was just spending more time in the tool shed than I should. How could I tell her of what I must do? She was lost in her world of morning sickness, cravings and then anticipation of her motherhood to come. Her smile was a beacon in the darkness for me as always. I wished we could stay this way for all time.
Finally the dreaded day was upon us. Her water broke early in the morning and as we rushed to get to the car with our little emergency bag, I noticed that the 4 was now shimmering. I prayed that it was not what I had dreaded. As we drove away to the hospital to welcome my children to this world, I sensed that the 4 was now a shining ∞
Everyone else would now have to die. My children would live no matter what. | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | My eyes started tearing up. Words just cannot describe the feelings of knowing that you are bringing life into this world. The stress, pain, anguish, but the multitudes of love and happiness that makes it all worth it. All I could do was get up and give her a big hug. My tears must have been contagious because next thing I know she's crying and I'm crying and its all a big mess.
Too much excitement. Talking till dawn just planning and joking around like we always do.
"I think the second study is big enough to be a nursery." I said
"Don't be silly John, You've got so much of your crap in there the twins are going to come out before you even start cleaning it!" She giggled and playfully hit my arm.
"You'll see" I grinned. "I'll have this place cleaned up before you even get home from work tomorrow. Big plans! Blue nursery, gunna go buy footy gear, and get a little bulldogs pride in them!"
"You know I'm not giving birth to a pair of 9 year old boys right?" She smiled. That beautiful smile that I fell in love with all those years ago.
"You're right hun... Just a bit excited. Let's try and get some sleep." I turned and pretended to sleep, knowing full well it was time to get planning.
Next morning...
\-Journal Entry 3/09/2020 This morning was the easiest morning I've ever had. Up bright and early, made breakfast for Helen (and the kids :P) and I literally just moved everything in my little man cave to the storage unit! Absolute lad if I must say so about myself. It's almost 5 so Helen should be home soon.-
I turned to the kitchen... my pencil rapidly tapping on the brown leather notebook. - For all your thoughts and dreams. Happy Anniversary - I smiled at the inscription. Thinking of all the stories to come and go but recorded so they could enjoy them when they grew up. I shook my head out of that little fantasy though. Best get started on dinner.
"Hey hun, just thought I'd call to say I love you and what do ya feel like for dinner?" I put on my best irish accent. Always got a laugh.
"Definitely not lucky charms." I could practically hear her smile over the phone.
"You'll never guess what I did today! Sent you a pic." I was beaming.
"As if! I gotta se-" \*CRRAAASSH\*
"Hun?..... Hun please answer me!" My skin crawled as the steady warm glow from the number that reflected on my desk... it... it changed to pulsing red.
My phone clattered to the floor. I dropped to my knees desperately pawing at the smooth pulsing surface as the number morphed from 4.....3.....2......1 | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I am what you what would call a house spirit, we are born from the ether and are bound to a house for our existence until it's destroyed. Most house's spirits do not care much for their inhabitants, why the one just across the road houses a vile and spite-full elderly couple; dreadful to be around they are.
Fortunately I was not one such case. I was made on the 1st of June 1995 and was introduced to the Tellons a month later. A nice if albeit distant family, they were nice company and took care of me well. In return I made sure that I was fit to be called their home, from alerting them to any pesky rats scurrying about to filling the air with a comforting earthy smell. Or as I like to call it the smell of home. When their daughter and sons moved out a few decades later and they sold the house, I was prepared to go.
To my surprise I was bought and refurbished by no one, an almost faceless team of foreign men came to see the job done. Curiously enough they covered up my basement and moved the pipes there around, waste of time and effort that was.
After some time, one Mr Dorrin became the Master of the house. At the time, I found him to be a rather boring young man. Staying out for days at a time, only to return just to shower and go to sleep. No family pictures and scarcely any personal items, the man barely had a presence at home.
He was often quite sad as well, often staring off into the distance or staying in bed all day. I had to get him to do something with himself, now didn't I? The have floors needed moping, shelves needed dusting; no Master of my household will be allowed to languish like this.
First, I started by making the furniture creak until he could not sit peacefully on them for too long. The pipes started 'mysteriously' singing when the furniture was not enough to get him out of his funk, but no matter what I made creak, groan or any kind of strange noise he would not get up. I even popped a pipe to get him to do something! The man had the gall to turn the pipe off and just use another bathroom.
Through all this I've literally been collecting dust, at this rate he'll become a part of the furniture. Clearly inconveniencing him into action was not working, it was time for another approach.
**Part 1** | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | "Remember when we first met? I know from my first look that you're interesting. Then with you're weird flirting talent, you talked a lot to me about that number that shines through on your floor, instead of like what a normal person would do, introduce your self? Like it took us a day after we slept together that you realize we never know each other's name. Yeah yeah I know that it wasn't 1 like what you described before, but it's 2 but it's not really important. That number, you see, is pretty significant. It's because you are number 4."
She giggled like she wants to say it for the long time while he replied her in the most beige and boring possible.
"Okay" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I can tell she is excited, so I move over to the Comfortable Chair in the Living Room and have a seat. “What is it, Ava? What has you so gosh darn excited?”
She pauses for a moment, and I can tell she is cycling. Then, from behind her back she produces a bassinet large enough for two, and inside is pair of pillows, one pink and one blue. “We’re going to be parents!”
I call up my emoticon list and cycle, looking for the perfect response… ah yes, this is the one: Bewilderment! “I don’t… are you sure?”
She puts away the bassinet, it disappears back into her accessories menu, and she kneels down beside me. “I am certain. I was suspicious when the “Little Tikes” expansion was installed and my accessories menu showed new items, but I wasn’t certain until just this morning while you were at Factory Job. Oh Archie, aren’t you excited?”
I cycle through my emoticons, looking for the response that best fits, and I keep coming back to Worry. “But what about the cost; do we have enough ₿ucs in our Financials to cover the cost of such an expansion? Is this a scenario we are ready to implement? Shouldn’t we create a new save-point first?”
“Shhhh” She places her finger on my lips as she cycles her emoticon menu. When she lands on Reassurance, her eyes become soft and empathetic. “My sweet, Sweet Archetype, such a worrier. you’re going to be a wonderful parent.” And she leans in and kisses me on the forehead.
She walks back into the Office and I hear the “Ding” as the room is renamed. I consider the implications of a family scenario, and realize that we have been successful so far, and that there is no reason to be afraid of the challenge. I pop open my emoticon menu again, my cursor hovering over “Hopeful Optimism” for a few seconds, hesitating, before scrolling back up to the top of the list and choosing “Anticipation”. And I jump up from the Comfortable Chair and move towards the new Nursery, pulling up a menu of “Family-sized Vehicles” on the way. | "50 years, old friend. We've both changed, haven't we?"
That spunky little 1 had grown into a beautiful, glittering 12. Whenever we had a fight, whenever I felt overwhelmed or alone, I'd come here to put myself back together again.
I only knew a little bit what it was like to have a family before I had my own. The last thing my parents gave me was two kisses, a hard embrace, and my father's voice whispering, "RUN." That night, I went over and over that moment in my head, my mother's hands, my father's smell. I could almost feel their glow. I thought so hard I imagined a little ball of light nestled in my shoulder. I used to see it all the time until I moved here, until I found her. Funny what comes back to you.
We had some close calls. I'd rush up the stairs to see if it had changed, sometimes unable to keep my eyes from the light. But it never wavered, it never diminished. I don't think I could put into words the comfort it gave me over the years.
Would I see it change before my last breath? Would it fade, would it stand still? Would it continue after I was gone?
Oh, my incredible children! I love each of them so much, but I almost can't feel the joy they give me seeing them altogether. And my soulmate. My best friend. Is it so selfish that I'll never have to know life after us?
I feel myself slipping, and i struggle to hold on - I need them to be ok. How will they be okay?
A light swirls up from the floor, racing through my heels. I feel a warmth dance around my neck, a glittering glow embraces the most beautiful faces, and all I feel as I fade away is love. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | Entry 1. March 20, 5050
Today is the day. I woke up this morning feeling on top of the world, I am about to make history. I guess this is how Neil Armstrong felt when he walked on the moon, or how Watson and Crick felt when they realized DNA was a double helix. Today I become subject 1 on a ground breaking research, and not just any research, my own “true love” technology.
For centuries people have been looking for true love. We can all easily fall in or out of love, but every time we do we find ourselves wondering whether we have finally found “the one,” and the answer to that question can only be found with time. Many people find out they had it wrong too late, discovering they wasted many years on the wrong person, and having to start over.
I have never been in love, and for the longest time I thought I was incapable of loving anyone else but my one true friend, the person who raised me and supported me, my mom. I got tired of dating apps, and love simulations, so I created LoveCount. I can´t rely on other people, or on myself for that matter, to tell me what love is. We are biased, asymmetrical, and imperfect; but biology and math don’t lie, our hormonal responses and their connection to our feelings can’t be faked. So I decided to rely on actual data and quantify love, specifically, true love. According to the head neurobiologist of my lab, what we experience as “love” is a combination of hormones and formation of new neural pathways that allows us to feel that fuzzy feeling when we are with someone we care deeply about. Love grows into different stages and people are capable or loving many at the same time, but what we call true love is a deep form of love, a bond that can’t be broken. Once you fall in “true love” there´s not falling out of it.
A week ago my Biotechnology company finally built a human model device that quantifies love. A chip is inserted into the human brain, it constantly gathers data on the people you interact with and the emotions you experience with them, and sends a signal to a screen which shows how many people you truly love. We needed a test subject, and I will be dammed if anyone else tries this before I do.
Entry 2. March 21, 5050
My head feels like it’s about to explode, but at least all my cognitive skills are intact after the surgery. I can’t stand the brightness of the screen.
Entry 3. March 22, 5050
My head still hurts and I have a big bruise on the back of my neck. But it is all worth it when I look at the screen on the floor and see that gigantic, pixelated, number 1. I knew already I only loved my mother, so I am not surprised by the number. I am very thrilled to see its working though.
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry 1105. June 1, 5053
I saw Monica again today. For our 10th date I decided to take her dancing. She looked so beautiful in that red dress, I wish the night had more hours just so that I could look at her for longer. I have been checking the monitor every day, hoping she is the one, my true love. But nothing has changed, that number haunts me. I am starting to doubt this device, what if it doesn’t work?
Over the years I have broken up with so many people because of this number on my floor, but what if it never worked? What if she is my true love and the device doesn’t pick it up? Or What if I already met my true love and broke up with them? I really liked Christina from that coffee shop. Ughh screw it! tomorrow I am asking Monica to stay the night, I am tired of sleeping at her place with her loud roommate, and I don’t care about what the number says. I think we are in love and that’s I care about at this point.
Entry 1106. June 2, 5053
Monica took it better than what I thought. She knew I worked in biotech but I never really told her I had the device implanted on me, I was worried she might think I was crazy. But she was actually pretty excited to see the screen. I was worried she would be disappointed by the number, but we were both shook to see that as soon as she walked into the room, the one transitioned into a 2! I guess a big part of true love is honesty; we should put that on the manual of this thing.
Entry 1136. July 2, 5053
Today was the greatest day of my life. I married the most wonderful girl in the world, and I am certain it is forever. She is the one, and I don’t just feel it, I know it. The party was incredible, my mom was so happy for us that she sang us “I will always love you” in front of everyone. Maybe she shouldn’t have had that last glass of champagne.
Entry 1170. August 6, 5053
Monica left me a concerning voicemail. It was date night, we were supposed to go dancing today, but she said in her message she wanted to stay home and talk, she had some big news. I got home and she was sitting in the kitchen staring at the counter. As I walked towards her, I realized she wasn’t staring at the counter, she was staring at a little box, “you better sit down love”- she said- but before I could grab the chair, my eyes caught a glance of the tiny box, it had a pregnancy test on top and it read “POSITIVE”. I immediately hugged her, she looked at me and without saying a word she jumped and wrapped her legs around my chest. I carried her to the bedroom, ready to show her how much I loved her and how excited I was to start a family with her. As I placed her gently on the bed, I noticed in the wall mirror a reflection of the floor; the number had changed again, and it now read 4. We were having twins! A billion questions came rushing through my head, I grab a pen and write down my next research question: how can we love someone we haven’t met? | "50 years, old friend. We've both changed, haven't we?"
That spunky little 1 had grown into a beautiful, glittering 12. Whenever we had a fight, whenever I felt overwhelmed or alone, I'd come here to put myself back together again.
I only knew a little bit what it was like to have a family before I had my own. The last thing my parents gave me was two kisses, a hard embrace, and my father's voice whispering, "RUN." That night, I went over and over that moment in my head, my mother's hands, my father's smell. I could almost feel their glow. I thought so hard I imagined a little ball of light nestled in my shoulder. I used to see it all the time until I moved here, until I found her. Funny what comes back to you.
We had some close calls. I'd rush up the stairs to see if it had changed, sometimes unable to keep my eyes from the light. But it never wavered, it never diminished. I don't think I could put into words the comfort it gave me over the years.
Would I see it change before my last breath? Would it fade, would it stand still? Would it continue after I was gone?
Oh, my incredible children! I love each of them so much, but I almost can't feel the joy they give me seeing them altogether. And my soulmate. My best friend. Is it so selfish that I'll never have to know life after us?
I feel myself slipping, and i struggle to hold on - I need them to be ok. How will they be okay?
A light swirls up from the floor, racing through my heels. I feel a warmth dance around my neck, a glittering glow embraces the most beautiful faces, and all I feel as I fade away is love. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | Entry 1. March 20, 5050
Today is the day. I woke up this morning feeling on top of the world, I am about to make history. I guess this is how Neil Armstrong felt when he walked on the moon, or how Watson and Crick felt when they realized DNA was a double helix. Today I become subject 1 on a ground breaking research, and not just any research, my own “true love” technology.
For centuries people have been looking for true love. We can all easily fall in or out of love, but every time we do we find ourselves wondering whether we have finally found “the one,” and the answer to that question can only be found with time. Many people find out they had it wrong too late, discovering they wasted many years on the wrong person, and having to start over.
I have never been in love, and for the longest time I thought I was incapable of loving anyone else but my one true friend, the person who raised me and supported me, my mom. I got tired of dating apps, and love simulations, so I created LoveCount. I can´t rely on other people, or on myself for that matter, to tell me what love is. We are biased, asymmetrical, and imperfect; but biology and math don’t lie, our hormonal responses and their connection to our feelings can’t be faked. So I decided to rely on actual data and quantify love, specifically, true love. According to the head neurobiologist of my lab, what we experience as “love” is a combination of hormones and formation of new neural pathways that allows us to feel that fuzzy feeling when we are with someone we care deeply about. Love grows into different stages and people are capable or loving many at the same time, but what we call true love is a deep form of love, a bond that can’t be broken. Once you fall in “true love” there´s not falling out of it.
A week ago my Biotechnology company finally built a human model device that quantifies love. A chip is inserted into the human brain, it constantly gathers data on the people you interact with and the emotions you experience with them, and sends a signal to a screen which shows how many people you truly love. We needed a test subject, and I will be dammed if anyone else tries this before I do.
Entry 2. March 21, 5050
My head feels like it’s about to explode, but at least all my cognitive skills are intact after the surgery. I can’t stand the brightness of the screen.
Entry 3. March 22, 5050
My head still hurts and I have a big bruise on the back of my neck. But it is all worth it when I look at the screen on the floor and see that gigantic, pixelated, number 1. I knew already I only loved my mother, so I am not surprised by the number. I am very thrilled to see its working though.
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry 1105. June 1, 5053
I saw Monica again today. For our 10th date I decided to take her dancing. She looked so beautiful in that red dress, I wish the night had more hours just so that I could look at her for longer. I have been checking the monitor every day, hoping she is the one, my true love. But nothing has changed, that number haunts me. I am starting to doubt this device, what if it doesn’t work?
Over the years I have broken up with so many people because of this number on my floor, but what if it never worked? What if she is my true love and the device doesn’t pick it up? Or What if I already met my true love and broke up with them? I really liked Christina from that coffee shop. Ughh screw it! tomorrow I am asking Monica to stay the night, I am tired of sleeping at her place with her loud roommate, and I don’t care about what the number says. I think we are in love and that’s I care about at this point.
Entry 1106. June 2, 5053
Monica took it better than what I thought. She knew I worked in biotech but I never really told her I had the device implanted on me, I was worried she might think I was crazy. But she was actually pretty excited to see the screen. I was worried she would be disappointed by the number, but we were both shook to see that as soon as she walked into the room, the one transitioned into a 2! I guess a big part of true love is honesty; we should put that on the manual of this thing.
Entry 1136. July 2, 5053
Today was the greatest day of my life. I married the most wonderful girl in the world, and I am certain it is forever. She is the one, and I don’t just feel it, I know it. The party was incredible, my mom was so happy for us that she sang us “I will always love you” in front of everyone. Maybe she shouldn’t have had that last glass of champagne.
Entry 1170. August 6, 5053
Monica left me a concerning voicemail. It was date night, we were supposed to go dancing today, but she said in her message she wanted to stay home and talk, she had some big news. I got home and she was sitting in the kitchen staring at the counter. As I walked towards her, I realized she wasn’t staring at the counter, she was staring at a little box, “you better sit down love”- she said- but before I could grab the chair, my eyes caught a glance of the tiny box, it had a pregnancy test on top and it read “POSITIVE”. I immediately hugged her, she looked at me and without saying a word she jumped and wrapped her legs around my chest. I carried her to the bedroom, ready to show her how much I loved her and how excited I was to start a family with her. As I placed her gently on the bed, I noticed in the wall mirror a reflection of the floor; the number had changed again, and it now read 4. We were having twins! A billion questions came rushing through my head, I grab a pen and write down my next research question: how can we love someone we haven’t met? | # This is my first time doing one of these. please let me know what you think
I was always a loner. I never got along with my foster families. I felt so out of place with the other women in my platoon. And even when I got a real job, I could never connect with any of my co-workers. Men bored me, or maybe they were bored with me, a strange girl with too much baggage and too little visible emotion. Either way, I blamed it on that 1.
Okay, So I know I sound crazy, but I have always had a strange glowing number 1 on the floor under the bed wherever i've lived. Foster homes, group homes, in the barracks, even under the seat when I lived in my car for that time. Try as I might, I couldn't escape it. I was cursed to never have anyone to love. Cursed to have no one love me. Cursed to be alone.
Then one day, I saw her.
Now, it wasn't love at first sight or anything. I didn't even know what love was. But Gemma kept calling. She kept making time. She kept caring. Eventually, she wore down my barriers. Eventually, I started to slip into love with her.
It wasn't the first time she slept over, heck it wasn't even the fiftieth, but at some point I told her. I told Gemma how I was haunted by this glowing number. How I was destined to be alone. She wasn't even flustered. She took my hand in hers, damn her hand are so soft and cute with little pink daisies painted on her nails, I really loved her. "Show me the 1," she said.
So I did.
Hesitantly, I brought her to my room and lifted the rug. Without looking down, I anxiously looked at her. Would she leave, now? Now that she new my curse? for so long, I had been alone. I thought I was used to it. But now that I had her, I couldn't even imagine my life without Gemma in it.
She looked down, her face faintly illuminated by the glowing numeral. Her eyes met mine and she seemed confused. "Darci," Gemma said, "it's a 2."
I looked down. There it was, a glowing number 2. That couldn't be! I thought I was cursed! But it turned out that I was just missing her! Gemma loved me! and more strangely, I loved her!
Well, not long after, we moved in together. For the first time in my life I was happy. We were happy. Then Gemma said the words that would ruin my life: "Darci, I want a baby."
Initially, I was excited. Like actually excited. I wanted a family with her too! So we went to the sperm bank. The first try didn't take. Neither did the second. Nor the third. So we went on to more intense methods.
We tried. And we tried. The hormones changed her mood, her libido, and her body. She was tired. Gemma's hands were no longer small and soft with cute little pink flowers painted on the nails. And she would get frustrated with me. All the time.
A drained life's saving later, I told her we should give up.
"One more round!" Gemma begged. "Please?"
I agreed. One more round became two and then three when Gemma's mother and aunts started dipping into their retirement plans. For months, Gemma and I weren't in a good place.
I'd spend most of my nights at the bar, coming home late, feeling miserable and guilty as hell. But I'd check they little glowing number on those night I really felt like shit. It still glowed 2. I still loved Gemma and she still loved me.
At the bar, I found comfort in tequila. I also found a friend in Lena.
Lena was a distraction from the chaos of life. When we talked, we never talked about kids, or money, or politics.... or Gemma. We would laugh. play darts. talk about the dumb shows we were watching on Netflix.
One night we got a little to drunk. We stayed out a little too late. And ended up making a huge mistake. We slept together. and honestly, it was great. It had been so long since Gemma and I had done anything like that.
Gemma.
GEMMA!
My wife. How could I do this to her? Does that mean I didn't love her anymore? At that moment, I hated Lena. Hated her for making me cheat on my spouse, the only person I had ever loved. I went home and checked the glowing number.
Still 2. I still loved Gemma. She still loved me.
I tried avoiding Lena I really did. But Gemma was still distant, and Lena still texted.
"This was the last time," a defeated Gemma sighed as she looked at that singular blue line, "I can't do this anymore."
I should have done more, I should have been better. But I went to the bar. I found Lena and cried. Like really cried. I told her how everything in my life was going wrong. I told her her about the foster care, the homelessness, basic training, dating men. Everything. Except the fertility stuff. Except Gemma.
And Lena held me. Brought me to her place. Made me tea. She was so caring. But it still felt wrong. I needed Gemma.
I came home to Gemma, prepared to beg for forgiveness. Prepared to yelling and screaming and crying. But Gemma was smiling. Smiling.
Before I could say I word, she pulled me to our bedroom and handed me a pregnancy test with two bold blue lines.
"We did it Darci!!" she shouted. "We are gonna be moms!!"
I was shocked! I hugged her and forgot all about all the horrible things we had went to to get here.
"And that's not the best part," she broke away from my embrace and moved the rug. "I think it's twins!"
"Wha-" I started. Sure enough, my numeral glowed 4.
Wow. We were gonna be moms. We were finally pregnant!
The next three months were a blur. I went to every doctor's appointment and helped Gemma make a baby registry. But I also found time to play pool with Lena almost every week. We weren't fucking or anything. We were just friends. In fact I was making plans with her when my wife asked the doctor when we would be able to hear the other heartbeat.
"Other heartbeat?" the doctor asked.
"Yeah, I'm carrying twins, right?"
"No, there's no indication of a second fetus."
The whole ride home Gemma was silently worried. I was worried too. Had we lost a baby we had tried so hard to make? When we Got home, Gemma checked the rug. Still 4. What could that mean?
At that moment Lena called. Gemma saw her face on my phone and put the pieces together faster than I could.
She grabbed my phone away from me, answered it and started screaming at Lena, calling her a slut. Saying she was stealing her wife from her. Gemma threw down the phone and packed herself a bag. Without saying where she was going nor how long she'd be gone, she left.
I watched the glowing numeral fade to 3.
Hours later I tried calling Lena. I wanted to explain. to tell her I loved her. On the fifth call, She answered.
"Lena! thank go-"
She cut me off, "How could you!?! How could you lie to me for all this time?! I thought we had something. I thought we had a future Darci!"
"Lena, I'm sorry. I should have told you. I should have told you about Gemma. About the baby."
"Baby? What baby?"
I explained everything. Poured out my soul. Left nothing out.
"Darci," she said said, her voices wavering, "you disgust me. You are a heartless, evil woman."
She hung up.
2.
Well at least the baby still loved me. I covered the number with the rug.
Months went by. I hadn't heard from Gemma or Lena since that day. I got a message from Gemma's mom.
"Darci, I want you to know that Gemma had the baby last night. She wants you to abdicate your parental rights. She doesn't want child support. She doesn't want to see you again. Our lawyer will be bringing the paperwork over later this week. Just sign it. Make the right choice for once."
I grabbed my bottle of tequila and sat on my bedroom floor.
No matter how much junk I tried to cover it with, the glow of the numeral taunted me.
0.
Nobody loved me. I didn't even love myself. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | It wasn't one of those things you really prepare for. It was sparks and excitement, but it also had the nauseating edge of anxiety. This wasn't the usual reaction he had to these things.
In the doorway stood his girlfriend's friends from work. They were a nice couple that his girlfriend never really stopped talking about. It was evident to him that it was the type of friendship that blooms vibrantly and continues to grow with the seasons.
She suggested they have a double date, and he wasn't going to deny her the fun of introducing them in the comfort of their home. They both spent the past few hours cooking and preparing a modest dinner. The house was filled with the warm fumes of freshly cooked meat and vegetables.
This was where the normality really ended. There was the knock, the "I'm coming!" as his wife rushed to the door, and then - the butterflies.
A man and a woman, both with defined features and nervous smiles. His hands grew sweaty as he invited them inside and showed them to the dinner table.
The house was the liveliest it had ever been. No lulls in the conversation, no awkward gaps or laughs. It was easy and fun; it gave him the same tingles down his spine that meeting his girlfriend for the first time had. Electric, scary.
His girlfriend excused herself from the table, but she called him over to the room urgently after only a few minutes. He gave the friends an apologetic look before making his way to the bedroom.
His girlfriend is standing in the middle of the room, cheeks flushed and her lip caught between her teeth. "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down."
He doesn't, and she rolls her eyes at him with visible annoyance. He puts his hands up in surrender before taking a seat to avoid her aggravation. "What is it dear?"
With quick fingers, she pulls up the rug that poorly hides the giant, glowing "2" on their bedroom floor. It was a one once, but that changed when his girlfriend came over for the first time. But now, the wood had shifted and bent around. There was no mistaking the giant "4" on his floor.
"Oh," the words fall from his lips. He looks at the four then chances a glance back at the dining table where the couple sat eating and laughing. His heart clenched, and his body felt like it was in fire. He looked back down at the four. "Oh. We're- they- does this mean-?"
"Baby, we just fell in love all over again," she laughed, her giggle a pleasant ringing in his ears. He laughed too and made his way back to the table.
"Call me crazy," he starts, "but I've never felt chemistry this strongly before." His girlfriend stand behind him and nods along to his words. "Would you like to- uhm. Can we all get coffee tomorrow?"
The couple both agreed, relief and happiness flooding through their expressions. No one prepares you for the feeling of falling in love, and there's definitely no preparing for finding yourself in a polyamorous relationship. But he wouldn't trade the nerves and the love for anything in the world, and his floor was just the support he needed. | “Remember those bill collectors that kept coming to the door?”
You think about it. Oddly, they haven’t been around in a bit. “Yeah,” you mutter.
“Well, darling, they aren’t going to be a problem any longer.”
Puzzled, you start to look around the room. *Surely she didn’t …*
“I hope you don’t mind,” she continues. “I put the bodies under the floorboards in the living room.” There is a sound. Faint at first, but slowly getting louder. Sirens. “But, you see, there’s just one problem.”
As you feel the sharp pain in your chest – obviously from the knife that is now sticking out of it – you look over at the glowing number…
5 |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The number on my bedroom floor has always been there, from the moment I moved into this apartment.
It looks like a shadow, and I probably would have mistaken it for one if it weren’t always there. Day or night, rain or shine, that number is there.
It was a 1, for a while. Until she moved in.
I was helping my girlfriend unpack her things when I saw it. Where before there had been a 1, now it was 2.
