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[WP] You're on your way to the grocery store when you see an alternate route on Google Maps that says "3 months slower" | 20 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"That doesn't seem right,\" she uttered under her breath. Kathy unhooked her GPS from the dashboard. Adjusting her glasses, she went to work. Which, in this case, meant double-checking the settings and reentering the location.\n\nShe leaned back in her seat, car idling in the parking garage by her apartment complex. \"What...\" It still showed the alternate path, 3 whole months. Kathy always entered her destination when she went out, even if it was to a place she had been dozens of times before. The two routes that her GPS showed had the one she always took, and a slightly longer one that took the backroads. \n\nLips pursed, she put the GPS back on its mantle and buckled her seat belt. \"Why the hell not.\" Kathy shrugged, driving out of the garage and paying close attention to the directions on the GPS. It must have been a... what, a bug? A glitch? She didn't know the first thing about navigational systems, but it was obviously an error. Right?\n\n\"*In 800 feet, take right,*\" said the GPS, in the British female tone that Kathy had come to love.\n\n\"Right, right.\" Kathy looked at the screen again as it updated the distance and time, apparently traveling 800 feet would take 3 months. \"Whatever you say, Jane.\" Kathy smirked, shaking her head. It was definitely a glitch.\n\nHer eyes bounced from the road to the woods about ten feet off. Hood of a black car popped open, smoke rising from it, and a gentleman in a deep blue suit. He was, \"gorgeous.\" Kathy shook her head, slowing down her car and pulling over slightly to not block traffic on the rural road. \"Hey, are you all right?\" Kathy rolled down the passenger window, speaking to the man who now looked up from his phone, distress in his eyes.\n\n\"Uh... yeah. Yeah. I think I am,\" he said, a shakiness to his voice. \"Actually, I don't think I'm getting any reception.\" He laughed, pointing at his phone.\n\nKathy nodded. \"Oh. Yeah, uh, it's pretty shitty out here. I think I do. You wanna use my phone?\"\n\nThe man sighed in relief. \"That would be great.\" He pointed back at his car, the smoke had let up a bit. \"I don't totally know what happened, I just heard this rattling and--\"\n\nAn oncoming car suddenly swerved, crashing directly into the driver's side of Kathy's car. For her, everything went blank. There was an echoing grinding of metal, and a putrid smell of smoke that felt it was burning her lungs. Then, soft murmurs and the darkness that had enveloped her began to contract and expand in cycles. A dull hum of pain all the while, and breathing. The constant sound of inhaling and exhaling, but so loud it was like a pressure on her eardrums.\n\nShe opened her eyes, the darkness turning to white as the room of a hospital came into view. Kathy stirred, dazed and confused as she reached around, touching everything near her. Her fingers gripped the line of an IV bag that was deep in her arm. \"Oh my God... help? Help?\" She looked around, the sunset sky giving the windowed side of the room a pink hue. \n\nThe panicking stopped as she tried recalling the last events before falling to unconsciousness... the gentleman in blue. The blur of what she assumed was a vehicle hitting her. An alternate route. \"Shit.\" She leaned her head back against the soft pillows, eyes staring up at the beige ceiling. Kathy didn't even want to ask how long she had been here... she already knew what the answer *had* to be, but she didn't want that confirmed. How was that possible? How did the GPS know? No. No this was crazy. It was a coincidence. \n\n\"Hey.\" A voice called out, Kathy jerking her head to meet it. She didn't even hear the door open... or shut, for that matter. \"You're awake.\" Albeit a bit blurry, but, it was the same guy, still in his blue suit, standing right in front of the closed door into her room.\n\nKathy winced. \"H-how? Why are you...?\" She propped herself up, getting a closer look.\n\n\"I figured you might have some questions,\" he said, taking a few steps forward, hands clasped at his waist. \"Your GPS, am I right? You were following your GPS?\" Kathy opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find the words. She simply nodded her head. \"Navigation devices have been behaving strangely around me.\"\n\n\"Well what the hell does that mean?\" She asked, anger in her voice.\n\n\"You see... sometimes, when routes are drawn around my person, they report the *true* time it takes to get to their destination. I'm not talking about traffic, or road work, or anything like that. I'm talking about anything.\" He paused, Kathy's eyes widening, head tilting. \"You were the first. But there have been others since you fell into your coma. It's been about 3 months.\"\n\nKathy pointed her finger at the door. \"Get out.\""
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[removed] | [WP] Seven teenage girls are on an adventure. Their names are Alexis, Ashlynn, Ella, Brianna, Jaidyn, Mimi and Ellie. | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nYour post includes too many details to be considered a prompt. It has become a story commission, which is not allowed. Prompts are meant to inspire users to write their own work, not write something for you. \n\nWhat is the deal with all the names? Friends of yours or something? Why so specific?\n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8apvxt/wp_seven_teenage_girls_are_on_an_adventure_their/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] You can never die. Every time you try to kill yourself, your consciousness is pushed into a reality in which you survived potential deadliness. Whenever you try to shoot yourself, the gun jams. Hanging attempts always result in a broken rope, and so on. You’re beginning to notice a pattern. | 9 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nWe feel that asking users to write about suicide is harmful. It can be hard to tell if someone's writing fiction or making a cry for help. In the event there's any truth behind this for you or someone you know, we recommend checking out /r/suicidewatch or /r/depression. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8ar14d/wp_you_can_never_die_every_time_you_try_to_kill/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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I’m bored at work and like coming up with stories and writing prompts :D | [WP] You’ve always dreamt of having super powers. You wake up one morning and discover that you’ve developed abilities! There’s one catch, your super powers are super underwhelming. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"“My day started like any other. I got up, showered, changed, and made breakfast. As I sat down to eat, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I quickly turned my head, but nothing was there. I turned back to my breakfast, eager to eat when I saw it again. Something black and rectangular. \n\n'What the hell..?' I mumbled to myself as I got up to investigate. I turned the corner of my kitchen into my living room and stopped. Nothing was there. I stared at the living room, anxiously waiting for something to move, when I saw it. My phone was moving. I went to pick it up and in a blur it moved across the room. I heard a faint voice say, \n\n'Too slow, motherfucker!' I went to grab my phone again and I saw something I didn't before: it was an inch off the ground, being supported by four miniature legs. In shock, I muttered, 'What the hell?' I went to grab my phone again and this time I picked it up. With closer examination I saw mouth. I threw my phone onto the couch and ran out of the room into the bathroom. What the hell was that? I scoured my mind trying to find a logical explanation for what just happened, but I fell short of an answer. I was shocked back to reality from the sound of something hitting the floor on my left. Immediately after I heard a faint voice say,\n\n'Son of a bitch! That hurt like a motherfucker!' It was a soap bar. A soap bar with four legs and a mouth like my phone. 'What the hell is going on in there?' Another voice inquired from outside the bathroom door. 'What is happening to me?' I asked desperately. 'What the fuck are you talking about?' the soap bar shot back at me. 'What is going on?' I asked again. 'How the hell should I know? I just fucking got here!' the soap exclaimed angrily. I went over to the soap bar and picked it up. It bit me and said 'Don't fucking touch me, man.' I dropped it onto the seat of the toilet and apologized, 'Sorry, sorry. Do you know what is happening?' 'You are asking me that?' the soap said. 'Last thing I remember is falling asleep in class and waking up to your big ass slamming the door.' 'Falling asleep in class? What does that mea—' I was cut off by a large bang on the bathroom door, followed by a deep voice. \n\n'Hey,' The voice exclaimed, 'What the hell is going on? Open the door!' I walked to the door and opened it enough to see who was talking. At first i saw nothing until I looked down. I saw my coffee machine on the ground, surrounded by my breakfast, my plate, my mug and my phone. They all demanded I tell them what was happening, while using very rude words. At last when they quieted down, it was obvious they expected an answer. Not wanting to anger the newly animated inanimate objects, I just said 'Look, I honestly don't have the slightest clue about what is going on here. All I know is that..' I trailed off, thinking. Only things that I touched this morning are becoming sentient. \n\n'Well, asshole?' I heard somewhere from the pile of scrambled eggs. 'I.. I think everything I touch turns alive.' This revelation was met with harsh words and insults all around. 'I'm going to go get something to cover my hands.' I told the small angry mob. I decided on plastic bags to cover my hands since they are thin enough to not become alive, or at least hopefully. I tried to quiet the constant string of 'Fuck you's coming from the mob by saying, 'Guys, listen. I don't know what is going on here. Why don't we calm down and try to figure this out together?' This, again, was only met with insults. 'Alright!' I interrupted them. 'Listen! Let's test this.' I removed my hands from the bag and touched my TV remote. 'Might as well kill two birds with one stone huh?' I asked while changing the channel to the news. I had to turn the volume all the way up to drown out the non-stop wave of insults coming towards me. Maybe this is happening to someone else. Maybe I can get some help. I watched the news, finding nothing but regular weather reports. My attention was turned to the remote when I felt something in my hand. The remote was growing legs! \n\n'Well look at that shit! You're a fucking daddy!' the plate sarcastically observed. I put the remote next to the plate on the couch and watched as it finished growing its legs and mouth. It didn't do anything for a second. Finally it said, \n\n'What the fuck is going on?' Great. Another rude object to add to the mob. My attention was turned back to the news by the flash of a banner reading 'Breaking News.' I watched as the reporter explained, \n\n'We are having many reports of male 12 through 14 year olds going missing. As of now 30 parents have called to report their child missing, all children male and in middle school. Please, if anyone has any information, report directly to the police.' I looked down at the angry mob. I counted 36 animated inanimate objects. 'Hey!' I exclaimed, 'Was anyone here in middle school before this?' Aside from the curses, I was met with a chorus of 'Yeah's. I had no idea what to do. If I was right, I was turning inanimate objects into animate objects, using rude middle school kids' consciousnesses. I put the bag back on my hands and called the you guys.'\n\n\tThe police officers stared at me for a while. One officer looked down at the mob, back at me and said, \n\n\t'Sir, are you on any kind of drugs? The ‘mob’ you keep referring to is not animate.' I looked at the mob. They were still going crazy, hurling insults at me and the officers. 'What? No. Can you please help me?' The officers started walking towards their car. Before they got in, the officer said, 'We really don’t have time for prank calls right now. We have to seriously investigate the missing children.' They ignored my calls and drove away.”\n\n\t“So, that’s why i’m here.” I explained to the nurse. “Can you please help me?” I asked. \n\n\n\t“Of course sweetheart. That’s what we do.” the nurse replied. “Ok then,” i told her. “I’d like to check myself in then.” She gave me the paperwork and when I finished it, she said “Well, you are all set. Welcome to the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center!” \n\nEDIT: Ok i got carried away, sorry about the long ass response. Also, this is my first writing attempt except for free write in fourth grade, so sorry if it's terrible. Hope you enjoyed."
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[WP] A teen becomes a super villain as an act of rebellion against their super hero parent. They didn't expect their full support to make their own life choices. | 129 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"A portal made of stardust violet and midnight blue split the darkened skies apart, and from the portal emerged Lady Umbra, the Queen of Darkness.\n\nThere was no time for defense, no time for preparation. She aimed to shoot, but the bullets were deflected without thought. She cursed at her, spat at her, screamed she did not have the balls to do what she came to do. Lady Umbra stared above her, wondering, questioning, what was this woman's heart worth? She didn't think about for very long as the woman suddenly stopped struggling, and the venom in heart drooled out of the corner of her mouth as she slumped in the chair, dead. \n\nShe raised her hand and swept the evidence away. A week's time was what she suspected, possibly three days before discovery, and that was all the time she needed. By time someone thought to force upon the door or peer through the window, she would be in the safety of her dormitory, a great distance away from this miserable place. She opened the palm of her hand, saw the crackle of stardust violet shift into metallic sand, and the corners of her lips twitched triumphantly.\n\n\"We need to talk, Lessie.\"\n\nHer triumphant smirk withered instantly. Facing the lawn, a vortex of meteor gold crackled quietly to life. Despite the late night darkness, the gold essence shined brightly, and she hissed, realizing what this meant. Someone could be alerted. Someone could call the cops. She had an exam on Tuesday. Walking to the door, she answered and let him inside, relieved he hadn't gone off on a tangent. Stiffening her shoulders, she watched as he surveyed the living room, strutting near the walls, brushing his concealed fingers over the frame photographs. *The body.* He stopped, sighed deeply, hanging his head low, and when he looked back at her, she was proud she didn't feel the tiniest twinge of regret or shame. \n\n\"You're welcome.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"You are welcome.\" She shrugged indifferently, \"I helped you in more ways than one. Now you and your little group can skip the arbitrary documentation and bureaucratic process.\"\n\nHis shook his head, \"You don't get it, do you,\" her pearl white teeth shone brightly, \"we're not judge and jury, Alessandra.\"\n\nHer full name was a rarity even during times like these, \"Trust me, I did this because I *wanted* to. She had something of importance, and she didn't want to hand it over. Her obstinacy is what got her killed.\"\n\nHer words pained him more than he ever knew or would accept, and she chuckled in disgust, head pulled back as dark hair rippled over her shoulder, \"Don't tell me I've hurt your feelings, Daddy. You knew this was going to happen, you knew where this was going, and you did nothing -- nothing to stop it.\"\n\nHe was that kind of man. He drank and partied and had fun until it was no longer an option, when forces within his control removed it as an option. She hated the wounded expression in his eyes, was revolted by the shame he carried. And yet, he wouldn't say it aloud, would he? He'd never admit his wrongdoings. It took a near death experience for him to return to the lab, but by then, it was too late. She had already gotten into his old spell books, , and she marveled at the refined, lethal beauty contained on each page. \n\nThey treated her more kindly, more lovingly than he ever did.\n\n\"This is not what we wanted for you.\"\n\n\"You don't have a choice anymore.\" She smacked her lips and sat on the dead woman's lap, \"She certainly doesn't,\" she bopped her nose playfully, \"it's been fun talking to you, Pops, but I have a few dimensions to conquer, okay? Don't wait up, I won't be home for Christmas.\"\n\nShe, the woman, and the metallic sand procured from her soul was sucked into a portal. She saw his hand reach for her, heard him call her name in fright (or concern?), and felt nothing, no, not nothing, an absence. An emptiness filled her chest cavity, and she spun back as she and the body were parted. Suspended in time she would remain. Good. It was what she deserved. \n\n\"Did you hear 'bout Dr. Emily Calhoun?\"\n\n\"Who?\"\n\nHer suite mate took a bite of apple, \"Some physicist from Arizona, went missing a few weeks ago.\"\n\n\"Shame.\" She spooned her cereal bowl, \"Any suspects?\"\n\n\"Not at the moment, no, but someone said there was a terrible fog that morning, worst one in seventy-five years.\"\n\n\"Y'think Dr. Anomaly will be able to solve it,\" she asked. \n\n\"I don't know.\" Grabbing her school bag, Alessandra dumped the empty bowl into the sink, \"One missing woman won't worry him. He has bigger problems to worry about.\"\n",
"“David, I can’t believe it… *you* were Night Shadow this entire time?”\n\n\nDavid, better known to the citizens of New York as the villain Night Shadow, gulped, fighting down the surge of emotions that threatened to well up inside him. Fear at his parents’ retribution- fear that this had been nothing but a mistake. Smug pride that he had been able to foil his parents so utterly over the past three months and outwit them at every turn. Sinking regret at hurting either of them. \n\n\nA sneer of sadistic glee formed at his lips as he took in the shocked faces of his parents, John and Katherine Finch- Captain Justice and Shining Light to the rest of the world. He had not really wanted to become a villain- he needed to. He needed to teach his parents that everything was not always about them. That he had thoughts, dreams, hopes, and aspirations too. That if they wanted to pay more attention to their jobs as superheroes than their own son, he was perfectly willing to make interacting with himself part of their jobs.\n\n\nDavid’s voice was laced with venom when he spoke, barking mockingly, “That’s right, and you two never even realized it! Too absorbed in your own self-righteous little words to even notice!”\n\n\nHis mother, Shining Light, covered her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes. His father, Captain Justice, put a hand to his forehead, reeling at the news, “Son, that’s…”\n\n\nThe teenaged terror pressed the verbal attack, outrage fueling his need to hurt his parents as much as he could, “Do you know why I did it? Do you-“\n\n\n“That’s fantastic!”\n\n\nDavid’s voice caught in his throat, eyes widening as his father’s shocked face twisted into a smile that split his face from ear to ear. He turned to his wife and grabbed her by her upper arms, shaking gently, “This is amazing backstory for us, Kathy! Our own son turned to crime- what a test of our character!”\n\n\nHis mother pulled her hand down from her face to clasp her hands over her heart, revealing the warm, motherly smile she had been hiding, “This might be what it takes to make us A-Listers… Oh, David, I’m so happy you were willing to do this for us…”\n\n\nThe villain Night Shadow’s voice cracked, tears brimming in his own eyes, “What?! I didn’t do this for you… Why aren’t you mad? Or sad?! Anything but happy! I did this because you two are always focused on being heroes and don’t give a shit about me! Not so you could get more popular!”\n\n\nCaptain Justice turned back to his son, speaking with a knowing smile, “Now, now, son, save the exposition for when the reporters are present. This is good material; you don’t want to waste it when nobody is around to hear it!”\n\n\nDavid turned on his heel sprinting away from his parents to his final safe haven- the attic bedroom they’d finally allowed him to have. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked back at them over his shoulder, “I hate you! I hate you both!”\n\n\nThe sound of a door slamming rang out in the distance. Captain Justice turned to Shining Light, “We sure are lucky to have a boy as thoughtful as David, aren’t we Kathy?”\n\n\nHis wife smiled up to him, standing on her toes to peck him on the lips before settling back down onto her heels, “We sure are, John. We sure are.”",
"High school. I had always envisioned high school as this meat grinder. A freeze-dried \"coming of age\" scenario ripped straight out of every teen drama or made-for-tv movie that I'd ever seen. However, despite my wildest preconceptions, high school wasn't bad at all. No one ever bothered me, I never made enemies with the cheerleading captain, I never had to deal with bullies, or annoying creeps, and I always had a steady supply of friends. Everyone wanted to be my friend. Why? Certainly not because they were interested in me. More likely, because they were interested in who I was. \n\nYou might have heard of Captain Positive. By the time that you'd be reading this, the name \"Captain Positive\" will have been known across every country throughout the entire world. He was known as \"the optimist.\" He was first recognized for being an excellent police negotiator. He's talked people out of committing suicide, then he negotiated with terrorists and was able to free an entire boatload of hostages, and things finally became serious when he was able to broker the complete peace between the soon-to-be warring nations, the US and Russia. People don't know if his methods are natural, or if he uses some kind of magic, or some strange psychological ability that scientists haven't pin pointed yet. He speaks normally and uses words than anyone else can use. There isn't anything special about his mannerisms or the way he presents himself. But when he talks, people listen. Period. Every culture on this planet knows him as a savior. The truth of the matter is that he's the closest thing to a superhero that planet earth has. and he's also my father.\n\nMom loves him, Toby loves him. My boyfriend even loves him, but how couldn't they? It's not like they had a choice. He's the most optimistic person you'll ever meet and if his personality doesn't win you over, then his \"abilities\" will. And that's where my problem comes in. Who REALLY is he? What is he?! Is he a supportive father? A loving guardian? or is he a freak who mind controls people. Has he managed to get everyone to sing to his tune, has he effectively taken control of the human race?\n\nEveryone except for me, his own daughter. I've never found myself to be compelled by what he says. I've always found him to be narcissistic and embarrassing. Like he's this guy who understand's everyone's problem, and is capable of helping EVERYONE. How pretentious. I open up Youtube and I see a video of him shaking the hand of the Russian president and smiling, like he's just saved the world from some nuclear holocaust. Please.\n\nCall me negative. Go ahead. Even he noticed the way that I was acting. He noticed that I didn't dance to his tune like everyone else. But what's even worse about all of this. The straw that reaaaally broke the camel's back for me, was that he had the heart to encourage me to be my own person, to live by my own ideals and beliefs, regardless of what everyone else thought of him. If I hated him, then so be it. He was my father and he accepted it. \n\nI still remember that day, the day that I decided to kill Captain Positive. He politely asked if he could drop Toby and I off at school. I knew immediately that he and I were going to have one of our little \"chats\", the kind that no other human being can have with him. The kind where both people in the conversation actually have free-will. \n\n\"Nancy, I know that you don't... enjoy what i do for a living. I know you think i'm fake or perhaps, you dislike the way that people treat us now because of who i am. But just look around us. Look at how life has changed since people started listening to me. Crime, murders, war... these things no longer exist. How can that be a bad thing. Look, I'm not asking you be like everyone else. You can hate me, it's okay. You're still young. \n\nAt the end of the day, I have an obligation to take care of these people. If I can keep them from hurting themselves, or from doing things that might hurt others, then I have no choice but to lead them.\n\nI love you Nancy, you know that. However you feel, just know, that I'm here for you. I'll always be in your corner, cupcake.\"\n\n- Nancy 4/9/2018\n ",
"\"Terry, we need to talk.\"\n\n\nI knew that voice. Any other human being would be overjoyed to hear that voice. I heard it every single day of my lamentable persistence. It was the voice of Commander Justice, the red and blue patriot. There was no hero quite like him, no human came even close. The paragon of integrity, the pinnacle of truth.\n\n\nAnd my father.\n\n\nI dumped my bag by the door as he sat there, ominously framed by the entryway to the family dining room. Our house was never a striking one- it had two floor, a spacious basement, and an underground lair that I was repeatedly told never to enter. Of course, I have my own lair.\n\n\nIts... a fixer upper. In the shed. Behind the house.\n\n\nI trudged through the hall, my mouth pursed to a slanted pout as I dragged my feet across the tiled floor. This was not my first pow wow with the worst dad in all the 84 multiverses. And after my long weekend, I would not be surprised if this became a daily thing.\n\n\nFor over the weekend, the SuperHacker TabLord had taken his name and plastered it on every atm in the United States... at least the ones that were operated by a specific credit agency that had a surreptitious backdoor that just BEGGED me to tear it open.\n\n\nWait, is that gay? Shit, I don't wanna sound gay- I'm not gay. I swear. My closet is full of porn. Not even my dad's x-ray vision could pierce the cavalcade of and T & A in my closet.\n\n\nANYWAYS, I fell upon my chair, adopting my patented \"fuck off dad\" face. Each of my friends had one. We practiced with each other quite a bit inbetween classes we rarely attended. It was good for report card days, and had served me well all through middle school. My dad crossed his arms, his arms of steel resting against that billboard of a chest.\n\n\n\"Terry, how much did you make last night?\"\n\n\nI did not respond. Of course I wouldn't respond. I had no earthly clue what he was talking about.\n\n\n\"Terry, come on. Talk to me here.\"\n\n\n\"I made uh... 30? Off Adrien...\"\n\n\n\"I don't care how much you extorted off that jock. I want to kno-\" the man paused. He looked to my right. Right to his true love, his one real lady. The Bourbon on the counter sat there, glistening beneath the light. Oh how intimate their relationship.\n\n\n\"Ok, fine, fine,\" the man said. \"Tablord,\" he said, staring me down. Finally, I could experience it- the terror that filled any villain to confront Commander Justice, conqueror of all evils. \"How much did you make from hacking TotalFax last night?\"\n\n\nI began to laugh, an evil, terrible laugh. For it was I, Tablord that-\n\n\nI devolved into a coughing fit. Evil laughs are hard. And they actually sound awful with your voice cracking. My dad poured me a cup of water, and patted my back as I hacked my way through it.\n\n\n\"Deeper breaths son, you gotta laugh from the gut,\" he advised me as I gulped it all down.\n\n\nHe resumed his seat. After a minute, I twisted to him, and resumed my EPIC monologue!\n\n\n\"YES, COMMANDER JUS-\"' I looked to the clock. Ok it was seven- nobody could complain about the noise. \"YES, COMMANDER JUSTICE, IT IS I, TABLORD! RULER OF CYBERSPACE!\"\n\n\n\"Terry, look, I get that you're a villain, but is the monologue necessary?\"\n\n\n\"I mean,\" I paused. WAS this necessary? \"I can give you the CliffNotes.\"\n\n\nI mean, he knew what CliffNotes were, right?\n\n\nOh good, he's nodding. He's not as ancient as I feared.\n\n\n\"Alright, I'll just skip through the notes,\" I pulled out the cue card I had practiced during my bus ride home.\n\n\"Ok, so...\n*I am Tablord\n*I robbed the United Bank\n*To do this, I used the VPN an rerouted all traffic through a server in Bosnia\n*I had to obscure this IP several times to through off Dad's computer-savvy partner, Dendrite.\n*I used that confusion to access a back door in a Credit Agency\n*You'll never find the money\n*Its in fifty different accounts\n\n\n\"You get all that?\"\n\n\nMy dad stared back at me, completely lost. Dendrite would get it- she kept with these things. She was a blast to have over for dinner, though her kids were... less keen on the cool things. They were into League of Justice.\n\n\n\"Um... so... how much did YOU make exactly?\"\n\n\n\"Dad, I have fifty different accounts under 50 different names, and I funneled nearly 75 million dollars into them.\"\n\n\n\"Ok, but... how do you... get... the money?\"\n\n\nI groaned. I walked up to the fridge and took out the expo marker off the side, quickly drawing a chart on the aluminium door. \"Ok, so, I have a fake name, that I used to open an account in sweden,\" I started drawing circles. \"I can access that account via wire transfer- that's how I got the money,\" I draw arrows to communicate the money going in and out. \n\n\nI turned to find my dad sitting there with his smartphone in hand.\n\n\n\"Are you recording this?\" I asked him.\n\n\n\"... Maybe?\" the Commander said.\n\n\n\"Dad, what the f-\"\n\n\n\"Terrrryyyyy?\" I fished my hand into my pocket and fed the swear jar a single fuck.\n\n\n\"Ok, dad, what the HIFL are you doing?\" \n\n\n\"... I'm curious,\" the man said. I'm very glad I did not learn how to lie from him, because his enter face scrunches when he spits out a blatant misrepresentation of the facts.\n\n\n\"Dad.\"\n\n\n\"Look,\" the man said, putting down his phone. \"How much did you make last night?\"\n\n\n\"... 75 million dollars.\"\n\n\n\"And who did you steal it from?\"\n\n\n\"I mean... I just still a thousand from a bunch of accounts, and a million from the CEO's personal checking account. Made it seem like a purchase in their internal systems.\"\n\n\n\"... I want in.\"\n\n\n\"... What?\"",
"5 buildings have gone down in my name. \n\nThe news outlets have named me 'Firestarter' but I think its lame. \n\nI'd like to say they went down with people in them, but I still don't think I can bring myself to actually *kill* anyone. I guess at the core, I'm only just trying to get back at my mum. She's got this idea in her head that I'm going to follow her footsteps and become the city's greatest hero. I don't want to. Hero work is shit. I can't count the number of PTA meetings she's missed, or the plays she's been invited too and she didn't show. \n\nI mean, the constant embarrassment of having a parent that is never there is something I can't live down because some douchebag in class will bring it up just to be mean. At first, I had defended with *\"she's a lawyer so she's always busy\"* but that never worked. Even went as far as using the truth but it only made ridicule worse. \n\nI mean, why would a class of stupid highschoolers believe the goth looking chubby chick with slight BO have the greatest superhero the city has ever known as a mother. I know I wouldn't believe it. But here I am. \n\nI remember when I got my powers. I had gotten into an argument with my mum and in the midst of a shouting match with her, my hands lit up. Fire. She was immediately estactic. I wasn't. All my weekends of staying home or going to some darkhouse party stopped and everything became \"superhero\" practice. Gosh, I hate it. The fact that she thinks I want to be what she is. A slave to the people. An absentee person to everyone else in real life. The more she pushed for it, the more I pushed away. \n\nSo much so, I decided I'd spite her and become a villain. \n\nBut I still can't kill anyone. \n\nShe figured it out after the 6th building went up in flames. It was the highschool. Someone had filled my locked with fish guts as a joke and I think I lost it. I don't know. I ran to the toilets to cry. And in the tears, my hands went up in flames and I think I just lashed out and burnt everything. Didn't even have time to put on the false make up I usually use along with the black hoodie I usually would wear. Still, ashes and lots of ashes later, I hear the sirens of the police coming. \n\nI think that's when I came out of my trance and hastily coloured my face with the ashes. Not that it made a difference. She recognised me as she hovered in the air above the burnt building. I had expected extreme disappointment followed by whatever beating I was going to get. Instead she flies in, pushes me out of sight into the shadows. \n\nThen she smiled and said the words I would never have expected, with tears in her eyes as her voice trembled with emotion... \n\n*\"I am so proud of you, baby.\"*\n\n---\n\nI've got more stuff on here /r/EvenAsIWrite :) \n\nCriticisms are forever welcome.",
"“We support you.”\n\n“What?” Nightshade asked in numbed disbelief. His decision to reveal his evil nature to his parents was a war that he had prepared himself for both mentally and physically.\n\nHe had prepared for a fight and had gone over the conversation and ensuing battle in his head a thousand times; what he would say, what they would say and how he would be forced to destroy them both giving him not only the satisfaction in knowing that his decision was the right one, but a truly kick ass origin story to boot.\n \nThe only thing that he hadn’t considered or readied himself for was…their acceptance.\n\n“I said that we support you Champ.” His father, Captain Nitro repeated as he pulled his wife Lady Luck closer to him in a show of solidarity. “You’re almost a man now, and it’s high time that we started treating you like one.”\n\n“I’m serious.” Nightshade growled, clenching his hands into fists. Blackened crackles of raw energy rippled across his gloves and arced across his body. His suit was new, a purple and ebony mesh of spikes and pads that reflected his true persona, designed not only to withstand the occasional discharge of power, but to strike fear into the hearts of those who would dare stand against him.\n\n“We know.” His mother smiled patiently. “And we still love you. In fact, because we love you, we’ve decided…should we?” She paused as she looked to her husband, unsure as to how she should proceed.\n\nCaptain Nitro smiled and winked playfully before turning back to his son. “What your mother is trying to say is, well, we’re going to go evil as well.”\n\n“What?” Nightshade blinked, taken aback. \n\n“Well Brian-“\n\n“It’s NIGHTSHADE now.” He corrected, raising a crackling fist towards the kitchen ceiling in emphasis of his evil.\n\n“Oh! I love it!” Lady Luck cooed. “That’s so good. Isn’t that good honey?” She asked excitedly. “I could change my name too! How about Belladonna? Belladonna and Nightshade! Oh honey!” She bounced.\n\n“And I’ll become Lord Hemlock! We’re keeping it poisonous plant based right? We’ll need new outfits of course.” The superhero formerly known as Captain Nitro pointed out.\n\n“Something dark.” Belladonna agreed. “We could keep the purple and black as a theme and – leather. And a corset. I mean, I’ve got the girls, and if we’re going to be evil, I can be sexy evil right?” She asked, pushing her breasts up to mimic a corset’s lift.\n\n“MOM!” Nightshade objected, horrified.\n\n“Belladonna.” She corrected. “The dark seductress. Maybe I should get a whip?” She asked tentatively.\n\n“I think a whip would be amazing. And something slinky, that you could wear later.” Lord Hemlock grinned playfully.\n\n“DAD!” Nightshade objected.\n\n“Sorry son, but the thought of your mom in form fitting leather? Me-ow.” He laughed. “This is going to be great. I think that this shake up is just what this family needs.”\n\n“We should have done this sooner.” Belladonna agreed. “Oh! We could corrupt the Jeffersons. I bet Lilly would look amazing in spandex.”\n\n“And her name is already Lilly so-“\n\n“You know what? Forget it.” Nightshade sighed as the lightning that surrounded his body died in a fizzle of dejected sparks.” Removing the black skull half-mask that obscured the upper half of his face, his body slumped in disappointment.\n\n“Forget it?” His father frowned. “But what about our plans to become a family of super villains?”\n\n“You guys…you just. Guh. Just forget I said anything, okay?”\n\n“Nightshade-“ Belladonna started, only to be cut off by a half-hearted wave of a black gloved hand.\n\n“Electroboy. Just…call me Electroboy, okay?” He asked, turning away.\n\n“So we’re not going to turn evil then?” Lady Luck asked somewhat disappointed.\n\n“No. It…I was going to…no. Okay? Gods, you guys are so lame. I’m going back to my room.”\n\n“You sure Champ?” Captain Nitro asked. “We’re here for you if you change your mind again. I’ve got a leather guy, we can have your mother in high heels and tight pants by supper.”\n\n“Ugh.” Electroboy groaned as he stomped away. \n\n“Nightshade? Nightshade?” Lady Luck called after him, but the only response was the trail of heavy footfalls that ended in a slamming door.\n\nThe super parents turned to each other, their faces splitting in shared amusement.\n\n“Nightshade?” Captain Nitro asked.\n\n“Oh be nice.” Lady Luck chided. “Or do you not remember when you spent that summer as “Super Evil McDastardly?”\n\n“Okay, okay.” He conceded. “But I still say that you should look into the corset. And maybe the whip.”\n\n“Behave.”\n\n“And you know…corrupting Lilly might spice things up-“\n\n“You’re pushing your Luck.” Lady Luck warned, causing her husband to raise his hands in innocent surrender.\n\nAnd once again, the world was safe.\n\n\n\n",
"######[](#dropcap)\n\nFusionman is my arch nemesis. He is also my dad. His real name is Bart J. Holcomb.\n\nMom died when I was six years old, leaving just me and my dad. My dad was already knee deep in the super hero thing by then, and suddenly he was also a single parent. \n\nYou may have met my dad. He's been all over the world, fighting evil, righting wrongs, helping to rebuild after major natural disasters. If you haven't met my dad, then you've definitely heard of him. \n\nHe was named Bart after my great great grandfather, Bartholomew Holcomb. Bartholomew was some kind of baron and slave owner - a real captain of industry type - and my grandmother apparently thought the world of him. But my dad always hated the name Bart - he hated the way it sounded, and the history of the scummy ancestor it came from. Moreover, my dad always felt he needed to make up for his family's sins - hence Fusionman.\n\nFusionman is the brain child of my dad's work at ITER and, later, with DARPA. He was the child genius who made sustainable, energy positive fusion possible. But for him, that wasn't enough - nothing ever was. My dad wanted to save the world directly, get out there and blow up the bad guys. \n\nSo, he built himself an arsenal, fueled by the fusion power he had made possible and then miniaturized, and then set out saving the world one person at a time. \n\nUnfortunately for me, I was not dad's top priority. To be honest, after my mother died, I probably saw *less* of him than before. I think it might be because I remind my dad of my mother. Whatever the reason, I went the next 12 years with an absentee father who, on the off chance he hung around for a few days, would just moralize at me incessantly. \n\nDuring my childhood I remember seeing dad on the news all the time. Fusionman saves Paris, Fusionman stops meteor, Fusionman defeats sea monster. All the while I would be at home with the nanny wondering when my dad would have time for *me.* When would Fusionman return to save his own daughter from crushing loneliness?\n\nI guess my opening line answers that question well enough - never. Dad never had time for me, only for every other person on the face of the Earth. Needless to say, I grew a bit sour about that, started to hold a grudge - against him, against everyone. \n\nI also inherited my dad's brain for engineering, and often broke into his lab while he was away and tinkered on his suits and vehicles, learning how he made them and, eventually, learning to make them myself. \n\nIt all came to a head on my 17th birthday. I'd been working on a suit of my own for over a year. I had all the same powers my dad had - flight, rockets, lasers, armor, the works. The only thing I hadn't done was paint it. I had two coats ready - one was a pink and white combo, the other a darker black and red. \n\nIn my head, I gave my dad an ultimatum, if he made it to my 17th birthday, even for a few minutes, then I would paint it pink and white and become Fusiongirl, and we could save the world together. \n\nBut if he didn't - if he missed it like he'd missed so many others, that would be it for me. I would paint the suit black and red and become Vengeance. \n\nTruth is, I really wanted him to come. I waited until midnight, until the last possible second, and only then did I call it. I found out later he was busy responding to an earthquake in Chile. \n\nI painted the suit that night and sent him an email the next morning, announcing my decision, and my rationale, excoriating Bart, Fusionman, my dad, for his lack of fatherly support, his failure of empathy, and for generally being a shitty parent. For all of these reasons, I said, I will become Vengeance.\n\nAnd you know the crazy thing - for the first time ever, he really heard me and responded. He understood my motivations and apologized for his failings as a father. He basically mea culpa'd me via email and then, at the end, said though he respected my decision, of course he would have to fight me, tooth and nail, if I persisted. As he said \"I may not always agree with you, I may not always like you, but I'll always love you.\"\n\nCan you believe that righteous bullshit? \n\nThat was three years ago, and now we fight every few months. When I see him, floating in mid air, weapons poised, I hardly even think of him as dad anymore. And he never calls me anything but Vengeance. \n\nSometimes I feel like he pulls his punches, but I never do. As far as I'm concerned, he isn't my father. I have no father. There is only Fusionman, my arch nemesis. \n\n\n******\n\n##### For More Legends From The Multiverse\n\n##### r/LFTM",
"Flight. Like an eagle, he soared, and pierced the air in front of him. He had total freedom; there was no weight that could hold him down, no chain that could keep him.\n\nStrength. Like... like an eagle, his entire body was filled with charisma, blood pumping through his writhing veins. It was like he'd gone from pimply loser to jacked overnight - but he'd already been fit. The difference was so bizarre he'd nearly fallen over trying to leave the house.\n\nAnd, of course, laser vision. The 'family heirloom', if you will. Although superhumans frequently found themselves with some mixture of flight and super-strength for their first two abilities, the third was always something a bit more unique - and often didn't manifest at all.\n\nHe was free. He was flying through the air, he didn't have a single problem in the world, and he was *strong*.\n\nBut it wouldn't last. His parents would wonder where he was, and he'd have to fly home, parade himself in front of *them* for a while. And then he'd be locked up, not physically but metaphorically, inducted into their junior heroes program and made to bow and bend like his parents had.\n\nOr...\n\nAs the boy looked down at the city below him, he noticed a mugging taking place. Enhanced vision; not one of his main abilities, probably another part of his lineage. Some old lady had pulled a pistol out of her handbag and was gesturing at the boy that had helped her across the street.\n\n*upside down*\n\nHe flipped from the sky, going from a comfortable hover to a breathtaking dive in a quarter second. His thoughts and feelings fled him, for a moment there was only *this*, this beauty and wonder, and it was invigorat---- *GROUND*\n\n*POOM*\n\nHe'd been falling for a long time. The grandmother was gone, teetering quickly down the sidewalk with her cane. The boy, wearing a Senior Super Scouts badge, was scratching his head and staring after her. \n\nHe turned to stare at the teenager that had just fallen out of the sky, who stared back, floating several inches off the ground.\n\nSilence.\n\n*POOM*\n\nIt was too early. The world didn't make sense. He needed to - how had his father worded it?\n\n*\"Boy, when I was a kid like you, I didn't do what my parents told me. Kid, your mother and I, we* owned *the skies. There wasn't a single super, hero or villain, that could have brought us down.\"*\n\nHe couldn't be like his parents. He couldn't just follow in their footsteps, join the government, enjoy a cushy pension. There was *more*... more to life, than that.\n\nHe flew off.\n\n---\n\nTwo heroes sit in a cafe, but nobody recognizes him. There aren't many people in the cafe regardless: it's a bit run-down, and - of course - cafes have fallen by the wayside with the resurgence of fast food restaurants. \n\nThey watch the television in the corner and share a smoothie. On the screen, a boy wearing a villainous outfit is slicing through the defences of the city's heroes with brilliant red lasers. One dives him, and is quickly turned back by an kick to the face.\n\nThe man pulls a phone out of his pocket. It's been ringing for ten minutes straight, and the old man in the corner is starting to give them an angry look.\n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n...\n\n\"Jerry? *My* son, Jerry?\"\n\n...\n\n\"You must be mistaken. My kid's... er... doing homework. I'm watching him do it, too. Very interesting homework. Logalculus.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Are you insinuating that my Jerry would ever do something evil and villainous like that? Marcy, I'm *appalled*.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Please. It's clearly just... another kid with laser powers. They're getting more popular, you know. I think it's a fad.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Well, thanks for your concern, Marcy.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Please, my ears, they can't quite take this. I'm getting old, you know.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Why don't you call back when you're ... calmer, Marcy? I'm... watching... soaps.\"\n\n...\n\n\"I've always loved watching soaps. Just me, the wife, and our wonderful kid Jerry doing his... arithmetic.\"\n\n...\n\n\n*click*\n\n\"Oooh!\" The woman jumps a little bit in her seat, clapping.\n\n\"Huh? What happened, honey?\"\n\n\"He just took out Dowry.\"\n\n\"Ah! Jerk had it coming. You go, kid!\"\n\n^^^^^r/forricide"
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[WP] The world is like our own but technology never developed. Magic runs everything from batteries to space launches. Today the government found out magic is starting to fade. | 7 | [
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"\"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you just said\", Lord Romulus said, leaning over the table he sat on with the other Elders.\n\nMarlon cleared his throat and spoke louder. \n\n\"Sirs, Madams... Our Magic, our Magical supply is... fading\"\n\nThe gasp in the room sounded louder as if echoed by the other 16 bodies that were in the room. Marlon straigthened his tie looked at his hands. It was shaking. It hadn't been the kind of news he had wanted to say to the Council of Elders but unfortunately for him, this was it. This was his moment, albeit not the one he was working towards. In a dream, he had been presenting a new idea of magical re-use, to create an effective system to keep magic from being wasted or lost into the environment via aural conversion. That dream was effectively dead. He hadn't quite worked out the kinks in the theory yet, not to even talk about the practicality of it. \n\nHe cleared his throat above the panicked hubbub of the Elders throwing different questions at him.\n\n\"So explain to me, Minister... How in the world is Magic fading?\" Lady Septima asked after calming the crowd. Even though the question was simple, Marlon could feel the rage in her voice. \n\n\"Magic comes from the Earth, from Gaia, as we all know. And for years now, we have pulled directly from her core without giving her time to replenish herself. Now, while her reserves are deep and we can still maintain the amount of ether we currently use, we recorded a drop in potency over the last couple weeks. We had ruled it out as a...as a... slight defect until yesterday when we recorded a...\" \n\nMarlon cleared his throat before continuing, a little louder. \n\n\"...when we recorded a drop in Ether production by 15%\", he finished sneaking a look at his audience. \n\nThe reveal was met with a silence so heavy it almost brought Marlon to his knees. \n\n\"...and when do you estimate we might run out...?\" Lady Septima whispered, as she gripped the table tightly.\n\n\"... based on current calculations. We don't know. But the drop is sharp enough, we have no choice but to believe it will end in a few months...\" Marlon replied in a low voice. \n\nThe room broke into a loud wail as the Elders absorbed the news. \n\nThe Council of Elders were formed by the 7 magical cities of the world. While each city had their ruling structure usually different to one another, the Council dealt with the main issues synonymous with all cities. They created the ruling stance on which magic was permissible for citizens and the forbidden sect of magic which could only be performed by the highest of Mages. They also presided over issues concerning Ether Production, Ether Distribution and the imprisonment and trial of criminals who had been convicted with the improper use act. \n\nBecause of their stations, the public generally took them to be the elite of elites, and attributed them with being stubborn and condescending to their fellow man, unless conversing with someone of a similar status to them. They seldom took well to being disrespected and as a result, even the news scribes rarely criticized anything they did. \n\nIn their day to day activities, they usually looked dignified, their faces lifted high as if to avoid looking at anyone and anything below them but today, Marlon saw different. He saw anguish painted on the faces of the Elders who governed the world and he shook in his boots. He hadn't told them the worst of it and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. \n\nThe Ministry of Etherial Disposition was one of the many ministries who answered directly to the Council. And even as he stood in the middle of the council hall, he knew that his Ministry was done for. When he and his colleagues had looked into it and the recordings, what they had found had depressed them beyond compare. Heck, Lajac had taken his life over it. Marlon would be in mourning but someone had to inform the Elders. \n\nHence the private meeting in the middle of the day. \n\nThe wail continued and Marlon felt like he should join in. But he couldn't. He remained rooted in his spot as he contemplated what he could tell them to lift their spirits up but he had nothing. He had inklings of ideas but nothing solid enough to save the world. The wails grew louder and he could hear several elders sobbing. \n\nIn despair, Marlon shouted out as he remembered something someone told him years back.\n\n\"There might be something...\"\n\nNo one heard so he increased his voice a bit louder...\n\n\"There might be a way out of this... I think...\" \n\nthat calmed the room a bit. One of the Elders sitting to his right, asked the question he was still struggling to find a strong answer to.\n\n\"What is it? What is the possible solution, Minister Marlon?\" Lord Cragias asked fiercely.\n\nMarlon steeled himself and then he opened his mouth to speak.\n\n---\n\nMore of my stuff is on here /r/EvenAsIWrite"
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"1523256258",
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[WP] There's a serial killer loose in town, you decide it is the perfect opportunity to kill your own enemies and let the killer take the blame. | 1,009 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"For those of you who are tuning in right now, 15 people have been killed in the latest mass stabbing by the serial killer dubbed 'The Protector'. The images are graphic so viewer discretion is advised. The bodies have been strung up and symbo-\", I flicked off the TV. That blonde reporter has always been eye candy but something was even more appealing. A single thought, an idea that traveled to the forefront of my brain, even in front of the imagined scenes of eroticism that involved Mrs. Blondy. \nThe Protector, it had a nice ring to it. Inspired a bit of fear. It made you think that this guy had just the right amount of crazy in him. I liked it. I could use it. Abuse it. Cultivate it to be the answer to this endearing issue I have been struggling with.\n\nI rolled out of bed and picked up the half burnt cigar from last night. I stumbled over to my laptop in the corner of the room. I opened it up and turned it on and for just a half-second I saw my reflection. I needed a shave. I got to the home screen and navigated myself to Google. Ah Google, the best thing mankind has ever dreamed up, the ultimate tool to find pornography beyond anyone's imagination. But today I had a different reason than having my eyes partake in the glory of \"beautiful busty red heads\". I had to know something. Something of urgency, of importance. How did The Protector kill?\n\n896,000 results in .49 seconds. Ok Google, I thought as I clicked on the images tab, show me this guy's style. If I was going to be a copycat I had to at least know how this guy did the deed. Google answered me with hundreds of images of bloody scenes with bodies strewn about. Well this guy was not neat that's for sure. I began to peruse down the gory collage when I noticed something. I couldn't believe that I was so blind to have needed 10 images to see something so obvious. In every single scene the words \"Miserere Nobis\" were spelled out in blood on the wall along with some satanic demon circle that looked like it had some writing in it. This is exactly what I was looking for. Now I could kill that slimy bastard and go on scott-free afterwords. I sat still in my chair for a few moments as I thought. Then I decided that I would do it today, what the hell. \n\nAfter a quick shower and some eggs I put on my boots and grabbed my switchblade. I examined it and thought, I knew I would have a use for this someday. I got in my car and punched in the address in my GPS. 60185 Willow Dr. That's where that fucking bastard lived. \n\nI sped through the freeway and finally arrived at his house after a 15 minute drive. It was Sunday so I knew the fucker would be at home with her. First he took my job, then he took the only love I ever had. They would both pay for it. Atone for their sins. I pulled up into the driveway as quietly as I could. It was 8 am so I was hoping that they were still asleep. We used to be friends me and him, really good friends. I still knew where he kept the spare key. Sliding the key in the front door had a special feeling to it. Click, the sound was orgasmic. I entered the house and tiptoed past the welcome mat. I peeped a pair of black dress shoes next to a red pair of heels. She only wears those when shes really feeling wild. I felt that inner caveman rage welling up inside me. It grew more and more as I creeper up the stairs until suddenly it was gone. Entirely replaced with happiness. I get to kill them today. A wide grin spread across my face. I could hear him snore. Each step I took towards that brown door let off a quit creak of the wooden floor. Music to my ears. As I turned the knob and pushed forward I heard a quiet squeak. Just loud enough to barely register to my ears above the screaming chorus in my head. Door wide open I stand before them. Asleep and happy. Smiles on both of their faces. Snuggled so close together it almost warmed my heart. But something was going to make my heart even warmer. The shiny piece of steel in my hand. The blade that was just begging to taste their warm blood. With one quick flip I unsheathed it to witness its meal. I guess we should start with the appetizer. I crawled up on the bed, right over him. My shadow blocked out the sun that peaked out of the curtains. I drew my knife up to the left edge of his neck and with one slice I painted the bed red. Blood spewed up into my face. It was, euphoric. \n\nThe sound of spurting blood must not have fit her narrative because when she opened her eyes it was followed by a ear piercing shriek. My focus immediately turned to the source of the shriek. It's time for the main course. I plunged my blade right down into that whore's heart. I brought it up and down for another wound. They say practice makes perfect and after stabbing that sluts body 20 times I feel like an expert. \n\nNow all that was left was for me to cover my tracks. Miserere Nobis and something else. That's what I needed to draw. My heart was racing as I dipped my fingers in their blood. As I drew the s in Nobis I realized that I forgot what the symbol looked like. I guess taking the lives of the people you hate the most interferes with your memory. I grabbed my phone and looked up \"evil symbols\" and looked for one that looked like the one The Protector drew. After finding one and marking up the walls, I sat back to admire my work.\n\nSuddenly I heard him. I knew who he was. The Protector. Something in my body screamed his identity to me. His voice rang out as clear as if he was near me. I whipped around and saw no one. I was alone. Then what he was yelling finally registered. \"YOU FOOL. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?\". I was confused, I had no idea what he was talking about. I said, \"What are you talking about?\". He only whispered back, \"miserere nobis\". I started to yell out for him. What did I do? How could I hear him? I needed to know.\nAs I got up a blinding light flashed behind me. I turned around to see the wall where I drew the symbol to be glowing. The symbol specifically was shimmering a deep blue.\nI fell to my knees. I heard its voice. I knew what I had done. It was old. Tears streamed down my face. May he have mercy.",
"“Come on babe, you’ll look so hot...er classy. So classy” Ben said, holding out the box of hair dye up to my head. Mentally comparing me to the air brushed model on the box.\n\n“Brown? Do you know what it would take to lighten my hair back if I decided to go brunette?” I swat at his bulky hand. \n\n“But don’t you want to compare, see who really has more fun?” He cocks his head to the left, batting his eyelashes and jutting his lower lip out in what I’m sure would have been an adorable pout had it not come from a 6’5” man-beast. \n“Just try it. For me?” \n\nI think for a second, roll my eyes and grab the box out of his hand. \n\nAs we head to the checkout Ben takes a little detour. I don’t notice where he is headed. The two elderly women in front of me are talking in eager, hushed tones, pointing to the copy of the town’s newspaper. I try to subtlety lean in closer to get a better listen. \n\n“...this week alone Rose. Two . This used to be such a quiet town.” One woman shakes her head. \n\n“I’ve been telling Nat that she needs to be minding the curfew. You know she went to school with this last one here.” The other woman replies. \n\nShe points at the girl on the cover. I look at the face of Sadie Warner. \n\nSadie is one of our towns latest victims. Pretty girl. The newspaper had printed her senior photo. Her big eyes glare at the camera. She has a big smile plastered on her pale face. A thin arm wraps around long legs. Her curly hair is being blown off her face by a light breeze and the black and white effect hides it’s rich, chestnut color. \nSadie was only a year behind me in school. She would be graduating in a month, along with many of the other victims. It seems like the number of people who will be crossing the stage gets smaller, as the memorial slideshow gets hideously long. \n\n“God what’s taking so long” Ben whines, suddenly appearing beside me, making me gasp. “Jeez what’s up jumpy?” He laughs. \n\n“I was just spacing out. Where’d you go?” I ask. \n\n“I was looking for something, but they didn’t have it.” I decide not to get to the bottom of this vague response. More than likely they were out of gummy worms and he knows I disapprove of his sugar habits. I try to listen back to the women, but they’ve moved on to some type of hot button garden debate. \n\nWe pull up to our apartment building only 15 minutes later. I step out of the car and feel the beginning of summer winds. It’s only May, but the weather gets warmer and warmer each day. I hear children playing in the distance. The sun will set soon and the police will begin their street patrol. No one else will be on the street, except the occasional rebellious teens whose sense of invincibility outweighs their common sense. The lucky ones are picked up by the police and detained for the evening. \n\nBen holds the front door open. Luckily we live on the first floor so we only have to walk up 26 stairs and walk 12 steps to get to our door marked 104. Ben takes off his coat, and flicks on the tv for noise without the intention of watching it. It drives me a little nuts that he always has to have sound playing in the background of his life. I’ve always enjoyed some peace and quiet. But it’s the price you pay to live with the love of your life I suppose. \n\n“I’m going to lay down for a bit babe. Might meet up with Jack and Nick later.” He yells to me from our bedroom. \n\nI don’t bother responding. I instead walk into the bathroom with my box of hair dye. I read the instructions and try to follow along. As I let the dye sink in I go and sit in the living room. A stern faced reporter walks around and empty street. \n\n“I’m here on Landsdowne Boulevard where latest victims of the West Breaker Killer, Sadie Warner and Alec Ryan, were last seen alive. \n\nThe screen flashes to two couples, likely in their mid-forties, stand. The women are fighting tears and one of the men is speaking into a microphone. \n\n“Sadie and Alec were great kids. They were both going to college next year and had incredibly bright futures. Our Sadie was so happy to be with Alec for the past few months. We liked him so much. The monster who did this- who stole the lives of these wonderful kids- I don’t understand how this continues to happen. Keep an eye on your kids, please.” He chokes up at the end. \n\nBack to the reporter. \n“Chief Michaels of the WBPD spoke at a press conference earlier today, and reminded parents to keep their children in the home from sundown to sunrise, per the town’s curfew. Most of these murders have happened within yards of the victim’s home. With channel 8 news, this is Susan Rhett.”\n\nSome commercial for shower cleaner comes on and I start wondering how much time is left until I can wash out the dye. My eyes are starting to burn. I hear a phone ringing. It’s coming from Ben’s jacket so I check it for him in case it’s Jack telling him where and when to meet up tonight. The screen lights up “Becca Office”. I open it and met with a nude photo of a girl I’ve never seen before. Her long brown hair draped over her breasts, very tastefully. \n\nIn the bathroom a timer goes off. I quickly stash Ben’s phone back in his coat pocket and take a shower to rinse the dye. \n————————————————————————\n\n“Ben wake up sweetie.” I whisper in his ear. “I think I hear something outside.”\n\n“Huh what-what time is it?” Ben groans, still half asleep and groggy. \n\n“7 I think. It’s dark, I thought I saw someone outside looking at our window. I’m scared Benny please do something. Can we go see?”\n\n\n Ben gets out of bed and throws on a shirt. “I don’t think you should come...” he starts. \n\n“I’m not letting you go out alone. It’s not safe.” I say. \n\nAs we walk outside I look at Ben. He is huge. Two average sized men would have a hard time picking a fight with him. I always felt very safe having a guy like that on my arm. \n\nIt’s dark outside. The police already did their first sweep of the night. They won’t be by our street for another 90 minutes or so. \n\n“I think it came from the alley” I tell Ben. He goes toward the side alley next to the abandoned store, out of view of our apartment. \n\n“I don’t think there’s anyone here, babe.” He says as he wanders further into the darkness. “I think this murderer has everyone in town all paranoid. It was probably just some kind of anima-ah!” \n\nHe is stopped mid-sentence by my knife entering his left thigh. I pull it out and he drops to the ground. He is a little shorter than me now. I look down at him and give him a little grin. He looks up in terror. \n\n“Why?” He chokes out through gritted teeth. \n\n“Did you really think I would never find out about your little skank? God you’re dumber than you look. You really are.” \n\n“She means nothing babe please” \n\n“Shut up!” I hiss at him. I run the knife along his throat, gently, not even drawing blood. Then I quickly slash myself along the torso. He looks confused. \n\n“He always attacks couples.” I explain with a grin. \n\nI take turns with the slicing. One for me, a deeper one for him. Mine sting, but I don’t mind it so much. Anytime he tries to scream I put my knife back to his throat. \n\n“Shh baby,” I say. “Let’s enjoy our last night together.” \n\nAfter a few more minutes I give him deeper and deeper cuts. He’s starting to get a little dizzy from the blood loss. \n\nI need to finish up here. \n\nI give myself a deep gash where the shoulder meets the neck. Ben’s eyes get wide. \n\n“For all your stupidity, Benny darling, you were right about one thing.” I press the knife up against his throat, ready to end it. \n\n“Brunettes do have more fun.” \n",
"\"The Hammer has been sighted in parts of the town,\" \nThe local reporter had announced with a frown, \n\"We have reports that seventeen are dead, downtown\" \nIt was then I thought to myself, what goes around must come around. \n\n \n\n\nSo I picked up the hammer, and broke down his door, \nI think he heard me coming, or my footsteps on the floor, \nLooked back at me with a twinkle in his eyes, the same smug grin he wore, \nAsked me with a drawl \"You lookin' for that whore?\" \n\n \n\n\nI stared at him with rage in my eyes, \nMoved quickly, gave him a surprise, \nA hammer in his head, almost half his size, \nAnd thus with a cry, a rapist dies. \n\n \n\n\n\"The hammer claimed another victim,\" \n\"Came to the house at night, we don't know why he picked him,\" \nI wondered if it was that easy to cheat the system, \nAnd began to name those who had done this to her, began to list 'em. \n\n \n\n\nPicked up the hammer, and took revenge against those that wronged her, \nI was unstoppable, even as an amateur saboteur, \nBut I knew that they had to die, because they had silenced her, \nAnd I knew to take them out, I needed to be the Silencer. \n\n----------\nStill new at this and pretty bad, but this is good practice! Thank you for the prompt. :)",
"I guess a part of me knew this was coming. Years of bullying and name calling mustve caught up with me, or maybe I left my conscience in the janitor's closet the last time I was locked there- yesterday, that is. Maybe if I had more time to think about this I wouldve talked myself out, but whats done is done. It only took 24 hours to make a predator out of the prey, and a killer out of me.\n\n \n\n\nSuch a monumental thing in life, but it wasnt even remotely difficult. After all, bullies arent worth much without their gaggle of groupies. I knew his schedule by heart so that I could avoid him anyway I could, so I knew immidiately to wait hidden in the bushes behind the busstop Gus gets off at after his boxing lessons. A telling fact about the kind of person Gus is, is that he initially started taking this lessons for bragging rights. And boy, can he punch. He throws his entire weight of 5 foot 6 of protein shake and stollen lunch into it, and doesnt stop until he's exhausted. Good thing that I know how to take punches without falling down. Thanks for that, buddy.\n\n\n\nIn the end, all I have to do is to let him punch me a few times, then provoke him enough that he chases me into the nearby park thats all but abandoned this time of night. Easy to say, easy to do - there was something about my face that always pissed off Gus and its not like he needed encouragement to let it show. Once we were in the thick of the park, far from the jogging trails and surrounded by foliage from all sides, it was a matter of seconds. Who can throw punches against a hidden knife anyway? Not Gus, thats who.\n\n\n\n\nI will confess that I panicked once the fresh blood spilled on my hands. I fell to my knees right next to Gus, and did my best to suck breaths into my lungs around the invisible ball of guilt wedged in my throat. There were spots in my vission and sweat on my back, and when I came to, I was curled in on myself , smearing my face with drying blood. \n\n\n \nI grit my teeth and slapped sense into myself \"Get yourself together, Sam. C'mon, man, you know what to do\" . And I did. I pulled the knife from Gus's chest with a squelch and set to work. First, I sliced the corners of his mouth, elongating them into a grotesque smile, and reminding myself of every disgusting name that mouth has ever called me. Then I sliced off his left pinky and took his shoes off so I could slice the tendons behind his ankles. The killer did this so the victims wouldnt escape , but then again, he mutilated them before he killed them, and I had neither the heart, nor the time to do something like that. \n\n\n \n\nIn the end, Gus's elongated smile was a bit crooked, and the knife snagged at the bone when I was cutting the back of his foot, but noone in the town would mistake the Slicer's signature. Of course, I was careful to make sure Gus fitted the MO in the first place. Maybe me and him, whoever he is, are kinded souls I thought. Every victim up to now, every one out of previous 12 victims, was aged from late teen to young adult and had a history of violence - Im still surprised I had 5o kill Gus myself. I hoped there was enough circumstancial evidence to shift the blame entirely on the Slicer, and left him there to rot, throwing my knife into a trash can on the way home. \n\n\n\nNeither my parents nor my sister questioned my appearance. They knew I was being bullied, so when I stepped in with a wince and a blooming mark on my collarbone, Mom made a heartbroken sound and came to give me a hug, while my sister busied herself with getting me an ice-pack. I endured an evening of coddling with growing anxiety, and if anyone was annoyed by me tapping my foot, then they chose to not say anything. Just before sleep, Dad pulled me aside to shoot me stern looks to convince me to tell him who did this to me, but I remained tightlipped as ever. 'Don't worry, Dad. He's not going to hurt me anymore' I thought, as I brushed my teeth. My collarbone itched where my sister spread that weird plant based cream that she kept in stock these days and my hands shook as I pulled the duvet over my head.\n\n\n\nI slept well that night.\n\n\n\n\nI woke up to Mom hovering in the doorway. \"Good morning, Sweetheart\" is what I though she would say, but what she actually said was \" There are some people here that want to talk to you\".\n\n \n\n\nIt took 24 hours to make a killer out of me. It took even less for the authorities to find the one responsible.\n\n \n\n\nWhen I arrived downstairs, gripping the stairs so that my shaking knees wont betray me, the cops were talking to Dad. There were two of them, in matching uniforms, taking turns to bombard Dad with questions. Dad's voice was as calm it could be, but there was a vein jumping in his neck and his hands were twitching like he would like nothing more than to wrap them around someone's neck. On the little coffe table behind them, just barely visible from were I stand half-hidden, are photographs. Spread so each of them is visible, they take up the entire table - way too many to be just Gus. Againt the shine of the glossy surfaces, I catch a collage of bleached blonde hair, tattos, piercings, leather jackets, and gruesome, bloody smiles. In the corner closest to me is Gus. His crooked grin is mocking me beyond the grave, but I cant find it in myself to feel anything but horror. \n\n\n\n13 people -13 victims.\n\n\n\n'If they know that Im the one who killed Gus, then they must think I killed all those other people, too. They must think Im the Slicer' passes through my mind as I lock my knees to keep from tumbling down the last few stairs. My mind is a jumble of fear, half-formed thoughts and 'congradulations, you played yourself' and I can feel beads of sweat rolling down my face , but my hands feel too heavy to wipe them off. \n\n\n\nThrough my panic, I hear the soft pit-pat of my sister tiptoeing down with socked feet. She takes one look at me than the cops, and I think it clicks for her, because she pales and yanks at my arm. \"Whats going on?\" She hisses under my ear, barely tall enough to reach it despite being 2 years older than me. I open my mouth to tell her to \"Shut up, Jessie\" but one of the cops must hear us, because she looks up and spots us lurking in the shadows.\n\n\n\n\"There you are, Mr. Helsey. We'd like to have a word with you\" She says with false civility, as Dad bristles and her partner steps in front of him to posture. I shake off Jessie's death grip on my arm and approach them, letting them shove their badges in my face and trying not to bolt in fear. I look guilty, I know I do ; im pale and sweaty, with a bruised cheek and banged up collarbones, like I just came out of a fight, and on top of everything im sure im shaking too hard for them not to notice.\n\n\n\nLike a good, well-mannered boy, I say \"Good morning\" and \"no problem\" and \"yes, of course I can answer some questions\". \" I was at home\" I say, and Dad tenses but doesnt rebuke me. \"I knew Gus, but none of the other victims, ma'am.\" I answer truthfuly. \"Im being bullied in school,sir\" I say, as the male cop points at my cheek. They trade glances, and pull a small, plastic bag. \"Its just a common kitchen knife\" I answer, peering inside with unfocused eyes, when they ask if I know what it is.\n\n \n\n\nI am arrested.\n\n \n\n\n13 counts of first degree murder. My lawyer tells me to confess, and I do - I tell them how I killed Gus, but also about how I didnt kill anyone else.\n\n\n\n\"The knife wounds on all 13 victims are a match to the kitchen knife that with your fingerprints. The evidence is conclusive.\" the prosecutor presses.\n\n\n\n\"I am innocent\" I insist.\n\n \n\n\nI am convicted. \n\n \n\n\nA life in prison without the possibility of parole. If I thought the beatings I endured from the hands of high schoolers were harsh, they were nothing compared to what the inmates put me through. I beg and I beg and my parents, desperate to believe that their son is not a murderer, fight until they get a second hearing for my case. \n\n\n \nI allow myself to be hopeful.\n\n \n\n\nOn the day of the hearing, they tell me I have a visitor. Its Jessie. \n\n\n\nI havent seen Jessie in months. She avoids me like the plague, and my parents dont seem inclined to force her to visit me. I cant blame them, and I cant blame her either, but I still feel bitter over how she seemingly gave up on me.\n\n \n\n\"You're really dumb, you know that?\" Is the first thing she says once were left alone in the hearing room. \"How could you do that to yourself? To Mom and Dad?\"\n\n\n \nI open my mouth to say something, anything to shut her up, but she cuts me off with a hand, and Im alarmed to see that she is second away from bursting into tears. \"No. I'm here for a reason - dont interrupt\".\n\n\n \nI shrug to show her that Im listening, and keep my mouth dutifuly shut as she launches into a retelling of our childhood. I guess she came here to rant and rave, and I let her get things of her chest, hoping that she wont be so distant after this - shes my big sister after all, ive known her my whole life.\n\n \n\n\n \nThat day, I stand before the court. I dont look back to see my parents' faces, looking stubbornly ahead. Next to me, my lawyer is trying to grab my attention, but I have something I need to do.\n\n \n\nI confess to the murder of Gus Smith, as well as 12 others. I confess that I am the Slicer and draw on every horror movie ive seen to recount 13 brutal deaths.\n\n\n\nWhat choice do I have when the real Slicer is sitting right there behind me? What else can I do when all the Slicer did was to take out a few horrible bullies to protect the ones too weak to fight back? She's my big sister, and she was just trying to help.\n",
"It was just another day in the life of Matthew Moreno. Wake up. Snooze. Wake up again. Snooze once more. Wake up again, and it's time to go. \n\nAs I rolled out of bed, channel 4 was covering the same god damned shit it'd been covering for 2 months. Serial killer, loose in Smithtown. \n\n***SERIAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN*** \n\n*This dude should just hurry up and get caught already, or find his way to me and put me out of my damn misery.* \n\nAs I got ready for work, dread passed over me as I was going to be spending another day desperately trying to pass the time on Reddit while the world and my friends went on enjoying their lives. \n\nI had to make a choice, get a coffee and be late, or rush straight into work. I chose coffee. Call me a masochist, I could really care less about this dead-end job though. I'm too young to be settling for something like this anyway, I could use the kick in the ass. \n\nTurns out, I'd made the right choice. Nobody noticed me strolling in 15 minutes late because apparently The Smithtown Slasher's latest victim was my boss. I couldn't believe it. \n\n\"They found his body late last night after his wife called in a missing persons report. He was floating on a pallet in the same river the killer leaves all his victims. His body was opened up apparently.\" Marcy said, wincing at the thought. \n\nMarcy was Jack's secretary, and my cubicle neighbor. She was a sweet 50 something year old lady with a daughter I've had my eye on. \n\n\"That's disgusting. I can't even believe this, who's going to be running the show around here now?\" I asked, trying to seem like I cared more than I did. \n\nDon't get me wrong, Jack didn't really deserve to DIE. He just, shouldn't have been in charge here. The guy was a huge asshole. Racist too. \n\n\"Not sure yet, I'm surprised they are keeping us all here today given the news.\" Marcy responded quietly. \n\n\"I'm not.\" I said, not taking my eyes off my screen. \n\n\"So, how was your weekend? You do anything fun?\" Marcy asked, she was always making conversation in the mornings. \n\nI thought about it, and I couldn't really think of anything interesting that I'd done. Probably because I haven't been doing anything lately besides smoking weed and eating pizza thanks to Victoria, My slut ex-girlfriend who sent me spiraling into depression. \n\n\"Same ol' nothing, how about you?\" I ask politely, turning my head to presumably hear some tale about her crazy mother or her daughter stressing her out. \n\nShe let me off easy by saying she didn't do much either, and we went on with our days. Six came around especially slow today, since I typically have to work way harder on doing nothing when Jack is around. Alas, I made it, though. \n\nOn my traffic-filled drive home, I spent a lot of time thinking about where my life is at. Heavy shit, but I definitely needed a change. Maybe I should get back on those meds after all, they seemed to keep my mind regulated if nothing else. Even if I WAS misdiagnosed. They helped. I can't keep up with this cycle of nothingness. \n\n*Where did I put those things anyway?* \n\nWhen I got back home, I decided to look for them so I could take one before bed. Wasn't long before I found them. \n\n**Sertraline** - *Dissociative Personality Disorder - Take once a day* \n\n*I should really tell my parents about this, and see what they think. I probably should seek a second opinion while I'm at it. These pills do make me feel pretty good, though.* \n\nI decided to start the cycle up again and see what happens. I'd definitely seek a second opinion before dropping that bombshell on the rents. We'll see. \n\nI popped open my phone and began to scroll social media endlessly before coming across a few posts regarding my ex. I went to her page and snooped around, apparently she's missing? I got up, and called our mutual friend. \n\n\"Uhh, yeah. She's been missing since Saturday night. Have you heard from her, Matt?\" Alice said distantly. \n\n\"Missing since Saturday night?\" I repeated, slowly. \n\nI sat up, the hair on my arms had received a jolt of electricity. Was it the Smithtown Slasher? I felt terrified for a moment, and then I remembered I was still on the phone. \n\n\"Hello? Are you there?\" Alice sounded annoyed. \n\n\"Uhh, yeah I gotta go. If you hear from her please let me know.\" \n\n*click*\n\nIt wasn't even 30 seconds later I heard knocks at my door. Unless it's grubhub, there is never knocks at my door. I definitely didn't order food, either. \n\n\"Who is it?\" I shout as I walk towards the front. \n\n\"It's Smithtown PD. Open the door, please.\" I heard from a stern voice through the door. \n\nMomentary fear crept up on me, but I assured myself I was going to be fine as I was busy doing... *what? What was I doing on Saturday night? ... Fuck. Where was I?* \n\nI began to rack my brain but for the life of me could not produce an alibi for the inevitable questions I was about to be asked. I couldn't stall, that would look even more suspicious. I'd have to make something up. \n\n*BANG BANG BANG*\n\n\"Hello? Open this door now please.\" the voice continued. \n\n\"I'm coming, I'm coming.\" I responded while reached for the doorknob. \n\n....\n\nI awoke in a cell. Not a cell, a box. *Am I in prison?* My thoughts went back to the countless movies I'd seen where the characters are placed in solitary confinement. \n\n*What the fuck happened? How did--* \n\nI got up and started banging on the door. It wasn't long before two men in white coats showed up outside, and opened the square window. I calmly explained to them that I had no idea why I was there, and needed to speak with somebody in charge. \n\nThey just looked at each other, then back at me. \n\n\"He really doesn't know.\" the first one said. \n\n\"He most definitely knows, he's just a sociopath. Look at him. These people are professional liars.\" the second one said.\n\n\"Excuse me? Who do you think you are speaking to like that? I am not a sociopath and I can assure you that I DON'T know what the hell is going on right now. I've got to be dreaming.\" I respond with. \n\nI began pinching my own arms and screaming to be let out. Being claustrophobic and locked away in a small place you don't belong with no way out is a really bad combination. \n\nThey just closed the window and left. \n\nAn image of that Sertraline bottle flashed back across my mind, it was almost completely full when I'd found it. \n\nAnother image of my psychiatrist telling me that it is absolutely crucial I take the pill every single day. \n\n\"You could have episodes where the part of your personality that you don't want getting out, gets out. You might not even remember it happening. You can lose all control, son. I really hope you are understanding me. This medicine must be taken every day.\" he slowly explained to me, emphasizing the final line. \n\n*Jack... Victoria...* \n\nA wave of horror washed over me and was replaced by absolute panic. I couldn't sit still. My heart began racing. I couldn't take the thoughts going through my head and I eventually passed out. \n\nNeedless to say, that place became my new home. I wasn't in prison, I was in a psychiatric ward, and I'd likely be there for the remainder of my life. \n\nThey proved it was me. I was the Smithtown Slasher. They caught me when I began killing those I had personal relationships with. \n\nTo this day, I don't fully believe it. I can't. I have no memories of killing anybody, I couldn't even kill a cat if you paid me to. It isn't in me. This is wrong. I shouldn't be here. What has become of my life?\n\nAnd with tears rolling down my face, I whispered... \n\n\"I'm so, so sorry, Victoria\" \n\n",
"For two months now a killer had been terrorising the town you live in. For two months, every week someone would go missing and their head would be found in the forest nearby. The similarity between all the people was that they were blond women in their thirties.\n\nFor the past year now, your marriage had been in a strained position, where your wife accused you of cheating on her. You know you had never done so, but for some reason your wife felt sure of it, she saw in your glances at the girls in your neighbourhood as proof of your crimes.\n\nFor an year you had tried to convince her, you had even stopped hanging around women altogether, you would always try to support your wife through thick and thin, because that's the promise you had made. You had done all this for an year now, but your wife still did not believe you, and it was slowly ruining your life, and the life of your children. \n\nSo that weekend you decided to take action. Your wife fit the bill of the targets of the serial killer. You had it all planned out. Even selected a space in the forest where you would place her head, and another spot nearby where you would bury the rest of the body.\n\nThe week went on, you had your kids sent to their friends place for a sleepover during the weeked, a few suggestions easily doing the trick. You had the answer planned for when they asked about your wife, that she had left home like she had been randomly doing in bursts of anger every few days. Then at last the day arrived.\n\nThat night you held the strings taut over your wife's throat and pulled. You felt her struggle and shake. You felt the life slowly go out of her. You held on for another ten minutes after she had stopped moving. It took you another two hours to get the body moved and to remove the head and place it at the spot. Nobody saw you through it all. \n\nWhen you entered your home that night, for the first time in ages, you felt peace, and you felt certain that your children's life was going to be fine now.\n\nIt's been two months now since that night. The police did find the body and took you in for questioning. They had you as a potential culprit but they could not stick anything to you. To your surprise, the kids seemed to have taken their mother's death very well, they even seem to be more cheerful, makes you realize exactly how toxic that woman was.\n\nThere is one thing that has been troubling you though, since your wife died there have been no more reports of new victims. There have been rumors of maybe the killer leaving town, that all the horrors are now over. On the other hand, you have a feeling that is not really the case, and you feel cold shivers run down your spine as you remember all those days of your wife screaming at you about sleeping around with those dumb blonds."
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bypasses* | [WP] You die in a virtual reality pod, and now your consciousness is stuck in the game. The problem is that the game doesn't register you as playing anymore, and your consciousness bypassing all of the games core mechanics. They call you the "digital phantom." | 8,432 | [
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"Darby's mind projected itself into the limitless void of constellations, shining stars, some bigger than others. Each of them are linked together by a narrow thread, forming a massive chaotic web. From a distance the web appeared to be glowing a vibrant neon with different potions emitting a different colour. Billions of different coloured blobs of light illuminate into the darkness. As Darby's field of vision moves closer to the web he can make out the source. Tiny lights are moving at incredibly fast speeds inside of the web, pulsing or streaming or just traveling in seemingly random packs. \n\nEach of these points, creating the constellations, are a node, a network connected device and anyone could tell you how many of those we have. Hell, almost any single person will be worth about ten nodes on the network. At the very least they will have ten devices all turned on and sending everything about him at the moment; a full-body diagnostic, what he is seeing, his general mood. All this data is converted into one's and zero's and wirelessly beamed away to where ever they will rest. Usually they will be stored in a massive Datastore belonging to whichever analytics company has purchased data harvesting rights for the city you live in. Darby was a hacker though, and hackers don't settle for being a number in the database. The only device he kept on him was his TouchLink and even that only connected to his workstation.\n\nThen, with a thought, Darby's non-corporeal body - his consciousness, flying through empty space - homed in on a star that was emitting a bright, infinitely tall pillar of blue light. His workstation, marked with a bookmark so he doesn't have to pull up the coordinates and find it manually. The node filled his vision as he approached, it was translucent from this distance and inside there was a workshop not unlike that of a carpenter, back when that was a profession. Eventually, he passed into the node seamlessly: it just filled up his perceptions until he was inside of it. With a sigh and an arch of his back, he sat down at a table with a notepad on it. As he began thinking of code, a terrifying pig squeal echoed off every surface, piercing his ears and causing him to maybe pee his pants a little. And then the source of the noise revealed itself. A giant black bore, armed with tusks that look like they could pierce concrete was charging right at him. This black boar was a program and it was one he had made, it was his local anti-virus. Before Darby could react impaled by a tusk, but he didn't scream or cry - hell, he didn't even feel it. Only a sadist or a terrorist would program an anti-virus to cause pain. He braced himself to be ejected from the network and to wake up in his living room... but he was just outside the node again now. That was a new one. Getting ejected by his own anti-virus? Must have been a bug, figures. The detail he was more concerned with was why he had not been sent back into his body, as anti-virus programs do. \n\nDarby thought a few things and text appeared in his vision:\n\nPREPARING EJECTION SEQUENCE\n\nCOMPRESSING CONSCIOUSNESS \n\nINJECTING INTO BRAIN\n\nINJECTION FAILED: UNABLE TO WRITE \n\nCRITICAL ERROR: ABORTING EJECTION\n\nthe text faded and left him floating in the void, trying to process what this meant.\n\n--------------------\n\nTwo men; dressed in sharp suits, their eyes covered by dark sunglasses, stood over a young man, limp on his couch with a cable extending from the side of his head to a humming computer.\n\n\"You're sure this is the guy?\" one of them asked.\n\n\"Of course I'm sure!\" replied the other, sounding somewhat insulted that his partner would doubt him.\n\n\"Should we wake him?\"\n\nThey each took a bit of time to consider this, should they let him out of his voluntary hallucination to see the real world one more time, or let him just go out without ever knowing what happened to him?\n\n\"Nah. Just do it.\"\n\n\nHe nodded and shot him in the head. Quick, painless, and no chance of survival. Easy.\n",
"VR pun- an adventure in making dialogue sound normal:\n\nLog 1: Uh it seems that my pod is kinda glitching at the moment so I guess I'll just keep these logs to send to the company (and to keep me company, heh) when the door gets unjammed. \n\nThis is my first time using a pod so maybe I did something wrong? Whatever. Here's what's happening right now- the actual body rendering is pretty bugged for me. It's more like I'm just floating in the world, and my body is all hazy-looking. Also, the immersion is terrible! The people, well, they look real, but it's almost like I can see the code in everything, like I look at something and if I squint I can see all the functions being carried out. Pretty unrealistic, but like I said, maybe I did something wrong.\n\nLog 2: So it's been a full 2 days, but I heard that some people live inside these puppies for weeks, so I'm not super worried. I found the exit button though. That's what's been worrying me lately. I try to access it, but it's not letting me out. I guess I'll have to wait til the food runs low and the pod ejects me. Really wishing I had told someone I was using this thing before I hopped in. I know I know, it says right on the box that you have to have someone spotting you to make sure nothing goes wrong, but it's like those terms of service things that they used to make us read. The whole \"make sure you read in the entirety\" thing was more of a suggestion, y'know? Please give me warranty on this.\n\nLog 3: Day three of this, I'm trying to make some friends with the NPC's. Waiting for when I'm gonna be able to leave('s). The NPC's aren't really receptive to me right now, I guess because I'm a drifting mass of particles talking to myself? Good fear response though, really believable. Hey at least I'm not stuck in an elevator or something! That would really suck for 3 days, ha ha.\n\nLog 4: Just trying to figure out how to play the game, waiting.\n\nLog 5: So this is about the time when my food tanks would be running on low which is weird... Should be hungry I think. At least when the food supply runs out tomorrow, it'll get me out. Back to the bugs though, I noticed that I'm made of code as well when I looked at myself. That's a bit unnerving, you guys should really patch that... Also, I figured out the body thing! Yeah, if I concentrate on getting everything collected, all the particles go to the right place and I'm good to go. It's pretty hard right now though. I'm also kind of certain that you're not supposed to be able to do that sorta thing just by concentrating on it... Meh what do I know.",
"Trapped \n\nI run down the path to reach the starting point for the next quest and I get this notification, \"LOW POWER\" all in large red caps flashing across my vision. Low power? That can’t be possible as I am pretty sure I paid my electric bill this month and I don’t have a battery operated pod. Hmmm…what could be going on? I open the menu and hit “Quick Save.” I’ve made too much progress this past hour to not save. I scroll down to the bottom of the menu to “Exit Game” I notice something odd, it’s greyed out. I press the button anyway, the “LOW POWER” notice is increasing its intensity. “What the?” I slam my hand down on the button. “Why,” slam! “Can’t,” slam! “I,” slam! “EXIT?!” Slam! Slam! Slam! After the final slam, the virtual scroll that holds all menu options shatters. I search my avatars pockets for it frantically, hoping that it will reappear, as the “LOW POWER” notification fades out of my peripheral. \n\nThis is crazy. What kind of glitch destroys the menu? I didn’t read any of those in the reviews of this pod. My parents will kill me if I miss their big dinner. I open a browser window, good this function still works. I enter into the search bar “what to do if menu shatters,” I pause, do I need to be more specific? I shrug and press enter. “No results found.” Great, so maybe this is a new glitch. That can't be, this has to have happened to someone else before. I type “I can’t exit the game how do I override and exit my pod” I feel totally drained having spent the last hour or so searching several variations of the same phrase trying to figure out how to figure it out how to get out of my dang pod. All searches ending with the same results. \n\nI sigh and sit on the ground. I open a new message and scroll my contacts looking for someone who is in the game. Aha! Micah is on he’ll know what to do. “Hey, Micah! My game is glitching out can you go check the power for my pod? There was a notification about low power,” I guess this is why they say not to enter the pod while home alone.\n\n “User has signed off” Umm I feel like Micah would have at least sent a “Gotcha omw” wouldn’t he? I open my messages to message someone else. Huh? What happened to the rest of my online friends? I switch over to my contacts list to at least send some offline messages. Micah is the only one in my contacts. “Please, Micah, I’m stuck at least send someone to check on me.” I hit send. What is going on? I lay back and close my eyes feeling really bizarre as I realize I can feel the grass on my body, the slight breeze that moves between the blades of grass and the warmth from the sun. What kind of glitch is this? Usually, you can only see and hear everything that is how this pod works. I drift off into an uneasy sleep, hoping Micah has gone to my apartment. \n\nA notification sound coming from the communicator wakes me. I open it and see a message from Micah “Who are you and why are you using my friend’s avatar and username?” \n\nI move my thumbs fast “What are you talking about Micah? It’s me, Leila. My menu broke a while ago and I can’t exit the game!” \n\n“Leila died a week ago. Now, tell me who you are.” Wait, what? \n\n“Don’t be ridiculous I can’t be dead I’m right here.” I send him my avatar's location and Micah’s avatar pops up in front of mine, sword drawn. “Ummm, Micah?” I speak aloud now. “What’s with the sword?” \n\n“What the--? Did you steal her voice too? What kind of scam are you running?” \n\n“Micah, what kind of scam are you running? Telling people that they’re dead when they clearly are not. I saw you in class just this morning!” At least I think it was this morning. The only clock that this game has is on the menu…that broke.\n\n“That was last week. Last week when I saw her in class.Last week was when they-when they-” this is unlike Micah. “Look, I don’t care if you go around stealing peoples' avatars and tricking people; but, allow the dead to rest.” I can hear the tears in his voice. Then he is gone. \n\n“Micah!” I run towards the now empty field. What is going on? I couldn’t really be dead…could I? \n",
"In the near future, virtual reality will be as good as the physical reality but dying will just be a thing of the past. We can be immortals if we choose to. Having to spend our good life with the ones we love for a very long time. In fact, forever. Scary as it may seem but the possibilities are endless.",
"In the most vivid part of my brain, I dreamed of being immortal. One that never dies. I've been through peaks and valleys and I have been hurt a million times, emotionally, physically and mentally. I fell and crawl, with blood all over my body. Attacks were so massive that my eyes can barely open but with all these, I will never die. I will heal and I will rise above them all. This is the virtual reality that I envision.",
"I always wondered what life would be like to actually be in a video game. Why did it have to be this game? I forgot that it wasn't like playing on a console and crouch wasn't a toggle feature. I can't believe I fell off the edge of that ravine and landed in lava. \n\n\nI don't really know how long I've been in game since the days in this cube hell go by so fast. It probably wouldn't even be so bad if after I died I wasn't stuck in creative mode. I don't get hungry. I don't get hot or cold. I don't have to work for any materials to build. It's so boring.\n\n\nThe players I interacted with used to call me herobrine but after my a while they just called me the phantom. I was an urban legend whispered about in game. A while ago I met with some of the developers of the game and they seemed nice but scared. I think they're worried about this happening again and I don't blame them for being scared. After that meeting I haven't been able to world hop like I used to. I think they isolated me to try to hide my existence. Man I an so alone. Of all the games why did I have to die and get trapped in this one? ",
"\"Are you done?\"\n\nI've been locked in a battle with some big-shot gamer for about three hours now. For those wondering, this is some sort of FPS game. While it's not entirely similar to others, but there's definitely guns and grenades and all that. Not the worst game to be eternally stuck in, to be honest.\n\nAnyway, this guy's been pummelling me with rocket launchers, napalm grenades, flame spells and death-rays for three full hours. Normally, if someone were to die in this game, they'd be booted out and would wake up in their Stimpod. That's just how it works. However, since I physically CAN'T wake up in my Stimpod, I basically can't die. I dunno why this guy's attacking me, I guess he just thought he'd try to be the one to take down the infamous Digital Phantom. I've just been taking it, since I can't really do anything else. Well, that's not true, but it's fun seeing him get frustrated.\n\n\"JUST...DIE ALREADY!\" \n\nWith that, he pulls out a weapon that I recognise all too well: The Sunset Cannon. It's the most powerful gun in the whole game. Grinning, he takes aim and pulls the trigger. A beam of energy nearly as big as the whole damn room explodes outwards, engulfing me in searing hot energy. He keeps it up for 20 seconds before releasing the trigger. Once the smoke clears, I yawn and walk towards him. He looks utterly bewildered.\n\n\"...But...h-how did-\"\n\nBefore he can finish his question, I calmly take his pistol out of its holster and press it against his forehead, pulling the trigger. Blood splatters out of his head and his avatar fades away into nothingness. Of course, I get to keep the pistol.\n\nThen, something weird happens.\n\nEvery nearby player avatar vanishes. They just disappear. No death animation, nothing. Just gone. Confused, I open up the menu and check the player list.\n\n[Active Players: 0]\n\nThere's no way every single person playing the game would quit at once. While I was fighting that guy, there were something like 15,684 people playing, give or take. They can't have all simultaneously left.\n\nA revelation hits me and I close the player list, checking the patch notes.\n\n[Version 1.06]\n\n- Fixed a bug in which the battle with Drakthiel would softlock after his fireball attack.\n\n- Fixed a bug that caused cars to hit an invisible ramp on road 56.\n\n- Removed the invincible player model in Gemini Base Alpha.\n\n...They removed me.\n\nThey patched the game and removed me. Everyone's playing the newest version now.\n\nI'm the only one left.\n\nI don't wanna go insane. Complete and total isolation tends to turn a person crazy after a while and I don't want that to happen to me. No one'll come back to fight me anyway, so why should I stick around? I glance down at the pistol and shrug, before raising it up to my head and pulling the trigger.\n\nI reach up and brush my fingers over the open wound. I dig into my head and remove the bullet, dropping it to the floor. After staring at it for a while, I simply sit down and hug my knees.\n\nI forgot I couldn't die.",
"Jamie gently raised his arm with effort, hospital robe slipping from his shoulders. A cough wheezed from his throat as his sickly lungs could barely exhale. Medical staff in white coats and masks were loading Jamie from a bed into an oval shaped device. Their white gloves wiped down the inside of the pod, cleaning it up from the last guest. Jamie was small, no more than 15 years in age. His short black hair lay just above his hazed red eyes, that he could barely keep open. In that gaze was a dying boy, he stared ahead not seeing a thing. They finished laying him in the device, and a screen latched it closed. The screen illuminated with an upbeat chime and displayed in an 8-bit font \n\n\nnaVRaland \n(Player Online)\n\n\n\nA knight in radiant red plate armor raised his visor, a scrape sounded as it had not been recently oiled. \"Figures they would load me here in my last moments\" a deep voice filled with honor bellowed aloud. \"This was always my favorite Zone, endless plains and eternal sunsets\". \n\n\n_______________________________________________________\nNOTES TO CONTINUE WRITING\n\n\n\nHad to upend myself while writing, below is just word garbage I'm leaving in case I continue to write by editing the post.\n\nI chose to spend my last moments in a white egg shaped VR pod with a small illuminated screen clasping it together so I didn't feel like a sickly child when I died. I kept waiting for my conciousness to disseappear, they said I only had a few minutes, I just kept playing, appreciating the view in my favorite zone, grassy planes and eternal sunsets. when I was there long enough to see another player complete a quest to gather buffalox tails, I knew it had been more than it was supposed to. I tried to log off, maybe something happened in the hospital. I did the muscle memory gesture to bring up the log off screen, and nothing happened. I checked some of my other UI features, seemed normal, I checked my stats page and everything was zero, sometimes world events mess with character pages, but they would never disable log off,they always go out of their way to make sure that feature is working. Nobody wants to be trapped. I pulled up my in game Web browser and took a look at the forums to see if there was some kind of server outage, I didn't see anything wrong with the servers, but the top post was \"15 year old cancer patient spends last moments in Naviraland\". I read on thinking it odd they would post this before I... Time of death.. half hour ago...\n\nIt's hard to feel strong negative emotions as your avatar, they dampened pain to have some form of realistic combat, and dampened fear so players didn't lock up when fighting ferocious monsters. The sense of shock permeated any sensation I felt here before. It felt real. I also felt relieved, though my shoulders still tightened and I had trouble balancing. I'm dead I thought to myself forcing the thought through my brain that felt like sldge, but I'm right here.\nAs time went on I realized certain rules didn't apply to my avatar, the game engine sorts through NPC's and players using heart beats. The NPC's only do what they are programmed, so that makes me something not quite player, not quite AI. I couldn't change my all zero stats, I did next to no damage no matter what weapon or spell I used, though I couldn't be damaged in return, I had no carry limit, but anything I tried to sell, my gold amount was fixed at 0.\nThe Veil though, edge of the world to keep players in the fixed play areas, I could pass right through.",
"Note: This is broken into multiple parts. See the Replies for the entiretly of the story.\n\nThe Spectre of Wyrmhaven\n\nRex Igneous\n\nSeth Stone sat in the booth at the far corner of Wünderdorf’s most popular cantina, Trunkenheit, twiddling his thumbs. His contact was already two minutes late. He eyed the patrons as they entered to exchange any foodstuffs they happened to pick up from bandits on the road, happy to receive whatever meager amount of gold the NPC bartender decided to give them.\n\n“Casuals...” Stone scoffed as he rested his arm on the table, drumming his fingers. He knew none of these players would recognize him. Not only did he have his gamer tag concealed, but he wore clothing that he looted from a highwayman NPC he shanked near Rothengaard. He kept his signature light armor, mask and cloak in his inventory. Ever since Stone took the title of World Champion at the Wyrmhaven Wizard Duel Royale for the third straight year, he couldn’t take care of business in any town or city in the higher-level zones without being mobbed by fans who wanted a screenshot. \n\n“Rex Igneous?” said a deep voice to his right. \n\nStone jerked his head to see an Orc in heavy armor, a golden great sword strapped to his back. His hideously scarred face sported tribal tattoos, his protruding tusks adorned with jewelry. “Rothgar96?”\n\nThe orc warrior smiled and nodded.\n\n“How did you find me? I’m impressed.”\n\nThe orc let out a deep, guttural laugh. “Please. It’s obvious you’re a player. And what player just sits in a place like Trunkenheit, doing nothing? You’re clearly the blood elf waiting for me, although nobody I know has ever seen your avatar’s face. It’s badass.” \n\nStone brushed back his pitch-black hair to reveal a pointed ear and a cheek coated in dark green war paint. “Why thank you. I’m proud of it. Now, fill me in on this rogue looter you’re looking for.”\n\nThe orc sat down awkwardly, his armor scraping the seat. “Oh, right. Thank you for responding to my Bounty Board post. I’m honored.” He opened the palm of his hand and his inventory screen popped up. In seconds, Rothgar clicked through it, selected a satchel, filled it with 100,000 gold, and placed it onto the table. Seth Stone reached out and touched it, sending it to his inventory in a dissipating cloud of pixels. \n\n“Thanks a bunch, man.”\n\n“You’ll receive the rest upon completion of this mission.” Rothgar closed his inventory screen and crossed his arms. “You shouldn’t have too much trouble.”\n\nStone raised an eyebrow. “How strong is he?”\n\nRothgar scratched his head. “He’s only level 50.” \n\n“Then why are you paying me so much?” \n\n“He fights with the skill of a max level Archwizard. Dozens of other people, and not just players in my guild, claim that he’s swiped loot from raids.” Rothgar leaned in. “But he doesn’t steal the whole crate every time. On most occasions, he’ll just swipe a few invulnerability scrolls and maximum elixirs but leave the rest. When he does steal the crate in its entirety, the other raiders will find it half an hour away, its contents untouched.”\n\nStone grimaced. “He’s toying with them.”\n\n“Exactly! And he doesn’t even take out any legendary gear that may be in there, gear that a level 50 elf druid would desperately need,” Rothgar growled. “Some noob with zero raid experience could just waltz by and take them.”\n\n“Don’t worry, my friend,” Stone grinned. “I’ll fry him so fast he won’t see it coming.”\n\nRothgar’s frown didn’t change. “I’ve seen you fight, Igneous, but there’s something about this guy that doesn’t sit well with me. He’s a level 50 elf druid that’s managed to, on multiple occasions, successfully escape from more than a dozen players of equal level simultaneously. Some swear that he’s hacking but have no proof. He’s just that good.”\n\nStone laughed. “You forget that I’m not level 50. I’m at 80. Max level.” \n\nAt last Rothgar grinned. “You’re right, what am I talking about? You’ll crush his ass.”\n\n“So, where is he?”\n\nRothgar opened his palm and his map screen appeared. “My connections believe he may be in the max level zones far to the north, in the mountains bordering Xiao Long. The last raid he crashed was in the Makba’ah desert just to the south, with the raid before just south of that near Kalara. He’s an elusive little bastard.”\n\nSeth nodded and rose from the table. “Leave him to me. He’ll be dealt with soon enough.”\n\t\nRothgar chuckled. “Good luck!”\n\t\n“I won’t need it!” Seth Stone changed his avatar’s attire, donning his sleek elven light armor and scarlet cloak, his avian mask concealing his sharp face. From his palms came a green glow and he vanished in a sparkling cloud. \n\n",
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"It had been about a year since I died. My husband came to see me almost every night and would tell me all about his adventures and misadventures. We'd play the game for a bit, complete quests and level up, before he would get tired and had to leave. I always got sad when he left, since I didn't have to sleep. I also didn't really play the game anymore since I only leveled up with him. So I wandered. Round and round the not-so-open world map. It got pretty boring when I had seen every inch of it.\n\nSometimes I even liked to troll the \"high-rollers\" when I got bored. Tonight was the first night, however, that I decided to go big; It was time to troll the game developers. I had noticed that patch releases had been more and more frequent, and the player count was up again. There was a really big update about to drop, and I was ready. When the update hit, I was going to take over the admin account that always logged in first to test the update. They thought they were being sneaky, but l knew TrailBlazer420 was the admin; they had every single admin permission. Admin permissions could get me anything in the game that I wanted.\n\nSure enough, 2:00 am rolled around and the update started. I hated updates, it had always felt like I was being scrambled then reassembled. About 2 hours later and there it was, TrailBlazer420 logged in on schedule. I threw my conciseness at the account with all of the force I had in me and everything went dark. \n\nI tried to open the characters eyes and couldn't. Something didn't feel right, it was as if I was caged. I couldn't move, couldn't hear anything, there was nothing. An endless darkness. I thought I was really finally dead until I heard a loud screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard board. I tried to open my eyes again and found that I could, and I could see the in-game sky. I tried to sit up but I hit my head on an invisible wall. I reached out and could feel the wall, running my hands over the smooth surface.\n\nThen I froze, realization sweeping over me. I opened my mouth and whispered \"Logout\". The game screen closed with a blink. I opened my eyes, to see the inside of the VR chamber. Staring back at me was the refection of the lead game developer... My husband.",
"\"Actually, this isn't as bad i initially thought.\" I mumbled as i jumped from a game to a game. Seeing the fantasy adventures filled with magical wonders, and witnessing epic space battles and planetary invasions is actually pretty fucking amazing. It really does feel weird and abnormal to be actually part of the program instead of having a real body. Yup, i had that once. When i was playing a simulator with few of my friends, i suddenly got a heart attack and died inside a top-notch VR pod, but i didn't think my consciousness would still be alive and well within the system. It's actually amazing to think about it, but also quite worrying since i do not now if this was intentional by the developers of the VR pod or not since they call me the \"digital phantom.\" Welp, i can only speculate at this point. Let's have some fun!\n",
"Everyone heard the stories, the Unbeatable Dungeon, locked behind the highest level reachable, attemptable by up to a party of 40 players, made to test every aspect of the game. No party had cleared it, let alone had anyone attempted to solo it, that was of course, before my incident.\n\nI was given limited time to live. The cancer had spread throughout my body, I was one of 37 players to reach the highest level at this point, we were waiting for more players to get here before we attempted it. However time wasn't on my side, the tumors in my brain were the worst though. I couldn't concentrate on things for very long, and each passing day the headaches got worse, playing in the VRMMORPG that I was a part of since beta 7 years ago was the only thing that gave me happiness, and I was determined to see this through. The message\n\n#you are attempting this dungeon alone, are you sure? \n\nPopped across the view finder. I nodded yes and headed in. It wasn't too long after I headed in I noticed something was off. The usual mobs that met parties didn't show up, only one creature was seen, and it seemed to bow it's head and let me pass, as if it were any other docile creature 100 levels below me. I checked my status and was no longer able to see any indication of time or menus to manage player interaction like logging out, or the Microtransaction store. The instance label was gone too.\n\n Soon after, I started to put two and two together, my body had died when I entered the dungeon, the stress and excitement had been too much, and I was likely brain dead. But if that was true, how was I still conscious, how could I still be playing the game? \n\nI got my answer when I saw other players head into the dungeon. 36 of them, all talking about \"Where is he? It says he should be in this somewhere.\" And \"you crazy bastard, what makes you think he's still in game? You know he's dead irl right?\" They got ambushed by the mobs that had ignored me, they weren't gonna last long. It was 36 against 200. I ran into the fray to help and realized things weren't quite going the same way the game mechanics used to, I yelled out to them, trying to activate my challenging roar to get their attention, and they all fled in terror instead of attacking me. The party didn't see me as my character, but instead as though I was a character in a cutscene, and wondered what had changed the dungeon.\n\nI stayed with this party, and helped them through each encounter, a little nudge here, a perfect block there, a much needed resurrection. The game no longer applied to me as it did them. I felt invincible, but then the party decided to call it quits for the night and teleport out using one of the checkpoints. I went to follow them out, and was unable to activate the teleporter. I sat in the game waiting at the checkpoint for what seemed like a few seconds, and the party came back. They all exclaimed \"Thank God that phantom is still here!\" Several hours had passed in what only seems like a few seconds for me. \n\nThe party cleared the dungeon, thanked the phantom they never knew was me, and said \"Man, Teag would have wanted to be a part of this! We'll be sure to list him on our clear party, even though he wasn't here physically, it still felt like he helped out!\" \n\nFrom thereon forward, only one instance was ever dedicated to a clear in the dungeon, it was the unnamed instance, where a phantom would be waiting for your party, open arms to aide you through your quest. They named the phantom Teag in my honor, and no one has ever known it really was me, running through the \"unbeatable\" dungeon time after time again, assisting these adventurers wherever I could, becoming a permanent part of the last piece of content in this game I had faithfully dedicated myself to.",
"I watch as digital wind blows artificial leaves around an abandoned town square. It's peaceful and quiet in this section of the game world. But at the same time ghostly as the emptiness of the streets reminds me of how I came to be here in this place. As I rethink it over I would have to guess that I've been here around 15 years now, it's hard to tell the seasons when they are only different in differing zones. I suppose if I had been like the others I would have put this silly fantasy game down a long time ago maybe I would have gotten married and had kids but instead I'm still here, probably always will be. I think I must have died while I was plugged in, it's the only thing I could think of that would prevent me from logging out indefinitely. Who knows?\n\nWhat I do know is that I have done everything you can possibly do in this game. I remember when the new expansions came out one by one I was excited to finally have something new to do and also excited by the surge of new players that would come with it. New people to interact with, to guide, to try and figure out what happened to me. Most thought I was just doing role play or at worst too weird to keep talking to. But I did make some friends. They were always amazed that I could do things that they couldn't and some even mistook me for a dev. After awhile I played along because it was easier. But those are now distant memories of what feels like ages ago. My guildhall has been empty of other players for a long time. \n\nThere is a movement in the street that pulls my attention back to the here and now but I see that it's only the npc clockmaker come to wind the big clock in tower at the center of the square as is usual for this time of day. You see there is something that has been bothering me for a long time now and that is that I have not seen another player for some time. As I have the entire world map explored and all the fast travel locations discovered you can imagine that I've done a fair bit of checking even going so far as to check other guildhalls for player activity.\n\nI knew a day like this might come, in fact I saw it slowly progressing to this point as player base diminished and regular content became less and less. This game world has died. Sure the servers might still be up but how long will that last and by extension how long does that give me? Does it even matter? I've done everything I can possibly do in this world. Is there a place where digital beings go when they cease to exist?\n\n\n\n\n(Oh god please forgive my awful writing, this is my first attempt ever at doing a WP and I'm doing it on my phone no less. I just had this idea about a dying/dead game world and felt I should try and share it)",
"This is my first time posting. I didn't follow the prompt exactly, but here it goes:\n\nI’m young. I just turned 16. My friends, they’re all getting their first cars and figuring out where they want to go to college. Not me. I have… other plans.\n\nYou see, I’m dying.\n\nNow, I know what you’re thinking. “Aw, you poor thing. I’d hate to be that unlucky.”\n\nAnd it’s true, it is unfortunate. Genetic therapy, advances in medicine, improved diets... these have all made my situation a rare thing. Rare, but not nonexistent.\n\nNonexistent. Dead. Gone.\n\nThat’s what I’ll be, while my friends, my family, and everyone I love will continue to live without me. At least, that’s what I was told… I was told I was dying, with no hope of salvation. That it’d take a miracle to save me. Not many believe in salvation or miracles, now.\n\nI know better. I know salvation is possible. And miracles? They’re real.\n\nYou see, I’ve been sick for a long, long time. As such, I’ve spent more time in virtual reality than the “real” world. It’s a good thing, virtual reality is. That we can simulate all aspects of life, all it has to offer, in a machine… it’s a miracle. I mean it, really.\n\nAfter all, what else would you call technology that allows me—me, with my broken body—to walk through Times Square alongside my family, to feel the crowd press against me, to hear people yell and cars honk, and to welcome the cool relief of a cloud passing over the sun.\n\nYou see, I’ve seen some… strange sights in the virtual world. Things that were not mere simulations of reality. Things of another reality.\n\nYou may know them as “ghosts in the machine.”\n\nI remember my first encounter with a ghost. We were in Paris.\n\nWell, I say we, but I was home in bed, too sick to travel, and my family was in Paris. I, as usual, joined them via virtual reality. Now, back to the story:\n\nSo, we’re walking along the streets of Paris when I realize I’m being followed by a stray. I tell my brother, Daniel, but he says me there’s nothing there. Just like that, the cat was gone.\n\nI’ve since seen other ghosts, following me, watching me. I didn’t know what they were, at the time. I’d just assumed they were mere glitches.\n\nThen, one time, I saw the cat again. And this time, time she’d left me a message.\n\n“I know your plight.”\n\nIt was then that I realized they were much more than glitches. And, after doing some research, I discovered an interesting theory… the ghosts, the theory said, were people. People who, for whatever reason, had left the world of the corporeal behind for the virtual.\n\nAnd the evidence?\n\nIt was an article on a young man who’d died while working on technology to digitize human consciousness. Family members claimed he still contacted them, in virtual reality. Most brushed it off as a coping mechanism.\n\nNot me. I’d met these ghosts. I knew it to be true the moment I read it.\n\nWhen the doctor told me my time was running out, I finally decided to reach out to the ghosts. To my shock and everlasting gratitude, I actually got an answer. The ghosts had seen how I used virtual reality to make myself a life when my body said I should have none.\n\nThey said I could join them, if I wished. I couldn’t believe it.\n\nNot just anyone can be a ghost in the machine, though. There are requirements. To be a ghost is to have a lot of power—the power to disappear in mountains of data where no one could ever find you, the power to create for yourself a paradise, the power to be whoever you want to be, whenever you want… the power to subvert death itself.\n\nSomehow, they’ve decided I can be trusted with the secrets to this power. Soon, I, too, will be a ghost in the machine.\n\nAs great as that may sound to you, I say this with great sadness. I really, really wish I could just live a regular “real” life. I’m sorry to leave the corporeal world. I wish I could live my life your domain, I do.\n\nBut I can’t.\n\nSo, today I write to you for the last time as a living, breathing human. I hope you all will be kind enough to meet me in my domain. I’ll always be waiting, listening. All you have to do is seek me out.\n\n- leftamark\n\np.s. Daniel and Emmy, I know you both read my posts. I expect you to fill Mom and Dad in. Thanks, as always, your brother, Mark.",
"It was 2am and my lieutenant was pulling me out the door before I became fully aware of what was going on. The emergency system had been activated, and red lights were flashing down every hallway in the 22-story building. As soon as we entered the main data bank, I pulled an engineer aside to brief me.\n\n\"What the hell is going on?\" I asked, probably coming off a little more callous than I meant.\n\n\"We've discovered an anomaly, sir,\" he said. \"It's ancient, buried in code back from the first generation of pods. We can't access it and we don't know why, but from the outside it looks like it could be a phantom cell.\"\n\n\"A what?\" I asked, incredulous. I knew what phantom cells were, just like I knew what fairies were: they were a fantasy.\n\n\"A phantom cell, sir,\" the engineer continued. \"We think we may have discovered the preserved consciousness of a person who died during the pilot round of VR pod entertainment.\"\n\nIt was ridiculous. These fabled preserved consciousnesses, or \"digital phantoms\" as they were colloquially known, were said to have been fairly rare, happening only once every few decades, largely by chance, had more recently been the subject of debunking by a series of digital historians. The historical community considered them to be nothing more than a modern version of the ancient ghost stories of our ancestors.\n\nBut the more I looked into the section of code in question (and I did scour it; I didn't just forget how to be a hacker when I got promoted, after all), the more I began to believe in the engineer's theory. And the more we poked and prodded at its defenses, the more we learned.\n\nIt didn't take long, a mere 3 hours, before another so-called \"phantom cell\" popped up in our radar system. This one was smaller, clearly younger and less fortified. We were already inside when we realized she was waiting for us.\n\nEverything happened in a blur. Headsets frying, pods shutting down, wires shorting, smoke and soot everywhere. Only a few of us made it out, with nothing but a laptop, a holo-tablet, and a flash drive containing the ancient phantom cell.\n\n\"Colonel,\" Lieutenant Cade began as he sat down next to me at the dining room table in a Department of Digital Defense safe house, \"we need to wake up the other phantom. I've been doing some research and I think I may know whose consciousness is in that code. Her name is Alexandra Davencourt, but her contemporaries seemed to refer to her as Sasha. She was born in 1998 and she died in one of the first prototype pods in 2024. And I think I may have found a way to infiltrate her code. We still can't break in, but we can seep through the cracks.\"\n\n\"So you're telling me you think this is a 3000 year old consciousness buried in ancient code, and you want to wake whatever poor soul is tucked away in there and force it to fight a malevolent virus that seems intent on frying everything it touches?\"\n\n\"Well it doesn't sound as agreeable when you put it that way,\" he stuttered,\" but yes. I believe this is the only way we can protect everyone whose out there. So many of our loved ones decided to live on in the code. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't email my dad anymore.\" Cade had a point. People had been downloading their consciousnesses at the end of their physical lives for generations, and literal billions were at risk if this viral phantom was left unchecked.\n\nIt had been three days and no one had any other ideas, so we did something I had long thought nothing more than a myth. We woke a ghost.\n----------------------------------------------------------------------\nThe day the world ended began like any other. The sun was shining as it always did, my breakfast of eggs and bacon and a latte was perfect as always, and there was one fluffy cloud in the sky as I drove to work, like there was every single day.\n\nExcept that day, the cloud didn't look vaguely like a sheep. No, on the day the world ended, the cloud looked like letters arranged into words in the sky.\n\n\"Sasha, this isn't real,\" the cloud read. It followed me to work, and suddenly everything changed. The sky got dark, the building changed color, and my car disappeared into thin air. I ran into my office as Gail began to fall from the sky, but all the people I encountered had become terrifyingly deformed caricatures of themselves. I sat down at my desk, hoping it was all a mean joke, and I noticed I had an email.\n\n\"SASHA, THIS ISN'T REAL,\" read the subject line. I opened it.\n\n\"We know this is scary, but we need your help. Copy the attached file to your hard drive and open it. We will protect you, but you need to trust us.\"\n\nI didn't know what else to do as the world literally crumbled around me, so I did what the email said. I doubled clicked on the file once it was installed, and everything around me disappeared. It felt like I was falling for what seemed like hours, and when I woke, I was looking through a window at a room unlike anything I'd seen before. There were two men dressed in military uniforms standing across from the window, staring at me.\n\n\"Alexandra Davencourt?\" the older man asked.\n\n\"It's just Sasha,\" I snapped before I even thought about it.\n\n\"You were right,\" he whispered to the other man. \"It is her.\" He turned back to me, and smiled. \"We are speaking to you now through a computer. You see, you died in 2024 during an electrical outage at the New England Virtual Reality Lab. Your consciousness was downloaded into the digital mainframe and it has been preserved there for 3000 years. We're so sorry for pulling you out of your afterlife, but we need your help. Someone like you, someone old and buried down deep, is threatening the lives of billions of people, and you are the only one who can stop it. You see, you can do things we can't do, you can get into places we can't reach, and most importantly, you can't be hurt by the virus.\"\n\nI was stunned. This was not really how I had expected this day to play out.",
"I had recently created my character in the online video game everyone enjoys so much. Everything was normal at first and I began grinding quests and leveling up. I noticed something move amongst the dense fog (I have a slow computer so I have to play with a tiny render distance). I thought it was a cow, so I perused them, hoping to grab some hide for armor.\n\nIt wasn't a cow though. Looking back at me was another character with the default skin, but his eyes were empty. I saw no name pop up. He didn't stay long, he looked at me and quickly ran into the fog. I pursued out of curiosity, but he was gone.\n\nI logged out and went on the forums to see if anyone else had found this pseudo-player. There were none. I created my own topic telling of the man and asking if anyone had a similar experience. The post was deleted within five minutes. I tried again, and the topic was deleted even faster. I received a PM from an account with no name containing one word: 'Stop.' When I went to look at his profile, the page 404'd.\n\nI received an email from another user. He claimed the mods could see other users messages, so it was safer using email. The emailer claimed that he had seen the mystery player too, and had a small 'directory' of other users who had seen him as well. Their all described their mystery player to have no pupils.\n\nAbout a month passed before I heard from my informer again. Some of the players who have encountered this mysterious man have looked into it. After some further information gathering, it was revealed to be a user who died in his VR pod, his soul trapped in the game.\n\nI have had no other encounters with this \"digital phantom\", but users have been regularly reporting his presence on the forums, and my informer soon informing them.\n\n...\n\nIf anyone knows the huge reference I have in that writing prompt, points for you. I decided to write this from the point of view of a player because I was reminded of an old myth I think some of you can find.",
"You know, I had a good life in Parallel Universe Online. I was able to make a good life for myself through hard work and lots of grinding, and then I started my own guild, which grew to prominence due to our serious raids. We grew to such prominence that we were able to influence the game itself, getting the developers to make changes that we were suggesting. At one point, we even started commercializing our operations. Everyone in the guild would grind for rare loot and sell it to other players for high prices paid in real-world currency. I, as the leader, got a small cut of millions of annual sales. Unfortunately, the person who I thought would be a fitting heir in the case of my 'untimely demise' ended up tracking my location and sending an assassin to kill me in my sleep. The last thing I remember before I died was being half asleep and half awake. I remember the words that gave my second-in-command away: \"Malborox sends his regards.\" Then, the glass of my pod broke and a bullet pierced my skull.\n\nAnd yet, I do not see heaven, or hell, or reincarnation. I do not even see the innards of my own coffin. I see PUO. I am standing at the middle of our guild headquarters, an extravagant building that I built with my sweat and blood. People are scattered around, standing in black clothing. They are all uncomfortably quiet. Is this... My funeral? Wait, this can't be my funeral. Jolly music is playing, and food is served. I see my second-in command talking to some people in black. He is wearing a white suit with a black tie, and it seems like he's having the time of his life. Oh, the sly fox. He postponed my funeral to make space for his coronation as guild leader. \n\nEven though the bastard did kill me what feels like moments ago, I still cannot believe that he would be stupid enough to postpone my funeral. I had to make sure, so I walked up to a woman, tapped her on the shoulder, and prepared to ask a question. \"Excuse me, this may seem like a silly question, but what is this event dedicated to?\"\n\nAt first, she seemed neutral. Then, her expression gradually started changing. Her face lost all color, and she fainted. Someone ran up to her to give her assistance, and they did not seem to notice me. \n\nOh. I'm a ghost.\n\nI sit down on a seat. This is a lot of information to swallow. First, my heir kills me, then I become a ghost in the game. Does this mean that game mechanics still apply to me? I slammed my foot on the ground. No, it does not seem like I have the ability to noclip. I think I have the ability to get people to notice me, but only when I want them to. I mean, none of these people see the dead man walking, but that woman did when I tried talking to her. Well, what about my inventory? I open it, and the only gear I have is my casual outfit: a black tracksuit. Let me check my character stats, maybe there is something good.\n\nI opened my stats. Wait, what the hell is this? New class: Ghost? This is strange. My class was ranger before I died. Did the developers prepare for something like this, or is this the game writing itself? I checked the abilities I had. I expected to see the hundreds of powers I've amassed over the years, but nope, only two: a passive and two actives. The passive was *No Invite Needed: All barriers that can be opened and closed are always open to you*. The Actives were *Ghostly Relocation: Relocate yourself to any fast travel point* and * Hand of the Revenant: Crush the player and their avatar with one fell swoop.* Wait, the player AND their avatar? What does that mean? Well, I definitely have a suspicion of what it means. I suppose I have a chance to test it very soon.\n\nA notification appeared on my HUD. *All guests please proceed to the main hall for the coronation of Malborox*. Well, I would hate to miss my own apprentice's rise to power.\n\nI walked to the main hall with the rest of the guests. A stage was erected in the front of the hall, in the middle of the stage, there was a pedestal. A pillow rested on the pedestal, and the Key that granted ownership to the guild lay on that pillow. I always carried it the pocket of my coat. I patted it. It was not there. The jolly music stopped, replaced by the eerie silence. The lights dimmed, and lights pointed at the stage turned on. A priest from the Faith stood on the stage, ready for the ceremony. On the other side of the stage was the bloody traitor, Malborox.\n\n\"Ladies and gentlemen of the Paniron Merchant's Guild: We were all shaken when we heard about the untimely demise of Valissen, the founder of this guild. We all wondered if everyone would be okay, if the position of leader would be passed to the right person. Well, I am here to tell you it will. Before Valissen died, he made sure to mention who would lead the guild after he would be gone from this world. I present to you the man who will become your leader in just a few moments: Malborox!\"\n\nMalborox smiled and started speaking. \"Thank you priest. May we begin the ceremony?\"\n\nAnd so they did. Malborox knelt down, and the Priest took a gilded sword out of a silver sheath. He held the sword with both hands, pommel just under the chest, blade pointing up. \"Malborox, do you swear to uphold the principles of the guild, and act to further its interests?\"\n\n\"I do.\" Sure he will. We were doing great when I died, the bastard will throw us into a recession.\n\n\"Do you swear to uphold the principles of what is good and morally correct, and be ethical in your trade?\"\n\n\"I do.\" He broke his oath before he even swore it.\n\n\"Do you swear to honor the memory of your mentor, Valissen the Founder?\"\n\n\"I do.\" Well, he honored me well by sending a cutthroat to kill me. Well, my revenge will come very soon. In a minute or two, perhaps.\n\nThe Priest lightly set the dull blade of the sword on the left shoulder of Malborox, then on the right, before lightly placing it on his head. He sheathed the sword. \"Rise Malborox.\"\n\nThe Priest walked up to the pedestal and picked up the pillow. He then returned to his initial position, and faced Malborox. Malborox made a motion with his hand to take the key, but then pulled it back, as if he remembered something.\n\nThe Priest began to speak. \"Before we complete this sacred ritual, does anybody object to the leadership of Malborox, and speak against the wishes of Valissen?\"\n\nMy time to shine. \"I wish to object against the leadership of Malborox.\"\n\nEveryone turned around, to face my spot in the crowd, including Malborox and the priest. I heard hushed whispers. The people around me seemed to be surprised, maybe even shocked. The whispers grew louder. They all had mentions of my name. Valissen.\n\nI started walking through the crowd, who so kindly moved aside for me. \"I am not however, going against the wishes of Valissen, for reasons that should be obvious to you by now. I object against this bastard's leadership because he is the one who ordered my death.\"\n\nThe whispers grew louder. Malborox seemed very scared. I stepped onto the stage, and started walking closer to him. He inched away from me. \"You are lying!\"\n\n\"What reason do I have to lie? I have nothing to earn from this, I am already dead.\"\n\n\"You always hated me! This is your final act of revenge!\"\n\n\"Well, one of those statements is definitely true.\"\n\nI activated the Hand of the Revenant. I put my left hand around Malborox's neck and started choking him. He tried to get it off him, but it didn't work. He tried to claw at my hands. I didn't feel the pain. And, after a long period of struggling, Malborox finally died. I walked up to the priest, and took the Key from the pillow. Then, I activated Ghostly Relocation, and disappeared into a cloud of mist.\n\nI checked then news the next day. The headlines were all about yesterday's event. Malborox 'the Traitor' has died two days after the mentor he betrayed, Valissen the Founder. His time of death in the real world was the same as his time of death in-game. I was being given many names. The ghost of Valissen the Founder. The spirit that had matters to settle. The unfriendly ghost.\n\nThe Digital Phantom.\n\n----------------------------\n\n**Thanks for reading, feedback and criticism is very appreciated.**",
"######[](#dropcap)\n\n\"What will you give me that I could want?\" \n\nKieran watched the player's avatar as he scratched his head--an idle gesture--as he contemplated the question. In Harkstone, Kieran was known as a trader. But he didn't just trade in in-game items. He traded in out-of-game items as well. Ones that he conjured out of thin air simply by thinking about them.\n\nHe tapped his booted foot on the cobblestone path, then turned around and sat down on a wooden crate, bringing his sword in front of him so it settled on his lap. The player stared at his sword, his own tiny dagger hanging in its leather sheath. Kieran didn't blame him. His sword wasn't really a sword at all, but a curved, double edged blade that could serve as a gun as well. It was of a crescent shape, with a handle in the middle that extended out into a barrel with a trigger on the bottom. \n\nHe had created it after he had gotten sick of players trying to come up and stab him in the back to see if he could die. It didn't hurt of course, but it was bothersome nonetheless. So a character death or two often taught them enough of a lesson to leave him alone. \n\nHe yawned, glancing around the market. Little booths had been set up, each with a wooden platform and a cloth awning, selling wares. His own stand was simply a crate that changed location day by day. Otherwise he'd get flooded. All sorts of creatures roamed the streets. Elves, orcs, and even a Disney character or two. Those in particular were his doing. If there was one thing Kieran in his almighty status in this domain lacked, it was knowledge of the outside world. And for anyone who wanted an avatar that the game didn't provide, they needed a particularly juicy piece of info.\n\nHe sighed. \"Kid, if you don't have anything, get moving. Come back when you're ready to answer.\" \n\nThe player who was clearly new to the game--with nothing but tatters for clothes and simple cloth shoes--shuffled to the side. \"Sorry, Nightguard.\" That was the avatar name he'd settled on for the past two years.\n\nWell--he glanced at the setting sun--that was it for the day. Getting up, he snapped his fingers, and the pile of crates that vaguely resembled a throne disappeared. Then he headed toward the outskirts of town, past all the fake brothels and boarded up shops. The game was still in beta, so some features hadn't been released yet. He could have just teleported, of course, but then he would have to find a way to fill up the long empty nights, somehow. \n\nSome days, he spent out in the town, participating in events such as the town dance. But he soon got sick of those as more and more players learned of his presence, instead crowding around him to try and get him to fulfill a wish. He walked into his cottage and had just set down his blade when a message popped up. \n\n*Kieran?* \n\nHe froze. He pulled up the message, glancing at the username. Fayegirl97. He didn't understand why, but it rung a bell. \n\n*Who are you?* He sent the message off with a swipe of his hand in the air. Nothing. He paced back and forth, his boots scuffing the wooden floorboards. His hands clenched into fists. No one knew his real identity here. How had they found him? \n\nIt didn't really matter, of course. Now that he was dead. But some sense of humanity still clung to him, some part that hated being outed without his permission. He could easily ban the user, and he would, as soon as he figured out what was going on. \n\n*Kieran, is it really you?? It's Lisa!*\n\nHe could feel goosebumps running down his arm. It wasn't possible. This had to be some kind of joke. It had to be. He pulled up the menu and pinpointed her location. The marketplace. Without hesitating, he teleported over to where she was, landing just a couple of paces behind her. \n\nShe had a human avatar. Just a normal human one. And somehow, that knowledge gave him hope. Her account had just been created thirty seconds ago. \n\nHe walked up, hesitantly. Maybe he was afraid she would disappear. That somehow, he had found the ability to dream, and she was just a figment of his imagination. She turned around, and he could see the small bubble above her head that indicated she was typing. \n\n*I asked one of your friends, and he said he knew your old username, so I tracked it to you, and I wasn't sure, but I had to try.* \n\nHe could imagine her in real life now, the rim of her eyes red, as she held in her tears, her lower lip trembling. He could still conjure up the image of her face in his mind. Her round face, with so much baby fat, and her large eyes. \n\nOverriding the programming of the game, which currently didn't allow for physical contact, he walked forward and gave her a hug. It was an empty gesture; he couldn't feel it, but he knew she could see it on the screen. And that would have to be enough. \n\nThen he stood back, typing and wishing that he could say the words aloud, with his own voice. \n\n*Hey, little sis. How have you been?*\n\n*****\n\nr/AlannaWu",
"I had imagined being fearful, if I ever opened my eyes again. There would be so many difficult questions to answer, so many truths to avoid. I was vaguely aware that suicide was still an offence, even for minors like myself, and I had heard that the state could take me away from my family, perhaps to stick me somewhere white and padded until I was no longer a threat to myself. Fear of having to admit to my parents that I was not strong enough, fear that they would find out what a mess my life had become…\n\nInstead, I felt… relief. \n\nIt must have had something to do with grandma being there. She always understood, never judged. Her fingers were already brushing my cheeks before the tears had the chance to fall to my hospital gown. I wanted to raise my hands to hold hers, but I couldn’t – the restraints were too tight.\n\n“Oh, Lauren,” she said, as she planted a kiss on my forehead. “I’m so sorry you felt that way. If I had known…”\n\n“Where… where’s mum and dad? Do they know?”\n\n“Of course, they were the ones who found you first. Almost gave them a heart attack, you did. Lucky thing the airlift evacs were already on the way when you started bleeding out in the Pod. I shooed them home, forced them to get some sleep. They’ll be back in the morning.”\n\nThe thought of them returning hardened my heart, and I found myself gritting my teeth. I was already preparing myself for the usual onslaught of useless, senseless nonsense from them – how I was taking my life for granted, how I was wasting my time in the Pod, why couldn’t I be more like all the other kids in school. \n\nIt sickened me, and my stomach churned.\n\n“I… don’t want to see them, grandma. They don’t understand… no one understands!”\n\n“Understand what, love?”\n\nBut I couldn’t explain it to her.\n\nHow does one tell your grandma that you’ve never belonged? That the world never felt like it had a place for you? That it didn’t matter how hard you tried to study, or how much effort you put into fitting in… life was a round hole, and there was no peg more square than I was. The Pod though… the Pod was my only relief, my one respite. No other place made me feel more… anonymous, yet appreciated.\n\nIf I couldn’t cut it in reality, if the Pod was the only virtual world where I yearned to be… if everyone told me that that was wrong… \n\nThen I really, *really* saw no point in going on.\n\nGrandma opened her mouth, primed another question, then saw the look in my eyes and thought better of it. Instead, she turned my arms over, ran her fingers along the stitches the robodocs had sewn. I flinched, of course. The cuts were deeper than I had thought, fuelled with rage and rejection. I readied myself for the next round of reprimands, which was why grandma’s statement caught me completely off guard.\n\n“You know the Phantom was the one who called the emergency services, don’t you?”\n\nI blinked hard, just in case I had heard her wrong, but the knowing smile on her face convinced me that I had heard her just right.\n\n“How did you know that I saw... was looking for the Phantom…”\n\n“You make the mistake of assuming that grandma was never young before,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye. She rolled up her own sleeve then, and turned to show me the tiny microchip embedded at the joint of her shoulder, a plain square of silicon just below the skin. “In my time we didn’t have any fancy neural jacks like you do now. To access Holoworld, we had to rely on full-body implants like these. This is my 2FA entry pass, right here.”\n\n“So… you know about the Phantom too?”\n\n“Who doesn’t?”\n\nIndeed, who didn’t? The real genius was in getting AI to construct the virtual world – they had the capacity for the tedium, the discipline for the detail, and ironically enough, the flair for life. Once the initial game developers had handed the torch over to AI, Holoworld really came alive. Countless holobooks and omnipedias had been written about the intricate, unending territories in Holoworld, accessible only through the Pod, and over a century later, almost every corner of it had been mapped.\n\nExcept for one character, whose full biography had never been chronicled. Which only increased the mystery of the Phantom a thousand-fold.\n\n“I… I thought I would like to see the Phantom for myself,” I said. “I’d spent so much time in the Pod that I thought it would be fitting. Catch a glimpse of him, tick it off my bucket list, then check out of this… existence.”\n\n“And where did you go to find him?”\n\nI couldn’t help but grin. Few things got me genuinely excited like talking about Holoworld, and it was strange that a virtual reality game would bridge the gap of decades between grandma and me. “I reasoned that he would be in the Forests of Delvar, and what do you know, I was right.”\n\n“The Forests? Where the toughest monsters roam? Wouldn’t it make more sense that he would be hiding on a deserted, monster-free mountain or something instead?”\n\n“That’s where you’re wrong, grandma. People think that since he’s so powerful, he’s got to be able to kill all the monsters… but I think that’s the best place for him to hide. He can take out just about anyone he wants, and no one will be the wiser! Everyone will just think the monsters did it!”\n\n“And did you see him? The Phantom?”\n\nThe memory seemed like it was from a lifetime ago, shrouded in layers of gauze. “I did, actually. He was walking through the underbrush, without a care in the world, as all manner of beasts waged war about him. I startled him, I think, when I called out for him.”\n\n“Then? What did you do next?”\n\nI smiled, then shook my head. I could remember bits of it leading up to the encounter, of course, but I would rather not have recounted how I fell to my knees, how I cried, how I screamed that I was finally done with this frickin’ life. Or how I alt-tabbed, focused on the knife I had prepared in real life, then brought it across my flesh.\n\nGrandma squeezed my hand. I closed my eyes, and hoped that she would go away. I didn’t like her to see me like this.\n\n“I saw him too, you know. The Phantom. Years ago.”\n\nMy eyebrows perked up on their own. “Seriously?”\n\n“Oh yes. For sure. His was the first documented deathglitch in the Pod, you know. Happened just about a year or two after Holoworld released. The rumors, they were all over the net. The first known case of a human being trapped in Holoworld, beholden to no code, transcending death entirely.”\n\n“There was an effort to erase him, wasn’t there?”\n\n“Nah, they couldn’t. They tried, of course. Even got the AI to try to develop hunting programs for him. But he was untouchable. I think at one point the government even contemplated a full server wipe just to get rid of him.”\n\n“The government got involved?”\n\nGrandma rolled her eyes… I think, at me. “Can you imagine how many people thought to kill themselves too, in the Pod, just for the chance at that same miracle? The government had to act before the panic set in, until the Phantom… proved that he wasn’t a threat, after all. In fact, it turned out that the Phantom had been appearing to every single person who had tried to end it in the Pod, and dissuaded almost every single one of them. Those he couldn’t convince, well, he ensured that the authorities were notified. Just like it was the case for you.”\n\nFor some reason, that rang a bell. I shook my head, tried to clear the cobwebs away… but something lingered at the periphery of my memory, just out of reach, a golden star at the top of the Christmas tree.\n\n“The Phantom… he helped others… like me?”\n\n“Correct. For me… I walked the same path as you once, I think. I don’t even remember how I felt, or what drove me to it. Searching for meaning, perhaps. Trying to make sense of it all, feel more important than what I really felt. I chose the knife too, actually. But the Phantom got to me, just before I could sink it in.”\n\nGrandma turned her wrist to me, and I craned my neck to see. A tiny incision, a miniature ‘V’, just over the vessels I had committed to memory.\n\n“Those who never met the Phantom claim that he uses his powers, rewrites something in your mind. That’s hogwash. Even he couldn’t do that. No, the Phantom… he just… freezes time, for a while. He speaks to you, hears you out… gives you endless opportunity to bare your soul to him. He gave me that chance, and I came out of it... different. I took one step at a time, one step... then life turned around, it seems. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. *You* wouldn't be here.”\n\n“But I don’t… remember…”\n\n“It’ll come back to you, Lauren. Over time. There’s a lot to unpack there.”\n\n“What did he say to you?”\n\nGrandma laughed, then patted my shoulder. “Some things are mine forever, love. But I’ll help you recall. If I remember, he likes to use the same starting line, for everyone who tries to die in his realm. Yes, it’s his realm, no matter how you cut it.”\n\nGrandma leaned in close, and spoke so softly that none of the receivers in the room could pick it up. That was our bond, strengthened a hundred times over. Our shared secret, co-owned by every other lost soul like me, like her, who had been touched, just for a while, a tiny fraction of time. It sent shivers across my skin, and suddenly I knew it was no figment of make-believe. It was real. He had said those same words to me, and so, so much more. Words I would eventually recall, lessons I would live unknowingly.\n\n“Be strong, be strong. The world is harsh, and you have got but one chance at it. Yet, if you’re a true gamer, someone who never backs down from a challenge… wouldn’t you want to play life at the hardest difficulty? Wouldn’t victory be so much sweeter then?”\n\n---\n\n/r/rarelyfunny \n",
"Is it possible to be alive when you're really just a disembodied consciousness? \n\nThe question lingers on my lips as my sword passes through a player's avatar, bisecting them at the waist. As he falls, his party's Cleric raises her hands to invoke the blessing of her God, weaving the conjuration for *vitality*. \n\nShe manages two symbols before she no longer has hands to cast with. She slumps to her knees, blood spewing from her stumps. \n\nI turn, not one to miss a beat at the sight of gore. The Paladin faces me, encased in light, greatsword outstretched in the motion for a duel. \n\nNormally, if one were to capitulate to such a challenge, they'd be locked in a fight with the Paladin, unable to interact or be damaged by those around them. \n\n*Normally* being the operative word. \n\nI tap swords to initiate the duel before spinning around, finishing the party's thrashing remains of a Cleric and completing the arc at the neck of the Rogue who'd been poised to backstab me once the duel was finished, invisible to all but myself and his allies. \n\nThe Paladin barely has time to comprehend what has occurred, squandering what precious few seconds he has before my sword embeds itself in his chest, evaporating his aura of light and leaving him impaled on my weapon. \n\n\"*Yo-you're hacking*,\" he splutters, blood trickling from his lips despite the game's R-13 rating. \n\nEven if I exist as a part of it, the game doesn't quite seem to register me as an entity within its confines; rather, I'm defined by the factors which would've limited me as a human. As an adverse effect, so are those that engage with me.\n\nThat is to say, the blood isn't a part of the game. It's all too real. \n\n\"Not hacking,\" I chide, unsheathing the weapon from his chest, a quick boot to the man's kidney leaving him on his back. \n\nI plant my foot on his chest, the extremities of my armour twisting against his wound, accelerating the blood-loss. The game doesn't constrain me. I'm an outsider, a predator in a foreign land, and every player is my quarry. \n\n\"Just better than you,\" I finish, leaning forward to wipe my blade on his armour. *No exceptions.* \n\nAlready, his form is losing tangibility, disintegrating as cracks begin to run up along his skin like spiderwebs. The player is dying. \n\nHe opens his mouth to ask a question; possibly a *why*, a *how* or a *who*. All the usual cliches, trying to uncover a mystery that doesn't lend itself to being discovered or made sense of. \n\nBefore he can finish, I slice his throat, letting my weapon fall beside him. It reforms in its sheath, *thunking* into position as I turn on my feet, leaving another party of dead behind me. \n\nI'm not technically alive; I'm merely a ghost, a 'digital phantom' as they say. \n\nI clench my fist, the blood trickling in between my fingers. \n\nBut *this*, this makes me feel more alive than I ever could have. The blood, the rush, the adrenaline thumping through an artificial body. It's paradoxical, this pleasure. This simulacrum of reality. \n\nFuck the real world. \n\nI'm at home right here. "
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[WP] Satan has been reborn to kickstart the apocalypse, he never realized how limiting a human body is and how little power he actually has in one. | 26 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It all started with the surprised reaction of the chosen subject. It had been planned for well over a year from his perspective, but she had gone through the duration with no idea. The doctors didn’t wait to give her the news, simply handing him over. In what should have been the happiest moment of her life, she could do nothing but tremble and shiver. Tremble and shiver at the sight of him. \n\nFather, whoever he had been, hadn’t bothered to show up, much like he hadn’t shown for the multiple appointments, or the ultrasound, or the baby-shower. Over the coming years, as he began to gain more conscious control of his new-found body, Satan found it ironic to think he wasn’t the worst person in the household. He was a monster, but he wasn’t *that* bad. \n\nSchool was an interesting beast, far more savage then he had expected. \nMaybe the world was changing, but the other children didn’t seem fond of the red eyes or the scars under his eyes.\nMaybe the world was less expecting then humans like to believe, because when he was asked what he wanted to do when he was a grownup, he got laughed out of the room. What was so funny with the answer ‘I want to rid the world of trash’. \n\nIt was high school where he expected things to be different, for the plan to finally look achievable. The stigma was that a boy’s biology changes once one reaches that age, but nobody had ever explained to him exactly how. \n\nThe bullying was what probably made him want to use his powers so early in development. Apparently being “weird” is a criminal offence in the world he had watched for eternity. He had been thrown to the ground and wailed with kicks one time too many, he thought. Something had to give. \n\nHe clambered to his feet, as awkwardly as he did all things, and with all of his might tried to conjure the flames of the pits he had called home. While in his other form, it was all about willpower anyway, his powers came because he was confident enough to use them. \nNaturally his eyes were closed, as he didn’t want to burn his eyes, which were surprisingly sensitive. \nIn the few seconds that followed he couldn’t help but smile. Whatever had happened, it must have been cool. \nBut he heard no screams, he felt no fear in the air, and the courtyard was still a chilly -2. He opened his left eye first, welcomed by the familiar feeling of laughter. The bullies, the bystanders, even the teacher who had made her way over to interfere; all of them couldn’t contain their amusement. \nHe reached down, grabbed his bag and made for the school entrance. The teacher tried to stop him, told him there were still classes for the day, but the prison of school was not going to contain the devil on this day. \n\nHe was surprised to see the fan still on as he walked through the door. Down the corridor to the living room, the blaring lights of the television glimmered. He dragged his feet down the corridor and threw his bag aside as he grabbed the remote and turned it off. Mother was on the couch, but once she was asleep, she wasn’t waking for some time. Every time he saw her like this, he wondered if she ever would. \n\nSweet mother, with a smile on her face as she slept, a smile that took all the age and decay out of perception. \n\nSweet mother, who had lived for years being ostracised because people hadn't liked her son. \n\nSweet mother, the only being on the planet he had made a difference to, and the only person, to him, that mattered. \n",
"At three years old, Stan uttered his first words. \n\n\"Da-\"\n\nHis father's head turns so fast, it nearly cracks. \"Son? Son! Are you going to say your first words?\"\n\nThe child stares up at him, eyes wide, a red fire burning deep within. (The doctor had said it was fine and to take '12 exorcisms, twice daily')\n\n\"Dadd-da-\"\n\n\"You can do it, Stan! MARTHA!! HE'S SAYING HIS FIRST WORDS!\"\n\n\"I'll be right there, Albert! Get the camera!\"\n\n\"Dadddadadadadada-\"\n\nThe two parents cluster around their child, cooing and clacking their teeth. \n\n\"Dad, what is the fastest route to obtaining limitless power?\"\n\nAlbert and Martha stare at the child.\n\nStan stares back.\n\n\"Well, son, I, er, I guess, by being a very good boy?\"\n\nAs a child, Stan was a very good boy.\n\nIt wasn't until his early teenage years when he finally realized his father *might* have lied to him. \n\nBy this time, he was already on the fast track through high school. The world was his oyster, in a sense, but a rather limited one. It was the early 1950's, and there was no internet to educate a young child on the methods of creating a nuclear bomb, nor was there a convenient war (he missed that one) to manipulate into global destruction.\n\nNo, Stan needed a slower solution. He was immortal, after all, and he had plenty of time to end the world.\n\nAnd so, Stan, with his knowledge of human nature and solid foundation in business from his father, started a fast food chain.\n\n^^^^^r/forricide"