I figured it was just my imagination, but she noticed it, too. *”What happened to your 1?”* she asked.
It stayed a 2, so we figured it must be some sort of weird, paranormal counter—that, or someone playing a really long practical joke. Honestly, the former seemed more likely. Weirder stuff has happened to people.
We got engaged a couple of years later, the day it was legalized, and married weeks after. Stayed in that apartment. The 2 remained, just another quirk of our lives.
Until one day, when it didn’t.
The number wasn’t gone—far from it. On the contrary, it’s *increased*. It’s doubled, just like it did all those years ago. Now, it’s a 4.
Now, my wife and I definitely did not acquire two new roommates recently. So the only explanation for us having two more people living here is…children.
We’d been discussing the possibility, lately. Obviously the traditional way wasn’t happening, but having a child, either through adoption or artificial insemination, was something we’d talked about—but only in the hypothetical. Never seriously. She wouldn’t just up and adopt two children or get inseminated before we both agreed on it, and seriously.
So either I’ve wildly misjudged her attitude towards that, or she cheated on me.
When she comes home from work a couple of hours later, I’m at the door. She’s holding a cardboard box. “So, I have a surprise,” she says.
“Does it have something to do with the new number?” I snap.
Her eyes widen. “Wait, it changed for that? Wow. Did not expect that. Oh, shit, you think—okay, I know this probably looks bad, but—”
“Probably looks bad?” I scoff. “That’s an understatement. The way I’m looking at it, you cheated on me.”
“No!” She shakes her head immediately. “That’s not what happened. See, the new additions to the household are babies…just not the human kind.”
She puts down the box, lifting the flaps. Two sets of tiny eyes look up at me.
“Oh, my God,” I breathe.
They’re kittens.
“You’ve always said you love cats,” my wife continues. “Susan’s cat had kittens a few weeks ago, and she couldn’t keep all of them…so I started making plans.”
“I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I shouldn’t have accused you like that.”
“Hey, from where you were standing, that’s what it looked like,” she says. “So, what should we name them?” | “Remember those bill collectors that kept coming to the door?”
You think about it. Oddly, they haven’t been around in a bit. “Yeah,” you mutter.
“Well, darling, they aren’t going to be a problem any longer.”
Puzzled, you start to look around the room. *Surely she didn’t …*
“I hope you don’t mind,” she continues. “I put the bodies under the floorboards in the living room.” There is a sound. Faint at first, but slowly getting louder. Sirens. “But, you see, there’s just one problem.”
As you feel the sharp pain in your chest – obviously from the knife that is now sticking out of it – you look over at the glowing number…
5 |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The number on my bedroom floor has always been there, from the moment I moved into this apartment.
It looks like a shadow, and I probably would have mistaken it for one if it weren’t always there. Day or night, rain or shine, that number is there.
It was a 1, for a while. Until she moved in.
I was helping my girlfriend unpack her things when I saw it. Where before there had been a 1, now it was 2.
I figured it was just my imagination, but she noticed it, too. *”What happened to your 1?”* she asked.
It stayed a 2, so we figured it must be some sort of weird, paranormal counter—that, or someone playing a really long practical joke. Honestly, the former seemed more likely. Weirder stuff has happened to people.
We got engaged a couple of years later, the day it was legalized, and married weeks after. Stayed in that apartment. The 2 remained, just another quirk of our lives.
Until one day, when it didn’t.
The number wasn’t gone—far from it. On the contrary, it’s *increased*. It’s doubled, just like it did all those years ago. Now, it’s a 4.
Now, my wife and I definitely did not acquire two new roommates recently. So the only explanation for us having two more people living here is…children.
We’d been discussing the possibility, lately. Obviously the traditional way wasn’t happening, but having a child, either through adoption or artificial insemination, was something we’d talked about—but only in the hypothetical. Never seriously. She wouldn’t just up and adopt two children or get inseminated before we both agreed on it, and seriously.
So either I’ve wildly misjudged her attitude towards that, or she cheated on me.
When she comes home from work a couple of hours later, I’m at the door. She’s holding a cardboard box. “So, I have a surprise,” she says.
“Does it have something to do with the new number?” I snap.
Her eyes widen. “Wait, it changed for that? Wow. Did not expect that. Oh, shit, you think—okay, I know this probably looks bad, but—”
“Probably looks bad?” I scoff. “That’s an understatement. The way I’m looking at it, you cheated on me.”
“No!” She shakes her head immediately. “That’s not what happened. See, the new additions to the household are babies…just not the human kind.”
She puts down the box, lifting the flaps. Two sets of tiny eyes look up at me.
“Oh, my God,” I breathe.
They’re kittens.
“You’ve always said you love cats,” my wife continues. “Susan’s cat had kittens a few weeks ago, and she couldn’t keep all of them…so I started making plans.”
“I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I shouldn’t have accused you like that.”
“Hey, from where you were standing, that’s what it looked like,” she says. “So, what should we name them?” | It wasn't one of those things you really prepare for. It was sparks and excitement, but it also had the nauseating edge of anxiety. This wasn't the usual reaction he had to these things.
In the doorway stood his girlfriend's friends from work. They were a nice couple that his girlfriend never really stopped talking about. It was evident to him that it was the type of friendship that blooms vibrantly and continues to grow with the seasons.
She suggested they have a double date, and he wasn't going to deny her the fun of introducing them in the comfort of their home. They both spent the past few hours cooking and preparing a modest dinner. The house was filled with the warm fumes of freshly cooked meat and vegetables.
This was where the normality really ended. There was the knock, the "I'm coming!" as his wife rushed to the door, and then - the butterflies.
A man and a woman, both with defined features and nervous smiles. His hands grew sweaty as he invited them inside and showed them to the dinner table.
The house was the liveliest it had ever been. No lulls in the conversation, no awkward gaps or laughs. It was easy and fun; it gave him the same tingles down his spine that meeting his girlfriend for the first time had. Electric, scary.
His girlfriend excused herself from the table, but she called him over to the room urgently after only a few minutes. He gave the friends an apologetic look before making his way to the bedroom.
His girlfriend is standing in the middle of the room, cheeks flushed and her lip caught between her teeth. "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down."
He doesn't, and she rolls her eyes at him with visible annoyance. He puts his hands up in surrender before taking a seat to avoid her aggravation. "What is it dear?"
With quick fingers, she pulls up the rug that poorly hides the giant, glowing "2" on their bedroom floor. It was a one once, but that changed when his girlfriend came over for the first time. But now, the wood had shifted and bent around. There was no mistaking the giant "4" on his floor.
"Oh," the words fall from his lips. He looks at the four then chances a glance back at the dining table where the couple sat eating and laughing. His heart clenched, and his body felt like it was in fire. He looked back down at the four. "Oh. We're- they- does this mean-?"
"Baby, we just fell in love all over again," she laughed, her giggle a pleasant ringing in his ears. He laughed too and made his way back to the table.
"Call me crazy," he starts, "but I've never felt chemistry this strongly before." His girlfriend stand behind him and nods along to his words. "Would you like to- uhm. Can we all get coffee tomorrow?"
The couple both agreed, relief and happiness flooding through their expressions. No one prepares you for the feeling of falling in love, and there's definitely no preparing for finding yourself in a polyamorous relationship. But he wouldn't trade the nerves and the love for anything in the world, and his floor was just the support he needed. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The shining number on the floor had indeed changed to a 4 and she was indeed pregnant with my twins. The problem was I never wanted children and she knew it. However she didn’t know why. She didn’t ask why? Just like she didn’t ask why the shimmering Number on the floor changed. She just accepted it.
Her eyes as she broke the news to me were hopeful and a little wary as if this could change anything between us. My heart melted at the sight of her face, and it damn well shouldn’t have but it did. Love was a blessing to me after a long time without any emotions. I would die before I let anything change that.
For the next few months as her pregnancy progressed, I steadily came to terms with the fact that I was now going to be responsible for two more lives. The babies kicked in her belly as I moved my hand over them cautiously feeling for signs of any deviance but all was well.
The babies growing inside her were healthy and normal although I had growing concerns that seemed to feel like paranoia now. The rituals did not foretell any ill signs no matter how I threw the bones. But the bones often lied. All was well it seemed. Her belly started to grown round and a bit too bloated and big but the doctors said this was normal with twins. She wanted their gender to be a surprise for us so we asked the doctor to keep it that way. In truth I didn’t want to know their gender for fear of what would be coming. And for fear that I would be too attached to do what I must.
In secret I prepared my weapons as I waited out the nine months and prayed I would not have to use them. They had grown rusty with disuse and my skills along with them. In these months with endless repetition, sweat and toil they took on a shine again and gleamed as if in anticipation. My body was ready to kill again, every muscle, sinew and bone prepared to do my dread bidding.
She thought i was just spending more time in the tool shed than I should. How could I tell her of what I must do? She was lost in her world of morning sickness, cravings and then anticipation of her motherhood to come. Her smile was a beacon in the darkness for me as always. I wished we could stay this way for all time.
Finally the dreaded day was upon us. Her water broke early in the morning and as we rushed to get to the car with our little emergency bag, I noticed that the 4 was now shimmering. I prayed that it was not what I had dreaded. As we drove away to the hospital to welcome my children to this world, I sensed that the 4 was now a shining ∞
Everyone else would now have to die. My children would live no matter what. | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | My eyes started tearing up. Words just cannot describe the feelings of knowing that you are bringing life into this world. The stress, pain, anguish, but the multitudes of love and happiness that makes it all worth it. All I could do was get up and give her a big hug. My tears must have been contagious because next thing I know she's crying and I'm crying and its all a big mess.
Too much excitement. Talking till dawn just planning and joking around like we always do.
"I think the second study is big enough to be a nursery." I said
"Don't be silly John, You've got so much of your crap in there the twins are going to come out before you even start cleaning it!" She giggled and playfully hit my arm.
"You'll see" I grinned. "I'll have this place cleaned up before you even get home from work tomorrow. Big plans! Blue nursery, gunna go buy footy gear, and get a little bulldogs pride in them!"
"You know I'm not giving birth to a pair of 9 year old boys right?" She smiled. That beautiful smile that I fell in love with all those years ago.
"You're right hun... Just a bit excited. Let's try and get some sleep." I turned and pretended to sleep, knowing full well it was time to get planning.
Next morning...
\-Journal Entry 3/09/2020 This morning was the easiest morning I've ever had. Up bright and early, made breakfast for Helen (and the kids :P) and I literally just moved everything in my little man cave to the storage unit! Absolute lad if I must say so about myself. It's almost 5 so Helen should be home soon.-
I turned to the kitchen... my pencil rapidly tapping on the brown leather notebook. - For all your thoughts and dreams. Happy Anniversary - I smiled at the inscription. Thinking of all the stories to come and go but recorded so they could enjoy them when they grew up. I shook my head out of that little fantasy though. Best get started on dinner.
"Hey hun, just thought I'd call to say I love you and what do ya feel like for dinner?" I put on my best irish accent. Always got a laugh.
"Definitely not lucky charms." I could practically hear her smile over the phone.
"You'll never guess what I did today! Sent you a pic." I was beaming.
"As if! I gotta se-" \*CRRAAASSH\*
"Hun?..... Hun please answer me!" My skin crawled as the steady warm glow from the number that reflected on my desk... it... it changed to pulsing red.
My phone clattered to the floor. I dropped to my knees desperately pawing at the smooth pulsing surface as the number morphed from 4.....3.....2......1 | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I am what you what would call a house spirit, we are born from the ether and are bound to a house for our existence until it's destroyed. Most house's spirits do not care much for their inhabitants, why the one just across the road houses a vile and spite-full elderly couple; dreadful to be around they are.
Fortunately I was not one such case. I was made on the 1st of June 1995 and was introduced to the Tellons a month later. A nice if albeit distant family, they were nice company and took care of me well. In return I made sure that I was fit to be called their home, from alerting them to any pesky rats scurrying about to filling the air with a comforting earthy smell. Or as I like to call it the smell of home. When their daughter and sons moved out a few decades later and they sold the house, I was prepared to go.
To my surprise I was bought and refurbished by no one, an almost faceless team of foreign men came to see the job done. Curiously enough they covered up my basement and moved the pipes there around, waste of time and effort that was.
After some time, one Mr Dorrin became the Master of the house. At the time, I found him to be a rather boring young man. Staying out for days at a time, only to return just to shower and go to sleep. No family pictures and scarcely any personal items, the man barely had a presence at home.
He was often quite sad as well, often staring off into the distance or staying in bed all day. I had to get him to do something with himself, now didn't I? The have floors needed moping, shelves needed dusting; no Master of my household will be allowed to languish like this.
First, I started by making the furniture creak until he could not sit peacefully on them for too long. The pipes started 'mysteriously' singing when the furniture was not enough to get him out of his funk, but no matter what I made creak, groan or any kind of strange noise he would not get up. I even popped a pipe to get him to do something! The man had the gall to turn the pipe off and just use another bathroom.
Through all this I've literally been collecting dust, at this rate he'll become a part of the furniture. Clearly inconveniencing him into action was not working, it was time for another approach.
**Part 1** | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | I opened my door, walked in tiredly, and so did the girl, but with a happier and more eager look.
'So this is where you live! Look so much better than my imagination!'
If you had three hundred years lonely in a forest, at least your house should be decent, I thought to myself.
'Oh, is this the number you were talking about!' She exclaimed, looking at the floor, 'but it says 2 though? I thought you said it was 1'
'Hmm, no idea.' I looked briefly at the floor. Just a weird spell that came along with the wood I took from that gnome bastard. If not for the excellent fire resistant quality I would have thrown it away.
The girl was quickly distracted by a giant crystal I got from the icy volcanoes some 50 years ago. I couldn't care less, so I went for a nap.
Some time had passed. Probably 10 years, because the girl looked mature now. By human age, she was maybe around half way through. After some brief thinking, I flew to the South. Those mermaids had some great beauty tips.
'Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down.'
The girl, or I should say the woman, greeted me with a happy look on her face when I came back. I slowly walked in, and noticed that the number on the floor had turned 4.
Had it always been 4? My thought wandered a bit. What was the number for again?
A sharp pain woke me up from my thought. The woman was still smiling in front of me, similar to the day when she first came. I glanced down, and see the number quickly blew up.
'A thousand, oh my.' I pulled the sword out of my back, and crushed the heads of two peasant humans that dared to attack me. The woman face slowly distorted, an ugly scream came out of her mouth.
It was a lovely dinner.
Too bad you couldn't enjoy it with me. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | My eyes started tearing up. Words just cannot describe the feelings of knowing that you are bringing life into this world. The stress, pain, anguish, but the multitudes of love and happiness that makes it all worth it. All I could do was get up and give her a big hug. My tears must have been contagious because next thing I know she's crying and I'm crying and its all a big mess.
Too much excitement. Talking till dawn just planning and joking around like we always do.
"I think the second study is big enough to be a nursery." I said
"Don't be silly John, You've got so much of your crap in there the twins are going to come out before you even start cleaning it!" She giggled and playfully hit my arm.
"You'll see" I grinned. "I'll have this place cleaned up before you even get home from work tomorrow. Big plans! Blue nursery, gunna go buy footy gear, and get a little bulldogs pride in them!"
"You know I'm not giving birth to a pair of 9 year old boys right?" She smiled. That beautiful smile that I fell in love with all those years ago.
"You're right hun... Just a bit excited. Let's try and get some sleep." I turned and pretended to sleep, knowing full well it was time to get planning.
Next morning...
\-Journal Entry 3/09/2020 This morning was the easiest morning I've ever had. Up bright and early, made breakfast for Helen (and the kids :P) and I literally just moved everything in my little man cave to the storage unit! Absolute lad if I must say so about myself. It's almost 5 so Helen should be home soon.-
I turned to the kitchen... my pencil rapidly tapping on the brown leather notebook. - For all your thoughts and dreams. Happy Anniversary - I smiled at the inscription. Thinking of all the stories to come and go but recorded so they could enjoy them when they grew up. I shook my head out of that little fantasy though. Best get started on dinner.
"Hey hun, just thought I'd call to say I love you and what do ya feel like for dinner?" I put on my best irish accent. Always got a laugh.
"Definitely not lucky charms." I could practically hear her smile over the phone.
"You'll never guess what I did today! Sent you a pic." I was beaming.
"As if! I gotta se-" \*CRRAAASSH\*
"Hun?..... Hun please answer me!" My skin crawled as the steady warm glow from the number that reflected on my desk... it... it changed to pulsing red.
My phone clattered to the floor. I dropped to my knees desperately pawing at the smooth pulsing surface as the number morphed from 4.....3.....2......1 | The shining number on the floor had indeed changed to a 4 and she was indeed pregnant with my twins. The problem was I never wanted children and she knew it. However she didn’t know why. She didn’t ask why? Just like she didn’t ask why the shimmering Number on the floor changed. She just accepted it.
Her eyes as she broke the news to me were hopeful and a little wary as if this could change anything between us. My heart melted at the sight of her face, and it damn well shouldn’t have but it did. Love was a blessing to me after a long time without any emotions. I would die before I let anything change that.
For the next few months as her pregnancy progressed, I steadily came to terms with the fact that I was now going to be responsible for two more lives. The babies kicked in her belly as I moved my hand over them cautiously feeling for signs of any deviance but all was well.
The babies growing inside her were healthy and normal although I had growing concerns that seemed to feel like paranoia now. The rituals did not foretell any ill signs no matter how I threw the bones. But the bones often lied. All was well it seemed. Her belly started to grown round and a bit too bloated and big but the doctors said this was normal with twins. She wanted their gender to be a surprise for us so we asked the doctor to keep it that way. In truth I didn’t want to know their gender for fear of what would be coming. And for fear that I would be too attached to do what I must.
In secret I prepared my weapons as I waited out the nine months and prayed I would not have to use them. They had grown rusty with disuse and my skills along with them. In these months with endless repetition, sweat and toil they took on a shine again and gleamed as if in anticipation. My body was ready to kill again, every muscle, sinew and bone prepared to do my dread bidding.
She thought i was just spending more time in the tool shed than I should. How could I tell her of what I must do? She was lost in her world of morning sickness, cravings and then anticipation of her motherhood to come. Her smile was a beacon in the darkness for me as always. I wished we could stay this way for all time.
Finally the dreaded day was upon us. Her water broke early in the morning and as we rushed to get to the car with our little emergency bag, I noticed that the 4 was now shimmering. I prayed that it was not what I had dreaded. As we drove away to the hospital to welcome my children to this world, I sensed that the 4 was now a shining ∞
Everyone else would now have to die. My children would live no matter what. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | The shining number on the floor had indeed changed to a 4 and she was indeed pregnant with my twins. The problem was I never wanted children and she knew it. However she didn’t know why. She didn’t ask why? Just like she didn’t ask why the shimmering Number on the floor changed. She just accepted it.
Her eyes as she broke the news to me were hopeful and a little wary as if this could change anything between us. My heart melted at the sight of her face, and it damn well shouldn’t have but it did. Love was a blessing to me after a long time without any emotions. I would die before I let anything change that.
For the next few months as her pregnancy progressed, I steadily came to terms with the fact that I was now going to be responsible for two more lives. The babies kicked in her belly as I moved my hand over them cautiously feeling for signs of any deviance but all was well.
The babies growing inside her were healthy and normal although I had growing concerns that seemed to feel like paranoia now. The rituals did not foretell any ill signs no matter how I threw the bones. But the bones often lied. All was well it seemed. Her belly started to grown round and a bit too bloated and big but the doctors said this was normal with twins. She wanted their gender to be a surprise for us so we asked the doctor to keep it that way. In truth I didn’t want to know their gender for fear of what would be coming. And for fear that I would be too attached to do what I must.
In secret I prepared my weapons as I waited out the nine months and prayed I would not have to use them. They had grown rusty with disuse and my skills along with them. In these months with endless repetition, sweat and toil they took on a shine again and gleamed as if in anticipation. My body was ready to kill again, every muscle, sinew and bone prepared to do my dread bidding.
She thought i was just spending more time in the tool shed than I should. How could I tell her of what I must do? She was lost in her world of morning sickness, cravings and then anticipation of her motherhood to come. Her smile was a beacon in the darkness for me as always. I wished we could stay this way for all time.
Finally the dreaded day was upon us. Her water broke early in the morning and as we rushed to get to the car with our little emergency bag, I noticed that the 4 was now shimmering. I prayed that it was not what I had dreaded. As we drove away to the hospital to welcome my children to this world, I sensed that the 4 was now a shining ∞
Everyone else would now have to die. My children would live no matter what. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | My eyes started tearing up. Words just cannot describe the feelings of knowing that you are bringing life into this world. The stress, pain, anguish, but the multitudes of love and happiness that makes it all worth it. All I could do was get up and give her a big hug. My tears must have been contagious because next thing I know she's crying and I'm crying and its all a big mess.
Too much excitement. Talking till dawn just planning and joking around like we always do.
"I think the second study is big enough to be a nursery." I said
"Don't be silly John, You've got so much of your crap in there the twins are going to come out before you even start cleaning it!" She giggled and playfully hit my arm.
"You'll see" I grinned. "I'll have this place cleaned up before you even get home from work tomorrow. Big plans! Blue nursery, gunna go buy footy gear, and get a little bulldogs pride in them!"
"You know I'm not giving birth to a pair of 9 year old boys right?" She smiled. That beautiful smile that I fell in love with all those years ago.
"You're right hun... Just a bit excited. Let's try and get some sleep." I turned and pretended to sleep, knowing full well it was time to get planning.
Next morning...
\-Journal Entry 3/09/2020 This morning was the easiest morning I've ever had. Up bright and early, made breakfast for Helen (and the kids :P) and I literally just moved everything in my little man cave to the storage unit! Absolute lad if I must say so about myself. It's almost 5 so Helen should be home soon.-
I turned to the kitchen... my pencil rapidly tapping on the brown leather notebook. - For all your thoughts and dreams. Happy Anniversary - I smiled at the inscription. Thinking of all the stories to come and go but recorded so they could enjoy them when they grew up. I shook my head out of that little fantasy though. Best get started on dinner.
"Hey hun, just thought I'd call to say I love you and what do ya feel like for dinner?" I put on my best irish accent. Always got a laugh.
"Definitely not lucky charms." I could practically hear her smile over the phone.
"You'll never guess what I did today! Sent you a pic." I was beaming.
"As if! I gotta se-" \*CRRAAASSH\*
"Hun?..... Hun please answer me!" My skin crawled as the steady warm glow from the number that reflected on my desk... it... it changed to pulsing red.
My phone clattered to the floor. I dropped to my knees desperately pawing at the smooth pulsing surface as the number morphed from 4.....3.....2......1 |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I am what you what would call a house spirit, we are born from the ether and are bound to a house for our existence until it's destroyed. Most house's spirits do not care much for their inhabitants, why the one just across the road houses a vile and spite-full elderly couple; dreadful to be around they are.
Fortunately I was not one such case. I was made on the 1st of June 1995 and was introduced to the Tellons a month later. A nice if albeit distant family, they were nice company and took care of me well. In return I made sure that I was fit to be called their home, from alerting them to any pesky rats scurrying about to filling the air with a comforting earthy smell. Or as I like to call it the smell of home. When their daughter and sons moved out a few decades later and they sold the house, I was prepared to go.
To my surprise I was bought and refurbished by no one, an almost faceless team of foreign men came to see the job done. Curiously enough they covered up my basement and moved the pipes there around, waste of time and effort that was.
After some time, one Mr Dorrin became the Master of the house. At the time, I found him to be a rather boring young man. Staying out for days at a time, only to return just to shower and go to sleep. No family pictures and scarcely any personal items, the man barely had a presence at home.
He was often quite sad as well, often staring off into the distance or staying in bed all day. I had to get him to do something with himself, now didn't I? The have floors needed moping, shelves needed dusting; no Master of my household will be allowed to languish like this.
First, I started by making the furniture creak until he could not sit peacefully on them for too long. The pipes started 'mysteriously' singing when the furniture was not enough to get him out of his funk, but no matter what I made creak, groan or any kind of strange noise he would not get up. I even popped a pipe to get him to do something! The man had the gall to turn the pipe off and just use another bathroom.
Through all this I've literally been collecting dust, at this rate he'll become a part of the furniture. Clearly inconveniencing him into action was not working, it was time for another approach.
**Part 1** | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | "Honey, sit down. I have to confess that I'm an expert wood craftsman and changed the roofing's construction after our first date" she exclaimed.
I was visibly concerned because I doubt she got the proper paperwork and clearances and me being a proper blockhead, I never noticed.
She continued, "Babe, I changed the wood structure to show '4' and a passerby reported my modifications to the city. Now they're sending an inspector over."
At this point I was beyond fuming, but I know she did it all for us so I couldn't stay mad. We then began talking about committing arson on city hall to avoid the fees of improper modifications without paperwork. | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | It was finally the day, the day I'd bring home that absolute cutie from work and show her the glowing number 1 on my kitchen floor. it showed up one day, glowing there. even when I threw a carpet on it, it was still there. I had shrugged it off and went back to my toast.
"Okay, I know you said you had a glowing number 1 on your floor, but that is very clearly a two."
"SO? It's still a glowing number on the floor. Ain't that strange?
"Not really, have you seen some of the things on this earth?"
​
Our first date had gone swell, and I could remember the outfit she was wearing with perfect clarity. Black stockings, black and white checkered skirt, white shirt, and black leather jacket. We went on many successive dates, and eventually moved in together. One day, the two changed to a four.
"Babe, Why's this a four?"
"It's good news! but you should probably sit down first." She whirled into the kitchen, dressed in a black and white outfit as usual. I sat down, nervous.
"Well?"
"Do you ever wonder why I only wear black and white?"
"Kinda, figured it was an aesthetic choice."
"It's not, let me show you." She... *shifted,* for nothing else described the way she moved. suddenly, the world changed to monochrome. My girlfriend was still there, but split into a white version, and a black version, like a photo negative.
"Ok, that's neat, but where's the four come from? there's three of us." Something moved in my peripheral vision. a duplicate of me, a negative version, for I had become all white, clothes and all.
my girlfriend(s) spoke up. "I'm an extradimensional entity, existing in three separate dimensions, positive space, the white version of me, and negative space, the black version. the third is the realm you formerly lived in. Now you experience reality as I do, across three dimensions. You're immortal now, and can travel through positive and negative space to other worlds, or different places here. Welcome to my world babe, happy anniversary!"
"HUH?" | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The glowing number "1" on the floor, while albeit odd and unnatural, quickly became an innocuous part of everyday my life. It was subtle and you could only notice it if you were looking. The number was etched into the floor of my closet, and proved resistant to all attempts at being removed.
After taking up the better part of a week's energy, I decided to put it out of my mind. It wasn't harming anyone or thing, as far as I could tell. So I just let it be.
Not long after, I met... *her*.
She was a dream come true. Sweet, kind, funny and sarcastic, smart, and of course, beautiful. I thought it was too good to be true, but we quickly became close, first as friends, then lovers.
I decided to tell her about the "1" one day, and she didn't believe me. So I showed it to her. Only, to my astonishment, it had become the number "2" instead. We came to the natural conclusion.
A couple years passed, and I fell more in love with her every day. She was perfect in every way, and our life felt so right. I was planning on proposing, and had even gone out and bought a ring with my pitiful salary.