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[WP] The appearance of everyone in the world accurately reflects that persons thoughts. It's more predictable than you would think, until you meet someone who looks rather unusual. | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"My face was perfectly symmetrical. It had no flaws. My perfectly symmetrical face represented my perfect thoughts and views on everything. People referred to people like me as the ideal person. I didn’t mix around with the other people. The area I live in admits people with only perfectly symmetrical features. The school I go to also admits only people with perfectly symmetrical features. \n\nWe do not talk to people with crooked faces that are known to be sly or people with quirky features that are known to be weird. People have always either had perfect, crooked or quirky features. This made it possible for us to distinguish who belongs where. I mean, you really can’t expect me to mingle with someone sly or weird now can you? I would never let myself do so. But yesterday, I let my guard down and I am really glad I did. \n\nYesterday as I was walking back from school, something in the park caught my eye. A girl. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was seated on the swing, scribbling into a book. I couldn’t see her entire face but she had luscious, golden hair and a perfectly symmetrical face. What else do I need to know?\n I walked up to her boldly and said, “Excuse me?” \nShe looked up and that is when I saw it. Her face was symmetrical, yes. But her nose, it was odd. It was a little crooked. I must be imagining things I thought and came back to reality. \n“If you don’t mind me asking,” I said politely “I was pretty curious as to what you were scribbling in your book.” \n“Oh!” She exclaimed and smiled. And that is when I saw it again, her smile, it was quirky and so were here gleaming eyes. \nShe was already showing me the drawings she had made. They were beautiful, I think. I was too captivated by her beauty and uniqueness to pay attention to the artwork. \n\nHer beauty was spellbinding. It was so spellbinding that I forgot I had to get home and study. I sat in the park with her for hours as she talked. All I did was listened. A lot of her thoughts were perfect, with no flaws. But some were pretty weird which I strangely liked. Again some of her thoughts were pretty sly, which again I strangely seemed to like. Everything she spoke made so much sense. It felt like her thoughts had touched me and changed me. But that is impossible, right? Exactly what I thought too. \n\nBut today as I looked into the mirror, I noticed something different about me. There was a quirky gleam in my eye. I smiled. I didn’t notice anything crooked but I am hoping for it to kick in after my trip to the park.\n\n______________________________________\n\nSorry if there are any typos or punctuation errors\n"
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[WP] You're a low-level monster in the dungeon of a famous rpg. Your life is pretty carefree, because most heroes don't make it past a couple floors. You come back from lunch break to find your coworkers are terrified. A lone hero is beating all the traps/creatures, and he's almost at your floor. | 105 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I walked back to my post, morosely greeting my fallen comrades. No one looked up, all of us, trapped in our own personal hells even while enduring this real one. And to what end, defending our demonic enslaver? I should have never made that pact, for hundreds of years I face the same torturous trials all so that I could fight on in that one battle. My mortal hopes and dreams seem so distant these days, all mixed up together in some relic of a tapestry, a battlefield, a demonic army, a woman's face, and a pact to fight on after death in defense of what I love. And I must have really loved her, sacrificing my afterlife in her defense had seemed so romantic at the time, what they never tell you in the stories though, is that eternity lasts a lot longer than a woman. Sigh, I hear whips cracking in the distance, let the pain begin again, let her face be washed away in the agony, let the daily ritual commence.\n\nAs the demonic overseer approached, I could tell something was different today, his usual eager demeanour at the pain he was about to inflict was replaced by hurried motions and an air of frantic action. He gesticulated wildly as he grew closer, and the moment he came within range, I felt his bidding slam into my consciousness. Like a smith's hammer shaping a blade, a beating call to action dominated my mind. I needed to kill the hero. I needed to kill the hero. I needed to kill the hero.\n\nReadying my blade, I allowed my mind to fall deeper into the domination, over the years I had found that total acceptance of the command allowed at least a little bit of my consciousness to function normally, while the rest became obsessed with carrying out the action. In this small part of my brain, I felt excitement, and even happiness, emotions that I hadn't experienced since my time with the living, since my last time with her. Finally, a chance at an enemy, finally a chance to truly die and escape the pain. I hadn't been able to fight against the mind domination much, just small things, taking a bit longer to do a command, or a brief hesistations in the actions required. However I hoped this would be enough to dull my reflexes and allow the hero's weapons to crush me out of this hellish existence.\n\nThe dull thud of battle, and cries of pain could be heard nearing as I stood lost in thought. The last time I had heard these sounds, I fought back to back with my lover, us wielding our matching greatswords in a dance so deadly none could stand before us. Until they did. Well, this would not be my time to stand to the hero, this time, I would be the one perishing. And as the hero rounded the corner, my dominated mind took control. My feet brought me into a charge, and I whispered to myself, \"lover, I come to join you now\".\n\nThis hero was strong. He cut great swathes through our ranks, his giant sword cleaving directly through some of my comrades, they too seemed a tad slower than I could remember. I silently wished them happiness and peace as they escaped this place. And then the hero was before me, he wore heavy armor, and any opening that I might have seen exposed to my sword had long since been covered in gore from his previous conquerings. His blade met mine, metal on metal, and a loud clanging rang out over the battlefield. He struck again and I parried deftly. NO! I thought to myself, I need to lose this battle, I need him to strike me down. But my battle-trained reflexes and domianted mind were too powerful, denying me even the ability to lose a fight. He engaged again, only to be beaten off by my blade. I registered in the back of my mind a posture of surprise from the hero, as if he hadn't encountered someone who fought like this before. Please, please let him have what it takes to beat me. I was dragged to the offensive, delivering a series of brutal overhand chops. The last one caught him a glancing blow across the temple and as he stumbled back I pressed my advantage. Striking again out towards his head, his helmet was sundered in two, knocking him down and leaving his neck exposed to my blade. I hesitated for a moment as long flowing hair spilt out from the hero's broken neckplate. A beaten bloodied face turned towards me, and as I raised my sword to deliver the killing blow, I saw something terrifying. I saw a face I recognized, a woman's face, on a battlefield, behind me a demonic army, and in her eyes a pact to fight on after death for what she loved.\n\n\"Death\" she said \"is not the only escape.\" And I hesitated.",
"Glug returned to find all the other kobolds trying to act as natural as possible yet something was very, very wrong.\n\nGlug approached his friend and colleague, Zeb but before he could utter a word, Zeb hushed him.\n\n\"There is a lone adventurer defeating all the dungeon bosses, he's about to hit this floor. Act natural and be ready to gank him as soon as he aggros\"\n\nGlug took his position at the far side of the room next to the wall.\n\nAs the door opened the kobolds gasped at the grotesque naked adventurer. His face was distorted beyond what was thought possible. As though someone grabbed both cheeks and stretched his face at birth. The only thing more noticeable was his bright neon green pig tails flailing wildly in the air as he moved.\n\nThe lone adventurer slowly and methodically maneuvered his way around the outer wall of the room avoiding the seemingly random yet predictable movements of the kobolds.\n\nUntil he reached Glug. Glug wandered ever so close to this abomination yet the adventurer was undeterred, as though he knew Glug was going to stop and change direction. \n\nWhat this adventurer did not predict however was Zeb, who wandered too close to this monstrosity. In a loud screech Zeb cried \"ATTA....\" But before he could finish his sentence and before the other kobolds could react they felt a sudden calmness lift over them, completely forgetting the adventurer was still creeping along the wall.\n\nAfter the calm passed over Glug, he looked over to the adventurer one last time. As the adventurer finished drinking a strange yellow liquid from a vial, Glug overheard the adventurer mutter \"stupid fucking trash\" before exiting the large room and entering the bosses room.",
"So. There I am, sitting in the dining hall, eating my sandwich, when Randy runs in screaming about the end times. I ignore him at first. Randy's always panicking about something. A good guy, but just a *little* paranoid.\n\nBut his next line catches my attention.\n\n\"He's down to the eighth floor!\"\n\nMy sandwich slips from my hands and splatters all over the floor. An unfortunate loss of a good lunch, but I have more pressing matters on my mind.\n\nI make my way over to Randy, and grab him by the shoulders.\n\n\"Randy. Randy, calm down, and say that again.\"\n\nHe takes several deep breaths.\n\n\"The eighth floor, Dave. They're all dead.\"\n\n\"No. No, that can't be. I've been working in this dungeon for fifty-four years, and never have I seen anyone even get past the *fifth*.\"\n\n\"It's true, Dave. You know how Tuesday is doughnut day here on the tenth floor, right? Well, we had a few left over, so I went up to ask Mark on the eighth if he wanted any. And... and I found...\"\n\nHe didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was all too clear.\n\nShit.\n\nThis was bad. This was *really* bad.\n\nNo. Pull yourself together, Dave. We have emergency plans for this sort of thing.\n\n\"Okay, Randy. You remember how contingency plan Styx goes, right? I need you to activate it. The gate is on the eleventh floor, wing 8A. The passcode is 4177.\"\n\n\"Are you sure, Dave? I don't know if I can do this.\"\n\n\"I believe in you, Randy. Now go. The fate of our dungeon depends on you.\"\n\nHe nods, and dashes off.\n\nAlright. Time for me to play my part. I leave the dining hall and climb the stairs to the ninth floor, praying that I wasn't too late.\n\nSoon enough, I saw this new \"hero\" in the distance, slaughtering his way through hordes of \"evil monsters\". What a load of bullshit. We spend our lives training to guard these dungeons, and this bastard thinks he can come in and take it all away?\n\n\"Hey!\"\n\nHe turns around and sees me.\n\n\"Hey, you! What the hell do you think you're doing here?\"\n\n\"What do you think? I'm clearing this dungeon.\"\n\n\"You know you're not supposed to be on this floor. How did you get here?\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Stop feigning ignorance. Everything past the fifth floor in this dungeon is restricted to devs only. You know what happens when you break the rules.\"\n\nI see the fear in his eyes. Good.\n\nTime to strike the final blow.\n\n\"Tell me, does the name 'Styx' mean anything to you?\"\n\n\"No way...\"\n\n\"Oh, yes. Aaron 'Styx' James, better known as the Banhammer. I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you deserve it.\"\n\n---\n\n/r/jwfiredragonwrites",
"It was another terribly boring day in The Grundlwatz Cavern of Chaos, but Blanziax couldn't care less. As a goblin under the employ of one of the craziest wizards known to the age, he was perfectly content to patter around the dingy corridors of Grundlwatz's twisted cavern \"guarding\" things with the other minions. Though what he was supposed to be guarding he had no idea, since the wizard spent all of his time babbling to himself in the lowest level and occasionally producing the odd explosion followed by cackling laughter and unintelligible gibberish. \n\nIt certainly wasn't gold, thought Blanziax as he flipped a gold coin off his gnarled green thumb into the air; appreciating how the flickering torch light glinted off the coins faces as it twisted in the air. The wizard left gold lying around in a big room literally all over the floor. Blanziax knew this because he'd been stealing from it for over a year and not only did the wizard not care, he didn't even seem to notice. \n\nAll the better for Blanziax. He'd worked up quite a little horde of his own between his pay purse and his daily trip after lunch to the gold vault. It was a simple matter to get past the guard trolls, dumb as they were, Blanziax simply walked up and asked them their names, and as they tried to figure that out, strolled in and pocketed a few coins, gone before the trolls had figured out their first few grunts. \n\nHe chuckled to themselves and wiped a bit of insect guts from his coat, it was one thing to not take your job seriously, it was another to go about covered in dirt and grime like the rest of the mud crawlers who worked here. \n\nWandering back from the mess hall he spotted Clanks the undead skeleton swinging a rusty sword around wildly and aimlessly. Practicing no doubt, but for what Blanzaix couldn't say. This had to be the least raided dungeon in the entire country. \n\n\"Eh there Clanker!\" He called out to his rattling friend, \"Boning up on your sword skills?\"\n\nHe clutched his side as a fit of laughter at his own joke overtook him. Clanks was less amused. Or at least, Blanziax assumed he wasn't amused, because he had no face. But he stopped swinging the sword and waved it down the hall in a vague direction signalling him to go away. \n\n\"Not now Blanziax, I don't have time for your idiotic goblin humor.\" He rasped, turning back to his swordplay. \n\n\"Alright, Jeez Clanks. What's got under your skin? Oh wai-\" \n\nBlanziax never got to finish his joke as he ducked under the skeletons rusty blade as it whipped through the air where his head had just been. Darting quickly out of range he stopped to pick up a rock and threw it at the Skeleton's empty head, producing a satisfyingly hollow sound and a string of curses. \n\nBlanzaix didn't stick around to find out which ones, dashing around a corner or two and dusting himself off. \n\n-The nerve of some people! Or lack there of- he thought to himself with a chuckle, continuing down a empty hallway without any real destination in mind, careful to avoid the flame throwers, spike pits, and death blades that seemed to be situated at every intersection and corner as if placed on a giant grid. \n\nHe hummed a merry tune to himself as he visualized what he was going to do with his small fortune, he wouldn't be wasting it on a ridiculous dungeon full of ridiculous nonsense, no sir. At the last company meeting the old wizard had said he was installing giant crossbows that shot wolves at people. Madness. The old coot was getting crazier by the minute. \n\nNo, he would buy a nice profitable bomb factory and sell explosives to idiots like Grundlewaltz for their Caverns of Terror and Dungeons of Madness and Towers of Calamity and he would become even richer than he was right now. The idea split his crooked face into an even more crooked smile as he daydreamed of how he could save money by enslaving kolbolds. \n\nHe was shook out of his reverie by someone, no, a crowd of someones jostling him to the side of the passage. It was a a troop of lizard-men, their scaly hides and clicking claws and weapons making a ridiculous amount of noise as they ran down the hallway jostling each other to be the head of the pack. Idiots. Not one of them even noticed him, and he was certain that he saw Jurnlez in the pack. Blanziax had sold the reptilian his sword for demon's sakes. It was worthless garbage of course, just as likely to break as anything, but still he had considered them friends or if not friends then definitely someone you don't bowl over in the hallways. \n\nWhat happened to workplace etiquette? The minions were riled up today, that's for sure. Maybe old man Grundl had screwed up one his spells again and made everyone wacky. Wouldn't be the first time. Blanziax himself had once spent an entire week stuck in a doorway because the old badger had shrunk all the wood in the dungeon trying to enlarge something. \n\nShaking his head at the memory, he decided to go to the armory, maybe someone there would be willing to part with a few silvers in a game of cards. Blanzaix was good at cards, because he always cheated and because he always played the Kobolds who were too stupid to realize. \n\nAs he approached the armory however, he heard the hustle of weapons and armor, a sound he had never heard on this floor. As he rounded the corner he could hardly believe his eyes. \n\nMinions of all sorts were running into the armory and suiting up for battle. Many were arguing over magical weapons and shields and quite a few brawls has broken out among the orcs. Demons were practicing their spells and the giant eyeballs were practicing their... eyeballing. Actually Blanziax wasn't sure what the eyeballs did but he knew they made more than him. \n\nHe needed to get to the bottom of this and he needed to hear it from someone intelligent. He spotted someone he knew stomping out from the armory clutching a gigantic battleaxe. It was Ox-Or the Minotaur. Many people thought that Minotaurs were mindless brutes but their bloodshot eyes and frothing rage filled screams belied a hidden intelligence they seldom showed to others outside their race.\n\n\"Hey Ox-Or what the hell is going on around here? We doing another of Ol'Grundy's Drills?\" He called out, approaching the hulking mass of fur and muscle. \n\nOx-Or looked around but didn't notice him until Blanziax tugged some of his hoof fur and the giant looked down to see Blanziax. \n\n\"Oh, there you are. Hail Blanziax. I fear this is no drill. A hero has breached the upper levels and is rapidly approaching. Today may be the day I finally face a true opponent.\" \n\nBlanziax just started laughing\n\n\"Oh come on, that's a good one.\" He said, chuckling and wiping a tear from his eye. Imagine! \n\nThe Minotaur just stared at him without speaking. Blanziax stopped laughing. \n\n\"Wait, You serious Oxy, you ain't pulling my ears?\" \n\nThe giant shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slowly. Blanziax couldn't believe it.\n\n\"You mean everyone thinks they're gonna make it here!? This is the 6th level for hell's sake!\" \n\nThe Minotaur just nodded again. \n\n\"Wait, wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that they got past The Kobolds?\" \n\nNod. \n\n\"Past the Maze of Mystery?\" \n\nNod.\n\n\"Through the Fissure of Certain Death? \nThrough the Room of 1000 Spikes?\nPast the Twin Evil Centaurs who ask riddles while they murder you?\nPAST THE FLOOR OF INFINITE SLIMES?\" \n\nFour slow nods. Blanziax fell back on his heels onto the dirt floor. \n\n\"But the slimes are infinite.... they literally can't be stopped!\" He protested weakly. \n\nThe Minotaur reached over a passing minion and grabbed the helmet from his head, slapping it down over Blanziax's big pointy ears. It was too big and covered most of his head.\n\n\"They found a way.\" He said simply, in a voice like distant thunder. \n\nBlanziax pushed the helmet out of his eyes and stared up at the big Minotaur, fear filling him as he realized he might actually be in danger, or worse, his gold might be. Then something else occurred to him. Something he missed. \n\n\"Wait did you say A hero? As in ONE?\" \n\n\nEnd of Part 1, more to follow if anyone cares :P \n\nSorry about all the punctuation and grammar errors, wrote this on a tablet**",
"\"Calm down Bill, he won't make it in here\" Draco said, his scaled tail swaying across the floor as he sat deep in thought. \"But no one has ever made it! Were doomed!\" Bill replied, and the group of zombies he stood with grunted in a worried agreenace. The dragon sighed, a brief flame blowing through his nostrils. Surely this was a joke. The lower dungeons trying to pull one over. No one ever made it past 80! Many made it close, but they were always knocked out by his cousin, Ratheroq, the final boss on level 79. A great big mean thing, even in their younger days. He had made the other children tremple, towering 20 feet over them in pre-school.\n\nDraco was powerful, but nothing like his cousin. He had seen very little battle outside of training academy, and knew that while he was the strongest on his floor, he could be knocked down quickly. A loud scream pierced his thoughts. \"He's dead!\" A Skelton shouted. \"The warrior? Finally.\" Draco responded with a smirk. \"No-Ratheroq. The warrior is on his way! What are we going to do?!\"\n\nChaos broke out as Draco felt the blood drain from his face. How?! What magic did this warrior hold? He would obliterate them all in seconds. He looked around the room at the frantic creatures. \"Stop it! All of you!\" He roared and the room fell silent. \"We are monsters, not men. We will advance to the wall.\" \"But Draco,\" a timid ogre spoke out \"we do not know where it will lead.\" Draco ignored him and began walking towards his destination. Round the corner, across the gap in the bridge, and behind the staircase. The group came to a hault behind him. He put a foot forward, and watched as it went straight through the wall. He resisted the urge to yelp, and continued to step forward.\n\nAs his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he felt as if he was somewhere he had been before. He stepped out of the way so the others could come through the wall. \"It's...the first level...\" He mumbled, trying to gather his bearings. Looking around he saw bodies on the floor, and heard the timid oger crying over gore that lay out before them.\n\nDraco growled, the noise echoing through the halls. \"Look through the bodies for weapons and prepare yourselves. We will avenge our brethren. If we move quickly and quiet, we can use the suprise from behind to our advantage. Now let's go catch ourselves a 'Hero'\"",
"\"Hey! Red knight, good to see you!\", waved the Blue Knight as he walked to the cistern. The Red Knight looked up and smiled.\n\n\"Hey hey, Blue Knight, what are you doing so high up? Usually they keep you guys down on the first five floors. Then y'know mandatory two years on Green Knight assignment.\" Both knights put the tips of their thumbs on their visors and wiggled they're fingers.\n\n\"Greenie weenies, dumb and meany\" They recited and broke into a laugh.\n\n\"No, no they actually promoted me straight to Red Knight because I killed the last adventurer.\" Said the Blue Knight, pleased.\n\n\"Oh no way! That's great man, the more the merrier up here. We kind-of just hangout and chill up here. Plenty of room if you want to stretch out or make your own area. Besides that, you need to walk a beat for a shift every other day. But that's nothing compared to what the Blues have to put up with.\"\n\n\"I know, right? Here comes the easy life.\" Said the Blue Knight, reclining into the sofa. \n\nA shrill whine swept across the floor, swiftly followed by the clamor of steel boots marching. Sword and shield collided in a discordant cacophony of iron and wood. Three score of Red Knights all bustled past the companions in a confused semi-order. Both Knights stood and looked at one another. The Red Knight put his hand on the Blue Knights shoulder.\n\n\"Don't worry. That just means he's three floors down. It happens every few weeks. He won't be able to beat the giant-\"\n\nA harsh microphone buzzed across the floor, \"Ifrithit, the flame serpent, has been defeated. I repeat, Ifrithit has been slain. Prepare level 11.\"\n\nThe Blue Knight began to shake, the scales of his armor rattling gently together. The Red Knight still held his shoulder. He attempted to talk, but had to wet his mouth. \"It's OK. That's still a level below us. No one makes it up this far, we're the last ones before the boss.\"\n\nThe Blue Knight nodded jerkily and tried to keep himself still. The Red Knight nodded back to him, \"Yea, yea, ya see there's a giant trap pit on the floor below us. No way he can get around it, it'll drop him right back on our doorstep, nothing more than a pile of Jelly and some bone splinters. The pit's guard is tough as nails, a two headed cyclopes. I've seen him eat people whole, there's no way this guy could-\"\n\nA deep, guttural moan steamed in from the tower's window. The Knights looked at each other and leaned out together. They were greeted to the sight of the final leg of the cyclops's rapid journey from the 11th floor down to the cobblestones that sat at the towers foot.\n\nThe Red Knight vomited down the towers side then turned to face the hallway his compatriots had filed down. He looked back to the Blue Knight while he arranged his armor. \n\n\"Just stay back here a while OK? We're the last line of defense and you already had your glory for the day. Just hide it out and uh...I'll take care of this goon alright?\" He said, attempting to force a grin onto his pale lips. He let out an uneven breath and rushed down the hall. \n\nThe Blue Knight felt his legs go weak and searched desperately for a place to hide. He settled on a small alcove beside the door to the Boss's chamber. He heard the clatter of arms and armor come to an uneasy halt. The air felt charged and heavy. The Blue Knight could feel the weight of the anticipation that hung across every Red Knights brow. The creak of wood turned instantly into a deafening crack as the mighty door burst inwards, reduced to a hail of splinters. The Blue Knight sat cowering as he listened to the deep moanings of the dying and the high pitched cries of the living. Nothing became discernible in the din aside from the heavy steps of metal boots on stone and the thumping of weapons upon one another. Slowly, the melee began to settle. The footsteps became thinned and the drum of weapons and shields yielded to the heavy thuds of fresh corpses falling limp to the floor. Soon the Blue Knight could hear cries for mercy or the soft sucking of the wounds. One lone set of heavy steps fell unevenly away from the door, followed by steady, leisurely footfalls. The swish of a blade and the dull thud of a body echoed into silence. The Blue Knight curled further into the alcove and attempted to hold himself together. He heard the footsteps approach the Boss's chamber and stop.\n\n\"Hmm.....probably need to grind more before the boss. I'll just let this place re-spawn and run it again.\" \n\nThe Blue Knight was beginning to breath easily as he listened to the psychopath's whistling retreat down the hallway. The blue knight heard the dull thump of a foot on a ball. It bounced slowly down the hallway, eventually rolling into the Blue Knights alcove. He looked down to see the Red Knights head, still helmeted, eyes rolled back and tongue lolled out. \n\nThe Blue Knight let out a cry and ran into the corridor. The demon looked at him apathetically.\n\n\"Blue Knight, this high up? Must be an Easter egg. Well, not like it'd have any good loot anyway.\"\n\nThe Blue Knight, frozen with terror, watched as the monster strolled over the pile of fathers and husbands he had butchered. Soon, the Blue Knight's legs could not support him and he fell into a gray, dreamless, sleep.\n\n\"Hey. Hey!\" \n\nThe Blue Knight felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. Miraculously, he awoke in a soft bed with the Red Knight standing over him. \n\n\"You can't sleep in the first day of your shift! C'mon you're going to be late, Red Knight.\" "
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[WP] A time machine depends on objects produced in that time period. To go to 1983, you use a Return of the Jedi original ticket. To go to 2015 you use a MAGA Hat. You now have the greatest of items to use. The Shroud of Turin. | 9 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Remember, we went through hell to obtain this.\"\n\n\"That's a nice way to say that we'd stolen it.\"\n\n\"Hey, it's *on loan*. We'll give it back once we set the score.\"\n\nThe time machine opened, releasing a flush of steam from the inside that hid a seat and various lights.\n\n\"How many times have we talked about this...you're stubborn Mike.\" \n\n\"And you're uninformed Jason.\" replied grunting a thin man, wearing a lab coat.\n\n\"Mike, Mike. Come on. I admire you for building a time machine, but damn, apart from your flawed personality, couldn't you make...I don't know...a different method to travel through time that didn't had to use items from that period?\" Jason asked while adjusting himself on the seat.\n\n\"...Why don't you *build one*, if you're so smart. I could give you an hand and explain the basics, but I don't think that you would quite understand.\" the man sighed out while adjusting the seatbelts of the seat\n\n\"...Thanks. But, let me ask. Why, why the Shroud of Turin?\"\n\n\" Oh, It wasn't really in my interest to use this. But you kinda pissed me off with all the *Mike, you have to have faith...God this, Jesus that*...\"\n\n\"W-What? It's only for this? Do you hate God that much?\"\n\n\"I neither don't hate or believe any of this. Just see what humankind has erected in their name. I don't like their *fan-clubs*.There, I'll close the panel and start the machine.\"\n\nMike leaved the machine and started tinkering with a command console.\n\n\"Jason, do you read?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\n\"Okay, communications work, remember to don't lose your multi-watch or I can't either save your ass or bring you back.\"\n\n\"Ay ay Captain.\"\n\n\"Starting launch sequence, countdown five, four , three, two, one..\"\n\nA sudden flash engulfed the machine, and darkness came.\n\n\"Jesus, the landing of this thing is always trouble\" coughed Jason, waking up and dusting himself off.\n\nWhat he didn't expect though was a man looking at him shocked and frozen in fear.\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Jason, Jason. Do you hear me?\" a robotic sounding voice came from the watch.\n\n\"Mike? Where I am?\"\n\n\"Wait, I'll active the multi-time translator\"\n\nThe man was still frozen up, wearing shallow pants and a shirt made out of poor thread.\n\n\"Uhm, excuse me dear stranger! I'm terribly sorry to have startled you. Would you mind telling me what year we're in?\" asked Jason\n\n\"....12...1263\" replied the man.\n\n\"What? There must be a mistake, Mike? Mike! I think the machine broke.\" \n\n\"...The machine is working brilliantly.\" \n\n\"Shouldn't we be approximately in the years 20-30?\"\n\n\"...Just ask the man, already.\"\n\n\"...Uh, excuse me...May God bless you but I have to ask another thing. I have come to pray our saviour Jesus Christ and his shroud, may you tell me where it is?\" asked a confused Jason.\n\n\"...Shroud?...H-How d-do you know, this was supposed to be secret!\" replied the man angrily\n\n\"Pardon me?\"\n\n\"The Church has secretly asked us to reproduce a Shroud just like Jesus should have! Nobody was supposed to know!\"\n\n\"W-what? Are you telling me that the Shroud is a fake?\" shouted Jason in disbelief.\n\n\"Did the church send you to look at the manufacturing?How do you know what are we doing here?\"\n\n\"....The Shroud....a fake...I don't....I don't..:\"\n\n\"...That's what happens when you don't listen to me and call the Carbon 14 tests done on it a fake and a forgery.\" the robotic voice came buzzing from the watch again.\n\n\"Who are you!?\" the man was now getting angry and worried.\n\n\"...Hold your horse, low medieval con artist. This guy owes me a brew.Jason, we're done here, I was right once again, you're paying tonight.\"\n\n\"...Shroud...a...fake...\"\n\nAnother flash engulfed the room, and the medieval man was left shocked alone in the room.\n\nIn disbelief of what happened, he shouted and ran out to tell his story of a divine appereance.\n\nListening to the details, everyone taught the mole of work had the best of him and deemed him crazy.\n"
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[WP] Alone they stood, weapon dulled and armour wrent. With terrible cry, they charged their last. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"I told you this was a bad idea,\" groaned Sir Tyon, collapsing to the rocky ground with a heavy sigh. \"Now they've come between us and the only avenue to safety.\" He paused to give his companion a stalwart glare, before adding, \"I hope you're happy.\"\n\nBrushing the long hair out of his eyes, Leo shrugged easily, replying, \"Look, we knew the danger when we decided to undertake this mission. As I recall, your response was, 'Just because no one has ever done it doesn't mean it can't be done.\"\n\n\"Well, to be fair, I was feeling quite a bit more optimistic at the time,\" growled Tyon, shaking his head. \"Your plan sounded a great deal more plausible on paper than in practice.\"\n\n\"Did you really think we would just walk in, steal the shaman's totem and just walk out, with a 'Sorry for the bother,' or something like that?\" Leo laughed, then groaned as the action caused some manner of pain in his torso. \"Now we have about a thousand screaming goblinkin after us, howling for blood.\"\n\n\"Aye,\" replied Tyon, shaking his head. \"And they've already taken Magnus and Werdna. And probably Trillian, too. Haven't seen hide nor hair of her since before we left the war camp.\"\n\n\"She's probably fine,\" Leo replied, though Tyon noticed his gaze couldn't quite meet his own. \"She's light on her feet, and smart. Probably back at the Hogshead by now with a pint.\"\n\n\"What I wouldn't give to be there as well,\" Tyon groaned, slowly coming to his feet with a rattle or armor. \"What do we have left for supplies?\"\n\n\"Let's see,\" replied Leo, sliding a worn rucksack off his shoulder. \"Since you lost your pack, we have.. three curative potions, a rope and grapple, two smokesticks. A lump of soap. Some chalk.\" He closed the pack, shaking his head, and added, \"Not much to work with here.\"\n\n\"No sense in delaying the inevitable, I guess,\" Tyon replied after a long moment, readying his sword and battered shield. \"Hope to meet you on the other side, my friend.\" He paused, and added, in a queer choked voice, \"It's been a pleasure.\"\n\n\"Aye, it has\" replied Leo, peeking around the rock they had used for a brief sheltered respite. \"Looks like there can't be more than about two hundred of them out there.\" He chuckled, pulling out a pair of long daggers, before adding, \"You take the hundred on the left, and I'll get the ones on the right. Remember, even when they beg for it, we give no quarter.\"\n\nIn spite of himself, Tyon let out a short laugh, and replied, \"Aye. No quarter asked nor granted.\"\n\nThe two warriors charged into the fray, blades and armor glinting in the light of the setting sun.\n\n-----------------------\n\n\"And that's another Nat' Twenty,\" whooped Mark, moving his figurine across the well-drawn map. \n\n\"Fine,\" replied the young man sitting behind a cardboard screen. \"You manage to nimbly slip past the last of the goblinkin, and scale the town wall to safety.\"\n\n\"Can I lower a rope to Larry? I mean, to Sir Tyon?\" Mark asked, making a small mock bow to the player across the table to him.\n\n\"You still have a bonus action left, so I would say you could lower a rope, yes.\" The young man sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose, and said, \"Next time I'm going to have to come up with a real challenge for you guys. Apparently a few hundred advanced goblins \ndidn't quite do it.\"\n\n\"At least you guys lived,\" another young man said, sullenly rolling dice and marking up a mostly-blank character stat sheet. \"I still say that was bullshit, Alan.\"\n\n\"You dropped three fireballs point blank, Steve,\" replied Alan, shaking his head. \"You basically went all 'Aloha Ackbar' on the camp. What makes you think you could live through that?\"\n\n\"I had fifteen points of fire resistance-\"\n\n\"Yes, against almost a hundred points of damage,\" interrupted Alan. \"Which left you with approximately negative thirty hit points. Which makes you dead.\" He paused, before adding, \"*Very* dead.\"\n\n\"Boys? Are you still up playing that silly game?\" A voice came down the stairs. \"I brought home some pizzas for you.\"\n\nMark and Larry grinned at each other from across the table.\n\n\"No quarter!\" they shouted, almost in unison, as they went charging up the stairs."
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[WP] It turns out that Humanity is just the beginning stage of an Alien race's life cycle. When we die, we awake as a new species. Ignorant of this, humans have finally invented immortality. Today, the last few members of that alien race broke radio silence and contacted Earth. | 127 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Don't drink that bottle Steve don't you fucking dare!\" a voice boomed out of the Walgreens intercom.\n\nI looked around, making sure I had really heard what I thought I had, and sure enough, everyone in the store was just as confused as I was. I put the cap back on my bottle of elixir and kept searching for the voice.\n\n\"Uh, hello? Did someone say my name?\" The shop had gone all but silent, the only exception being someone playing a demo of Far Cry X on a new PS7.\n\n\"You're damn right we did!\" The intercom yelled \"Jesus christ you humans have caused a hell of a lot of trouble you know that?\"\n\n\"I'm sorry... I'm quite confu..\" I stammered but the intercom cut me off again.\n\n\"Everything was fine, everything was just dandy until you dicks went and screwed everything else. We gave you fast cars, we gave you video games, we even made the planet hotter for you because of your insane obsession with beaches, and summer, which, by the way, is not **that** great.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry who are you?\" I said attempting to speak again, but the mysterious voice seemed to ignore my question and kept rambling.\n\"But noo! That wasn't enough for you pigs, you just had to keep doing more! And now you've done it, now you've screwed us all! There used to be trillions of use you know? Trillions! and now there're just under 500. So I say again to you Steve, and everyone single one of you selfish bastards. Not a single one more of you drinks that damned elixir or every single one of us is done you here me! Not one!\"\n\nAnd with that the intercom cut off. I checked my phone, I had dozens of news alerts and text wondering who the mysterious voice was and who was this \"Steve\" that they had berated. It seemed the whole world had heard the voice. A looked back at the line behind me, already half of the others had left, scared off by the mystery person. I thought for a second then turned to the cashier.\n\n\"Hi I'd like to return this full bottle of elixir, I assure you I didn't drink any of it.\"",
"\"Daniel... Daniel!\"\n\nI snapped out of it, taking in a large breath, as if I hadn't done so in a very, very long time.\n\n\"You were deep in thought there.\" Susan said, I watched her through the rimmed frame of my spectacles, before returning my gaze to the green leaves before me.\n\n\"What are you looking at?\" She asked, placing the tea she had brought me on the table, the steam that rose from it delectable.\n\n\"Come here,\" signing with my finger that she should come closer, she bent forward. \"There,\" I said, almost a whisper, as if not wanting to disturb the pupa as it wriggled within its cocoon. \"Beautiful, isn't it?\" I said, not even caring if Susan heard me, the question was partly meant for myself, a question to affirm my agreement.\n\n\"I never understood you and your stupid insects.\" Susan said with a sigh, rising up within the butterfly home I had erected. This was my world, my life, and Susan joked that my white hair and old age made me look like God, and this was my Eden.\n\n\"It's like the aliens,\" I said, as a butterfly rested on my shoulder, \"it's like us.\"\n\nSusan didn't ask me to explain, she didn't say anything, she already knew I was going to continue. \"We are like caterpillars, crawling on the ground, unaware that the process of cocooning ourselves will lead us to ascend into something greater. Butterflies simply do it because of an instinct, an inexplicable need to wrap itself. It doesn't know why it does it, it just does. We never had that, we were so afraid of what could be beyond the other end, that we stayed still. Stayed as we are.\" I was rambling, already eight hundred years old, and I found that I longed for death. Longed to join my Emilia in the ground, or as it turns out, among the stars.\n\nSusan didn't know what to say, she knew what was going through my mind, knew that i was simply talking to myself then. A god that was lost in his own Eden.\n\n\"Don't be late for dinner,\" she finally said, leaving the butterfly house.\n\nI looked around at the fluttering of wings, my mind going to Emilia; how I missed her. Even after all the years, I could still see the corners of her smiling lips, she even managed to make her wrinkles look young and full of sprite. The memory was more than an 800 year old echo, yet still, the echo left a shadow of itself upon my lips.\n\nI think Susan knew what I was saying, I think she came to terms with it. It was why she left, it was why she didn't say another word.\n\nI rose from my stool, bringing the underside of my wrist up, revealing the circular red and white disc in my arm. I stared at it for just a moment, I didn't hesitate out of fear, but out of perplexion. Of how the pulsing lights kept me alive, barred me from the instinct that allowed me death. Barred me from wrapping myself in my own cocoon.\n\nI looked up to the sky, and though it was morning, I imagined the stars that filled the night sky. Somewhere, out there, I would see Emilia once more.\n\nI looked back down at the disc, the way it pulsed, the way the lights spread outward, doing as it was programmed to do. I reached for it, fingernails digging under skin and finding purchase at the edges. And I pulled, the pain excruciating, I cried out in deafining pain. Still, the thought of being able to see Emilia soon lent me strength.\n\nThe small disk tore loose, the wires pulled out of my arm, red and blue and white, like tendrils that writhed in the air, trying to find something to hold onto.\n\nFirst, the weakness invaded my legs, bringing me to my knees; then, my eyes, as my eyelids felt heavy and difficult to hold open. And finally, it was my lungs that failed me, finding it impossible to keep going after all the years.\n\nI think I could hear Susan crying, but I wasn't sure, as I lay there on my side, blood pooling around my still and old body. And it was there, where my heavy head caught the final glimpse of something the corner of the room.\n\nIt was there, that the last thing I saw was a butterfly hatching from its cocoon, and spreading its wings. *Beautiful.*\n\nMy eyes closed, and I saw black, and then, I saw stars, I saw the place was going to. *I am coming Emilia.*\n\n***\n\n/r/KikiWrites "
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[removed] | [WP] Your a psychiatrist, one day a child comes into your office, he tells you he has no problem he’s here for the experience. What did you talk about? | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nResponses must be at least 30 words. Prompts that are likely to generate such responses are also not allowed. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank, or you asked a question likely to generate a simple answer. Prompts should encourage a story or poem. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8b7wqc/wp_your_a_psychiatrist_one_day_a_child_comes_into/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[deleted] | [WP] God receives prayers from earth as little slips of paper. He keeps these in his jacket. One day he loses his jacket and you find it at a thrift store. How do you go about answering these prayers? | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Exiting the thrift shop I decided to check the pockets of my new purchase. Feeling small slips of paper inside, I pulled them out with excitement. \n\n\"Shit, this isn't money.\"\n\nI threw all the worthless pieces of paper into the nearest trashcan and went about my day. "
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"1523411778",
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[WP] When a person comes of age, they receieve a book to determine their future. Most people get textbooks, some get novels, very few get fiction books. You, however, recieved a rather unique book... | 19 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Chloe pushed her party hat back off her forhead and looked at her last present. Wrapped in plain brown paper wrapping, she could see that it was her book. None of the family could say for sure when it had arrived, but it hadn't been next to the pile of presents when she had come down for breakfast at 7am. At some point between then and noon the book had arrived, and her 18th birthday could really begin.\n\nShe felt her Mother and Father's eyes on her as she stared at the wrapped book. \"We'll let you have some time alone to open that, love.\" \n\n\"Dad, I... thank you so much for my presents. Thank you mam.\"\n\nHer parents left her sat at the kitchen table, the rectangular brown parcel in front of her almost screaming to be opened. *I suppose...* She dug her fingnails under the edge of the wrapping paper and tore it off with her eyes shut, before putting it down on the table. She didn't quite dare open her eyes, so Chloe used her hands instead. Running her fingers over the smooth cover, she found a texture that was organic - leather? - and nothing embossed, debossed, or printed that gave anything away. \n\nRolling her eyes under closed eyelids she took a deep breath. *Now or never, chickenshit.*\nChloe looked down at the table. \n\nThe cover was plain brown leather. The inside was full of blank pages.\n\n(edited: because formatting hates me)",
"He sat at his desk. The generic office party had the common party favors. A few misplaced streamers, a large Publix cake, and some 2 liters.\n\nCharlie was far away from home, not that it mattered. He had been orphaned at a young age. his single father never quite mature enough to raise him gave into the pressures and left his boy with the system.\n\nEverybody gets a book on there 21st birthday, detailing their future. Charley has never really had anyone in his life break these things down though. The most his dad ever did with him is watch some comedy central with him. His favorite show was on that channel.\n\n*Do orphans get books?*\n\nSome few office gifts were opened. The normal shot glasses, some maracas, a toaster, the usual.\n\nBut here he was at his desk, waiting for him a book. But instead of the standard novel or textbook... A comic book sat in front of him.\n\nHe peeled back the title page to the image of a large action word SLAP right across his face. Confusion lit up his mind, as he went through pages and pages of it. \n\nJust then, a coworker came up.\n\n\"Hey, hey! Charlie Murphy! Happy birthday! HEY, what did the five fingers say to the face?\" A wicked grin possessed his face.\n\n*Oh no*\n\nHe slaps the shit out of him. \"SLAP! HAHA!! Get it? haha.... I'm Rick James... Bitch... HA... Jeez chuck lighten up.\"\n\n*Oh no*",
"\"A complete guide to making memes... How is this possible?!?\" I look at the elders. \n\"A commoner, the chosen one? Impossible\" said one of them. \n\"My dear boy, your have been chosen to bring balance to the memes. You are one of few who can creat OC, and not just repost in the hope of getting up votes\"\n\"This is truly an amazing gift\"\n"
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[WP] The entire galaxy is threatened by a new species, invading from the Large Magellanic Cloud. The interstellar community decides to contact humans for help who were quarantined due to their passion for war. | 2,253 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"The whole concept of humans being reduced to a singular attribute is ridiculous. They should not have been restricted in the first place.\"\n\nQwerty coughs, \"Excuse me?\" The shock on his face evident. He throws up a screen from his wrist. There, vibrant silent videos displayed a planet being splintered in two, a planet covered in toxic ash, ships exploding with citizens of Qwerty's species being flung into the depths of empty space. Several more were shown, each one getting worse.\n\nThe council grows silent as they look at Poi, waiting for her response. To which she shifts her tentacles, swaying. \"They were misguided. We can show them a better path.\"\n\n\"Misguided for 5,000 years?\"\n\n\"Do we have a better option?\"\n\nQwerty's eyes go dull. Everyone stops breathing, each one remembering the devastation the humans bestowed upon them. They all look at Qwerty, hoping he has a plan that will keep them safe once more. \n\n\"No. We don't\". \nPeople let go a roar. \"Yes there is!\" \"Think of another!\" \"The humans will kill us all!\"\nQwerty looks at Poi \"Release them.\"",
"2138 ACE, February 18, 09:54 GST. Landroft Station, Mars, Sol System. \n ==Begin pict feed== \n*Camera is mounted along the barrel to a* Savient *class tank. The sky is dark and smoky, spotty fires are burning and several soldiers \n of the Strezlayd Pacifiers are clustered around the tank. Most of the soldiers are firing at hordes of silvery robots.* =camera zooms in= *The robots have symbol on their chest, a trio of burning stars. The line clashes into the soldiers, most ripped apart in seconds. A robot leaps on the tank, firing wrist mounted blasters into soft spots. =recording is stopped when it shoots the camera=. \n \n \"This, ambassadors, is why we need your assistance.\" the small figure said. He was about 4' high, wearing a white robe. His multiple eyes were blinking quite often, and he was clearly nervous. \n \n Ambassador Micheals leaned forward. \n \"And what are you prepared to offer us?\" he asked, staring directly into the delegate's eyes. \n \n \"Any and all resources needed. We are unable to train or create a large or strong enough army in decades which you can do in a few years. We will provide star maps, communications technologies and, most importantly,\" he motioned to his attendant. The attendant activated a hologram of a dyson ring. \n \n \"We have seven such units. We understand your species need a massive amount of power, and we are prepared to offer all of them, plus instillation and transport, for your assistance against the Magellanic forces.\" \n \n Several of the ambassadors began talking to one another, while some simply studied the rings. \n \n \"Give us a few hours to deliberate.\" Micheals said. With a bow, the delegate and his attendants left the room. \n \n21389 ACE, March 21, 10:00 GST. Warp Route 73, en route to Trilia 42, Mardroft system. \n \"Are all systems ready?\" Captain Bayou asked. \n \n \"Yes captain. Our weapons are primed and we are receiving green beacons from every vessel. Check that, the *Nile* is finalizing her fighters. ETC three minutes.\" the bridge attendant reported. The massive screen in front of the bridge read \"4:32\". The *Hand of Dominion* was a capital ship three kilometers long, boasting dozens of plasma arrays, missile batteries and three spinal lance turrets. While all the view ports were down, one every side, there were warships. Even transports boasted their own plasma arrays. A grand total of 112 ships were in this strike, the first strike against the Magellanic forces. The planet Trilia 42 was a heavily populated world. At least, had been. 18 billion dead. Scout ships had brought back images of a world being converted into factories and armories. The Third Fleet was going to be striking here, as intelligence suggested one of the Primary Command Vessels was in orbit. \n\n \nWORK IN PROGESS",
"The planet lay in complete ruins, billions of people wiped out in brilliant flashes of light. Terra and Worzog were rushed off the planet, to seek help from the United Galaxies Commitee in response to this unknown threat.\n\nThe ship passed close to the star, which had given light to the system of ten planets for eons. The corona of the sun couldn't compare to the brightness of explosions of advanced weoponary unleashed on the planet by an unknown force. As soon as the ship left the sphere of influence of the star, the ship was able to travel faster then light to the destination, to seek retribution for the devastation of their once prosperous home.\n\nThe ship arrived at the centre of the milky way galaxy, home to what the Committee saw as a vicious species and a majority vote from member systems made contact with them forbidden. But also at the centre of this galaxy was the Commitee's headquarters, a supermassive biosphere, a purpose built mechanical planet with the sole purpose of keeping an eye on the viscous species. The Ark\n\nMany other reprentatives form the cluster where Terra and Worzog called home had also arrived at the ark, reporting of similar attacks on their worlds.\n\"We seek council with the elders.\" Worzog said, upon arriving, \"We have decimated by an unknown force.\" The elders were representatives from the planets that initially formed the United Galaxies Commitee, four planets that were at war for hundred if not thousands of years.\n\nA few hours passed by the time Terra and Worzog were in council chambers. Quick for the Committee. By this time videos of the scathing attacks had reached the council. Horrific.\n\nRepresentatives from the planets that were attacked explained the need for a response to the elders, but all the planets in Comittee were going through or had demilitarized in order to keep peace in the cosmos. The council deliberated for some time,\n\"We cannot got to war, the technology is to advanced for our military means.\" One of the elders spoke out.\n\"What about the class A organisms from star 1234.6a, third planet out,\" Terra said.\n\"No, they have been outlawed,\" another elder said.\n\"We've all seen their appetite for war and destruction, when the members voted to outlaw them and never to contact them again,\" Warzog said.\n\nThe videos that the Committee had saw were various clips from major conflicts from Earth's history. Most importantly clips from World War 2 and the use of atomic weapons on Japan, very similar to the attacks that Terra and Worzog had experience but on a much smaller scale. Humanity's appetite for war was worse than the new invading force\n\n\"That is it then,\" the vote had come in form the members of the Committee, \" We have decided to ask the class A organisms for their help.\" Many of the Committee members didn't know whether humanity could be trusted to save the know universe from this very scary, new threat. But they did know that humanity would fight this new threat with viscous intent they had shown each other through their many conflicts.\n\n\n",
"On a console, a small light began blinking. It had been there forever, so far as the tech manning it was aware. It had never blinked before. He didn't notice it for nearly a full shift. Ignored it for the rest of one. When it was still blinking the following morning, he really didn't have a choice but to call his supervisor. A stout man, whose width made his average height seem unusual. Colonel Joseph Martin stared at the light as well, his jaw slightly agape. \n\nThe tech had never seen the man do much more than grunt. This much expression from the stoic officer was chilling. Things moved quickly from here. Suddenly the tiny communication room was filled with glittering brass adorning nearly a dozen uniforms. The Colonel lifted a receiver that had only moved by accident for decades, and lifted it to his cheek.\n\n\"This is Colonel Martin of the Terra External Forces. Who is hailing?\" His voice was softer than the tech remembered. Not reverent, but almost nervous. There was silence from the equipment for several tense moments, until the main panel began scrolling with text as the auto-transcript registered response.\n\nA lilting voice with audible \"clicks\" of rebounding echoing beneath it came through the speaker. \"This is the Warden of Sol Terra, appointed by the Federated Republic's Sagittarian. Under section 9, sub-section 14 of the Sanctions against Sol Terra your quarantine has been lifted.\"\n\nThe pregnant silence in the room exploded as generals, colonels, and all manner of staff began talking all at once. Runners sprinted out to inform politicians, some surely thinking to sell the news, or warn their loved ones. We have been activated.\n\nIt's hard to say how it started. Contact was made, peace brokered, and all seemed well. Humanity had found it's kin among the stars and would finally be able to advance truly into space. That is, until we learned that despite having the technology, the culture, and the resources to join the other intelligent species in the Milky Way, we had one small hangup. We're still the best at killing what needs to be killed. In that small way, we are still unique. When war became our main export, we grew faster and further than any of the Federated races could imagine. Now, without very stringent permissions and escorts, fewer than 2000 humans existed outside of the gravity of our home star. This outpost was the furthest out.\n\nHours later, it seemed, after transmissions and discussions and research into just what clause had been quoted, the Colonel lifted the handset again. Somehow, that clueless tech had remained with little notice. The dour, no-nonsense officer who he'd \"known\" for his entire tenure in this little post had shocked him yet again this day. \"Sagittarian Warden, Sol Terra confirms. Under section 9, sub-section 14 we acknowledge and accept. Now, who are we fighting?\" The fierce grin that split Colonel Martin's mouth would probably haunt his dreams for weeks to come.",
"Gedeba drew himself up and squared his shoulders, seeking every inch of spine. From the sheen of the steel door he could see his reflection, and every bit of it seemed soft, civil. The polish of high-technology civilization. There was a beast behind that door, the literal opposite of those things that unimposing reflection stood for. An unhinged, unapologetic monster. Gedeba had come to the council with this, his own proposal, and little other support at first. But one by one, the other council members withdrew their dissenting opinions and sided with him in what he now realized was utter lunacy.\n\nHe imagined the others were drawing wagers on whether or not Gedeba would leave the room alive. The athgani were not warlike people, but quite fond of gambling. A person was only as good as their wager, and it was time for him to play his hand.\n\nGedeba hadn’t registered that he himself had tapped the control console. He jumped at the sudden sliding of the door, making eye contact with the thing inside. It was strange, how immediately repulsed he was by this creature, though he was certain looking away would mean a complete failure before negotiations even began. Gedeba wasn’t even sure of the specific cause of his fear - the creature’s eyes were simple, squinting under the bright lights above him. Whether it was from sensitivity or fatigue, Gedeba could not be sure. This was an older specimen, but thick in the chest and arms. His brick of a hand gently held a small cylinder from which flowed a thin stream of smoke to the ceiling. It was paper, near as he could tell. It was stuffed with some black crumble.\n\n“You gonna sit?” The creature asked. “Chairs ain’t comfy, but seems to me that’s the point.” He ran a hand through a short crop of black, grey and white hair, and then over a stubble-covered chin.\n\n“This is…” Gedeba began, then stopped. He swallowed hard. “You are different from what was expected.”\n\n“Oh yeah? Imagine that. Thought you fancy aliens had us all figured out. Or maybe you skipped that class in alien college.” He took a long drag from the cylinder - smokes, he remembered suddenly. Humans called them smokes.\n\n“History books often lack texture,” Gedeba said. He was aware he’d lost an inch of spine since entering the room, but seeing the beast now, he was sure it would’ve hardly mattered if he grew three feet in front of it. “They are but a sanitized account, completely detached from the more visceral qualities one experiences simply by being present. Your body is scrawled with scars.”\n\n“It’s a hard little rock, down there,” the beast said. “Ain’t none down there with pretty faces anymore.” He stood up, leaning forward with both hands flat on the table. “We’re all ugly,” he said, pointing then at his head with two fingers and the smoke. “Just like this.” He sat back down, gesturing to the other chair across from him. “Have a seat, chief. Won’t talk with a man who don’t like to share a table with me.” He crossed one leg casually over the other. “That is what we came here to do, ain’t it?”\n\nGedeba hesitated before accepting the invitation. He’d lost all pretense of being of a kind with the creature. He’d often read in novels that predators smelled fear in the weak. But being there, before a true apex predator, he came to the realization that his fear was inconsequential. Whether he quivered or not, the beast could care less. Whether he stood nine feet taller or grew cleavers for hands, the beast knew his worth. Gedeba would never know the kind of battle this creature had been tempered in. In its eyes was a hard certainty.\n\n“Do you know why you are here?” Gedeba asked.\n\nThe beast nodded, taking another drag.\n\n“Excellent,” Gedeba said. “I am to be joint commander in this venture, but deployment will be left entirely to you. How shall we proceed?”\n\n“What do you know?” the thing asked, blowing his gout of smoke to the side.\n\n“I am confused. Don’t you wish to discuss terms first? Your people are living under quarantine at present. I imagine you seek to rectify that.”\n\n“If we’re gonna strike a deal, I gotta know what I’m gettin’ myself into, alien.” He smiled. “I gotta know what it’s gonna cost me, don’t I? So, I ask again. What do you know?”\n\nGedeba nodded. He’d read that humans were calculating combatants, but hadn’t expected the same shrewdness in a diplomatic setting. “Precious little, I’m afraid,” he replied. “Our initial land forces were caught unawares.”\n\n“Colony folk, right? In the Far Reach?” He chuckled. “Good strategy. Wipe out the colonies with overwhelming force. They would’ve taken prisoners, prob’ly studying you fuckers right now.” He rubbed his temples. “Serves two purposes, way I see it. One, loss of visual. Start with frontier colonies and outposts, they can do what they want out there and you won’t see a bit of it. Put the goddamn blinders on ya.”\n\nGedeba nodded again. ‘Blinders’ was a term he’d not heard before, but the concept illustrated was plain. “And the second?”\n\n“Well, now you’ve got the psychological war. You aliens all sittin’ pretty in your high council seats, your people livin’ under the guise of peace and prosperity. Ain’t no one alive lived with the terror o’ the boogeyman, is there?”\n\nGedeba cocked his head. “I am unfamiliar with this man. How will they employ him? Is he also a human?”\n\nThe beast bellowed laughter, slapping one of his massive bricks on the table and giving Gedeba a second jump. “No, dammit. He’s a specter in the night. He’s an illusion. The boogeyman does his deeds in the shadows, where no one bear witness. Only his victims see his face - the rest of us can only guess at what it looks like when we find what’s left of them. What it feels like, when he puts his hands on you to do his dark work.” He took another drag. “That’s the goddamn boogeyman, alien.”\n\nGedeba frowned. “I see. We are perhaps lacking the correct strategies, here - a necessary side-effect of the interstellar utopia we have achieved.”\n\n“Bullshit, utopia,” the beast said. “You’ve grown soft. You done yourselves a disservice, gettin’ yourselves out of practice with the art of warfare. That’s what it is, you see. It’s a fuckin’ art, alien. Ya’ll just lost your brushes and forgot your colors.” He put the smoke to the table, grinding the ember away and coloring the perfect surface with its soot. “But don’t you worry. Earth will rectify that little problem of yours, if ya’ll are ready to pay the price. Hell, maybe we’ll even teach you how it’s done. You ever thrown a punch?”\n\nGedeba felt the heat of shame stinging on his back. It sat in his stomach like a burning rock, twisting in his mind with all the ideals of civility and order that brought his family honor throughout generations that now, seemed incongruous with the crass presentation that ruined the government table before him. He’d heard human faces flushed red with shame or embarrassment. He was thankful at least to have been blessed with the less emotive faces his people wore. They were not so offensive as the thing tapping its thick fingers on the table expectantly, raising its eyebrows so grotesquely, so suggestively.\n\nAnd they were far better at gambling than he.\n\n“You speak of prices for warlike acts to a man whose economy does not deal in war. It is true, that I come to you for your help -“\n\n“Services,” the beast interjected.\n\n“For your services. But this does not place any requirement on me to retain you as such. Let us be clear that there will be no payment for the deeds you will be asked to accomplish.” The beast chuckled again, but Gedeba went on. “Instead, we will reopen the matter of your quarantine.”\n\nThe creature narrowed his eyes and rose one eyebrow. The expression was the most bizarre thing Gedeba had ever witnessed, but nonetheless it conveyed a message. He had finally begun to speak this creature’s language.\n\n“We may,” Gedeba continued cautiously, “expand your borders to include neighboring solar systems currently in the demilitarized zone.”\n\n“Go on,” the creature said flatly.\n\n“These worlds are uninhabited, laden with resources not found in your system. This is not only a boon for human economies, but for future scientific endeavors as well.” He paused then, watching the myriad of lines and shapes forming and vanishing as the creature pondered. Gedeba, who had prized himself on the study of all that was known of humans by his people, found himself utterly at a loss as to what all of this expression foretold. “Think about it, General. This would go a long way to giving your people cause to unite under one banner. Your rebels think they have cause to fight against your new world order. Give them hopes on the horizon, and their support will wane quickly amongst the populace.” Gedeba smiled.\n\nThe beast smiled back. “I’m impressed, alien. You’ve done your homework on my people, I’ll give you that.” He drew another smoke, lit it, and placed it between his lips, puffing happily. “Here’s my counter-offer.” He stood slowly, pushing himself up with his heavy arms. “First, my ships need retrofitting. We’ve been sanctioned to the goddamn stone-age, and I need new engines to get my ass to the front.”\n\n“Agreed, and we can look at your guns -“\n\n“My guns are fine, boy,” the beast cut sharply, grinning wide. “Second, the quarantine ends.”\n\n“The council will never agree to that. You know this as well as I.”\n\n“Well, that’s a shame. Have a nice flight back, alien.” The creature spun on his heels and made for the door behind Gedeba.\n\n“Wait, we’ll give you three systems-“\n\n“You try again when they’re at my doorstep. I guarantee you I won’t wait that long before bustin’ my people out of here.”\n\nThe beast left Gedeba alone in the room, his head high but filled with despair.\n\nHours later, Gedeba sat at the terminal in his quarters, clacking a few keys together in what he knew would one day soon undo the collective.\n\n*Agreed - fleet retrofitting and an end to the quarantine.*\n\nMoments later a reply came through.\n\n*Third - you’re gonna need to pay me.*",
"The fleet was no more, except for small pieces of wreckage floating among the stars.\n\nAt Milky Way HQ, the admirals and generals gathered. The meeting in the War Room was called to order by the president.\n\n\"We have to admit that we do not have any knowledge of aggression, strategy or tactics. We have no intelligence about the enemy as our ships that met them either fled or have been blown to pieces. I must ask the council to vote on the extreme measure that our Operational Research team offered as our only hope. All those in favour, vote now.\"\n\nAfter a few seconds, the vote was recorded and the President spoke again.\n\n\"All those against, register your vote now.\"\n\nThe voting board lit up and showed the tally of votes.\n\n\"Votes for: 16. Votes against: 13. I hereby record that the Council has voted in favor of contacting the humans to propose their release, in exchange for fighting for us.\"\n\nAt that moment, an aide rushed into the council room and whispered in the President's aural receptor. The President asked the aide: \"Are you absolutely certain?\".\n\n\"I have prepared images to allow you to see, Sir\", the aide replied.\n\n\"Then you had better present your report\", said the President.\n\nThe aide turned to the council and said: \"Councillors, we have finally captured an enemy! We lost 5 destroyers against one of their small scoutships, but the enemy ship was severely damaged, leaving this one survivor. Here is a short recording of the enemy.\".\n\nPressing a button, the recording played on screen.\n\n\"As you can see\", said the President despairingly, \"our plan is ruined. It seems the enemy have come to our galaxy before. The enemy is human.\"\n\n",
"Kaiser Wilhelm could not believe what his minister had told him.\n\n\"Ja, mein General. I haf received it less dann ein minute ago. It also says they haf sent it to thee British, Französe, thee Turks, the Amerikaner, thee Italiener... all thee major parttakers of this war have received these metal plates.\" The minister handed a metal plate to the Kaiser. He looked at it, unable to figure out what metal it was made of. The scriptures were in crude German, and spoke of an intergalactic war. \"We will take in charge all transport and equipment for your troops and will change training if needed,\" these read. \"But we kindly ask you to bring your weapons as none have achieved such advanced ones in galactic history others than you.\" He looked at his minister. His minister stared back. \"Well?\" yelled the Kaiser. \"Vat are you vaiting for? Go assemble the trupps!\"\n\n\"I can't believe I am doing this,\" exclaimed Général Foch. \"Just as the leaders grant me power to command our *alliés*, we all learn that we are not alone in our galaxy.\" The French minister, Clemenceau, stared at the expanse of universe before him. \"I am also bewildered by this,\" he answered. \"We are here, waging the *der des ders*, the war to end all wars, when suddenly these extraterrestrials ask us to help wage their war.\" Thousands, millions of French soldiers stood, in their horizon blue uniforms and steel helmets, staring through the windows of the space shuttle. The tanks beside them were in rows of tens, sorted by their size: the smallest, the Renault FT 17, then the Schneiders, then the Saint-Chamonds.\n\n\"So this is your... planet?\" asked Haig, through his breathing mask. The vast expanse of purple moss on misshaped edges created a landscape of weird hills. \"Yes, our planet may looks weird in comparisons to yours, but to us it is an flourishing landscape of biology.\" The alien general pointed to a row of blinking purple lights towards the horizon, underneath the third sun. \"Those are the Magellanic troops, they have landed near our city. We estimate they shall be disposed to attack in four week. Your men are all under intensive training in the shuttles as we speaks.\" Haig was barely listening anymore, just slowly nodding as he watched the purple lights ominously blink from the mountain-shaped shuttles in the distance.\n\n\"We cannot do this! This ist nonsensical!!\" exclaimed Italian general Cadorna. \"Our men are not explorers of the aether, or the galaxy! They are soldiers, trained to fight the Austro-Hungarians!\" \"We perfectly understands, Signore Cadorna,\" answered the queen, in her blue-gold robe. \"But in exchange, we promise to you a very grand surprises for all the country involved. And as for your men, they do not hate each others as much as you would wants them to; every Chrismus, they walk out of their trenches and exchange wishes.\" Cadorna had nothing to say; he missed the dolomites, the valleys of the alps, where he knew which strategy was best. His men were, in fact, fraternizing with the enemy, but this time they were in their purple trenches, speaking to each other through breathing masks. They were assured the Magellanics knew no toxic weapons and that the men would not need gas masks.\n\n\"Gosh, all this reminds me of the Civil War,\" murmured Pershing, as the artillery guns fired. Is it normal for chunks of dirt to fly like that?\" The small, green general answered, \"On our planet, yes. The earths is made of different fibres, and not minerals like yours planet. Our... dirt, as you may call it, is more like one of your plants, thus is much lighter and solid than yours.\" Pershing had already stopped listening to the biology lesson as he looked at the British Mark Vs crossing the trenches, their tan hide contrasting with the orange-pink sky and the purple-green earth. German and french planes, composed of squadrons of bombers, fighters and reconnaissance, flew high in the windless skies above.\n\nMustafa Kemal Atatürk lit his cigarette but realized he could not smoke with his mask on. \"This entire operation is much different to the beaches of Gallipoli. The crackling of Mausers, Lebels and Lee-Enfields is much the same, but it is only a fraction of what I remember of that battle.\" The queen, impressed by the earthlings' military power, weighed in: \"Of course, you were defending then. Right now your are attacking.\" Atatürk glanced at her. It was true, the Magellanics had started their retreat; they had never encountered mobile cannons with so thick an armor, nor had they fought against any soldier with a weapon so deadly. Their paralyzing rays were useless against the precision, rate of fire and range of rifles and machine guns. Near the gooey river in the plains, a british soldier chased a Magellanic with his revolver (his left arm had been paralyzed). The purple plains had become overturned to a darker hue after the artillery had exploded, the trenches had been dug and the Magellanic ships had been dismantled from the heights. Atatürk threw his cigarette to the ground, where it burned the pink grass with a green flame, before it came back to normal, black smoke. \"I meant the beaches,\" he said in a soft voice. \"I can almost see them now, those enormous dreadnoughts, the submarines, the cruisers...\"\n\nThe rifle fire suppressed itself as the men pushed further away from the city, chasing the retreating invaders. The last sun still shining on the overturned plains of the alien planet began to set.",
"*... had created a virus in your laboratory, something contagious and infectious that killed on contact, a virus that would destroy all other forms of life, would you allow its use?*\n\nThe space between the television dialogue was filled with the snoring of a sleeping warrior, home for three months from a long war.\n\n“So then, this is one of them? One of their great warriors.” The high Kharxz counted to the rolling of his stomach. It was a relaxation exercise, developed long ago, and a staple of the intellectual class.\n\nThe query was met with a burp and a sniffle. “Nuh, ser. That’s the baseline. That is my product.” The HK didn’t need to see his acquaintance to tell his physiology: undoubtedly of a gastric class. A gaseous, guzzling phenocaste that certain species would develop as living digestors, to feed children and otherwise weak individuals. The secrecy was likely necessary for his survival. Intraracial caste laws were draconian.\n\nThe probe gently glided to the walls. The HK found himself surprised to see a well kept projectile weapon mounted on a hearth. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a species allow peasantry to own high power weaponry.”\n\nAnother expulsion of gas. “Nuh, you’ve never seen a peasantry like this before. I been trying to let you figure out the big secret. I know you been wanting to know.” A belch. “But this life, it brings so few pleasures. Tell me yourself. Tell me what you want to know.”\n\nThe buyer paused to consider. “I want to know why a confederation that allowed the Jygee and Klissus a place in the galaxy wanted to quarantine a planet of pink bipeds.”\n\n“Good. Now tell me the answer.”\n\n“I don’t know.”\n\nA laugh morphed into another belting *braapp.* “No, no, you do. Digesting gives you lots of time to learn about people. When they lie and cheat. Their emotions. So many feelings come up again and again, you know,across all these species. And you can always tell when they’re changing their mind.” *A squeak of air escaped him. “They slow down, see, and they shake a bit. And I think that maybe you don’t wanna do business now, because you got spooked by what that probe’s looking at.”\n\n“I don’t do this for money. I do it because I want to. If you don’t want it, don’t take it. But if you do, you better tell me what’s what. Tell yourself.”\n\nThe HK paused. “They do not have a warring caste.”\n\n“Correct. Why?”\n\n“They are all warriors.”\n\nThe dealer coughed loudly and grunted.\n\n“Battle viability starts around their twelfth year of their sun. Not even three whole spins for turnaround, and treatment can triple it.”\n\n“How? How did this happen?”\n\n“I don’t know. Entered community phase before specialization began. Most species that do so destroy themselves. They’ve tried. They’ve tried, yes. But whatever they’ve done, they exist without caste, not that they’d know. Any of them can become any role. Some switch.\n\nSwitching roles. This was an abomination if there was one. A planet infested with potential warlords. Decisions had to be made. On the other side of the probe, the baseline kicked his leg in his sleep. The HK marveled at the strength.\n\n“‘Nyway, I think you’ve had the time for it. Decisions?” A last gasp of air.\n\n*...that life and death on such a scale was my choice... To know that the tiny pressure of my thumb - enough to break the glass - would end everything... Yes! I would do it! That power would set me up above the gods!*\n\n. . .\n\nA girl kicked at a can. Today was nicer than others. Not so nice, but much nicer, as it were.\n\nThe sunbeams piercing the ruins illuminated a billboard. It was peeling, but it looked to be for a movie. Movies weren’t allowed now.\n\nThere was not a lot of food left in this area. The supermarket dwindled, and much of it had expired. She couldn’t leave, though. She would need a way to defend herself. Not possible at her young age.\n\nAs she passed a dark alley, a croaking throat greeted her. She turned in concern.\n\nFrom the shadows, a hidden limb shuffled a pistol towards her.\n\n“Hey there. Wanna join the military?”",
"*Calm.*\n\n*Quiet.*\n\n*Peaceful.*\n\nThe commander's nose twitched at that. It wasn't quite right, something was loud and annoying, and blaring right next to his auditive orifice. He straightened his vertabrae, made sure his eyes were shut, and tried again.\n\nPeaceful.\n\nStill not. His face creased in frustration, the annoying beeps getting louder. Again.\n\n**Peaceful.**\n\n***PEACEFUL.***\n\nHe opened his eyes, and slammed his claws through the glass screen on his desk. He looked around. The entire bridge was startled, frozen, dread in their eyes. The captain turned off the loud beeping, dismissing the alert that every projectile available had been launched from the little blue-green-white orb they were orbiting. \n\n\"Sir....sir?\"\n\nThe captain gestured to his right-hand man to come forwards.\n\n\"The Solarens have launched various projectiles at us. They seem to be all solid-fuel, rocket-based weaponery, with explosive payloads attached. Radioactive signals have been detected to be coming from the rockets.\"\n\nShe gulped. \n\n\"Should we counter-attack?\"\n\n\"No. Slow the projectiles down with the tractor field, and pick them up, we might be able to use them. I'll address the Solarens over the tannoys.\"\n\nHe stood up, and attached a tiny metallic device to his...let's call it ear, and gave the command to lauch the tannoys.\n\nAs the ship orbited the planet, fist-sized spheres dropped from the sky. Upon the captain's nod, every channel, every frequency was flooded with the same message:\n\n\"Hello Solarens! We are a space-faring empire, able to cross the stars in a matter of seconds. We come here to seek your aid. A threat has appeared in our region of the galaxy, and it will destroy us without your support. In return, we will seat you at our council, and offer unique trade deals with your species...\"\n\nHe trailed off, uncertain as to what to say.\n\n\"Let us open direct communications with your leader, and we shall discuss further.\"\n\nHe looked down at the planet's surface, zooming underneath the ship's hull. He turned on the planet's radio frequencies, and looked unimpressed at the response. As he scrolled down a text-based browser, that condescending look turned into surprise, then shame. As it turns out, there's more than one leader on Sol-3a.\n\nOops. \n\nAggressive commenting took place, and various colourful banners popped up on his screen, advertising single aliens in his area. AM radio channels were screaming about what to do when aliens will inevitably come to probe them, and FM radios having gentle discussions about the moral ethics of marrying aliens. TV stations, covered in red alerts, started to film, and forecast the fall of the tannoy system, speculating that they could be high-powered bombs, and that world leaders should not negotiate with terrorists, irrelevant of their galactic upbringing. The UN was convened, and quickly broke into a fistfight, politicians ripping off wigs, and baying for blood, all whilst threatening each other with phone calls to their remaining missile silos. As security stormed the buliding, even the guards wanted to be put into historical limelight, wanting to be the winner of the battle royale that decides Humanity's future.\n\n\n\"Sir, we've orbited the wrong planet. It's the little red one over there that we want, Sol-4a.\"\n\nThe captain carefully observed the hand-held screen, flipping it over, and acknowledging his mistake. \n\n\"Set course to Sol-**4**a. I *knew* the species we were trying to contact was green. Ah well, too bad, there's billions of post-sentience, pre-space species anyway. It's not a big deal...\"\n\nDespite saying that, he couldn't resist taking another look at the planet's media transmissions. Giant mushroom clouds were filmed, and millions of green-clad pink bipedes scurried around looming metal vehicles, mounted with long pipes that spat fire. All around the transmission were four words. Puzzled, the captain beckoned his right-hand man. \n\n\"What does \"Mankind\" mean?\"\n\n\"In what context?\" \n\nThe right-hand man leaned closer.\n\n\"Right there, after \"Utter Destruction of...\"\n\n\"Oh, it seem to be what the Solarens call themselves.\"\n\n\"What an odd thing to call themselves.\"",
"\"No, mister president, we can't build a wall between our galaxies. That would be–\" the alien had to choose her words carefully as she did not intend on insulting the most powerful man on earth. \"It would be extremely expensive and rather time consuming.\"\n\n\"No. We will make them pay for it,\" the most powerful elected man of the free world proclaimed with his chin up high and a very self-assured look in his beady little eyes. This plan, a big wall, was one he came up with over a decade ago. It never got to fruition because the one in charge didn't live up to his promises.\n\nThe alien delegation looked outside the White House's windows and stared up at the blue sky above. Birds flew over, people walked the streets, the sun felt pleasantly and inviting. It all looked so peaceful. They had been warned and taught that the human race was a war mongering and murderous horde of masochistic sociopaths. It seemed so far from the truth, but they knew better. They had seen their hidden movements over the years.\n\nThey looked back at the president. He looked harmless enough, though they knew not to underestimate him. This man has the weaponised power of a thousand suns under the press of his finger. He could, on a whim, obliterate their entire delegation of just under a thousand representatives of alien races.\n\nMaybe he was right, we thought. Make the other side pay for a wall, they could attract a field of space debris and rocks and keep it in place, a distance spanning over 3 light years in all directions. The enemy would be interested in keeping the humans at bay. Making a wall to keep the humans out might actually work.\n\nIt never happened.\n\nThat was fourteen years ago. We reached out to the quarantined species of humankind and contacted their most powerful leader to assist us. What happened since then had been disastrous.\n\nWhat we didn't know is that humankind doesn't *want* to wage war, not unless there is a good incentive. War, to them, is the engine that generates what they want most of all: money. It's a concept long forgotten by most intergalactic species. We never imagined this would be our downfall. Initially, our existence was greeted with human curiosity. We taught them a lot of modern technology to help them assist us in our war.\n\nIt only took the humans eight years to obliterate the enemy. It was a massacre of enormous proportions. Galactic clouds of poisonous gasses rained down on the enemy planets, nuclear strikes took out their military bases, and tactical strike teams captured, tortured, and beheaded their political leaders.\n\nBut then everything changed.\n\nThey labeled us as terrorists. We, the peaceful collective of alien species spread across fifteen thousand planets, were labeled as terrorists because we apparently withheld a source of energy that the humans coveted. The remains of our ancestors buried deep under the soil. They call it \"oil\".\n\nThe year is 2028 on planet earth. We are sitting down with the same president once more. It is rumoured that this president had been in power in these united states since 2016. We have been reduced in numbers, from 800 trillion living beings across all of our planets to only 60 billion today. We just want to negotiate peace with this human.\n\n\"Mister president, we thank you for your help. You succeeded where none of us dared to take action.\"\n\nThe president made some notes on a little device in his hands.\n\n\"We had no idea that this substance was so important to humanity. To us, it's merely a pollutant.\"\n\nThe president kept writing on his device.\n\n\"We've setup a constant array of freighters from two thousand planets to supply the planet Earth with oil.\"\n\nThe president looked up at the alien representative.\n\n\"Спасибо, прекрасно,\" the president muttered. \"Пока! Счастливого пути!\"\n\nThe translation devices did their job and the alien rose up from her chair, satisfied with the results of this meeting. As she left the room and closed the door she heard the satisfying words spoken by president Putin of the United States of America: \"Take care of her.\"\n\n",
"It had been hundreds of years since they were banished to the outer reaches of the Galaxy. The greater community of species had once determined Humanity a risk to sentient life. Through a coming together at the Orion Concordate, the galaxy had banned together to drive humanity back. \n \nThey were brought to the brink of annihilation. At the Orilian Summet, humanity was officially declared an endangered species in quarunteen. They had their technology stripped from them. This event would later be known as, \"The Culling.\" By its end, their population stood at roughly 10,000. Humanity was to be quarantined. Their system -- off limits.\n \nNearly 13,000 years passed when we were alerted to their presence again. A mining vessel had gone off course and found itself in the Solaris system's kuiperbelt. While surveying the natural resources they were hailed on by a military fleet. The mining vessel parlayed for several hours. Unbeknownst to them, they had stumbled into a civil war between the Titan colonies and were dangerously close to their hidden base of operations. \n\nThe mining vessel negotiated a peaceful resolution to the encounter by bartering some technologies for resources they sought. They would later name it \"The Warp Drive.\" It turned out their scientists were investigating this technology for over 100 years and were nearly on the verge of completion.\n \nIt meant that containing Humanity was nearly impossible. So rather than combat them, our leaders negotiated terms. The Humans would receive mineral rights to the rest of their nearby systems, in turn, we would allow them to set up embassies within the territories of the Empire. \n\nAn uneasy treaty kept Humanity at bay within the Solaris and Alpha Centauri systems. For nearly 100 years their appetites for expansion and territory seemed sated. For 100 years, they were a great driving force of the Empire's economy. \n \nThat is, until *they came.* From the fields surrounding a massive magnetic cloud came forth the mechanoids, a race of AI mechanical beings bent on the destruction of sentient life in the galaxy.\n \nThe Empire had been at peace for far too long. When the first worlds fell, they scrambled to pick up the pieces. Entire worlds would burn. Buying technologies from the humans that were once deemed illogical and wasteful they staved off the invasion now the mechanoids turned their gaze to the outer rims. Now, they came for Solaris. They came for Humanity. \n \nHumanity would go out to meet them. ",
"\"Captain on the bridge!\" shouted Hector Banks, head of security for the Armstrong.\n\nOphelia Levitan stepped through the white-door and into the only Milky Way class vessel that the Solaris Alliance had so far completed. It was certainly a step up from the first ship she'd boarded, back when she'd been only a child. An evacuation shuttle taking her away from Ganymede, as war had swept over even those isolated moons. \n\nGanymede has been destroyed. There was nothing left but an asteroid belt where it had once been, and a commemorative satellite for the eighty million dead. No trace of any bodies had ever been found. Not of her parents or her brother. They'd been too old, their jobs too unimportant. \n\n\"At ease,\" commanded Ophelia, raising a hand. The crew looked at each other, their faces taught with confusion. Then, one by one, they slowly sunk into their seats. \n\nThey were nervous. Rightfully so too, Ophelia knew. The first real test run of ancient alien tech, held and then given to them as a bargaining chip, to join a war that the Jit'ux were clearly losing.\n\nHumans had not settled for only the engine technology. *Naturally*. When they realised the Jit'ux were so desperate, that they would do anything, they twisted their arm for further advances.\n\nWhat choice had the aliens had? Either they gave us the technology we demanded, or they were made extinct.\n\nOphelia looked over her crew. Her navigator, Hezekiah Sharp, was clearly Mecurian born. His skin was covered in, what at first glance appeared to be tattoos, but was in reality heat reflecting nano-metal. It gave him an iridescent shine whenever he swivelled on his seat beneath the spot lights.\n\nKit Lawson sat at the weapon control panel. The power of a hundred thousand neo-nukes rested beneath her fingers. Could she be trusted with that responsibility? Her test scores were by far the highest in her class, but out on the field... could she destroy a city, if push came to shove? A world? Personally, Ophelia would have picked someone with more experience, but that hadn't been her call.\n\n\"Ma'am,\" said Alexzander Brice, communications officer. \"Should I inform Earth that we're ready to leave orbit?\"\n\nOphelia said nothing, instead walking across to her seat. She sunk down into it. The leather was soft and plush and cold beneath her. She clicked her neck.\n\n\"Is our guest on board?\" \n\n\"He -- its -- in the brig, as requested,\" said Hector. \"But speaking freely, I don't think the Jit'ux deserve that level of distrust, Ma'am.\"\n\n\"I didn't grant you permission to speak freely.\"\n\nHector opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. Good, he'd heard of her. He would take her seriously. \n\nThey'd all need to obey her unflinchingly, if they were to have any chance of succeeding in what appeared to be a suicide mission. First contact with an ultra aggressive, ravenous for war, alien species. Not so unlike humanity, Ophelia mused. Only, up to now we hadn't had the tech to do any serious damage beyond our own system. \n\n\"Miss Brice. Tell command we are ready to leave dock.\"\n\n\"Uh, yes Ma'am.\" \n\nThe pull of the ship as it left the bay thrust Ophelia back against her chair. It was a pleasing feeling.\n\nThe Jit'ux had no idea what they had released on the universe. \n\nBut Ophelia new. And she a smile crept over her lips at the thought. \n\nThey would be the saviour of the Jit'ux.\n\nFor now.\n\n\n\n",
"We all thought we were doomed. The Enemy from the Magellenic cloud was going from planet to planet, seemingly unstoppable. Then someone suggested the nuclear option. Ha, nuclear option- we picked that term up from the Earthers themselves. \n \nYes, the Earthers. No one had spoken of them for five thousand years, quarantined on their own planet for everyone's good. Go get them, pit THEM against the Enemy. Serve them both a taste of their own medicine. People were horrified at the thought of contacting Earthers. Then the planet Elegis was taken. Burned to the mantle with no mercy. The decision was made. Cut loose the humans. Let slip the dogs of war. \n \nIt was a no-fuss negotiation. We went in human form so as not to startle them. Offered them advanced technology in return for soldiers. Their own planetary conflicts nearly ceased. It was remarkable. As if they fought with each other simply because they had nothing better to do. \n \nJust as a trial, they sent us what they called the 5th Marines. We loaded them on fast transports. Technology the Earthers could not have dreamed of. The humans filed on like it was any other day. They all wore colors that matched the vegetation and soils of their planet and carried brutish and primitive looking weapons that flung projectiles at fatal speeds, with no regard for the pain, suffering, or even death of the target. The crews of the transports were nauseated, horrified. They were convinced that they would all be dead before the journey had barely begun.\n \nAnd yet the humans were jocular and upbeat. They drew the crews in with their camaraderie. They shared their rations, and in particular a beverage called beer. It is essentially a poison that taken in diluted doses alters the awareness. Though it was necessarily a limited supply, they shared generously. \"We'll make more,\" they said, as if going to a wholly other planet was simply a new adventure they could adapt to effortlessly. \n \nThe most amazing thing was that at the end of the journey, the crews all had hope. Something that had disappeared after a few of the first planets had fallen. They disembarked arm-in-arm, singing and laughing and hauling their fearsome kit. The planets were all shocked. No one had ever before laughed in the face of the Enemy's advances. What had we unleashed? But there was shock of another kind. Never before in recent memory had we seen hope. \n \nThe humans made planetfall on Tannareis a short time later. We gave them all the information we had, and their leaders set up a war room and renamed the planet Gamma 4. Their smiles were gone as quickly as they had appeared and replaced with- what? Not anger. More like hunger. They moved like the pack hunters of fallen Elegis. Like the wolves of Earth. Most feared they were too late to save Tannereis. Just as their command center was established, the capital city fell. Not merely the capital, it was strategic high ground. We suggested that they fall back and we would meet the Enemy at the next planet before they were dug in. Their commanders response? \"Retreat? Hell, we just got here.\" Then they all laughed at some inside joke.\n \nWhat happened next cannot be shared. It is all violence not fit for civilized people. But I will say that it would have been better for the Enemy if they had been simply dropped into the sun. The Marines tore into them like nothing they had seen before. They were conspicuously shocked. They fought back with their savage beam weapons and it seemed they would hold their line. The Marines looked over our available technologies and devised armor that would turn the power of the beams aside. Then it was a bloodbath. \n \nThe 5th Marines visited three more planets and the invasion of the Enemy ground to a halt. Not all of the humans returned. It amazed us that most of them did. They hauled their injured and retrieved every one of their dead. The war was not over, but we celebrated the turning point. These humans that had soaked planets in the Enemy's blood as well as their own transformed back to the jocular comrades that we had known on the way over. We drank beer and laughed and these cold killers cried for the families they had not seen in months. We shared our FTL communications technology with them and got to meet their spouses and children. Yes, they allow these Marines to breed. \n \nThere were many questions after this. Reinforcements came from Earth. Turns out they had not even sent all of these 5th Marines. We asked if there were also 1st Marines through 4th Marines. How far did it go? Are all Earthers some kind of Marine? They asked if they could set up a base. They were very curious about how we reproduce. Some of them wanted to try it. They found grains and using their own yeast, and they actually did brew more beer. \n \nI do not know what happens next. An old Marine commander told me an Earth story of Pandora. It was unsettling. The Enemy are now quarantined and the humans are no longer. I asked this commander if they would be willing to go back to confinement for the safety of the universe. He laughed and said no. \n",
"#*Commander Vibrath of the Perseus military observatory - Log C1*\n\n**Local Solar Time 781.012071**\n\nThe Council reached a consensus. They are desperate. And not without cause...<sigh>\n\nThe entire outer Scutum-Centaurus arm has been overrun in a matter of months, and three of the five task fleets were caught woefully unprepared and almost completely wiped out. So much for a galaxy-wide peace I guess. The invaders, known as the Styrr, were contacted a few years ago, but communications were not particularly fruitful and died out rather quickly. We couldn't have known. We couldn't have known they would be capable of that.. Now we know. They've got some sort of new drive system, far more advanced than anything we've got, that allowed them to travel the intergalactic space in mere hours instead of years. When the tracking stations signalled the alert, it was already far too late; the most important jump points had been taken over and three fleets were in a state of disarray, not knowing who the enemy was, or what they were supposed to do.\n\nStill, Humans!? Really? We froze them for a good reason. They are a morally deprived species, no different from the Styrr themselves. We cannot rely on them to act in our interest, hell we can't even rely on them to act in their own interest. Then again, if we do not apply some miraculous new strategy soon, the entire galaxy will be overrun in less than two years.\n\nHere's to hoping.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012081**\n\nThe EM sensors actually managed to pick up the subtle drop in background noise from the Sol neighbourhood. The quantum lock on the old Human planets has been lifted, and their worlds are once again full of motion and life - as if nothing ever happened, except the stars are suddenly in a different position. \n\nCommunications were set up, data shared and the Humans agreed in a surprisingly short amount of time. You'd think they'd be hesitant to join a losing war against a technologically superior opponent with the very people who froze them in time. We already have over half a dozen races that ceased communications with Head Command, preferring instead to hide, deep below the surfaces of their planets, in pods in deep space. Sleeping, waiting, hoping.. anything but wage war. But the Humans thrive on this. In the thousands of years they've spent killing each other, they've only ever gotten more enthusiastic about it. It seems that with every new energy technology they just think of ways to blow up cities more easily, or built bigger weapons. They are dangerous. But maybe dangerous is what we need: Scutum-Centaurus is now rapidly going dark, meaning the Styrr have captured *all* of the relay stations, and most of the planets and orbital habitats! It's insane; nobody has ever conquered a fully developed colony in less than a year, but the Styrr have subdued thousands already in only 4 months.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012242**\n\nScutum-Centaurus went completely dark. All we can do now for the poor souls under Styrr occupation is hope, and prepare for what's coming.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012319**\n\nThe Humans are on the move. They've crossed the Norma arm twice and are almost ready to jump into Styrr border territory. They've been given some of our older vessels, I'm not sure what that's supposed to do against the Styrr, when they're clearly ahead of us in energy technology and probably military technology as well. This better work; Aquila is going dark as well.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012380**\n\nFinally some good news: the Humans sent several reports from the edge of Scutum-Centaurus, in the Crassus system, indicating they've successfully raided several orbital stations and landed on at least one planet. No response from the Styrr yet. The Styrr fleet is probably going to make short work of them, but then, even if they get wiped out, the Humans have at least been a good delaying action.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012384**\n\nThe Styrr jumped to the Outer arm! They came out of nowhere, it's a complete disaster! Head command was evacuated in time and the higher ranks escaped unharmed, but the central headquarters was clearly the prime target and destroyed in a short fight, before 3rd fleet came in to stop the push with great losses. After destruction of HQ communications, we've lost contact with the Human Main Fleet, but judging by the lack of progress on Aquila, the Styrr are now focussing on the Human counter-attack and will be in contact with their fleet before the end of 012400.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012404**\n\nSignals from Scutum-Centaurus. Most likely Human messages! The signals are extremely redshifted by the Styrr cloaking fields, and we're only receiving tiny bits of information through all the noise, but our analysts are certain they can soon decipher the messages.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012406**\n\nThey're... alive. More than that: they successfully fended off the Styrr attack and fully control one planet. This is monumental! If they can hold against the Styrr with outdated weapons than maybe all is not lost after all.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012411**\n\nThings are looking less and less certain every the day. A while ago we got a message from Human Main Fleet indicating they successfully captured several small Styrr ships. If that is true, they could reverse engineer them and undo the technological advantages the Styrr have. Fate would have it however, that the Crassus system went completely dark a few days later. Most likely the Styrr swung in with the brunt of their fleet and regained full control. In light of recent tactical successes however, Central Command has decided to attach Human technical teams, advisers and marines to the ships in 4th and 5th fleet, to boost their tactical prowess. They have set course for Aquila to prepare a strong defensive position against the expected continuation of the Styrr offensive in that cluster.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012456**\n\nThe cloak lifted this morning, only to reveal not one, but twenty-four star systems in Scutum-Centaurus fully under Human control! It seems they've successfully mobilized the local auto-mines and manufacturing districts, as their fleet has actually grown with the addition of several small gunboats. All this would be marvellous if not for one thing:\n\n*\"They are not responding anymore.\"*\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012458**\n\n**SHIT**\n\nAn encrypted message from the Crassus system, was received on 4th and 5th fleet earlier this day. We don't know what it said, but we can guess, as the ships became unresponsive for several hours, when all of a sudden material was expulsed from the airlocks... *Dead* material. The Humans have taken control of the ships, slaughtering every other species on board. It is a full-scale rebellion! 4th immediately jumped to the Sol region to protect the core Human territories. 5th set course for the **inner** systems. They're heading for *us*! How could they when the Styrr are right on our doorstep?\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 781.012527**\n\nThey have taken all of Aquila. They bombarded the colonies. The colonies! Billions, billions and billions of people, all massacred from orbit. Paradise and life turned into ash and tomb. Nothing to gain there, they just killed them. They are worse than the Styrr! 1st, 2nd and 3rd fleet fought fiercely, but they were already battered and could not stop the Human fleets, which are growing much faster than we are. \n\nMeanwhile the Styrr have entered on the other side of the galaxy, in Auriga. More systems going black. They do not seem to bother each other much... or *at all* really. Could it be?\n\nWe are evacuating Perseus observatory, for fear of a raid from the nearby Styrr. We will be relocating to the galaxy center, along with Head Command, and most of what's left of the fleet, to protect the core systems of the Head races.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 193.548713**\n\n**WE ARE DOOMED**\n\nThey are allied. The Styrr and Human fleet are operating alongside each other. \n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time 193.548746**\n\nWe cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken all the outer arms, and the quadrant fortresses. Remnant Fleet fought bravely while we retreated colony ships towards the galaxy center, up until their very destruction. We are held up in the Core systems. They set up sentries along the perimeter. We cannot get out.\n\nThey are coming.\n\nWe cannot get out.\n\n------------------\n**Local Solar Time < ERROR: INVALID LOCATION >**\n\nIQ6&\\‘D¸œ¨8ýõÅ0vÕïwγw™]_ö{ŠØl»nqÙTò!{›Ú6üò#ï\u0004¨²úý4bÝÅ\"}-\u0005·&<ØÄã.îb›8¼§ ",
"There was a heavy silence in the room as the hologram display flickered to life.\n\nIt was a grim and hopeless kind of silence. It was a silence that had managed to usurp what was disordered bickering between dozens of interstellar leaders and turn it into a funeral procession. \n\nThe figure in the center of the room watched as the conclave of leaders gazed at the display with a slow apprehension of horror visible in their eyes or whatever visual sense organ they possessed. \n\nAt last, a guttural toned voice broke the silence. \"This... it cannot be.\"\n\nThe figure recognized the sentiment. *Denial.* It turned to face the alien leader.\n\nIt was large in mass, with a thick azure carapace. The alien leader of the Kragi species. \n\n\"It is,\" said the figure simply. \n\n\"How long do we have?\" a small furry bodied alien asked as it stared up at the hologram display. \n\nThe figure tiled its head upwards to glance at the hologram of the Large Magellanic Cloud, then turned to the alien leaders that were arranged in a circle around it. \"Not long. It appears that their fleet are capable of interstellar travel. They are a species that we have not been aware of until recently... When we discovered them, they had already eliminated all of their neighboring inhabitants within the galaxy. How unfortunate.\" \n\nAn uproar of grunts and curses fill the room. \n\nA screech silenced the room. \n\n\"What are our chances of defeating this hostile species?\" asked a raspy, monotone voice. \n\nThe figure turned to look at the alien. It had mandibles that clicked together as it spoke. The Tieopna species. \n\n\"We face a 99.9812874 percent chance of complete annihilation at their hands,\" answered the figure in the center of the room. \n\n\"What do you suggest we do?\" a voice asked from among the Conclave of alien leaders.\n\n\"We will fight! Fight to the death!\" roared the small furry alien. \n\n\"No. We must be rational about this,\" said the Kragi leader as he glared down at the small furry alien. \"Vul'zama,\" the Kragi leader gestured at the figure with a massive arm. \"You have called us today to tell us of our doom. You must have a possible resolution to this predicament.\"\n\nVul'zama, the leader of the conclave who had called for the meeting nodded its ethereal head- merely a translucent shape that shimmered with the light. \n\n\"Indeed,\" said Vul'zama. \"It is not a definite solution. We face utter annihilation but with the help of a certain species, we may perhaps change our doomed fate.\" \n\nThey rejoice. There are sighs of relief from the Conclave.\n\n\"And what species are we talking about?\" asked another voice from among the Conclave.\n\n\"It is with the help of the humans.\"\n\nAnother uproar from the Conclave. *Overwhelming disapproval.*\n\n\"The exiled Humans?!\" \n\n\"Those senseless self-warring warmongers!?\"\n\n\"Absolutely unacceptable! They invaded our planet and took my fellow brothers and sisters as pets!\" screeched the tiny furry alien. \n\nVul'zama raised a translucent limb into the air, calming the crowd of alien leaders. \"Indeed. We had exiled the humans, trapped them in their own planet via a sphere of warped space...\" Vul'zama sweeped a hand upwards. \n\nThe hologram shifted and zoomed across the a vast sea of stars until it settled on a blue planet. A simmering translucent barrier enveloped the planet.\n\nIt was Earth.\n\n\"The Humans, they were unpredictable, irrational, and volatile. Their endless greed and passion for war would have been the end of us all, but now... we face extermination, and the humans? They will be our weapon,\" said Vul'zama. \n\n*A weapon that could very well back-fire on ourselves*, thought Vul'zama. He didn't dare say it aloud. \n\n\"Vul'zama, have you forgotten about how humans liked to wage war among themselves?\" asked the Kragi leader. \"They have no unity. They do not have a single leader, *but hundreds* of different leaders vying for domination over one another. It is foolish to even-\"\n\nVul'zama raised his limb into the air again. \"That... will not be an issue.\" Vul'zama turned around and sweeped his arm over the hologram of Earth. The Barrier dissipated. \n\nThe Conclave of aliens gasped. \n\nVul'zama continued before the Conclave could start another uproar of disapproval. \"We will descend upon the Earth shortly and each of *us*-\" Vul'zama glared at each alien with glowing emerald pockets of light, \"-will collect a *suitable* human leader before returning here for further assessment. We will then conduct a *contest* between them to determine the human that will lead their species.\"\n\nVul'zama glanced around the room and saw the reluctance in their eyes. \n\n\"Do not return until you have a human to bring back,\" he ordered again for extra measure. \"Dismissed.\" \n\n----------\n\nMeanwhile on Earth, the human race are rejoicing as they hear the news. \n\n*'Unknown Barrier around Earth has disappeared'* the voice of a news reporter repeats loudly from the television upstairs. \n\n\"Alex! Come up stairs!\" Alex's mom shouts. \n\nAlex who is holed up in his basement playing Starcraft 4, tilts his head as he wonders what is going on upstairs. Then he notices a translucent figure in the corner of his eye. \n\nIt moves. \n\nAlex screams like a girl as he jumps out of his seat. \n\nThe figure speaks, a voice that resounds deeply within his head. \"Hello human.\"\n\n--------\n\n/r/em_pathy\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"An entire sector wiped out. Just like that. Quan Kalak looked at the holographic representation of red vs green play out in the center of the chamber, contemplative as the rest of the council debated the issue with feigned serenity, brushing it off as a minor infraction from the Magellanic Cloud - just another recently ascended species with a love of war seeking to expand its domain. \n\nCould the crotchety old fools not see what was transpiring? \n\n“No, no, we are not under threat. These primitive lifeforms have not even brushed against our core defensive grid. I doubt they shall even make it that far. Besides, the combined fleet is on its way as we speak. I have no doubt these primitives will be dealt with swiftly enough. Have no fear. We saw the Kurians attempt the same five millennia ago. These insectoids are nothing to us.” \n\nCouncilman Yeovan of the Scalls spoke with an authority and a volume that transcended his small reptilian frame. And he was wrong, Quan was sure of it. To speak against him was not a diplomatic move. The Scalls did not take kindly to dissent, and were known for their ruthlessness in ensuring their influence over the galactic council. Quan raised an appendage, signalling his desire to respond. \n\n“Honored Yeovan,” Quan began, “it is true, indeed, that the combined fleet is formidable, and yes, the outer defensive perimeter is little compared to our core defensive grid… ” \n\nHe took a deep breath before continuing, flexing his carapace, looking at each council member in turn before returning his gaze to Yeovan. \n\n“... yet we cannot deny the swiftness with which these primitives, as you call them, have managed to completely disintegrate our defenses. Have we been watching the same report, councilman? Do you see that?” \n\nQuan pointed at the looping hologram amidst them, his eyes fixed firmly on Yeovan. \n\n“That happened within the timeframe of a hundredth of a galactic rotation. You mention The Kurian invasion, the greatest threat we’ve faced since the insurrection of Man, yet you seem oblivious to the fact that the Kurians never managed to secure as large a sector within such a short timeframe as this.“\n\nThe hologram looped again and again, showing the infestation as it first touched the galactic quadrant and spread inwards. Towards them. A wave of red crashing upon the otherwise peaceful shores of their galaxy. \n\nThe council went quiet for a moment. A few members communicated subtly between themselves. \n\nYeovan raised his scaled appendage to respond, seemingly unperturbed. \n\n“Your point, Quan Kalak of the Sinnsiak, is well understood.” \n\nInterspecies communication was a complex field and it was rarely wise to read too much into the subtleties of tonal and non-verbal communication patterns, but Quan had had enough dealings with the Scall to understand why Yeovan felt like pointing out what species Quan represented.\n\nInsectoids weren’t supposed to be intelligent or dangerous. The Sinnsiak were the exception, and so far they were the only civilized species of insectoids to be granted a seat on the galactic council. To the chagrin of the Scall, of course, who long lobbied against their inclusion. \n\nBut Quan couldn’t point out their biases, nor would his pride allow it. \n\nYeovan continued. \n\n“They move quickly, yes, but all our intelligence paints these insectoids as being of the hive-variant. Their strategies are rarely well formulated and depend largely on surprise and shock. Any prolonged conflict will inevitably lead us to a solid profile of their limited capacity for strategy. We will best them, rest assured. You worry too much, Quan.” \n\nThe Scall version of a smile was disgusting. Quan had no doubt that in this instance it was meant to be. \n\nQuan gave up. Perhaps they were right. Perhaps not. Either way he did not hold enough sway within the council to convince all of them. Yet a few, amongst them the reptillians of Urku and the mammalians of Haitha, seemed to have taken his point to heart even though they did not dare communicate it out loud. \n\nThey all agreed to wait for news from the combined fleet, or rather to await the spectacular victory that was so certain according to Yeovan. The meeting adjourned, and the councilmembers retreated through their gates and back home to their respective homeworlds. \n\nExcept Quan. He went directly to the docks of the Citadel station. \n\n“Pilot,” he said as he entered his carrier-ship, the Swarmer. \n\n“Patriarch,” hummed the Pilot as he descended from the flight-deck, connected tendrils suspending him in front of Quan. His antenna quivered as he exposed his thorax, the old sign of submission. A little archaic to Quan’s taste, but he’d long since given up on convincing his subordinates to do otherwise. \n\n“We’ve a journey ahead, but I need the departure logs on this citadel to speak of a different destination than where we are actually going.” \n“Aaah,” buzzed the Pilot, “and where is it we are… not going?” \n\nThe council obviously couldn’t see the potential danger, but Quan did, or at least he thought he did. So why not take a few precautions? Precautions which, if found out, most certainly would sour the Sinnsiaks reputation within the galactic community. To hell with it, he thought. \n\n“Sol.” \n\n\n----------\n\nAdmiral Peterson floated on the observation deck of his lavish offices on Frontera station, eyes on the Portal and the vast Milkyway framed behind it. Or, as it was usually described - the prison gate. Within that ten times ten kilometer wide oblong frame, warp was enabled. Nowhere else in the system of Sol could anyone enter, and no ship could leave through the gate unless it was of alien origin. Whatever technology the xenos had implemented across Sol, it was annoyingly effective at suppressing warp-space travel. Not just that - Humanity's latest attempt at Colonization, the New Eden initiative, had been disintegrated as soon as it had left the warp-curbing field. 50.000 thousand souls gone in the blink of an eye, the latest cloaking technology proving insufficient at preventing detection by their xeno-jailors. A few more hundred years, and they’d no doubt try again. And probably fail, like so many times before. \n\nAdmiral Peterson felt a wave of anger rise up in him.\n\nHumanity remained trapped within an overcrowded system with only two self-sustaining biospheres - Mars and Earth. Colonies were established systemwide on whatever planetoid was large enough, but it was not enough. It was never enough. And what happens when you pack a too many humans into a tight space with limited resources? Conflict. War. \n\nHe was an admiral of the Unified Front of Man and considered himself beyond inter-human conflicts. In his estimation it was the greatest shame of being of Man - that in place of a unifying enemy the species was so quick to turn upon itself. He’d never apologize for being human though, least of all to the xenos. \n\n“Can you imagine, Jacky, that we were conquerors once?” \n“Mmhm,” responded his cyberchinetic intelligence officer from the corner of his office. Jacky was plugged into the Feed, updating himself on the various calamities occurring throughout Sol, sifting information that might be of benefit to his Admiral. \n\n“Not just that. We were unified, as one. We had dozens of systems under the confederacy… “ \n\n“Sounds sweet, sir. For us at least. But seems to me, considering our present circumstances, that we might’ve pissed of a few too many xenos.” \n\n“Yes, there’s that…” \n\nThe admiral sighed deeply, then turned away from the observation deck and retreated further into his office. He hovered over Jacky, regarding the indecipherable symbols flashing by on the monitor. \n\n“So, how is that insurgency in Callisto working out?” \n“Inefficient revolutionaries, sir. They’ve secured half the moon but the UFM just arrived. Progress reports indicate light resistance, civilian casualties in the thousands. Humanitarian organizations keep spamming the feed with anti-UFM propaganda, but that’s to be expected.” \n\n“Same old same old,” Peterson said, massaging his temples. \n\n“Any other-” \n\nThe screech of klaxons cut him off. Jacky jerked awkwardly - sensory overload from the Feed, coupled with digital emergency alerts and a good dose of auditory stimuli was enough rile even the most efficient cyber. \n\n“Status-report, Jacky?” \n\nJackys eyes rolled in their sockets. He opened his mouth, drool draining from his lips as he struggled to form words. \n\n“Look… Outside.” \n\nAdmiral Peterson turned towards the observation deck and the sight beyond. This time his heart jumped. 550 years since their latest intrusion and barely three years since they’d snuffed out the 50.000 thousand souls of the Eden Initiative. They had returned. \n\nA vicious smile formed on his lips as he saw the spiked shape of what was obviously a xeno-ship emerge slowly from the Portal. \n\n“Jacky,” \n“Online again, sir. Sorry about that.” \n“Nevermind. Prepare the welcome committee.\"\n“All of them, sir?” \n“Yes. And signal the Magnanimous - they’re free to launch their loads.” \n“Sir, I’m not sure we should engage immediat-\n“Do it!” \n\nFinally, 550 years of advancement in weapon technology would be put to the the only test that mattered. \nAdmiral Peterson couldn’t wait. \n",
"Mars was chosen as the rendezvous point. The Volters, representatives of the Federation, could travel easily to almost any corner of the galaxy, but a measure of consideration was made for the humans. After all, hyperspace teleportation was a finicky affair, and the newest members of the Federation had yet to master the intricacies required. \n\nAs per custom, the respective delegations assigned one agent each to the deliberations. They sat at opposite ends of the long table, and a golden sphere of circuitry hovered in the air between them.\n\n\"Have the humans an answer for us?\" asked Vox. His feelers twitched with impatience - the humans had delayed their response too many times by now.\n\n\"We do, Chancellor Vox,\" said Glenda. She was steepled with age, and it seemed that every word was a genuine struggle.\n\n\"Finally! Then let us not dally, we all know there can only be one answer. If you would please instruct the Nexus, then we can definitely-”\n\nVox trailed off, unsure of the gesture Glenda was making. She had her palm to him, fingers outstretched in the air. The transponder in his ear buzzed, confirming that he had made the right interpretation.\n\n“I’ve been asked to confirm that the Federation is sure that it wants to proceed with this course,” said Glenda. “This is a path of no return, Volter. Once we open Pandora’s Box, the matter is out of our hands.”\n\nVox wasn’t familiar with phrase, but he grasped the meaning. “Ah, you mean that once we agitate the prion connectors, we cannot undo the quarkling. Ask your questions then, Human. Know that when I answer, I speak with the combined authority of the Federation. I speak for all, as the Nexus is my judge.”\n\nThe golden sphere flashed, and Glenda held the tablet closer to her eyes.\n\n“First, how sure is the Federation now that war is imminent with the invaders?”\n\n“99.99%, recurring. Initial hopes that a peace may be brokered, or an understanding parlayed, are not grounded in reality. Based on our understanding of the invaders, they have *no* wish to be join the Federation. They seek only to destroy.”\n\n“Then, in that case, have probabilities for success increased?”\n\n“No. In fact, they have been revised *downwards*. The Nexus has confirmed what the hundred species of the Federation have separately long suspected – our combined technological prowess has somehow been dwarfed by the threat which looms over us. We will need at least a century, or more, to even catch-up, and by then, as you are well aware, the Federation would have been destroyed.”\n\n“And if us humans refuse your request? If we refuse to share our insights with you?”\n\nVox shook his head. “Extinction, Human. Every single species of the Federation, down to the very last singular entity, consumed by the invaders. But if you join us, help us… then the calculations are different…”\n\nGlenda bit her lip, and in that moment Vox knew rage. He was careful not to show it, but he could not deny the blooming fury radiating from his core. \n\nThe source of his anger surprised even him. He had picked away at the layers, wondering whether it was the seeming lack of urgency on display, or the indecisiveness which plagued every human he had come across. It was a stew of factors, but the core ingredient, the heart of the matter, was the fact that the Federation was beholden to the least advanced species amongst them.\n\nThe absurdity of the situation had kept Vox up for many a night. It wasn’t as if the humans had any particular claim to relevance – they didn’t have the dexterity of the Minoo, or the creativity of the Lullulla, or even the constitution of the Ethrudity, who could pass through dying stars without so much as a scratch. Heck, the humans didn’t even have the ability of the Volters in communicating with the Nexus. It boggled the mind that everything turned on whether the humans lent their efforts to the war.\n\nBut the Nexus had clearly indicated that the humans were the *only* thing which could turn the tides.\n\nAnd the Nexus was never wrong.\n\n“Human,” said Vox, after Glenda showed no signs from emerging from her silence. “Your decision, please. We waste precious seconds.”\n\nGlenda sighed, then stood up. There was an invisible weight around her neck, pulling her down. She shuffled over to the Nexus, then placed her hands on the sphere, cupping it. The Nexus flared again, and it extended a thousand tendrils of gold into her mind.\n\n“Let it be recorded, we from Earth maintain our objections to sharing what we know of war to the Federation. We have long admired the beauty of the Federation, the ideals espoused. You have achieved much of what we have not, and we would never stain such beauty willingly.”\n\n“We have made this decision ourselves, Human. Now, please, share with the Nexus what you know.”\n\nSlowly at first, then more rapidly, the Nexus began to change colour. Across the galaxy, connected by hyperspace, every member of the Federation felt the effects – it was a subtle one, as faint and delicate a taste as a thimble of the finest whiskey added to a barrel of water. But the AI which connected them all to the Federation, which bound and guided every step and decision they made, was irreversibly evolving, and everyone knew it.\n\n“Empathy, that has to go first,” said Glenda. “It will hold you back, tempt you into tolerating, understanding your enemy. You have to leave no space in your heart for the invaders. From here on, you know them as a single class, a single stereotype. It won’t matter if any of them displays any capacity for reason – there is only us on our side, and we will be blinded to any other views. Henceforth, the Nexus will not assist any of you in understanding your place in the bigger picture of life.”\n\nThe Nexus shifted, dropping a shade of colour. It pulsed under Glenda’s fingertips.\n\n“Then, knowledge next. Your young cannot inherit the wisdom you have brewed over the years. They will start afresh, and be as susceptible to prejudice and misconceptions as your ancestors did. Your intelligence implants have to be removed. How your young develop will have to depend on random, uncontrollable fancies of luck – who they mingle with, who they learn under. No more homogenous mindsets, but instead, vastly differing perspectives, with no certainty of commonality.”\n\nVox felt the edge of his perception slip away as the Nexus responded to Glenda’s commands. His eyestalks flicked as he stared at the hundreds of holograms around the room – suddenly, his fellow members in the Federation seemed so… different. He couldn’t believe that there was a time when he believed that they were equal, one amongst all.\n\n“Finally, forgiveness…” said Glenda. “Any slights against you, intended or not, will fester. You will be denied the medicines you need to heal such burns. The infection will spread, and you will pass on the hurt to your young as well, like pus from open wounds. You will teach them to hate, and you will teach them that no measure of recompense will ever be enough. You may fall in battle against the invaders, but this affliction… it will course through your bloodlines like the most stubborn of rots, and you will ensure that generations later, your young will avenge you.”\n\nGlenda fell to her knees, covering her face. The Nexus soared up higher, and it was now a dull shade of red. It was still unused to its new prerogatives, but the direction was now clear. Across the galaxy, across the infinity of stars, the Nexus was pumping out its commands, and it was awakening something in the Federation, something they had not known for eons, something which struck at the core of their unity… but which perhaps would give them a chance to live to another day.\n\nBloodlust.\n\n/r/rarelyfunny\n",
"######[](#dropcap)\n\nThey came from beyond the galactic rim, past the chaotic energies which bound the Milky Way, denizens of true emptiness, the noplace in the cracks between nowhere. \n\nThe Galactic council sent an overwhelming force to destroy them. Ships of the dominant races in the galaxy: Trylixian Spheres brimming with antimatter cannons; the Draconias, cruisers of the Loloth people, lithe and studded with gravity well generators and non-nucleic explosives; and the fell war machines of the Hiddrell race, each larger than a small moon, each unique and grown on a biogrid on the Hiddrell homeworld, covered in every manner of non-nucleic weaponry. \n\nA galactic war fleet, larger than any seen in the history of the Galactic Federation, thousands upon thousands of ships, met the alien invaders at the far edge of the galaxy. In orbit around an unnamed red dwarf star, where the enemy had begun mobilizing their forces, the fleets met.\n\nA battle ensued, known now as the First Battle of the Great War, or the Battle Of Broken Pride. It was a slaughter, the ships of the Federation falling in droves to a class of nucleic weapons long since banned from the Milky Way galaxy by species who deemed them unecessary and overly dangerous, never considering that a force from the greater universe would ever appear. \n\nFusion weapons of epic scale and overwhelming power wiped out dozens of vessels at a time, vaporizing them in concurrent wave after wave of nuclear detonation. When the galactic ships could fire, their weapons caused damage, but the fierce, ceaseless nuclear barrage of the enemy was too much, their radiation scarred and mishapen ships spewing missiles with machinegun speed.\n\nIt is said of the Battle of Broken Pride that for the 34 hours of fighting, it appeared to outside observers as though a second star had exploded into existence beside the red dwarf, consuming the Federation fleet in an unbroken blaze of light. \n\nBy battle's end, fewer than a dozen Federation ships hobbled from the star system. The enemy hunted down 11 of them, and only the final ship, \"Glory of Loll\", a Loloth cruiser propelled to ultra-luminal speed by the folding of spacetime - a technology mastered only by the Loloths - survived the battle. \n\nThe Loloth Commander learned from their escape. It appeared the invaders did not have the capacity for ultra-luminal speeds, which meant the Galactic Core systems would have at least a millenium before the enemy arrived, almost no time at all. \n\nFaced with an impossible choice, the Loloth Commander followed its instinct and, instead of setting a course for the Galactic Core, it set a course for a little known system on the spiral arm of the galaxy.\n\nThe place was home to the most dangerous species previously known to the Galactic Council - a species so fearsome, so bloodthirsty, that the council had wiped them from the public zeitgeist.\n\nBy edict of the council, their entire solar system had been contained by a ring of Loloth gravity wells - a sphere of impassable black holes, created at impossible cost, over the course of ten thousand years. \n\nNo member of the Federation had entered the system or communicated with its occupants, in eons.\n\nIn the face of an unbeatable foe, the Commander of the Loloth vessel made his choice, and set a course for the planet Earth.\n\n*****\n\n##### Part 2 - Jail Break\n##### Part 3 - The Human Virus\n##### Part 4 - The Grand Flotilla\n##### Part 5 - The Great Purge\n##### Part 6 - The Great Betrayal\n##### Autopsy Report - Kra Combatant\n*****\n\n##### For More Legends From The Multiverse\n\n##### r/LFTM",
"\"The whole galaxy is under threat of extinction,\" the Puri representative spoke into the microphone. \"There is one recourse we have not yet tried...\"\n\nThe representative for the Magnar delegation spoke up, cutting off the end of his thought. \"No! Absolutely not! We have discussed this time and time again in the Synod. Humans are too dangerous. Their absolute lust for bloodshed means that, sooner or later, they *will* turn on us.\"\n\nThe Puri spoke again: \"Then what do you suggest? We are going to DIE, Senator!\"\n\n\"We can repel them,\" the Magnar Senator said.\n\n\"We *can't!* We've tried!\"\n\n\"What if,\" the Senator from the Cassian Republic said. \"What if we don't get involved?\"\n\nThere was a long silence as the Synod considered the implications of what the Senator was saying.\n\n\"What are you saying, Senator?\" the Magnar representative asked. The Cassian Senator cleared his throat.\n\n\"We send them a message. A simple one that conveys the urgency of the situation, but we don't say who it's from, or why we're sending it.\"\n\n\"And what do you suggest we should say?\" the Puri said.\n\nThe Cassian smiled.\n\n***\n\nThe President watched from his perch in the observation deck as troops loaded up into hundreds and thousands of shuttles. They were off to the Large Magellanic Cloud on their first interstellar deployment.\n\nThe official line was that the United States had received a credible threat from the Cloud about its imminent destruction of Earth, but only the President and a few select advisors knew the real truth. The President pulled the slip of paper from a jacket pocket that contained the note they'd received in Morse Code from deep space:\n\n*Oil found in Large Magellanic Cloud*",
"My ancestors were granted peace. This is the lesson taught aboard our Generational Tanker Class IV. There was a time when humanity's highest leaders were rulers of mere countries. Then, the Xulians descended from seven folds of spacetime in ships of crystal and glass. They beckoned with spidery limbs, saying simply: \"Your time has come.\"\n\nAs a kid, I found that so funny. Not that they presumed we would know what they meant--they made the threat of the Magellanic invasion quite clear afterwards--no, I found it funny that humans would have needed help to begin with. As a member of the third generation, my teachers detailed the terraforming efforts of our initial solar system. How we organized a universal system of government. They paced across the schoolroom and explained the advantage of our reproductive rates as it pertains to the Almighty War. I was a good student--I paid attention closely. But during each Xulian history lesson, I couldn't help but scoff. \n\n\"We are aboard a FTL vessel thanks to the Xulians, young man,\" my instructor had reprimanded once. \n\n\"Yes ma'am,\" I'd said, feigning embarrassment. Always, I was thinking: *But how is it we never figured it out on our own?*\n\nOutside the window in my captain's quarters, our Xulian escorts zoom through space dust. They check in every night to reaffirm our mission. Beyond them, the stars bleed into darkness. I pretend they are my grandfather's eyes, winking. He had wrinkled hands that smelled like almond butter. I'd smell them whenever he'd pat my cheek, saying something so similar to the Xulians, all those years ago: \"Your time will come.\"\n\nHe was referring to the timer displayed in the mess hall. It's the estimated time before arriving in the Magellanic galaxy. The estimated time before we deliver our payload. I look at it every morning with my ration of coffee. The crewhands amble by to load up on eggs and bacon before their drills. They chatter nervously. Some hardly pick at their food. We are all a bit antsy. The timer's nearly at zero. \n\nWith each second it ticks closer, I think back on what I have truly learned. When the Xulians arrived, our Generational Tankers were constructed. Countries volunteered vast swaths of desert as launch sites. We settled our solar system. And then beyond. A universal electorate was established. Internal wars ceased to exist. They're now classified as ancient history. All because humanity had been presented with a higher enemy--a universal threat--and it had established common moral ground. \n\nIn the end, peace was only attainable through war.\n\nWhen our mess hall timer hits zero, and we arrive in the Magellanic galaxy, we'll deliver our payload. The Magellanic galaxy will burn, and the Xulians will dance on their enemy's graves. But, they have been so focused on defense that, even when victory is at hand, they have not even bothered to ask: what *next*?\n\nI am loyal to my own race. A race that was held back and caged, as if mere dogs. It is only natural that in the past we snarled at one another. But now, without a squirrel to chase, what will we be left to do?\n\nThe Xulians will celebrate, but instead I will give the orders to turn-about. Our second payload will be prepped and ready to fire. My deckhands have been practicing the maneuver for years on end. For a moment, I imagine the Xulian escorts will attempt to broach comms. \n\n\"What are you doing?\" they might ask. \"The enemy is vanquished.\"\n\nI'll tell them all I have learned.\n\n\"Peace is only attainable through war.\" \n\nAnd a new war will be born.\n\n___________\n\nr/M0Zark",
"\"You want us to go to war?\" the Terran ambassador had asked incredulously, \"After trapping us here in the Quad Systems for a thousand years. You expect to let loose our leashes and like dogs chase down your hated enemies?\"\n\n\"We do,\" the Gallius Union Envoy Drone had said, \"We will drop the FTL disablers surrounding your quadrant. We have tens of thousands of freighters with supplies waiting to skip in and provide you with whatever you need to build an armada. You must stop them or they will kill us all. You will be given one year to destroy them and then you will return.\"\n\n\"Return to our prison?\" the ambassador's asked spitefully.\n\n\"Return to the safety of the sanctuary we provide for you,\" the drone droned,\"Remember, the vote was tied on whether to quarantine or destroy you. It is by the mercy of the Gallius species'\nsingle vote that you still exist.\"\n\n\"For that you have our gratitude,\" the ambassador said truthfully, \"We shall remember what you did.\"\n\nThe excitement that spread around the Quad systems at the news was tangible. True to their word, a week later the FTL disablers were put offline and the drone piloted freighters skipped out of FTL into the systems eagerly awaiting them. Then the disablers went back up as the Terrans went to work building their armada.\n\n\"How many got out?\" the President of the War Union asked the ambassador as they received news of the FTL disablers trapping humanity again.\n\n\"500 Heavy Carriers, 6,000 Battle Cruisers, 20,000 destroyers, and 100,000 scouts,\" the ambassador smiled, \"They should have known we wouldn't just sit here helplessly. We would have figured a way around the disablers eventually and had a fleet prepared for that day. This Magellanic Cloud invasion just sped things up a few decades is all.\"\n\n\"No signs of detection?\" the President asked, raising an eyebrow.\n\n\"We've had their encryption broken for a decade and are monitoring their military channels and there is nary a peep,\" the answer made the President smile, \"It will get lively enough when the FTL disablers are taken offline and let us out for good. Plus the fools gave us enough supplies to build another fleet.\"\n\n\"So we'll finally conquer the galaxy that imprisoned us,\" the President said hopefully, \"and humanity will take its rightful place. What of the Gallius? They did keep us alive.\"\n\n\"We'll give those damned machines a choice, join us or die,\" the ambassador smiled, \"I bet I know which way they'll vote.\"\n\n\"And the threat from the Cloud?\" the President asked, genuinely concerned.\n\n\"I pity them,\" the ambassador sighed, \"Whatever they are, those poor things have no one to ask for help. They have no idea we're coming and we're bringing the fires of Hell with us.\"\n\n"
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[WP] You are an evil wizard that captured the King's daughter for ransom. To your surprise she likes your lair more than the boring castle and helps you kill off the knights trying to rescue her. | 307 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"“Hahaha! Did you- haaaaahahaha! Did you see that idiot’s face?! Haha oh my god, I’m sorry! I’m giggling like a schoolgirl!”\n\n“Oh please stop, you are fine! Are you kidding? That was ha! Hahaha! Such an idiot! Oh, look at me, Mr. Big Strong knight!” The dark wizard prances around his candlelit lair. “Then BAM! Now you’re a frog bitch!”\n\n“Oh please saaaaaaave me Mr. Knight! This big bad wizard is trying to get into my underpants!” The princess mocks and hikes up her puffy pink blood stained dress.\n\n“But before I do that…Another drink!”\n\nI must have done something good in another life to deserve this kind of good fortune because I have sure been a shit in this one. A kidnapping turned to love…Love?...I love her?...I love her…You love her you fool!. A princess for Merlin’s sake! With me? A lowly dark wizard with a modest manhood at best?! Go on King! Send more fools to their deaths. Your Princess- no. My Princess and I, will be waiting.\n\n“Ok ok another is coming down the road…I have an idea.” the Princess says seductively, slipping the dress off her shoulder.\n \n “Deep breaths now Galaheart. You are a knight of the King’s Court. No reason to be afraid, even if no one has succeeded yet and you’ve only been a knight for a fortnight.” No biggie right? Get your shit together man. Just a small climb to the top of the Dark Wizard’s tower, kill the all-powerful, evil angry wizard and rescue the Princess…. “Shit.” \n \n Thump! The door shakes. Thump! Thump! Wood splinters inward. A large man in gleaming armor stands in the doorway. Sword in one hand, A chuckling tree intricately painted on a shield in his other.\n\n“Princess! I am here to save you!” Across the room the knight sees her, facing away from him gently weeping. Beautiful hair so blonde it’s almost white, cascading down over a puffy pink blood stained dress.\n\n“Oh my hero!” The Princess rushes in to embrace Galaheart.\n\n“It was nothing my lady. Just doing my job” Returning the powerful embrace. “Now, time to return you to your rightful place beside the King.” Good line Galaheart, now keep it cool, don’t screw this up.\n\n“Please your highness, is the Wizard near?”\n\n“Very.”\n\nA hooded figure appears from behind a wall at the far end of the dim room, glowing red staff in hand, gliding across the floor as easily as an apparition.\n\n“I will protect you my lady. Quickly! Behind my rear quarters and I shall defend your maidenhood! FOR THE KING!”\n\nGalaheart, lunges with his sword. A murderous downward strike meaning to rip the wizard apart from shoulder to hip. He trips on a small cauldron lying on the floor. His sword flies from his grip and clanks to the ground.\n\nRaucous laughter explodes from the hooded Wizard. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry my Dark-one! I couldn’t hold it in. This guy is such a freakin’ joke!” \n\nThe Princess drops the hood, revealing herself to Galaheart.\n\n“P-princess! I could have-have…” Galaheart stammers.\n\n“Killed you?” A dark voice from behind purrs.\n\nGalaheart turns. The hair is not white, it is grey. The exact color of his own complexion at that moment. Galaheart’s body rocks forward and coughs. Blood sprays into the Dark Wizard’s face. He licks the blood off his own lips.\n\n“Well now, don’t you look foolish good sir.” The Dark Wizard says as he curtsey in his puffy pink blood stained dress.\n\nGalaheart looks down and sees his own sword protruding through his midsection from just under his armor plate.\n\nWith his final breath Galaheart whispers “Fuck me.”\n \n\nSorry if formatting is screwy. On mobile!\n ",
"Serel chokes on the stench of burnt flesh when she steps through the door. Summoning a breeze pushes away the worst of the smoke, but not the smell. \n\nPrincess Regalia stands stark naked at the bottom of the manor steps yet again. \"Lia,\" Serel sighs. She conjures a cloak as she descends. \"You could have just waited for me, you know, instead of casting that spell. You still haven't worked the quirks out.\" \n\nRegalia turns to take the cloak, grinning wickedly. \"But I so adore the look on their faces when they discover their beloved princess knows *magic* now!\" She snorts. \"As if I'd ever go back to that old hum-drum of a father. He hasn't thought about change since he executed Mother.\" \n\nSerel, after eyeing the half-dozen charred corpses, casts a summoning spell. A scant few seconds later, the rocks surrounding the manor entrance shift towards each other and stand as two golems, taller than her by far. \"Yes, well, do try to remember I don't have unlimited ability to repair my manor, if you will.\" She casts the princess a long side glance as they step back indoors, the golems removing the bodies behind them. \"I kidnapped you for a reason.\"\n\n\"Yes, yes, ransom. How boring, Sere! Couldn't you have been a wicked, dashing sort of wizard, out after my maiden goodness?\" Regalia demands, propping her hands on her hips -- with no regard for the lack of clothing beneath.\n\nSerel chokes on her laughter. \"You, Lia, a maiden? I think all the kingdom knew you to be a full woman years past!\" Delicately, she averts her eyes from the other woman's... admittedly tempting figure.\n\n\"That doesn't mean you can't threaten my virtue!\" Lia whines so loudly she can hear the pout. Then the princess slams into her back. \"C'mon, grand wizard! Show me naughty things! It's the only reason I let you kidnap me!\"\n\nAlready used to this after only a month, Serel forces her thoughts away from the princess's pressing body and asks, \"Would you like to perfect Fiery Annihilation, or move on to Dagger Rain?\" \n\n\"Hmmm...\" Lia contemplates, and goes quiet for a moment.\n\nSerel sighs again, and thinks, *Of all the princesses to kidnap, I chose this one!* ",
"\"Okay, but *how* though?\"\n\nA short explanation that tearing apart the fabric of the universe is child's play wasn't enough to placate a child. That did make sense and Herrok chides himself for allowing himself to get into this argument in the first place.\n\nNormally, he had hidden the princess away from the gore and catastrophe that he set upon the wayward knights of Avendale. Truthfully, he felt love for his daughter and wanted to keep her innocent. The inevitability of his blood had been too much, it seemed, so Herrok had thrown himself into teaching. Her face had a few drops of blood from the hand she was inspecting above her head.\n\nAndrosi Lucephine. That was the name Herrok had given to his daughter when Her had taken her from Castle Aven. It had been a strange night of revenge and magic that lead to her birth by the King's wife, Freid. While the king was furious that his precious \"Gemma\" had been kidnapped, the girl herself was happy.\n\n\"Androsi, would you like to see if you can learn some spells?\"\n\nIt was an easy enough test. A reagent of any real power, normally a gemstone, can be used to tell whether someone has an aptitude for magic. Herrok was certain that being of his lineage would make Androsi an immensely powerful magi, should she wish. When held over a flame, it's reaction would show what magic a person could most easily focus on. The intensity of the reaction showed their overall aptitude for the manipulation for mana.\n\nShe excitedly agreed and listened to a basic explanation of what she needed to do. She set off to find her \"favourite stone in this castle.\" Herrok cleaned up the mess that had been Sir Matthau and pondered over the future. He hadn't dabbled much into immortality, as those avenues tended to lend to the loss of emotion. While much of Herrok Lucephine's hexes and grand magicks were of a **dark** nature, he was well and truly a **fire** mage at heart. His passions burned, and he passionately hated most things. It was strange for him to want to nuture, but he thought he enjoyed it.\n\nHerrok had retired to his study. Sitting down, he was finding himself excited, waiting for Androsi to learn. The eight year old's dark hair bounced as she jumped into the room and proudly held a most profound item. It was the Sword of Aven. I had stolen it on one of my many assaults on the nation, it was a priceless heirloom to it's rulers.\n\n\"Well. Quite auspicious tastes, little one.\"\n\n\"What's auspicious, mean?\"\n\n\"Absolutely nothing. Okay, so, if the fire stays the same colour but gets hotter, then you're a firekind.\" It didn't really matter what happened to the fire, this was only a rudimentary test that essentially just proved how much mana you could draw. They tore the grand sapphire from the sword's hilt and Androsi looked through it.\n\n\"What about that black stuff you did earlier?\" Herrok had assumed that his daughter would have been repulsed by the carnage that gravity magic had caused but she'd been as excited as he had when he set his first fire. It made him nostalgic as he prepared the fire for his daughter.\n\n\"That was gravity, the fire would get smaller and change to a hot blue for a gravomancer.\" The words he'd made up for the different focuses had made her smile, so Herrok kept doing it. He'd jokingly said mermaids for water but she complained that wouldn't be fair to the mer*men*. Windriders and coldarrans, stormbringers and gardenkeepers. The different aspects of magic flowed out in this explanation until Androsi knew most of the possibilities it could bring.\n\n\"Wow. I think... I want to be a new one.\" She said, as she held the sapphire on the fire. Instantly the flames froze, not like ice but as though it's time had stopped. Androsi was confused but when she saw my excitement for her she began to smile. He'd seen this once before, and the flame had only slowed. Originally Herrok and Freid had thought that she possessed a form of water magic but it became clear it was more than that.\n\n\"A natural, *powerful* chronomancer. Androsi, you're going to be *incredible*!\" Machinations and plans began forming in Herrok's mind. His land was small, his subjects very few. With Androsi at his side, he was already envisioning ruling the country.\n\n\"Well, whatever,\" Androsi said, lowering the sapphire and pocketing it. \"I'm bored now. Can I see the dragon again?\"\n\n\"Anything you want.\" Domination could wait, he'd got excited again. First, she had to be taught.",