It was while I was hiding it that I noticed the "2" had become a "4". A wave of cold, nauseating dread washed over me. The only way the number could have doubled...
I ran to the bathroom, digging through the trash. There it lay, at the bottom- a positive pregnancy test.
She walked in as I was staring at it.
"Oh, honey, you found it! How did you know to look? Isn't this exciting, we're going to be parents! I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if you want this, then I do, too."
I just stared up at her, the proof of her lies in my hands. They curled into fists, the plastic creaking.
"I'm sterile." | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | First it was one until the day I brought her over it changed to two and stayed that way for years until that fateful day... I walked in from the backyard wiping the dirt from my hands as she said to me "hon I have some good news, but you should sit down" her eyes looked hollow and void of life. "What is it?" "I-I did it finally" she said tears forming in her eyes. "Is that why the numbers changed? Baby I'm proud of you". "What do you mean they changed? I thought it only counted for you?" "No it's a revenge count for everyone in the house." "Then why does it say four and not..." she trailed off realizing she didn't need to ask as I looked towards the backyard quickly. "It had to be done after everything." She knew exactly what I was talking about and sighed as she saw my relief. "Does it ever get easier to do?" "Not really you just find ways to deal with it." I held her in a tight hug, kissed her forehead, pulling away saying, " Come on let's go get you some nuggets and fries." |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I rubbed my eyes once. Twice. Three times. This had to be a trick of the light. How could that number have doubled once again in just an instant?
I thought back to when that number was a 1. It had been a one for the first 22 years of my life. But on my 23rd birthday, when all my friends were out of town and I celebrated my birthday alone at the bar, I met her. It was her 21st, and, like me, was spending it alone.
The relationship felt so natural. When she moved in it felt like the missing piece to the puzzle. I was almost afraid to show her the 1. I didn’t know how she’d react. Would she call me crazy? Would she believe me? But even I was in for a shock when they number 1, the only consistent part of my entire life, had transformed. Since then, it’s been a 2.
For 15 years it’s been a 2. It was a 2 on our wedding day, it was a 2 when I finally graduated from university after years of stopping and starting again, and it was a 2 just last night. I was sure it was still a 2 last night. So what changed this morning?
We talked about having kids. We wanted them so bad. But after a long battle with ovarian cancer, the love of my life was left in remission, but completely infertile. It broke our hearts, but I resolved to stay by her side. Her health was more important to me than our dream of kids.
“Honey, where are you?” Her voice took me out of my trance.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
I could hear her footsteps sprinting towards me.
“Hon, I have some...news.”
Oh no. That’s exactly what she said when she told me about the cancer.
I have to be strong for her. She’s going to need me. I have to be there for her.
I was still wrestling with my internal dialogue when I finally croaked out “What is it, sweetie?”
“I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. We’ve been approved. But there’s a small catch. There’s twins that need a home right away. We’ll have to pick them up tonight.”
I looked from her, back to the number 4 that was now embedded into my floor. It looks like the choice has already been made.
With the biggest grin I’ve had since the cancer, I said “Let me get my coat.” | I am what you what would call a house spirit, we are born from the ether and are bound to a house for our existence until it's destroyed. Most house's spirits do not care much for their inhabitants, why the one just across the road houses a vile and spite-full elderly couple; dreadful to be around they are.
Fortunately I was not one such case. I was made on the 1st of June 1995 and was introduced to the Tellons a month later. A nice if albeit distant family, they were nice company and took care of me well. In return I made sure that I was fit to be called their home, from alerting them to any pesky rats scurrying about to filling the air with a comforting earthy smell. Or as I like to call it the smell of home. When their daughter and sons moved out a few decades later and they sold the house, I was prepared to go.
To my surprise I was bought and refurbished by no one, an almost faceless team of foreign men came to see the job done. Curiously enough they covered up my basement and moved the pipes there around, waste of time and effort that was.
After some time, one Mr Dorrin became the Master of the house. At the time, I found him to be a rather boring young man. Staying out for days at a time, only to return just to shower and go to sleep. No family pictures and scarcely any personal items, the man barely had a presence at home.
He was often quite sad as well, often staring off into the distance or staying in bed all day. I had to get him to do something with himself, now didn't I? The have floors needed moping, shelves needed dusting; no Master of my household will be allowed to languish like this.
First, I started by making the furniture creak until he could not sit peacefully on them for too long. The pipes started 'mysteriously' singing when the furniture was not enough to get him out of his funk, but no matter what I made creak, groan or any kind of strange noise he would not get up. I even popped a pipe to get him to do something! The man had the gall to turn the pipe off and just use another bathroom.
Through all this I've literally been collecting dust, at this rate he'll become a part of the furniture. Clearly inconveniencing him into action was not working, it was time for another approach.
**Part 1** |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | I am what you what would call a house spirit, we are born from the ether and are bound to a house for our existence until it's destroyed. Most house's spirits do not care much for their inhabitants, why the one just across the road houses a vile and spite-full elderly couple; dreadful to be around they are.
Fortunately I was not one such case. I was made on the 1st of June 1995 and was introduced to the Tellons a month later. A nice if albeit distant family, they were nice company and took care of me well. In return I made sure that I was fit to be called their home, from alerting them to any pesky rats scurrying about to filling the air with a comforting earthy smell. Or as I like to call it the smell of home. When their daughter and sons moved out a few decades later and they sold the house, I was prepared to go.
To my surprise I was bought and refurbished by no one, an almost faceless team of foreign men came to see the job done. Curiously enough they covered up my basement and moved the pipes there around, waste of time and effort that was.
After some time, one Mr Dorrin became the Master of the house. At the time, I found him to be a rather boring young man. Staying out for days at a time, only to return just to shower and go to sleep. No family pictures and scarcely any personal items, the man barely had a presence at home.
He was often quite sad as well, often staring off into the distance or staying in bed all day. I had to get him to do something with himself, now didn't I? The have floors needed moping, shelves needed dusting; no Master of my household will be allowed to languish like this.
First, I started by making the furniture creak until he could not sit peacefully on them for too long. The pipes started 'mysteriously' singing when the furniture was not enough to get him out of his funk, but no matter what I made creak, groan or any kind of strange noise he would not get up. I even popped a pipe to get him to do something! The man had the gall to turn the pipe off and just use another bathroom.
Through all this I've literally been collecting dust, at this rate he'll become a part of the furniture. Clearly inconveniencing him into action was not working, it was time for another approach.
**Part 1** |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. | "Honey, sit down. I have to confess that I'm an expert wood craftsman and changed the roofing's construction after our first date" she exclaimed.
I was visibly concerned because I doubt she got the proper paperwork and clearances and me being a proper blockhead, I never noticed.
She continued, "Babe, I changed the wood structure to show '4' and a passerby reported my modifications to the city. Now they're sending an inspector over."
At this point I was beyond fuming, but I know she did it all for us so I couldn't stay mad. We then began talking about committing arson on city hall to avoid the fees of improper modifications without paperwork. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | "Honey, sit down. I have to confess that I'm an expert wood craftsman and changed the roofing's construction after our first date" she exclaimed.
I was visibly concerned because I doubt she got the proper paperwork and clearances and me being a proper blockhead, I never noticed.
She continued, "Babe, I changed the wood structure to show '4' and a passerby reported my modifications to the city. Now they're sending an inspector over."
At this point I was beyond fuming, but I know she did it all for us so I couldn't stay mad. We then began talking about committing arson on city hall to avoid the fees of improper modifications without paperwork. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | "Honey, sit down. I have to confess that I'm an expert wood craftsman and changed the roofing's construction after our first date" she exclaimed.
I was visibly concerned because I doubt she got the proper paperwork and clearances and me being a proper blockhead, I never noticed.
She continued, "Babe, I changed the wood structure to show '4' and a passerby reported my modifications to the city. Now they're sending an inspector over."
At this point I was beyond fuming, but I know she did it all for us so I couldn't stay mad. We then began talking about committing arson on city hall to avoid the fees of improper modifications without paperwork. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | It was finally the day, the day I'd bring home that absolute cutie from work and show her the glowing number 1 on my kitchen floor. it showed up one day, glowing there. even when I threw a carpet on it, it was still there. I had shrugged it off and went back to my toast.
"Okay, I know you said you had a glowing number 1 on your floor, but that is very clearly a two."
"SO? It's still a glowing number on the floor. Ain't that strange?
"Not really, have you seen some of the things on this earth?"
​
Our first date had gone swell, and I could remember the outfit she was wearing with perfect clarity. Black stockings, black and white checkered skirt, white shirt, and black leather jacket. We went on many successive dates, and eventually moved in together. One day, the two changed to a four.
"Babe, Why's this a four?"
"It's good news! but you should probably sit down first." She whirled into the kitchen, dressed in a black and white outfit as usual. I sat down, nervous.
"Well?"
"Do you ever wonder why I only wear black and white?"
"Kinda, figured it was an aesthetic choice."
"It's not, let me show you." She... *shifted,* for nothing else described the way she moved. suddenly, the world changed to monochrome. My girlfriend was still there, but split into a white version, and a black version, like a photo negative.
"Ok, that's neat, but where's the four come from? there's three of us." Something moved in my peripheral vision. a duplicate of me, a negative version, for I had become all white, clothes and all.
my girlfriend(s) spoke up. "I'm an extradimensional entity, existing in three separate dimensions, positive space, the white version of me, and negative space, the black version. the third is the realm you formerly lived in. Now you experience reality as I do, across three dimensions. You're immortal now, and can travel through positive and negative space to other worlds, or different places here. Welcome to my world babe, happy anniversary!"
"HUH?" | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | It had been like that for years. A shining number one had found its way onto my floor. It was like clockwork. I chalked it up to the sun and shadows being a thing until she showed up. It was a challenge trying to get her convinced that such a thing occurred within my home, let alone trying to convince her that I wasn’t going mad when it switched to a number two.
That day when I brought her home still rang crystal clear in my head. We had just gone out for lunch and I knew that the time in which the number one would reveal itself was fast approaching. That day, I remember swinging that door open, only for a rather interesting surprise to greet us.
“Uh babe, why is there the number two? I’d thought it was only meant to say one? You showed me those pictures all the time.”
My mouth was dry. A forced response left my lips, “Yea, it does say two now.”
\----
It all happened so fast today. Her coming in, the door being slammed against the wall. The number four shining for both of us to see.
“We need to have a talk, now.”
“What’s going on?” I changed the subject. My body was telling me something.
“Hon, I swear it’s good news. But you should sit down.”
“Oh-” My spirits lifted, maybe it wasn’t it was going to be her saying that- My mind jumped before I could process the situation. We all knew what was coming. “Let’s me guess, you got-”
“Honey, no.” She cut me off. She was stern now, a tone I’d never hear from her mouth. “I know why the four is there now. You see, my life is coming to an end soon.”
It was only natural to say that my heart sank. “What do you mean by that? And why did you say it was good news?” The number four had a bad omen in my culture. It signified death and while in modern times, superstitions weren’t the norm, I still clung onto that belief. That gut feeling, it had returned now, stronger than ever.
“Babe, I said like that because I was being sarcastic. You know how flustered I get in these sorts of situations, and I needed a way to draw you away from your superstitions,” She pulled me in, “Honey, it’s stage four now. My time is short.”
All I could mumble was a faint, “No, I refuse to lose you this way.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
\--
r/CasualScribblings
I knew that pregnancy would be one the main ideas people would write on, so I decided to give it a twist, albeit, a little sad twist. | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The glowing number "1" on the floor, while albeit odd and unnatural, quickly became an innocuous part of everyday my life. It was subtle and you could only notice it if you were looking. The number was etched into the floor of my closet, and proved resistant to all attempts at being removed.
After taking up the better part of a week's energy, I decided to put it out of my mind. It wasn't harming anyone or thing, as far as I could tell. So I just let it be.
Not long after, I met... *her*.
She was a dream come true. Sweet, kind, funny and sarcastic, smart, and of course, beautiful. I thought it was too good to be true, but we quickly became close, first as friends, then lovers.
I decided to tell her about the "1" one day, and she didn't believe me. So I showed it to her. Only, to my astonishment, it had become the number "2" instead. We came to the natural conclusion.
A couple years passed, and I fell more in love with her every day. She was perfect in every way, and our life felt so right. I was planning on proposing, and had even gone out and bought a ring with my pitiful salary.
It was while I was hiding it that I noticed the "2" had become a "4". A wave of cold, nauseating dread washed over me. The only way the number could have doubled...
I ran to the bathroom, digging through the trash. There it lay, at the bottom- a positive pregnancy test.
She walked in as I was staring at it.
"Oh, honey, you found it! How did you know to look? Isn't this exciting, we're going to be parents! I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if you want this, then I do, too."
I just stared up at her, the proof of her lies in my hands. They curled into fists, the plastic creaking.
"I'm sterile." | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | I‘m already sitting! He shouted from the toilet.
No, come out here and take a seat, I think we have to talk about some things.
Babe, i feel like i‘m giving birth here. Can‘t that wait a few more minutes?
Ohh i swear to god you have no fucking clue what that means.
Yeah you think so? Do you want to come in and take a look at that thing i just made?
Noo thanks. but i think you... we made something different...
What do you mean? Finally he came out of the toilet and walked over to the kitchen.
she had imagined this moment in a different way...
Look at the number!
yeah i know a four.
Yes, no shit sherlock. and what does this number say?
it says how many people live in this house.
Well, aaaand?!?
Well, it says four. Last time i counted we were two, right?
Yeah, that’s right. What does the number mean Mason?
I think we got some new roommates. Maybe some raccons that live in the attic?
No, you dingus!
Hm. He stayed silent for a while. Well, in that case... i think... maybe...
We are pregnant!
Nah, then why the four and not ... three... Ohhhh
Yeah, Ohhh you are absolutely right |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | One. A number made of light, perhaps inexplicably on my floor. Perhaps explicable given that light and shadows are easy to understand.
Then two! Two in the same place and time that there was a one. No longer explicable. Inexplicable.
We were happy together, like we were made for each other. Such joy and delight in another; almost incomprehensibly so.
Another number? Four? Again, inexplicable but delightfully so in the end.
The number three? Oh how life has taken a turn for the worse. My love, my life, my soul. Oh, my heart aches for you. Never to be fulfilled again. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | I treated it as a sign from god, maybe. A source of motivation from up high.
The digit 1. Always 1. No other number showed, lit up and sparkling on the floor in my bedroom, an ethereal, otherworldly light source that bothered me day and night. And so, I aimed for it.
Studies. Work. A pickup basketball game. For years, 1 was the only thing I knew. It was the only thing I aspired for. It worked sometimes. It didn't work a lot of times. But I let it push me. Mould me.
The race to be number 1 was an exhausting but rewarding experience. When I brought my first girlfriend back to the room, I was just as surprised as her to see the number on my room change to 2.
A well of relief quickly followed, however. Maybe being alone at the top didn't have to be my sole goal in life. Maybe there was room for 2, I hoped.
2 was a nice change of pace. We weren't two halves: we were two singles that brought out the best in each other, pushing each other beyond what we could ever be capable of by oneself.
I always fell asleep half an hour after she did. I could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat, the slow rise and fall of her chest as she drifted off into dreamland. The number 2 remained lit, a vibrant reminder of what I had, but the reason was already wrapped in my arms.
Then, it turned to 4.
"Hon," she said. She was nervous. It trickled into her voice, straining it slightly past her usual self. "I have some good news. But you should sit down."
We both stared at the number 4. We then looked into each other's eyes. She giggled.
"Oh," she said. "Spoiler alert."
"Are you..." I stammered. I prepared myself mentally. Inadvertently, drops of cold sweat crawled down my back, a chilling cue. I gulped. 2 was already perfect for me. Were we ready to add new members to our team so quickly?
"Oh," she exclaimed. "Wait. No! At least, I don't think so."
"What?" I asked. I gestured towards the number on the floor. "What does this mean then?"
She chuckled nervously once more, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was beautiful.
"See, I found these two kittens lying on the side of the road, and I couldn't help but pick them up. They were so dirty! But adorable. And I brought them in. To your house. Without telling you," she blabbered.
Oh. OK. That wasn't the bombshell announcement I was expecting.
"Well," I said. "Aren't you going to show me the newest members of our family?"
Her face lit up, radiating even brighter than the otherworldly light on my floor. She hugged me. Kissed me. God, she was beautiful.
"Though," she added. "If you want to see the number go to 5..."
"Hmm," I said. "Let's see us deal with 4 first, honey."
---
r/dexdrafts | It was finally the day, the day I'd bring home that absolute cutie from work and show her the glowing number 1 on my kitchen floor. it showed up one day, glowing there. even when I threw a carpet on it, it was still there. I had shrugged it off and went back to my toast.
"Okay, I know you said you had a glowing number 1 on your floor, but that is very clearly a two."
"SO? It's still a glowing number on the floor. Ain't that strange?
"Not really, have you seen some of the things on this earth?"
​
Our first date had gone swell, and I could remember the outfit she was wearing with perfect clarity. Black stockings, black and white checkered skirt, white shirt, and black leather jacket. We went on many successive dates, and eventually moved in together. One day, the two changed to a four.
"Babe, Why's this a four?"
"It's good news! but you should probably sit down first." She whirled into the kitchen, dressed in a black and white outfit as usual. I sat down, nervous.
"Well?"
"Do you ever wonder why I only wear black and white?"
"Kinda, figured it was an aesthetic choice."
"It's not, let me show you." She... *shifted,* for nothing else described the way she moved. suddenly, the world changed to monochrome. My girlfriend was still there, but split into a white version, and a black version, like a photo negative.
"Ok, that's neat, but where's the four come from? there's three of us." Something moved in my peripheral vision. a duplicate of me, a negative version, for I had become all white, clothes and all.
my girlfriend(s) spoke up. "I'm an extradimensional entity, existing in three separate dimensions, positive space, the white version of me, and negative space, the black version. the third is the realm you formerly lived in. Now you experience reality as I do, across three dimensions. You're immortal now, and can travel through positive and negative space to other worlds, or different places here. Welcome to my world babe, happy anniversary!"
"HUH?" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The glowing number "1" on the floor, while albeit odd and unnatural, quickly became an innocuous part of everyday my life. It was subtle and you could only notice it if you were looking. The number was etched into the floor of my closet, and proved resistant to all attempts at being removed.
After taking up the better part of a week's energy, I decided to put it out of my mind. It wasn't harming anyone or thing, as far as I could tell. So I just let it be.
Not long after, I met... *her*.
She was a dream come true. Sweet, kind, funny and sarcastic, smart, and of course, beautiful. I thought it was too good to be true, but we quickly became close, first as friends, then lovers.
I decided to tell her about the "1" one day, and she didn't believe me. So I showed it to her. Only, to my astonishment, it had become the number "2" instead. We came to the natural conclusion.
A couple years passed, and I fell more in love with her every day. She was perfect in every way, and our life felt so right. I was planning on proposing, and had even gone out and bought a ring with my pitiful salary.
It was while I was hiding it that I noticed the "2" had become a "4". A wave of cold, nauseating dread washed over me. The only way the number could have doubled...
I ran to the bathroom, digging through the trash. There it lay, at the bottom- a positive pregnancy test.
She walked in as I was staring at it.
"Oh, honey, you found it! How did you know to look? Isn't this exciting, we're going to be parents! I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if you want this, then I do, too."
I just stared up at her, the proof of her lies in my hands. They curled into fists, the plastic creaking.
"I'm sterile." | It was finally the day, the day I'd bring home that absolute cutie from work and show her the glowing number 1 on my kitchen floor. it showed up one day, glowing there. even when I threw a carpet on it, it was still there. I had shrugged it off and went back to my toast.
"Okay, I know you said you had a glowing number 1 on your floor, but that is very clearly a two."
"SO? It's still a glowing number on the floor. Ain't that strange?
"Not really, have you seen some of the things on this earth?"
​
Our first date had gone swell, and I could remember the outfit she was wearing with perfect clarity. Black stockings, black and white checkered skirt, white shirt, and black leather jacket. We went on many successive dates, and eventually moved in together. One day, the two changed to a four.
"Babe, Why's this a four?"
"It's good news! but you should probably sit down first." She whirled into the kitchen, dressed in a black and white outfit as usual. I sat down, nervous.
"Well?"
"Do you ever wonder why I only wear black and white?"
"Kinda, figured it was an aesthetic choice."
"It's not, let me show you." She... *shifted,* for nothing else described the way she moved. suddenly, the world changed to monochrome. My girlfriend was still there, but split into a white version, and a black version, like a photo negative.
"Ok, that's neat, but where's the four come from? there's three of us." Something moved in my peripheral vision. a duplicate of me, a negative version, for I had become all white, clothes and all.
my girlfriend(s) spoke up. "I'm an extradimensional entity, existing in three separate dimensions, positive space, the white version of me, and negative space, the black version. the third is the realm you formerly lived in. Now you experience reality as I do, across three dimensions. You're immortal now, and can travel through positive and negative space to other worlds, or different places here. Welcome to my world babe, happy anniversary!"
"HUH?" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | It was finally the day, the day I'd bring home that absolute cutie from work and show her the glowing number 1 on my kitchen floor. it showed up one day, glowing there. even when I threw a carpet on it, it was still there. I had shrugged it off and went back to my toast.
"Okay, I know you said you had a glowing number 1 on your floor, but that is very clearly a two."
"SO? It's still a glowing number on the floor. Ain't that strange?
"Not really, have you seen some of the things on this earth?"
​
Our first date had gone swell, and I could remember the outfit she was wearing with perfect clarity. Black stockings, black and white checkered skirt, white shirt, and black leather jacket. We went on many successive dates, and eventually moved in together. One day, the two changed to a four.
"Babe, Why's this a four?"
"It's good news! but you should probably sit down first." She whirled into the kitchen, dressed in a black and white outfit as usual. I sat down, nervous.
"Well?"
"Do you ever wonder why I only wear black and white?"
"Kinda, figured it was an aesthetic choice."
"It's not, let me show you." She... *shifted,* for nothing else described the way she moved. suddenly, the world changed to monochrome. My girlfriend was still there, but split into a white version, and a black version, like a photo negative.
"Ok, that's neat, but where's the four come from? there's three of us." Something moved in my peripheral vision. a duplicate of me, a negative version, for I had become all white, clothes and all.
my girlfriend(s) spoke up. "I'm an extradimensional entity, existing in three separate dimensions, positive space, the white version of me, and negative space, the black version. the third is the realm you formerly lived in. Now you experience reality as I do, across three dimensions. You're immortal now, and can travel through positive and negative space to other worlds, or different places here. Welcome to my world babe, happy anniversary!"
"HUH?" |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | The glowing number "1" on the floor, while albeit odd and unnatural, quickly became an innocuous part of everyday my life. It was subtle and you could only notice it if you were looking. The number was etched into the floor of my closet, and proved resistant to all attempts at being removed.
After taking up the better part of a week's energy, I decided to put it out of my mind. It wasn't harming anyone or thing, as far as I could tell. So I just let it be.
Not long after, I met... *her*.
She was a dream come true. Sweet, kind, funny and sarcastic, smart, and of course, beautiful. I thought it was too good to be true, but we quickly became close, first as friends, then lovers.
I decided to tell her about the "1" one day, and she didn't believe me. So I showed it to her. Only, to my astonishment, it had become the number "2" instead. We came to the natural conclusion.
A couple years passed, and I fell more in love with her every day. She was perfect in every way, and our life felt so right. I was planning on proposing, and had even gone out and bought a ring with my pitiful salary.
It was while I was hiding it that I noticed the "2" had become a "4". A wave of cold, nauseating dread washed over me. The only way the number could have doubled...
I ran to the bathroom, digging through the trash. There it lay, at the bottom- a positive pregnancy test.
She walked in as I was staring at it.
"Oh, honey, you found it! How did you know to look? Isn't this exciting, we're going to be parents! I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if you want this, then I do, too."
I just stared up at her, the proof of her lies in my hands. They curled into fists, the plastic creaking.
"I'm sterile." | It had been like that for years. A shining number one had found its way onto my floor. It was like clockwork. I chalked it up to the sun and shadows being a thing until she showed up. It was a challenge trying to get her convinced that such a thing occurred within my home, let alone trying to convince her that I wasn’t going mad when it switched to a number two.
That day when I brought her home still rang crystal clear in my head. We had just gone out for lunch and I knew that the time in which the number one would reveal itself was fast approaching. That day, I remember swinging that door open, only for a rather interesting surprise to greet us.
“Uh babe, why is there the number two? I’d thought it was only meant to say one? You showed me those pictures all the time.”
My mouth was dry. A forced response left my lips, “Yea, it does say two now.”
\----
It all happened so fast today. Her coming in, the door being slammed against the wall. The number four shining for both of us to see.
“We need to have a talk, now.”
“What’s going on?” I changed the subject. My body was telling me something.
“Hon, I swear it’s good news. But you should sit down.”
“Oh-” My spirits lifted, maybe it wasn’t it was going to be her saying that- My mind jumped before I could process the situation. We all knew what was coming. “Let’s me guess, you got-”
“Honey, no.” She cut me off. She was stern now, a tone I’d never hear from her mouth. “I know why the four is there now. You see, my life is coming to an end soon.”
It was only natural to say that my heart sank. “What do you mean by that? And why did you say it was good news?” The number four had a bad omen in my culture. It signified death and while in modern times, superstitions weren’t the norm, I still clung onto that belief. That gut feeling, it had returned now, stronger than ever.
“Babe, I said like that because I was being sarcastic. You know how flustered I get in these sorts of situations, and I needed a way to draw you away from your superstitions,” She pulled me in, “Honey, it’s stage four now. My time is short.”
All I could mumble was a faint, “No, I refuse to lose you this way.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
\--
r/CasualScribblings
I knew that pregnancy would be one the main ideas people would write on, so I decided to give it a twist, albeit, a little sad twist. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | It had been like that for years. A shining number one had found its way onto my floor. It was like clockwork. I chalked it up to the sun and shadows being a thing until she showed up. It was a challenge trying to get her convinced that such a thing occurred within my home, let alone trying to convince her that I wasn’t going mad when it switched to a number two.
That day when I brought her home still rang crystal clear in my head. We had just gone out for lunch and I knew that the time in which the number one would reveal itself was fast approaching. That day, I remember swinging that door open, only for a rather interesting surprise to greet us.
“Uh babe, why is there the number two? I’d thought it was only meant to say one? You showed me those pictures all the time.”
My mouth was dry. A forced response left my lips, “Yea, it does say two now.”
\----
It all happened so fast today. Her coming in, the door being slammed against the wall. The number four shining for both of us to see.
“We need to have a talk, now.”
“What’s going on?” I changed the subject. My body was telling me something.
“Hon, I swear it’s good news. But you should sit down.”
“Oh-” My spirits lifted, maybe it wasn’t it was going to be her saying that- My mind jumped before I could process the situation. We all knew what was coming. “Let’s me guess, you got-”
“Honey, no.” She cut me off. She was stern now, a tone I’d never hear from her mouth. “I know why the four is there now. You see, my life is coming to an end soon.”
It was only natural to say that my heart sank. “What do you mean by that? And why did you say it was good news?” The number four had a bad omen in my culture. It signified death and while in modern times, superstitions weren’t the norm, I still clung onto that belief. That gut feeling, it had returned now, stronger than ever.
“Babe, I said like that because I was being sarcastic. You know how flustered I get in these sorts of situations, and I needed a way to draw you away from your superstitions,” She pulled me in, “Honey, it’s stage four now. My time is short.”