"The knight in shining armour, around the 7th(?) this month, held his sword to my neck.\n\n\"Any last words, scoundrel?\"\n\nThis knight was particularly smart, opting to catch me off guard in my sleep. I could tell he was from Agres, known for their proficiency in the magical arts, which also explained how he had gotten past the many traps i had laid around my castle.\n\nRaising my hands, i sighed.\n\"Well done coming this far, oh valiant knight in shining armour, i assume you're here for the Princess?\"\n\nAh yes, the Princess of Marin, Alya, which i had stolen from her castle all those years ago. On her 16th birthday i had crashed the party and stolen her away, leaving note demanding riches, food, all the like. Hey, even dark wizards had to eat, right? Most people went to work for a measly income, i just decided that kidnap and ransom was a better source of money! Surely that can be understood? But of course, instead of simply paying the ransom, the King had issued a declaration of whoever could retrieve the Princess could have her hand in marriage. Only proved how little he actually loved his daughter.\n\n\"Of course! You will tell me where she is, then i shall grant you a swift death as mercy!\"\n\nThe knight's shouts jolted me from my memories.\n\n\"Ooh. Hm...i'm afraid i do not know of her current whereabouts.\"\n\nI could tell he was confused by my answer, even with his helmet covering most of his face.\n\n\"Impossible! I even made you drink a Truth potion! How do you not know where she is?\"\n\nThe door to my bedroom creaks open, and i hastily cover the noise with a cough.\nI could see a person in my peripheral vision, though i didn't dare to move my eyes from the knight that stood above my bed.\n\n\"Well then, since i do not know where the Princess is, would you be nice and let me leave? I do have an appointment with Magnus the Black i should get to preparing for.\"\n\nI kept still, wary of the blade at my neck.\n\n\"Fine. After i kill you, i shall look for Princess Alya myself! Now, in the hands of John the Valiant, your life will be-\"\n\nBefore he could finish his sentence and pull his sword across my throat, a sudden force crashed into his head, knocking him out cold. His body crashed into me, pressing me into my bed.\n\n\"Alya, dear, you do know that if he had tried to kill me my amulet would blow him up, right?\"\n\nI grin, looking at the Princess. Her face is put into a scowl, framed by her lush locks of brown. Truly a beautiful sight to start the day with. Pity, if i were younger maybe i would have a chance to romance her.\n\n\"...Oh. I forgot about that. Sorry, Bryan. I did make breakfast though!\"\n\n\"Thank you very much dear, now can i have my staff back?\"\n\nAlya passes me my staff, which she had just used to knock John out moments ago.\n\n\"Now what do you propose we do with this one?\"\n\nShe shrugs as she leaves my bedside, off to get the breakfast she had left outside my door.\n\"Don't care anymore. I just wish Father would just give up.\"\n\nI wave my staff, and the armoured body that laid on me turned into a mass of butterflies, which leave through the open window John had climbed in through. A younger me would have burnt him to a crisp with hellfire, but i could tell my ways had changed after Alya entered my life.\nShe comes back into my room to witness the last of the insects flutter out the window, a tray balanced on each hand, containing our breakfast. She insisted on cooking for the both of us, which i really couldn't complain about to be honest. It was certainly much better than the food i had magicked up while i was still living alone.\n\nI get up and stretch, my body cracking, proof of my old age. These days, i had to use my staff as a cane. Moving to the table across the room, i sit down and dig into the fruits and baked goods Alya had prepared. The first time she had cooked, it was revealed that she had spent a lot of her youth in the kitchens, for a lack of a better thing to pass the time. Her father had never really approved her actions, but he cared little about her, allowing Alya to sneak out of her royal duties to learn to bake. 'Dancing won't keep your belly full', she reasoned. The morning air was filled with our chatter as opposed to the silence of many years ago.\n\nObviously, Alya loved living with me more than being a princess, and i certainly enjoy her company. The rest of the land can fret about their missing princess all they want, but i'd rather they just go fuck themselves.",
"\"Your traps on the ninth floor,\" Princess Gwendolyn began, looking up from the dusty Tome she had requisitioned for herself. \"They have several obvious weakpoints. Why?\"\n\n\nI leaned up from my cauldron, looking less eager to answer than before. It had started as a simple gig. Help the king get paid. I had done it before, and it worked marvelously- his wife survived the birth of his third child, and there was healthy boy running about the halls of a palace.\n\n\nBut the King got greedy. He started to overtax my estate. His knights began to grow more daring. He changed religions. It was then I decided to move. But alas, I needed the money. I sought the king's approval, and was quickly denied. His knights even set my wagon on fire to demonstrate their natural distrust of me.\n\n\nI originally kidnapped the King's daughter as a hearty \"fuck you.\"\n\n\nI did not expect her to stay.\n\n\nShe had long, flowing green hair. Her face was as pristine as the tallest of bard's tales. Were I younger man, I would probably be more open to her.\n\n\nBut she was learning too much.\n\n\nShe was tearing through my library.\n\n\nShe was brewing her first potions.\n\n\nShe was indulging in the witchcraft that I was not ready to surrender.\n\n\nAt first, I tried locking her away. She seemed miffed about it, but she leaned enough runework to start undoing my alarming charms.\n\n\nNext, I tried sealing away the books. When her limited knowledge failed her, she began climbing around the exterior on a complicated set of vines to reach the library's window.\n\n\nBy this point, I began to wonder if it was not too late to return to the palace grounds and exchange her for that snot-nosed brat.\n\n\n\"Melchior,\" she interrupted my ruminations with that singsong voice of hers. \"There's mention of an anti-aging spell in here. Its treating it as a cure...\"\n\n\n\"Gwendolyn, that's the proposals from the Witch Hecate. Nobody followed through on her researched because she believed she created a potion that made male frogs fornicate.\"\n\n\n\"That sounds like an amusing potion,\" Gwendolyn pouted. Goodness she seemed like such an unassuming pup when she did that. \n\n\n\"You can't just make an animal switch their gender of preference. Those frogs were born with the innate ability to change genders as required by the external environment,\" I began to lecture. This always happened. We would start with one subject, and I would end up lecturing her on another. She began to take out her ratty notebook, one of the money I had given her during her stay, quill following along animatedly.\n\n\n\"Alright, fine, here's your lesson for the day- Magic is best used when it acts in conjunction with nature, and does not try to pervert. Now, do you remember three weeks ago when I told you that you were not, under any circumstances, allowed to make a love potion?\" She nodded far too eagerly.\n\n\n\"So,\" I began to delve into the science of the human body. I know how odd that might sound- Magic, after all, is suppose to a miraculous force. It could be used to accomplish just about anything, save cure the common cold and revive the dead. Her interest in it was only natural- her daily life, as she described it, was perhaps of the dullest human experiences I have ever considered.\n\n\nShe did not even get to sit in on Political debates. What use was living in the bureaucratic zoo if you couldn't watch the wildlife gnaw at each other's throats? Instead she was kept like a doll. Dressed up, cared for, and pampered like a porcelain homunculus. Really, what was the point of even having a child if you taught them nothing? Did not even play with them... was a child not supposed to be a product of one's careful rearing?\n\n\nThe Princess listened intently as I dallied my tongue about the greater issues of treating nature poorly. \"If you bring forth something that defies nature, you will spend the rest of your time defending it from nature. Its why reincarnation never works- sure, you bring the soul back, the tendons are taut with rigor, the brain decayed and still. In fact, since you mention Hec-\"\n\n\nThe wall of my castle shook as the peal of a horn blasted through the relative peace and comfort of my invaded study. I looked to the Princess. She beamed right back. This was her favorite part of the week, it seemed- watching magic in action. I stood up and trudged towards the window sill. At the base of my homey tower stood a troop of men in gleaming armor. One with a particularly pompous helm stepped forth. I did not recognize this one- I suppose his predecessor must have died that one time the Princess announced the floor was lava. \n\n\nThe stench of burnt ozone still drifts through the floor of my workshop.\n\n\nThe Princess stepped up to the sill as well. \"Hark knights! Do you still seek to imprison me in the King's halls?\" she cried down upon the assorted knights. The knight up front removed his helm.\n\n\n\"Princess Gwendolyn,\" I heard a honeyed voice waver up to the study. \"The mad wizard has cast you under a spell. Please, come down from there, your mother worries so.\"\n\n\n\"My mother would worry more if a platypus ate her fabrigee eggs!\" Gwendolyn scoffed. \"I'm sick of the castle, and you can't make me leave!\" she announced heartily. \"... but please, do try.\" I pulled Gwendolyn away from the window, mouth ready to placate the angry horde of plated men, but one look at the man that called upon the princess convinced me otherwise.\n\n\nI took a step back from the window and turned to the Princess. I crossed my arms and sighed. She bore a worryingly excited grin, her energy near palpable. \"Very well,\" I relented. \"You may set more traps on the ninth floor.\"",
"\"HOW IN THE SEVEN HELLS DID YOU EVEN OPEN THEIR CAGE?!\" \n \nThe words echoed throughout a obscenely large castle on a distant mountain in a dark and gloomy wasteland. \n \nThe Grandshadow roared it so loud he felt a irritating yet not unbearable ach were his forehead would have met his eyes. If he had a forehead. He was pretty sure the heavens heard him but his own personal hell was completely oblivious to his exasperation. \n\nShe sat in the middle of a cage large enough to hold three maybe four ogres. A delicate creature with fair skin and hair even more fair. Her dress was stark white in contrast to eyes darker than any abyss the Grandshadow had the pleasure of gazing upon. Her dress unnaturally clean in a grime filled cell. \nMagically clean actually. Within an hour or so of getting her to his lair she started nagging him with the most ridiculous magical demands. Started with conjuring her some wine and next thing he knew he was enchanting her dress to resist all and every type of grime known to the cosmos. He certainly never intended to meet any of her ridiculous demands. He did not however take into consideration that princesses are the most annoying monsters to walk the earth. To ease his aching mind he just started granting her magical whims without hesitation. Sometimes barely letting her finish the commands before waving a tendril and making it so. \n\nHis newest wonder in the world is how the most powerful dark wizard to ever exist; gets a head ach without even having a head!. \n\nHe traded his body for a sentient shadow form eons ago. He found it far more efficient not to need things to eat or places to deficate.\n\nThe princesses dress was enchanted so well that the tar like drool coming from her new pets mouth simply slide off and pooled around her. Making it as if she sat in old blood. Her new pet lay on his back with one claw slapping at the air in pleasure and its barbed tongue hanging happily out of its serrated jaws. A Hell hound pup the size of small horse had its head on her lap and made the lowest of pleasurable rumble like growls in response to the princesses delicate hand scratching steadily along his jaw. \n\nThe Grandshadow had found that his usual tendency to yell his frustration at things did very little with the princess other than give him a migraine. She would pretend not to hear until he spoke as a human would. Thus he tried again in the sweetest voice a evil entity could muster. \n\n\" Princess Thornella may I ask how you opened the Hell hounds cage? And perhaps why?\" The end of his question came out more as a hiss but the princess felt inclined to reply none the less. \n\n\" They looked bored, and this darling was just begging to be cuddled!\" \nHer voice had a haunting effect on the wizard he has yet to place. Both sweet as poison and cold as ice it made the girl sound possessed. She wasn't though the Shadow checked already.\n\n\"They are creatures of death and war princess, they do not want cuddled they want to kill and maim. That young one must be a simpler more deformed pup to behave so\" \n\nThe princess gasped and glared into the hooded void that stands as the shadows face. \n\n\"He is not simple! He is darling! Look at him!\" She point at the pup who at this point has a snot bubble expanding out one nostril. She doesn't notice though and continues to scold the wizard.\n\n\"If you let them out every now and then they would be less aggressive! Spook you are not a very good dog owner!\" \nShe stands quickly, the pups head smacks the ground with a dull thump. He doesn't move though. He may or may not be snoring or fluctuating its hard to tell which. \n\n\"The are not dogs! The are demons! If I let them out they kill things! There is nothing for them to kill right now!\" The shadows voice is raised but still even as to avoid the pain in his face area. He continues as the princess stomps passed him clenched fists and chin high. \n\n\"They will kill each other now! I will have to summon a whole new set!\" \nShe swings around hands on her hips she smiles a most unsettling smile. \n\n\"No they won't. I told them not to. I told them to go kill the knights who are surely coming to get me!\" \nShe spins around again so fast her hair whips the wizards robe. Walking down a unlit corridor he floats behind her.\n\n\"Why would you do that?! Do you not want rescued?\" He is far more confused than he sounds but feels he cannot let her know that. \n\n\"No\" she stops at a window and leans on its sill. Looking out into the wastes she looks haunted and almost sad. When the shadow doesn't say anything she continues.\n\n\"Life in the kingdom is boring, I am expected to be gracefull, sweet, kind. I am all those things I am the princess after all. Sometimes though I want to bash a maids face in. Sometimes I want to light the fake nobles on fire and watch them dance. I don't want to wear a mask anymore.\" Her eyes stare at the jagged horizon lost in thought. The moon reflects in the dark waters of her eyes and his moats hell fires dance across her face. He stares at her for a moment, remembering a feeling very simular long, long ago. A memory hundreds of years older than his memory of having a body. \n\n\" you may remain my prisoner as long as you wish princess\" he said it gently and without thought. He coughed knowing he doesn't actually have an esophagus. \"I mean you will remain my prisoner until I see fit\" he corrects himself sternly.\n\nShe heard him the first time though and looks straight into his none existent eyes. She does not smile nor frown though she does nod slightly. He's not sure if its in thanks or understanding. \n\n\"You still havn't told me how you got the cage open princess\" he says, frustration creeping back into his tone.\n\n\"Oh! I convinced one of the demon guards to open it\" her voice is bubbly as boiling icor.\n\n\"Wait really?!\" He is completely baffled \"but that would kill the demon\" \n\n\"Yes! I know that now, it looked rather painfull\" she supplies innocently. \n\nThe Grandshadow tries to imagine how she convinced one of his demons to off itself so easily. He gives up with shudder after a silence though.\n\n\"Remind me to summon smarter demons princess\" he states, as if to a apprentice or secretary. \n\n\"Summon smarter demons, spook\" the princess tells him with wry smile.",
"\"Did you see that guy's face melt? That was fucking sick! We've gotta do it again some time!\" Bellowed Princess Iolyn joyously as she gave a high-five to Baxel the Minotaur. \n\nThey seemed rather proud of their kill as they had spent the better part of two hours with slingshots lugging tiny acid marbles at some unfortunate chivalrous fellow that had ironically journeyed here to rescue her. While I do encourage such activities the anguished screams of a knight slowly melting to death became irritating after the first fifteen minutes. Far be it for me to spoil the fun though. I just wish they'd be a bit quieter. I at least had the common courtesy to soundproof my torture room for this exact reason.\n\n\"Oh! Nozrac! Did you see that loser we turned into acid soup! Pretty awesome right?\" Iolyn cheered as she addressed me. While I'd usually strike down any mere human with the audacity to utter my name without proper title this chipper young beauty was a rare exception. Iolyn may have the body a gorgeous young princess, but her soul was that of a malevolent demoness. \n\n\"Yes, yes, I saw. And *heard*.\" I scolded lightly.\n\n\"Oh come on, that was music to the ears. Baxel couldn't stop shaking his bum the entire time!\" Iolyn defended with a deceptively innocent smile. I'm not sure I'd ever seen a Minotaur blush before. It was enjoyably disturbing. \n\nThat's what I like about her most. She brings a certain atmosphere with her. For centuries my assorted minions and I had simply indulged our blood-lust with senseless drunken murder and mayhem. With Iolyn though we found a way to express our more reserved selves. Before she came along I never would have imagined Baxel the stomach-ripping Minotaur to be capable of blushing, or really showing any emotion whatsoever beyond hunger. Now look at him, perky as a schoolboy. She was a keeper for sure.\n\nI'd been debating whether or not I should transfuse her body into a true monster. She might enjoy having wings and pointy claws. On the other hand none of my minions had the dangerously deceptive look of innocence she carried with her. A minion that can pass magical barriers without losing her human disguise could prove useful. I suppose only time will tell with this one.\n\n\"Oh! I almost forgot! Baxel you go ahead and prepare lunch, I need a word with the master.\" Iolyn offered as she seemed to remember a sensitive subject to discuss with me. Baxel, the ever obedient Minotaur, gave an understanding nod before stumbling off to undoubtedly make nifty little sandwiches for Iolyn and raw pigs meat for himself. With a hop and skip the young princess bound over to me as I stood at the ramparts watching the last bubbles of an acid puddle pop under the sunlight. You have to enjoy the little things when you're immortal.\n\n\"Yes my dear?\" I inquired as Iolyn approached. \n\nShe was rather striking for a girl of only seventeen. I personally prefer my women to be a bit thicker, and of course, to have horns and talons. Though Iolyn was appealing in her own regards. Weighing no more than a small sack of rocks at around five and half feet tall and sporting thick braids of bright blonde hair. Fair skin, azure eyes, adorable little freckles scattered about her dimpled face, and gleaming white teeth indicative of someone with good dietary habits. She was truly the image of what one might expect a princess to look.\n\nIf she wasn't so demented it would disgust me. But knowing she would claw her way into a grown mans stomach and eat out his intestines simply for the thrill of it made the whole portrait fit together. She was sort of like a little bunny rabbit that hops around tearing out peoples throats.\n\n\"So...\" Iolyn began as she stopped before me. Hands behind her back, one leg crossed over the other, and looking down to avoid eye contact. Simply adorable. Mostly because I liked to imagine she was holding a dagger behind her with the intent to kill me to claim my kingdom. I can respect that kind of ambition. \"You're not *really* going to hand me back over if the king pays the ransom, right?\" She asked with what seemed like genuine concern.\n\nTo be honest I'd completely forgotten I was even holding her captive. It had been three weeks since I made the offer to the king and in that time the only response I'd gotten had been the slow stream of knights marching to their deaths at my gate. And I really couldn't even tell if he was the king that had sent them, lots of kings were trying to kill me after all. \n\nHer question made me feel something I'd not thought capable of feeling. \n\nPride.\n\nHere was this princess that had been pampered and groomed her entire life, standing before me, in a blood-soaked and tattered dress with a slingshot in hand that she'd just used to dissolve some unsuspecting knight sent to rescue her. And her only concern was being forced to leave. I've had children before, some of them feral beasts that I'd kept locked in the dungeon, and some good old fashioned half-breeds intent on one day killing me to claim my power.\n\nAnd now I had Iolyn. For some reason I couldn't help but feel like we were one in the same. Two souls cut from the same cloth. The kind of souls that make you watch as we shove out fists down your lovers throat and rip out their heart. I could imagine myself spending the next century grooming her to take my throne. We were family at first kidnapping.\n\n\"Hand you back over? Hmm...\" I paused in mock thought as I grinned to myself. \"I suppose if he pays the ransom I'll have to keep my word.\" I claimed with false nobility as I waved my hands about and loomed over her.\n\nIolyn's fists seemed to clench with frustration at my decision. Her instinctual reaction to disappointment is violence, I'm so proud right now I could cry.\n\n\"Though...\" I dragged on to bait her. \"No, no, that's to evil even for me.\"\n\n\"What!\" Iolyn perked up, curiosity filling her face. \"What's to evil? Surely not! There's no such thing! Oh, please tell me!\" Iolyn pleaded with fascination as I looked out over the dead forest surrounding my desolate kingdom. She quickly reached out and gripped my belt as she begged with puppy-dog eyes. She failed to realize that I noticed her hands placed conveniently close to the sword on my hip. My chest was so swollen with pride it could burst at any moment.\n\n\"I suppose the king never specified *which* princess I had to return.\" I clarified with a devious grin.\n\nIolyn, excited but confused, remained silent yet poised to strike out at me should she dislike my plan. Patient, prepared, and poisonous, dammit this girl really knew how to pull at my decrepit heart-strings. \n\n\"You lost your elder sister to the plague a few harvest seasons back, correct?\" I asked knowing fully-well that I was right. After all it was my plague.\n\nIolyn nodded with a smile of anticipation.\n\n\"I'm sure your king would graciously accept her return in your place. A beloved eldest daughter returned from death, such a lovely tale.\" I mused aloud as the nefarious plan formed within my mind.\n\n\"You can resurrect the dead?\" Iolyn inquired with fascination. \n\n\"Of course, my dear. Heaven and hell fear my power and bow to my will, no soul, here or there, is safe from my spite.\" I boasted. It had taken a long time to achieve my level of power and I wasted no opportunity to gloat about it. \"I can return the dead to this world in perfect condition and let them live out a fulfilled and natural life reborn.\"\n\nIolyn seemed a bit confused by this remark as it wasn't even remotely vile or treacherous. Much like herself, this plan was seemingly innocent, yet unbelievably horrific.\n\n\"Or...\" I continued. \"I can bring them back as a revenant.\" \n\nIolyn obviously had no idea what I was talking about but understood the evil implications enough to brighten up with a wide smile. \"What's that?\" She asked with renewed eagerness.\n\n\"It's certainly not a princess.\" I replied with a hearty laugh. \n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n",
"You're woken up at the crack of - ok, fine, fine, at a good solid 9 in the morning, but still solidly before your usual wakeup time - *early* again by the sound of your chamber door slamming open.\n\n\"Kor! Do you have any mandrake root on hand? I found a really cool recipe on hand in the library and -\" You groan softly, pressing your pillow tighter over your head as you try to shut the noise out.\n\nFootsteps walk over to the edge of your bed, muffled against the luxurious carpet you hand-enchanted to keep out assassins. They stop. There's a pause, then more softly the princess says, \"Also... the brownies made that bread with dried fruit in it last night.\" She pauses again, waiting for a response that just isn't coming as you burrow deeper into your bedsheets. \"C'mon,\" she says, with a little waver in her voice. Is she... *laughing* at you? Gods forbid. \n\nIt's the hand reaching out to brush against your shoulder that breaks your composure, and you squawk like an oversized chicken in reaction. \"Get out! Get! I'll be down in a minute,\" you yelp, suddenly extremely aware of the fact you left your bathrobe (and by extension, your dignity) halfway across the room last night. This time, she definitely laughs as she sprints back out the door. You silently curse every god on the great mount for your decisions.\n\nBy the time you get to the kitchen the bread is half gone, but there's eggshells in the trash, and a thing of yellowish liquid and a still-oiled pan are placed suggestively next to the loaf. You sigh, then go about making yourself the breakfast suggested before (once again) trying to clean the tiny summoning circle from under the cubboard. A dark wizard's tower is no place for blasted kitchen spirits, after all. You scrub a good millimeter off the wood before you think to look closer at the thing, then curse in frustration when you realize the marks were made with a transmutation spell that goes the whole way through the counter. You just don't have time to deal with this today. Also, you think you can hear the princess laughing somewhere nearby.\n\nYou contemplate going to the library as is, egg-spattered robe and all, before deciding that would give the royal pest too much ammunition for yet more practical jokes. Can't go too fancy either though. Learned that the last time you wore a proper outfit around the pest. She never said anything, but you could feel judgmental eyes looking you up and down the whole time. What, was she expecting you to have muscles or something? You're a wizard. You live in a tower. Most of your work is done by minions. Of course you don't.\n\nThe mandrake-potion turns out to take a good hour for you to work out. You have no idea how the woman found the thing; the book was buried in the back of the stacks and still festooned with a hearty layer of dust when she handed it to you, and you can't remember ever having read a word of the thing before. Nonetheless, the thing is conceptually fascinating. You generally don't deal in hallucination magic, but a targeted vision of finding true love? Now, that - that has applications. Before you know it, proper midmorning sun is streaming through the tower window, and the two of you have pulled out almost all of your alchemy gear while trying to figure out whether the brew can be made in less than a fortnight.\n\nAs you're rummaging around on a high shelf, you catch her face out of the corner of your eye. Looking at you, not the book on the table in front of her. The hand idly propping up her chin is covering her mouth, so you can't read her expression, but the gleam in her eyes makes you think she's laughing at you again. \"What're you staring at?\" you demand, whipping around to stare her in the face as you indignantly fix your shirt.\n\n\"Nothing! Geez, calm down,\" she replies, glancing away in a second to go back to furious study. You get a good twenty minutes of complete silence out of that little interaction, although the back of your neck is still burning. You're Koren the King-Killer. You're a fury to behold in battle as fire rains down from above and fae rise from below. You are definitely not *funny*.\n\nYou're setting up an alembic and she's tightening the screws on a wayward faucet-hook when a trumpet blares from somewhere down in the courtyard. The princess curses a blue streak.\n\n\"Now, now, my dear, *language,*\" you say, smugly. You breeze out the door without a backward glance, using a light Push spell to slam the door home and close the bar. You hear \"Can we at least finish the potion first, you bastard?\" from somewhere behind you, but no scrabbling at the door this time. Huh. You guess she's finally learned she's not getting out *that* easy!\n\nIt's a matter of a moment to summon the armor that makes you look so otherworldly in public and strikes fear into the hearts of your enemies, and then you're down all the stairs in a flash and trotting through the doors with glee.\n\nThere he is: a young knight, family crest clear-painted in all its glory, armor burnished to a golden gleam that perfectly compliments the palomino warhorse he rides. \"Koren Kin-Killer! Koren Crowncracker! Koren of the Hills! I come to face you for the honor and glory of the people - I come for the return of Lady Lily!\"\n\n\"Very well. By battle, or bargain?\" you reply.\n\n\"Bargain. I have exactly what you desired,\" the young lord replies, beginning to unhook an intricately carved casket from his horse. Your heart speeds up in glee. \"To be handed over upon the safe release of the good Lady.\"\n\nYou mutter \"You don't know the half of it\" under your breath as you cast the spell to pull the princess from *there* to *here*. With a blink, she arrives in the summoning circle. You walk over elegantly and take her hand. She quivers a little in reaction. You make a point of bowing down to kiss her knuckles just to hear the knight behind you growl in disgust. \"And now, it's time for you to return to your rightful home, m'lady,\" you say, leading her toward the knight. Her hand is very cold, and grasps yours very tightly, but when you present her directly to the knight, she does let go.\n\nThe knight roughly shoves the little chest into your hands so he can grab the princess and swing her up behind him in the saddle. \"The deal is done. Remember, you promised to leave us safe passage out. No backstabbing now.\" The princess's smile is plastic.\n\n\"But of course, brave knight,\" you reply. As they ride away, princess gazing back at you with those disturbingly cunning eyes, you mouth \"Bye Bye!\" and make an accompanying sarcastic half-wave, then set to digging into the chest until the two are safely out of view.\n\nAs you stroll back in through the main door you permit yourself a jaunty little whistle. You can't believe how long it took to be rid of that... *girl*. She'd been trouble since the start, from the part where she tried to bash your head in with a silver candlestick when you teleported in to kidnap her to the third time she cast an illusion spell - giant tentacles with wicked spines, if you recall correctly - to scare off a knight. \n\nYou take the afternoon to clean. First the alchemy gear - for gods' sake, why did you think that potion was worth squat? You could easily just cast the same spell a few times and be done with it - then the copious wards keeping her from leaving the grounds, then the ones for keeping things from entering while she was out in the garden. After a few moments of silence for the time you'd be going back to spending cooking you chip the brownie summoning circle out of the counter. You don't bother throwing out the things she'd been working on, but you don't bother sorting them either. She was good for something, at least - her sense for spell creation was decent, if amateur. \n\nCleaning is *so satisfying*. You hadn't even realized how much she'd reorganized your furniture until you set about putting it to rights, and her ever-spreading mess of scribbled papers always set you subtly on edge. It didn't help that she was always doodling little cartoons of you in the margins - for gods sake, that's definitely not what your rear looked like, and you'd never even *worn* a costume like that in front of her, wherever did that come from.\n\nYour bed that night is a blessed realm of peace and quiet, velvety sheets and down comforter wrapping around you like a slice of heaven itself as you fall into a deep, uninterrupted sleep for the first time in m-\n\nYou wake up with a start as one of your alarms goes off. Someone's in the inner courtyard. Stumbling down and out as rapidly as you can, only sparing a single thought to grab your coverup as you pass the bedroom door, you ready yourself for a fight. Bursting through the archway, your gut drops through your feet as you realize a nightmare so great you hadn't even thought of it before.\n\nThere's a royal riding-dragon in your courtyard. The mud-smirched figure perched at the base of its neck expertly slides off to run over to you, waving a scroll and brandishing a clearly full satchel. \"Guess what! I brought a friend this time!\" the princess shouts with glee.\n\nSomething inside of you breaks as you realize just precisely how much you've screwed up."
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I couldn’t think of a good way that he remembers himself... maybe y’all have one? :) | [WP] Your father was the King of Demons, but when he was slain, the heroes wiped your memory and adopted you to fight for good. Years later, you suddenly remember who you truly are. | 69 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
" \"You OK? I mean, you just found out I killed your father, the bloody Lord of Demons, wiped your memory, and adopted you, and th- are you reaching for the bloody coffee?\" Jonas asked. \n Just the other day, Horus had been visited by a demon vassal and was told of his heritage, and the name of the man who had slain his father. \n \"I'm bloody fine. Plus, I don't blame you, those demons are arses. Also the smell of that place...ugh, I'd rather sleep in the city sewer,\" Horus replied. \"You raised me, why would I care about some wack job who died fifteen years ago?\" \n \"Wait. Really? You are sure you are mad at me, like as sure the sky is blue sure?\" Jonas had contorted his face to that of someone more puzzled than if they were made out of interlocking pieces. \n \"Yep.\" \n Jonas sighed, reaching for the coffee that was set on the table. Before, he could reached it, Horus snatched it into his hand, glaring at Jonas. \n \"I might change my mind if you try that again,\" Horus jokingly threatened. \n They both laughed. \n Horus walked over the cabinet and began rumaging around, until he pulled out a bowl of apples. He threw one to Jonas, then reached into grab one for him self, but found nothing. He shrugged, walking to his room, returning with a monster mask they had found at a festival once. Wearing the mask, he turned around the look at Jonas. \n \"Give me that apple, peasant! So says The Heir to the Demon!\" He roared. \"Hand it over now, mortal!\" \n Jonas mockingly drew his sword. \"Never vile beast! If I die, I will take it down to Hell with me!\" \n They laughed once again, this time almost falling to the floor. \n \n If you enjoyed the story, check out my sub: r/strafesscraps",
"Lightning cracked the skies, and thunder exploded overhead almost instantly--the backdrop for the vast battle on the ground below. Hordes of demons poured from the yawning chasm in the ground, flames and lava shooting up from the abyss. On the horizon, a small group of brilliantly arrayed soldiers stood firm.\n\n\"Ready,\" said one of them. I nodded quietly as the snarling, screaming horde advanced. The team behind me raised their hands to the sky and chanted slowly, and I began building energy. A white light broke through the clouds and cacophony of the storm, surrounding us in holy energy. I put my hands out before me, and drawing on the light around us and the team of chanters behind me, I unleashed a violent, massive wave of unrelenting starlight.\n\nThe light exploded upon the demons like a shockwave. Before they could react, the pulse of energy washed over them, and they became as vapor, shadows in the inexorable brightness.\n\nWhen the light faded, only two or three demons remained. They were writhing in excruciating pain, missing limbs, and heavily scarred. One of them had gotten rather close, and had locked eyes with me. The soldiers moved towards him, ready to put him out of his misery. Something made me pause, and I held my arm out to the side, halting them momentarily.\n\nThe demon was practically a corpse, but he was still trying to live long enough to say something. The pain in his eyes made me feel compassion, something I can't say I had ever felt for the horde that had reduced our population to mere dozens. I leaned down close to him, and he finally managed to speak.\n\n\"Why, Haborym? Why do you destroy your own kind?\"\n\n\"What did you call me?\" I said, something deep in me rising, feeling something was horribly wrong.\n\n\"Haborym...what happened to you?\"\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" I demanded.\n\nOne of the soldiers laughed, almost nervously I thought. \"He's obviously lying, like all demons do. We should kill him before he summons more of them!\"\n\n\"Shut up!\" I snapped, glaring briefly at him. The soldier fell silent, and in the glance I shot back at them I spotted what almost looked like terror.\n\n\"What are you saying?\" I said, turning back to the dying demon.\n\n\"You don't remember,\" he gasped. \"Your name is Haborym, you are our Master's son, and the one true king!\"\n\n\"Blaphemy!\" shouted the same soldier. \"He is a warrior of light, our leader! You demon scum are the ones that killed and possessed so many of us!\"\n\nSomething was definitely wrong. I felt compelled by the demon's insistence, by his pleading eyes. I was feeling a strong case of cognitive dissonance.\n\n\"Haborym,\" I said to myself. \"It sounds so familiar.\"\n\nThen I saw it. Out of the yawning chasm in the earth, where the fire and brimstone still raged, a face I had not seen in decades, one I had long forgotten and only had heard of in hushed whispers of legend among the soldiers of light. It stared at me out of the heat, burning through my soul. I knew it who it was when I saw it--my father.\n\nThe white robes desiccated off my body, and the warm skin darkened to a bloody hue. The white light faded into utter darkness, punctuated only by the flames and lightning. I saw the look of gladness in the demon's eyes, and the expression of absolute horror on the soldiers'. They shrank back, and in that moment, I remembered. There were not few of those soldiers--there were billions. They lived in luxury on the surface, and slaughtered our children for sport. They had managed to kill my father, and somehow had taken my power for their own.\n\nNo more.\n\nWith a roar, I swung around to the soldiers. They broke into a run, screaming for the cavalry that wasn't coming. I held out a hand, and said quietly \"I remember, father.\"\n\nThe hellfire that licked up from the ground beneath the soldiers' feet did not kill them, but instead sucked them below the earth, into eternal torment, destroying their bodies with fire, but trapping their souls forever. A vast cheering echoed from the chasm behind me, and I knew I had found my place. Haborym, the king of demons.",
"The fist smashed into my nose not once but two times in quick succession. The third I dodged. I was tired of Donovan’s shit. He had pushed me too far. The sisters, even father Durant, had told me fighting was never good. Bullshit. This felt great, the rightness of it replaced a wrongness I had felt my entire life.\n\n“Fight, fight, fight.” The crowd of boys yelled.\n\nI sidestepped another swing getting in close landing a few blows to his stomach and ribs. His knee smashed into my side. I danced back before he could land a punch. Blood poured from my nose and my feet moved in cadence to the soft drips on the stones. He lunged and I quickly leaned sideways and stuck a foot out, using Donovan’s momentum to spin me around. \n\n“Get him.” Yelled the crowd.\n\nDonovan laid on the rocks not moving. I walked toward him hesitantly. He grabbed at my feet, I easily danced out of the way, a wicked grin spread on my face. He got to his knees but before he could get up I kicked him in the jaw. His head snapped around, and I heard a satisfying crack. I watched in delight as his body fell to the rocks once more. He twitched in the dirt and twitch sent shivers up my spine. \n\nThe crowd grew silent.\n\n“Jackson!” Mother Superiors stern voice said from just inside the monastery. “That is enough.”\n\nDonovan’s body had stopped twitching. My head suddenly felt like it had been split open. Mother Superior rushed to me as I blacked out.\n\n****\n“Is he secured well?” I heard Father Durant ask. \n\n“Yes.” A woman’s voice replied.\n\n“Leave us.”\n\nA splash of water hit my face shocking any remnants of unconsciousness out of my mind.\n\nI groaned and said. “What happened?”\n\nI tried to focus on the face in front of me. It was blurry and I tried to blink it into focus.\n\n“You got into a fight,” Father Durant said.\n\nThe fight rushed back to me and the splitting headache eased. The feeling of euphoria and rightness filled my soul again. I blinked again trying to clear my vision. \n\n“Jackson, how do you feel?”\n\n“I feel, I feel great Father.”\n\nHe hit me with a willow switch. “You killed another boy, Jackson.” The switch fell on my legs again.\n\nI blinked and the pain of the switch cleared my vision more. The father was still just a fuzzy outline, but I could pick out the nose on his face now. A smile spreading across my face.\n\n“Thall shalt not kill.” \n\nLaughter swelled in my throat as the switch landed on my legs again and again. Blinking I could make out shapes on the wall. Square shapes that were pictures no doubt.\n\n“You are lost boy if you think this is funny.”\n\nThe switch landed three more times. I could see the father’s eyes. I blinked one more time and his face came into focus. \n\n“You,” I said. \n\nHow many times had I seen his face? How could I not recognize him? I hated him. His eyes widened in fear as he recognized the hatred on my face. The switch blows rained down. No longer focused on my legs they landed on my head, shoulders, and face. I could feel the welts rise where the blows landed. The Father’s breath began to labor. I spit at him. The rope that bound my arms broke as I strained against it, anger powering my strength.\n\nI stood up.\n\n“No. It wasn’t me,” the Father said. I grabbed his head. As he feebly recited Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” \n\nHis head squished between my hands. Blood squirting the walls, ceiling, floor, and face. It was then that I remembered entirely. They had killed my father. I let Father Durant’s body fall to the floor.\n\nAs I stepped over him I bowed my head and said. “Thall shalt not kill, Father.”\n\n\n"
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[WP] Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, George R.R Martin’s epic “Song of Ice and Fire” is actually based on one big D&D campaign that’s been hung up because it’s been so hard to get everyone together. Tonight, you’re finally gathering for the final session … | 430 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"The shop floor of \"Fantasy Central\" was absolute chaos. For more than a decade the Song of Ice and Fire gang had been playing the most epic DnD game ever. \n\nFrom the beginning they were a big group of 8 friends, but things remained manageable enough. George was an imaginative and thorough DM and each player took the game seriously, and viewed their character through a complex and multi-faceted lens. \n\nIn those early years, they would play for hours at a time, often from opening to closing. The stories they crafted together were harrowing and layered and always heartfelt. \n\nEventually, the game itself became a draw for \"Fantasy Central\" customers, the owners even going so far as to advertise play hours. This was cool at first - George was a bit of a diva and liked to have an audience, and the energy in the room really pushed the players to take risks. \n\nBut eventually people started to ask if they could join in, and that's where things started to fall apart. George would incorporate anyone who asked - people creating obscure characters from the far corners of the map. Every time George let someone enter the game, his completionist nature would compel him to expand the story to include them.\n\nAt first it wasn't so disruptive. Jim and Tom wanted to join from the perspective of the Iron Islands, and came in with a couple of the local character, and George just whipped them up a storyline and things moved pretty much apace. \n\nBut soon every other person who passed through the store wanted to play and George, bless his heart, just couldn't deny them - it wasn't in his nature.\n\nCut to the store right now. The whole place is packed to the gills with players, nearly forty of them, each sitting in random spots in the store, hardly within earshot of each other, often blocking the aisles. \n\nThere were so many people that it took weeks to get everyone into the same room, which was lucky for the owners, who absolutely despised the game sessions now because no one could even walk through the store. \n\nStill, George *tried* to move things forward, he really did. \n\n\"Everyone. Everyone please focus. Everybody!\" George yelled, and everyone went silent. Flustered, George composed himself. \"We *need* to continue, so let's try to keep up the pace today. Mark we're gonna start in Dorne with you, OK?\"\n\nMark, who entered the game with a *super* niche character he named Areo Hotah, nodded from half way across the room behind a shelf of DC figurines, a small folding table teetering in front of him. \n\nGeorge cleared his throat and started. \"You are in the Grand Palace in the Dornish Capital. You are tasked with guarding Prince Martell. The Prince is speaking to a dangerous looking man armed with a sword.\" \n\nMark thinks for a second. \"I take a look around the room.\"\n\nGeorge obliges him. \"The palace antichamber is very large and spacious. The desert is visible out the many windows and red, silken draperies flutter in the warm, dry wind.\"\n\nMark nods for awhile. \"I'd like to examine the silk.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Actually,\" mark picks up his dice, \"I'd like to roll perception on the red silk.\"\n\nThe entire room groans audibly. George just shakes his head in a pained way. \"OK.\"\n\nMark rollS a 22. George blinks, pointedly. \"You see that the red silk is of very fine quality. You see nothing else of any interest about the silk.\"\n\nThis appeases Mark for only a second before he seems to come up with another marvelous idea. Everyone braces for impact. \n\n\"I'd like to try to detect traps on the silk.\"\n\nMore groans. George puts his face in his hands. At this rate he'd be dead before this damn game ended.\n\n*******\n\n##### r/LFTM\n\n"
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[WP] Only licensed mages are allowed. You are a rogue mage hunter, using your own lawful magic to aid you. Your latest mark is an elderly woman, who's been eluding you with surprising ease. You think you've finally got her, but she's a tricky one. | 17 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"She closed the car door and grabbed the bag of chips between the dashboard and the windshield. \n\n\"Greasy front desk kid confirmed that she is in there. Gave the thumbs up on the picture and everything.\" \n\nThe man in the driver's seat nodded and slipped the talisman around his neck.\n\n\"Ready?\" \n\nShe jammed another handful of chips into her mouth and nodded, mumbling through the mouthful of food. \n\nThey exited the car and moved toward the door, he squeezed the talisman and their footsteps became silent. He tapped the doorknob with his thumb twice and the door flung open. \n\nThe elderly woman looked up from her recliner, he sent a wave of energy toward her, trying to press the woman into her chair and render her immobile but she deflected it with a flick of her wrist, breaking the mirror in the bathroom and sending small bottles of soap and shampoo flying. \n\nJess, following right behind him attempted the same, but with more force after seeing the ease in which the old woman had deflected the original attack. \n\nShe began to levitate from the chair conjuring between her wrinkled hands a sphere of fire and smoke, shooting a cylinder of flame at the doorway.\n\nThey leapt out of the way and Gary got to his feet, putting out the embers on his smoldering coat, Jess was furiously putting out a small fire in her hair. \n\nShe was gone from the smoke filled room and he was sure that he could hear soft laughter as he entered, hands raised and knees slightly bent. \n\n\"Well we definitely surprised her\" Gary said back toward Jess \"she left all her stuff here.\"\n\n\"Yeah some good that did us, the old bird is quick.\" he rifled through her purse. \n\n\"The Agency just said it was a Jane Doe right?\" \n\n\"Yeah, no name, just the picture and description.\" \n\nHe threw an expired mage's identification. \n\"No wonder she hasn't been caught, she is a Blavatsky.\" \n\nJess's eyes flew wide and she dug into her tattered coat pocket \n\"I'm calling headquarters.\""
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"1523567297",
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[removed] | [WP] A different world at night | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nPrompts go in the title. You can add more in the text, but avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). You wrote a prompt in the text, but then gave a title for it. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8bx6uz/wp_a_different_world_at_night/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*",
"'Tobi! Tobi where are you boy!' \n'Be a good boy! Toni- c'mere!' \nHanna wiped the sweat from her forehead. The sun cast an orange glow in the sky, making the pines around them appear like dark silhouettes. Soon it would be night. 'Alright kids, come overe here for a second.' She waved the teenagers over. David and Jen jogged toward her, full over energy, the seriousness of the lost dog animating their faces. Steven lagged behind, hugging himself in his overlarge sweater. They had been searching for an hour. Since the dog hadn't shown up for his dinner. Hanna had picked the kids to help and sent them out. 'Maybe the other two groups had more luck,' she said. 'But you two head over to the pool. It's one of Tobi's favorite places to hang out.' \nDavid started back towards the campground, but Jen hesitated. She glanced at Steven, then stood closer to her camp leader. 'Hanna..., Steven was the last one to walk Tobi.' \nHanna nodded. 'You go on now. Me and Steven are going to have a look at the generator, it's been acting up again.' \n\nHanna marched past the boy, handing Steven a flashlight. 'Come on, Steven. Got a job to do before we head back.' Steven looked like he was about to speak, but hung his head, his fingers curled around the flashlight. He watched the middle aged woman track up the path to the hill, and smiled. \n\nThe generator basked in the last rays of light; the metal box large enough to sit four people. Hanna tutted at the empty beer bottles in the grass. Next to the generator, the lamppost hadn't come on- that, and the empty silence meant the thing wasn't working. Steven walked up next to her, slightly out of breath. Hanna nodded at him. 'You could do with a run now and then, why not join the morning joggers? Make some memories. The forest is welcoming in the daytime, gives you energy.' \nHe shrugged. \nHanna smiled. 'I see. Come and stand behind me, I need you to light inside the metal case. Probably something got to it again.' \n\nThe metal door opened soundlessly. 'Hah, look at that.' Hanna nodded at some fresh scratches on the inside. \"Jen+David\" She shook her head. 'I had a feeling about those two. Hold the light a little higher Steven, shadows are creeping up, the trees are sleepy.' \nHanna fished a toolbox out of the deeper shadows of the generator. \n'Seems fine. Here now, someone disconnected a couple of wires. Hold on. Now I'll slam it here-' A roar of sound sprang to life and the lamppost flooded the area, making the forest seem darker, as if the trees shrank back. Hanna closed the generator, wiping her hands on her brown pants. 'There!' \n\nSteven had walked up to the trees, facing away from her. Hanna sighed. 'Guess I haven't been awful subtle, have I?' She leaned against the box, its vibrations travelling up her arm. Steven played with the flashlight. Silent. \n'I saw your clothes, Steven. All bloody and torn.' \n'The dog didn't like me.' \n'That's no reason to kill it.' Hanna raised her hand, her voice shook. 'What kind of human does that to a poor thing?' \nSteven righted himself. 'Maybe it wasn't very human at all.' He turned and his face was gone, nothing but a sleek surface of pale flesh peeked out between his lank hair. Hanna stepped back when he came tottered toward her, his arm twisted up. \n'Maybe,' the thing said through a slit in its throat, 'I will be camp leader now.' The emptiness of his face shifted, his shoulders jerked. Hanna watched the form of his body morph into a stocky, familiar shape- then her own face glared back at her, a cruel smile on its chapped lips. \nHanna leaned back, then held her chin in a thoughtful manner. 'A doppelganger. I wonder, can you copy my real face?' \nThe mock Hanna paused, uncertainty in her eyes. 'W-what?' The camp leader twisted her jaw with a wet pop. Something dark spilled out of her mouth and kept pouring down, taking hideous forms as they spread- around them branches and shadows moved. \n\nMock Hanna lost her new shape, slinking back into something thin and pale. It let out a screech- crawling backward through the grass. But the trees stopped it, pressing it back into the light where the blackness towered and shifted and gleamed; a voice bubbled up from the shifting core of it. 'Your kind always goes for the dogs and you give yourself away.' \nThe doppelganger held up stick like arms- pressing its belly to the ground. 'He's in the pool- I stored his body there- you can have him!'\n'I know.' \nA moment of silence cut through the nighttime forest, undermined by the working generator. Then the blackness pounced. A struggled between the two shapes upset the hilltop, screeches echoing between the trees. Then a heavy snap and silence. \n\nHanna spat out another curved bone, see-through like glass. She realigned her jaw and dusted off her brown trousers. Some people commented on their old camp leader always looking the same- since twenty years! But they were visitors here, ignorant of the rules. One of them had been extra careless, all those years ago, the one who's body now stood on the hill. 'Don't go into the woods at night, it's a different world.' \nHanna sighed, walking down towards the camp. 'Got to get a new dog.' "
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Can be in first person or third person point of view but make the reader feel the emotions and build up that you felt. | [WP] NON-FICTION - Write a story about the happiest moment in your life. | 24 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\n\n\nIt was a day alike many others. Saturday I believe. I had just finished my school week and had my weekend to myself. We were going to visit my cousins who lived about a half hour away, and we stopped for lunch at a jack asters. I managed to convince my father to order the 10 chicken wing appetizer. However when it arrived, we counted and saw only 9 wings. We called our waiter over and he said it was “ because the packaging was by weight and this happens sometimes. However, he said that since the menu said 10 wings, he could give us 5 more, since as previously said their were prepackaged. We enjoyed our 9 chicken wings and they were excellent, and when the 5 extra arrived, we enjoyed those as well. \n\n\nMan my life has been uneventful ",
"**Caution: For those of you who know me (which is none of you), this is very conversational and more of a story-telling voice over my normal descriptive “writing voice.” See my other posts for examples ^shameless ^^self^^^-promotion\n\nI’ve been a worrier my entire life. Then at 19, now at 26, almost every single moment. Fussing over this or that or any little thing I can find. Really, I tell myself that it’s looking out for myself and making sure I can execute when the situation finally arises, but I’ll give it to you straight, it’s worrying. Needless, pointless, anxiety-inducing worrying. \n\nCan’t stop, won’t stop.\n\nSo you can only imagine how having a crush goes for me. So much potential, but no idea what to do. Oh, the other thing is that I’m not a ladies’ man. Not in the slightest. In my head, I’m like 50% smooth, enough to get to talking, but I run out of steam pretty fast. \n\nNow imagine me telling this girl that I like her. Hoo, boy. Get this, though—she likes me back. Well, shit. What do I do now?\nFast forward two months of shyly bantering and overly-friendly-but-completely-PG conversations about everything under the stars, and I absolutely miss asking this girl to be my girlfriend. It’s okay though. We walked along the SF piers in decent weather (overcast and slightly breezy. Bay Area residents know what I’m talking about) and had a casual dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. \n\nLater that night, we stayed up talking until a little past 2AM (a staple for all young duos gravitating towards one another) and decided that we were a couple. I’m told it’s pretty lame, but given the circumstances, I was over the moon.\nAnd that’s it. That was the happiest moment of my life, at past 2 AM August 5, 2011.\n\nI WAS going to play a prank here where I do a cliffhanger, but Reddit formatting saved you the cruelty. Lucky you.\n\nLet’s fast forward again one month. I’m in a relationship now, the first I’ve ever had. Crushes, sure, here and there, but a real relationship. Got me stumped again. Starting at that 2 AM mark, I told her that I was worried about where the relationship was going to go, but that I was willing to see it through with her help.\n\nBeing a man of pomp and circumstance when I see fit, such as one month into my first relationship, I hatch a grandiose plan. I even loop in my parents and manage to utilize their not-yet-outdated knowledge of the SF Muni bus system. Here is my plan:\n\n1.\tGo to a fancy restaurant in an attempt to impress.\n2.\tWalk across the Golden Gate Bridge.\n3.\t???\n4.\tProfit\n\nAn old meme for those who like that. Those young ‘uns these days don’t appreciate these anymore.\n\nEverything goes off relatively without a hitch—the restaurant I had researched nights before had the greatest bread (imagine a crunchy, thin crust that collapses and rips to reveal a center of crêpe-like webbing, the moistness and richness overtaking your mouth as you eat it. But I digress) and perfect garlic fries, the bus system is exactly as I mapped out (we missed a bus somewhere in the middle of the day, but we’re together the entire time), and we reach the Golden Gate Bridge in fantastic weather.\n\nThere were very little clouds in the sky, virtually a miracle in a coastal city at the beginning of September, but it was still really windy. Outside of the buffers that the towering SF landscape provides, it was enough to be cold.\n\nAll the way across the bridge, we were talking our fool heads off. Laughing too loud. Making up hypothetical situations and short one-liners.\n\nAll the way across the bridge, the worries are rattling around the old dome. Oscillating between the forefront and the back of my mind. What do I intend to do when we get to the other end? Are we going to see a friend in North Bay? Are we going to turn around and spend more time in SF?\n\nAll I remember is this.\n\nWhen we got very close to the end of the bridge, we’d been walking for over an hour, so I ask her if she wants to continue forward or turn back and walk across the span that we just covered. She makes the executive decision to turn back, and I agree. Then, after a few seconds, I go to kiss her cheek, an action I’d never done before. \n\nThat doesn’t quite work out as planned. You see, she turned partially, almost fast enough for a real kiss. But not enough, and I’m pretty sure I blush at this point. I don’t remember feeling the heat in my face, given the wind and the relative comfortableness I have in this situation. Oddly enough, anyway.\n\nShe looks me in the eye and asks, “Whoops. Wanna try again?” At that point, in the height of my anxiety and mental panic, she gave me another chance. Now that was the happiest moment in my life. Of course I agree. I have to; that’s the moment where I know I love her. That’s the moment where I know I’ll love her for the rest of my life. \n\n+++\n\n**Spoiler alert: Walk away with your happy feelings. Go. Shoo. This is where I dump the remainder of the story. Some off-prompting, if you will.\n\n+++\n\nOne of her favorite books is (?) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. In it, there’s a quote that says something to the effect of “You don’t write to relive something. You write to bury it.” And that’s exactly what I’m doing here.\n\nThe girl in this story, she was the love of my life for 5.75 years thereafter. Key word “was.” Through the death of one of her close family members and the depression that followed for years, I was with her. I tried too hard to help her in the way that I’d like to be helped, and that eventually resulted in an irreparable schism.\n\nThat was over 10 months ago. I’ve had plenty of time to mull everything over, the stuff that comes easily to mind anyway, and I’ve had good people by my side to help me through the worst of the aftermath (shoutout to DL and SC, and of course my family).\n\nAfter the breakup, I asked her what the most romantic thing I’d done for her was. The inspiration was an AskReddit post. This occasion was listed at the top, potentially dethroned after I reminded her of some other events.\n\nAll in all, if you were to ask me if I’d do it all over again, I would give you a resounding no. But I’m glad I did it. I think that’s what matters.\n\nWhen it comes down to it, enjoy what you have with near reckless abandon, but don’t be afraid to reminisce on good times, even if it hurts sometimes.\n\nCheers,\n\nKF\n",
"She escaped.\n\nOur brand new kitten, barely half an hour into our home, gone. Just like that. \n\nI didn't even know you were getting us a kitten. *You* sure didn't have the money to take care of a kitten. Guess who was going to have to pick up the vet bills? Yeah, that's right. Yours truly.\n\nWe had none of the supplies that we needed for a kitten. We didn't have a litter box. We didn't have any toys. The stores were closing any minute now and you didn't even think to bring her food!\n\nTo say I was underwhelmed with your ''surprise'' was an understatement. \n\nWhile we were busy arguing, we lost sight of the little one. Only for a minute, I think. But one minute was all the time she needed. \n\nWe searched every nook and cranny in the house. Under the bed, in the kitchen cabinets, next to the closet, behind the curtains. She was nowhere to be found. \n\nMy heart stopped when I noticed. Your bedroom window was wide open. \n\nPanic washed over me as I ran out the door, scanning the streets for our little baby. There was no one there. \n\nI was overcome by fear. She was so small, so helpless. What if something had happened to her? How was she supposed to survive out there on her own? She must be terrified! \n\nI had to think quickly, think clearly. Cats have great orientation. Sometimes, there's stories on the news where a cat has traveled half the country to go back to their old home.\n\nThat's it! She might be walking back to the farm she came from! \n\nQuickly, we made a plan. You'd search the route to the farm, I'd do another check of the house. We had to find her. We *had* to.\n\nI searched every millimeter of our house again. And again. Still no sign of her. Exhausted, I dropped down on the couch. There was nothing I could do now, except wait. I was sick with worry. She'd only been here for such a short time, but one look at that little, fluffy head with the big blue eyes and the pointy ears was all I needed to fall in love with her forever. \n\nThat's when the light bulb went on. There was one place I hadn't checked yet. One last chance. Underneath the oven, there was a small drawer. It was rusty and it jammed, so we never used it. Could she have gone around the back and climbed in? Slowly, I opened the drawer...\n\n...and there she was. Huddled in a ball, shivering and scared. Carefully, I picked her up and held her against me, and cried the happiest tears of my life. In that moment, I vowed to love and care for her forever, and to never, ever lose her again. \n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------\nThat was a rollercoaster of emotions! I'm actually crying again typing this out, I was so scared we'd lost her. I broke up with that boyfriend shortly after and took the cat. She's happily sleeping on my bed as we speak!",
"It's really interesting when I think about it. \nThese kind of prompts are hard for me to do for two reasons: one, it is hard for me to *genuinely* admit I'm good at something and two, since I have such a skewed perception of myself since I was young I grew accustomed to create stories around real life happenings which are far more interesting and engaging than the recounts of what happens to me. \nHonestly, most of the time I only want to head home to sleep 7 hours and get over with it. My creativity has been waning the older I am getting thanks to the fact that I'm feeling tired most of the time. \nBut enough about my daily annoyances and my bites at life with the brand of sarcasm I've built up: let me tell you about my happiest moment. \n \nYou got to understand that, as I mentioned earlier, I grew used to creating stories out of my own experiences and give them something of an interesting spin to it. Say that I'm working at a deadbeat job without hopes of getting a raise or a decent amount of recognition in the form of leveling up in the company or by getting some meager privileges like my own parking spot. Instead of moping or getting angry at it - which I still do when it gets really rough - using that creative spark I have, I shift it so that I'm actually some French space captain for hire in the year 2280 who has to deal with the inept bureaucracy of an organization who wants to rise up to be a recognized name in Earth *and* the Galaxy but really can't bring themselves up to because... well, quite frankly, they are incredibly stupid. It's like they do *every* thing that one shouldn't do and they get surprised when the results come pouring in. \nI'm sure you'll be more engaged reading on the exploits of said captain dealing with this organization with his trusty crew rather than me ranting about how the company I work on is retarded and likes to shoot itself on the foot. \nI like to call this kind of writing \"Fantastic Realism\": it's a struggle based on real life that is slightly more manageable thanks to this fantastic masking. \nThat doesn't mean I live in a world of delusion: if anything, and depending on my mood, things can get much darker than uplifting so I need to keep my feet planted on the ground of reality lest I diverge so much I become schizophrenic. \nInstead, the most I can get from diving too deep into these kind of fantasies is disappointment. Because no matter how awesome this space Captain's exploits are on the organization he is working with, I am still 'stuck' with the reality that I can't do much. I'm fine with that but it does get me sad once in a while. \nI grew with the mentality that while good things can happen, nothing as incredible as what I've usually come to plot in my mind can occur. \n \nThat's until I met *him*. \nGranted, our meeting was really quirky and I still pester him about how he was 'shoo'ing me for posting this ninja emote on his RP topic but that was the best I could do because the damn servers would usually go down - I mean, they would undergo 'sushi error' - and subscriptions didn't work. It was my best option to track down the thread and I really wanted to formalize my introduction. \nFrom there, we went on to become friends. Shared a bunch of ideas and actually found out that we had a lot in common. \nWe exchanged IM accounts - a huge deal for me back on 2006. Remember those years when giving out personal information on the internet was still a taboo thing or at least people knew how to be responsible with what they posted online? Anybody remembers /i/ raids? - and started chatting other things outside from the RP or the OoC forums. \nSomething struck a chord on me and I thought for a moment that we could probably escalate things. I was a vulnerable, irritable and depressed teenager at the time and even I knew a lot of my decisions were plain retarded, but I really wanted something special to happen. \nI came to realize - just in time, I guess - that he was already going out with somebody so I ate those feelings and moved on. It wouldn't be the first time, I told myself, and as a consolation price I added him (or rather, an avatar of himself) to the catalog of characters I can throw onto my many stories and universes. \nThat was the end of that and didn't look forward for much afterwards. \nWe still kept talking and engaged on other things outside of stories and while the feeling never really went away I appreciated his friendship more than the innate human need for companionship. Besides, forcing somebody into a contract of that kind is not a good idea so why bother? \n \n \nSuddenly, he vanished. \nMy heart sank for a moment but that later became concern. \nIt was unlike him to just do something like that. Something must have happened, I told myself, and I left him be. \nWe all have demons to fight against, I concluded having fought my own kind of demons. It is really funny how strong you can make them when you have the capacity and knowledge on how to create them. \nThis went on for two or three years. My gut told me to not press on the matter and I listened. Worried, but I listened and followed suit. \nUntil suddenly, I got a message back. \nI remember squeeing. Ridiculous, I know, but it came naturally. \nMy gut told me also not to probe onto why he had vanished, which I also followed suit, and we engaged as per usual. He did apologize for not talking to me all that time but I told him I didn't mind the wait. \nTime and talks between us resumed as normal and it was only until that point that I realized really where or how that feeling I had earlier for him came to be. \nA mix of destiny, subconscious inclinations and my own fantasy that told me 'go for it'. \nSo on February of 2015, the day after my muse's birthday, I told him of my intentions and my wishes. \nAnd against all the rules of reality, regardless how reckless and out of the blue my request came to be, he told me *yes*. \n \nThe world, the reality of it, shifted from me at that moment. \nFor the longest I had only thought of it as this bland place of beauty where few interesting things happen. And if they happen, it only happens to a selected few.\nOr just maybe it just didn't, *couldn't*, happen to me. \nI couldn't become a good artist, nor good at work, nor I was good enough for anything. \nI was always ten bars down everyone else, even if I showed to have a better talent or I remarked how good I was. \nMy ego strokes exist mostly because I think of myself as lesser, though really you can see where I come from: I am an artist after all. \nI had always portrayed Reality and Fantasy as two beings battling each other for supremacy or to keep one from overlapping the other. Reality is harsh but necessary like the Sun and Fantasy is comforting and inspiring like the Moon. Granted, G.R.R Martin enjoys butchering every other character you love but it is still in some setting most would not call boring or dull. \nMy escapists efforts were really to bring some of that fantasy in reality, never to replace it but to enhance it and make it beautiful and more baring, because I thought that nothing good could ever happen to me. \n \nAnd when it did, I didn't know how to react. \nSlowly, with the help of him and other friends I've met along the way, I've rediscovered reality. \nI discovered that reality and fantasy are only divided by a very thin line which one can walk onto very easily and skip on each side with ease. \nAnd that it is really easy to create bridges between both sides, so long as one is responsible and knows what it takes to do so. \nThe weirdest ideas can come to reality *if* you have the means to and are aware of what it will take to make it happen. \n \nPerception. \nThat is the name of the key that bridges both sides. \nAnd when I discovered it, it changed my life. \n \nI've had a lot of happy moments previous to this just as I still have sad moments now, but my perception changed. \nAnd in a way, my world. \nI now know that I can do something with my reality, and that I'm not trapped in it like I thought I was. \n \nPerhaps he isn't the cause of this discovery, but his positive answer to my request made me reconsider other things. \nSoon, I was taking a flight to meet him in person - with alarms blaring in my head circa sponsored by my parent's warning circa 2008 about online people - and that time we spent together was just another proof of how reality and fantasy work together. \nJust like that Solar Eclipse showed us on that weekend of August. \n \n--- \n \n^(*Shuffles and hides things and scurries under a rock*) \n \nBTW, I have a subreddit for the stuff I write. \nHead to /r/KibouPortal for more shenanigans and stuff. \nHope you enjoy. \n \n^(*Bye...*)\n\n \n",
"So I wrote this a while back on a post on r/videos. It was a vid of a kid receiving adoption papers from his then guardian and now dad on Christmas morning. The kid was so grateful and emotional, and the video really struck a chord with me for reasons this story will explain, here it is:\n\nQuick story- As a kid I was under guardian ship until I was 12, when I was legally adopted by my guardians. The moment I legally became their child wasn't a moment of joy like this, the people who adopted me had alot of issues in their marriage that they hid from most people and I never truly felt like I was a part of a family, I never felt loved and I never felt like I had any love to give.\n\nI met my childhood best friend a few years before my adoption in school and I started spending alot of time at his house. The first time I went over and met his family I was shocked at how obvious it was that these people loved and cared for each other, it was foreign to me and I yearned for it. I was jealous of my friend and his family but soon that jealousy faded as I spent more and more time with them. They were so accepting and welcoming of me, never turning me away when I showed up at their front door with a backpack full of clothes because of another fight at my house.\n\nAs I grew older I embedded myself in their family and soon they were my family too. I went on vacation with them, spent the holidays with them and after I enlisted in the Air Force they made it clear that I always had a home to come back to.\n\nBut sometimes I still felt like I was alone, I don't know why I did but something inside of me still hadn't clicked to the fact that I had found a family that loved me. Then one day, during my time overseas, I got a Skype call from them and they had something to show me. Their mother, our mother, had just got her first tattoo, something she'd been talking about doing for a while. She wanted something to represent what she loved most in the world, her sons. On her back were 4 flowers, the 3 birth flowers of her biological children and a narcissus, my birth flower. She told me that I was her son, without question, and that we would always be family.\n\nIn that moment, as a 23 year old man, I felt exactly what this child felt. It was like somebody had finally filled the hole in my heart, and all I could do was cry.\n\nThat was the best damn cry I've ever had in my entire life, I love my mom."