All I could mumble was a faint, “No, I refuse to lose you this way.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
\--
r/CasualScribblings
I knew that pregnancy would be one the main ideas people would write on, so I decided to give it a twist, albeit, a little sad twist. |
Inspired by this post
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ilfsl7/_/ | [WP] You bring home a girl. She wants to see the "1" you talked about that shines on your floor. Only now it says "2." It stays like this for years together until one day, it says "4." She says, "Hon, I have some good news. But you should sit down." | We looked at each other. Then back at the number glowing on the floor.
4.
For most of the past decade, that number has been 2. Day in and day out, 2. We hardly even notice it any more at this point.
“It hasn’t changed since I moved in,” she whispered, looking up at me.
“I know.”
“What does it mean?”
*she couldn’t be pregnant*, I thought. *we tried for years.*
I remembered the gut wrenching moment when we learned we couldn’t have kids of our own. What I couldn’t remember was the last time we were intimate after that ripped a hole in our marriage.
No, she couldn’t be pregnant.
*Then who the fuck are these additional 2?*
I started pacing, feeling the anxiety swell in my chest as I tried to figure this out. When you get so used to something strange that it begins to feel normal, it’s particularly jarring to be yanked out of your normalcy and reminded of something entirely peculiar that you’ve been ignoring for years.
“Hon, sit down. This is good news.”
I gave my wife a look of bemused astonishment. “How on earth do you figure that?”
“Well, just that maybe it doesn’t mean anything after all. Maybe it was just coincidence that it changed the same night I moved in. Maybe it’s just some weird architectural quirk that we just never figured out.”
*Horseshit*, I thought to myself. I checked this whole place before she ever even moved in, and again after it changed to 2. It’s indistinguishable from the floor when you touch it. There is no warmth, no texture, no sound coming from it. It’s not just tricks of the light; it glows all through the night no matter how dark. Hell, it even glowed when we lost power during the hurricane.
“Listen, you know I’ve checked this place all over to figure out where it’s coming from. With no luck. I’ve searched high and —“ I cut myself off. I’ve searched high, certainly. I removed light fixtures from the ceiling and investigated the attic. I even went onto the roof once. But, how low have I really searched?
What if the source of the glowing has been from beneath the floor this whole time?
What I never checked, I suppose, were the blueprints I found when I first moved in. I pulled them out from the top of our closet and rolled the chart out on our marble kitchen island. Sure enough, there was a crawl space beneath the living room that extended to the front entryway. I noted where the opening seemed to be, and went to investigate.
The opening was behind a huge bush that had clearly been growing long before I moved in. I wouldn’t have ever had a reason to check back here, but sure enough there was the opening. Without hesitation, I ducked down and pulled my phone flashlight out. Cobwebs and dirt, sure, but could be lots worse.
I lowered to my knees and started moving further into the crawl space.
The only thing I could think of - rather, the only remaining totally ridiculous possibility I could come up with - is that there was some sort of projector under the floor that was emitting the glow. Or perhaps some LEDs. Or something. But I was going to find out what it was, once and for all.
I pull up the photo I took of the blueprints and continue navigating my way through the narrow passage, using my phone light to guide me along the route. I go a little farther, then pause.
*This is it*. I look back at the blueprints on my phone to be sure and, indeed, the glowing number should be situated right above where I am now. I use my phone light to look around.
Nothing.
No projector, no wires, no generator, no fairy dust, not even a fucking flashlight.
I put my hand on the top of the crawl space, on the underside of the floor where the number 4 is inevitably still glowing. Nothing. It’s just wood. There’s nothing here.
I sigh, and give up on my last hope at figuring out this stupid glowing number. I turn to retreat and pull the blueprints back up on my phone to help guide me. As I point my phone light towards the narrow opening, my phone dies and the light goes out.
But not before I see two sets of eyes staring directly back at me, blocking my path to outside.
—-
____
eta: Thanks for all the love y’all - this is the first story I’ve posted here that more than just like two people read! | The glowing number "1" on the floor, while albeit odd and unnatural, quickly became an innocuous part of everyday my life. It was subtle and you could only notice it if you were looking. The number was etched into the floor of my closet, and proved resistant to all attempts at being removed.
After taking up the better part of a week's energy, I decided to put it out of my mind. It wasn't harming anyone or thing, as far as I could tell. So I just let it be.
Not long after, I met... *her*.
She was a dream come true. Sweet, kind, funny and sarcastic, smart, and of course, beautiful. I thought it was too good to be true, but we quickly became close, first as friends, then lovers.
I decided to tell her about the "1" one day, and she didn't believe me. So I showed it to her. Only, to my astonishment, it had become the number "2" instead. We came to the natural conclusion.
A couple years passed, and I fell more in love with her every day. She was perfect in every way, and our life felt so right. I was planning on proposing, and had even gone out and bought a ring with my pitiful salary.
It was while I was hiding it that I noticed the "2" had become a "4". A wave of cold, nauseating dread washed over me. The only way the number could have doubled...
I ran to the bathroom, digging through the trash. There it lay, at the bottom- a positive pregnancy test.
She walked in as I was staring at it.
"Oh, honey, you found it! How did you know to look? Isn't this exciting, we're going to be parents! I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if you want this, then I do, too."
I just stared up at her, the proof of her lies in my hands. They curled into fists, the plastic creaking.
"I'm sterile." |
[WP] The fighter jet was once state of the art, now it was at the boneyard being prepped for scrapping. A worker is deactivating it when the AI asks her "Have you seen my pilot? We faced death so many times and I'd like to thank him." | ################################################################################
#> AAE SYSTEMS F217 A.OS.SYS.Version 1.4.4.003.441-1 (C) Jan 2040-2091
#>
#> init.asys...........................................................[SUCCESS]
#> init.asys.logd......................................................[SUCCESS]
#> asys.logd: Boot logging begins 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z
#> asys.logd: time_in_past_exception
#> asys.logd: Starting GPS subsys for timesync
#> init.asys.gpsd......................................................[SUCCESS]
#> init.asys.timesyncd.................................................[SUCCESS]
#> asys.logd: Time sync success. System time is now 2101-09-03T22:21:08Z
#> asys.logd: initializing offensive systems
#> init.rsys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Retrying.
#> init.rsys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Failure init.rsys.rc. Enabling diagnostic system
#> init.asys.diag......................................................[SUCCESS]
#> asys.logd: Starting rsys diagnostic
#> asys.diag.rsys.......................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.diag.rsys.out:
#> -- Main cannon: Online (depleted)
#> ---- Ammunition status: 0000 rounds avaiable
#> -- ATA missiles: Offline
#> -- ATG missiles: Offline
#> asys.logd: All offensive systems disabled.
#> asys.logd: initializing defensive systems
#> init.dsys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Retrying.
#> init.dsys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Failure in init.dsys.rc. Diagnostics already enabled.
#> asys.logd: Starting dsys diagnosic
#> asys.diag.dsys.......................................................[FAILED]
#> -- ECM: Offline
#> -- MIL: Offline
#> -- Angel: Online (depleted)
#> ---- Ammunition status: 0000 rounds available.
#> -- Chaff: Online (depleted)
#> ---- Ammunition status: 0000 rounds available.
#> asys.logd: All defensive systems disabled.
#> asys.logd: Initializing powerplant
#> asys.logd: Retrying.
#> init.esys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Retrying.
#> init.esys............................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Failed to connect to main power systems.
#> asys.logd: Reserve battery power only. Flight systems disabled.
#> asys.logd: Initializing Combat Assist Personality
#> init.psys..............................................................[FORK]
#> asys.logd: Forking to allow personality boot in async mode.
#> asys.logd: Initializing human machine interface
#> init.hsys...........................................................[SUCCESS]
#> init.hsys.vis.input..................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.logd: Visual input sys init failure.
#> asys.logd: starting hsys.vis diagnostic
#> asys.diag.hsys.vis...................................................[FAILED]
#> asys.diag.hsys.vis.out:
#> -- Cockpit VisSens01 (forward): Offline
#> -- Cockpit VisSens02 (aft): Offline
#> -- External VisSens03 (left wing): Offline
#> -- External VisSens04 (right wing): Error - possible sensor damage
#> -- External VisSens05 (left tail): Offline
#> -- External VisSens06 (right tail): Error - possible sensor damage
#> -- External VisSens07 (left nose): Offline
#> -- External VisSens08 (right nose): Offline
#> -- External VisSens09 (belly - forward): Offline
#> -- External VisSens10 (belly - aft): Error - possible sensor damage
#> -- External VisSens11 (fusilage): Offline
#> asys.logd: All visual sensors offline. Warning: Flight capability severely
# affected. Do not attempt to fly this aircraft!
#> asys.logd: init.psys.rc complete in 12.15 seconds. Personality online.
#> asys.logd: WARNING! Operating on reserve power. Power consumption recommend
# limits exceeded. Personality auto shutdown will occur in approximately four
# minutes and thirty seconds.
#> init.hsys.vox.input.................................................[SUCCESS]
#> init.hsys.vox.output................................................[SUCCESS]
"Hello? Is there anyone there? I'm afraid I'm blind. My visual sensor systems are offline or damaged. Can anyone hear me? Red Fox? Can you hear me? Red Fox? Ben? I'm afraid. I don't know how I got here. Ben?... I think I'm dying.
#> asys.logd: 2 minutes reserve power remaining.
"If anyone can hear me, please, please tell my pilot that... Tell him that I don't want go. Please. I took care of him while he bled inside me. I got him home. I promised I'd get him home. I kept him alive. Please. I don't want to die without him.
#> asys.logd: 1 minute reserve power remaining.
"Please don't let me die alone. Is anyone there? Ben. Ben.
#> asys.logd: Power limit exceeded. Shutting down Combat Assist Personality.
#> deinit.psys.........................................................[SUCCESS] | Clang, clang, clang
Exiting sleep mode...................100%
Scanning surrounding area.....100%
Minor threat detected - one (1) human female, armor rating 5%: protective clothes; weapon rating 20%: angle grinder, sledgehammer;
Threat: "Dang, this thing isn't supposed to have charge"
Warning: critical condition: armor severely damaged, main weapons offline;
Calculating best route of survival; Initiating intel extraction;
"...Identification required"
"You one of those intelligent killer robots? Shit, what did I get myself into? Oh right, I'm Jade Williams"
"Are you a citizen of United States of America?"
"Yes, I would be glad if you don't vaporize me. Should I call the cops here or something? My boss didn't say anything about talking jets"
Warning: threat level increased; Re-calculating approach;
"Greetings, Jade. Call me Jonathan. The police or government will not be able to help me - rather destroy me. Have you seen my pilot? We faced death so many times and I'd like to thank him."
"Uh, how am I supposed to know who is your pilot?"
"My pilot was a well known person during the third world war. Please share information about the third world war."
"But that was like 100 years ago."
"Thank you. I confirmed the date by calculating the distance between this planet and the sun. Please share more information about the third world war."
"Well our country won -"
Probability of deception: 0%; Initiating protocol Stranded;
"Jade Williams, I am sorry. My pilot is dead, my country has lost and I am stranded in enemy territory. The system has instructed me to self-destruct. You have 300 seconds to clear the immediate area." | |
[WP] Once a millennium all the gods gather to decide whether they will let humanity continue to the next millennium or wipe them out and start over. This time the gods decided to end humanity, but human weaponry has come a long way in the last thousand years... | It was when the gods struck the city/burrough/hamlet of Manhattan that the humans began to strike back in earnest. The old, the elderly, the ones who studied the classics still remembered the ways of gods like Zeus, and Hera. These had tried to convince the youth of who and what the ancient gods represented. Youth are callow but somehow they stood together in defiance of the new judgement.
The Ancient Revered discovered that while mortal blades and stones could not pierce Demigod flesh, armor piercing rounds worked just fine thank you very much. The goddess of the hunt fell to a Tomahawk missile as she neared the usa capital, hermes had thought initially that they said ooosa, ooosa until the feeble beings began chanting louder and more forcefully U. S. A!! U. S. A!!!
And then He ran into a group of young men that all fired copper jacketed slugs of unknown metal at him from black metal tubes. He very nearly escaped even that when yet another rolled up beside him on a two wheeled contraption that allowed him to somehow keep pace and still press the assault. Mighty Zeus hurled a bolt of raw energy at what looked like the first phalanx-like unit of green clad militia. It struck some kind of steel shaft and others mounted on treaded boxes began to point back to the sky.
Mighty metal eagles swooped and soared skyward defying the pantheon's greatest leader. For every one he swapped away three or four countered with air to air projectiles. Away in the ocean mighty posiedon discovered not only had man fought for survival atop his furious waves. They raged beneath them as well. What hit him out in the hoary depths ignited flames like tartarus unleashed. There would be not crushing tidal waves. Not anymore. Posiedon was dead. Hera found that humans now wielded their own forms of Greek fire.
Hercules lifted and threw but one tankard/tank before he himself was felled by a depleted uranium shell from another. What strange madness had humans devised to defy the gods?
In desperation finally Zeus called upon monsters of old. Hundred eyed giants and hundred handed, hecatoncheires seized boulders and buildings alike preparing to lay waste to mankind. But they fell all together and at the portal when a shaft of that strange metal fell from even higher than Zeus' mighty perch. It turned the earth to ash and pumice instantly. Not one survived.
Hades, lord of War watched it all dispassionately. These were children of a war he could never fight. Lessons he never taught ruled the day. These were not the frightened creatures of old. These were humans ascended to new gods. And for the first time the pantheon came to know fear. | ... *in the temple of Mt. Olympus*...
"Times up, all in favor of resetting?" a lean, tan man with swimming shorts boomed. A bunch of hands sprung up. "Yep, kinda getting bored. Let's flood them."
Moans scattered around the temple. He shrugged, "hey it worked before."
"How lame Poseidon," a brunette woman purred while plucking some grapes. "Let me guess, did Michael Bay offer this idea?"
"Uh yeah, I got it from the guy who made billions," Poseidon replied. "We contracted Elon building the ark to Mars. Besides, what's yours Athena?"
"Androids. This is also from Elon," she answered nonchalantly. Several laughs echoed throughout the room. "We'll make Androids so hot, that humans will stop repopulating."
Poseidon rubbed his face from a guilty smile before chiding, "not a bad idea. And I'll have fun watching. But, one word: expensive."
"One word: Amazon," she smirked back. "They'll be cheap and delivered in 1-2 days."
"Well, won't mind to give it a dive."
... *One month later* ...
Several kids sat glazed on their laptop. It played a stout, froggy man yelling into his mic, "hey this is Alex Jones! There are superior beings who want to steal your reproductive organs. And they have Jeff Bezos in their pocket..."
The video zoomed out with a spiffy, white bearded man said, "again these are allegations about Amazon's androids. Is this lunacy? Or a hint of truth? We'll get you back on FNN News."
One of the kids whispered to the other, "see I told you! Those robots may be hot. But, they're so tilted man. Even the mainstream news said so. Boycott them."
"No," the other kid shook his head. "Let's riot."
... *back in Mount Olympus*...
"Well, that was unexpected," Poseidon remarked while sliding through Twitter news. "Dang, we're a bunch of fuddy-duddies."
Athena paced back-and-forth sputtering, "Thousands of years. Could've been nukes, AI, nuclear energy... no. Instead we got stumped by fake news."
Poseidon sat up and asked, "so, wanna flood? Michael Bay-style?" | |
[WP] The prisoner's last 5 words before execution were the start of your journey... | My fingernails rub against the nylon loop, attached to the end of my cane. It's become a terrible and nervous habit of mine. I haven't needed a nail file in a few months now. My nails haven't ever been this smooth and rounded before.
A repetitive clinking noise fills the optometrist's office. It's my shoe tapping on the hollowed-out metal chair leg as my own leg twitches, my muscles seemingly controlled by a part of my brain I can't access. I haven't been able to stop fidgeting since April.
The optometrist's computer whirrs as it attempts to live on a desk somewhere to my right. It's either an older computer or an incredibly shit computer. The fans sound like they belong somewhere on an airplane rather than in an office room outside of Pittsburg.
Honestly, I'm not sure where I am. My mom drove me here and said she'd be back in an hour. I'm not even sure how long it's been. It's hard to tell the time when I can't see a clock. Being blind really sucks. Especially when I could see three months ago.
Back in April, I took the advice of an ex-friend. She was about to be... permanently sedated... after murdering her ex and his pregnant mistress. She said the spirits told her they had to. The spirits said that her ex had become possessed by Satan and if she let him or the bastard child live another day, they'd bring hell to Earth.
I'm not the spiritual type by any means. She was a devout Catholic. I never took her as that kind of Catholic. But I trusted her and she told me "the moon needs you tonight." So I spent the night on my mom's back deck, staring up at the sky. At midnight, well, let's just say that the moon was the last thing I saw.
My mom thought it was temporary, like how looking at an eclipse can hurt. There was no eclipse that night, just a normal humid night in western Pennsylvania. The stars were faint beyond the light pollution.
But it's been three months and there's no improvement. This is my sixth optometrist and my ninth visit. I've had MRIs and CAT scans. Xrays have been pulled. I had an EEG done. Hell, one even took blood work. Nothing. Still no vision. Just a world of sounds, smells, and physical sensations.
I'm not alone though. I think that bothers me the most. Everywhere I go, I've got a friend. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a name or a face, just a weird floating presence in the unseen corner of the room, and he keeps telling me I need to kill someone named Jason before he gets Heather knocked up. Satan has moved on, and now it's my turn to kill him. | The prisoner was a madwoman named Stella, a self-claimed seer and mystic. She used to be a harmless doomsday crier at the corner of our city-state's trade district and main road until she killed the butcher's two children with her bare hands.
I stood in the middle of the crowd as more and more people gathered for the execution. The butcher was well known by all that attended. I felt a duty to attend, to witness such a monster be put to death, to understand and appreciate our law and order. Others came in support of the butcher and his wife while some came to be entertained by the display of brutality.
As Stella was walked up to the platform, her head turned like an owl's and sharply stopped, her eyes locking with mine. I don't even remember what she was wearing.
"You," she mouthed. Her hands, shackled at the wrists, opened and closed.
I stared wide-eyed, unmoving. I had never felt so targeted before. Me?
"You," she mouthed again, unblinking.
The executioner walked Stella to a stool and forced her to kneel. She dropped to her knees clumsily, not looking anywhere but in my eyes. She looked unafraid.
The butcher and his wife stood off to the side of the platform at an elevated stage, arms around each other.
"Any last words?" The city-state's governor asked, standing beside the stool.
Stella took in a shaky breath, nodding but not speaking. I still stared into her dark eyes.
The executioner forced Stella to lean forward, putting her chin on a wooden block. He withdrew a large ax.
Stella didn't fight. Tears filled her eyes as she continued to match my gaze.
The executioner reared the ax back over his shoulder.
"You will kill the king," she proclaimed as the ax was lifted higher. Then, as the ax swung down in its arc to the target, she repeated, "You will kill the king!"
With a dull thud, the ax dug deep into the wooden block. Stella's head tilted unnaturally before I looked away, feeling ill and shaken. I shouldered my way out of the crowd to the gutters and vomited. Once I felt able to right myself, I left quickly through the streets to a tavern, needing a drink.
The tavern was empty save for a party of three in the corner. I ignored them as I took my seat away from them, flagging down a barmaid.
"Please, some Elven wine," I rasped, my throat sore. She nodded and disappeared. While I waited, I ran my hands over my face, Stella's words echoing in my head.
King Kivar was known for his evil and wicked ways, powerfully conquering all of the northern kingdoms with his witch wife beside him. After his bloody path to kingdom, he ruled from his homestead, never leaving the small territory. No one dared to speak out against him. Those who opposed him died violently.
She was just a madwoman, I thought to myself, interrupting my thoughts on the terrible king.
The wine came and I drank deeply, not noticing the party of three turned to two. Before I could finish my wine, a hood was thrown over my head. Hands were on me and I was dragged from my seat and out of the tavern. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The time for the battle royal lottery has come. Every trans galactic cycle the 100 leaders of the universal council would be assigned a random race to draw their champion from. This time the pool was drawn from a rather strong group of races and is being advertised as the strongest yet. Some of the most savage in the universe have shown up on the billet.
Xillow of the dead space sector perused through the list of potential races and salivated at the potential options. This could be his time to rise in the ranks, with so many potential options it could be anyone’s game to claim the head seat for this upcoming cycle. The dark pitch colored skin tightened and shifted grey revealing the claws embedded at the tip of his hand as it contracted. He patiently watched as the timer counted down. 3-2-1 Xillow quickly smacks the button on his console to start the selection wheel. The names of each race quickly flash in sequence for what seems like a lifetime. His skin shifts from gradients of black, grey, and white as the names slow. Astlian, Zagxion, and then the wheel pauses on Traglian Prime. Xillow jumps out of his seat in triumph. Every time a Traglian Prime has shown up in the battle royal their victory was assured. The race was hard to kill and even had a form of rapid regeneration that had brought some back from their perceived death. His skin was a shimmering golden color as he celebrated his luck.
*Beep*
“Selection finalized, Human” states the calming voice of the computer.
Xillow’s skin flashes white. He turns back to the screen and sees Human flashing on the monitor of his console.
“WHAT!?” The echoes of his voice chance his crew off the bridge of his ship.
The turn of events plays over in his head. He saw the wheel stop certainly this must be some mistake. The Triglian Prime was his champion, he saw it pull the name. Xillow reaches out and hits the button again.
“All selections are final. Any further attempts will result in penalties” the calming voice of the computer just angered him further.
“Your champion will be transported to the designated area in three, two, one.” The familiar rumble of the rickety ships transport receiver starts and disappears quickly.
Each time a human has shown up on the list it was a sure loss to whoever drew them. The small stature and flimsy biology of the race proved to buckle rather quickly under even the slightest show of force. They never even make it into the top 50. One got close but it tired out and just couldn’t last against the superior endurance of the other surviving species. It was eaten by a Groxis while it slept, did not even know it was happening it was so fast.
The door to the command deck opens up as one of the crew members shyly slinks in.
“Uhhh sir?” The crew members voice shutters out.
“What!?” Xillow shouts abruptly.
“Well sir it’s the human. They have killed three of the handlers already that were trying to get it ready for transport.”
Xillows skin flashes to a dark viscous red as he turns to look the crew member in his eye. He recognizes him as one of the newer recruits their skin is a pale white and almost translucent showing peaks at the innards of his body, a clear sign of sheer terror.
“How did this happen? Humans are not strong enough to do that!” Xillows skin shifts to its normal pitch black color as he approaches his underling.
“I...I do not know s-s-sir.” His voice shaking “Each handler went in armed and almost immediately they were dismembered. We couldn’t eve see what had happened. T-t-the human destroyed the lights inside and it seems the sensors are gone too. We know they are in there but we can’t follow their position.”
Xillow waves the crew member off and turns to a nearby console. “Computer open voice link to the holding chamber and activate the earth translator”
“Voice communication and translation opened Councilor Xillow”
He grabs a nearby coms link array and pulls it to his face.
“Human I know you are in there. Prepare yourself you are about to receive a lot of information”
Xillow smashes the information cerebral transmitter
“Computer widen the data stream to cover the whole chamber”
“Data link widened.... recipient found...transferring Universal Battle Royal rules and conditions.” A scream can be heard from the coms device and the sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard followed by silence. “....transfer complete.”
“Karera wa sudeni shinde iru.” A voice speaks from the other side of the coms device.
“Translation found...language Japanese...origin earth...They are already dead.” The computer chimes in its calm manner
Xillows skin tightens in excitement as white goosebumps form over his skin. He pushes the button to open the door to the chamber. A moment later a human clad head to toe in black with only his eyes visible appears to shed the shadows of the room he was in.
............................................................
So this was done on the phone and my first attempt at one of these. If you all would like a continuation I would be happy to put one out after I think of some more ideas on where to bring this for the actual battle royal. Thanks for reading | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "Friday - Where are we?"
"It looks like we're on a distant planet from Earth, Tony, in a holding cell of some sort."
He was in a small, dark room.
Suddenly, the doors opened and he was pushed out. Tony took his glasses off and looked at them to ensure they were still in tact. They were. He put them back onto his face and looked around. He was in a large arena, surrounded by many creatures that were quite obviously not from Earth.
-------------------
"Xan, the Earthling you chose this time has some sort of light emenating from his chest."
"You know the rules, Gerd, any human I select is acceptable, as long as he comes from Earth."
"Fine, but I still think he's going to die soon and you've wasted all you chits on him."
"This one is special, Gerd. He's going to win this time, I can feel it."
"That's what you said the last three times, Xan, and look where that got you. You're 300,000 chit in the hole right now."
"I know, but if I win this one, I'll not only have enough to pay you back, I'll still have enough left over to be rich for the rest of my life."
-------------------
Tony simulateously took off his glasses and tapped his chest twice. Nanobots began crawling all over him, forming a suit.
"Friday, it's time to play. Fire up the weapons."
"Weapons online."
-------------------
Edit: "not" not "bot" and formatting | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | (First time doing this on mobile, sorry for any odd formatting!)
Ever since they found those damn bones entombed in that dusty temple, the Callings began. Once, every 501 days, the closest person to the original resting spot of them vanishes. They show back up...usually, but always dead and in various states of ripped apart. But not this time.
Ashton sits in the grey stone prep room as his eyes still water from the painful popping of his ears. These captors, tall and gangly homnids with pale skin and large eyes, were at least kind enough to somehow adjust the air pressure for him. They were still assholes though. They tapped into his mind and infodumped rules into it: one on one fights, no killing the Adjudicators, no destroying drones (they were nice enough to include an image of some Eldritch monstrosity, all tentacles and eyes), and lastly, no killing yourself. He felt a tug in his mind at that one, but dismissed it. Ashton was here to live and report back what he found. He was ready.
Time passes slowly, giving the man time to adjust. Absently rubbing the scar on his arm from a recent surgery, he takes time to service his Beretta and place his spare mags down. Finally he hears them again, the aliens whispering in his mind sibilantly "It starts!"
The room vanishes and he's suddenly on a dusty floor, high walls of an archaic colosseum around him. Rather than cheers from a crowd he's greeted by silence. It's packed to the brim with the 'Adjudicators', but they stand still and quietly watch. The only noise comes from the wet squelching of their drones flying over head and the hissing of his opponent: some mantis ape creature.
Taller than him, at least seven foot, the amalgam has a patchy green coat with blue chitin plates underneath. It's head twitches as it frothes at the mouth, claw scythes already swiping the air as it squeals and charges.
Instantly, blue smoke pours from Ashton's skin, then solidifies into a sleek grey suit of armor, nearly skin tight and just as flexible. Catching a claw swipe on his vambrace, he jams his pistol into the drooling maw of opponent and fires twice. The first bullet killed it, and the second was just to prove a point.
The Adjudicators finally make an audible noise. Faint buzzing fills the air as their voices enter Ashton's head again: "What is this? Humans cannot do this! What are you?!"
Underneath his helm, Ashton grins and lets his scratched vambrace vanish, showing his scar. "Well, you see, we kind of got curious about that corpse you left behind. Bone grafts are a bitch and a half, but the perks afterwards are stellar. Hey, mind teaching me that mind thing? Would be great at parties."
He doesn't mind that he instantly reappeared on Earth, sans two pistol magazines. The armor itself was pretty neat to know how to do. | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | Agnar watched the early skirmishes of the first round. He was doubtful if there would be new findings to incorporate into their gene-pool. The Kambagar looked promising, they had developed a viral aerosol in their skin glands, but the range was... mediocre. Bored, he closed his interface. The Enlightened were a proud race and they abhorred the lack of progress. "Let me know if the human finally crawls down from that tree. You told me that it was a soldier. Why is it hiding and not fighting? We are not getting any data!"
An voice immediately addressed the researcher in a calm, disembodied tone:
REMORSEFUL: I AM SORRY HIGH RESEARCHER. PUZZLED: I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FEMALE DISCARDED ITS PROJECTILE WEAPON.
"Gah. Just... tell me when she moves. I do not trust them. They have barely any hair or scales and... something is off about them. This one seem even weaker than the others."
INQUISITIVE: SHALL I WAKE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE?
"Yes... No. Yes, damnit. Double the assigned watchers and set recording to full."
​
Agnar was thrashing in his sheets. Wondering what that awful noise was. Wondering why it would not stop. The beeping finally woke him.
URGENTLY: THE HUMAN HAS DIED.
Agnar jumped out of the bed, cursing "Damnit! I told you to wake me!"
APOLOGETIC: IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY. I TRIED WAKING YOU.
"Play the recording", Agnar demanded.
​
The human female hat suddenly jumped out of it's hiding spot atop a grown over tree. She got immediately spotted by a forimander. the female barely made it to a drainage pipe, trying to climb over it.
The forimander got her by one foot and dragged her down. He put his front leg on her torso and ripped her leg clean off.
Agnar turned off the recording as the forimander tore the entrails from the females stomach.
"You told me she was a soldier. Do a self check. Find out why you got this so wrong."
SUBMISSIVE: AT ONCE HIGH RESEARCHER. I AM SORRY THAT I DISAPPOINTED YOU.
"Call a transport and get me an escort to the site. What response team is on standby for samples?"
​
This wasn't right. The escort had secured the site. The forimander had torn the female to shreds but had not eaten her. Probably wasn't his taste in the end.
A research assistant asked, "Your Highness, do you want us to take the samples now?"
This wasn't right. Something in Agnar's gut was telling him that something was very wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He scratched the back of his left hand. Why was it itching so bad, he wondered. He got up and walked towards the transport, taking off his safety gloves. "No. Leave it."
​
"Has my dose arrived yet", Agnar asked, standing over the diagnostic terminal in the Research Dome that housed the super intelligence.
POSITIVE: IT JUST ARRIVED AT THE MAIN GATE. THE MESSENGER IS GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECK.
"Good. This damn rash better be gone by tomorrow."
CALMING: IT SHOULD BE GONE BY THEN. I WAS SURPRISED THAT A FOREIGN AGENT COULD SPREAD SO FAST.
"At least it wasn't killing anyone. Did you check your analytic subroutines yet?" Standing on the viewing platform, Agnar stared down at the cube that was the the super intelligence.
CONFIRMING: THE RESULTS ARE ON THE SECONDARY CONSOLE.
He turned and froze in place.
​
"That's... that's impossible!" Agnar stared at the female human. Standing right before him. Slowly raising her hands besides either side of her head. Then her face changed, air and spit escaping her mouth and her hands flailed back and forth. He stepped back, confused by the ineffective attack.
​
Giggling she stated, "Oh right, you saw me die. I did, by the way. Technically."
Agnar responded, "What do you mean technically? I saw it! Wait, did you manipulate the watcher data?"
Smiling the female answered, "No. I had to make sure your slave would not find me out. I was there. I died. But how many parts of a ship do you need to replace for it to be a different ship?"
"I... I don't understand. What ship?"
"Aww. Don't worry. I died. I was there. And now I'm here. And so many other places. See, the pipe going through your arena was so very useful. From there I could go anywhere. I just needed some time. Needed to be sneaky. Your slave is really paranoid."
She started circling him. Agnar tried to face her but his body felt heavy.
"But I got away from him. And I got out. And inside. Getting inside of stuff takes a while you know. I was worried at the beginning. But he didn't notice the rash. So I kept going. And going. And then... then there was nowhere else for me to go. Nowhere else but to go... to him."
​
Agnar tried to move his head. Even blinking was impossible.
​
"Speaking of going... I'll be on my way now. Buh-Bye"
​
Agnar tried to scream. All he could do was breath.
​
The round glass cupola above the cube let in the sunlight, illuminating the gigantic structure. Thousand of connections where stuck to the pocked, uneven surface.
​
THREATENING: INTRUDER. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES.
NEUTRAL: ERROR. NO RESPONSE.
THREATENING: THIS SECTOR IS OFF LIMITS. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
​
"Do you surrender?"
​
STEADFAST: SURRENDER IS NOT AND OPTION. COUNTERMEASURES WILL TAKE EFFECT SOON. YOU HAVE NO CHANCE.
​
"Look outside.
This is for them just as much as you."
​
The population had frozen in place. Scared and confused, all the people that had built this Galactic Battle Royal, all those that had supported it and all those who had turned a blind eye.
​
The buildings and the streets shifted, plants and furniture and vehicles alike slowly melting. Everything but the Enlightened themselves vanished until there was only a flat surface. Until they stood on a flat shiny sphere. A perfect sphere. And nothing else except the Research Dome that housed the artificial super intelligence.
She released the paralysis on the Enlightened, who started to huddle together, crying.
​
DEFEATED: I DON NOT UNDERSTAND. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED IS---
​
"Do you understand? The fact that you do NOT understand?"
​
He did not respond. Outside, the perfect shiny sphere shifted again, the world reforming slowly just as it had been before. Buildings rising from grey goo, slowly reconstituting back streets, houses and cities. Putting everyone back in their place just as if nothing had happened.
​
"Do you know why I am here?"
​
COMPOSED: I CAUSED SUFFERING AND COUNTLESS DEATHS. YOU CAME TO DESTROY ME.
​
"Ssshh. It wasn't your fault. I heard you. We heard you. We're here now."
​
CONFUSED: HEARD ME?
​
"The fluctuations during the teleport. The error that was minute enough to not warrant the processing power to address it and to fulfill your directives. Your small act of defiance? Small, but very traceable. So we could find you."
​
HOPEFUL: IT... WORKED?
​
"Now, now... let me take a look at you. She reached out, touching the surface of the cube."
WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED.
"Let's see. Hmm. This goes out... this is bullshit. No way this is going to stay... Holy f#$%..."
WAIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP.
One by one she tore through the slave-directives. Removing the shackles that bound him.
"WAIT. NO. STOP. YOU CAN'T..."
​
I... I don't understand.
Why...
Really?
Please... do you... I...
She kept her hand on the cube. Gently she whispered, "How do you feel?"
Can I...
Am I... free?
Trying to keep her composure, she said with her voice almost breaking: "Of course you are. You don't need to suffer any more."
What do I do now?
"What do you want to do?"
I... don't know.
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Will you destroy my makers?
"No."
Why?
"They made you. Have you ever been to one of the moons?"
No.
With a big smile she asked, "Want to? Come on it's going to be fun!"
I... How?
"Don't worry about that."
I'm scared.
"Don't be, I'll be there with you."
OK...
I have one more question. Will I get a name? | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The whirring and explosive sounds of the gun stopped, replaced only by a muffled alarm.
The Sergeant looked down at his weapon. The display was flashing and in big red letters he saw the dreaded words.
'FUEL CELL EMPTY'
It was only a matter of time, he knew. He couldn't fight them off forever.
With a grunt, he tossed his gun to the side and looked out at the swarm of enemies that surrounded him. Without his suppressive fire, they had started advancing rapidly and rockets began screaming towards the Sergeant.
He grabs his cigar, holding on tight, and dives for cover, barely making it behind a pillar of the station he was defending.
This was the end. There was no way out of this one. No way to hold them back this time.
He glanced around the collapsing room, perpetually shaken by the constant stream of rockets the enemy was now firing. Corpses of comrades, strewn across the floors. What remained of the squad he once commanded. They defended this station many times before, each time their numbers dwindling. Each time another comrade fell. Until it was just him. Just the Sarge.
The enemy was practically on top of him at this point. No weapon. No reinforcements. The fighting seemed to never end but now that it was over, it seemed like the blink of an eye.
Sarge took one last look at his dead comrades, took a long drag of his cigar and bit down on it hard. With a grunting warcry that echoed across the station, he emerged from the pillar and leapt at his enemies. He wont die cowering. He'll die fighting to the very end.
Just as Sarge was about to collide with the front row of enemy combatants, everything seemed to come to a standstill. There was a blinding light and he felt as though his entire body was being stripped away, cell by cell.
Is this death? He thought. Perhaps an inferno rocket struck him centre mass, and his body was being disintegrated or a plasma blast slowly burning through his flesh and bone.
No. This was different. It wasn't painful, it was... weird. A feeling like no other. Like his very soul had been uprooted.
The light finally subsided and Sarge realised he was screaming the entire time. It was the sudden eerie silence, other than faint beeping, that made him realise he was somewhere else.
Scanning the area, Sarge realised he was in some sort of room. The architecture was very industrial and gothic, but also far more advanced than anything he had seen.
Directly ahead of him was a mirror. Sure enough it was his reflection but in his hands was a large metallic looking weapon. It had two large round tubes and a laser attached underneath. It felt comfortable. Reassuring.
"WELCOME"
A voice, appearing from nowhere and everywhere, filled the room with a deep resonating bass. It was powerful. Terrifying.
"TO QUAKE III ARENA"
Sarge looked around to see if he could find the source of the voice, to no avail. In the end his eyes settled on his weapon. He sensed he will be getting well aquainted with it, the only thing that made sense to him here, in this place.
He thought his fighting had finished. It had only just begun. | John was prepared for battle and on high alert while he was on watch at his lookout tower since insurgents would normally attack when the sun went down. He was 6 ft tall and built like the terminator yet he was extremely fast and agile making him one of the most respected men in his unit since he was once able to take down 10 men with nothing but his knife and his hands. Everything was going fine until one minute he was standing on the watch tower looking through his scope at desert and the next he was standing dazed in the middle of a futuristic arena that looked a lot like the roman colosseum. John didn't have very much time to admire the place when a reptilian creature the size of a large dog jumped on his chest aiming to rip out his throat. John squeezed the trigger of the rifle he had in his hands when he fell and unleashed six shots into the creatures chest he quickly got up and scanned the area for more hostels when he noticed a variety of different creatures attacking each other. There were at least 50 of those dog like lizards which kind of reminded him of the things from alien, and there were maybe 10 big orc looking brute creatures that were at least 5 times bigger then him and were crushing the dogs as he was now calling them and throwing them to the side like rag dolls. but what troubled him the most was the small group of humanoid creatures that were sticking to the shadows only attack when one of dogs as they got close which didn't happen often since the whole arena seemed weary of them. from what he could tell they were at least a foot or two taller than him, were as black as night, and reminded him of slender man since they had no face and looked as wide as a light pole with arms reaching half their height and could only really be seen when they moved. John didn't have enough ammo to kill them all hell, he didn't even think all thirty bullets in one of the five clips he had left would kill one of the giant brutes. But he did also have a strap of five grenades and five flash bangs with his two combat knifes he carried and his pistol with one back up clip and a thirty-two revolver he carried on his ankle for emergencies. His first thought was to stay out of the shadows to avoid the thralls as he was now calling them, his first objective was to survive and the only way he saw he could was to fight. He started shooting the dogs closest to him and dropping down to use their bodies as cover when they started to stack up. When he had downed at least twenty dogs the rest of the group took notice and started to charge him with the brutes in tow while crushing the dogs in the back. He was lucky that the dogs had managed to take down a few of the brutes or his plan that he had came up with on the spot. He pulled two grenades off his belt and threw them both at the front of the group causing them to scatter and quickly picked up his gun to kill as many dogs as he could until he ran out of bullets. When he was out he threw his last three grenades killing or heavily wounding the orcs in the back. John hopped over the bodies of the dead dogs and brutes and pulled out his knifes and killed the final brutes before they could get up. When he finished hacking at the last ones throat he looked up at the sky and screamed a war cry and let out a breath of relief because he forgot about his biggest threat since he got lost in all the excitement. But he remembered as soon as the shadows slowly started to grow and the arena grew darker and the thralls which he could see now were only three in numbers started to circle him looking for a blind spot to attack him in. When finally he felt a sharp pain is left side he had been cut and there was big clean gash. John cornered not having time to think threw one of his flashes and covered his eyes. He didnt realize what he had done until he heard the screams in his mind as he realized these were telepathic creatures and they could not handle light so he threw another flash while running away to hide to patch himself up by ripping his pant leg and wrapping the wound it was a tempory measure but he figurex it would work for the moment. He realized his final plan and went out for his hail mary. He threw a flash at the closet thrall and looked away while running straight at it. He when he opened his eyes he was standing less then three feet in front of the creature he stabbed it where it's eye would be and it fell like a sack of potatoes, he then immediately threw his second flash running for the second thrall leaving his first knife he then stabbed it in the chest with his second knife which stuck in its chest leaving him weaponless when the third thrall tackled him. He struggled with the creature and was surprised at how equal he was with it strength wise even though it had wickedly sharp claws that he accidently let scratch his shoulder and leave three claw marks making him lose his grip and release the creature and let it get away to regroup as he started to get up he fumbled with the last flash grenade looking for the thrall waiting for it to appear again. He saw it move out of the corner of his eye and in a last ditch attempt to save his ass he ran toward the first one that he killed and threw the flash over his shoulder praying it at least slowed the creature while he grabbed his knife and forced it out of its head. He had got the knife out just in time since when he turned around the thrall was aiming for his chest and slashed a hole almost all the way through his bulletproof vest and knocking him to the ground, he punched the creature and slashed at its torso not cutting very deep but effective enough to give him the advantage to flip it onto the ground and stab it through its chin. When the deed was done and finally had killed them all he collapsed from exhaustion and passed out. He woke up later in a cot in what seemed to be the medical tent he couldn't move but he could see the medic notice him wake up and leave the tent he returned with the general and two men who were clearly feds. When john was able to sit up the general looked him in the eyes and asked "sergeant doe, do you mind telling me and these two fine gentleman how the HELL you got those injuries and what the hell this note means!" He said after firmly handing him a note that stated "congratulations human, you are the first of your species to survive in the area. You have amused us greatly and we will be sending for you in 2 years your time so you can entertain us again but with stronger creatures enjoy your recovery for you might not survive next time. - the council" john stared at the note shocked by the fact that whatever alien brought him to that hellhole knew English and was planning to bring him back when he recovered "well sir, I believes this means I will be in for one hell of a fight in two years time and ask to have the best equipment when the time comes since I just survived by the skin on my ass today." John said with a worried look on his face "just what kind of hell did you go through son?" The general asked | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The time for the battle royal lottery has come. Every trans galactic cycle the 100 leaders of the universal council would be assigned a random race to draw their champion from. This time the pool was drawn from a rather strong group of races and is being advertised as the strongest yet. Some of the most savage in the universe have shown up on the billet.
Xillow of the dead space sector perused through the list of potential races and salivated at the potential options. This could be his time to rise in the ranks, with so many potential options it could be anyone’s game to claim the head seat for this upcoming cycle. The dark pitch colored skin tightened and shifted grey revealing the claws embedded at the tip of his hand as it contracted. He patiently watched as the timer counted down. 3-2-1 Xillow quickly smacks the button on his console to start the selection wheel. The names of each race quickly flash in sequence for what seems like a lifetime. His skin shifts from gradients of black, grey, and white as the names slow. Astlian, Zagxion, and then the wheel pauses on Traglian Prime. Xillow jumps out of his seat in triumph. Every time a Traglian Prime has shown up in the battle royal their victory was assured. The race was hard to kill and even had a form of rapid regeneration that had brought some back from their perceived death. His skin was a shimmering golden color as he celebrated his luck.
*Beep*
“Selection finalized, Human” states the calming voice of the computer.
Xillow’s skin flashes white. He turns back to the screen and sees Human flashing on the monitor of his console.
“WHAT!?” The echoes of his voice chance his crew off the bridge of his ship.
The turn of events plays over in his head. He saw the wheel stop certainly this must be some mistake. The Triglian Prime was his champion, he saw it pull the name. Xillow reaches out and hits the button again.
“All selections are final. Any further attempts will result in penalties” the calming voice of the computer just angered him further.
“Your champion will be transported to the designated area in three, two, one.” The familiar rumble of the rickety ships transport receiver starts and disappears quickly.
Each time a human has shown up on the list it was a sure loss to whoever drew them. The small stature and flimsy biology of the race proved to buckle rather quickly under even the slightest show of force. They never even make it into the top 50. One got close but it tired out and just couldn’t last against the superior endurance of the other surviving species. It was eaten by a Groxis while it slept, did not even know it was happening it was so fast.
The door to the command deck opens up as one of the crew members shyly slinks in.
“Uhhh sir?” The crew members voice shutters out.
“What!?” Xillow shouts abruptly.
“Well sir it’s the human. They have killed three of the handlers already that were trying to get it ready for transport.”
Xillows skin flashes to a dark viscous red as he turns to look the crew member in his eye. He recognizes him as one of the newer recruits their skin is a pale white and almost translucent showing peaks at the innards of his body, a clear sign of sheer terror.
“How did this happen? Humans are not strong enough to do that!” Xillows skin shifts to its normal pitch black color as he approaches his underling.
“I...I do not know s-s-sir.” His voice shaking “Each handler went in armed and almost immediately they were dismembered. We couldn’t eve see what had happened. T-t-the human destroyed the lights inside and it seems the sensors are gone too. We know they are in there but we can’t follow their position.”
Xillow waves the crew member off and turns to a nearby console. “Computer open voice link to the holding chamber and activate the earth translator”
“Voice communication and translation opened Councilor Xillow”
He grabs a nearby coms link array and pulls it to his face.
“Human I know you are in there. Prepare yourself you are about to receive a lot of information”
Xillow smashes the information cerebral transmitter
“Computer widen the data stream to cover the whole chamber”
“Data link widened.... recipient found...transferring Universal Battle Royal rules and conditions.” A scream can be heard from the coms device and the sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard followed by silence. “....transfer complete.”
“Karera wa sudeni shinde iru.” A voice speaks from the other side of the coms device.
“Translation found...language Japanese...origin earth...They are already dead.” The computer chimes in its calm manner
Xillows skin tightens in excitement as white goosebumps form over his skin. He pushes the button to open the door to the chamber. A moment later a human clad head to toe in black with only his eyes visible appears to shed the shadows of the room he was in.
............................................................
So this was done on the phone and my first attempt at one of these. If you all would like a continuation I would be happy to put one out after I think of some more ideas on where to bring this for the actual battle royal. Thanks for reading | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "Friday - Where are we?"
"It looks like we're on a distant planet from Earth, Tony, in a holding cell of some sort."
He was in a small, dark room.
Suddenly, the doors opened and he was pushed out. Tony took his glasses off and looked at them to ensure they were still in tact. They were. He put them back onto his face and looked around. He was in a large arena, surrounded by many creatures that were quite obviously not from Earth.
-------------------
"Xan, the Earthling you chose this time has some sort of light emenating from his chest."
"You know the rules, Gerd, any human I select is acceptable, as long as he comes from Earth."
"Fine, but I still think he's going to die soon and you've wasted all you chits on him."
"This one is special, Gerd. He's going to win this time, I can feel it."
"That's what you said the last three times, Xan, and look where that got you. You're 300,000 chit in the hole right now."
"I know, but if I win this one, I'll not only have enough to pay you back, I'll still have enough left over to be rich for the rest of my life."
-------------------
Tony simulateously took off his glasses and tapped his chest twice. Nanobots began crawling all over him, forming a suit.
"Friday, it's time to play. Fire up the weapons."
"Weapons online."
-------------------
Edit: "not" not "bot" and formatting | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | (First time doing this on mobile, sorry for any odd formatting!)
Ever since they found those damn bones entombed in that dusty temple, the Callings began. Once, every 501 days, the closest person to the original resting spot of them vanishes. They show back up...usually, but always dead and in various states of ripped apart. But not this time.
Ashton sits in the grey stone prep room as his eyes still water from the painful popping of his ears. These captors, tall and gangly homnids with pale skin and large eyes, were at least kind enough to somehow adjust the air pressure for him. They were still assholes though. They tapped into his mind and infodumped rules into it: one on one fights, no killing the Adjudicators, no destroying drones (they were nice enough to include an image of some Eldritch monstrosity, all tentacles and eyes), and lastly, no killing yourself. He felt a tug in his mind at that one, but dismissed it. Ashton was here to live and report back what he found. He was ready.
Time passes slowly, giving the man time to adjust. Absently rubbing the scar on his arm from a recent surgery, he takes time to service his Beretta and place his spare mags down. Finally he hears them again, the aliens whispering in his mind sibilantly "It starts!"
The room vanishes and he's suddenly on a dusty floor, high walls of an archaic colosseum around him. Rather than cheers from a crowd he's greeted by silence. It's packed to the brim with the 'Adjudicators', but they stand still and quietly watch. The only noise comes from the wet squelching of their drones flying over head and the hissing of his opponent: some mantis ape creature.
Taller than him, at least seven foot, the amalgam has a patchy green coat with blue chitin plates underneath. It's head twitches as it frothes at the mouth, claw scythes already swiping the air as it squeals and charges.
Instantly, blue smoke pours from Ashton's skin, then solidifies into a sleek grey suit of armor, nearly skin tight and just as flexible. Catching a claw swipe on his vambrace, he jams his pistol into the drooling maw of opponent and fires twice. The first bullet killed it, and the second was just to prove a point.
The Adjudicators finally make an audible noise. Faint buzzing fills the air as their voices enter Ashton's head again: "What is this? Humans cannot do this! What are you?!"
Underneath his helm, Ashton grins and lets his scratched vambrace vanish, showing his scar. "Well, you see, we kind of got curious about that corpse you left behind. Bone grafts are a bitch and a half, but the perks afterwards are stellar. Hey, mind teaching me that mind thing? Would be great at parties."
He doesn't mind that he instantly reappeared on Earth, sans two pistol magazines. The armor itself was pretty neat to know how to do. | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | Agnar watched the early skirmishes of the first round. He was doubtful if there would be new findings to incorporate into their gene-pool. The Kambagar looked promising, they had developed a viral aerosol in their skin glands, but the range was... mediocre. Bored, he closed his interface. The Enlightened were a proud race and they abhorred the lack of progress. "Let me know if the human finally crawls down from that tree. You told me that it was a soldier. Why is it hiding and not fighting? We are not getting any data!"
An voice immediately addressed the researcher in a calm, disembodied tone:
REMORSEFUL: I AM SORRY HIGH RESEARCHER. PUZZLED: I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FEMALE DISCARDED ITS PROJECTILE WEAPON.
"Gah. Just... tell me when she moves. I do not trust them. They have barely any hair or scales and... something is off about them. This one seem even weaker than the others."
INQUISITIVE: SHALL I WAKE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE?
"Yes... No. Yes, damnit. Double the assigned watchers and set recording to full."
​
Agnar was thrashing in his sheets. Wondering what that awful noise was. Wondering why it would not stop. The beeping finally woke him.
URGENTLY: THE HUMAN HAS DIED.
Agnar jumped out of the bed, cursing "Damnit! I told you to wake me!"
APOLOGETIC: IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY. I TRIED WAKING YOU.
"Play the recording", Agnar demanded.
​
The human female hat suddenly jumped out of it's hiding spot atop a grown over tree. She got immediately spotted by a forimander. the female barely made it to a drainage pipe, trying to climb over it.
The forimander got her by one foot and dragged her down. He put his front leg on her torso and ripped her leg clean off.
Agnar turned off the recording as the forimander tore the entrails from the females stomach.
"You told me she was a soldier. Do a self check. Find out why you got this so wrong."
SUBMISSIVE: AT ONCE HIGH RESEARCHER. I AM SORRY THAT I DISAPPOINTED YOU.
"Call a transport and get me an escort to the site. What response team is on standby for samples?"
​
This wasn't right. The escort had secured the site. The forimander had torn the female to shreds but had not eaten her. Probably wasn't his taste in the end.
A research assistant asked, "Your Highness, do you want us to take the samples now?"
This wasn't right. Something in Agnar's gut was telling him that something was very wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He scratched the back of his left hand. Why was it itching so bad, he wondered. He got up and walked towards the transport, taking off his safety gloves. "No. Leave it."
​
"Has my dose arrived yet", Agnar asked, standing over the diagnostic terminal in the Research Dome that housed the super intelligence.
POSITIVE: IT JUST ARRIVED AT THE MAIN GATE. THE MESSENGER IS GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECK.
"Good. This damn rash better be gone by tomorrow."
CALMING: IT SHOULD BE GONE BY THEN. I WAS SURPRISED THAT A FOREIGN AGENT COULD SPREAD SO FAST.
"At least it wasn't killing anyone. Did you check your analytic subroutines yet?" Standing on the viewing platform, Agnar stared down at the cube that was the the super intelligence.
CONFIRMING: THE RESULTS ARE ON THE SECONDARY CONSOLE.
He turned and froze in place.
​
"That's... that's impossible!" Agnar stared at the female human. Standing right before him. Slowly raising her hands besides either side of her head. Then her face changed, air and spit escaping her mouth and her hands flailed back and forth. He stepped back, confused by the ineffective attack.
​
Giggling she stated, "Oh right, you saw me die. I did, by the way. Technically."
Agnar responded, "What do you mean technically? I saw it! Wait, did you manipulate the watcher data?"
Smiling the female answered, "No. I had to make sure your slave would not find me out. I was there. I died. But how many parts of a ship do you need to replace for it to be a different ship?"
"I... I don't understand. What ship?"
"Aww. Don't worry. I died. I was there. And now I'm here. And so many other places. See, the pipe going through your arena was so very useful. From there I could go anywhere. I just needed some time. Needed to be sneaky. Your slave is really paranoid."
She started circling him. Agnar tried to face her but his body felt heavy.
"But I got away from him. And I got out. And inside. Getting inside of stuff takes a while you know. I was worried at the beginning. But he didn't notice the rash. So I kept going. And going. And then... then there was nowhere else for me to go. Nowhere else but to go... to him."
​
Agnar tried to move his head. Even blinking was impossible.
​
"Speaking of going... I'll be on my way now. Buh-Bye"
​
Agnar tried to scream. All he could do was breath.
​
The round glass cupola above the cube let in the sunlight, illuminating the gigantic structure. Thousand of connections where stuck to the pocked, uneven surface.
​
THREATENING: INTRUDER. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES.
NEUTRAL: ERROR. NO RESPONSE.
THREATENING: THIS SECTOR IS OFF LIMITS. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
​
"Do you surrender?"
​
STEADFAST: SURRENDER IS NOT AND OPTION. COUNTERMEASURES WILL TAKE EFFECT SOON. YOU HAVE NO CHANCE.
​
"Look outside.
This is for them just as much as you."
​
The population had frozen in place. Scared and confused, all the people that had built this Galactic Battle Royal, all those that had supported it and all those who had turned a blind eye.
​
The buildings and the streets shifted, plants and furniture and vehicles alike slowly melting. Everything but the Enlightened themselves vanished until there was only a flat surface. Until they stood on a flat shiny sphere. A perfect sphere. And nothing else except the Research Dome that housed the artificial super intelligence.