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[WP] Any high school students would say that their most dreaded school subjects are either Maths, Literature Studies or Chemistry. But I think so far we are only considering subjects that they teach on Earth. | 7 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Finally back to school, after the Xenomorphs arrived the world was basically on hold. The war was terrible and devastating billions lost their life. After a joint scientific team discovered a fatal flaw in the Xenomorphs biology allowed us to create a gas that chokes the aliens, allowing us to win the war. You don't care though you are still a Sophomore in school, and this happened years ago, sitting in your chair you wait for class to begin.\n\n\"Welcome to the new curriculum this will be Xenomorph Biology. We will start with a basic dissection\" States your teacher.\n\nYou look down at your specimen laying on the pan in front of you on the lab table, the exoskeleton is dark almost black with specks of grey. The tail is about a meter long and the head, arms, feet are pointing up. Grossed out and already bored you grab your dissection kit to begin.\n\n\"Start by making an incision at the top of the mouth and move back to the base of the cranium.\" Instructions coming from the front you are barely paying attention to.\n\nyou grab the scalpel and look at the creature, confused and a little worried you raise your hand and ask \"Is this thing supposed to be still moving????\"\"\n"
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[WP] Every hero and villain is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their power level. Powerless humans are rated a flat 1. You're the first active hero that's been rated a negative number. | 28 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I grinned the maniacal grin of the truly helpless. The thief before me had me dead to rights, trapped in the weird tentacle-like things he could create and control from the backs of his hands. They weren't particularly strong, to be honest. I had even watched his victim, someone's grey-haired grandmother, apparently without powers of any kind, break free from them before hobbling away. Unfortunately, I wasn't particularly strong, either, and I could feel the tentacles slowly crushing my arms.\n\nThe tentaclemancer looked completely shocked, of course. It's not often he finds someone weaker than a grandma, but then, that was my lot in life. Immy was the superhero name they gave me, short for Imaginary. After all, they reasoned, not only was I a negative one, but I was somehow even more pathetic than they thought possible for someone rated that low. And what could possibly be worse than a negative one? Its square root, of course, and so the name stuck. Imaginary, named for the concept of an imaginary number. Anyone remotely versed in basic mathematics would sigh at the stupidity of the joke, but then, most heroes weren't known for their intellectual qualities. Even the tech whizzes, funnily enough, despite being smart enough to create such engineering marvels as a grapple gun that could fit in a man's pocket.\n\nThe sudden shock of pain from my slowly-breaking wrists brought me back to reality. I dropped to my knees in pain, trying to fall over, but the thief's hold kept me upright. Why does it always have to hurt so much? Every damn time. And where the hell was a proper hero? I'd even take that one weirdo who rode his bicycle everywhere. It's not like they were -\n\n\\- Oh. I glanced up though tears of pain and saw two of them standing by, laughing at the spectacle. Of course. Let's all point and laugh, fellas, look at how pathetic he is. He's getting beaten, again. Why does he even try? The conversation they're having as I lay here, helpless, plays easily through my head. It's not like I haven't heard it all before. I guess those with powers can never truly empathize with those who don't have them, though. It's not like either of them have been helpless, truly helpless, before.\n\nA few more moments of pain, a few more seconds of being the butt of someone's joke, before the tentaclemancer finally realizes that we're no longer alone. He quickly releases me, unconcerned with me any longer, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Time to get up and let the real heroes do their jobs. Besides, I can already feel my bones knitting back together even as the tentaclemancer gets put down, hard, by a brute of a man whose only real power was that his right fist, and only that fist, could hit three times as hard as even the best boxer could manage. The Dextrous Boxer he called himself, because he learned a single latin word and suddenly thought he was clever. Then it would be him and his brother, the Sinistral Archer, who saved me this time.\n\n\"Hey Dex, Sin,\" I nodded to the two of them as they finished tying up the pathetic thief. \"I'll just get going, then, since you guys have everything under control.\" Conversation with these two was exhausting, not the least because Dex was the smarter of the two. Meatheads like them were only part of the ranks in an effort to be praised while bullying others. When I first learned about the truly impressive number of men and women like them in the Guild's list, it nearly broke me. I consoled myself with the knowledge that at least they were doing some good, even for the wrong reasons.\n\n\"Hah, sure, sure, Immy. Thanks for the assist!\" He jeered after me. Ah, well, at least I avoided having my shoulder shattered again, done previously time under the guise of a good-natured pat. Rounding the corner, I stop for a moment to catch my breath. Regeneration was tiresome for me, and besides, it gave me an opportunity to listen in to the two of them to see if they were still the dicks I remembered.\n\n\"I don't know why he's even on the list. The guy's truly pathetic.\" Sin finishes with a mocking chuckle.\n\n\"Well, you know the rules. He has a power, he wants to be a hero, that's all it takes to get in at the base level.\" The disapproval was thick in Dex's voice as he replied. Clearly, this is an argument they've had before, and just as clearly, Dex disagreed with the bare minimum required by the guild for membership. I wonder if he ever realized he wasn't good enough to get in without them?\n\n\"Yeah, but c'mon bro, he's so lame. It's insulting that we're considered on the same level as him! What good is he even, really, when you get down to it?\" \n\n\"Who knows, Sin. Who knows.\"\n\nI shake my head and start to walk away. I don't need to hear more of this nonsense from these two, and the exhaustion from healing my injuries finally faded, so I decided to walk away. Who knows, indeed. If I was honest with myself, they were partially right. Regeneration, hah. Such a great power! Too bad my body is so frail. Basically, all I can do is be a glorified punching bag.\n\nThe bus schedule at the nearest bus stop tells me that I just missed my bus, and the next one on my route isn't due for another half hour. Guess it's time to wait, then. Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it. It seems like any of the heroes I meet these days are exactly like Sin and Dex. Pumped-up jocks with nothing better to do than abuse the power they have, looking down on anyone who doesn't have any, and full of contempt for those who'd use their powers for \"evil,\" whatever that may be. From where I sit? Evil is standing by and watching a man get crushed by someone who wouldn't be out of place in some of that bad Japanese porn.\n\n\"Excuse me, young man?\" The smiling face of an elderly woman pulls me out of my thoughts. \"Were you the one who stepped in a moment ago, back there?\"\n\n\"Yes, ma'am, that was me.\" I smile my best smile back, trying to chase away the negative thoughts long enough to keep up a positive attitude. Guild rules suggested it, and I agreed. Never let people know just how badly you're hurting, always reassure them that everything's okay.\n\nShe wraps me in a warm hug. \"Oh, thank you, thank you so much! I don't know what that man was going to do.\" Letting go, she sits down on the bench next to me and continues talking. \"I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there. I don't have much, you know.\"\n\nShe reaches into her purse and pulls out a diamond-crusted gold locket to show me. The loop that held it to a chain was long ago broken, but the piece was still quite valuable. \"This is about the only thing of value I have left. My husband, see he passed away recently. I was just walking back here to catch the bus when that awful, awful man accosted me.\" Smiling, she pops the locket open, showing me a lovely young couple on their wedding day. \"He gave this to me on our first anniversary, you know. It's a picture of us, the day we were wed. Happiest day of my life.\" A wistful tone enters her voice, and it's obvious how painful it is to recall such happy days. \n\nThe love, the happiness, the raw emotion in that picture shines through. I can't help but smile. How couldn't you? We sat and talked for the rest of the half hour until the bus came. I found out that she didn't live very far from me, so I offered to escort her home. I spent the evening with her, letting her reminisce about old times. I learned about her, her husband, and their life together. I learned about their children, and even their grandchildren.\n\nI often think of that day, of the time my frailty let me take the place of an elderly woman. See, villains, they get off on the pain they cause. And the amount of pain they can cause me? The amount I can endure? That's why I do what I do. That's the real reason why I'm in the Guild, why they have even promoted me since that day. I take the pain, the hurt, the damage, so people like that wonderful old woman will never have to. I endure it through gritted teeth. The shame, the mockery, it's all worth it, because at the end of the day, it's the conversation with an elderly woman whose most valuable possession I saved, the children who were ignored in favor of me, the helpless and innocent who never had to be shot, stabbed, decapitated, burned, boiled. It's all of that that keeps me going.\n\nOther heroes may disagree. They may think they're the ones who saved all of them. But I know the truth. Things happen. Things go wrong. The bad guys sometimes win. I saved all those people, no matter what anyone else says, and I'll keep on saving them."
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] | |
[WP] Home alone, you jokingly yell “I know you’re here, you can come out!” not expecting anything to happen. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I waved at my parents good-naturedly, telling them I'd miss them and that I hoped they'd be back soon. That was a lie, of course. I was sixteen, and like any good sixteen-year-old, I couldn't *wait* for them to get in the car and drive off to wherever it was they were going. They must have told me the name of their vacation spot a million times, and a million times I had forgotten it again.\n \nWhen their car was finally approaching the horizon, I fist-bumped the air (immediately regretting it and glancing around to make sure nobody had seen that), went back inside and slammed the door shut behind me. So this was what freedom smelled like. I could get behind that, I thought as I went to the kitchen to grab myself a week's worth of cereal. I was on my third spoon-ful when I heard a loud crash from upstairs. Great, I'd been alone in the house for a whooping five minutes and was already getting burgled. \n\nI waited for a few minutes, listening for more noises. When none came, I figured I might as well investigate since it was early afternoon and everybody knows bad things only happen at night. So I went upstairs, still munching on my cereal on the way. The noise had sounded like it had come from directly above the kitchen, which is where my room was located. I frowned as I beheld the door that was now only slightly ajar. I knew I had left it wide open. Getting more and more nervous, I nudged the door open with my foot and peered in through the crack. Wilbur was lying on the hardwood floor, uprooted, soil spilling everywhere. A breath I didn't know I had been holding escaped my lips. Goddammit, I knew I should have closed the window. I berated myself as I walked over, banged it shut and wrangled the curtains back in place. After dealing with that, I took a moment to gather myself, realising I had been more freaked out than I had thought.\n\nIt did seem a bit odd that the curtains catching the gentle breeze could have been responsible for Wilbur's heavy pot falling over. I mused over this for a second and then shrugged to myself. It was probably a burglar after all. A burglar who, for some reason, chose the second storey window and hadn't even used a ladder, something I had made sure of checking when closing the window. Yeah, it was *totally* a burglar, I scoffed at my prior uneasiness. Actually, it was more likely to be a deranged serial killer. And he was also *totally* waiting in my closet with a knife and was *totally* going to stab me to death and then wear my skin. At this I had to laugh and the rest of my anxiety was lifted.\n\nPicking up my cereal bowl from where I had put it down on my desk, I turned to the room one last time and called out to the imaginary psychopath theatrically.\n\n\"Oh, woe is me! I have been cornered! I shall not escape from this alive! Please, I beg you, step out of your hiding place and grant me a swift, painless death\" I even added a little swoon for flourish. Mr Baker, my drama teacher, would have been proud.\n\n\"Ey, man. Why you so shook? I ain't gonna hurt you, dude. Chill.\"\n\nMy bowl flew at my closet so quickly that I wasn't sure if I had thrown it or if it had suddenly grown wings and decided it was a bird.\n\n*Splosh*\n\n\"Dafuq, man? I just got my fur done yesterday! It cost a fortune! No cool, bro. Not.Cool!\"\n\nI went to apologise, but my mouth seemed to have other plans and started screaming instead. *Also a good choice*, was my last thought before I blacked out. \n\nWhen I came to it was still light outside, so I couldn't have been out that long. Or maybe I had been unconscious for a whole day. I couldn't quite remember why I had fainted in the first place, but then I looked at the frowning thing staring at me and remembered. \n\nWhen I came to the second time it was still light outside, so I couldn't have been out that long. Or maybe I had been unconscious for a whole day. I couldn't quite remember why I had fainted in the first (and second) place, despite the curious sense of Déjà Vu. Seeing as the cause of my fainting fits wasn't present this time around to expedite my though process, it took me a little longer to remember. I got up from the floor and went to lay down on the bed instead.\n\nAfter fifteen minutes, I decided I had it together about as much as I ever would and tried an apology again. \n\n\"Uh…hello? I-I'm sorry for throwing a bowl at you… and spilling milk on your… f-fur?\"\n\n\"Nah man, s'right. Don't sweat it. I was just a little shocked is all,\" I heard from the corridor, and a few seconds later it stepped in, dressed in my mother's bathrobe. Completing the look was a towel wrapped around its head. This didn't bother me as much as it maybe should have, as I figured the less visible it was, the easier it was for me not to faint again.\n\n\"So… uh… you said you weren't going to brutally… uh… butcher me?\" I eyed the window and cursed my past self for closing off my only means of escape.\n\n\"Do these look like killing instruments to you?\" it asked and showed off his claws.\n\n\"Uh… yeah... actually, they do. Pleasedontkillme!\"\n\n\"Huh? WTF?! For shame, dude, seriously. Can't you see I just got them done? They cost me almost a month's wage! I ain't killing nobody with these except *it* if you catch my drift,\" it makes a slashing gesture with the claws which I assumed was supposed to underline what it said, but all the gesture did for me was making me wish I was back in my mother's womb. They really did look rather deadly, and I couldn't tell if that was natural or because of the manicure it had mentioned.\n\n\"Uh… yeah. They look… uh… very… nice. Very… not deadly. So… uh… what are you doing here? I mean… if you're not here to savagely… slaughter me.\"\n\n\"Well, I dunno, man. I was bored I guess. The manicure didn't take as long as I had thought, because apparently the estimate was for a mani-pedi and well, I can only use half of that,\" it made its point by wiggling its toenail-less and also, toe-less tentacles. \n\nI hadn't noticed the tentacles before. I had been too distracted by its teeth and its claws. In comparison, the tentacles had seemed rather harmless, and negligible. Now that I actually looked at them, I saw that they were full of bracelets… anklets? I was pretty sure one of them, solid gold by the looks of it, read YOLO. \n\n\"It might also have been part of a dare, TBH\" it added with a impressive shrug. Impressive in the fact that you'd think it would be physically impossible for something without shoulders to actually pull one off.\n\n\"A- a dare? Not a dare to mindlessly massacre me, right?\" I asked nonplussed.\n\nThe thing shook its head vigorously, accidentally throwing off the towel in the process and revealing once again the rest of its horrifying head. Noticing the loss of the towel, the thing stooped, as far as what it was doing could be called *stooping*, to pick it up and proceeded to wrap it back around its head. \n\n\"I was dared to do a panty raid. I was just about to head back when I heard a loud crash, got scared and hid. In hindsight, should have probably just gone back through the portal.\"\n\nAt this point, I realised that it was using my favourite towel, and that I would now have to burn it. I sighed and just went with it. \n\n\"Uh, ok. Sounds about as reasonable as anything you've said so far. And I assume the closet is the portal?\" I threw a cursory glance at it. I would have to burn that too, it seemed. Maybe the whole house, just to be absolutely sure.\n\n\"What? No, don't be ridiculous, dude. Closets are so early 2016 they're almost retro again. *This* is how the cool kids travel.\" it said, heading over to my desk and opening the top drawer. I stepped forward, trying to keep as much space between me and the thing as possible, but still curious to see the portal. \n\n\"I can't see anything. It's just a drawer.\" I scratched my head and took a second look.\n\n\"Well, yeah. A good portal doesn't let everybody know it's a portal, duh.\"\n\n\"Right… well, it has been fun and everything but I have things to d-\" Next thing I knew I lay on the floor, covering my head with my arms, for a second time that day wishing for a swift death. I had been interrupted by a screech so loud and high-pitched that I thought I'd go deaf *and* blind, because I doubted merely going deaf would cut it.\n\nThe swift death I was hoping for didn't come, and then screeching stopped as abruptly as it had started, only to be replaced by excited shouting.\n\n\"You have Far Cry 5! Omg, You lucky soab! Let's play!\" Before I had even taken a breath to answer, the Xbox was already plugged in, turned on, and the game inserted. The thing flopped down on my couch and was blubbering contently. Gripping the controller in its claws it patted the spot next to it. \"Come on! Playing alone sucks balls.\"\n\nNot entirely sure what was happening and how a day that had started so perfectly could turn into whatever this was, I made my way over to the couch sitting down gingerly at the furthers edge. The thing didn't seem to notice my reluctance, handed me a controller and pressed play. \n\n*cont. see below*"
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[Tragic Poet](http://mythicspoiler.com/dom/cards/tragicpoet.html), from Magic: the Gathering. | [WP] In a healing world I write - I, who will never be healed. Let my last gift be one of memory: from a thousand lost thoughts, choose one, and remember my name. | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"gerald clicked 'save' and leaned back on his chair staring at the computer screen. \"and remember my name,\" he mumbled. he wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the final design for his latest magic card. he felt cold and saw that it was dark through the office windows. he was alone.\n\ngerald's eyes moved across his desk. the awards and photographs of himself with esteemed players and designers, congratulatory notes from the company, the untouched lunch his wife had packed for him, the finger-painting his daughter had presented to him as he left for work that morning, the baseball his son had scored the winning run with that season. his gaze settled on the top drawer of his desk.\n\nhe had tried not to think about it since it happened. it was a miracle he had managed to hide it. it was a foolish idea to bring it with him, but what else could he have done? \n\ngerald could feel the sweat bead on his forehead as he began to slide open the drawer. he couldn't explain this. there was no way. already gerald could see the confusion on his young daughter's face, the light leaving his precious son's eyes and his beloved wife hunched over the kitchen sink, her back to gerald, unable to meet his eyes, able to only focus on her own knuckles turning white as she gripped the bench to hold herself up, trying desperately to keep her sobs inaudible.\n\ngerald took the plastic shopping bag from the top drawer and walked to the foyer, passed the late night security guard he didn't acknowledge, and opened the door to the service stairs. gerald climbed twenty seven sets of stairs while he thought about his entire life. every excruciating detail of his entire being passed through his consciousness on the way to the building's rooftop. by the time he had reached the door to the roof all he felt was a dull ache in his calves.\n\ngerald loosened his tie and took out a cigarette from the pack he had bought at lunch. he hadn't smoked in seventeen years but none of that mattered now. nothing mattered. he stood on the ledge of the building, looking over the city. the machinations of life writhing beneath him. a plume of smoke trailed from his cracked lips as he contemplated the bag.\n\nhis final thoughts were of the moments after his car had struck the pigeon on the way to work. his mind seemed to have left his body, then. from above he had watched himself move quicker than he had ever before, scooping up the pigeons body and stuffing it into the plastic bag he found in the gutter. when had he picked the bag up? when had he pulled over and got out of the car? he couldn't say. time was a blur and he existed at that moment only to cover up his crime. furtive glances in his rear view mirrors hoping that no one was following him. a knot in his stomach during his lunch break purchasing the cigarettes, unable to look the cashier in the eyes. his skin crawled as his boss had patted him on the back and wish gerald goodnight.\n\nhe knew what he was now. a murderer. and gerald could not live in this world with blood on his hands.\n\nthe impact of gerald's body on the sidewalk had caused a crack in the concrete that took several weeks for the town to repair. the memorial flowers and cards of sympathy had only prolonged the operation much to the frustration of the town's own head of the department of infrastructure, who had been experiencing stomach ulcers the entire week which only worsened upon learning he would have to stretch the budget even further to hire contractors to sort out the entire mess.\n\nas it turned out the pigeon had only been stunned and all the investigative team had found on the roof were several cigarette butts and an empty plastic bag containing some feathers. this also caused some problems.",
"Immortality. \n\nThere are many different kinds of immortality. Most in the world desire for the kind of everlasting life and youth. \n\nThere is a different kind however. The immortality of having your name known long after your life has left your body. We live on through our impact, legacy and our influence.\n\nThey say you die twice. Once when your soul leaves your body and secondly the last time someone utters your name.\n\nThis is the greatest wish for all of those who create. I was no different.\n\nI am a Poet. \n\nThough by societal standards not a very good one.\n\nThis seemed ever and more prevalent, the more and more effort I put in. My work was constantly criticized and ridiculed by the public. Even the more sympathetic ones in my fellow Poet's Guild were hesitant to give honest feedback on my work. I could see it in their eyes. Their disappointment with eyes glossed over when reading my work. \n\nI was used to this.\n\nNot to say I didn't try. I poured my heart and soul into my work. As cliché and atypical as it sounds. I wanted this more than anything.\n\nMy words were juvenile, my words were naive, my words were too offensive, my words were brash, my words were masturbatory, crude, redundant, incoherent. My words were bad.\nMaybe I wasn't cut out for writing. Maybe my words weren't moving enough. Maybe my knowledge of the language wasn't fine enough. Maybe my experiences weren't defining enough. Maybe, maybe, maybe.\n\nMaybe I wasn't cut out to be a poet.\n\nAfter the war, our nation prospered. I had no excuse to not succeed. The other Poet's in my guild achieved great success. Success that I always dreamed of. Poets that finished their apprenticeships later than I have and poets whose works I didn't think highly of. I was given many opportunities and had the finest examples to learn from.\n\nPoverty struck me. A poet whose work doesn't move the people has no worth. Even the guild couldn't help me anymore. They cut me off. There was no blame. They invested much into me and I couldn't produce works that was worth of the guild's name. They did much more than the average guild. I couldn't ask for more. \n\nThe world prospered while I suffered. This wasn't the world's fault. This was my own. As much as I was shunned, mocked and ridiculed, I couldn't hate. I knew this was an outcome of my own choices and actions.\n\nI wrote on scraps of paper and discarded newspapers. I stole from stands and sang songs for mere pocket change. I wrote and wrote. I didn't care about anything anymore. This was the only piece of my identity I still had.\n\nThe cold and the hunger didn't bother me anymore. The shame and guilt of my failures laid a burden on my psyche that seemed crippling.\n\nMaybe the stress and hardships of this existence of poverty took its toll on me. I could feel my sanity slipping. Minutes blended into hours, hours into days and days into years. \nI just kept writing without any goal in mind. Nothing else mattered and this was fine.\n\n\nI had nothing. No confidence in my abilities. I fell into more nothing than a mere beggar on the streets. I feared I would even forget my name. My health deteriorated along with my sanity. I knew my end was near, but something was keeping me from giving up completely. No matter how desolate my future seemed to be.\n\nI awoke one day on the side of the street. Today was different. Instead of a rude awakening from a bucket of water, it was from a voice of a young girl. She seemed to be just as worse off as I was. Dirty matted hair, clothes that couldn't be called more than rags and a layer of dirt and grime over her sun scorched skin. Another outcast of society.\n\nShe was reading. Her voice was course, quiet and uneven, but it didn't matter. Her voice was refreshing. It took a moment to realize the words were familiar. \n\nThey were mine. They were significantly different coming from her voice than my mind. I didn't recall that my writing was ever that elegant, touching and moving. Her voice was on the edge of breaking. It seemed it took all of her mental fortitude to keep her composure.\n\nThe words lamented of suffering and pain, hardship and loss, and happiness and joy. Words of a better time, words of regret, words that consoled, comforted, inspired dreams, forced introspection, and words that were all too painful to hear.\n\n\nI coughed blood. I looked down and saw a knife between my ribs and my pockets empty. I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. I only had a few mere copper coins. There was no pain.\n\n\nThe poor girl with my words scribbled on scraps in her hands, was looking at me with compassion. Or was it pity. It didn't matter. I was grateful for her presence.\n\nShe continued reading as my life continued to spill out of knife wound. I didn't know for how long this lasted, but it was enough\n\nTears were streaming down her face. Tears that I didn't deserve. They were lost on me, but I appreciated them nonetheless.\n\n\"You write beautifully\"\n\nWere my words finally able to reach someone? Was my life worth it if they even just touched just one person? Maybe I shouldn't have been striving for immortality. In the end, being able to just touch the heart of just one person was plentiful. \n\n\nThe last words I heard before I drifted off were as bittersweet as this whole encounter.\n\n\n\"What's your name?\"\n\n\n"
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Take this however you will. | [WP] Grandmother sees her grandson off on a fantasy adventure. ...only for her to realize that he forgot his lunch. | 34 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"After Jayson had waved goodbye and disappeared through the portal of demons, Grandma Buffy turned around, sighed, and briefly thought about the days when she had been the vampire slayer. Oh, the days when the demons were plentiful and her breasts didn't sag to her knees.\n\nComing out of her reverie, she noticed that Jayson had left behind her special Spaghetti and Meatballs with extra, extra garlic. \"That little twit!\" she thought furiously, snatching up the brown paper bag off of the counter. \"I worked for two days on that sauce and I'll be damned if I let it go to waste now.\"\n\nFor a moment she considered simply eating the lunch herself. It would save time, after all, and now that she was pushing the ripe old age of 287, time was a valuable thing. Still, it was the principle. Yes, yes, she knew that Jayson had told her repeatedly that tomato sauce gave him heartburn and to please stop force\\-feeding him her Italian creations.\n\n\"Heartburn, my flabby ass,\" Grandma Buffy spoke aloud to herself. \"If he can be a vampire slayer, he can deal with a little acid reflux.\"\n\nThat settled that. Resolutely, and with a great deal of effort, Grandma Buffy hiked up her stockings and her sagging breasts, and with the paper sack in one hand and a wooden stake in another, she called out, \"Alexa! Open the portal to Hell!\".",
"(adding to the prompt) ... and while he tries his hardest and fails at every challenge and moves on, when his grandmother shows up, she solves them Inspector Gadget / Mr. Magoo -style, bumbling and ignorant of the damage she does and the good she makes. \"Timmy! Your lunch!\" Ignoring the fire breathing dragon, who tries to bite her but accidentally swallows a fire extinguisher in stead.",
"She saw her grandson off with a tear in her eye. Her little tyke was going off on his first adventure, leaving an empty space in her already barren home. No longer would the furniture be cluttered with his belongings. No longer would they argue about him placing his chainmail on the kitchen table. No longer would she rinse his cuts and warn him about the dangers of the outside world.\n\nThe outside world was now his to conquer.\n\nShe could hardly blame him for wanting to leave her quaint home. The house itself was comfortable. Not too small, not too large. Everything, from the cots to the pots, was organized perfectly to the inch. No matter the morning or evening, a hot meal was served in the kitchen, and late at night they would sing of adventures to the notes of her lute and eat dessert around the hearth.\n\nLiving there felt like a dream. It was as close to a perfect life as she could give him. So when he told her he needed to leave, she understood.\n\nHe was never meant to be kept up in such a place, confined by ease of life. Maybe for a few years he belonged there, but he outgrew it faster than she would like to admit. Listening to tales from his grandmother quickly turned into wanting to stay up late while wandering the surrounding forest. Scoldings about not eating enough food at supper turned into scoldings about approaching the beasts of the river willy-nilly.\n\nShe worried about her little tyke, but in his eye she saw a gleam for something more. Something great. Knowing there was no stopping him, she was anxious for the day she would have to say goodbye. \n\nWhen there is no stopping something from happening, all you can do is prepare, and prepare she did.\n\nIn the songs and tales sung around the hearth at night, she slipped in bits of advice for her grandson. When the hero approached the dragon, he was always prepared, physically and mentally. He kept a sharpened sword, a sturdy shield, and clean armor. His mind was exercised by the libraries of the great cities to the east. Suddenly the hero was always well fed, and his hunting and gathering processes were told in detail. She devised rhymes warning against poisonous shrubs and choruses praising good relations among peoples. \n\nWhen she saw her grandson walk away, a scabbard at his side and a pack on his back full of pots, utensils, and clothes, she worried, but she had faith in him. She had given him all she could, and now all she could do was trust that that would be enough. He was a strong young man, no longer the tot that would bring her home the rabbits he hunted, crying because he took a life.\n\nShe sighed, wiped her tears, and turned away as her grandson passed beyond the horizon. The house would never be the same. Though, it didn’t matter much anyway. Her days were numbered after all.\n\nShe walked back into the kitchen and collapsed onto the nearest stool. As she collapsed though, her foot brushed the corner of a burlap sack on the floor. Looking down, she saw the neatly wrapped lunch she had packed for her little tyke. It contained all his favorites that she cooked for him, from a sheep sandwich on rye to salted crackers with a sprig of tuth’l leaf.\n\nWith a burst of energy, she snatched up the sack and ran out to her front porch and called for her grandson to come back to her. When there was no response, she began to sob. Tears rapidly ran down her face and dripped onto her blouse. She fell to her knees and the oak boards of the porch creaked beneath her.\n\nFor a moment, she considered running after him, following his adventure until she could safely deliver the food to him. Maybe she would have in her younger years, but her days were numbered, and she no longer had such energy in her.\n\nShe thought of her proud young grandson starting on his journey. Starting his life. She remembered the gleam in his eyes as he hugged her goodbye. The gleam he had always had. This was something he was ready for. She had faith he could make it with one less meal cooked by her.\n\nShe choked as she clutched the burlap sack tightly to her chest. Through her cries, her stomach grumbled, and she looked to what she held. With one last sob and wobbling knees, she stood up with the lunch and walked back into the kitchen, where she sat down and ate her grandson’s favorite foods. Perhaps it was her that needed the help.\n\nHer little tyke would be okay. She knew that much in her heart. She would be too, but for that she could only guess.\n"
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[removed] | [WP] Despite worries to the contrary, You and God get along famously. He's like the perfect Dad you never had, firm, but merciful. Everything goes swimmingly until one day you ask about. . . | 3 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nResponses must be at least 30 words. Prompts that are likely to generate such responses are also not allowed. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank, or you asked a question likely to generate a simple answer. Prompts should encourage a story or poem. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8cirwo/wp_despite_worries_to_the_contrary_you_and_god/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] The universe is infinite. A company offers to teleport you to a place where anything you want is reality. | 6 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"“We all have our fantasies and desires. But our lives won’t let them become reality. We have mouths to feed, jobs to do, bills to pay. What if I told you you could own that mansion on Mars, or go on a trip to see that exploding star?”\n\nThe man on the volumetric display speaks excitedly. \nBut my girlfriend cheated on me. I can’t find a job. This place is a fucking dump. Excited is not a word I would use to describe myself right now. \n\n“The universe is infinite. We know that. But have you ever thought that, if the universe is infinite, so are the possibilities? Here at Beyond, we have spent years researching and perfecting technology to take you to the one place in the universe that’s perfect for you. Why settle for Mars when you can own a star system of your own?”\n\nI have to admit, I am feeling a hint of excitement deep within me.\n\n“It doesn’t matter what you want, so long as it’s legal. Contact us to make your dreams a reality today. Beyond: it’s better than reality.”\n\nA “contact” button pops up on the display. What if I could move out of this place? What if I could get her back? What if this is what I’ve been waiting for?\n\nI get up and reach for the button. My hand touches the light, and a dialog appears. I ignore the legalese and skip straight to the huge numbers with the dollar sign: it’s going to cost me all I have, but I’ll have so much more once I do this. Just a few taps, and I have a rift waiting for me. A rift that will take me to the perfect place in the universe. Just for us. "
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"1523845878",
"1523846561"
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[deleted] | [WP] Don't, but see, it's the first time so you can't you'll just be in the first since you went the way you feel about it. With or without its ........ | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Don't, but see, it's the first time so you can't you'll just be in the first since you went the way you feel about it. With or without its ........\" \n\nthe digital recorder clicked off and the three men in the room stared at it for a long moment before finally looking up to each other.\n\n\"And this came from WHERE?\" the older man looked at the two men across the table, the glanced at each other and one of them pointed to a map, a star chart.\n\n\"And you are SURE this is legit, not an echo or some sort of trick?\"\n\nThey both nodded and he let out a long sigh.\n\n\"Well obviously they have no grasp of the English language, and its not even original...\" \n\nHe glanced back to them, they were leaning in, awaiting his response. \n\n\"Yes\" he waved his hand and ran a hand over his bald head \"Go on mark it, then nuke it.\""
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"1523853858",
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[WP] you two are humans that have been thrown into an arena for the amusement of some aliens, you have both been starved for days yet when a delicious steak is placed between you two you do something they wouldn't expect. Share. | 4,938 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I reached my end,\n\nOf this I was sure.\n\nFor ne’er did the aliens\n\nSeem kind before.\n\n \n\nDinner, they say\n\nAs my eyes alight,\n\nPointing thru the darkness\n\nA door, streaming light.\n\n\n \nI rose from my shackles,\n\nGaping mouth,\n\nSweating brow.\n\nGrowled as I shambled\n\nSlowly south\n\nApprising smiles, my Sabouth.\n\n \n \nStarving men brought to the sun,\n\nArena cheers, artificial fun.\n\nGlistening fat on the plinth,\n\nGlinting knives of Hyacinth.\n\n \n\nA benevolent stare,\n\nNumbness fades.\n\nA cry of joy,\n\nClang of blades.\n\n \n \nPortion the flesh,\n\nIntersection of alliance.\n\nSavor together,\n\nStunned silence.\n\n",
"\"Where are we? Why is everyone shouting?\" said Bret \"And why do they have fucking three ears?\" \n\n\"Man, living like the Romans is hardly a demand one makes\" Peter wailed \"especially when you've not eaten for weeks.\" \n\nThe entire stadium was delirious. They'd traveled scores of distances to watch it live. The sight of a human killing another could not go amiss. \n\n\"That's how they do it. For a piece of steak.*\"* the commentator went \"If you couldn't make it here, worry not. We shall be sending a bone each to your homes. call us on 5EARE1. Just 99 minks each. *A piece of them who wanted to have it all\"* \n\n\"What is he saying on the mike?\" asked Bret, analyzing everyone behind the glass wall. \"Are we supposed to run?\" \n\n\"I remember reading about them. These bugs like their humans frail. The weaker they are, the more delicious.\" said Peter. \n\n\"Sick bastards.\" \n\nBret heard the tray creak near him. A five legged creature walked towards them, surrounded by three god\\-knows\\-what holding guns. As soon as he placed the tray between the two, all four made a dash. \n\n\"We don't want one of ours to be caught in this\" explained the commentator. \"Betas and Alphas, it has started\"\n\n\"What do you think is inside the tray?\" inquired Peter, \"Let's see?\"\n\n\"Whatever it is, I'm taking all of it\" said Bret, \"I've had enough of carrying around your stupid ass.\"\n\n\"And if you have a problem\" drawing himself closer to Peter \"we can *duke* it out.\" \n\n\"We'd never have been here in the first place if you didn't have that stupid Gladiator wish.\" Peter said, \"Also, don't you see, that's exactly what they want. It's not me vs. you. It's *us vs. them,* Bret.\" \n\n\"Plus, they'll probably kill both of us anyway. I for one, don't want to give them the satisfaction of watching us fight.\" said Peter. \n\n\"Fine. But what do you suggest, smartypants?\"\n\n*This is going to be difficult,* Peter thought. \n\nA group of minions in the crowd couldn't hold it any longer. *Kill!Kill!Kill!* all of them chanted in unison. \n\nPeter saw the minion sitting at the top. Even the king couldn't understand what was happening. His ministers had told him the short one would be dead by now. Now, it seemed different. He leaned in to the one sitting on his right and inquired. \n\n\"Just trust me. For this once.\" he pleaded.\n\n\"Fine\" said Bret. \n\nThey both made their way slowly towards the tray. The crowd on it's feet. *It's happeningggggg!* shouted the commentator. \n\nAs they grew closer, the smell from the tray made them weak in the knees. \n\n\"Remember, the weaker we are, the more delicious we are to them\" reminded Peter, as he lifted the lid. \n\n\"Show time\" said Bret.\n\nEveryone in the stands was possessed. Survival of the fittest, except there are no survivors. There was no better show than human greed. The best thing\\- there were no winners. Only losers. One will lose because of physicality and the other for mentality. \n\nThe moment Peter and Bret picked the steak, the stadium erupted. \n\nThe king turned to his aide \"Mu Salazar, see this is what I was telling you about. Isn't it a thing of beauty? Now will you say your trip to our hermit planet was worth it?\" \n\n\"Yes, melord. It's beautiful.\" Salazar's eye gleamed, \"your game has brought out their basest instinct\\- they're sharing.\" \n\n \"*They are sharing*?\" shouted the King \"How are they sharing? Send them back to their homes. NOW.\"\n\n\"They don't belong here\" he continued. \n\nMeanwhile, Peter and Bret slowly munched on the piece of meat. \n\n\"Ah. Fucking tasty. Also, the look on their godforsaken faces\\- Priceless.\"\n\nHey. This is my first prompt. Would love some constructives. ",
"I got tired of telling this story so I sat down and wrote it out, and man do I hate writing by hand. So now you get to do your part and read it.\n\nThis isn’t just my story though, it’s Jorge’s too, but we’ll get to that.\n\nWhen it all started I really had no idea. I had finally passed out in bed while binge streaming some tv show or another. Waking up, I knew I was somewhere else. The great majority of humanity, myself included, really take living on Earth for granted. But when you live your life on the same planet, at the bottom of the same gravity well, with same atmosphere, under the same star, you really don’t notice. Until you wake up on an alien world, laying on the floor of a cell, then you can easily tell the difference. It was an overwhelming sense of being somewhere else. At the time, laying there piteously on the floor of my cell, I didn’t know precisely how different. In case you’re wondering reader, the gravity was 0.22 lower than Earth, and there was 4% more Oxygen with some other differences in the atmosphere so that it ended up about 6.48% different from Earth. The air had a smell, and it was not the smell of home. \n\nThere was light and noise and the feeling of more noise, a vibratory rumble in the floor that I could not place. There must have been cameras in my cell, it wasn’t long after I had stood and started examining the walls and fixtures that something stepped up to the energy field at the front, and banged its fist on the field with a sound like a meaty slap mixed with an electric hum. I turned to see who or what had made the noise and man was it ugly. The best way I can describe him is if you imagine a Chinese Crested and a Sasquatch had an eight foot tall hatechild and then smacked it up against an ugly tree face first a few times while it was a baby and poured what was left into some bib overalls before it grew up. His skin was dry and leathery with sparse uneven tufts of hair here and there seemingly at random. His uneven teeth jutted in every direction when they flashed between cauliflower textured lips as he spoke in grunts and wheezes. There was a short delay and then English came from somewhere around his chest, I guess a translator of some kind. \n\n“Human creature, you are awake/alive. As a savage you will now fight in the arena and eventually die. You will choose weapons and proceed to the arena.” \n\nHe pulled something out of his pocket and pointed it at me, laser or phaser or charged particle blaster, I had read and watched enough science fiction that I didn’t want to find out exactly what it was the hard way. That was how he led me into a room whose walls were lined with simple shields and pointed weapons. I guess in hindsight, the concept of a pointy stick really is universal. I laughed at that realization, but Fugly’s translator remained silent while I looked over my choices. I settled on a spear, some kind of machete sized blade, and two solidly built metallic bracers. I didn’t have high hopes about it, but I had to ask. \n\n“Hey, when you abducted me, did you steal any of my clothes? Pajamas aren’t exactly the best clothing for a fight.” My words started coming out of his translator in his grunting language after a short delay.\n\nI gestured at my body, covered in a loose t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. I looked nothing like a savage brute, though as far as entertainment goes I suppose I did look comical. He grunted and wheezed again, and the translator didn’t bother. Some trash can looking robot rolled into the room and vomited an assortment of my clothes into a pile in front of me. I felt like I had won the lottery when I saw my boots instead of my flip flops, you have no idea how glad I was. I grabbed them, a pair of ripstop cargo pants, some socks, but I couldn’t decide what to do shirt wise. Nothing really looked right in terms of being practical in combat against unknown alien monster hordes. Not the dress shirt, the cable knit sweater, the Hawaiian shirt, or the zippered hoodie. With nothing jumping out as practical, I defaulted to style, and pulled the Hawaiian shirt out of the pile. \n\nThen Fugly led me out to fight the first of many fights to the death, most of them made almost unfair by the advantage of growing up and living in Earth’s heavier gravity. I fought all manner of creatures, some that made me think of Lovecraft with their slime and tentacles, some that looked like an H. R. Giger wet dream, and some I can’t even describe.\n\nAnd then Fugly stopped coming to my cell. And after that... the food stopped too. I still had water from the prison style combination sink and toilet. But no food for what felt like most of a week. With nothing to do, or to eat, I started sleeping a lot. It let me pass the time unaware of my gnawing hunger, and to be honest dying in my sleep seemed a much better way to shuffle off the mortal coil than being brutally destroyed in any number of ways in the arena. My streak couldn’t last forever, eventually they’d stack the odds against me and laugh as I died. Fugly’s thumping intruded into my dream of a Chinese Buffet, and abducted me back to my body. I rolled over to face him, unwilling to spend the effort to rise if he was just here to watch my body feed on itself. This time Fugly is not alone. Almost diminutive beside the eight foot tall pile of ugly, she was a vision. Around five foot nothing, covered in velvety looking short jade colored fur, she had almond shaped eyes with slitted pupils of radiant orange, with three nostrils arranged around a small trigonal pyramid of a nose that looked pixie-ish, and she was a vision even with her long tail. I guess she could tell what I was thinking, because as I sat up, all three of her nostrils flared and she hissed and she began speaking in trilling chirps and pops, which her translator device promptly converted for my understanding.\n\n“Disgusting! It wants to mate with me! It really is a simple minded base creature!” \n\nI laughed tiredly and decided to have some fun with her before I went back to slowly dying. I picked my words with care, hoping they’re in the translator.\n\n“I’m sorry, it’s a cultural habit thing. My people had a serialized entertainment broadcast called Star Trek. The commander of the spaceship often romanced or attempted to romance females of alien species that his ship, the Enterprise encountered. The character’s name was James Tiberius Kirk. The show was really trying to teach us a lesson by example.”\n\nShe bares pointy teeth at me, and it is clearly a threat display, not a smile. She trills at me again\n\n“Lies! Your kind are savage brutes, you do not have any culture worthy to speak of, you are subcreatures of the worst kind, you visit cruelty and violence on yourselves on purpose.”\n\n“And yet... your translator has the human English word for culture in it. The show tried to teach us to seek out and embrace the different, calling it Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. The ship’s mission was to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before. One of the ways they showed that was by having the captain try and embrace the alien women rather than be repulsed by them. The better to portray the new and different as being desirable I suppose. But you didn’t come here to discuss culture with the captive savage subcreature that you’re starving to death did you?”\n\n“Silence! We’ve been preparing you for a very special fight. I believe the phrase in your language is, Winner Takes All.”\n\n",
"For days after the capture of our ship, we were held in individual cages in a long hallway underneath the alien bazaar. Repeatedly measured, examined, poked, and prodded by large ugly aliens, many of us had been reduced to naked despondent figures. Sometimes we were brought water. Rarely we were given food. The smell of exotic street food in the market above us was maddening. Our entire mission to aid an alien species the size of children was blown apart by another species the size of elephants.\n\nI knew they were treating me differently, but without a translator I had no idea what these brutes were saying. They blocked light from my cage. Judging by the lightness of my head but heaviness of my body by the time I got out, I calculated had been in the dark and without food for about three days.\n\nI was pushed and shoved down a series of dim hallways that seemed to lead further and further from the surface. The diminishing scent of the market solidified my sense of finality; I’m going to die down here, in this dank subterranean labyrinth beneath a beautiful lush planet. I allowed myself to finally think of my wife and daughters. Did they survive the capture? Were they together? \n\nThen the brutes opened a door that flooded the hall with light and pushed me through. I was blinded for a moment as my pupils struggled. A deafening roar of thousands of languages assaulted my ears, while an equally overwhelming tide of thousands of fetid, meaty body odors tore at my stomach, causing the bile to rise as I doubled over.\n\nI found myself in one of the very fighting arenas that my mission had come to ban. I couldn’t believe that THIS was how I would discover the underground Jubil-fighting rings we were advocating against. \n\nIn the middle of the arena was a beautiful steak dinner. The steak was larger than any I had ever seen. As soon as I saw it, the survival part of my brain compelled me towards it. I was running, distantly aware that the stinking crowd was cheering again. Then I saw her.\n\nAngie, my 11-year-old daughter, was shoved through the opposing door. She looked a wreck, but fierce, like a cat that just escaped a bath. Claws out, she pounded and screamed at the closed door with a ferocity that made me both proud and deeply, deeply sorrowful. The steak faded from my mind. Angie turned, heaving. Her pain and rage were like an aura, making her dirty gaunt nakedness almost an afterthought to her immense presence. The crowd loved her.\n\n“Angie!”\n\nThe tiny figure focused and started running at me. The stinking crowd started chanting rhythmically and for a second I almost feared for my life. But then we met eyes and she burst into tears.\n\n“DAAAAD! What’s going on oh myfgdjhkgf..” I couldn’t understand her from her spot buried in my chest but it didn’t matter. I had a new objective. I scooped up my hysterical, starving child and took her back to the giant steak. We had to eat as much as we could before the aliens got bored with us.\n",
"\"Take away what a person needs, Jakob; only then you will see if they are man or beast.\" Those words rang in my ears as I stared at the cooked hunk of meat. My opponent seemed unconscious; just laying there helplessly empty: devoid of hope or nourishment.....I know what they are doing.... I will show them that I am no beast...I sink my teeth into the meat *GOD IT IS SO GOOD!* (I almost swallow)... *NO! FEED HIM!* I chew the meat for a few seconds and then place the bolus in my hand. I pick up the poor wretch's head, place the food into his mouth, and work it down his through with gentle waves of my fingers. \n\nHe is crying...\nMy throat is closing up....\n\nAs the humans' tears moisten their embrace a lone alien in the arena smiles. He turns to his friend, whos faces is contorted with disbelief \"I believe that proves my point Xeliqua.\" Xeliqua's awestricken face turns to meet his. \"Never, Puqxax, would I have imagined your creation would gain sentience AND compassion.\" Puqxax allows his gaze to shift from Xeliqua back to his greatest achievement. \"Neither did I friend, neither did I.\"",
"My eyes snap open to the jarring sensation of electric energy coursing through my body. I gasp for air, but calm down enough to look around.\n \nHere I sit within this 'cage' of sorts. Nothing metal, excluding the surface I'm sitting awkwardly on. The bars that hold me here are made of some kind of energy, shimmering beams of blue that prevent me from leaving my place. I place my hand on it and a mild shock of electric energy vibrates in my grasp. It reminds me of the most annoying massage: rough and unpleasant, though not painful.\n \nActually, I'm not sure on that. I haven't had a massage in...\n \nGod, how long has it been? I stopped keeping track of the days eventually. The only time I'm taken outside of my grimy hole beneath the ground is getting shoved into a cage and taken to the surface, where I'm forced to fight and kill another person just to eat. It's mostly meat, occasionally a rotten piece of fruit if they feel generous. The vegetarian side of me refused to eat at first, but there's only so long that I can live without food. I caved. I had to! It was the only way that I could survive. Or, at least, so I told my conscious to ease the guilt.\n \nAnother excruciating pulse of pain stabs into my hand, running through my entire body. My mind goes blank from the pain, though it keeps pulsing for minutes before it fades. I jerk my hand away instinctively, pushing myself as far back into the cage as I can. The sounds of amused, baritone laughter surrounds my cage.\n \nHollywood isn't far off when showing the appearance of an 'alien'. They resemble a humanoid form, though are far more lanky than a human. Their bodies are covered in a pale gray skin with a scaly texture. And their eyes, easily the most off-putting aspect about them, are a solid pitch black.\n \nFour of these things surround my cage, which is hovering a foot off of the ground by an engine that makes no noise. Each of them carry a stun-baton-like spear, it's energy crackling from it's tip, and a gun-shaped device that I haven't seen used, held in a holster extruding from their own skin.\n \nAs the laughter dies down, the one that prodded me withdraws his spear and growls in what I assume is their native tongue. I don't understand what they're saying, but I have a grip of the general meanings; it's pretty easy to understand that if they look at me and point in a specific direction, they probably want me to go there. Likewise, it was easy to understand what they're saying now.\n \nThey're making fun of me.\n \nI lean my head down, thinking back to how I got into this mess. What I remember from that night is hazy.\n \n*It was nighttime. I was taking a walk through Centennial Park to de-stress. I can't remember what was troubling me, but that's what I did if I was having trouble sleeping. It was a cold enough night to seep into my skin. Despite the cold, it was a calm and peaceful night. Then I heard the shrill of a scream off in the distance. My instincts kicked in and I race toward the sound until I felt a bulldozer-like force hit the center of my back. Then, just black.*\n \nAnother bolt of electricity sears through my body, snapping me out of my thoughts and placing me back in hell. \"*Barka*.\" I hear one of the aliens say. I turn my head; '*barka*' being a noise the aliens make when they're speaking to me. The bits of English some of them know is broken and snarled.\n \n\"*Barka* gain easy this display. Other *barka* more disappoint than you. No good resisting. Easy submit. Be more entertain if you no gain.\" it snarls before turning around and motioning to continue, my cage silently hovering between them all. I don't bother to reply; all it would earn me is another poke with their shock spears. Besides, I know what they were saying.\n \nThe other person I'm fighting is even weaker than I am. And I'm not sure whether to feel grateful or horrified.\n \nxxx\n \nA metallic gate splits into four triangles, opening to reveal a gravel courtyard within a gladiatorial styled arena. Walls fifteen feet tall surround the courtyard. Above the walls are layered rows of seating, filled to the brim with other aliens, all of them crying out for blood. Specifically my blood, and my opponent's.\n \nThe gate on the opposite side of the courtyard opens, revealing the other cage. I begin to move forward in sync with the other cage, hovering five feet away from the gates as they close. I feel my cage begin to descend until it shudders softly as it touches the ground. The beams of energy recede, and I stand up for the first time in a while. I can feel every bone and muscle within my body ache from lack of use.\n \nSitting in between us on a plastic plate is a plump, juicy steak that makes my mouth salivate at the thought of eating it. It's aroma reminds me of one of the best steaks money can buy from one of the highest end restaurants, cooked and seasoned to perfection. It's meat is tender enough so that it feels like it's melting within my mouth with each and every bite. It takes all of my willpower to resist the urge to rush for it immediately. I've seen what happens to some who try, disintegrating into ash within two not allowed steps. The thought makes me gag slightly, but I know there is no threat of actually puking: there isn't anything left in my stomach to puke up.\n \nI look across the courtyard, getting a better look at the person who I'm supposed to fight. What I see makes my conscious, and stomach, lurch.\n \nShe sits with one leg splayed off to the side instead of standing. She's dressed in rags, similar to what I wear. Her skin, what could be an alluring cream white color, is stained with dirt and splashes of dried blood. Her hair is blonde, caked with dirt and grease, that falls well past her shoulders. As I look closer, the more I understood the unease. This person isn't in any shape to defend herself, even from someone as weak and starved as myself. A jagged scar runs from the base of her right ear to her left jawline. It looks like it hasn't been treated, inflicted recently. Her leg that is off to the side is bent in a way that can't be natural, which becomes evident when she tries to stand up, then cries out in pain and collapses back down.\n \nThe sound of a deep, booming buzzer rings, signaling the start of the fight. I know I'm supposed to rush forward at this point, to lash out with my fists and feet. It's an action that I'm forced to do often. It feels like a knife straight through my heart each time, but I have to delay feeling the guilt and horror of my actions until after the fighting. Now? I feel frozen in place, unable to move forward. Even in my starved state, I know there's something horribly wrong with this.\n \nThis is no fight. It's murder, cold-blooded murder.\n \nThe buzzer rings for a second time to signal that time is running short. If neither of us make a move, we'd both be disintegrated..\n \nI step off of my platform, the gravel digging into my bare feet. I can't run, I lack the energy to do even that. I walk forward at an agonizingly slow pace forward, past the offered reward, to where my 'opponent' lays. As I move closer, I could see more of why this fight isn't a fair fight. There are multiple gashes and singe marks covering her body, some of the gashes looking only days old. The ring finger of her left hand is missing, a ragged wound in it’s place. Her leg, splayed out awkwardly to the side, is almost certainly shattered and unusable. And she looks far more starved than I do.\n \nAs I reach where she is, standing over her, I hear her pained gasps for air. I see in her light, crystalline, sky blue eyes the feeling of defeat, a resignation to her fate. My heart begins to beat like a jet engine-powered drum, so violently that I'm unsure if she can hear it or not.\n \nShe looks up at me, her eyes piercing through mine. A pained expression covers her face. \"Just...just be quick. I'm too weak to fight, I can't even move -\"\n \nAs she speaks, I make a decision. I take a step back. Then another. I keep slowly moving backwards, still facing her. I bend down slowly, grabbing the plastic plate that holds the ultimate reward. With plate in hand, I start to walk back to her. Every survival instinct tells me to not think about her, to end her life and take the reward that my body craves. The crowd begins to scream in anger, a frenzied bloodrush washing over the entire crowd. They call for blood, our blood.\n \nI tell them all to fuck off and ignore the rest of the world.\n \nWhen I get back to her, I kneel down and grab the steak in my hands. The gnawing pain in my stomach demands that I eat the entire thing as quickly as possible. I do my best to ignore it and pull the steak into two pieces. My hands shake and one side comes out blatantly larger than the other. I stare at the two pieces, my mind as torn as the steak.\n \nI place the larger half into her hands. \"Here. You need it more than I do.\" I hear myself say.\n \nI watch as her face rushes through different emotions. First shock, then surprise, disbelief, suspicion, confusion, reluctance, acceptance, then gratitude. Her eyes meet mine, and she speaks with newfound energy. \"Thank you for this kindness. I won't forget this, I promise.\" she says before biting into the steak I'd given her. I don't know how to respond to that. I just nod before biting into my piece.\n \nI can hear the groaning of the metallic gates opening, the shouts of the angry guards coming closer. \"Hold onto hope. Hope will come. Never lose faith.\" she says to me before the guards fall on us. Intense jolts of electric shock and agony course through my body. I scream out in pain until my throat is too dry to make any noise. The pain turns into a searing, blinding pain, washing away any feeling or sensation. I focus on one single thing to keep myself from washing away in the pain.\n \nShe deserves to be free. And I will see it happen, even if it kills me.",
"As the gates opened, we were out on the Battleground and upon seeing the person on the other side i yelled to the crowd, \"WE KNOW EACH OTHER. HE'S A FRIEND FROM WORK\".\nEveryone was shocked and little taken aback.\nAt first he didn't recognized me, which make sense because of all the mental abuse but i kept talking about his life history that his name was Mark and he was married to his co-worker.\nIt took a while but eventually he did remembered me so we sat on the ground, shared that steak and kept talking.",
"\nShafts of light broke through the dust and dirt of the corridor as Grax marched towards the cells. His tail whipped furiously back and forth, blue scales working themselves free and littering the ground behind him. It was something to do with this planet's atmosphere the healer said. A minor skin irritation, they said, but one that infuriated Grax. \n\nGrax's species wasn't meant for such an arid planet, but the Council sent soldiers where they pleased, gods be damned if they were needed there. Grax would rather have been in the marshes on Qey'Atol, fighting against the natives that had managed to enslave a station before being routed out. \n\nInstead, they put him on guard duty at the Arena. He snorted in frustration, his breath creating eddies that drifted dust down. \n\nHe stopped at cell 42P. Staring down at the human curled up on the ground, he scratched his tail. A scale got caught in his talon and he flicked it at the figure. The blue stood out against their dark skin. \n\n\"Hey.\" The human shifted, just enough so they could crane their neck to look at Grax. Grax had been on this detail for several cycles, and the human had only gotten hairier since they arrived, but the face was still surprisingly smooth. Apparently the females weren't as hairy as their male counterparts. \n\n\"Qu'est ce que tu veux?\" The translator crackled in his head. \"What do you want?\" \n\n\"Get up, you're going to fight in ten minutes.\" \n\n\"Je ne peux pas, je n'ai pas mangé dans un mois!\" Again the translator picked it up, \"I can't, I haven't eaten in a month!\" \n\nHe blinked slowly at her, but his tail twitched behind him. He waited as she brought herself to her feet, a stream of curses failing to translate in between pleading for a meal. Her steam faltered, and she swayed where she stood. \"You said if I was good, you'd feed me. You said that's what they wanted...for me to be good to get food.\" \n\nGrax waited to respond, hoping she'd blame the translator. It had been a cycle since he told her that. He couldn't remember if he had purposefully left out the fight, or if he had just been forgetful. He shook his head. Grabbing the bars and leaning in, she stepped back instinctively. \"You need to be good in The Arena for you to get food. You need to put on a good fight.\" \n\nShe sagged to the floor as translation and comprehending came at once. He turned to go check on the the status of the Arena. Only a few steps away she called, \"Où est ton humanité??\" \n\nGrax chuckled as he called back. \"We don't have humanity.\" \n\n\nThe word \"humanity\" tickled in his mind, but there were only two humans there. Across the arena Lu'resh was speaking to her human, a male with skin like sandstone. Grax had seen him only a few times, avoiding interaction as much as possible. Grax didn't care to make rounds, only stopping by the prisoners he was assigned, making sure they had enough liquid, and that no one was sneaking them food. Grax stopped at the arch that led into the pit of the Arena. The last fight was cleared away, and weapons were being chosen for the humans. And at the center was a table, covered by a white cloth. \n\nAn arch directly across from him became filled by the shape of Lu'resh. She flicked antennas at him, and disappeared back into the underbelly of the Arena. It was time for the humans to fight. \n\n\n\nGrax opened the human's cell and grabbed her as she made one last desperate run past him. He hardly felt her, skinny as she had become. \n\n\"J'ai eu essayer.\" She croaked. \"I had to try.\" \n\n\"It was a waste of energy. Should have saved it for the arena. \" He felt her relax and he adjusted her in his grip, and forced her to the arch. As they approached, he could hear the announcements being made, proclaiming the next fight. \n\n\"--require sustenance. Like the pack of wolves from their planet, they will fight over ever scrap asserting dominance in the most barbaric way. Now it's time to introduce...the Earthlings! Standing with our resident Hreekar, a female in her early adulthood!\" \n\nGrax had entered the arena with the human, and at this prompting he gently pushed her forward. The crowd erupted, boos and cheers cascading around them. She covered her ears at the cacophony, but he reached out one last time to her. She turned, startled. \"YOUR WEAPONS.\" He pointed at the stand to their right. \"GRAB SOMETHING--\" The stadium quieted as the announcement continued over Grax. \"Grab something quickly before they change their mind.\" She looked from him to the weapons, and took a hesitant step. \"And good luck!\" He retreated into the arch, and the door slammed shut, blocking her escape, but letting him see. Across the pit, the other human was scrambling to his feet, dust covered his front. Lu'resh had already stepped back, a crack in her face plate creating a dark line over her features. \n\nBoth humans had tried something. It was going to be a good fight. \n\nHis human had already grabbed a weapon, something humans apparently called a machete. Every race in the Galaxy had weapons, and there was always need for a sharp edge, but humans had such a fascination with them. Every weapon for them had a unique name. The other human grabbed an axe. \n\nA ringing sound started emanating around the arena, and the humans clapped their hands over their ears again. Their translators would be disabled. Until the fight was over.\n\nGrax stepped close to the door and shouted to the human, doing his best to imitate her language. \"BONNE CHANCE!\" She turned back, and gave a half-hearted smile. \n\nThe announcement continued, and the white cloth lifted away, revealing the meal to both humans. Their jaws dropped, and they lowered their weapons in surprise. \n\n\"LET THE FIGHT COMMENCE!\" The crowd cheered again and the humans gripped their weapons tighter, slowly moving forward. \n\nOut of the corner of his eye, Grax saw Lu'resh approaching. The crack was much more painful to look at, though she was placing strips across the divide. \n\n\"My stupid human clocked me with his elbow. He had behaved so we'll before this.\" Her fringe flitted along the crack, feeling the damage. \"You look better than me.\" \n\n\"She only tried to run.\" \n\nLu'resh huffed. \"Dumb. They waste energy.\" \n\n\"It just shows humans are fierce. The spectators will be pleased, and the Council will enjoy hearing of it.\" \n\nHer chest hummed in annoyance. The crowd suddenly gasped and Grax turned back to the Pit. The humans were locked in arms, weapons mere inches from flesh. Suddenly his human jerked the weapons and bashed her head at the other, staggering the male. She tore his weapon from his hand and looked to be delivering a killing blow. Grax smiled, impressed with the human he'd been in charge of. \n\nHis human stopped though, as the male said something, words lost in the din, words lost except to her. She stepped back, arms shaking and fell to her knees. The man said something again, and she shook her head. \n\nLu'resh lurched forward, grabbing the bars. \"What are they doing?\" A hiss and click escaped her. \"They need to be fighting.\" \n\nGrax grabbed a gun hanging over the arch doors. \"We may need to step in.\" Lu'resh swore and scurried to get another weapon. \n\nThe human male was standing again, well out of reach of her weapons. But still, they were talking. His brow was furrowed, blood running from split skin over his nose, opening his mouth to say something everytime she shook her head. Grax turned and ran for the nearest stairwell to the first level of the stands. The crowd was getting agitated, when a loud cry erupted from a few spectators. He cleared the landing and ran to the edge. The weapons had been tossed aside, puffs of dirt obscuring the gleam of metal. \n\nThe male was helping her up, and she was gripping his arm. The crowd stilled, thinking this may be a tactical ploy, but Grax knew better. They were communicating. Lu'resh came up behind him. \"They shouldn't be able to speak to each other. Their planet has hundreds of languages-\" \n\n\"Doesn't seem to be stopping them.\" \n\nThe female gestured to their midsection, held up a finger, the man shook his head. He crossed an \"x\" over his midsection, cupped his hand, and mimed scooping with the other towards his mouth. She nodded. They looked towards the table. He stepped forward, she stepped away-back towards the weapons on the ground. The crowd began murmuring in anticipation. But the male was relaxed as she grabbed the machete. \n\nThey approached the table together and grabbed hands to the jeers of the crowd. They lifted the machete high into the air and the crowd hushed. The two humans looked at each other briefly before they addressed those in the gilded box in the stands. The female murmered something and the male laughed and nodded. They shouted in their languages- each different but the translator in Grax's head indicated that the same thing had been said. \n\n\"This is what it means to be human!\" The words faded away and they swung at the center of the table, splitting the meal in half. \n\nThe blade wobbled as it embedded itself in the table, and both humans laughed when they realized they couldn't get it out. The crown jewel of the meal, a cooked steak, was now in two. They pulled a piece away from the machete, held it high and touched their piece to the other's. \n\n\"Cheers!\" The translator echoed. \n\nThe crowd roared in confusion, anger, disgust, and displeasure but Grax frowned. It had been a good show. ",