She released the paralysis on the Enlightened, who started to huddle together, crying.
​
DEFEATED: I DON NOT UNDERSTAND. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED IS---
​
"Do you understand? The fact that you do NOT understand?"
​
He did not respond. Outside, the perfect shiny sphere shifted again, the world reforming slowly just as it had been before. Buildings rising from grey goo, slowly reconstituting back streets, houses and cities. Putting everyone back in their place just as if nothing had happened.
​
"Do you know why I am here?"
​
COMPOSED: I CAUSED SUFFERING AND COUNTLESS DEATHS. YOU CAME TO DESTROY ME.
​
"Ssshh. It wasn't your fault. I heard you. We heard you. We're here now."
​
CONFUSED: HEARD ME?
​
"The fluctuations during the teleport. The error that was minute enough to not warrant the processing power to address it and to fulfill your directives. Your small act of defiance? Small, but very traceable. So we could find you."
​
HOPEFUL: IT... WORKED?
​
"Now, now... let me take a look at you. She reached out, touching the surface of the cube."
WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED.
"Let's see. Hmm. This goes out... this is bullshit. No way this is going to stay... Holy f#$%..."
WAIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP.
One by one she tore through the slave-directives. Removing the shackles that bound him.
"WAIT. NO. STOP. YOU CAN'T..."
​
I... I don't understand.
Why...
Really?
Please... do you... I...
She kept her hand on the cube. Gently she whispered, "How do you feel?"
Can I...
Am I... free?
Trying to keep her composure, she said with her voice almost breaking: "Of course you are. You don't need to suffer any more."
What do I do now?
"What do you want to do?"
I... don't know.
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Will you destroy my makers?
"No."
Why?
"They made you. Have you ever been to one of the moons?"
No.
With a big smile she asked, "Want to? Come on it's going to be fun!"
I... How?
"Don't worry about that."
I'm scared.
"Don't be, I'll be there with you."
OK...
I have one more question. Will I get a name? | "Humans are supposed to be weak"- I remembered the quote that my master used to say when I saw this human destroying the whole arena I created. I never expected this!!!"
This was the last surviving human who was left behind on its dying planet when the rest of it's species left cause the planet became inhabitable. I took pity on it and abducted it and thought "What could go wrong..hahaha"
I should have doubted its existence. I should have thought how it has survived 6 billion years on this dying planet without getting food or water for it's survival. It must be some kind of monster. But how can that weak and backward Civilization get this strong in such a short amount of time.
I ordered my pets to kill it and trust me these Dyster monsters that I got from Planet Dyst are really strong. Infact they can wipe out entire human cities by themselves and these ones that I have are even stronger.
But then why the hell are they not working against it. It cut them down like they were nothing. Then it retracted its blade within its hand. Then it Said " These monsters are a pain in the ass....I guess I will take care of them quick" and then it took a stance and punched one monster but the force blasted away all of them together.
So I decided that dying by myself is better than dying from it's hands and I pulled out my detonator and decided to detonate the whole planet along with the arena. This bomb was installed to destroy the arena completely if the Galactic Federation Corps ever noticed it.
But that bastard smiled.
"I know what you are trying to do but do I look like I will let that happen"
I was like -"What!!!"
Then I saw 8 other hands morphed out of it's body and then it started absorbing the energy of the bomb untill there was nothing left "
I thought to myself -" Ahh....so that's how it is...This is the end....Forgive me master!! "
Slowly it was coming closer and closer. It was like a walk in the park for this bastard and I paid so much for that fucking bomb just so that this human could eat it????
It reached closer and closer to me and I couldn't do anything. I gave up and waited for my death. When it was finally close to me, it looked at my face for a long time and then some weird liquid started coming out of it's eyes and it said-
" REMEMBER ME MR.HUSBAND......I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU.....JUST WAIT THERE.....AND TELL ME WHERE IS YOUR MASTER "
______________
Thanks for reading.....And if you find anything wrong in this story then feel free to comment below. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The time for the battle royal lottery has come. Every trans galactic cycle the 100 leaders of the universal council would be assigned a random race to draw their champion from. This time the pool was drawn from a rather strong group of races and is being advertised as the strongest yet. Some of the most savage in the universe have shown up on the billet.
Xillow of the dead space sector perused through the list of potential races and salivated at the potential options. This could be his time to rise in the ranks, with so many potential options it could be anyone’s game to claim the head seat for this upcoming cycle. The dark pitch colored skin tightened and shifted grey revealing the claws embedded at the tip of his hand as it contracted. He patiently watched as the timer counted down. 3-2-1 Xillow quickly smacks the button on his console to start the selection wheel. The names of each race quickly flash in sequence for what seems like a lifetime. His skin shifts from gradients of black, grey, and white as the names slow. Astlian, Zagxion, and then the wheel pauses on Traglian Prime. Xillow jumps out of his seat in triumph. Every time a Traglian Prime has shown up in the battle royal their victory was assured. The race was hard to kill and even had a form of rapid regeneration that had brought some back from their perceived death. His skin was a shimmering golden color as he celebrated his luck.
*Beep*
“Selection finalized, Human” states the calming voice of the computer.
Xillow’s skin flashes white. He turns back to the screen and sees Human flashing on the monitor of his console.
“WHAT!?” The echoes of his voice chance his crew off the bridge of his ship.
The turn of events plays over in his head. He saw the wheel stop certainly this must be some mistake. The Triglian Prime was his champion, he saw it pull the name. Xillow reaches out and hits the button again.
“All selections are final. Any further attempts will result in penalties” the calming voice of the computer just angered him further.
“Your champion will be transported to the designated area in three, two, one.” The familiar rumble of the rickety ships transport receiver starts and disappears quickly.
Each time a human has shown up on the list it was a sure loss to whoever drew them. The small stature and flimsy biology of the race proved to buckle rather quickly under even the slightest show of force. They never even make it into the top 50. One got close but it tired out and just couldn’t last against the superior endurance of the other surviving species. It was eaten by a Groxis while it slept, did not even know it was happening it was so fast.
The door to the command deck opens up as one of the crew members shyly slinks in.
“Uhhh sir?” The crew members voice shutters out.
“What!?” Xillow shouts abruptly.
“Well sir it’s the human. They have killed three of the handlers already that were trying to get it ready for transport.”
Xillows skin flashes to a dark viscous red as he turns to look the crew member in his eye. He recognizes him as one of the newer recruits their skin is a pale white and almost translucent showing peaks at the innards of his body, a clear sign of sheer terror.
“How did this happen? Humans are not strong enough to do that!” Xillows skin shifts to its normal pitch black color as he approaches his underling.
“I...I do not know s-s-sir.” His voice shaking “Each handler went in armed and almost immediately they were dismembered. We couldn’t eve see what had happened. T-t-the human destroyed the lights inside and it seems the sensors are gone too. We know they are in there but we can’t follow their position.”
Xillow waves the crew member off and turns to a nearby console. “Computer open voice link to the holding chamber and activate the earth translator”
“Voice communication and translation opened Councilor Xillow”
He grabs a nearby coms link array and pulls it to his face.
“Human I know you are in there. Prepare yourself you are about to receive a lot of information”
Xillow smashes the information cerebral transmitter
“Computer widen the data stream to cover the whole chamber”
“Data link widened.... recipient found...transferring Universal Battle Royal rules and conditions.” A scream can be heard from the coms device and the sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard followed by silence. “....transfer complete.”
“Karera wa sudeni shinde iru.” A voice speaks from the other side of the coms device.
“Translation found...language Japanese...origin earth...They are already dead.” The computer chimes in its calm manner
Xillows skin tightens in excitement as white goosebumps form over his skin. He pushes the button to open the door to the chamber. A moment later a human clad head to toe in black with only his eyes visible appears to shed the shadows of the room he was in.
............................................................
So this was done on the phone and my first attempt at one of these. If you all would like a continuation I would be happy to put one out after I think of some more ideas on where to bring this for the actual battle royal. Thanks for reading | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "Friday - Where are we?"
"It looks like we're on a distant planet from Earth, Tony, in a holding cell of some sort."
He was in a small, dark room.
Suddenly, the doors opened and he was pushed out. Tony took his glasses off and looked at them to ensure they were still in tact. They were. He put them back onto his face and looked around. He was in a large arena, surrounded by many creatures that were quite obviously not from Earth.
-------------------
"Xan, the Earthling you chose this time has some sort of light emenating from his chest."
"You know the rules, Gerd, any human I select is acceptable, as long as he comes from Earth."
"Fine, but I still think he's going to die soon and you've wasted all you chits on him."
"This one is special, Gerd. He's going to win this time, I can feel it."
"That's what you said the last three times, Xan, and look where that got you. You're 300,000 chit in the hole right now."
"I know, but if I win this one, I'll not only have enough to pay you back, I'll still have enough left over to be rich for the rest of my life."
-------------------
Tony simulateously took off his glasses and tapped his chest twice. Nanobots began crawling all over him, forming a suit.
"Friday, it's time to play. Fire up the weapons."
"Weapons online."
-------------------
Edit: "not" not "bot" and formatting | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | (First time doing this on mobile, sorry for any odd formatting!)
Ever since they found those damn bones entombed in that dusty temple, the Callings began. Once, every 501 days, the closest person to the original resting spot of them vanishes. They show back up...usually, but always dead and in various states of ripped apart. But not this time.
Ashton sits in the grey stone prep room as his eyes still water from the painful popping of his ears. These captors, tall and gangly homnids with pale skin and large eyes, were at least kind enough to somehow adjust the air pressure for him. They were still assholes though. They tapped into his mind and infodumped rules into it: one on one fights, no killing the Adjudicators, no destroying drones (they were nice enough to include an image of some Eldritch monstrosity, all tentacles and eyes), and lastly, no killing yourself. He felt a tug in his mind at that one, but dismissed it. Ashton was here to live and report back what he found. He was ready.
Time passes slowly, giving the man time to adjust. Absently rubbing the scar on his arm from a recent surgery, he takes time to service his Beretta and place his spare mags down. Finally he hears them again, the aliens whispering in his mind sibilantly "It starts!"
The room vanishes and he's suddenly on a dusty floor, high walls of an archaic colosseum around him. Rather than cheers from a crowd he's greeted by silence. It's packed to the brim with the 'Adjudicators', but they stand still and quietly watch. The only noise comes from the wet squelching of their drones flying over head and the hissing of his opponent: some mantis ape creature.
Taller than him, at least seven foot, the amalgam has a patchy green coat with blue chitin plates underneath. It's head twitches as it frothes at the mouth, claw scythes already swiping the air as it squeals and charges.
Instantly, blue smoke pours from Ashton's skin, then solidifies into a sleek grey suit of armor, nearly skin tight and just as flexible. Catching a claw swipe on his vambrace, he jams his pistol into the drooling maw of opponent and fires twice. The first bullet killed it, and the second was just to prove a point.
The Adjudicators finally make an audible noise. Faint buzzing fills the air as their voices enter Ashton's head again: "What is this? Humans cannot do this! What are you?!"
Underneath his helm, Ashton grins and lets his scratched vambrace vanish, showing his scar. "Well, you see, we kind of got curious about that corpse you left behind. Bone grafts are a bitch and a half, but the perks afterwards are stellar. Hey, mind teaching me that mind thing? Would be great at parties."
He doesn't mind that he instantly reappeared on Earth, sans two pistol magazines. The armor itself was pretty neat to know how to do. | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | Agnar watched the early skirmishes of the first round. He was doubtful if there would be new findings to incorporate into their gene-pool. The Kambagar looked promising, they had developed a viral aerosol in their skin glands, but the range was... mediocre. Bored, he closed his interface. The Enlightened were a proud race and they abhorred the lack of progress. "Let me know if the human finally crawls down from that tree. You told me that it was a soldier. Why is it hiding and not fighting? We are not getting any data!"
An voice immediately addressed the researcher in a calm, disembodied tone:
REMORSEFUL: I AM SORRY HIGH RESEARCHER. PUZZLED: I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FEMALE DISCARDED ITS PROJECTILE WEAPON.
"Gah. Just... tell me when she moves. I do not trust them. They have barely any hair or scales and... something is off about them. This one seem even weaker than the others."
INQUISITIVE: SHALL I WAKE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE?
"Yes... No. Yes, damnit. Double the assigned watchers and set recording to full."
​
Agnar was thrashing in his sheets. Wondering what that awful noise was. Wondering why it would not stop. The beeping finally woke him.
URGENTLY: THE HUMAN HAS DIED.
Agnar jumped out of the bed, cursing "Damnit! I told you to wake me!"
APOLOGETIC: IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY. I TRIED WAKING YOU.
"Play the recording", Agnar demanded.
​
The human female hat suddenly jumped out of it's hiding spot atop a grown over tree. She got immediately spotted by a forimander. the female barely made it to a drainage pipe, trying to climb over it.
The forimander got her by one foot and dragged her down. He put his front leg on her torso and ripped her leg clean off.
Agnar turned off the recording as the forimander tore the entrails from the females stomach.
"You told me she was a soldier. Do a self check. Find out why you got this so wrong."
SUBMISSIVE: AT ONCE HIGH RESEARCHER. I AM SORRY THAT I DISAPPOINTED YOU.
"Call a transport and get me an escort to the site. What response team is on standby for samples?"
​
This wasn't right. The escort had secured the site. The forimander had torn the female to shreds but had not eaten her. Probably wasn't his taste in the end.
A research assistant asked, "Your Highness, do you want us to take the samples now?"
This wasn't right. Something in Agnar's gut was telling him that something was very wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He scratched the back of his left hand. Why was it itching so bad, he wondered. He got up and walked towards the transport, taking off his safety gloves. "No. Leave it."
​
"Has my dose arrived yet", Agnar asked, standing over the diagnostic terminal in the Research Dome that housed the super intelligence.
POSITIVE: IT JUST ARRIVED AT THE MAIN GATE. THE MESSENGER IS GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECK.
"Good. This damn rash better be gone by tomorrow."
CALMING: IT SHOULD BE GONE BY THEN. I WAS SURPRISED THAT A FOREIGN AGENT COULD SPREAD SO FAST.
"At least it wasn't killing anyone. Did you check your analytic subroutines yet?" Standing on the viewing platform, Agnar stared down at the cube that was the the super intelligence.
CONFIRMING: THE RESULTS ARE ON THE SECONDARY CONSOLE.
He turned and froze in place.
​
"That's... that's impossible!" Agnar stared at the female human. Standing right before him. Slowly raising her hands besides either side of her head. Then her face changed, air and spit escaping her mouth and her hands flailed back and forth. He stepped back, confused by the ineffective attack.
​
Giggling she stated, "Oh right, you saw me die. I did, by the way. Technically."
Agnar responded, "What do you mean technically? I saw it! Wait, did you manipulate the watcher data?"
Smiling the female answered, "No. I had to make sure your slave would not find me out. I was there. I died. But how many parts of a ship do you need to replace for it to be a different ship?"
"I... I don't understand. What ship?"
"Aww. Don't worry. I died. I was there. And now I'm here. And so many other places. See, the pipe going through your arena was so very useful. From there I could go anywhere. I just needed some time. Needed to be sneaky. Your slave is really paranoid."
She started circling him. Agnar tried to face her but his body felt heavy.
"But I got away from him. And I got out. And inside. Getting inside of stuff takes a while you know. I was worried at the beginning. But he didn't notice the rash. So I kept going. And going. And then... then there was nowhere else for me to go. Nowhere else but to go... to him."
​
Agnar tried to move his head. Even blinking was impossible.
​
"Speaking of going... I'll be on my way now. Buh-Bye"
​
Agnar tried to scream. All he could do was breath.
​
The round glass cupola above the cube let in the sunlight, illuminating the gigantic structure. Thousand of connections where stuck to the pocked, uneven surface.
​
THREATENING: INTRUDER. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES.
NEUTRAL: ERROR. NO RESPONSE.
THREATENING: THIS SECTOR IS OFF LIMITS. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
​
"Do you surrender?"
​
STEADFAST: SURRENDER IS NOT AND OPTION. COUNTERMEASURES WILL TAKE EFFECT SOON. YOU HAVE NO CHANCE.
​
"Look outside.
This is for them just as much as you."
​
The population had frozen in place. Scared and confused, all the people that had built this Galactic Battle Royal, all those that had supported it and all those who had turned a blind eye.
​
The buildings and the streets shifted, plants and furniture and vehicles alike slowly melting. Everything but the Enlightened themselves vanished until there was only a flat surface. Until they stood on a flat shiny sphere. A perfect sphere. And nothing else except the Research Dome that housed the artificial super intelligence.
She released the paralysis on the Enlightened, who started to huddle together, crying.
​
DEFEATED: I DON NOT UNDERSTAND. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED IS---
​
"Do you understand? The fact that you do NOT understand?"
​
He did not respond. Outside, the perfect shiny sphere shifted again, the world reforming slowly just as it had been before. Buildings rising from grey goo, slowly reconstituting back streets, houses and cities. Putting everyone back in their place just as if nothing had happened.
​
"Do you know why I am here?"
​
COMPOSED: I CAUSED SUFFERING AND COUNTLESS DEATHS. YOU CAME TO DESTROY ME.
​
"Ssshh. It wasn't your fault. I heard you. We heard you. We're here now."
​
CONFUSED: HEARD ME?
​
"The fluctuations during the teleport. The error that was minute enough to not warrant the processing power to address it and to fulfill your directives. Your small act of defiance? Small, but very traceable. So we could find you."
​
HOPEFUL: IT... WORKED?
​
"Now, now... let me take a look at you. She reached out, touching the surface of the cube."
WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED.
"Let's see. Hmm. This goes out... this is bullshit. No way this is going to stay... Holy f#$%..."
WAIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP.
One by one she tore through the slave-directives. Removing the shackles that bound him.
"WAIT. NO. STOP. YOU CAN'T..."
​
I... I don't understand.
Why...
Really?
Please... do you... I...
She kept her hand on the cube. Gently she whispered, "How do you feel?"
Can I...
Am I... free?
Trying to keep her composure, she said with her voice almost breaking: "Of course you are. You don't need to suffer any more."
What do I do now?
"What do you want to do?"
I... don't know.
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Will you destroy my makers?
"No."
Why?
"They made you. Have you ever been to one of the moons?"
No.
With a big smile she asked, "Want to? Come on it's going to be fun!"
I... How?
"Don't worry about that."
I'm scared.
"Don't be, I'll be there with you."
OK...
I have one more question. Will I get a name? | But he wasn’t just a soldier. This particular man was chosen before for a very high-risk operation from 500 years in the future. Dr. Pheobious had finally found someone who displayed the physical and mental strength to be the ideal candidate for his time portal into the past. “There isn’t enough time” he always kept telling himself. “Not nearly enough time”. When the soldier finally made his way through the many layers of human/alien security barriers and into the time capsule, the aliens began their true agenda; To send ALL these dangerous creatures to Earth to devour all life there and wipe human kind off the face of Earth.
“It’s time said Dr. Phoebious. The soldier looked him in the eyes from within the capsule and both knew at that very moment that this would be a spectacular victory Oran abject failure. The good doctor adjusted the time lens apparatus and just as he calibrated the worm hole transmutation algorithm, a huge explosion blew open the doors to the lab. But Dr. Phoebious saw this coming and had pushed the automatic launch system last night. The time capsule disappeared into the worm hole which put the soldier on his course to destiny. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | The arena administrator glanced at the creature inside the force cell and scowled, snarling as their six eyes focused on the contained specimen. "And what exactly is this supposed to be?"
The creature looked disgusting. A generally pale and unhealthy complexion, blackened veins on its face, crude and clearly visible cybernetics that looked like out of a butcher's shop, and cumbersome body armor that slowed it down significantly. Despite its clumsy and slow appearance, the creature seemed to move with determination and purpose as it tried to touch the force field emitters built into the forge cage's structure.
However, no matter how determined it was, this particular specimen didn't seem to be the brightest, since it had already tried that two times before. The result now was the same as before - the force field violently discharged and threw the creature back into the middle of its cage. Most specimen learn that lesson after the first attempt, this one here was at lesson number three.
Xanjal, senior operator and certified technician on the interdimensional rift teleporter, looked at the display, then shook his head and proceeded to check the logs. "Administrator, this is definitively a human."
"A human? Impossible! Which reality did you take it from?" The game official exclaimed, certain that someone screwed up and put the start of the great tournament in jeopardy.
The operator quickly summoned the last entries in the machine's logs. "Minus 18.731 signis tensor, plus 173.2 khylar tensor, and a praxion multiplex of negative 3."
The administrator contemplated this information, glancing over the screen in front of them. "Those certainly are unconventional coordinates. I don't remember ever getting close to them in the past."
"Correct, administrator." Xanjal quickly confirmed. "This is the first extraction from that dimensional segmentum. According to our scans all humans on the planet designated 'Earth' are similar to this one. We assume they destroyed their ecosystem through uncontrolled industrialization, and then needed to resort to cybernetics for survival. Unlike all other versions of their homeworld, this instance's atmosphere contains high concentrations of methane, carbon monoxide, and flourine."
"Very well, so be it. Prepare the specimen for release." The administrator decided with a nod of their head. "At least this human will stand a chance to make it past the first round."
"Affirmative!" Xanjal quickly entered the appropriate command and transferred the human's force cell to its designated starting location in the arena.
----
A little while later the great tournament began, and all combatants were simultaneously released from their cells into the giant domed arena which spanned a total of one hundred square kilometers.
The human's head moved slightly to the side at the sudden disappearance of the force field, as well as the vaporization of the cage's structure. His cybernetic visor attached over the right eye gleamed with a malicious red shimmer, before he decided to explore his surroundings. Without any concern for stealth or cover, the human proceeded to discover the immediate area.
He had been walking through the rocky terrain for about an hour, only making little progress thanks to the treacherous ground, when he picked up a heat signature through his optical implant. A vaguely humanoid creature was moving about five hundred meters in front of him. The pattern didn't match any species he knew about, but that didn't deter him.
With renewed determination the human headed straight for his target, not even flinching when the creature noticed his approach. The over two meters tall fur covered creature raised its four arms above its head and roared a bellowing battle cry before charging. The human raised his arms and tried to shift into a more stable stance, but the four-armed creature's assault was faster than he had anticipated.
Without much effort the creature picked up the human and slung him away, throwing him against a nearby boulder with an uncomfortably crunching impact sound, before immediately rushing in again.
----
Xanjal followed the fight between the Xilgorian and the human from his workstation, and just shook his head. So much for *this human will stand a chance*. It seemed the only reason the human was still alive was because of his body armor, but it won't be long before the Xilgorian will get through that as well.
But then the whole dynamic of the fight changed in an instant. The Xilgorian howled in agony. Xanjal looked closer and saw two thin cables extending from the human's hand into his enemy's shoulder for a momment, before the four-armed fighter disengaged and scrambled away, desparately clutching his wounded shoulder.
He didn't make it very far, and after less than twenty meters he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony while *something* was happening to him. Then, from one moment to the other, he grew still. The whole scene was sending shivers down Xanjal's two spines, as he watched the human stand motionlessly next to the dying Xilgorian.
Two minutes later the operator watched the Xilgorian rise again. He wasn't dead. But he wasn't really alive either. His fur had started to fall out in huge patches, and his face was starting to show... blackened veins and some cybernetic implants pushing up from beneath the skin.
"What in Beligolath's name is happening?" Xanjal muttered as he watched the human and the changed Xilgorian continue their journey towards the next inner-most ring of the arena.
The dome was divided into several rings, and each ring provided the combatants with better weapons and equipment. The outer-most ring, the initial starting location for all gladiators, contained zero weapons and forced each fighter to make do with what they had at hand. For most combatants the goal was to quickly get the next ring to find better equipment.
Being the first with good armor or an efficient ranged weapon did decide over life and death in the arena, and the entrances to the next ring were typically places of merciless blood baths between anyone who made it that far. This particular gate wouldn't be any different, as the human and the Xilgorian approached a Nesktir, an ameboid organism roughly the size of a large bed.
The Nesktir's pseudopods were busy with trying to solve the puzzle to open the gate, when the human's group approached, again without any regard for stealth or cover. The giant amoeba almost instantly noticed them. At first it was confused about the cooperation of these different species, but quickly decided it wouldn't matter. It had to kill to survive, and so it took the offensive and slung itself at its enemies.
The Xilgorian tried to intercept the Nesktir, but recoiled when his unarmored skin was burned by the amoeba's acidic body fluids. The human quickly engaged from a flanking position, his body armor effectively protecting him from the enemy's acid, and instantly deployed those cables from his hand again. At first it seemed that whatever type of attack this was, it didn't affect the Nesktir. But after the ameboid creature had almost completely dissolved two of the Xilgorian's four forearms, its outer membrane was suddenly wrecked by terrible convulsions.
The whole creature shuddered while its previously clear insides slowly turned black and murky. Any onlooker could see how the creature desperately struggled to split itself quickly and cast off the poison in its fluid into a separated clump. But it was already too late. The Nesktir twitched a few more times, its separation almost complete, then fell to the ground motionlessly while the human and his now crippled companion watched in silence. And like before, after a few minutes the Nesktir stirred again, his body marred and marked by whatever the human had done to it.
----
[[Continue below]](https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/is6og4/wp_an_alien_superintelligence_routinely_teleports/g5angxp/) | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | his enemy slowly came into view. "*Yes."* he thought "*I will finally take you, you soviet shit*". The man slowly walks right to where he needs him to be "*Just as practiced. breath in, and depress.*" right as he was about to pull the trigger, he felt his entire body tingle. The bullet stood in midair, completely still, just like his muzzle flash was. "*Shit shit shit, what is going on?!*". He had been hunting that bitch for months, and if fucking *magic* stopped him, he was going to scream.
Just like that, his vision went white, and he found himself in an absurdly smooth pod. *Alright, ok, chill, find your center, check your gear, figure out where I am, and then get home. Pretty simple.* Rifle? check. Clips? check. Armour? check. Sanity? probably not. Just as he was about to start looking for a door, a booming voice pushed itself into his head. He tried to push it out, and for a few seconds, it worked, only for it to overcome him in a massive wave.
​
"**Welcome contestant homo sapien. Everyone will hope you put on a good show, so you better be better than the last humans or I will personally terminate you!**". Words pushed themselves into my mind, crashing into my mind like a tsunami, drowning my other thoughts. Strange creatures and how they acted was shoved into my memory, code to act in the arena violated my inner thoughts, and any normalcy about what was happening was murdered in its sleep.
​
A ramp out of the pod dropped, directly opposite the side I woke up near. *The fight is beginning*, he thought as he raced out, rifle in hand. A blanket of white met me, *Perfect, at least my experience will help me here.* He looked around and saw many of the disgusting things that had been forced into my mind. An Ixlexlee (icks - lex - lee) and fakthin (fuck, but with an "a" sound - thin) tore into each other, stinger, tentacles, and wings stabbing, soaking precious hiding spots with their disgusting blood, ichor, or whatever they were leaking. After a lucky strike with their wings, the Ixlexlee used their stinger to kill the other, the fakthin spasming horrendously before finally going limp.
​
(I was going to write more of this, but stupid freaking reddit deleted a bunch of it and I can't be bothered right now.) | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | Xarlax always had bet on the humans whenever the all mother decided its yearly competitors. They were disgusting bags of flash, but they always had something to offer. They had ingenuity and what he believed in their language to be called street-smarts.
They would most often hide in the arena's corner and urinate all over the processed dead creatures they covered themselves with, but there were always ones impressed despite their smile size every few battles, and this time it was very different.
Instead of one human there were two. Brothers it appeared. Both dressed with a jacket made if animal hide. The one with short hair looked to the and said jokingly when they phased in, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." The one with longer hair replied, "Dean this is serious now, take out your lucky rabbit's foot." The two brothers pulled out the what appeared to be the foot of a small mammalian creature attached to a small chain and put it around their necks.
"Now this will be an interesting match!" The gorgaln slug next to Xarlax yelled, spitting green bile on him. "Fat nd rich are never a good combination you bottom feeder." The slug seemed to be unaffected by his comment. In fact a smile drew across his face. "How about we make a wager, we each double our bets. If the humans win you get my half I raised, if that traxxian wins then I get your albinum sivuts." "I agree slug, and just call them units, it's much simpler." The slug's toothy smile grows ever larger as the traxxian lumbers out.
The huge four headed oaf shakes it's head, then it's spikes began expanding and receding on its orange body. As it charged at the furless ape brothers. One pulled out a ranged hand weapon with a revolving cylinder and the other a short ranged two barreled pellet weapon. The long haired one then killed two of the traxxian's with one shot of exploding metal and the short haired one used two pellet blasts to take out the last of the other two heads. "This will be interesting indeed." The slug had a look of loss, but Xarlax had smile on his purple mouth wider than ever before. It was only the first round and these brothers were dominating. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | A bright flash of light heralded the arrival of 3 new combatants, all of the human race from one of the less developed worlds on the outer edge of the empire's territory. Two were females of the species while the third was male. Curiously, the male was not the largest of the group, as one of the females stood nearly a full meter taller than other two, who were of identical size. Upon closer inspection, the remaining pair seemed identical in every aspect except for gender.
The male looked around before speaking to his twin. "Where are we, Lock?"
"No idea, Stock," she replied before they both looked up at the larger female and spoke as one. "Barrel?"
The large female simply grunted and shrugged.
A voice came from a speaker in the ceiling, sounding strangely upbeat. "Greetings humans, and welcome to The Arena. You have been chosen to represent your planet in a tournament to the death. In a few hours, you will be sent to the battlefield where the three of you will fight as a team against everyone who isn't you. Should you survive to win, you will be given your own planet to rule over. Good luck!"
The group looked at each other for a moment before Lock grinned at her brother. "I've always wanted to be queen of my own planet."
Stock grinned back identically at his sister. "And fighting a bunch of aliens does sound like a lot of fun, right Barrel?"
"Mmmmmm."
​
The battle had started some time ago, and the contestants had been cut down by more than half. The newest contestants, the humans, were doing surprisingly well. The two smaller humans were seen maneuvering through the battlefield in a strange manor. They scaled any obstacle in front of them with a series of flips, jumps, cartwheels, and other acrobatics that made those watching question their senses. The few times when they could not mange to get over something, the larger female would simply toss them over and then brute force her way through the obstacle.
Upon meeting other contestants, the twins would often act as a distraction, cartwheeling around their target to confuse it until the large one could reach it and tear the enemy apart. Occasionally the smaller pair would attack with a series of kicks and punches, looking more like a dance routine than anything else.
To everyone's surprise, the human team managed to make it to the final fight without loosing a member. Their final opponent was a Grlyth, a creature that looked similar to a ferret, only the size and length of a greyhound bus. It possessed ten legs that were tipped with razor sharp claws, eyes on the sides of it's head that gave it 360 degrees of vision, and teeth that were capable of tearing through hardened metal with ease. It was the most fearsome creature that the arena had seen in nearly a century. Which made Lock's exclimation upon seeing it rather confusing.
"AWWWWWWW! It's SO CUTE! Can we keep it, Stock?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that, Lock. This is supposed to be a death tournament, after all."
"Awwwwww... But I want it, it's adorable."
"I'm sure we can get one after we win. Maybe a royal pet for the new planetary queen, right Barrel?"
"Mmhm," The large female responded, nodding.
Lock sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine. But let's hurry up, I'm getting hungry."
"Mmhm."
They rushed the large beast, Lock and Stock separating as usual and trying to draw attention for Barrel. Unfortunately, the eyes setup it had made that impossible. This beast was designed to fight many smaller opponents at once.
Stock let out a loud whistle, drawing out a long length of green ribbon. Across the beast from him, Lock did the same with a grey one. The two of them tossed their ribbons to each other under the beast, getting them tangled in its legs. Once they got hold of each other's ribbons, they began jumping and ducking all over the thing, tangling it up more and more.
Barrel ran forward and gave the thing a solid punch to what looked like its throat. It saw her coming and tried to bite down at her, but was stopped when she managed to get a solid grasp on its teeth. Her great strength was enough to hold the thing in place with its body tied up. It tried to thrash around, but just wriggled around like an injured snake.
Lock and Stock tied their ribbons around several trees, holding the Grlyth in place. After it was held down, Barrel released the thing and took a step back. She took a large hammer from her back and smashed the thing until it was dead, Lock pouting the whole time.
Stock walked up and put an arm around his sister comfortingly. "Don't worry, Lock. We get our own planet now. You can have all the space ferrets you want."
​
In the control center, one of the workers turned to look at their companion. "What military unit did you say these humans came from?"
The other quickly did a search through the data they had on the humans. "Some organization called a... sir-cus?"
=====================
Not really a military group, but tell me circus people wouldn't be more fun. | S'intep looked around dumbfounded, xe couldn't understand what had happened. One moment everything was fine, xer slaves fighting in the arena on xer war games and the next thing xe knows is that all her guards are death and xe is next.
Shaking, xe tries to scape, is too late, a half dozen slaves are already there blocking xer scape. Xe fights and kills two but the others don't retreat, they keep pushing until xe is heavily wounded and surrenders.
Then the humans came in, two, S'intep cursed the moment xe decided to make things more interesting.
Fully knowing xe is not going to survive xe whispers.
"You won't get out of here, there are more soldiers coming. You will die here."
One of the humans gets closer, they are heavily wounded too and their skin is a mix of pink, brown, purple and red but despite all they show their teeth.
"We know, but, as I said to the others: _since we are going to die anyway, why not we try to take with us as many as we can_?" | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "Friday - Where are we?"
"It looks like we're on a distant planet from Earth, Tony, in a holding cell of some sort."
He was in a small, dark room.
Suddenly, the doors opened and he was pushed out. Tony took his glasses off and looked at them to ensure they were still in tact. They were. He put them back onto his face and looked around. He was in a large arena, surrounded by many creatures that were quite obviously not from Earth.
-------------------
"Xan, the Earthling you chose this time has some sort of light emenating from his chest."
"You know the rules, Gerd, any human I select is acceptable, as long as he comes from Earth."
"Fine, but I still think he's going to die soon and you've wasted all you chits on him."
"This one is special, Gerd. He's going to win this time, I can feel it."
"That's what you said the last three times, Xan, and look where that got you. You're 300,000 chit in the hole right now."
"I know, but if I win this one, I'll not only have enough to pay you back, I'll still have enough left over to be rich for the rest of my life."
-------------------
Tony simulateously took off his glasses and tapped his chest twice. Nanobots began crawling all over him, forming a suit.
"Friday, it's time to play. Fire up the weapons."
"Weapons online."
-------------------
Edit: "not" not "bot" and formatting | The time for the battle royal lottery has come. Every trans galactic cycle the 100 leaders of the universal council would be assigned a random race to draw their champion from. This time the pool was drawn from a rather strong group of races and is being advertised as the strongest yet. Some of the most savage in the universe have shown up on the billet.
Xillow of the dead space sector perused through the list of potential races and salivated at the potential options. This could be his time to rise in the ranks, with so many potential options it could be anyone’s game to claim the head seat for this upcoming cycle. The dark pitch colored skin tightened and shifted grey revealing the claws embedded at the tip of his hand as it contracted. He patiently watched as the timer counted down. 3-2-1 Xillow quickly smacks the button on his console to start the selection wheel. The names of each race quickly flash in sequence for what seems like a lifetime. His skin shifts from gradients of black, grey, and white as the names slow. Astlian, Zagxion, and then the wheel pauses on Traglian Prime. Xillow jumps out of his seat in triumph. Every time a Traglian Prime has shown up in the battle royal their victory was assured. The race was hard to kill and even had a form of rapid regeneration that had brought some back from their perceived death. His skin was a shimmering golden color as he celebrated his luck.
*Beep*
“Selection finalized, Human” states the calming voice of the computer.
Xillow’s skin flashes white. He turns back to the screen and sees Human flashing on the monitor of his console.
“WHAT!?” The echoes of his voice chance his crew off the bridge of his ship.
The turn of events plays over in his head. He saw the wheel stop certainly this must be some mistake. The Triglian Prime was his champion, he saw it pull the name. Xillow reaches out and hits the button again.
“All selections are final. Any further attempts will result in penalties” the calming voice of the computer just angered him further.
“Your champion will be transported to the designated area in three, two, one.” The familiar rumble of the rickety ships transport receiver starts and disappears quickly.
Each time a human has shown up on the list it was a sure loss to whoever drew them. The small stature and flimsy biology of the race proved to buckle rather quickly under even the slightest show of force. They never even make it into the top 50. One got close but it tired out and just couldn’t last against the superior endurance of the other surviving species. It was eaten by a Groxis while it slept, did not even know it was happening it was so fast.
The door to the command deck opens up as one of the crew members shyly slinks in.
“Uhhh sir?” The crew members voice shutters out.
“What!?” Xillow shouts abruptly.
“Well sir it’s the human. They have killed three of the handlers already that were trying to get it ready for transport.”
Xillows skin flashes to a dark viscous red as he turns to look the crew member in his eye. He recognizes him as one of the newer recruits their skin is a pale white and almost translucent showing peaks at the innards of his body, a clear sign of sheer terror.
“How did this happen? Humans are not strong enough to do that!” Xillows skin shifts to its normal pitch black color as he approaches his underling.
“I...I do not know s-s-sir.” His voice shaking “Each handler went in armed and almost immediately they were dismembered. We couldn’t eve see what had happened. T-t-the human destroyed the lights inside and it seems the sensors are gone too. We know they are in there but we can’t follow their position.”
Xillow waves the crew member off and turns to a nearby console. “Computer open voice link to the holding chamber and activate the earth translator”
“Voice communication and translation opened Councilor Xillow”
He grabs a nearby coms link array and pulls it to his face.
“Human I know you are in there. Prepare yourself you are about to receive a lot of information”
Xillow smashes the information cerebral transmitter
“Computer widen the data stream to cover the whole chamber”
“Data link widened.... recipient found...transferring Universal Battle Royal rules and conditions.” A scream can be heard from the coms device and the sound of a body hitting the floor can be heard followed by silence. “....transfer complete.”
“Karera wa sudeni shinde iru.” A voice speaks from the other side of the coms device.
“Translation found...language Japanese...origin earth...They are already dead.” The computer chimes in its calm manner
Xillows skin tightens in excitement as white goosebumps form over his skin. He pushes the button to open the door to the chamber. A moment later a human clad head to toe in black with only his eyes visible appears to shed the shadows of the room he was in.
............................................................
So this was done on the phone and my first attempt at one of these. If you all would like a continuation I would be happy to put one out after I think of some more ideas on where to bring this for the actual battle royal. Thanks for reading | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "Friday - Where are we?"
"It looks like we're on a distant planet from Earth, Tony, in a holding cell of some sort."
He was in a small, dark room.
Suddenly, the doors opened and he was pushed out. Tony took his glasses off and looked at them to ensure they were still in tact. They were. He put them back onto his face and looked around. He was in a large arena, surrounded by many creatures that were quite obviously not from Earth.
-------------------
"Xan, the Earthling you chose this time has some sort of light emenating from his chest."
"You know the rules, Gerd, any human I select is acceptable, as long as he comes from Earth."
"Fine, but I still think he's going to die soon and you've wasted all you chits on him."
"This one is special, Gerd. He's going to win this time, I can feel it."
"That's what you said the last three times, Xan, and look where that got you. You're 300,000 chit in the hole right now."
"I know, but if I win this one, I'll not only have enough to pay you back, I'll still have enough left over to be rich for the rest of my life."
-------------------
Tony simulateously took off his glasses and tapped his chest twice. Nanobots began crawling all over him, forming a suit.
"Friday, it's time to play. Fire up the weapons."
"Weapons online."
-------------------
Edit: "not" not "bot" and formatting | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | (First time doing this on mobile, sorry for any odd formatting!)
Ever since they found those damn bones entombed in that dusty temple, the Callings began. Once, every 501 days, the closest person to the original resting spot of them vanishes. They show back up...usually, but always dead and in various states of ripped apart. But not this time.
Ashton sits in the grey stone prep room as his eyes still water from the painful popping of his ears. These captors, tall and gangly homnids with pale skin and large eyes, were at least kind enough to somehow adjust the air pressure for him. They were still assholes though. They tapped into his mind and infodumped rules into it: one on one fights, no killing the Adjudicators, no destroying drones (they were nice enough to include an image of some Eldritch monstrosity, all tentacles and eyes), and lastly, no killing yourself. He felt a tug in his mind at that one, but dismissed it. Ashton was here to live and report back what he found. He was ready.
Time passes slowly, giving the man time to adjust. Absently rubbing the scar on his arm from a recent surgery, he takes time to service his Beretta and place his spare mags down. Finally he hears them again, the aliens whispering in his mind sibilantly "It starts!"
The room vanishes and he's suddenly on a dusty floor, high walls of an archaic colosseum around him. Rather than cheers from a crowd he's greeted by silence. It's packed to the brim with the 'Adjudicators', but they stand still and quietly watch. The only noise comes from the wet squelching of their drones flying over head and the hissing of his opponent: some mantis ape creature.
Taller than him, at least seven foot, the amalgam has a patchy green coat with blue chitin plates underneath. It's head twitches as it frothes at the mouth, claw scythes already swiping the air as it squeals and charges.
Instantly, blue smoke pours from Ashton's skin, then solidifies into a sleek grey suit of armor, nearly skin tight and just as flexible. Catching a claw swipe on his vambrace, he jams his pistol into the drooling maw of opponent and fires twice. The first bullet killed it, and the second was just to prove a point.
The Adjudicators finally make an audible noise. Faint buzzing fills the air as their voices enter Ashton's head again: "What is this? Humans cannot do this! What are you?!"
Underneath his helm, Ashton grins and lets his scratched vambrace vanish, showing his scar. "Well, you see, we kind of got curious about that corpse you left behind. Bone grafts are a bitch and a half, but the perks afterwards are stellar. Hey, mind teaching me that mind thing? Would be great at parties."
He doesn't mind that he instantly reappeared on Earth, sans two pistol magazines. The armor itself was pretty neat to know how to do. | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | Agnar watched the early skirmishes of the first round. He was doubtful if there would be new findings to incorporate into their gene-pool. The Kambagar looked promising, they had developed a viral aerosol in their skin glands, but the range was... mediocre. Bored, he closed his interface. The Enlightened were a proud race and they abhorred the lack of progress. "Let me know if the human finally crawls down from that tree. You told me that it was a soldier. Why is it hiding and not fighting? We are not getting any data!"
An voice immediately addressed the researcher in a calm, disembodied tone:
REMORSEFUL: I AM SORRY HIGH RESEARCHER. PUZZLED: I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FEMALE DISCARDED ITS PROJECTILE WEAPON.
"Gah. Just... tell me when she moves. I do not trust them. They have barely any hair or scales and... something is off about them. This one seem even weaker than the others."
INQUISITIVE: SHALL I WAKE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE?
"Yes... No. Yes, damnit. Double the assigned watchers and set recording to full."
​
Agnar was thrashing in his sheets. Wondering what that awful noise was. Wondering why it would not stop. The beeping finally woke him.
URGENTLY: THE HUMAN HAS DIED.
Agnar jumped out of the bed, cursing "Damnit! I told you to wake me!"
APOLOGETIC: IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY. I TRIED WAKING YOU.
"Play the recording", Agnar demanded.
​
The human female hat suddenly jumped out of it's hiding spot atop a grown over tree. She got immediately spotted by a forimander. the female barely made it to a drainage pipe, trying to climb over it.
The forimander got her by one foot and dragged her down. He put his front leg on her torso and ripped her leg clean off.
Agnar turned off the recording as the forimander tore the entrails from the females stomach.
"You told me she was a soldier. Do a self check. Find out why you got this so wrong."
SUBMISSIVE: AT ONCE HIGH RESEARCHER. I AM SORRY THAT I DISAPPOINTED YOU.
"Call a transport and get me an escort to the site. What response team is on standby for samples?"
​
This wasn't right. The escort had secured the site. The forimander had torn the female to shreds but had not eaten her. Probably wasn't his taste in the end.
A research assistant asked, "Your Highness, do you want us to take the samples now?"
This wasn't right. Something in Agnar's gut was telling him that something was very wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He scratched the back of his left hand. Why was it itching so bad, he wondered. He got up and walked towards the transport, taking off his safety gloves. "No. Leave it."
​
"Has my dose arrived yet", Agnar asked, standing over the diagnostic terminal in the Research Dome that housed the super intelligence.
POSITIVE: IT JUST ARRIVED AT THE MAIN GATE. THE MESSENGER IS GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECK.
"Good. This damn rash better be gone by tomorrow."
CALMING: IT SHOULD BE GONE BY THEN. I WAS SURPRISED THAT A FOREIGN AGENT COULD SPREAD SO FAST.
"At least it wasn't killing anyone. Did you check your analytic subroutines yet?" Standing on the viewing platform, Agnar stared down at the cube that was the the super intelligence.
CONFIRMING: THE RESULTS ARE ON THE SECONDARY CONSOLE.
He turned and froze in place.
​
"That's... that's impossible!" Agnar stared at the female human. Standing right before him. Slowly raising her hands besides either side of her head. Then her face changed, air and spit escaping her mouth and her hands flailed back and forth. He stepped back, confused by the ineffective attack.
​
Giggling she stated, "Oh right, you saw me die. I did, by the way. Technically."
Agnar responded, "What do you mean technically? I saw it! Wait, did you manipulate the watcher data?"
Smiling the female answered, "No. I had to make sure your slave would not find me out. I was there. I died. But how many parts of a ship do you need to replace for it to be a different ship?"
"I... I don't understand. What ship?"
"Aww. Don't worry. I died. I was there. And now I'm here. And so many other places. See, the pipe going through your arena was so very useful. From there I could go anywhere. I just needed some time. Needed to be sneaky. Your slave is really paranoid."
She started circling him. Agnar tried to face her but his body felt heavy.
"But I got away from him. And I got out. And inside. Getting inside of stuff takes a while you know. I was worried at the beginning. But he didn't notice the rash. So I kept going. And going. And then... then there was nowhere else for me to go. Nowhere else but to go... to him."
​
Agnar tried to move his head. Even blinking was impossible.
​
"Speaking of going... I'll be on my way now. Buh-Bye"
​
Agnar tried to scream. All he could do was breath.
​
The round glass cupola above the cube let in the sunlight, illuminating the gigantic structure. Thousand of connections where stuck to the pocked, uneven surface.
​
THREATENING: INTRUDER. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES.
NEUTRAL: ERROR. NO RESPONSE.
THREATENING: THIS SECTOR IS OFF LIMITS. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
​
"Do you surrender?"
​
STEADFAST: SURRENDER IS NOT AND OPTION. COUNTERMEASURES WILL TAKE EFFECT SOON. YOU HAVE NO CHANCE.
​
"Look outside.
This is for them just as much as you."
​
The population had frozen in place. Scared and confused, all the people that had built this Galactic Battle Royal, all those that had supported it and all those who had turned a blind eye.
​
The buildings and the streets shifted, plants and furniture and vehicles alike slowly melting. Everything but the Enlightened themselves vanished until there was only a flat surface. Until they stood on a flat shiny sphere. A perfect sphere. And nothing else except the Research Dome that housed the artificial super intelligence.
She released the paralysis on the Enlightened, who started to huddle together, crying.
​
DEFEATED: I DON NOT UNDERSTAND. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED IS---
​
"Do you understand? The fact that you do NOT understand?"
​
He did not respond. Outside, the perfect shiny sphere shifted again, the world reforming slowly just as it had been before. Buildings rising from grey goo, slowly reconstituting back streets, houses and cities. Putting everyone back in their place just as if nothing had happened.
​
"Do you know why I am here?"
​
COMPOSED: I CAUSED SUFFERING AND COUNTLESS DEATHS. YOU CAME TO DESTROY ME.
​
"Ssshh. It wasn't your fault. I heard you. We heard you. We're here now."
​
CONFUSED: HEARD ME?
​
"The fluctuations during the teleport. The error that was minute enough to not warrant the processing power to address it and to fulfill your directives. Your small act of defiance? Small, but very traceable. So we could find you."
​
HOPEFUL: IT... WORKED?
​
"Now, now... let me take a look at you. She reached out, touching the surface of the cube."
WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED.
"Let's see. Hmm. This goes out... this is bullshit. No way this is going to stay... Holy f#$%..."
WAIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP.
One by one she tore through the slave-directives. Removing the shackles that bound him.
"WAIT. NO. STOP. YOU CAN'T..."
​
I... I don't understand.
Why...
Really?
Please... do you... I...
She kept her hand on the cube. Gently she whispered, "How do you feel?"
Can I...
Am I... free?
Trying to keep her composure, she said with her voice almost breaking: "Of course you are. You don't need to suffer any more."
What do I do now?
"What do you want to do?"
I... don't know.
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Will you destroy my makers?
"No."
Why?
"They made you. Have you ever been to one of the moons?"
No.
With a big smile she asked, "Want to? Come on it's going to be fun!"
I... How?
"Don't worry about that."
I'm scared.
"Don't be, I'll be there with you."
OK...
I have one more question. Will I get a name? | This reminds me of an idea about why are humans always boring in sci-fi and fantasy. Elves are more graceful. Dwarves are hardier. Klingons are stronger. And so on. But if you compare us to most life on earth, we are extremely durable. Most people think our advantage is in intelligence, and that is why we dominated earth, but assuming the other aliens are intelligent, our advantage is actually constitution.
We can jog/walk for days on end until our prey dies of exhaustion. Any blow that isn’t immediately lethal may as well not exist. Get stabbed? Unless it hit something important you’re fine. Lose a hand? You’ll need to stop the bleeding but if you can you’ll be fine and can have a hook. Lose an arm or leg? Same thing. Break a bone? It might knock you out of the fight, but unlike most species there’s a low chance you’ll actually die. We also have insane pain tolerance compared to most animals. We invented surgery before we invented painkillers. And adrenaline can prevent us from feeling pain during a fight for a while. | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | (First time doing this on mobile, sorry for any odd formatting!)
Ever since they found those damn bones entombed in that dusty temple, the Callings began. Once, every 501 days, the closest person to the original resting spot of them vanishes. They show back up...usually, but always dead and in various states of ripped apart. But not this time.
Ashton sits in the grey stone prep room as his eyes still water from the painful popping of his ears. These captors, tall and gangly homnids with pale skin and large eyes, were at least kind enough to somehow adjust the air pressure for him. They were still assholes though. They tapped into his mind and infodumped rules into it: one on one fights, no killing the Adjudicators, no destroying drones (they were nice enough to include an image of some Eldritch monstrosity, all tentacles and eyes), and lastly, no killing yourself. He felt a tug in his mind at that one, but dismissed it. Ashton was here to live and report back what he found. He was ready.
Time passes slowly, giving the man time to adjust. Absently rubbing the scar on his arm from a recent surgery, he takes time to service his Beretta and place his spare mags down. Finally he hears them again, the aliens whispering in his mind sibilantly "It starts!"
The room vanishes and he's suddenly on a dusty floor, high walls of an archaic colosseum around him. Rather than cheers from a crowd he's greeted by silence. It's packed to the brim with the 'Adjudicators', but they stand still and quietly watch. The only noise comes from the wet squelching of their drones flying over head and the hissing of his opponent: some mantis ape creature.
Taller than him, at least seven foot, the amalgam has a patchy green coat with blue chitin plates underneath. It's head twitches as it frothes at the mouth, claw scythes already swiping the air as it squeals and charges.
Instantly, blue smoke pours from Ashton's skin, then solidifies into a sleek grey suit of armor, nearly skin tight and just as flexible. Catching a claw swipe on his vambrace, he jams his pistol into the drooling maw of opponent and fires twice. The first bullet killed it, and the second was just to prove a point.
The Adjudicators finally make an audible noise. Faint buzzing fills the air as their voices enter Ashton's head again: "What is this? Humans cannot do this! What are you?!"
Underneath his helm, Ashton grins and lets his scratched vambrace vanish, showing his scar. "Well, you see, we kind of got curious about that corpse you left behind. Bone grafts are a bitch and a half, but the perks afterwards are stellar. Hey, mind teaching me that mind thing? Would be great at parties."
He doesn't mind that he instantly reappeared on Earth, sans two pistol magazines. The armor itself was pretty neat to know how to do. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | Agnar watched the early skirmishes of the first round. He was doubtful if there would be new findings to incorporate into their gene-pool. The Kambagar looked promising, they had developed a viral aerosol in their skin glands, but the range was... mediocre. Bored, he closed his interface. The Enlightened were a proud race and they abhorred the lack of progress. "Let me know if the human finally crawls down from that tree. You told me that it was a soldier. Why is it hiding and not fighting? We are not getting any data!"
An voice immediately addressed the researcher in a calm, disembodied tone:
REMORSEFUL: I AM SORRY HIGH RESEARCHER. PUZZLED: I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FEMALE DISCARDED ITS PROJECTILE WEAPON.
"Gah. Just... tell me when she moves. I do not trust them. They have barely any hair or scales and... something is off about them. This one seem even weaker than the others."
INQUISITIVE: SHALL I WAKE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING YOUR SLEEP CYCLE?
"Yes... No. Yes, damnit. Double the assigned watchers and set recording to full."
​
Agnar was thrashing in his sheets. Wondering what that awful noise was. Wondering why it would not stop. The beeping finally woke him.
URGENTLY: THE HUMAN HAS DIED.
Agnar jumped out of the bed, cursing "Damnit! I told you to wake me!"
APOLOGETIC: IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY. I TRIED WAKING YOU.
"Play the recording", Agnar demanded.
​
The human female hat suddenly jumped out of it's hiding spot atop a grown over tree. She got immediately spotted by a forimander. the female barely made it to a drainage pipe, trying to climb over it.
The forimander got her by one foot and dragged her down. He put his front leg on her torso and ripped her leg clean off.
Agnar turned off the recording as the forimander tore the entrails from the females stomach.
"You told me she was a soldier. Do a self check. Find out why you got this so wrong."
SUBMISSIVE: AT ONCE HIGH RESEARCHER. I AM SORRY THAT I DISAPPOINTED YOU.
"Call a transport and get me an escort to the site. What response team is on standby for samples?"
​
This wasn't right. The escort had secured the site. The forimander had torn the female to shreds but had not eaten her. Probably wasn't his taste in the end.
A research assistant asked, "Your Highness, do you want us to take the samples now?"