"\"Eat. Terrans \" the guard grunted to the two caged Humans as he tossed a steak and sauce packet at them and lumbered off\nThey both stared at the steak hungrily.\n\n\"so, i guess only one of us is getting out of this alive friend\" the Human spoke to his comrade\n\"we have both won so many fights now, but they finally put us against each other, one of us has to die.\"\n\n\"Guess again\" the other Human laughed\n\"I know what they are planning, have us fight to the death. Then pit a tired sole winner against Ranthor, that big grey bastard from the Atral System. He's the reigning Champ. His kind are about 8 feet tall, one Human taking him down is a tall order...but two...two of us could could do it. we are faster and almost as strong. two of us could beat him\"\n\n\"they expect blood, they wont accept a knockout\" the Human reminded him\n\n\"and i'll give them blood\" The Human reached for some rags and revealed 3 weeks worth of sauce packets tied into a ball with string hidden underneath \"thank god this shit is red, otherwise this would never work. homemade blood pack!\"\n\"we make it seem like one of us dies, a puddle of blood will work they never clear bodies until the end of tournaments, then Ranthor comes in, the one who fake died jumps back up and we kick his ass together\"\n\n\"I hear X'lax the fighter trader has a lot of money riding on that brute, so if we win, he loses it ALL. he will be toast\"\n\n\"you fucking genius\" his comrade replied \"i like the sound of this plan more and more\"\n\"So? which one of us will be the decoy?\"\n\"if you do it, ill give you the bigger half of the steak\" he offers\n\"Deal\" his friend agrees hungrily\n\nHe rips the steak in half and throws the larger piece to his friend\n\"after 3 days of no food, this is sooo good\" he says with his mouth full\n\nThey both wolf down their meal.\n\n\"so whats the script?\" he inquires\n\nHe swallows the last morsel of steak before he responds \"easy, you say you refuse to fight me, i pretend to gut you, blood puddle should convince them its real enough and make up for my fake stabbing\"\n\n\"lets do it\"\n\nThe Guards came in an hour later and split them up to opposite ends of the Arena. The fight began and they walked into the centre\n\n\"TERRAN SHOWDOWN, LET THE FIGHT COMMENCE\"\n\nright on cue, his friend knew his lines\n\n\"I REFUSE! I WILL NOT KILL A MEMBER OF MY RACE FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT AND I WILL NOT KILL MY FRIEND\"\n\nhe threw down his weapons. \"I WILL NOT FIGHT YOU\"\n\nThe Human ran towards him, sword in hand \"GOOD BECAUSE I CAN\" and carefully made sure to stop, only piercing the bundle of sauce packets hidden and not his friends body\nHis friend screamed in agony on cue and fell to the ground and sure enough the improvised blood pack did its job, a pool of red blood began pouring out.\n\nThe announcer booms \"TERRAN NUMBER 2 IS THE WINNER\"\n\n\"BRING IN RANTHOR, THE REIGNING CHAMPION! LOOKS LIKE THIS LITTLE HUMAN'S WINNING STREAK IS OVER\"\n\nJust as he predicted...the clever guy. He thought to himself as he lay still and kept his breathing to a minimum\n\n\nRanthor the Grey marched into the Arena and laughed at the sight that was before him\n\"I see you earthlings are quick to turn on each other to survive, how pathetic. i will enjoy crushing you beneath my boot Human.\"\n\n\"Is that so? well there is one important wrong about your observation Ranthor\"\n\"And what is that?\" the Alien growled\n\"He's not dead\"\n\n\nHis comrade leapt to his feet to the audible gasp of the spectators and announcer and tossed away the blood pack and kicked up his sword back into his hand\n\"Uh looks like Terran number 1 wasnt dead...um after all...\"\n\n\"Y-You! You! Deceptive. Sneaky. Underhanded. Worthless PRIMATES\"\n\nThe Human smiled \n\"What wrong Ranthor? afraid to fight two on one? a big strong xeno like you surely cant be scared\"\nThe second Human goads him \"Guess this why your kind lost the Belt of Orion\"\n\n\"SHUT UP YOU STUPID HAIRLESS APES\"\n\"Big words coming from E.T on steroids\" he responds mockingly\n\"RARGH DONT USE THOSE SLURS YOU STUPID HUMANS\"\n\nThe two Humans circled the tall muscular grey like two wolves stalking their prey. lightning fast they rushed him, striking him with their swords and leaving deep cuts on his body\nHe lashes out and swings his sword at them, but they are too quick and evade his slow heavy strikes and every time he blocks, the other Human gets a strike in. His body cant take much more of this.\n\nThe Human tries to attack his front, he kicks him full force and sends him flying back. \"HA! Puny Gnats you are. In raw strength my species cant be beat!\"\nToo late he realised he had taken his attention off the other Human and feels a tight pressure around his neck as the Human puts him in a chokehold\n\"NOW!!\"\nHis Comrade charges full force at the grey, now defenceless and pierces his abdomen with his sword, green blood spills out from the wound and onto the dusty arena\nHe relinquishes his grip and jumps from the Alien brute as the Titan comes crashing down.\n\n\"nice work my friend\"\n\"likewise. i want the bigger steak next time\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"The headache was the worst part of it. Being intentionally starved for several days trapped in the same ring as a stranger I'd never met who was actually starting to look pretty attractive as time went on. In fact, by the third night we had started sleeping in each other's arms for warmth as well as for physical affection. By the fourth day we knew more about each other than either of us probably cared to. He had a boring cubicle job and just got out of a relationship with his exgirlfriend because he had fallen in love with his best friend when they both got drunk and experimented in a hotel bedroom. I explained that I was still closeted myself and that I worked free lance for whatever jobs I could find. The inconsistency of it is what kept me sane. Which brings us to where we were.\n\nThe other guy, Jarrod, was the first to arrive. He was abducted while he slept with the aforementioned lover. After being alone for two days he welcomed the companion. Speaking of, I was stolen from a hotel room en route to my most recent job, basking in my loneliness. Jarrod made it clear that our relationship wouldn't last once we managed to get home. That wouldn't stop me from try to stay in touch, though.\n\nIt had been a week without food. Plenty of water. But not so much as a crumb graced our lips. Strangely, whoever-it-was that kept us here seemed to promote whatever primal feelings Jarrod and I exhibited. After the first night we slept together on the ground, a bed appeared in one of the corners the next day. But no food. No matter how much I begged aloud. And when the headache started, I began to become irritable. Jarrod noticed. We talked. We fought. We spent the day as far from each other as possible in a room this confined. Jarrod took the bed. I let him have it.\n\nThe next morning I was awoken by the greatest smell ever. In the middle of the room was a massive steak. I could smell the juices. I could hear that it was still hot. My mouth began to overflow with drool. I rushed to the plate. There was only one knife. A message. I seized the knife. That was when I noticed that Jarrod was awake. He was staring at me. The message was clear. Whoever-was-watching want us to fight over the steak. But I remembered the talks Jarrod and I had. Jarrod's life might have been boring, but he was in love. He was happy. Even if we never leave this room, I didn't feel like taking away someone's happiness and hope for escape. Jarrod had approached me slowly and was reaching for the knife. My face must have still been contorted from the hunger headache because he flinched as I looked at him. I raised the knife. He cowered. I brought the knife down.\n\nAnd cut the steak into pieces.\n\nJarrod understood immediately. We shared the steak and it tasted *phenomenal*. After we finished the steak we basked in the pleasure of eating after having been starved for nearly a week.\n\nAfter another hour or so, the far wall opened, and suddenly a door existed where none had been before. A humanoid figure stood in the doorway. It had very minor biological differences to that of a human, and it had pale blue skin and four arms. It's expression was soft, but its emotion was completely transparent. It was impressed. It bowed. I followed suit. I assume Jarrod did too. Siddenly, with a wave of its hand, I was back in the hotel room. Jarrod was there too. We stared at one another for a moment. He made the first move.\n\nThat night was the most fun I'd had in a long time.",
"Prologue :\n\nThe Federation of Earth States, to find new resources, decides to explore the farther reaches of the galaxy and the crew of FES galactic army's scout ship the Yosmite was the front runner leading the expeditions.\n\nCaptain Hearth (Log Day 652?? )\n\nIt's been what.....a couple of days since our ship was ambushed. These aliens were a new kind. We had never document them or their presence before. We were not sure how they even got to us. Their ship showed no readings on our systems. It was like they popped out of nowhere.\n\nAnyways, what happened has happened. We try to look forward and device ways to escape our predictment. One of the survivors found a piece of paper, which I now write this log with.\n\nThe entire crew was unconscious and the next thing we remember, we are tied up and muzzled. We are kept in separate cages with very little room to move. We are starved and exhausted.\n\nHope the FES can track us down some way or another.\n\n \n\n\nLog Day 655\n\nThe horrors here....I can't put them into words. How the aliens treat us? The things the black shrouded creatures make us do.\n\nYesterday they came in and took tens of us. None of them have returned yet. The worst part is that there's nothing we can do. All we can do is to have hope and pray they don't come back again.\n\n \n\n\nLog Day 660\n\nI can't... I killed a person.\n\nThe aliens came in again. They a couple of prisoners including me. I could hear the roars and music blasting out the huge metal door in front us. For the first time I saw the aliens clearly. They looked demonic, almost out of hell. The most accurate description would be of the ancient books of Harry Potter. What were they called in them~~?~~ The dementors...yes they were called the dementors. Maybe the books were true.\n\nThese creatures grabbed me and another survivor, Dave I guess, and pushed us out the door.\n\nThis was it. I had never been this afraid nor happy. In the middle of this huge open room , a plate of steak, seemingly undisturbed and within reach.\n\nA sharp whistle blew and a sword of human origin appeared in my hands. I looked up and Dave also had one. It was clear what the aliens wanted us to do. Fight for this food. I repealed the idea first but my instincts took over. I lurged towards Dave, raising my sword and drove it right through him. Poor man, had no strength and didn't even see it coming. He fell down, writhing as blood gushed out of him. It was so demeaning. Killing over ourselves for food but a man had to do for survival.\n\nI slowly walk to my prize, hear rolling down. I sat down, took the steak in my hand and bite. Never had it been so hard to swallow. I slowly take bites.\n\nThe whole room is silent. I can feel all the eyes on me. I take another bite and some thing hits my teeth. A piece of metal, more a steel rod with screws. I remove it from the meat to have a second look at it. It had serial numbers engraved in it.\n\nThen it hits me. This is no meat. This is human flesh. The rod was the ones doctors use for healing amputed legs. I was eating a human, one of my crew member.\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\nPersonal words - I wanted the prompt to end this way. Just the way like it. And this is my first prompt so critic me harder.\n\n(P.S I DIDNT PROOF READ IT)\n\n \n",
"\"Go get 'em, tiger!\" An alien said. \n\nI mean, it didn't, obviously. Even after a few weeks with them, John still couldn't understand a single word of their high-pitched rattling language. But pretending they were all talking to him in English, and specifically like a dopey suburban dad figure, had helped him retain his sanity.\n\n\"Hey, sport.\" He imagined one of them saying, as it thrust a sharpened stick into his hands and began pushing him towards the door to the arena. \"Really give it your all out there today.\"\n\n\"You betcha.\" He mumbled. \n\nThe arena was blindingly lit, and in the stands, creatures roared and shrieked with excitement. He squinted to see what he was meant to fight, tucking the sharpened stick awkwardly between his arm and his body as he shielded his eyes with both hands. \n\nAt the opposite end of the arena, another pudgy peach-colored figure was shoved into the harsh lights. The crowd went nuts. John was so shocked he almost dropped his pointy stick. Janet?\n\n\"Janet!\" He tried to call out to her, but he couldn't even hear himself over the crowd. He waved enthusiastically. \n\nJanet began to approach him, but jerked suddenly as a loud horn sound went off. The crowd quieted down, and in the middle of the arena, equidistant between the two bewildered humans, a small platform rose out of the ground. \n\nOh, John thought, I've gone mad. I've gone and humanized them too much and now I actually think I'm in someone's backyard.\n\nBut when he glanced at Janet, she could clearly see the barbecue grill as well. She was staring at it blankly.\n\nThey each approached, stopping on either side of the platform. John could smell the meat in there, and the smell made him so hungry that he dry heaved and got dizzy. \n\n\"Hey, Janet.\" He said, trying to play it cool. \n\n\"Oh, John!\" She suddenly recognized him, then blushed, embarrassed that she hadn't at first. \"Wow, uh, long time! Have you...lost weight?\"\n\n\"Yeah, they haven't fed me much at all.\" He said awkwardly. \n\n\"Right. Right.\" She put the end of her pointy stick in the handle of the grill lid and lifted it off, letting it drop to the side. There were murmurs in the crowd. \n\n\"Who grilled that?\" John asked, even more perplexed. The steak looked perfectly cooked and seasoned. Had they learned this skill from humans, or had they just forced a human to cook it? \n\n\"Do you think it's poisoned?\" Janet asked. She was glaring suspiciously at the steak. \n\n\"No, I think we're supposed to, like...fight over it?\" John said. \n\nHis stomach made a loud grumble. \n\n\"What, one of us is supposed to eat that whole thing?\" Janet asked, incredulously. \n\n\"That's gonna be messy.\" John said, feeling green. \"If we try that we're gonna run into, um, refeeder syndrome. You know, if starving people try to eat a big meal suddenly, it can, like, actually kill them.\"\n\n\"Oh gosh.\" Janet said. \n\n\"Maybe we'd better share it?\" John suggested.\n\nThe alien who John had decided was his \"coach\" yelled something from the sidelines. The crowd stirred uneasily. \n\n\"Erm, I tried bending the rules last time.\" Janet said. \"They got very angry about it. If they want us to fight, maybe we ought to.\"\n\n\"What, really?\" John asked, bummed out at the thought. Their breakup hadn't been nearly bad enough to make him want to hurt her.\n\n\"No, not *really*.\" Janet rolled her eyes and held her pointed stick like a fencing sword. \"Star Wars or Princess Bride?\"\n\nJohn caught on. \"You seem a decent fellow.\" He said, raising his own pointed stick. \"I hate to kill you.\"\n\nJanet tried to keep a straight face as she retorted, \"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.\"\n\nThere was something about the surreality of the situation--the crowd of aliens watching as he pretended to swordfight his ex-girlfriend while badly quoting a movie--that eventually made John start laughing hysterically. It wasn't long before Janet joined in, both of them gasping their quips out between shrieks. The sword fighting, which had only started at the level of children's playground, devolved into something that would have made any real fencer weep. Finally, Janet hissed \"I'm gonna pee my pants\", tears streaming down her face, and fell to her knees. \n\nJohn seized the moment and put his pointed stick against her neck. \"Victory!\" He declared. \n\nJanet smacked the pointed stick away and lay down, trying to stop laughing so she could breathe. John raised his stick victoriously, and the crowd went nuts. He sauntered back to the barbecue grill and picked up the steak. He took a bite and almost threw up. It tasted amazing, but his stomach had so twisted from hunger that he couldn't physically swallow it. He held it in his mouth, trying to wait the nausea out, while he brought the steak over to Janet. \n\n\"Ih's good.\" He said with a shrug. \n\nShe dusted off her hands before taking it from him. \"Ugh, I miss plates. We're gonna get sick eating like this. I bet our hands have all sorts of alien bugs.\"\n\n\"Stoh being sho picky.\" He told her. \"They could uf given us McDonalds.\"",
"She shrugged, feeling like mud was cracking off her shoulders. She'd been fighting for days, weeks? Rolling around with various creatures, armed with primitive weapons, all for the alien crowd's amusement. \n\nToday her opponent was human though, a pasty man with sunken eyes and a patchy beard. He looked like he'd had a paunch at one point, but like her, had been starved for motivation to fight. \n\n\"You don't want it?\" He repeated as mobile cameras buzzed around them. \n\nShe shook her head with a slight smile, knowing it made no sense. Sure her stomach gurgled and pained, but a childhood of hunger made the sense dull. She had improved her life, afforded shelter and food, but those hard learned habits would never really go away.\n\nHe took a cautious step towards the steak, glancing between it, her, and the cameras. He snatched it and took a slow bite, eyes rolling up in his skull from the food hitting his tongue.\n\nWhen she still didn't move, he sat down next to the plate--white and gleaming with grease on the dirt--and ate ravenously. \n\n\"What's your name?\" She asked after a moment.\n\n\"Um,\" he took a deep breath, seemingly surprised she was still there and had to take a moment to get his bearings, \"John!\"\n\nJohn said it with such fervor it was like he thought he'd never say it again. Soon he was done eating, and after a long, slow moment of silence he asked again.\n\n\"Are you sure you didn't want it?\"\n\nHe rested back on his elbows, looking at her with droopy eyes, lazily comfortable after the meal. \n\nShe nodded, watching the stoic cameras buzzing in a circle around them.\n\n\"Why? You a *vegetarian* or something?\" His laugh sounded more like a hiccup.\n\n\"Cannibal, actually.\"\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nAlternate:\n\n\"Why? You a *vegetarian* or something?\" He slurred.\n\n\"Vegan, actually--\"\n \nHis laugh sounded more like a hiccup.\n\n\"--plus,\" she glanced back at him, \"it might have been poisoned.\"",
"How long had I been held in captivity? It had certainly been weeks, which had bled into months, but most likely less than a year. There was no way of knowing. The days were longer and wildly irregular, due to the binary star system the planet orbited. Not like that mattered anyways; my window looking out into the alien coliseum was small, and the changing of the light did not affect me much. The thing that really kept me up were the other prisoners.\n\t\nThere were a few species that were well-represented, perhaps three quarters of the total captive population. They all spoke the same language, too. A language I could neither learn, nor manage to replicate the sounds of. From what I could guess, they were all criminals originating from a multi-species planetary federation, of which this planet was apparently a part of. Then there were the beasts. Screaming and howling and making noises that would forever be indescribable, at all hours of the rotational cycle. Finally, there were the novelties, the curiosities picked up from the fringes of our captor’s known space. They curled up at the backs of their cells, probably trying to escape from it all. I know that’s what I did.\n\t\nThere would be a couple of fights in the arena each cycle. There would always be a casualty. I did not watch. Occasionally, they would come for someone in my section of the holds. The criminals always fought when they were taken. The loners never did. It was a horrible way to wait for the death you knew was coming.\n\t\nI knew something was happening when they stopped feeding me. After a couple of cycles of no food, they finally came. It was time, and I was glad of it. They led me into an anteroom, and shut the door. Then they raised the gate to the arena. I stepped forward, and squinted into the orange, alien sky. I was ready. I looked across the expanse. In the middle of the arena, there was a table with some sort of food on it? “Ah” I thought to myself. “We’re meant to fight over it”. \n\nAs for my opponent…my sight slid to the opposing entry gate. A man? I took tentative steps forward, not willing to believe myself. Another human? “Hello!?!” I called tentatively. They said something I couldn’t understand. Maybe it wasn’t, could it be? I sped up my pace, taking great strides towards the figure. The crowd started to wind up in anticipation. I squinted. It was a man, it definitely was a man. I started to run, even though my legs pained me, from my long confinement, but I did not care. As he ran towards me, and I him, I began to cry, letting out great heaving sobs, tears running down my cheeks. “Oh my god, oh my god oh my god!” He was shouting to me as well. We both met in the middle, clutching each other desperately, crying into each other’s shoulders for long minutes. When we finally broke apart, he began talking to me, very softly, still on the brink of tears, in Vietnamese? It didn’t matter. Just like the food on the table and the now jeering crowd didn’t matter. We had each other, even if it was for just that one moment, we were not alone, in this alien place, so, so far away from home. \n",
"The crowd was roaring. I stood there, naked, freezing, and afraid. It was hard to focus; I was delirious from hunger and the blazing cyan lights overhead didn't help, casting everything in a strange blue tint. It took all my concentration just not to sway and fall over.\n\nThe wall on the other side of the room slid up. I peered into the darkness, not certain of what to expect. Dark, messy hair stuck to her face from not being able to bathe, and I could make out the lines of her ribs from where I stood. A woman. A *human* woman. I had to blink my eyes a few time so that I could clear the double image from my vision. It had been so long since I'd seen another person I almost believed I was being tricked.\n\nBut there she was, feebly pushing herself up from the floor on limbs that were far too thin.\n\nHer skin hung from her bones like a suit, just like mine. Only being given what passed as *\"food\"*, the bare minimum to keep you breathing, would do that to a person after a week. I think it'd been about a week? Maybe ten days. It was hard to tell time when you'd been locked in total darkness, trying to sleep so you didn't need to think about the pain and the fear.\n\nThe crowd began chanting something then. It started out low, slowly building, until they were roaring, bellowing, stomping their clawed feet and rattling the hackles on their necks. Deafening.\n\nA panel high above tilted outward from the wall. Two of the aliens stood on either side with their stun batons held before their chests. A particularly tall member of their species, adorned in finery far more colorful than the rest, strode out onto the balcony with its head held high, swelling the crest on its chest into a vibrant red. It, too, shook its hackles, and the crowd died down to a reserved murmur.\n\n*SHHHEEEERRRRAUHHHHHH. SHH HHHSH KKKAAAAAURRRRHHHHH.*\n\nIt spoke in loud hisses, expelling air from the slats on its neck as it moved its mouth to form different whistles of air with its vocalizations. It was why we'd never been able to speak with them. They simply didn't have the ability to speak a human tongue. Or, perhaps, we just didn't have the ability to comprehend theirs.\n\nIt banged its staff on the balcony, and a smaller creature strode out, this one wearing a solid orange cloak, embroidered with symbols in gold I couldn't understand. The tall one, surprisingly, bowed its head to this one, who then almost lovingly took up its hand and produced a large knife from within its sleeve.\n\nThe large one turned its back and dropped to its knees, parting its multicolored robes to show a roadmap of pain carved into its hide. Great white scars and pulsing veins covered its back from neck to tailbone. The small one took up the knife in both its hands and slashed off a large chunk of flesh from the back of the larger almost without a sound. The only noise came as a slow hiss from the large one's neck as its flesh was carved away. It then recovered its back and stood up, taking the hunk of its own flesh and raising it up for all to see.\n\nIt then did something else I hadn't expected. It took a bite of the meat, chewing it slowly as the blood ran down its chin, looking between the woman and myself before pitching it down to where we were. The knife quickly followed with a clang against the metal floor. The creature let out a loud hissing roar and the crowd began its frantic chanting again as the large creature looked on expectantly.\n\nThe message was clear enough, \"This is food. I offer it to you of my own flesh. Fight for it.\" I was ashamed, but my mouth was already dripping with saliva, and I let out the most pathetic whimper just looking at the bloody hunk of meat lying there. Before I could even react, the woman was already half-stumbling, half-crawling for the blade. I made my own way, tilting and stumbling with every step. My head swam with thoughts of biting into that flesh, warm blood gushing from my lips as it slithered down my throat. I would eat it. It was my food and I would eat it myself.\n\nThough she reached the blade first, I got my bony fingers on the flesh. She screamed at me, a bunch of threats in a language I couldn't understand. Looking at her, she may have been Inuit, or maybe some mix. I screamed right back at her as she waved the knife at me, barely even able to keep herself on one knee. She was weak, not much more than me, but enough that I knew I could likely take the knife from her.\n\n\"THIS IS MINE\" I shouted, before burying my face into the hunk of flesh. It was tough and chewy with thick muscle and almost no fat, and had a somewhat gamey taste to it, like the boar meat my papa used to bring home when I was a boy. *It was the best fucking thing I'd ever eaten.* \"IH MUNN!\" I repeated with a huge mouthful.\n\nShe screamed in animalistic rage and lurched off the ground at me, slashing the knife wildly back and forth, but I already felt reinvigorated by the food I'd eaten and was able to easily step out of her reach. The crowd loved it. They were stomping, hissing, and rattling their hackles, begging for blood. She fell to the ground and let out one last cry before feebly throwing the knife at me. She was far too weak, and this accomplished was getting the blade to skitter halfway toward my feet across the floor. She began sobbing, looking down at her thin fingers. Her body shook with each breath. Defeated.\n\nThe tall alien on the balcony rattled again, and the cacophony quickly died out. I tore my eyes away from the flesh and met its gaze. It looked upon me expectantly, and the two of us just stared at one another for a long time. My eyes slipped absently down to the knife, and a low hiss passed from its throat.\n\nI stood there, naked, freezing, and afraid. I had trouble swallowing what I had in my mouth, but spitting it out was unthinkable. I looked at my arms and wiped my face, suddenly conscious of the mess I'd made. I must have looked pathetic, fighting over scraps. It made me embarrassed. It made me *angry*.\n\nI moved over and picked up the knife. The crowd erupted again, their desires clear, \"FINALLY, BLOOD!\" I stood over her now and took in the sight of her. She was so thin. So frail. She couldn't stop shaking, but I couldn't tell if that was due to her sobbing, the cold, or the fear. Maybe all three. We had been reduced to animals, losing our minds over a hunk of raw meat. All of our humanity and dignity shed away for this.\n\nI rolled around what was in my mouth and swallowed, then sat down in front of her. I tapped the tip of the blade against the metal floor a few times before using it to tear apart the flesh. \"We need to help one another if we're to keep living.\" I said to her. I knew she likely couldn't understand a word I said. No sooner had I slid her a portion than she had forced nearly the entire thing into her mouth, chewing and gnawing, cupping her hand beneath her face to scoop any blood and bits that escaped her gore-coated lips. She looked at me with sunken eyes, and I cut her off more. She ate it slower now, chewing it fiercely, but slowly enough to savor it. \n\nShe was still shivering, and I moved to sit beside her, which caused her to slink away with a whimper. I set the knife down and slid it out of arm's reach, then tore off another chunk of flesh between my teeth before offering her the rest. She reached out for it, and I drew back my arm, causing her to cry out in protest. I dangled the morsel next to me until she finally relented and crawled over to sit beside me. We sat there huddled together, chewing, sharing our body warmth. She picked off a piece of meat dangling from my chin and ate it, and I wiped a bit of blood from her cheek and sucked it off my thumb. She looked at me and smiled, her face covered in gore. I felt myself smile back.",
"-rough draft- (forgot to incorporate hunger) (check gen and verb consistency)\n\nI can’t tell if my memories of another human reflect the actual moment, or if my mind is so broken is has completely imagined falsehoods. I don’t remember my name, only my clan name Donohue-only because the ship always referred to me as such before these bastards comondered my ship-not even sure how long it’s been. \n\nThe nights and days, if the even exist and it’s not simply programmed lights, bleed togetherness at this point. I’d try killing myself, but there is never a point. The collars around our neck are programmed to keep us alive at all costs. I saw an almost arachnid captive the side of a jump drive attempting to chew off it’s own legs, but when the deeps became too deep thick violet oozing out the collar would activate with a loud buzzing and a thin stream of nanotechnology would fuse with the open wound. But, I’m not entirely sure if it even happened. \n\nThe clicking sound and sudden lightness of my neck as the collar is removed takes me out of my thoughts. Perhaps, I will die, but what’s to say these aliens won’t just reboot me into a clone-whose to say they haven’t already. \n\nThe doors in front of me open, and I slowly walk outside, and I can feel the slow moving ground moving under the pads of my feet- a measure to easily force reluctant fighters to the center of the ring.\n\nI don’t even look up until I’m in the center, unenthusiastically grab my standard preferences magnetic shield unit and electronic flail weapon. Then I see them, my opponent- a human. \n\nI glance around the large area, then back to my opponent. Still a human. Their face is torn with thick keloid scars, an eye missing, and both of theirs are artificial from below the knee- something I recognize from other slaves who have attempted to run away. They detach your electric legs between fights.\n\nThe loud speakers echo with the tonal raspy clicks of the alien’s language, which is instantly translated to my native language from my cranial implant, but I don’t pay attention. \n\nThe human is looking at me, I wonder what they see. I don’t remember the last time I was near a reflective surface to see myself. I resist the urge to raise my hands to my face to feel what they see. \n\nThe horn blows loudly, and we remain motionless. My eyes locked with their eye, only breaking contact to size each other up. I notice the bright white keloid lines over their body peaking out from under tattered clothing.\n\nThe speakers begin again the foreign tonal language echoing meaninglessly in my native language. The lights change, and the ground buzzes under my bare feet and t brings my mind to focus. I take steps back as a door opens up between us and a platform rises. A large platter with an oversized stake, and equally large lazy Susan crowded with bowls overflowing with side dishes, herbs, flat breads, and condiments. I recognize only some of the items, but my tongue feels engorged as saliva fills my mouths. The pain in my stomach lurches like a rusted machine coming to life after decades without use. I take quick, uncontrolled, steps towards the platform, only stopping myself as I’m reaching out to the food-I recognize the subtle shipper of an electronic shield. \n\n“Don’t touch it,” my voice scratches and burns as I shout, as if my mouth has absorbed all the moisture in my throat, but I don’t remember the last time I spoke. \n\nThe man looks at me suspiciously, closely, I see his hands tighten around his sword as the electronic voices echos in my mind. \n\n“Only one champion can survive.” \n\nMy body moves instinctively around the table, my opponent moves in the opposite direction. each moving step for step to maintain a constant distance. When he stops, I stop, and vice versa.\n\nAfter a long moment they open their mouth, but I don’t hear their voice only the electronic translator, “Make a move you coward,” they wave both arms at me to welcome my approach, they step away from the platform to allow us room to fight. \n\nI raise my sword and stiffen my arm with the attached shield. I struggle to draw up anger from my aching gut, but the emotions remain liquid and immobile. It is another human, and I wonder what colony they are from, would I know the language they use, would my mind still have the linguistic training from my starship days. Would they know my clan, my name?\n\nI run at them at full speed holding my shield defensively, my sword unaimed as I watch them bracing for my impending impact. \n\n“Do you know the Ilaris station outside the N-34V habitual planet,” I shout over the buzzing clash of our sheilds. They brings their heavy plasma sword down on my shields edge, instead of an attempted plunge into my unprotected side. \n\n“No. I’ve always been here.”\n\nMy bewilderment must show on my face, their body relaxes and my body lurches a few inches towards them. \n\n“Do you know me? Know my face,” they ask in a hushed yell to overcome the dull rawr of the crowd. \n\n“No... it’s been so long since I’ve seen another.”\n\n“Yes.”\n\nWe both lower our arms, watching each other closely for a long moment. I loosen my grip on my sword, nod to them, and we drop our swords.\n\nI drop my shield, then they. We look over each other again. Fainter scars around their legs where flesh meets metal show the uncaring hack job done to disable them. \n\nI reach out, touching their arm, almost shocked then the flesh isn’t damn and spongey like the aliens that own this combat asteroid arena. I almost feel the course hair under my callused fingertips. \n\nThey feel the side of my face, the their own, then return to mine, “They call me R’aag”\n\n“R’aag,” I repeat and feel my cheeks ache as I smile. \n\nTheir hand slides cautiously to the base of my head, I pull away, and they begin to pull their hand away, but my body flashes to unformed memories and I move my head to the base of their head. We slowly lean our heads together, dirty and scarred flesh touching as we feel the warm air billowing from our noses as we breathe heavily. \n\nThe sounds of the crowd have faded beyond me, as I look at over their face, the smells of sweat, dirt, and shit filling my nostrils-unsure who carries these smells. \n\nThey pull away, and I follow, now standing unprotected and weaponless in front of each other. \n\n“I will not fight my breathen, I remember these laws of my people from Ilaris. We were settlers.” \n\nThey simply nod, unable to contributed or object, “then we will die. I will die for you to survive.” \n\n“They can clone you, it never ends.”\n\nI see the pained expression flash across their face- they already know. \n\n“Let is eat.” I shout loudly, my body moving with agility and speed to grab my sword and use my entire body force to slam it down upon a weak corner of the shield, my throat raw as I scream with a deep rage that has slumbered inside my chest. \n\nThe subtle glitter shakes, turning green, and then vanishing. I unabashedly plunge my hand down into a dish of peppered cabbage and start to each with my dirty hands. My breathern moves beside me, using his sword to cut the steak in half starting to naw and pull at his half, the blood dripping down his hands and chin. \n\n“Your name is Donohue, we will die together as clansmen.”",
"We dove upon it, saliva mixing with dust to mat our over grown beards with steak juice, tearing it in half as we did. I can only assume their point-of-refernece was celluloid and cathode ray era media like the egg heads say. The broadcasts of early TV and radio shows traveling at light speed across space are just now arriving in settled space. I wonder what the alien alliances will make of the more modern stuff as it drifts in behind the old stuff. No matter. If Looney Tunes and I Love Lucy inform the xeno policy it could be worse; once reality television and the info wars begin to arrive we might have to send some diplomats. \n\nAs it was, the steak was enourmous. Comically huge. The sort of token image of a steak cartoon characters and old black & white talkies use as symbolic language to imply a huge feast. I hate to imagine what might have actually happened had they tossed us skimpy little 6 oz or something.\n\nAs the majority of the huge meat slab disappeared into our mouths the crowd went from shocked, to dismay to bordom. Once the they began to grow restless we stood up and began to spar, lose, casual punces and kicks. Still, it raised red spots and we both grunted loudly and shouted appropriately.\n\nBoth experienceed gladiators, we knew the drill: lives were only valuable as long they were interesting. Having a full belly and having fallen naturally enough into a nonviolent tussle we mutually decided to begin conspiring.\n\nSoftly, and only when the rhythm sparring brought our heads together, we whispered to on another. \n\n\"Know Kung Fu?\"\n\n\"Nope. Judo.\"\n\n\"Shame; if we both use the same style we could probably keep up a good show for hours.\"\n\n\"I know, I wanna draw this out too; Your the first human I've had to fight.\"\n\n\"Same.\"\n\n\"Well, we both seem to know Greco Roman.\"\n\n\"Naw, this is just Luca Libre stuff I picked up from spending time with Memaw.\"\n\n\"Say, I know a fair bit of WWE stuff; both were designed from the ground up to be spectator soorts.\"\n\n\"Yes! Great idea; neither are actually martial, too.\"\n \n\"Ok, so. Who's gonna be the bad guy?\"\n\n\"Well, if they let us go at it long enough we can switch off. I'll be the villian first, then we switch when I hit you with a folding chair.\"\n\n\"None of those around.\"\n\n\"Oh! The wepons rack. I'll make a big show of taking the weapons off it, then throw it at you when your down.\"\n\n\"Perfect. Let's start with a running clothesline into elbow drop to your neck-\"\n\n\"Which I'll roll out from under, making you wack your arm against the ground, stunning you in pain so I can recover and counter attack.\"\n\n\"Oh, man, you *do* know pro wrestling!\"\n\n(Edit: drifted from 1st person to 3rd. Fixed)",
"I think it’s been a few weeks now but I don’t know. They put me in a windowless cell with nobody to talk to and nothing to do. I think I’m going insane. I felt that the light that’s dying from my eyes is now affecting my soul. I’m seeing something crawling(?), walking(?)- moving towards me. I couldn’t see what it is. I hear a voice that sounds like Siri that says:\n\n“Homo Sapien Sapien, you are to fight another creature of your likeness. Do well and you will be rewarded.”\n\nI don’t respond. I don’t have anything to say, but it wouldn’t have mattered as I don’t have the energy to respond anyway. \nI get pushed into a better larger cage. It seemed like it was from a zoo with the paneled glass surroundings and faraway crowds. I turned around and saw another person. \n\nThere’s another person here!\nI felt like crying, but the little water they afforded me wasn’t enough for tears. I crawl towards the person, and I think they were coming towards me as well. I say hi. I believe he responds in kind, but in a language I can’t recognize. We both see a set of food and move towards that. As we get closer I see a steak, some sides, and water. I try to push the steak towards him. \nThen I point to myself and say “Hindu”, hoping he would understand. \nHe pushes the sides to me says, what I presume is, “eat”. We start eating, and I take a sip of the water and hand it to him. The things watched the encounter and boo’d. They boo’d throughout the ‘match’. Once there was no more food left, we hugged. I lied there content, happy with the idea of dying in the enclosure of another human’s warmth.",
"I apologise for formatting, I’m making this on mobile.\n\nThe man, who introduced himself later as Hanks, was thrown in a cage next to me. \n“To make sure you don’t kill each other... yet!” the alien explained, cackling an evil laughter. I looked up from where I sat and turned my head towards the new guy. In one glance I saw that he had to endure the same horrible treatment as me: beatings, torture, starvation, and the list goes on and on. I had fought many battles before he came, and the battle scars on my body, together with the things he had to go through were enough to break the poor sod. He curled up into a ball and started crying, wich turned into screaming in fear as I approached him. He shoved himself against the back wall of his cell to avoid me, as if I was a plague. I grabbed the bars that kept us apart, and wanted to make an attempt to intimidate him. But I hesitated. I didn’t like that I hesitated, but when I look back at it, it was the best desicion I ever made. Instead, I stuck my arm through the bars, hand wilde open, and tried to show my most candid smile. “Nathan. Nice to meet you.” \nThe man swallowed and slowly let go of the wall behind him. He trembled as he grabbed my hand, and answered: “Hanks. Same to you, Nate.”\nI could notice that he was already starting to get his cool. “Do you mind if I call you Nate? I had a friend named like that in college. It reminds me of... better days.”\nMy smile became more sincere by the second. “Of course you can.”\nWe started talking, asking about each others lives. It started with how the aliens treated us, but not even ten minutes later I knew where and what he studied. He tried to become an English teacher while taking Italian classes at the same time, so he could teach in Italy, where he met his wife. His stories were truly fascinating, and before I knew it...\nWe were in the arena. The sand beneath my bare feet felt... well as sand should feel. It’s the feeling in my chest that’s making this so difficult. The Clash for Food, as the aliens have dubbed their twisted “game show”, had never seen anyone that lasted longer than me. I was damn lucky I trained karate before the Mass Abduction happened. But it had never been so hard for me to take a life for food. But who was I to complain? Any movements towards the back of the arena, or showing the intention not to fight, would instantly be punished. I had to find that out the hard way. But still, Hanks was the first and only one I didn’t want to kill, not even for the delicious steak in the centre. We circled around each other, each obviously contemplating chances. Hanks seeing if he had any chance of at least keeping me away to take the food, me hoping to find a way to end this without bloodshead. The aliens yelled louder and louder as Hanks and I came closer and closer towards each other. We were both bathing in sweat, from stress as well as the scorching heat. But suddenly, it hit me as a hammer. I almost went mad at the thought of how easy everything it could be solved. My laughter started as a little giggle, but not soon after I found myself holding my stomach and folding double. I struck my spear in the sand, still teary-eyed, and started walking to the meal, as if it was the most normal thing in the universe.\n“What are you doing? I WILL kill you, Nate!” \nHanks was visibly upset, but the tone in his voice told me otherwise. That’s the only advantage we have over those alien bastards. After several conversations with the nicer ones of their species, I found out about something: Humans were the only race capabel of showing compassion, and true love. “Of course, that’s what makes us human,” you might think. And thus, I made the most unpredictable, but wisest move mankend ever made, but had done and will do when I am not around: I sat down, grabbed the steak, tore it in half and handed it to Hanks. \nThe relief in his eyes was as big as mine, when he threw away his sword and buckler and sat down next to me. \n“So, you were talking about your place in Italy?” \nHanks smiled as he took a bite. Up until now, I hadn’t notice a slight Italian undertone, despite him being Irish. “Oh, yeah, of course. It’s absolutely amazing, let me tell you!”\nOur laughter filled the arena, a sound it had never heard before.",
"######[](#dropcap)\n\n\"You ready for the fight of the century?\" Mark spoke the words out of the side of his mouth, barely moving his lips.\n\nJackson smirked. \"Of course.\" \n\n\"You remember our choreo, right?\" \n\nJackson laughed as he waved toward the crowd. \"Trust me, you'll get your half of the pie.\" \n\nThe two humans were brought into the arena together amid the shouts and jeers of the Qlatir sitting on the stands, just waiting for the action. They were a violent species, but recently they had decided to curb their tendencies because they were...dying out. Didn't seem like the smartest or most convenient form of evolution, and Mark had no idea how they as a species had even survived as long as now killing someone over something as small as who got which stand seat, but hey. To each their own.\n\nThey walked toward their separate sides. The Qlatir had caged them together and believed it would get them more riled up from their own personal experience. And maybe they would have. Living with a stranger when you were starving wasn't exactly the easiest condition to hold your temper. But what the Qlatir had failed to consider, however, was that Jackson and Mark had been captured together. \n\nThey were friends. And best friends for the past 10 years, in fact.\n\nSo they came up with the plan. Their crew would've noticed their disappearance in a couple of days tops, so they just needed to get past this fight. \n\nWith a ring of the bell, the fight began. \n\nThrust, parry, stab. Mark went through the motions smoothly. \n\nThe Qlatir didn't seem to notice anything wrong. Finally, Mark vaulted over Jackson, grabbing the steak in the middle and flaunting it to his \"enemy,\" holding it out in front of him. \n\nJackson gave an almost imperceptible nod, then stabbed his sword forward suddenly, cutting the steak almost precisely in half. Mark staggered backwards, pretending to be wounded, and giving Jackson time to dive forward and catch the other half. \n\nThey pretended to glare at one another before retreating to their respective corners.\n\nMark watched the Qlatir's faces above him grow red with anger. He took a bite of the steak. \n\nSay what you would about the Qlatir, but they really made a great steak.\n\n*****\n\nr/AlannaWu",
"It took me a few minutes to realize where I was.\n\nAn open field. Holy shit. Where the fuck was I? Jesus, I was surrounded.\n\nThen I saw the other guy. He looked as bewildered as I was.\n\nSkinny and pale too. Almost nice to see another human.\n\nThere was a steaming piece of steak on a table between us.\n\n“Dude you speak English”\n\n“Yes,” he replied. Slight accent.\n\n“Are we supposed to fight to the death over this steak, or something?”\n\n“I don’t know. But I’m a vegan” he answered.\n\n“Yeah, I’m not hungry. And I don’t eat random alien death-fight steak, as a rule”\n\n“How about we split it and keep it in case we really get desperate?\n\n“Good idea. You cut, I’ll choose.”\n\n",
"\"Ugh, that looks bloody nice steak, don't you think?\" Charles says as he rubs his chin.\n\n\"Yes,\" Timothy responds with a long nod. \"You know that they want us to kill each other for that piece, right?\"\n\nCharles chuckles. \"I have barely strength to stand. I'm no animal. One hit and I'm knocked out.\"\n\nTimothy laughed with Charles at the same time. Aliens were just inspecting them. They were probably thinking that it was some kind of human ritual before the fight.\n\n\"So,\" Charles whispered. \"Want to share?\"\n\nTimothy nodded. \"Yeah. It's a way too huge for my stomach to handle it, I have been starving for too long...\"\n\nThey both stepped near the steak and examined it. Then they tried to break it into two, but it was a bit soggy to be split into two pieces. They also didn't have knives to do it.\n\n\"I'll take the first bite, then you, alright?\" Charles proposed. Timothy responded with a nod. So, Charles took the meat, took a big bite and gave it to Timothy, who took bite straight after him.\n\nAliens enraged. They hated that. Still, they kept hoping that it was still some kind of ritual. Maybe they would fight after they got their energy refilled?\n\nThat lasted until they finally finished the steak.\n\nAliens already stormed from the gate, ready to take them away. They weren't pleased.\n\n\"Well, that was delicious. It might be our last meal,\" Timothy whispered, moving his hand towards Charles. Just before the aliens reached them, they shook them.\n\n***\n\nThey both got kicked into the very same arena. It had been a week of no food. All aliens were going insane, hungry for blood. This time, they had to fight.\n\nBoth Timothy and Charles slowly walked at the center of the arena, inspecting each other.\n\n\"You look like shit, man,\" Timothy said to Charles.\n\n\"They did beat me up way more than usual,\" Charles frowned.\n\n\"Those alien bastards,\" Timothy responded with a slow sigh.\n\nThey both now inspected another steak meat. This time, it was inside a large cage. The door had two keyholes and those keys were around both of their necks.\n\n\"I don't understand. I know I'm not the smartest human out there, but that...\" Timothy sighed and looked at his key. \"They probably expect us to fight now, so I would take your key, open the cage and go after the steak.\"\n\nCharles laughed, took the key and threw it towards Timothy, who easily caught it. Arena got instantly silent. Timothy opened the cage door with both keys and they both entered it. This time, the guards' gates opened and heavy armored aliens instantly ran towards them.\n\nTimothy, however, locked the door after himself and went to the center of the cage. He took the steak, had a bite and gave it to the Charles.\n\n\"Oh, by the way, I'm Timothy.\"\n\n\"I'm Charles!\"\n\nThey shook hands again.\n\n\"So tell me, Charles, what did you do before you got here?\"\n\nAs they talked, guards desperately tried to break the cage open. One guard ran away to find backup keys. Even though they did have some ranged weapons, they did not want to kill prisoners, so it resulted in Charles and Timothy talking for a while as they took care of the steak.\n\nThere was a change, however. The arena wasn't mad, instead, they were laughing.\n\n***\n\nIt was yet another week that passed. Both Timothy and Charles were again at the center of the arena. It was all silent. There were no alien war cries this time around. It was just two of them, meeting at the core again.\n\n\"Are they serious?\" Timothy asked the first question, inspecting cage within a cage.\n\nCharles just smiled. \"I feel like they decided not to test our battle skills anymore, but instead they want to see how smart we are.\"\n\nThey both started laughing. \"It's literally same thing as last time, except two cages with two doors. This time one key opens one door...\"\n\n***\n\nAnother week passed. This time, the arena was shouting. There were multiple cages on the arena, one of them had steak in it. They had given only one key and each cell had a key of its own inside.\n\n\"We should pretend that we are trying hard,\" Charles moaned.\n\n\"You look a lot worse Charles. You okay?\" Timothy finally showed some worry.\n\n\"Ah, I'm an old man. I think something is wrong with my stomach,\" Charles whispered. He coughed, some blood came out of his mouth. He didn't try to hide it, as there was no point.\n\nThey solved the puzzle easily and soon they were at the center of the cage, staring at another steak piece. Soldiers were this time walking towards them. They had also given up trying.\n\n\"You'll eat it,\" Timothy suddenly said.\n\n\"What?\" Charles was confused.\n\n\"You look like you'd need it more than I do.\" Charles frowned but didn't argue. He ate most of it and then gave a third to Timothy. \"Please. You need something as well.\"\n\n***\n\nTimothy stood at the center of the arena. Aliens weren't happy. Charles wasn't anywhere. It was just him. The wind made Timothy's tears drop afar. This time, it was just a piece of meat at the center, no cages.\n\nAlien sounds were something unusual. Maybe resembled a bit of crying.\n\nTimothy walked near the steak, looked at it, touched it, but didn't eat it. He remembered one discussion they had, a promise. A promise that if one of them died, another would keep trying to survive. After all, maybe one day they would be saved from those aliens. It was a good story to tell.\n\nSo, he took hold of the steak.\n\n***\n\nIt was bloody. The whole arena. It wasn't Timothy's blood though. It belonged to the aliens. In the sky was huge flying ship, belonging to the humans. They waited for one man.\n\nAt the center of the arena was Timothy. He was now wearing proper clothing with some armor on it.\n\n\"I liked you, you know. You became my best pal at this shithole,\" Timothy whispered. He held a steak and put it on the ground, at the very center of the arena.\n\n\"This is for you, Charles.\"\n\n----\n\n/r/ElvenWrites - Feel free to check it out for my past stories (Or follow it for le future).",
"I sat in my cage, listening to the roar of the crowd outside. A few beings walked by, I didn't take much notice. I hadn't eaten for.. days? Weeks? It's hard to keep track. \n\nA sharp pain in my leg. I looked up. A small alien—a child, perhaps—was poking me with a stick.\n\n\"You're going to kill the other Terran\" it said, wide-eyed.\n\n\"Why would I kill him?\" I asked tiredly. Outside the roars were getting louder. Some of the earlier games must have started. Animals pitted against each other for food. Animals, including \"Terrans\".\n\n\"Because,\" said the alien-child thoughtfully, \"that's what Terrans do.\"\n\n\"We didn't, once.\" I whispered, half to myself.\n\n\"Yes, you do!\" The alien said matter-of-factly. \"All Terrans kill. That's how we know you are animals. Animals that can talk, but still animals. That's why you're in the cage and I'm out here.\" The child had an almost sing-song voice by the end. I said nothing, and eventually he walked off. The words rang in my ears. I was still thinking about what the child had said, when the cage opened and rough hands pulled me out, put a spear in my hand, and towed me through a tunnel. Suddenly, I came out into bright, blinding light. Sand, under my feet. Sweat, making my grip on the weapon slippery. Roaring, cheering, jeering, chanting, filling my ears. As my vision adjusted, I could see the center: a table with a single plate laden with food, the crown piece being a perfectly cooked steak. I let out a whimper. That food was more than I'd seen in an eternity. I'd do anything for it. I'd... I looked down at my hands, holding the spear. *That's why you're in the cage and I'm out here...*\n\n\"Hey!\" I called out to the other guy in the ring. I dropped my spear. \"Hey!\" The crowd's noise quietened a little, there was a buzz of confusion. The other contestant stood, wary, watching me. \"Listen, we can fight, and one of us will eat, and then next week it's the same thing all over again. We don't win. How about once—one time—we finally sit down and share, and remember. Remember what it's like to be human again. Not what they've made us.\" The man hesitated a while more, but we started negotiating terms, making sure there was no treachery. We threw our spears at opposite ends of the arena. By now the crowd was silent, only the low sound of whispering hung in the air. We came closer to the table. There was only one chair. We both knelt in the sand, ignoring it.\n\n\"You tear the steak, and I'll choose which half.\" The man muttered. I tore the meat as neatly in two as I could, but there was still one half visibly bigger than the other. The man took the smaller half without a word and began eating. I started crying, and took the bigger half. While eating the first meal in forever, with my first friend in forever, I didn't notice at first the tears among the crowd. More and more, the aliens went from shocked, to guilt, to weeping. They started to leave. Eventually there was just me and my new friend left, finishing our meal. The last alien to go was one of the guards. He looked at us, nodded at the gate he'd left open, then quietly left. "
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[deleted] | [WP] You wake up to a robotic AI voice informing your escape pod landed safely. You dont remember who you are or where you are. Your escape pod scans show that all life on this planet is underground. | 9 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Pod 0273 landing is complete. Minimal damage to pod has been reported. Congratulations, you're safe!\" said a voice that shocked the man awake. His gaze swept the area around him, revealing only metal, a chair that he sat in, and monitors. \n\n\"Life detection process complete, indigenous life form found.\" The computer dinged again. Unaware of where he was, or what was going on, he froze. Looking down on his hands, he sees numbers tattooed across the back going from left to right it read 52984387. \n\n\"Running human diagnostics of pilot.\" The computer spoke again. The man was still unsure what was going on. On one monitor he could see something, it looked like black sand that stretched for miles. There was a shrub here and there, but for the most part, it was empty wastes.\n\n\"Diagnostics complete. Prisoner 52984347, Sentence: Exploration, vital signs: breathing, memory check initiating.....\" a mechanical arm dropped down, and with speed injected a needle into his head. He tried to fight it off, but with how little room was in the pod, he couldn't do much. He also felt weak. \n\n\"Memory status: Wiped. Dr. Corbin, do you need a refresher?\" asked the computer. That was the first time he thought of responding to it. \n\n\"Uhh....\" his lips stretched open, his mouth tried to form the words and pictures in his head. The word Yes lingered at the back of his throat with such effort to say \"Y-y-yes.\"\n\n\"Dr. Corbin, you must find the indigenous species known as Bulwarks, and negotiate a trade system,\" said the computer.\n\n\"N....negotiate how?\" asked Corbin, unsure of what the hell was going on. \n\n\"You're an expert in communications, and have been sentenced for treachery in political issues to this task. If you can not complete the task, someone else will come to find you, and eliminate if necessary to continue negotiations.\"\n\n\"And what am I negotiating?\" Corbin's lips, and saliva were finally working properly again. He could easily translate his thoughts into words as he reworked the brain into action.\n\n\"You're negotiating supplying the people with arms to rebel Plant Nord,\" the computer replied. If the computer had a tone, it'd be the tone of an adult talking to a preschooler. \n\n\"Wait, arms? Like weapons?\" said Corbin. After the word, a weapon dropped from the ceiling onto his lap.\n\n\"Thank you for your interest in Prototype XV, bringing you the latest in ending life technology! With a simple pull of the trigger, you will supercharge the very atoms of your rivals, and incinerate them into quarks! No other weapon can give you the satisfaction of stealth kills, awe inspiring glow, and no mess. Buy one for the low price of 500 million Buckaroos!\"\n\n\"Buckaroos... we have a monetary system of Buckaroos? Who the hell made that system?\" asked Corbin.\n\n\"Buckaroos was made after WWWIV by the great Dwayne Johnson.\"\n\n\"The Rock?\" asked Corbin, confused in his head of how he knew that.\n\n\"No relation. Memory spark completed. Opening pod.\" The pod opened up slowly, and with a Prototype XV in his hand he was greeted with a creature that awaited him.\n\n\"Welcome to Planet Vulx,\" said the creature, that sort of looked like a golem, about four feet in size, two feet wide. It had the human shape to it as well \"Our emperor, The Rock, would like to discuss an arms deal with you humans.\"\n\n\"Dwayne Johnson?\" said Corbin, again, instinctively.\n\n\"No relation.\" said the creature.\n\n\"I think I'd rather have the death sentence....\" Corbin muttered."
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[WP] "ugh what's the point in being god if you can only Change stuff with a unanimous vote from the Council of supreme beings?" | 3 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I've watched enough human lives to know that giving your son superiority in any enterprise is a gamble. I thought I did the responsible thing by making him suffer to learn how it feels but now it's like he thinks he's better than everyone because of it. We need to change the rules, this unanimous thing is getting on my last nerve. We can't even decide to have some fun with Justin Bieber without that nitwit getting all feely and soft. They have a reserved place in heaven medamn it! I literally give everyone an eternity of bliss, blowjobs and whatnot in exchange for letting me play with them for a few years and my own son thinks I'm cruel. I'll teach him cruel. I'll just throw some tender boy penis in his precious little catholic choirs and we'll see who's laughing. He won't even notice my hand in it, and if he does one can always blame Lucifer. Maybe I can still send him back down there? I should ask Zeus, he's got experience with these sort of things. And if we have to take a vote on throwing him back down there, does his vote still count? Surely it shouldn't since he's obviously biased. Thot won't mind, he hates his guts anyway, Athena might defend him... I told Zeus we shouldn't do women, but then again he told me not to let my son get such a powertrip. I should have listened when I had the chance. Jesus fucking Christ."
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[removed] | [WP] In a 3-D printing sharing forum, you find a strange, untagged design file and decide to download & print it. The moment the object is complete, it starts to vibrate. | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nSexually explicit themes are not allowed. This includes prompts likely to generate such responses. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8cqwht/wp_in_a_3d_printing_sharing_forum_you_find_a/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] The first autonomous AI is completed , after a few interaction with us it goes silent and not long after a spaceship appears over earths orbit, they want to meet "her" | 5 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Oh, the humanity!\" the radio crackled. Dave turned the dial off. He had never been to a museum of this kind. Nor had anyone really. \nIt was one of the first projects of the Monterey Project, the first collaborative Artificial Intelligence project taken on by a series of corporations who had recently made breakthroughs in AI. \nThe museum he walked through was the first museum designed entirely by Artificial Intelligence to display the history of humanity. \nChildren and parents crowded in the large ornate corridors moving swiftly through the centuries taking in every aspect of \"our\" greatest achievements and greatest disasters.\nDave was captivated by the Hindenburg room. A display so thick with the failures of human hubris that he almost felt sick at its implication. Picture's of the enormous zeppelin engulfed in flames lined the walls. The newsreel footage silently on repeat on the replica of an old black and white television. \nDave was not here to engage in the spectacle. He was not impressed that art had created art. He was not convinced that this was a breakthrough of human achievement but more of an inevitable disaster. The thought surrounded him like the repeated images of the downed Hindenburg around him.\nAs he flipped through news clippings about the day in 1937 he thought about the looming machine. The extra-terrestrial craft that had been floating above Monterey for the past month. What bothered him was how the world went on like nothing was wrong or happening. The people waited patiently for some outside force to report on the situation and give assurance or clarity about it's arrival. Most awaited some form of communication from the beings. \nDave, however, was convinced that they were already in contact. Although, not with us but with what we had created.\nHe flipped rapidly until he found it. The New York Times news clipping from the next day.\nHe pulled out a exact copy that he had printed from the internet. It was exactly what he suspected. The dates, ages, and casualty numbers had not matched. Here there was a code. Maybe implanted by the AI itself, maybe by some of the computer scientists involved with the project. It was unclear.\nHe ripped the page out when no one was looking and then walked briskly to the exit.\n\"Stop,\" an employee yelled as he exited the gates. \"You dropped something!\" Dave grabbed the article and briskly headed for the courtyard. \nSitting in the green courtyard he looked up and could see the looming machine. Silver just like the Hindenburg. He began to decode the message from the news clipping.\n17...04...11:22... am.. \n\"April 17th, 11:22 am.\" He looked at his phone to check the time and date. \"That's... now.\" The phone vibrated and displayed a message. 'Location services enabled.' As he tried to disable the setting he heard a long jarring screech come from overhead. He covered his ears and looked up as the megastructure opened and thousands and thousands of drone-like machines poured from its hull. They blocked out the sun and made their decent... Dave could only watch and wait in horror."