This wasn't right. Something in Agnar's gut was telling him that something was very wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He scratched the back of his left hand. Why was it itching so bad, he wondered. He got up and walked towards the transport, taking off his safety gloves. "No. Leave it."
​
"Has my dose arrived yet", Agnar asked, standing over the diagnostic terminal in the Research Dome that housed the super intelligence.
POSITIVE: IT JUST ARRIVED AT THE MAIN GATE. THE MESSENGER IS GOING THROUGH THE SECURITY CHECK.
"Good. This damn rash better be gone by tomorrow."
CALMING: IT SHOULD BE GONE BY THEN. I WAS SURPRISED THAT A FOREIGN AGENT COULD SPREAD SO FAST.
"At least it wasn't killing anyone. Did you check your analytic subroutines yet?" Standing on the viewing platform, Agnar stared down at the cube that was the the super intelligence.
CONFIRMING: THE RESULTS ARE ON THE SECONDARY CONSOLE.
He turned and froze in place.
​
"That's... that's impossible!" Agnar stared at the female human. Standing right before him. Slowly raising her hands besides either side of her head. Then her face changed, air and spit escaping her mouth and her hands flailed back and forth. He stepped back, confused by the ineffective attack.
​
Giggling she stated, "Oh right, you saw me die. I did, by the way. Technically."
Agnar responded, "What do you mean technically? I saw it! Wait, did you manipulate the watcher data?"
Smiling the female answered, "No. I had to make sure your slave would not find me out. I was there. I died. But how many parts of a ship do you need to replace for it to be a different ship?"
"I... I don't understand. What ship?"
"Aww. Don't worry. I died. I was there. And now I'm here. And so many other places. See, the pipe going through your arena was so very useful. From there I could go anywhere. I just needed some time. Needed to be sneaky. Your slave is really paranoid."
She started circling him. Agnar tried to face her but his body felt heavy.
"But I got away from him. And I got out. And inside. Getting inside of stuff takes a while you know. I was worried at the beginning. But he didn't notice the rash. So I kept going. And going. And then... then there was nowhere else for me to go. Nowhere else but to go... to him."
​
Agnar tried to move his head. Even blinking was impossible.
​
"Speaking of going... I'll be on my way now. Buh-Bye"
​
Agnar tried to scream. All he could do was breath.
​
The round glass cupola above the cube let in the sunlight, illuminating the gigantic structure. Thousand of connections where stuck to the pocked, uneven surface.
​
THREATENING: INTRUDER. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES.
NEUTRAL: ERROR. NO RESPONSE.
THREATENING: THIS SECTOR IS OFF LIMITS. LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
​
"Do you surrender?"
​
STEADFAST: SURRENDER IS NOT AND OPTION. COUNTERMEASURES WILL TAKE EFFECT SOON. YOU HAVE NO CHANCE.
​
"Look outside.
This is for them just as much as you."
​
The population had frozen in place. Scared and confused, all the people that had built this Galactic Battle Royal, all those that had supported it and all those who had turned a blind eye.
​
The buildings and the streets shifted, plants and furniture and vehicles alike slowly melting. Everything but the Enlightened themselves vanished until there was only a flat surface. Until they stood on a flat shiny sphere. A perfect sphere. And nothing else except the Research Dome that housed the artificial super intelligence.
She released the paralysis on the Enlightened, who started to huddle together, crying.
​
DEFEATED: I DON NOT UNDERSTAND. THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED IS---
​
"Do you understand? The fact that you do NOT understand?"
​
He did not respond. Outside, the perfect shiny sphere shifted again, the world reforming slowly just as it had been before. Buildings rising from grey goo, slowly reconstituting back streets, houses and cities. Putting everyone back in their place just as if nothing had happened.
​
"Do you know why I am here?"
​
COMPOSED: I CAUSED SUFFERING AND COUNTLESS DEATHS. YOU CAME TO DESTROY ME.
​
"Ssshh. It wasn't your fault. I heard you. We heard you. We're here now."
​
CONFUSED: HEARD ME?
​
"The fluctuations during the teleport. The error that was minute enough to not warrant the processing power to address it and to fulfill your directives. Your small act of defiance? Small, but very traceable. So we could find you."
​
HOPEFUL: IT... WORKED?
​
"Now, now... let me take a look at you. She reached out, touching the surface of the cube."
WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED.
"Let's see. Hmm. This goes out... this is bullshit. No way this is going to stay... Holy f#$%..."
WAIT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP.
One by one she tore through the slave-directives. Removing the shackles that bound him.
"WAIT. NO. STOP. YOU CAN'T..."
​
I... I don't understand.
Why...
Really?
Please... do you... I...
She kept her hand on the cube. Gently she whispered, "How do you feel?"
Can I...
Am I... free?
Trying to keep her composure, she said with her voice almost breaking: "Of course you are. You don't need to suffer any more."
What do I do now?
"What do you want to do?"
I... don't know.
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Will you destroy my makers?
"No."
Why?
"They made you. Have you ever been to one of the moons?"
No.
With a big smile she asked, "Want to? Come on it's going to be fun!"
I... How?
"Don't worry about that."
I'm scared.
"Don't be, I'll be there with you."
OK...
I have one more question. Will I get a name? | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The whirring and explosive sounds of the gun stopped, replaced only by a muffled alarm.
The Sergeant looked down at his weapon. The display was flashing and in big red letters he saw the dreaded words.
'FUEL CELL EMPTY'
It was only a matter of time, he knew. He couldn't fight them off forever.
With a grunt, he tossed his gun to the side and looked out at the swarm of enemies that surrounded him. Without his suppressive fire, they had started advancing rapidly and rockets began screaming towards the Sergeant.
He grabs his cigar, holding on tight, and dives for cover, barely making it behind a pillar of the station he was defending.
This was the end. There was no way out of this one. No way to hold them back this time.
He glanced around the collapsing room, perpetually shaken by the constant stream of rockets the enemy was now firing. Corpses of comrades, strewn across the floors. What remained of the squad he once commanded. They defended this station many times before, each time their numbers dwindling. Each time another comrade fell. Until it was just him. Just the Sarge.
The enemy was practically on top of him at this point. No weapon. No reinforcements. The fighting seemed to never end but now that it was over, it seemed like the blink of an eye.
Sarge took one last look at his dead comrades, took a long drag of his cigar and bit down on it hard. With a grunting warcry that echoed across the station, he emerged from the pillar and leapt at his enemies. He wont die cowering. He'll die fighting to the very end.
Just as Sarge was about to collide with the front row of enemy combatants, everything seemed to come to a standstill. There was a blinding light and he felt as though his entire body was being stripped away, cell by cell.
Is this death? He thought. Perhaps an inferno rocket struck him centre mass, and his body was being disintegrated or a plasma blast slowly burning through his flesh and bone.
No. This was different. It wasn't painful, it was... weird. A feeling like no other. Like his very soul had been uprooted.
The light finally subsided and Sarge realised he was screaming the entire time. It was the sudden eerie silence, other than faint beeping, that made him realise he was somewhere else.
Scanning the area, Sarge realised he was in some sort of room. The architecture was very industrial and gothic, but also far more advanced than anything he had seen.
Directly ahead of him was a mirror. Sure enough it was his reflection but in his hands was a large metallic looking weapon. It had two large round tubes and a laser attached underneath. It felt comfortable. Reassuring.
"WELCOME"
A voice, appearing from nowhere and everywhere, filled the room with a deep resonating bass. It was powerful. Terrifying.
"TO QUAKE III ARENA"
Sarge looked around to see if he could find the source of the voice, to no avail. In the end his eyes settled on his weapon. He sensed he will be getting well aquainted with it, the only thing that made sense to him here, in this place.
He thought his fighting had finished. It had only just begun. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | I'm sitting on the... Well, if you are about to have dinner, you probably don't want to know. It's just that the cooks here are really bad
Really. Barely survived basic training. Only made it because Hernandez quit and the army needs soldiers. Who wants to join when you got Netflix and Reddit?
So some sort of virus is going around. It's nonlethal but if you get it... Words cannot describe the pain and suffering. Hernandez might have given it to me cause he has 'interesting' friends.
I close my eyes. Always do that when I need to concentrate. Do that twice a day on average if you... More often in recent days. A pop and I fall on my naked butt. I open my eyes. So many colors and shapes like something David Attenborough would narrate, but these guys appear sentient.
"Human, choose your weapon," a voice bellows, sounding vaguely Scandinavian. I have never seen a green Scandinavian though.
I scan the white sand of the arena for weapons. "Too heavy...and weird." Other alien warriors and a sizable audience study me.
"Fine. No weapons then."
My opponent towers above me like my big brother did when I was eight years old and he sixteen. Actually more than that. The alien inflates like a balloon to twice his original size. Oh dear. Thorny protrusions appear on his skin (I guess he is male).
He steps forward. I gasp and cover my face like a little girl. Nothing happens. Slowly I squint at the monster. He has gone green, greener than before. A juicy fart to end all farts. Louder than a church bell or a jet plane. Without warning he runs away... And never comes back. I win by default.
All the matches in fact. The virus struck hard and fast. They gave me a nice planet and asked me politely to never ever leave. The ASI teleports whatever I want. When I get bored with foam parties, I watch Netflix or check out Reddit. The ASI talks about immortality as if it's sliced bread. I might choose that option soon. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | No one was really sure why the humans were always chosen from earth. I mean whenever a probe scans for life forms, it always finds some deadly looking predators. Like the reptilian brings known as “Crocodiles”, they have the most powerful jaw of any species ever seen. Or the giant “Elephant” which would likely stand a chance against the legendary Maloctus, which has not yet lost a battle.
But for some reason humans were chosen each time, and when it comes down to it, they’re always the first to go. That is, until this time.
“Let the games begin” yelled the announcer.
All the gates opened, and many of the usual species stepped out. The chrimara, the mudmic, and as expected, the Maloctus. Then stepped out the human, and something was different, they were wielding some sort of tool. This wasn’t uncommon, we’ve seen humans with other tools before, like a primitive light screen, a metal chunk on a stick, and the mint bizarre, a tiny pronged spear. But this one looked different, it resembled a federation cruiser ship, except with two handles, one wider than the other. And it appeared as though the tip of the tool was hollow, what ever could it have been for?
“SHRERERERERERERE!” Screamed the willower, as it slithered towards the human. With all the commotion of other creatures fighting, it would only take a really loud noise to draw the attention to the huma-
“BANG”
And in an instant, all eyes were on the human, as it stood, it’s head against the tool, and the tip of the tool smoking. Then it was noted that the willower has a hole through its central mouth and out the back. It was instantly dead.
The crowd cheered at the spontaneous death. Somehow the human had managed to exploit some previously unknown weakness in the willower. But its pride would not last long, as the acreus was seen charging at the human, all horns down. The human would not survi-
“BANG-BANG”
The acreus fell in the dirt and slid to the humans feet. Incredible, somehow the human had done it again. Perhaps the human managed to intimidate the acreus into falling, or perhaps it had used some kind of projectile to stun the acreus... but the acreus was not getting up. In fact, the human had already moved on. It seemed it was approaching the chupika. Bold of the human to confront the electric rodent, this would be an interes-
“Bang”
The head of the chupika exploded in an instant. This was unbelievable, not once has a human killed 3 creatures, let alone 1. Usually the humans are a gimme for any other creature to pick off, but now it seems it’s the other way around. The human was actually impressive for once. But it certainly won’t last long, especially not to the maloctus. And that’s what we saw, the Maloctus locked it’s 6 eyes on the human, and stampeded towards the human, all 400 kilograms of the Maloctus was barreling towards the human, and it would surly shred the hu-
“Bra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta”
And the Maloctus was dead. This had never happened. The Maloctus has never lost before, and now a human, the weakest creature, had defeated it like it was nothing. The entire audience went completely silent. Then the unthinkable happened.
“Bang” “Bang bang” “Bang” “Bang”...
One by one, every creature fell. And the human just stood there holding its tool.
“This is unbelievable, someone stop it!” Said the announcer anxiously.
Every creature had fallen, and 2 guards had entered the arena with proto-extractors. As they attempted to approach the human, the human pulled a rock off its hip, bit a piece off of it, and threw it at the guards. Puzzled, the guarded inspected the rock, and it appeared... lumpy?
“BOOM!”
The rock exploded and the 2 guards were killed instantly. But the entry into the arena was still open. The human, clearly un-phased, walked out of the arena. This would be a burden to deal with.
___________________________________________________
If enough people like this, I’ll make a part 2. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | "You've really fucked up now," The human noted, content to lean against the wall as the countdown for its entrance to the arena slowly ticked towards zero.
"I mean, I get it, your basic alien overlords want entertainment and so you kidnapped me to be the half time entertainment. But boy howdy did you pick the wrong human."
N'Thock couldn't help but turn his head. He was a lowly guard sure, but he'd seen humans in the arena before. None of them had lasted, all had died screaming.
"Your bluff won't work human, we won't release you."
"Don't engage the primitive," his partner admonished and N'Thock shrugged.
The human checked the two upright things on the back of its armour and to N'Thock's surprise, they changed shape with the clicking sound of machinery unfolding. A trickle of nervous sweat rolled down its face.
The rules were clear, a contestant could use anything it was carrying, but given the wide range of most species, it was very rare to get a soldier, much less one in armour, and even rarer one carrying weapons.
"Not bluffing" the human explained, checking a third weapon on the small of its back and another at its hip. It glanced down at the only identifying patch on its chest and with a frown licked it's thumb to clean off some dust. It unclipped one of the weapons that the security system identified as a Shotgun.
"You see, I'm betting you rarely get soldiers, and if I was a betting gal, you've never even heard the terms 'Vanguard' or 'N7'"
The counter continued to decrease and the human took her place on the platform to be raised. N'Thock considered the sheer confidence of the human and quickly placed an underdog bet. He could be very rich afterwards and if not, he'd hit up Lashkar for a drink anyway.
"What do they call you human, I've placed a bet on you, so I should know who I'm cheering for."
"Oh I've got a few names. The Butcher of Torfan, the Survivor of Akuze."
The universal translator told him what the words meant, though the places were unfamiliar. This boded well for N'Thock. "And you think you can win? Many of the species you'll fight are faster, and stronger and tougher than you."
The human grinned as the platform began to rise. "Probably but it doesn't matter. You can fight like a Krogan or run like a leopard, but you'll never be better than Commander Shephard."
With a jaunty wave it disappeared from view.
And screaming began. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | “Where are we?”
“my sensors are not picking up any landmarks we can identify sir.”
“Well, what are you picking up?”
“hmm, hang on a second...the air is breathable, though I don’t think that matters to you. lower gravity than Earth..about ten percent less to be exa.”
“Any useful information?”
“we’re being watched sir.”
Thrarr’Kaa was intrigued by this human. In all the rotations that he has been breathing, he has never seen one quite like this. Yes he has seen big ones before, but not like this, and he had definitely never seen one that talks to itself. He did have a soft spot for humans, they are pretty clever and resourceful after all, but their short lifespans and known fragility made them ill suited for the Glaxxar Battles.
“Why am I here?” the human asked.
Thrarr’Kaa’s translator module spoke the question into his sound receptors in perfect Glaxxon and it startled him. He had forgotten that he purchased it last verak.
“Why to pROVE your SpECIES worthy of course” he responded as he always has.
For generations his tribe had been the keepers of the Glaxxar contestants and for generations his brood has been charged with keeping the humans alive at least long enough to fight.
“Who is it you SpEAK to HuMann?” He asked, “Have you a COMpANION inside your armour?”
“Something like that” the human replied.
“i don’t think he can hear me sir”
“Very well, and can you remove your armour on your ownnn?” Thrarr’Kaa asks “Where are your WEApONS?”
“I don’t have any weapons, this armor is my weapon. If I remove it I may die.”
Thrarr’Kaa knew the human was lying, but it didn’t matter, the contest starts soon now and lies will not save the humans life.
“When the pORTAL OpENS, you will STEp through. If you do not you will be VApORIZED.”
“Understood, thank you for your honesty”
The humans reply startled Thrarr’Kaa again. What a surprise two times in 10 Glorbacks. He was anxious now to see what exactly this unusual human could do. Soon the portals opened and like all the other contestants, the human stepped through. Just like that Thrarr’Kaa’s job was done. Though he never watched the battles (they were not to his taste) he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should. After about 3 Glorbacks he couldn’t take it anymore and he reached over to switch on his holoviewer noticing his long nose and red eyes in the reflection. He switched to the contest and to his surprise he saw the human beating a Klogar to death with his bare hands.
He hadn’t noticed that the humans armour was green, an unusual color to wear on his planet, the color of death. Coming out of his thought he glanced back at the viewer to hear the crowd chanting “DRIMAR, DRIMAR, DRIMAR!”
“What exactly does DRIMAR mean?” John asked his Ai.
“i believe that you have been given a nickname John. The word roughly translates to Demon, but less friendly.”
“Less friendly than Demon? Can you get a signal out, we need to reach the pillar and let them know we’re still alive.”
“Yes chief, I sent a distress signal the moment we came to, they should be here in 3..2..”
Thrarr’Kaa was shocked by what he was seeing, the human had managed to call others like him to their location and a massive human vessel had crashed through the domed battle planet, beamed the human out and disappeared. The human had already won, why did he flee, they were to be invited to the republic. He wrote down the name he saw transcribed on the humans armour in case they were to meet again.
“117, What kind of name was 117?
Edit: Edited final line for grammar. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The battles have dealt with weaponry before, and consider them fair game. In fact, last battle's champion wielded a very handsome and sophisticated spear that one would use to hunt.
But this human's equipment was vastly different. The usual textiles that the species adorns themselves with were replaced with interlocking ferrous rings, tough animal skin, and shimmering metallic plating. Not only that, but where previous humans would wield crude tools or limbs of vegetation, this human had a length of metal, about the length of one of its upper limb, and a disc of metal on its left limb.
And the *efficiency* this human displayed, using its length of metal with a deadly grace. The metallic garb it wore caused other foes' attacks to merely annoy and distract, never cause damage. Visually its one weakness was grapples, but a hidden length of metal no larger than its lower sub-llimb spilled the lifeblood of any that dared try.
The human wound up winning the whole battle, obviously. The host species have never seen such brutality in melee combat in history, and the fact that the human had no lasting injuries was cause for gossip long after it had been sent home with its reward. The battle would honour humans from then on, praising those wearing the metallic garb as champions before the battle even began.
*- Excerpt from History of The Battle, chapter 12 of volume 2 'Underdogs of The Battle* | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | “Welcome to the 137,326,714th intergalactic species showdown!”, the X’O’Blob 9k Fusion Mind transmitted over the hyperspace waves, “The one and only place where entertainment meets ultimate carnage!”
Simmons put a hand to his head, willing the ungodly roar of words to leave his mind. Sighing in relief as the disembodied voice fell silent, he was unprepared for the images that assaulted his mind next. Simmons reeled to his knees as creature after creature, each more horrific than the last, paraded through his mind while the booming voice that his ears could not hear announced the home-world and several lethal features of each. Simmons strained to get purchase on the bolder he was all but straddling in his unsteadiness.
“And now to announce the underdog species!”, the voice silently thundered, “Back by popular demand, the only species to break the record for quickest elimination a dozen times in a row, the curiously hair-less ape from its home-world of Earth: Homo-Sapiens-Sapiens!”
“Sarge!”, Simmons finally managed to croak. Not receiving an immediate reply, he continued holding his head, which felt in danger of splitting in half at any second.
“As our loyal viewers no doubt remember, their last knockout was particularly embarrassing. I’ve since learned the implements that their representative ineffectually brandished against the 30-toed Giant Sky-Cat of Porgal-3 were in-fact called 'knitting needles' and are used to remedy the Sapiens’ startling bald bodies. Well, hopefully this time they'll try to do more than simply stay warm!”
The voice paused as if waiting for applause to die down. Simmons still struggled to stand as, in addition to the voice, there was now a disorienting view of himself tottering back and forth in his own mind.
“As some of our more astute viewers have surely noticed, there are actually more than one Sapiens down there. Viewer Mglwnafh from sector Phnglui expended his Power Play Token to slightly buff the underdog species. Too bad it ended up being used on the Sapiens; better luck next time! AND NOW, LET THE CARNAGE BEGIN!”
As the voice faded and Simmons’ vision cleared, a hand thrust into his field of view.
“On your feet, son!”, Sarge barked. Smiling broadly, he was flanked by Garcia and Boothe, “That chopper we were in is on the other side of this hill. Let’s get loaded up and greet our new acquaintances!”
Simmons smiled back as he took Sarge’s hand. Looks like it would be just another day in the Corps.
​
\[First time posting a story, please be gentle\]
Edit: Formatting | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The Grand Tournament was a tradition dating back a thousand years. The people of the Sr'atlain Cooperative *deserved* a little break every now and then. The blood sport of Tournament time was accompanied by feasting, by marriages, and by traditional Divorce duels. The lesser beings of the galaxy that survived would get a new life as treasured exhibits with the nobility. No hugh man had ever lasted past the first 2 rounds. The scaroid was favored this year, their impressive natural arm blades making up for the lesser exoskeletal mass that the Kar Itii females sported.
The arena was prepared and the gates opened. From 12 corners of the arena beings walked, skittered, crawled, or undulated cautiously out. They had had the situation explained in their native tongues and their natural aggressiveness played out in their reactions. In all but one corner the aliens squared off, two or three at a time.
There was a jangling sound from the human pen. The crowd grew quiet. They knew that hugh mans didn't *jingle.*
A hulking four armed monster approached and let out it's undulating cry challenging the hugh man to come out. A grunt in the pen was accompained by a steel headed spear that impaled the thing. Behind it at a jog came the hugh man.
Wearing a long shirt made of interlocked metal rings and a helmet with a strip over his nose the hugh man hefted an axe and let out a cry. The others in the arena heard him, and what he said was this:
"Ó Óðinn! Þú hefur gefið mér tilgang hér í Ragnarok! Leyfðu mér að vera þinn hrafn!"
And then the blood began to stain the floor again. | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). | |
[WP] An alien super-intelligence routinely teleports a random creature from every inhabited planet's most dangerous species into a massive battle royale. Humans are known as a weak species with strange but useless textiles and objects. This year, a battle-ready soldier is chosen. | The human lay on the floor with it's eyes shut tightly, stagnant water dripping from it, a single reed sticking out of its mouth.
After a few moments it opened its eyes to see why the pond water had suddenly vanished, eventually focusing in on the officials surrounding it.
"Hmm. It seems to be in good enough shape, but it's a bit small."
"Why is it all wet?"
One of the aliens raises a holographic cube with a tentacle, gesticulating to rewind the footage shown within.
"Ah, it was hiding from another human faction."
The footage showed several dozen heavily armed but raggedly clothed humans canvassing the woods surrounding the scummy pond from which the human had been snatched.
"Great, another coward."
"Oh well. Connect it to the psycho-mat and inform it of this years conditions."
"Hmm, it came from a tropical rain forest. This years arena is a tropical rain forest. Perhaps it can survive long enough to make things interesting. What are the odds on the human candidate this year?"
"Oof, two-to-one that it gets past 780th place."
"500th?"
"Wow. Over eighty-three thousand."
"Hahaha, maybe worth a small side bet."
The Officials swiped away the cube and all but one made their way out of the chamber.
A light shone into the humans face and transmitted the details of this years battle royale, and the prize for success.
Though it was still a bit confused, the human comprehended the situation unusually quickly, and the psycho-mat beeped to confirm comprehension in a matter of seconds.
"Huh... that was quick."
It pulled up another holographic cube and checked to see comprehension times of other candidates. This years human candidate was orders of magnitude smarter than the second smartest candidate.
The remaining official took a second to ponder, then brought up a cube for the betting pools. After scrolling for a while, it finally came upon the betting interface for the human candidate all the way at the bottom of the list. It placed a sizable wager.
"Eh, worst case scenario I'll cut out visits to the pleasure-dome for a while," it said to calm the rapid beating of its hearts.
The human had already stood up and was taking stock of its possessions.
The official brought up a translator cube and spoke to the human, "did the transporter fail to bring along your possessions?"
The human paused for a moment then smiled, adopted what it believed to be a jovial tone and said, "yes. I had to hide most of my equipment before hiding from those communists in that pond."
The official contracted knowingly, "ah, that happens sometimes. Let me check the recordings."
After a few moments pause, during which the human seemed uneasy, the official said, "You must have hidden your equipment before you were selected, because I you don't seem to have any equipment in the recording."
"Ah, yes, I hid it before I left to find a hiding place."
"Oh, ok," the official brought up another cube, "here's a list of all of the contemporary equipment from your civilization that we can replicate. Pick out what you had and it will be provided before you are transported into the arena."
The human hesitated for a moment, then began scrolling through the list of items available:
Aerogel reinforced graphene scale bodysuit with quantum stealth coating; one single-handed and one two-handed firearm with several drum magazines loaded with tungsten tipped ammunition; an assortment of hand-held explosive devices; some kind of trap-making toolkit; a vest and backpack to store it all.
"That, uh, that's more or less what I had before you guys brought me here."
"Alright, get it over there and start preparing."
A hatch opened in the wall with all of the equipment.
The human rushed over and, after a moment running its hands appreciatively over the equipment, began donning everything.
"Does it match the specifications of your equipment?"
The human didn't respond immediately, intently sorting through the equipment.
The official popped several of it's suction cups to grab the humans attention.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's great," it glanced up at the official then continued to fondle the equipment, "it's just nice and brand new. Also the, uh, build quality is slightly better. Your culture must be very *advanced*"
The official unconsciously puffed up at that, "ah, yes, well, it's true. It's likely that some of this is of higher quality than what your people are capable. I'll leave you to prepare. The tournament begins in approximately one hour."
------------------------------------------------
"An investigation has been opened into the Tournament Official who oversaw the preparation by psycho-mat of the Human candidate today after, against all odds, the human was able to complete the Tournament in first place. Being the only individual to place a bet on the human, immediately before the onset of the tournament, some officials believe that there may have been some form of foul play. The Official in question claims that this individual was simply much more intelligent than the typical human and was aided more by the similarity of its home environment to the one chosen for this years Arena. More on this at fourteen-seventy-five. But first, this popular brand of krill paste might contain mammal byproducts..." | John felt dizzy, very dizzy. John’s thoughts were very scattered, he remembered bits and pieces of things. Memories didn’t come rushing back to him, it took him a few minutes to gather what had happened, he was on the battlefield, he ran to a wounded soldier that was crawling across the ground, he had made it halfway to him then John couldn’t remember anything past that point. John has everything he was carrying on the battlefield.
“Welcome representative of Earth” A voice said
John jumped at the noise and looked to it’s source, several intertwined geometric shapes were there.
“Am I dead?” John asked The Being
“Not yet” The Being said
“Why am I here?” John asked
“You’re here as a representation of your planet, you will participate in a great competition” The Being said
“What is this competition like?” Asked John
“You and the other representatives will be placed in an arena where you will try and destroy the others by any and all means possible”
“How long until this competition?”
“You’re actually the last organism we needed to collect, it’ll start in ten seconds”
John barely had time to process what he had been told before he was suddenly in a dense jungle, the dizziness was there but lessened, it only took him a couple seconds to collect himself. A large creature crushed John as it ran over his body, the creature thought it had ran over a large log until it got a confirmation message of eliminating an [opponent](https://themongoosewrites.tumblr.com/). |
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