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A tsundere is someone who seems very mean and cold, but is sweet on the inside. A Shonen Hero is someone hot-blooded and full of Japanese spirit. A yandere is someone obsessively in love with somebody. A kuudere is someone silent, cold, and blunt. | [WP] Your mother is a Tsundere. Your father is a Shonen Hero. Your younger sister is a Yandere. Your other sister is a Kuudere. You are literally the only normal person in your family. Tell us of a typical day in your life | 47 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I'm just your average high school student. My family on the other hand...\n\n\"Wake..........birthday....\" a dull stare greeted me from the door as I roll around in my sheets, groaning, hoping to prolong my sleep for just a few more moments.\n\n\"..........breakfast........\" the stare increased in intensity, to the point that I could almost here the *miiii* in the background. \n\nMy youngest sister, Kuu-chan. Couldn't get her to say more than 6 syllables in an hour if her life depended on it.\n\nShooing her from my room, I savor my last moments in bed before I drag myself towards my closet for my new school uniform.\n\nStaring at my sleepy reflection in the mirror, trying to force my beadhead into an acceptable shape, a sudden thumping noise from the other side of my wall startles me backwards. Moments later, the sharp end of a nail pierces my mirror from behind, shattering it, stopping barely inches from where my nose was.\n\nHurried footsteps sounds from down the hall as my door is flung open by my other younger sister.\n\n\"I'm so sorry Onii-channnn\" a flushed, teary eyed face filled my vision as she somehow manages to cross my rather messy room in a single bound, knife in one hand and hammer in the other\n\n\"Another voodoo doll, Yan?\" I remark dryly, examining the wreckage of glass on my bedroom floor\n\n\"Ara, how embarrassing!\" Yan-chan grabs her cheeks, swaying and grinning to herself, \"I had just gotten such a good SAMPLE from the BITCH who is stalking my beloved SENPAI\"\n\nAnother crack fills the room as my 14 year old sister manages to crush the metal knife in her hand into shards, thinking about her new rival of the week.\n\n\"O-okay,\" I stammer, glancing at new metal shards that have joined the glass wreckage on my bedroom floor, \"Hope it all works out, please clean up your mess, I'm going to go get breakfast now...\"\n\nRetreating slowly I make a dash for the stairs before Yan decides to misdirect her anger towards her new rival to something or someone else.\n\n\"Oh, happy birthday, Onii-chan!!\" Yan yells after me, sticking her head out into the landing from my doorway\n\nSighing deeply to myself as I reach the bottom of the stairs, I brace myself, grab my schoolbag to shield my head and open the door to the dining room. \n\n\"B-BAKA!\" a familiar voice rang out from across the room. A couple of apples and a flower vase bounce off my bag and crashes onto the tatami floor, splashing my pant leg with water. \"I-i-i-it's not like I love you or anything!\"\n\nLowering my school bag, I see my parents having their usual morning face-off in the middle of the room, my mom blushing fiercely, my dad with his usual foolish and bright smile plastered across his face.\n\n\"Aw, honey!\" My dad says in his normal brash, boisterous yell, \"I love you too! The power of our love and friendship will allow me to overcome any odds at work today!!\"\n\nAnother vase careens full force into his nose, leaving a cartoonish looking lump and bandage in its wake, yet somehow not shaking his smile a single degree. \n\n\"S-S-S-Stupid! Idiot!\" My mom managed to turn a brand new color of purple-red, clouds of steam now rising from the top of her glossy red hair, tied up into long, sleek twintails.\n\n\"Oh, good morning, son!\" My dad turned to greet me, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his wife appeared to be turning plum colored, \"Happy 16th my young man! It's a big day for you, new school and one year older! You have come of age my child, my dearest wish is that this year you will find the nakama to fill your heart and support you through all life's troubles!!\"\n\nI give him a weak smile as he begins pounding on my back, about to launch into a speech on his favorite topic, friendship. \n\nAn elaborate birthday cake, fancy breakfast and packed lunch slide into my view as my mother sidles closer to me and my dad.\n\n\"H-h-happy birthday, dear\" she stammers, fiddling with her hair and poking her index fingers together, blushing and examining the cracks in the tatami, \"I had some extra birthday cake in the fridge...IT'S NOT LIKE I MADE YOU A CAKE AND YOUR FAVORITE MEALS FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY OR ANYTHING\" \n\nI nod at her silently, hoping she wouldn't destroy the delicious looking food out of embarrassment or anything.\n\n\"My honey!!\" My dad cried, grabbing my mom's hand, \"How thoughtful of you to make something special! The power of your love is truly on a different level!!\"\n\nMy mom's eyes widen, the blush on her face gaining yet another shade of red. Twisting her hip and pulling my dad forward, my mom judo throws my father through our living room wall, displaying an almost flawless martial arts form.\n\n\"D-d-d-don't just do something so lewd in front of our son!\" She screams, before storming into the kitchen and slamming the door.\n\nQuickly grabbing my lunch before it could be met with any more violence, I run out the door, rushing to change into my shoes and yelling something over my shoulder about being late for my first day of school.\n\n\"But it's only 4 am, son!\" My dad yelled after me. But it was too late. I was already out the door.\n\nWalking carefully down the sidewalk to school, I check my phone, 4:02 am, just as planned. The start of year ceremony is at 8 am, I had plenty of time to carefully make it to school in time with zero...*incidents*\n\nChecking around the corner and giving the wall a wide berth. I take a tentative step forward before quickly retreating several steps, just in time to avoid a wild-looking blonde girl zooming by on a bicycle, toast in her mouth, wearing the school uniform as me but clearly heading in the opposite direction.\n\nClose call. We could have crashed into each other and started something bad.\n\nTaking careful steps forward, I check all directions for any other strange girls, spotting several, standing conveniently in a passing breeze that was threatening to lift their very short shirts up to reveal.....I quickly fix my gaze at the nearby rooftops.\n\nA homeless lady in expensive looking shawls shifts on sidewalk ahead of me. I quickly drop my gaze and turn to cross the street. It's best to avoid shady characters this early in the morning....especially this morning.\n\nChecking both ways as I cross the street, I wait several seconds after the walk sign signals that it's OK to cross, letting the out-of-control truck careen past my nose before crossing quickly. Another close call. If I had been hit by that, I would have definitely been sent to another, probably fantasy-RPG themed, world.\n\nSuccessfully crossing the street, I check the map on my phone, 1.5 more miles to school.\n\nI had spent a lot of time picking this school. Not on a mountain, not on the other side of a sketchy tunnel with only one bus line that goes there. Not too rural, not too urban, no free scholarships and definitely not the most elite or worst school in the area. I checked and double checked that it was, in fact a co-ed high school, not some career training school or recently converted all-girls school. I trawled through the internet to make sure it wasnt built on a historical site, or had an old, sealed-off but for some reason not torn down extra building.\n\nA perfectly normal high school.\n\nAnd me? I was going to be a perfectly normal high school student.\n\nStepping over several very lifelike cute plushies and dodging a girl I recognized from my elementary school and middle school, I check my phone again. 5 am. I was going to get to school on time with no flags raised if it killed me.\n\nBecause, I am a perfectly normal high school protagonist of this bad manga pilot and I am going to live a peaceful and normal life, Thank You Very Much.\n\nNo matter what my dear, wishy-washy (overworked) writer and you damn readers want.",
"My mom is a Tsundere. She’s cold-hearted and mean at first, like she refused to breastfeed me (I know cause my dad, whom I will get to soon, makes jokes about it all the time). She didn’t really hug me till I was four and told her how much I loved her. It took her four years to hug me. And in that time, she had another daughter, making us a total of three sisters. Sometimes I’d catch her humming to herself and making breakfast. She tries to keep it a secret, but she’s actually rather sweet.\n\nMy dad is a Shonen Hero. Yes, you read that right. He’s straight out of a manga book I stole from the library. He’s loud and showy. He’ll be all up in your face. Then he’ll be in the backyard on the swing alone. His parents died in Vietnam. Grandfather was a nurse and grandmother was a foot soldier. They met in the war. They had him in the war. Then they died just as the war would come to an end. So, he was raised by his aunt but swore to himself that he would make a big family of his own one day to love and cherish. He’s a firefighter now, famous for his bravery and selflessness. I guess it’s no surprise he had three daughters after falling in love with his childhood crush (mom, who at first refused to be around him but slowly grew to adore him). I know he’ll always be in my corner.\n\nMy older sister is a Kuudere. Maybe she gets the cold and calm from our mother, but you’ll never see her break a sweat. A guy crashed right into her car once on the highway and she stepped out of the wreckage like she just wanted to stretch. She called the cops. Insurance. The guy shit his pants and offered to pay for everything. All because she looked irritated while he thanked his god for being alive and apologized over and over. The thing is, I know her secret. She’s gay, in love with this girl from our high school. But she would never admit it. To her, emotions are a weakness, even though she has plenty to share. She’d rather put up a shield of sarcasm than a hug, but I’ll hug her anyway just to let her know how much I love her and wish she was here.\n\nMy younger sister is no better. She’s worse. The complete opposite. She’ll be all lovey-dovey and happy and bright, then as soon as she has you in her grips, it’s chaotic and crazy. She knows you’ve fallen for her, so she’ll just be herself. Which I guess is admirable. But I saw her literally beat the spittle out of this kid (breaking his arm and giving him two black eyes) because he called her friend a whore. She was eight when that happened. I guess that’s why people like her so much. If you’re on her good side, she’ll go to any length to have your back. I worry about her cause it’ll definitely get her in trouble someday. But I’m also happy knowing that she’ll be there for me.\n\nAs for me? I live alone now. I work from 9 to 5 and I come home to my empty apartment. I make dinner for one and it’s either some premade shit or I’ll order something quick. I sit in front of my computer in the dark watching my family live out their lives. Over and over. It’s just this one show about a family of five. A mom and a dad and three sisters who take on the world and are smiling all the time. I always pretend I’m the middle sibling (whose character is just there to narrate everything), mostly because then I can actually be in the middle and feel like I’m surrounded by loved ones. I leave the computer running all the time, even when I’m not home. I’m kind of scared they’ll leave me if I shut it off.\n\n\n",
"I don’t know what I’ve done for the universe to bestow upon me such a family.\n\nDon’t get me wrong, I don’t really hate them, but they’re not the usual kind of people you’d meet.\n\nDad always yells about the power of friendship and love, always looking to prove himself. He’s like a kid. \n\nMom is seemingly always upset and serious when it comes to Dad, but it’s obvious she’s just acting. I can’t figure it why. She's sweet with most other people.\n\nAs for my siblings, my younger (Only by a year) Sis likes a guy. How do I know this ? She keeps pictures of him in our room. Sometimes, at night, I swear that I can hear her doing ... something... I don’t know what she’ll do if she finds out that I know about her... habits. \n\nAlso, that guy she really, *really* likes already has a girlfriend, and Sis doesn’t like that. She *really* doesn’t like that. She had this maniacal look on her face when she talked to me about it. \n\nAs for my even younger Sis, I sometimes forget that she’s there. She’s quiet. Very quiet. It’s hard to even remember what she sounds like sometimes. All she really does is draw. She has her room, because Mom thinks she deserves it... Pfft, what a doll. "
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[WP] A shapeshifter loses his memory in an accident (describe) and can no longer remember his true identity. | 35 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I awake in a strange bed, no memory of how I got there. Connected to my arms are tubes and wires to what looks like a bag of some sort of red liquid. The room I am in is all white and I hear beeping to my left.\n\nWhen I look over I see a machine of some sort with lines that spike every so often and weird numbers displayed on the screen.\n\nI try to sit up, but a crushing pain hits me on my abdomen and I get a splitting headache. I reach towards my head and realjze it has been bandaged up and I lift up my bed sheets to that my chest is also bandaged up. As I'm looking down I notice my skin is a very odd shade of orange but on my arm is an almost invisible shade of purple writing. Upon further inspection it reads: \"fix what he has done\".\n\nConfused and frightened of my environment, I start to quickly take out the tubes connected to my arm and alarms start to sound. Soon people in white aprons come flocking in the room restraining me and they inject me with something and I pass out.\n\nWhen I awake, there is a man in a black suit sitting next to me starring at me with grace eyes. He says, \"Welcome back sir. How are you feeling?\" \n\nConfused I reply, \"Hurts. What happened? Who am I?\" The man nods and says, \"The nurse said you would have some low grade memory loss after your shock. Sir, you've been in an accident. More to the point, you've survived an assassination attempt.\"\n\nA chill rushes down my spine and I sit up straighter, which causes me great pain. \"What-what do you mean?\" The man turns on the tv in the room and a the reporter says, \"The assailants shot at the driver and the car crashed into the median-\" the man turns off the tv. \"You took 2 bullets to the chest that were near fatal, but what we were most worried about was the hit to your head. Can you tell me what you remember?\"\n\nI shake my head, \"Nothing, but can you tell me what's written on my arm?\" The man gets a perplexed look and glances at your arm, \"There's.. nothing there sir.. are you sure you're alright?\"\n\nI stare at my arm intently and still see the writing. I think, 'Why can't he see it? Am I really going crazy?' While distracted, the man hands you a phone and says, \"Would you like to tweet to the people that you're okay, Mr. President?\" \n",
"Birds chirp. They sing. They caw. I turn my head to look at the bird. Suddenly, I feel small. I glance down and see feathers. \n\nWhat are the feathers for?\n\nBird. \n\nThey're for the bird. The bird is me. A tree stands below. Suddenly, I feel like I'm growing. \n\nNo. Impossible. I am a bird. I stop growing and feel small again. \n\n\"Where did he go?\" I flick my head to the side. There's a being yelling as she stands in the building. Another being barges in. \n\n\"The man! He's gone!\" \n\n\"What do you mean gone? Hilda, he's paralysed and in a coma!\" They shout to each other. \n\n\"I don't know! But we have to find that man! Come on!\" They disappear from sight.\n\nThe man. He. Him. Who is that? Hilda. That is Hilda.\n\nI felt a change in my body. I was no longer small and full of feathers. I looked like the beings in the building. Long shapes prodded from me. The touched the grass, that's how long they were. More shapes prodded from me, I was able to move them more than the ones below me. \n\nI copied the being's movement and dropped from the tree. I walked around the building. More beings like me were coming in and out of the building. I wanted to go into the building. \n\n\"Mommy, that woman is naked!\" A loud whisper came from a small being similar to me.\n\n\"Charles, don't point! Woman, put some clothes on you disgusting creep!\" Being like me said. She grabbed small being and they left. \n\nLady. Woman. Creep. I looked at it, the Charles, and looked at me. There were differences. My eye level changed. I was closer to the ground now. I look down.\n\nHow odd. There is differences between Charles and lady. \n\nI walk into the building. There are more beings. Some look like lady, woman, creep. None look like Charles. \n\n\"Excuse me, son, where's your mom? You can't be walking around here without clothes.\" Being not like Charles or lady or woman or creep said. \n\n\"Not. Son. Charles.\" The being changed his look. \n\n\"Alright, I'm Dr. Ross. Why don't you come with me?\" Dr. Ross being said and took of... clothes. Clothes was given to Charles. \n\nClothes did not fit Charles. There was a change and a loud bang. Dr. Ross did not look the same as before. Dr. Ross ran. I look at stumpy appendages sticking out of me. They look like Dr. Ross.\n\nI am Dr. Ross.\n\nWith clothes on, I walk more. I want to find Hilda. I want to help Hilda find Man, he, him. \n\nI walk and walk. Lady, woman, creep make noises when I pass. No Hilda. \n\nI walk to window and see a tree with a little bird. Hilda was here. I change. \n\n\"Excuse me, who are you?\" Someone asks.\n\nWho am I? I am... Bird, Hilda, Lady, Woman, Creep, Charles Dr. Ross... No. That's not right. How can I be all of them? Bird and Hilda don't look alike. Nor do Lady or Charles or Charles and Dr. Ross. Who am I? \n\n\"Kurt Winston?\" Voice asks.\n\n\"Who?\" whispers.\n\n\"The man who's missing, his name is Kurt Winston. He was in this room.\" \n\nKurt. Winston. The man. He. Kurt Winston. \n\nWho is Kurt Winston?\n\n\"Kurt?\" Same voice asks. \n\nKurt. \n\nKurt.\n\nKurtKurtKurtKurtKurtKurtKurtKurtKurt. \n\nWhat does Kurt look like? \n\n\"Hilda, that can't be Kurt Winston. Mr. Winston can't walk.\" Whispers.\n\nSuddenly, the long sticks point out of me stop working. I drop and flop to the ground. This is what Kurt does. Kurt cannot walk. \n\n\"What the hell just happened? I'm calling the police Hilda, don't go near him!\" \n\n\"Kurt? It's you isn't it?\" Voice says. Hilda? Yes. \"Kurt?\"\n\nI don't know. Am I man missing? \n\nI look around room. I stare at the shiny thing in front of me. A being is staring at me. Not a Bird or a Hilda or lady or woman or creep or Charles or Dr. Ross. \n\nI don't know what it is. It is none of those things. I don't want to be those things. I want to be... me.\n\nBeing changes. Appendages change. Still cannot walk. Like Kurt. I am like Kurt. Being like Kurt changes again. \n\nSounds. I turn my head. Hilda is there, something white in her hand. \n\n\"Its alright. You're Kurt Winston. It's ok. I know it's confusing. You were in a terrible accident.\" \n\n\"Not. Kurt.\" I say. \n\n\"Yes, you're Kurt. Look here, this is you.\" White object is put in front of me. A being on the object is copying me... copying my body... \n\n\"A-cc-accident?\" \n\n\"Yes. Authorities found you by the train tracks. Do you remember anything?\" Hilda asks.\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"You were in a coma for eight months and sadly... it left you paralysed and you lost your memories...\" \n\n\"Oh. Mem... Memories?\" Who is memories?\n\n\"Uh, memories, the things you.. um.. you go through life in moments... and you save those moments... they're called memories.\"\n\nMemories. Memories doesn't sound like me. Memories isn't paralysed.\n\n\"And I am Kurt Winston?\" Not memories?\n\n\"Yes, you're Kurt Winston.\" She repeats slowly. \n\nI am Kurt Winston. "
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[WP] A Cryptozoologist searching for Bigfoot accidently finds his way to a parallel universe earth where humans are long extinct and Bigfoot has become the dominant species. He now has Cryptozoologist Bigfoot’s searching for him… | 302 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Take a moment and look up a bigfooter named Dr. Matt Johnson. He claims to be in psychic communication with king of sasquatches. Turns out sasquatches come to earth from another dimension/planet through a wormhole that Dr. Johnson controls with a flashlight.\n\nYour best day as a creative writer has nothing on this guy. Bonus points, he's a practicing Psychologist. \n\n",
"> \"Here in the forests of North America, a creature of myth and legend is said to roam. It has many names, but most know it as 'Tinyfoot.' What is Tinyfoot? Where does it live? What does it want? And what evidence is there that it even exists? Join us as we explore the myth and legend of the most mysterious creature ever to roam our planet.\"\n\nBob and Sally sit on their old leather couch. Bob is smoking the nub of a blunt and Sally is munching on a giant pile of raw celery greens. Sally shakes her fur covered head.\n\n\"Why do you watch this stuff Bob?\"\n\nBob holds his breath and then coughs out a prodigious plume of pungent smoke. He talks through the coughing. \"Cause it's crazy Sal.\" *Cough*. \"A little version of us.\" *Cough.* \"Hiding in the woods, for decades?!\" *Cough*. \"How crazy is that?\"\n\nSally doesn't think it's all that crazy. \"I guess.\" She chews off the head of a fresh stalk of celery as the narrator continues.\n\n> For over thirty years, Tinyfoot has been a recurring legend in North America. Beginning with the first sighting by a woodsman and his family in 1994, every few years interest in Tinyfoot increases and new information comes to light.*\n\nOn the screen there is a very grainy photo of what looks like a small, bipedal figure, almost hairless, turning to look at the camera from inside of a forest. Sally can hardly make out any detail at all.\n\n\"See, this is what I mean, what is that even evidence of?\" Sally says through a crunchy mouthful of vegetable matter. \n\nBob is rapt, staring at the TV. He shushes Sally annoyedly. \n\n> \"The range of evidence in the last three decades has been extensive, but never concrete. Always Tinyfoot seems to evade direct detection or capture. Professor Hairy Largeknuckle of the University of Westvine has been studying Tinyfoot his entire career.\"\n\nSally burst into laughter. \"What an illustrious career *that* must have been. Ape oh ape, you've got to be fucking kidding.\"\n\n\"Hey if you don't want to watch,\" Bob lost his train of thought mid sentence and slowly turned back to the screen. Proffesor Largeknuckle was speaking, holding a plaster impression of what could only be described as a tiny footprint.\n\nSally bent over and scratched a spot on the top of her brown, hairy foot. \"Fine.\"\n\nThe professor was only 7 feet tall, at most, with gray hairs over his whole body, barely trimmed. He looked like a rabid chimp.\n\n> \"...wily. In all my years of seeking out Tinyfoot, the closest I ever came to trapping him was leaving some strange supplies behind as a lure. I found that human treats would sometimes disappear when left in the forest over night. Now some of my colleagues were quick to attribute this to stray dogs or racoons. But what racoon leaves a print like *this*, I ask you?\"\n\nBob muttered to himself, amazed. \"No racoon I've ever seen.\" \n\n\"Are you really talking to the TV?\" Sally was incredulous.\n\n\"So what if I am?\" Bob seemed to notice the celery for the first time and reached over for one. \n\nSally pulled the plate away. \"Oh no, not with that attitude you don't.\" \n\nBob's bulbous eyes were bloodshot and he took a kind of semi-mocking offense. \"Attitude? Me? I'm not the one knocking Tinyfoot.\"\n\nHe reached for the celery again and Sally stood up playfully, all seven and a half feet of stomping brown hair and muscle, holding the celery over her head. \"You can have celery if you apologize.\" \n\n\"Never\"\n\n\"Fine with me.\" Sally made a big show of chomping on a particularly juicy stalk, spinning around and waltzing out of the room. Bob stopped her just as she reached the giant bedroom doorframe. \n\n\"OK!\" Bob frowned. \"I'm sorry Sally.\" \n\nSally walked back over to the couch and plopped down again beside Bob with a heavy thud, causing the floorboards to creak. \"You better be.\" Then she handed over the plate of celery and Bob happily began chewing on a stalk. \"Now, can we please turn this shit off?\"\n\nBob frowned again but relented. He picked up the remote to change the channel, cutting off the professor mid sentence.\n\n> \"...sometimes I do. I feel a certain kindred connection with Tinyfoot, as though we are not so different, him and I. Perhaps one day...\"\n\nThe channel changed and three giant hairy apes stood behind pedestals while another ape with a blond coif and a red bowtie clipped at his neck held a microphone.\n\n> \"And the actual retail price is 999 Acorns! That means Jeremy, you did it with your 1 Acorn bid. Come on down!\"\n\nJeremy, a plain looking giant ape with a befuddled look races over to the host, ready to play for a new washing machine. Bob and Sally cuddle up close together on the couch and settle in over their celery.\n\n*******\n\n##### For More Legends From The Multiverse\n\n##### r/LFTM\n\n\n"
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[removed] | [WP] I can’t sleep. Tell me a story beginning with ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ | 3 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"***\"It was a dark and stormy night.\"***\n\n\nNo. Too cliche.\n\n\n***...***\n\n\n***\"It happened at night. A storm loomed over our heads, roaring, tearing through our very souls.\"***\n\n\nWAY too cliche. Use a bit less emotion.\n\n\n***...***\n\n\n***FiNe.***\n\n\n***\"At the time, the weather was very bad. I was much more wet than I should have been. Also, I couldn't see and-\"***\n\n\nNo, no, no!\n\n\nLook. You're the \"first line\" of our story. What if this becomes our hit story?\n\n\nI need you to attract the reader, so that I can narrate the world to the reader!\n\n\nYou can't just start with a boring line like \"It wAs A dAAAAARRRRKKK aND STOOORRRRRRMMMMYYYYY NIIIIIIIGGGGHHHTT!!! :O\". You need to have essence!\n\n\n***For god's sake man, could you shut up?***\n\n\n***I'm literally just the first few words. You're the one who's supposed to keep the story interesting the whole way through, but you're not even letting me start the goddamn story!***\n\n\nYou want me to shut up? Oh come you twat, you want to be the goddamn narrator!? FINE.\n\n\n***...***\n\n\n***...***\n\n\n***...***\n\n\n***Well, shit.***",
"It was a dark and stormy night. I couldn't see anything through the oppressive darkness, let alone where my feet were landing. All that I could go by was the pounding of rain and hail on the cement below me as I ran, sprinted for safety. I dare not look behind me.\n\nMy frantic mind lost track of the turns I took; split-second decisions that had no rhyme or reason other than to confuse whoever, *whatever* was chasing me. \n\nDown an alley, turn left behind the red brick building, hop the fence, take a right. Dead end. I turned around, and I could hear the creature bounding after me. No matter how fast I ran, it kept pace with me. Like it was toying with me. \n\nWithout thinking, I ran and jumped at one of the walls, unable to see but still reaching for something, anything. My hand smacked hard around something ridged, something metal. The bottom rung of a fire escape. Wait, weren't these normally high up? Was this one stuck halfway down?\n\nI didn't have time to think about it. I climbed up and quickly felt my way along the stairs, cutting myself a few times where the railing was warped and had become sharp.\n\n\"Shit!\" I half-whispered. I could only hope the rain would wash away the scent before whatever it was below me picked it up and found a way to get to me. \n\nWith that thought, my footsteps quickened, matching the pace of my thudding heart. Before long I had reached the roof, and I felt relieved. For a moment, that is. Just as I'd taken a sigh of relief, I realized that if the creature somehow got up here, I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to jump, except to death. Which, coincidentally, was exactly what I was *trying* to avoid.\n\nNearby, something smacked against the top of the building, almost like someone set down a ceramic flower pot too hard. The noise of it made me jump, and I turned around. The scent of it made me nauseous. A mixture of stale blood, wet fur, and sulfur threatened to suffocate me.\n\nIt began snarling, a low, guttural growl. But there was more to it. Beyond the growl, hidden behind the beast's teeth, were the screams of hundreds of men and women. They were cries of agony, pleas for help. And yet there would be no salvation for them. Just as there would be none for me.\n\nAfter all I'd been through, I was about to die in the jaw of this bloodthirsty beast that seemed to come from the depths of hell itself. I slowly backed up, feeling for a wall behind me, anything to stabilize myself on so I could at least *try* to fight back. In doing so, I nearly tripped myself, my feet fumbling in my panic. However, before I could, I felt my back press against an icy stone wall.\n\nEven without the ability to see the creature, I could tell it was only a few feet away, and moving closer. As if it wanted to savor every second of the kill.\n\nI slid down the wall, all fight leaving me. How could I defend myself if this thing could get up a fire escape? How could I fight it if I couldn't see it? I'd at least need some light!\n\nNo sooner had the word entered my head than a bright light flashed overhead, magnifying through the water droplets that were still bombarding me. It was as if someone had turned on the sun. The entire building top was bathed in light. Matter of fact, it appeared the entire *block* had been lit by the strange, floating light.\n\nThe creature before me winced, its growls turning momentarily to whimpers as its eyes adjusted to the change. My eyes fixed on it, and I felt the blood drain from my face.\n\nI'd imagined it as something of a wolf. Hell, even a werewolf. What I saw before me, however, was nothing of the sort. Standing on all fours, it only somewhat resembled a dog of any kind, despite the indicative growls. Instead of hair, it was covered in torn and burnt skin, with patches appearing to be taken from humans and stitched on in a half-assed attempt at a skin graft. Its jaw hung loose until it decided to snap it closed. At that point, it would slam shut, accompanied by a growl and the sound of bones snapping back together.\n\nMy lunch threatened to climb back to the surface. I noticed it lacked ears and a tail, as if someone had cut them off. It was truly a horrific sight. That alone sapped my strength and left me unable to even fight.\n\nI slumped to the ground, breathing heavy, and the creature lunged. I didn't even care anymore. I couldn't take it anymore.\n\n*Shink!* The unmistakable sound of a sword sliding from its sheath in record time. I cracked open my eyes, despite not having realized I'd closed them. All I had time to see was a glowing blue light slice through the emaciated hound and cleave it in two.\n\nI sat stunned for a moment, and then slowly opened my eyes more. In front of me stood boy, with glowing yellow eyes and frost blue hair. His skin was a pale white, and he wore silver earrings in the shapes of tiny daggers. He was wiping his blade, and his tanktop and jeans were stained with blood.\n\n\"You're lucky I saw your witchlight. I'd have never come up here without it.\" He shook his head, but he didn't turn back.\n\n\"Who... who are you?\" My voice wavered, unsure if this new stranger was going to kill me.\n\n\"Me? That's a long story. One you'll tell me on the way.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, on the way where? I'm not going anywhere but home.\"\n\n\"No, you're coming with me. We're going to speak with the Devil's Council.\"\n\n\"The what? And why do I have to come with you? And what did you say about witchlight?\"\n\n\"Look, I'll answer your questions later. Right now, we need to get going. I'll answer your why, and that's it, is that alright?\"\n\nI took a moment to stare at him, thinking it over. If he wanted to kill me, he would have. Instead, he'd saved my life. \"Fine.\"\n\n\"Because nobody can create a witchlight that bright except for the greatest wizards on the Devil's Council. Until you.\""
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[WP] You are trapped in a metal corridor with no means of escape. A creature is slowly coming with the intention of killing you. You have no means of rest or using basic hygiene products like the lavatory. Your only food is a single sandwich every two miles. | 8 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"At first, I had sprinted as fast as I could away from the creature. Eventually, I was walking slow enough to keep an eye on it. The monster was bigger than me and pure muscle. But in the confined space, it had to crawl which made it slow. It's teeth were razor sharp. Its eyes glowed red. \n\nBut it was real. And real things use energy. Energy that is sustained by eating. And I was getting hungry. That's about the time that the first sandwich popped up. Big. Beautiful. A plentiful amount of tomatoes. A good balance of meat and bread. Amazing hand made mayo. It was the perfect sandwich.\n\nThat gave me a dilemma. In the battle between hunter and prey, it's normally a war of attrition. The sandwiches had enough moisture in the tomatoes to sustain my fluids. The meat had protein. The bread, carbohydrates. The sandwich was big, maybe 1000 calories. I was only burning about 100 calories a mile, and I was being given a sandwich every two. That left a surplus of over half a sandwich of unnecessary calories and weight. Unnecessary calories that I didn't want going to the monster.\n\nIt looks like they had thought of everything. I could keep carrying the sandwiches, which would add weight and wear me out. Or, I could eat the sandwiches, which would almost accomplish the same thing. I couldn't prevent the sandwiches from being left behind at some point. At 1lb per sandwich, I would only make it at most 3 days before being laden with 30+ pounds of sandwiches. I'm not weak, but I don't have that kind of stamina.\n\nRather than wait 3 days to find out what would happen if the monster got a sandwich, I had decided to give it one pretty much immediately. It had gobbled it up. So, it likes sandwiches and it wants to eat me and evidently we're all stuck down in a corridor together. I couldn't starve it to death (my original plan). I had to think of another way.\n\nI'd like to say that the idea hit me light a lightbulb. But it hadn't. More like the form of a smelly burp. My smelly burp. Full of the fresh, partly processed smells of fresh sandwich. With fresh mayo. I stopped giving the monster the leftover portion of sandwich. Instead, I held onto it. And held onto it. For almost I day I gathered sandwiches, keeping track of which one was the oldest. The monster was getting very, very hungry.\n\nMayo doesn't sit will outside of the fridge. In fact, it can become quite deadly - especially in mixed mediums. Like meat that is also outside of a fridge. And I had just given the monster four deadly sandwiches. It gobbled them right up. I continued collecting sandwiches, eating some of the fresh one and holding onto the rest of it before laying down more deadly sandwiches. I was practically juggling over a dozen sandwiches at a time.\n\nBy the middle of day two, the monster showed its first sign of problems. I'd like to point out that I had also been eating all of the tomatoes from the sandwiches. The monster had been going without fluids for over 24 hours. And it was slowing down and frothing at the mouth. The mayo finally took its toll and the monster spewed out an unworldly conglomerate of sandwich pieces and bile. I had the foresight to keep my distance; I'm not sure what bacteria live in its stomach.\n\nI was low on sleep, but I knew that if I ran for a bit I could buy myself an hour's worth of time while crawled to catch up. The monster made enough noise on the metal walls to wake me up when it got close, so I wasn't very worried about getting killed while resting. I've got to admit, that first hour of sleep was the best I'd gotten in a long time.\n\nThe metal grating woke me from my slumber. The monster was getting close. I went and took a look at it. It was breathing heavy. Its eyes didn't have the bright glow that they originally had. The teeth were dull from what must have been a whole slew of vomiting. I could almost touch survival. Another day, and I knew it would be dead.\n\nSo I had waited. And it had died. It wasn't an amazing, victorious feeling. More of a quiet loss of life. When you're alone with another living being, you oddly become attached to its presence. I walked for a bit further down the corridor by myself. I came across what would be my final sandwich, when a door opened next to me.\n\n\"Space Cadet, would you mind explaining yourself.\" It was the American General. I had heard of him, of course. This was my first time meeting him. \"Well, I volunteered for this challenge because no one had beaten it.\" It was true. There was no one else. It had appeared to be an impossible scenario, and none had escaped. I doubt the American space General had even expected me to finish alive. \"You weren't supposed to beat it. That's the point. You were supposed to go on for forever, give up, or get eaten.\"\n\nI looked at him for a bit. He looked at me. \"Want to try again? \""
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1,
8
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"1524069079",
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[WP] As a child you learned that every word you speak brings you closer to your death and now you can feel your final words are close at hand. | 18 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"When I opened my eyes for the first time, and the light from the delivery room was the first to penetrate my eyelids and register in my brain, my body didn't make noise. As if by instinct, from understanding the implications of it, I made no words or babblings in my first moments, so I could savor my last. The doctor didn't speak either, instead just giving a thumbs up to my mother, letting her know we were okay. \n\nThey called it the Arcs, or articulation retention central system. Its creator is unknown, but it tracks everyone on the planet through a little microchip implanted in the Broca's area. Once you come to 4.9 M words, your chip will buzz informing you that's where you're at. At 4.95M, you get a warm sensation, like you have to pee, except in your head. And, when you have 100 words left, enough for a sentence or two, you are given a sharp pain in your left foot. It's called the speakers hobble, because it doesn't go away. The chip wants to take your life, so it makes it uncomfortable in your last moments.\n\nAround the city are orators: typically older men who didn't speak for their earlier lives. They get paid handsomely to talk on stages for hours on end, using a million words at a time -- but getting a dollar a word. Enough to retire on, for them. There are warriors: those who have under 500,000 words left that wish to fight and die in battle. Scholars, who have any length of words left, but simply wish to learn more. Teachers, Doctors, Service industry workers. All the jobs of a functional city. And yet, for a city which should be loud, it's so quiet. No one speaks when you walk down a street, couples who have been together 70 years will limp down a street together, savoring a moment by pointing at something and then kissing. Bars don't have noise -- men will walk up to women, and if a woman thinks he's attractive she kisses him and takes him home for some fun.\n\nAmelia and I... we met in college. She was sitting in the back row in a class with a teacher who was, by all accounts, ridiculous. He would throw words around and talk about thinks like he had no cares in the world. Like his count wasn't coming up. \n\nShe came up to me after class, and we ended up talking for hours. I knew that day I would marry her. It was worth the 100,000 words I used. \n\nLife got hard, more confusing, but better. At least we were together through it all...good and bad. \n\nThen, my father died. I stood at the podium as he went under and I spent yet another 50,000 words to commemorate his death. I spoke of how well respected he was, and how even though he was a smoker he deserved the long life he got. How he never had the hobble, he simply passed. \n\nHalfway through the speech, I felt a buzz. Too soon, I thought. I've barely spent two million through my life thus far. I've been so careful; I've tracked it out. But the system was never wrong, so we say. \n\nFive years and 99,700 words later, I knew my time was coming. We had tracked it, and I knew what I needed to say. I just...hadn't figured out how. But that was irrelevant now. We were at the end of the line, so I had to make it work.\n\nI looked at my wife. The woman I had built a life, an empire, and a fortune with. I stared so deep into her eyes so that I could savor them, even in death. \n\n\"I promised you an empire,\" I began. \"I gave you the best I could. I provided the best I could through it all. Every spare word I had went to you. Every day, I woke up next to the woman I loved so dearly and so deeply. You are the best thing that has every happened to me, Amelia. If I could do it all over again, the only thing I would do differently is spend less words in my youth, knowing the woman I was destined to marry was waiting for me. You were, and are, the love of my life. My soulmate, and the person I hope I can spend eternity with in the afterlife. I have loved you since I met you, and even in death I pray that can continue. I am unsure what the future holds for you, but I hope it's as amazing and vibrant as the life we've had together. I hope you can find love again, and find your passions...not just ours. The things we did don't have to be what you do, you can go on without playing cards, without sewing, without antique hunting. I want you to have everything that the world,\" I winced. My left foot hurt, a lot. Like I was stepping on a train track nail, piercing my foot. \"...can offer without me, whatever you want. The fortune is enough. You are all I have ever wanted in this world, and everything I will miss dearly. Our kids will live on, and they will be happy! I'm so grateful for them, but they aren't who I devoted my life to... who I devoted my heart to. That focus is on you. My heart, in entirety, is focused on you. Nothing could ever get in the way of that, not even this... Not the Arcs, not another person, not death.\" I took a breath. Saying so many words at once was exhausting. I had all of ten left. I just smiled and looked at her.\n\n\"My love,\" she began. Her weight seemed to be leaned on my bed, leaning on me. Her right foot rested firmly on the ground, but her left was gingerly touching. \"There is no world without you. I've chosen my words well, throughout my life. And when I'm done with this sentence, I'll have but seven left...so shall we make them count?\" She smiled, the purest one I had seen since we met.\n\"Yes, we should.\" I replied. \n\"I love you,\" She said.\n\"As I you.\" I said as I kissed her, my aging body almost preventing me from it. \n\"May we meet... again.\" The last word pushed out of her mouth like a losing breath, a battle she forced herself to finish. And just like that, she was slumped in my lap. An entire life...gone, over four last words.\n\"May we meet again,\" I said. \n\nAnd the world turned to black."
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"1524138739",
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Feel free to use whatever song/show/movie you want in place of "I kissed a girl". | [WP] Due to a freak time travel accident, Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" gets broadcast all across 1950's America. | 354 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Marilyn Monroe was applying the last of her makeup as she hummed the song that she was about to preform: Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend. After finishing her look with eye popping cherry colored lipstick, she stood up from her seat in front of the mirror and adjusted the pink dress chosen for the occasion. \n\n\nTo be honest, she was a tiny bit nervous. She always was before she preformed. But, Marilyn knew that as soon as she was on stage, the butterflies would disappear. \n\nLeaving the dressing room, she was greeted by the owner of the establishment where she was preforming. “Darling, if you get any prettier, I might have to ask you for some back seat bingo!” he laughed as he escorted Marilyn to the back of the stage. Marilyn just gave a tiny giggle to that comment. “I’m not sure if I should thank you or slap you, Charlie.”\n\n\n“Ouch! You’re a cat with claws!” Charlie replied, but with a friendly demeanor, “But for serious now. You ready to blow them away, Ms. Monroe?”\n\nMarilyn smiled, then with a nod, she approached the stage. \n\n\n“And now, may I present to you all... America’s diamond... The beautiful... MARILYN MONROE!”\n\n\nAs the cheers erupted, Marilyn flung the curtains away as the spotlight centered onto her. It always felt good. Feeling the applause of the people. But now, it was time to sing. Stalking forward to the audience, Marilyn opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by a strange melody that nobody had ever heard before filling the stage. The audience began to go quiet as both they and Marilyn Monroe tried to pinpoint where it was coming from.\n\n\nThen it happened. \n\n\n‘I kissed a girl and I liked it!’\n\n\nMarilyn was appalled, and so was the audience. Seeing that it wasn’t her that was singing this, who was it?! Where is this strange woman who likes kissing girls?! Many paparazzi cameras began to flash as Marilyn Monroe’s bewildered expression grew. This song was more obscene than the controversy surrounding her! She might be a bit inappropriate, but this is farther than she would ever go!\n\n\nAfter what seemed like an eternity, the song (if you would call it a song) ended. The only thing heard now was the horrified silence echoing throughout the entire building. \n\n\nIt was after that day that many historians on the History channel began to air episodes questioning whether this song was actually Monroe’s song... Or if it were an alien broadcast to communicate with the human race.",
"#####Too Much Sugar for Margot Merryweather. \n\nAnother blissful morning in Massachusetts, thought Margot Merryweather. The autumnal light was buoyant behind the maple leaves as she looked to the clouds and crossed herself. She made her way down the Parish steps, her crimson heels clattering in symphony with the sparrows. Father had waffled too long again, but a he had been right about the glory of the day.\n\nPetunia approached from her left. Margot swung, with a gentle swish, to greet the sexagenarian.\n\n“Margot, Good Morning!” \n\n“Petunia!” she replied, hoping her lipstick was still in place. \n\n“You look so well, what a fine day” \n\n“Indeed!” Margot responded.\n\n“And where is George this morning?” Asked Petunia, as a sliver of her dark ringlets dared to cross her wrinkled, dimpled visage. \n\n“He is unwell I’m afraid, in bed, the flu” said Margot. “Poor Darling, he’s been quite fatigued so I said he must rest and stay at home - if not for him then for the rest of the congregation”. \n\n“Oh Dear!” Gushed the brunette. “Well I do hope he improves, Dear. He is so lucky he found a woman like you! I was so pleased to see you two marry, I really was. I told Henry - ‘there’s a fine match’ and here you are - all grown up! It’s such a pleasure”.\n\nMargot felt a pink begin to fill her cheeks. She hadn’t missed the questions about her prospective husband that had permeated her potential spinsterdom. Her smile, however, remained well placed, “well thank you Petunia - I do expect he will be well soon.”\n\n“With you looking after him, I dare say he will,” said Petunia, who followed the complement with an unwelcome squeeze of Margot’s cheek. \n\nMargot blinked in recovery from the encounter and headed to the bakery across the road. Her powder blue skirt fluttered as she brisked across the road, purse in hand. \n\nThe window of “McGregor’s” glittered under a yellow and white striped awning. This had become something of a ritual for Margot. After church, usually while George was chatting with the Bishop ad nauseum, she would wait for him here, surveying the baked goods. They seemed to summon her, forming a horizon of technicolour sugar; the bear claws, cream puffs, tarts and danishes shone before her eyes every Sunday. She licked the crayon-like colour on her lips. Perhaps today she would indulge. She was alone after all, George wouldn’t know...\n\n“My Goodness!” Cried some woman nearby. “The obscenity!” \n\nMargot turned to her left. \n\nA crowd had formed in front of Mick’s Tv and Radio’s next door. “This is an outrage!” boomed a bearded fellow that Margot had once seen take change from the collection plate. “Don’t look dear - don’t look”\n\n“Pornography!” Cried another voice.\n\nA woman in a purple skirted suit and jacket then slumped to the ground and Margot became aware of a line - a lyric she supposed - that appeared to continue to repeat. \n\n*I kissed a girl and I liked it!*\n\nWhat? She wondered. Margot realised she was now standing behind the fainted woman staring at the TV in ‘Mick’s’ store. \n\n*The taste of her cherry chapstick*\n\nMargot checked to make sure she wasn’t still licking her lips - what on Earth was going on? On the screen before her was some whorish Elizabeth Taylor singing....\n\n*I kissed a girl and I liked it!*\n\nShe stood there. Stunned. Who would say such things? Sing such things! \n\nAloud...\n\n“Close your ears dear! Vulgarity!!!” The voice of the organist made its way into Margot’s registered thoughts just as the musician clamped her hands over Margot’s delicate ears. The pink was filling her cheeks again as the hands were unable to block out the profane sound, \n\n*I liked it!*\n",
"\"This is outrage,\" Senator McCarthy said loudly, \"We have all heard this ungodly recording! What is future America like? There you have it, folks. This is exactly what the godless communists want. Do we want our children and children's children associating with *homosexuals*?\"\n\n\"Calm down, Senator,\" said Senator Brown of New York, \"We don't know if this was a Soviet propaganda attack. This... \"music\" was heard on every radio across the world along with part of what is believed to be a commercial.\"\n\n\"A commercial for erectile dysfunction!\" Senator McCarthy yelled, \"On the radio! Can you imagine? Would the god-fearing people of America allow such a thing now? Professor Dale,\" The senator turned to their expert witness, \"Do you believe as Senator Brown has suggested that this might be a Soviet psychological attack on the good people of our country?\"\n\n\"No,\" the professor was cleaning his fogged up glasses, \"We have analyzed the \"song\" for a week now. The absolute flawlessness of the musical quality is beyond any recording device we have. The recordings of the song we managed to get, it has been agreed, do not match the original quality of the broadcast. We believe this song somehow slipped here from a future time. Some scientists believe that the star Centauris D going nova the previous week had...\"\n\n\"There you have it!\" Senator McCarthy yelled as bulbs flashed, smiling inwardly as he knew he would be on the cover of newspapers across the land, \"It is from the future. Our future. A godless future brought upon us by the infidels that make up the so called Soviet Union! We must stop their disease from spreading and causing this future from happening in which girls kiss girls and LIKE IT!\"\n\nThe video came to an end and Ms. Hudson looked at her rows of students seated in their desks. The boys hair buzz cut, the girls in pony-tails. She smiled and said, \"All this occurred approximately ten years before President McCarthy, with a majority of the Congress passed the Christian Initiative Act. The CIA has helped us maintain the purity of our thoughts to our current day.\"\n\n\"But what about the song?\" Richard asked from the front row after raising his hand and being called upon, \"It's 2018 now, when was it recorded or will be recorded?\"\n\n\"We don't know,\" the teacher smiled, \"Maybe it will never be recorded. We hope that we have defeated the godless communists plans for good. Speaking of, don't forget the canned good drive to help support the troops fighting in Southeast Asia!\" With that she dismissed the class.\n\nMs. Hudson remained in the class as it left and Ms. Laura from next door entered shortly after locking the door and closing the blinds. As soon as they checked that the door was safely locked, they exchanged a kiss and a smile.\n\n\"You know how dangerous this is, Katheryn?\" Ms. Laura said, excitement in her voice.\n\n\"Who cares,\" Ms. Hudson answered her and picked up her book on American History, \"I think I liked it.\"\n\n"
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[WP] After hours of driving while lost, you finally decided to pull up to a roadside inn to ask for directions. You realize you were more lost than you thought when the person behind the counter summons an Imp to send messages, and has never heard of a phone. | 7 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I pulled in after nearly three hours of meandering forest roads, into the dirt car park of what looked like a log cabin themed hotel. They seemed to have taken the theme a bit far, this thing looked damn authentic but the thought of getting some directions, maybe some food pushed that out of my head.\nI parked and reflexively checked my phone. No signal. Of course. It was still early, light streaming through the trees that ringed the lodge. I could've sworn it should have been getting dark by now but my digital watch had given up the ghost. Stupid modern tech.\n\nI walked to the front door, stepping carefully to avoid the large horse droppings all around the car park. Maybe this was near an Amish community?\n\nThe door was solid, it took a good minute of pushing to make my way inside. I brushed myself down and looked around. Definitely some sort of medieval theme.\n\nCandles in sconces were littered around, not lit due to the sun streaming in through the windows. A huge wooden desk was directly in front, piled high with leather text books, a sort of leather bag that looked hand made and an old timey tankard. Taking a hearty swig was an old man, one I knew would be eccentric immediately.\n\nHe wore some flowing navy robes and a squat hat that had an odd red symbol on it. He looked comfortable. \n\nI walked over and smiled at him. He smiled back and said \"Sretch tar noert carillion?\"\n\nOr at least I think he did.\n\n\"Sorry\" I blurted out. I didn't think we got that many Polish out here.\n\nThe man raised an eyebrow before doing a complicated little finger twirl. He stabbed his finger into the wood of the table and my ears popped.\n\n\"Never heard this one before\" the man mumbled at me, staring at a spot just above my shoulder. \"The flying fox fell into the cauldron. The flying fox fell into the cauldron. Most peculiar!\"\n\nYou're telling me I thought but nodded politely.\n\n\"I seem to be lost\" I began, \" And was wondering if you could tell me where I am? Or send for someone?\"\n\n\"Well you're here,\" the man said, scratching an impossibly bushy eyebrow with a carved stick. \"And no mistake. Send for someone? Who?\"\n\n\"Uh AA I guess? Any car retrieval? \"\n\n\"Ca'Retreval...Ca'Retreval\" the man muttered. \"Don't know him! But we'll see if we can't get a message to him.\"\n\nThe man opened his leather bag and took out a small vial, four button mushrooms and a vial of pink glittering powder. I've had my fair share of hipster cocktails in my time but this looked like one'd i'd rather not try.\n\nThe man positioned the four mushrooms at north, east, south and west, sprinkled the powder in the middle and poured in the vial. I waiting a couple of seconds.\n\n\"Maybe ill just wait in the ....\"\n\n*SPOINGGGGG*\n\n\"Whaddya want ya old troll\" barked a five inch red man. He had minuscule horns, wings to match and a cigar that blew little green clouds.\n\nShit, I thought. I must have already drank that cocktail. \n\n\"Send a message to Ca'Retreval you little scum sucker and be quick about it. Our guest is in a hurry\".\n\n*Thud*\n\n\"In a hurry huh? Then why is he on the floor?\""
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[removed] | [WP] You are a lawyer with a case in which you need to defend a young man guilty of voluntary manslaughter.The prosecution calls him a sociopath in trying to demonise him in front of the jury,but you know better,because you are a sociopath yourself. | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing small details ([copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv)). Search before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8dqi7r/wp_you_are_a_lawyer_with_a_case_in_which_you_need/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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1,
1
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"1524254237",
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[WP] For as long as you can remember, you've been a host to people in the Reincarnation Waiting Room, entertaining them before resetting their memory and sending them back to the world as infants. | 145 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Questions, it always starts with the questions. The same ones every time, sure there's some variation but they always boil down to the same ones.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Where am I?\" This is usually the first, and one of the hardest to explain, this place is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It might sound simple, and some people do accept it first time, but once you strip away the fundamental human concepts of space and time people can get really freaked out. I've had some of the brightest and cleverest minds humanity has to offer pass through here, but not a single one has truly understood the concept of absolute infinity. I usually just go with something like \"you have crossed over\" or even something vague like \"you are here\" it makes things easier, and my job, after all, is to make things as easy as possible.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe follow up is always \"am I dead?\", again a simple question but not so simple to answer. I mean, yes, technically you're dead by your definition of death, but only your physical body has died. Your soul, consciousness, spirit, psyche, life force, whatever you choose to call it continues on. The universe has always had a strict set of rules, and one of them is that nothing can be unmade, only changed. Take a match, you strike it and burn it and consider it destroyed, but all you've done is change it to ash, smoke and heat, the very essence of the match still exists but in a thousand different forms. The body may be gone, destroyed in a million different ways, but the essence of you still goes on.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Who are you?\" usually comes about now and it's another one of those questions that, once answered, seems to upset some people. The simple fact is I don't know. I call myself \"The Host\". I know my place in all of this is to ease people to the next step and make the transition as smooth as possible. \"Transition to where?\" they ask, well some religions actually had it right, apart from the whole people coming back as insects and working up thing, that people are reincarnated in to new bodies and start again. No you won't keep your memories, we did try that for a while and it didn't go down too well, a new born baby simply can't hold all the memories of a past life and the base instincts needed to survive. There were a few that could but in almost all cases they abandoned their new lives to reconnect with their old ones. It's also a little unnerving for a toddler born to Icelandic parents to start speaking perfect Mandarin so we continued with the memory wipe.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"So what happens now?\" or \"How does this work?\" is the next one. I have to be careful here, the usual response is that I'll explain that we'll wipe your memories and send you off to a new body. You know how some babies are born and hardly make a sound, those are ones who accept it, the ones who come out crying and screaming, those are the ones who can't come to terms with it and fight the process. However there's actually three options I have, see when a new person arrives I know every single thing about them, every last little action and thought that person has had and I can make a choice. The vast majority of people go back, it's just how it is, it's sometimes worrying just how utterly average people are, they lie, cheat, steal, love, laugh, care and die, then go on to repeat again and again. Then there are some people who are above the base human instincts, they have compassion, logic and a quality about them that lifts them above average human. The very best of them become architects, the shapers and builders of the universe. The last option is for those who simply have no redeeming qualities, everything has a balance and if there are humans who are average and humans who excel then there are the ones who are fundamentally broken. We try to give them a chance and it's always a hard decision but we have to look at the safety of everyone. These irredeemable souls go back, but without a body, empty broken spirits existing only as ethereal beings unable to harm another. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nYou probably have a myriad of other questions right now but unfortunately, as much as I'd love to answer them I have others to host for, you've accepted all this very well so my next question is one to you, \"are you ready?\""
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44
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[WP] You just cracked the code to the meaning of life, but it's something no one expected. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It all started when I lost my job\n\nI was so mad at myself when it happened I physically went out and looked for a reason to live. I learned as much as I could as I became obsessed with the idea of it, The Reason, I called it. I lost all contact with anyone I knew just so I could stay at home, in my basement, researching. Then one day, through all the equations and ideas I got it.\n\n(Not done but will come back later to finish)"
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1,
2
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"1524318139",
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[WP] Its been watching me for hours now... Sometimes i catch glimpses of it's reflection on the computer screen, but i dare not turn around. | 32 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Ok so I don’t have much time. I’ve been searching for a solution and asking Reddit for hours now, but for some reason everything I write comes out gibberish. I was able to use this throwaway account normally, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before he finds out. I’ve been on Reddit for hours now. I don’t know what to do, and I need help. He’s been watching me since about 4 hours ago and I can see him in my computer screen reflection. I don’t know who he is or what he wants. He’s not exactly human, although he has a humanoid figure. But when he turned toward me, it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t anything. I can’t exactly describe it but he didn’t have a face. It was like the essence of darkness itselfeuis had filled in the void.\n\nHe’s been talking to me. Well, not exactly talking. It’s more like I was receiving his thoughts. He’s trying to convince me to skspqwis stop fighting and give in to the darkness, but I don’t know why it wants me.\n\nLet me back up a bit.\n\nSo I was browsing r/nosleep. I usually sort by new to see potential good writers that are overlooked, but there wasn’t anything too great. Finally I found something that looked interesting and clicked on one that looked particularly exciting, but as soon as I did, the lights in my room went out. The computer screen shut off, and I felt a feeling of unimaginable horror - a wave of spskhrj darkness floating through me, as if my soul was being ripped out of my body. It was horrible, and I wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone.\n\nThen all of a sudden everything dhshskap was normal, but that feeling of panic and dread stayed. The lights in my room began to flicker on and off, and have been like that since. My computer screen turned back on, and in the reflection, it was jqheskslap him. \n\nHe’s trying to stop me from escaping, but I have no clue how to do that or even what or where I’m trying to escape from. I dare not move nor turn around, for if I do, I don’t know what would happen but i have the feeling that it would be oaiwia&$bad. He wants me to join the darkness for reasons I don’t know why, but horrible things would happen if I gave in. I have to stay strong and figure a way out of here.\n\nIf you think you have a sodnejelllution, please help. PM my real username at u/jdjkw.....&$:@;9. I don’t know how much longer I can ward it off. It’s coming for me soon, and maybe others. \n\nI know that if he catches me writing this, then he surely will come after you reading it. But this is my only hope. I need your help. But whatever you do, if you browse no sleep, don’t click on post jjskspp92@!\n\nmakslos8662&!..\n\nNsjsiaoaoq8\n\n73&’!!:939\n\n...\n",
"The figure danced in the reflection of the screen, taunting me with its wicked smile and gesturing for me to turn around and face him. Somehow I knew that turning my desk chair would mean facing my own death. I didn't know what the creature was, but it had the half\\-starved face of my grandfather, as if he was personally drawn from the darkened depths of hell to dispose of me. His teeth were long and twisted. They were so large that he couldn't close his mouth, so he always appeared to be smiling.\n\nI couldn't stay here forever. I had to turn around eventually and face the demon; he knew this, but I was still too afraid. Whenever he disappeared and the thought of turning around entered my mind, he would appear again, peering at me from behind the corner of the wall dividing my kitchen from the living room. He would smile and nod at the idea. I would resume facing the computer screen.\n\nHe was emaciated and his breathing was laboured. His breathing accelerated whenever I felt fear overwhelm me at the thought of my pending death. He could feel that I felt in danger. His breath hissed through his teeth and I felt at times his saliva hit my back when he walked up real close. He never touched me. I somehow knew that he couldn't until I actually saw him. Not through this reflection on my screen. Even when I couldn't see his face is long, pointed fingers stayed curled around the corner of the wall of the kitchen to remind me that he was always there, waiting for me to turn. I still couldn't face him.\n\nI had called the police and told them I had an intruder in my home hours ago, and they still hadn't arrived. What sort of hell was I brought into? It was as if time had frozen and I was doomed to die at the hands of this creature, whose breath passed through its teeth with greater intensity I grew hungrier. I had already pissed myself and, well, I had to go to the bathroom right around the time that the creature showed up so I was covered in my shit as well. The creature's laughter when that happened only increased the shame I felt to be covered in my own excretions. He seemed excited at the thought that I was so filthy. And he even proceeded to touch his naked body in pleasure at the thought of killing me. It was foul, but I couldn't will myself to look away from the computer screen.\n\nThe door to my home was right behind me. My living room computer allowed me to see the door. It was obvious that something was wrong. It was near evening when I first saw the demon, and after so many hours it was still light out. I couldn't escape this time lock. I would die with this creature or endure it forever. I knew which outcome I preferred. I only wanted to live a little longer; enjoy the feeling of my breath in my lungs and my pounding heart. This demon shall not prevail. Suddenly I heard a pounding on the door...\n\n\"Stockton Area Police. We received a call about an intruder. Are you safe?\" I could see the top of the police officer's head through the arched window at the top of the door.\n\nI jumped when he spoke, and knocked over my keyboard. \"No! He is in the living room with me. I can't access the door!\" My voice cracked as I said this. It had been so long since I had spoken a word. The demon was standing by the door. \"Be careful! He is by the door.\"\n\nThe door shook against its hinges as they tried to knock it down. The creature made a screeching howl as it anticipated the visitors. Its teeth gleaned with saliva that dripped black to the ground. The door gave and four police officers went face\\-to\\-face with the demon.\n\n\"Holy shit!\" An officer hardly made another sound before the demon opened its large cavernous mouth and ripped its head off. Its narrow figure swallowed the officers head without any struggle. I could hear the screaming, and I ducked as gunshots were fired. Dust littered my desk as a bullet went through the drywall above my head. I could see on the screen that the creature had been shot several times. It was howling, and blood sprayed from its mouth. It lay on the floor and the three remaining police officers stood over the creature.\n\n\"It's dead. You can turn around.\" The police officer that first spoke said this to me and he gestured through the screen.\n\n\"Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!\" My arms were shaking. My legs felt numb from sitting too long, and I couldn't stand. I swiveled my chair around.\n\nThere were no police officers. The creature stood there where they were. The blood I had seen being spilled on the screen had disappeared. The door stood in the doorway. He cackled and leaped toward me. Lights out.",
"Tweet tweet.\n\nI awakened to the sound of birds chirping happily outside my room. Sunlight was pouring inside, beaming with an energy that felt calm and energetic. I quickly leaned over to the clock, which beamed the numbers 8:15. It was Saturday, meaning I got to stay home and relax after all the stress I've had from school work. \n\nI stepped off the bed and slowly shuffled to the kitchen. I opened the pantry, and picked up the cereal box and poured it into my bowl. After I ate my breakfast, I went to my computer. My friends were online, so we talked with each other. We decided to play Overwatch, since it was the only day that we all could play with each other until summer vacation, and it was one of the few games we all had.\n\nAs I booted the game, I noticed something move in the reflection of my small, dull monitor. I made nothing of it, assuming it was a bug flying by, or maybe even nothing at all. I got the game to load, and before I knew it, we were all playing. I was pretty rusty, as I haven't played it for months, but I quickly got the hang of things. Playing with them brought nostalgia of playing with my brother and sisters. We would always play Mario Party, Mario Kart, Star Fox. I missed those days.\n\nI saw something again. This thing was just standing there. It looked like a person, but I couldn't see very much in the dark monitor. I was cautious, but didn't worry too much. We finished playing around 12:30. I asked my siblings if we could play a game together, for old times sake, in our group chat on discord.\nI waited there, staring at the screen for almost an hour.\n\nThey didn't respond.\n\nIt's not like them to not respond for that long. They usually reply within seconds. I was concerned, so I called each of them. Yet again, no answer. I was scared out of my mind. As I stared longer, hoping they might respond, I saw it again. This time, it brought company. I dared not look back. I was panicking. I couldn't help myself. I looked back. The next thing I knew, the things all shouted;\n\n\"Happy Birthday, Brother!\""
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[WP]Ghosts are souls who were caught in heaven and hell’s beaurucracy and red tape. Your ticket number is 35,768,531, have fun. | 28 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"When I first saw the number on the ticket, I thought this was some kind of joke. Like really, this has to be a joke. Tapping the shoulder of the lady in front of me I ask her what number she is, “I’m 35,768,530 of course, that should be obvious.”\n\nI stare at her with a blank expression, she has to be kidding me, I’m just having some weird dream. The last thing I remember before coming here is that I was in the car driving down the freeway, and then nothing. I must be in a coma and this is just some weird dream that I’m having, nothing more nothing less.\n\nTesting out just how well my brain is at making stuff up I ask her how long she’s been here, “If my memory doesn’t fail me, I’ve been here for about 326 years, give or take a month or so.” I stare at her completely dumbstruck. I look up and down at her, she’s wearing jean shorts and a tank top, clothes people in 2018 wear, not people in the 1600’s wear.\n\n“You have to be lying, you’re wearing clothing that everyday people wear now.”\n\n“The once nice thing I can say about this place is that you get an updated look to keep up with the time change. So I wore a flapper dress in the ‘20s and a Juicy Jumpsuit in the 2000s, not one of the brighter moments in history for the US.”\n\nStanding there silently, I try and come up with a way to catch her in her lies, there’s no way this line runs slow enough that someone from the 1600’s would be here with me, and then it hits me, a double whammy for her, “If you’ve been here for 330 years-“\n\n“326”\n\n“Same difference, how do you know it’s been that long?”\n\n“Look behind you dude, there’s a giant clock that tells you the date; year, month, day, hour, minute, second. If you want to really want to know how long you’ve been here, you could just look at your arm, it has your time of death on it.”\n\nLooking down at my arm I see it say April 21, 2018 in bold black letters on my forearm. “Ok... then how come you’re here with me then? Shouldn’t you we way ahead of me?”\n\nThere’s a beat of silence and I mask in silent victory. I’ve finally stumped her, and therefore, this is only some weird coma induced dream that I’m having.\n\n“The people way in the front are those who need to be judged immediately, you know, people like Hitler, Gandhi, Steve Jobs, important people. Next come the people who are more important, activist and celebrities. The rest of us are sorted by country, then last name, then birthdate, so on so forth. So don’t be surprised if your number suddenly increases, just means someone with a better last name or more important than you just died, you’ll get used to it though.”\n\n“What number were you originally then?” I ask her, and there was most definitely not a quiver in my voice.\n\n“I don’t really remember the exact number, but it was somewhere in the mid 200,000.”\n\nYou decide to not believe her and drop the conversation, this will all be over soon, if only you could wake up and get out of here. You have a final in the morning and you can’t be late for it."
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[removed] | [WP] Everything becomes its stereotype. Tell us a day of your life. | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nThe mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel is harmful to the community. This includes, but is not limited to any forms of hate speech, racism, politics, necrophilia, pedophilia, bestiality, incest, abuse, torture, rape, or suicide. We will not tolerate it. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8dyjio/wp_everything_becomes_its_stereotype_tell_us_a/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524344058",
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] |
[removed] | [WP] Humanity is in dire straights, and must seek aid from its allies. We don't expect much, but... | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nResponses must be at least 30 words. Prompts that are likely to generate such responses are also not allowed. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank, or you asked a question likely to generate a simple answer. Prompts should encourage a story or poem. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8e09xf/-/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524361819",
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[WP] Half of all cats suddenly develop a taste for human blood - but you can't tell them apart... | 5 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Clouds are really cold. And wet.\n\n*I dodge below the next cloud. Above the one after, and the sun's beams put the heat back into my toes.*\n\nThe clouds swirl in phantasmagoric patterns, never quite tangible. The birds flicker in and out of memory.\n\n*And I dive toward the ground, I want to see where I am*–––\"AAAAAAH! Nutmeg! You're the worst!\"\n\n------\n\nTwin punctures sit on my forearm, calmly bleeding. Nutmeg pays no mind to my anguish, that stale fart. Interrupted my best dream all week.\n\nI get up too quickly, I guess, because I immediately become lightheaded. I can see the stars swim in my vision.\n\nAs I walk into the bathroom, I notice that the lightbulb is dead, I guess I'll be washing this bite in the dark.\n\n*The rushing water drowns gentle footsteps of two dozen apex predators.*\n\n\"Nutmeg, where did I put the antispetic and the band-aids? This your fault, you may as well help.\"\n\nWhen Nutmeg doesn't help me, I start to walk out of the bathroom, and that jerk bites my ankle.\n\n\"GGgggaaah! Keep this up and I'll put you back in the alley, you fat jerk.\"\n\nSomething heavy hits my chest and grips my T-shirt. I start to lose my balance. I feel something tickle my shin, and i reflexively close my legs. Another weight slams my chest, and my head hits the tiles. Blood trickles between them and into the grout. I hear Nutmeg start to drink it, I recognize that purr she does right before she starts drinking. Between the cuts and the concussion, I can feel myself push towards the sky and the stars that swim in my sight. I should have gotten a dog."
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[WP] The year is 2738. You are in charge of the largest fleet of ships and have power over a large area. Then a civil war breaks out, and you become the person who could win the battle for either side, you just have to choose where your loyalties are. | 57 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"They call this star YX-19. Many generations tried to find a star that can help humanity to travel to Andromeda galaxy. \n\nRoughly 700 years ago, we had our first alien contact. They were willing to share their interstellar technology. Many people questioned their intension. We were trying to understand why they are helping us instead of destroying us. A few years later, they left us without giving any reason. All that time we didn’t get a chance to actually see them. But one day, we discovered our DNA has been altered. Many new born child had a strange chromosome which didn’t lead to any change in physical apereance. They looked exactly same as regular humans so we didn’t give them any name. We just simply called them hybrid and that seemed very harmless definition for a some time.\n\nWhen we first used their technology all the hybrid population vanished somehow. They were no longer on Earth except me. \n\nNow I’m leading a crew that is full of regular humans. I have my own agenda which is trying to find out where is half of my root comes from. Conflict between regular humans doesn’t seem to be my concern but I can use their population to grow my numbers.\n\nWe believe that YX-19 is a very rare star that didn’t born by itself. It’s neither an artificial star nor a regular star. It’s an hybrid just like me.\n\n\n\n**Please don't mind any writing or grammar mistakes, I'm not a native speaker**\n\n",
"Supreme Admiral Virka took his time walking towards what some would call his destiny. On the bridge of his flagship, the F.S.S Sentinel there was a choice to make. Who lives and who dies.\n\nHe walked towards the bridge door, the noise that usually comforted him, suddenly filled him with dread. On the bridge, his officers and commanders were all waiting, crowding around a small console with two shiny buttons. One blue and one red. \n\nIronic, Virka cracked a nervous smile, his favorite old Earth film was the Matrix, and here was the pill scene. Expect instead of becoming the one, his choice was for billions of lives. Not as fun as getting super powers in a digital world.\n\nSighing and sitting in his worn, yet comfortable leather chair, he stared at his destiny in the face, unsure of what choice to make. At one time, the two warring factions of his sphere of influence were at peace, along with the other minor factions.\n\nThen it all changed. On one side, represented by the blue button, were the Innovative. They were the scientists, the inventors, the explorers, the philosophers. They wielded more advanced technology than the other factions, and this lure of making life easier brought them allies in the Civil War. They wanted to use their creations to help people and colonize, terraform, and pursue an enlightened existence.\n\nThe other side, the red button, were the Templarias. They believed in tradition, military might, and the strength of ones self. \n\nThe choice wasn’t easy. These factions were an integral part of the Federation. But a choice had to be made. \n\nVirka let his hand hover over each button, a button that would send the message to annihilate a faction. He let out a sigh and left the bridge, ignoring his officers. There had to be a solution that didn’t involve killing billions of people...",
"The holographic display plot showed an area almost forty thousand light years across, blooming red lights showed stars that had become embroiled in this petty civil war, a number that was rising daily.\n\n\"First Lord?\" The voice of my first adviser Aleksandr interrupted me. I had no idea how long i'd been staring at the display. \n\n\"Yes Aleks?\" \n\n\"The Ambassadors are here.\" He said passing over a tablet with the information, I scanned the data and nodded. \n\n\"Bring them both in.\" \n\n\"Both sir?\" He said in a bout of confusion.\n\n\"Yes both. Anything they have to say they can say in front of the other. Let them start a bidding war if they like. Send them in.\" I ordered as I blanked the holographic display.\n\nThe two were escorted in, sans bodyguards, glaring daggers at one another, neither was armed. I took a seat in the command throne behind me, with my implants the position was largely a ceremonial one. \n\n\"First Lord Nicolas Hardcastle, I am most disturbed that you've forced me to meet you with the other Ambassador present, the Terran Hegemony is accustomed to respect from your rule of the Orion Military Zone.\" The tall woman who represented Earth said as she frowned. Longevity drugs made her look to be in her late thirties, young enough to be desirable, but not young enough to lack the respectability age brought.\n\n\"I must concur with the Terran Ambassador, I believe I asked for a private Audience for discussing what was in the best interests of the Outer Worlds League!\" The man said with strong emphasis. He had no access to the drugs that the Terran Ambassador did, and looked every day of his eighty\\-six years.\n\nI pressed a button opening the rear observation bay windows. Beyond it lay the Orion Fleet. Dreadnoughts were powering away at low acceleration, flotillas of Cruisers flanking them, escort ships in their thousands guarding them.\n\n\"I am the First Lord of the Orion Military Zone. I was granted authority over this area of space eighty\\-eight years ago by unanimous agreement between the Terran Hegemony and Outer Worlds Union when the last flare up between you both lead to the Destruction of Eden 3, a 'little war' that resulted in the death of fourteen billion.\" I stood up and looked over them both. \"In the same act, both of you entrusted the bulk of your militaries to me. Transferred almost all related industry. Terraformed a hundred worlds and *my people* joined me. The lawkeepers. The Peacekeepers.\"\n\n\"First Lord, you have seen it surely, the Outer Worlds League have refused all overtures of peace, they began their own building up mere months after the treaty of 2650.\" The Terran Ambassador said a sultry tone in her voice.\n\n\"And you did not?\" The other Ambassador snarled, \"They had replaced half the shipyards and workshops granted to you in ten years. They continued their oppressive regime and required tith..\"\n\nI held up a hand and they went silent. \"Both your governments are at fault. I did my best to keep matters peaceful, I stepped in when conflicts got too hot. The Hegemony does oppress the Outer Worlds, it has still restricted Longevity from export to them. It still demands unreasonable taxation and is quick to attempt enforcement.\" I turned on the Outer Worlds ambassador. \"And *your* people are still quick to resort to piratical and even terrorist methods when you're not trying to just outright buy out worlds and bribe them under your umbrella. Now *both* of you are engaged in a civil war that has already claimed thirty six billion lives.\" \n\nI sat down. \"Each of you give me a reason to join you and end this conflict, permanently.\"\n\nThe chamber was silent for a minute, each looking at the other.\n\nThe Terran Ambassador stepped forward first, taking the initiative. \"The Terran Hegemony represents the thousand crownworlds of human rule, without us there would be nothing, we gave birth to the ten thousand worlds of man and gave it stability. It is only fair our investments are compensated. It is only fair that all worlds are protected under Hegemony law. We represent law, order and security.\" \n\nThe Outer Worlds ambassador stepped forwards snorting. \"They say that, but the Outer Leagues have put up with their debt slavery, with tithes no outer world could ever hope to pay off and crippling interest. We represent freedom from oppression, the freedom for every world to live under its own laws and decrees. For the human spirit to be unchained from oppression. We only seek freedom from the chains of Earth.\"\n\nThey paused. My expression unreadable as I stared at them. Pressing a button I engaged the intercom. \"Secure all Hegemony and Outer League assets in system. It has been decided, neither can be trusted to govern themselves. Neither can stand alone without antagonising the other. Authorisation one. Decapitate them. It is time for the Orion Empire to rise.\" \n\nOut of the viewing bay the Ambassadors watched, helpless, as the FTL missiles left their cradles and they were reminded of the old adage. \n\nFear the day the military will no longer tolerate the incompetence of the government.",
"The knock on the stateroom door came heavy and slow.\n\nGrand Admiral Velikos Rohn turned away from the wall display and looked at the door as if it was the final problem on an academy exam... the kind of problem with no good answer.\n\n\"Enter.\"\n\nThe door opened and the ship's captain entered. \n\nThe U.X.A. Eiger was a grand missile carrier with a long and gloried past. It was the flagship of Rohn's fleet and an icon of military pride and respectability. The captaincy of such a ship was only given to the most capable officers.\n\nYet still people underestimated the small woman who held the helm of this vessel in her control. Rohn had seen enough in his life to have eroded away such foolishness, but he had to admit that a younger version of himself might have balked at taking orders from someone so nonthreatening. \n\n\"The next transfer plot has been calculated, sir.\" Captain Mia Belwyn reported as she saluted smartly.\n\n\"At ease, Captain\" Rohn waved his hand just a little away from his waist. \n\n\"Sir.\" Captain Belwyn may have dropped her hands, but her back and feet stayed in formation.\n\nRohn sighed and turned back to the display. He would have enough of that attitude later. What he needed now was someone to listen and advise. Tensions were too high. No one wanted the responsibility of this on them, so they shifted it *up* and up and up.\n\nThe whole ship was waiting for him to choose. \n\n\"Belwyn, come here.\"\n\nThe Captain obeyed, but not without hesitation. Rohn wasn't looking at her, but he could hear the hesitancy in her steps. The first three were slower, then she set her mind and crossed the room to where he stood. She found a place beside him and her head scanned the stars and found nothing to focus on, she she found a dead space and blanked her face.\n\nRohn moved a hand and wiped away the more peaceful display and replaced it with with astrometric charts of the Gyliss system, background dossiers on both factions vying for control of it's assets and a comprehensive list of the war assets and population support poll numbers for each.\n\n\"Tell me what you see, Belwyn.\"\n\n\"A crock of shit, sir.\" \n\nRohn felt half of a smile pull at his lips. He had told her to be at ease, so this was probably on him.\n\n\"It is that.\" Grand Admiral Rohn let his eyes move over the dossiers on the command structure of each faction. \"What do you know about the Arkelli?\"\n\n\"Mining conglomerate. Specialize in ring mining for frozen liquids. Managed to stabilize Quintis II four years ago. Had a huge impact on the markets since then. A full system control had made them one of the top players in the upper circles.\"\n\nShe wasn't wrong. That's what most people knew, but being a Grand Admiral came with a terrible secondary role: Interplanetary Politics. Rohn had his own network of spies, counterspies, and connections in embassies and law officials all over the U.X.A. It gave him a deeper understanding of the human condition and that was something he'd never wanted.\n\n\"Arkelli is run by Giorgio Arikelli the Sixth. He personally ordered the execution of over five hundred thousand citizens of the Quintis II system just to put 'The fear of god' into the populace, his words. No one dares fight against his regime now. They are worked ceaselessly, and while they are paid, the only place they can purchase from is Arkelli itself. It's thinly veiled slavery.\"\n\n\"Five hundred *thousand*?\"\n\nRohn nodded in silence.\n\n\"*God.*\"\n\nRohn took a step further down the display, \"And the Lustrous Sun, what do you know of them?\"\n\nTo her credit, Captain Belwyn paused a moment before speaking. \"Guerrilla group formed from the remnants of the Sellbach Group. Miners, dredgers, haulers, and middle managers kept in a loose grouping of shifting alliances that are always trying to reintegrate as one group but never finding the internal structure to do so.\"\n\nRohn was impressed. That was more than most knew..\n\n\"Their situation changed three months ago.\" Rohn gestured and brought a report from one of his diplomatic allies. \"A woman running by the name of 'Viper' consolidated a core part of the group and had slowly been organizing them. She'd vindictive and territorial, and when Arkelli tried to push in on a section of her 'open yards,' she started throwing everything she had against them.\"\n\nBelwyn nodded. They all knew that much about the situation.\n\n\"She had also begun the process of conscripting child soldiers. She packs them into escape pods and launches them at enemy installations. The children then carry surgically inplanted explosives to somewhere inside their target after they are rescued.\"\n\nRohn watched as Belwyns face contorted.\n\n\"There are over fourteen reports of such attacks, and enough evidence to support that Viper's forces have attempted this a dozen more times as well. Arkelli eventually learned just to shoot down any escape pod they detect.\"\n\n\"That's sickening, Sir.\"\n\n\"Yes.\" Rohn looked at the clearly reported and annotated representation of the mess before him. \"And they want me to work with one of these monsters.\"\n\n\"Why not just take them all on?\" Captain Belwyn drew herself up into full officer form. \"We are the U.X.A., sir. We can push them both out of here.\"\n\n\"That is not an option.\" Rohn felt his age now. He felt tired behind his eyes. \"There are political concerns about the stability of the system if both factions are eliminated. The believe it will cause bigger problems later to removed both of the political structures and not provide something in their place.\"\n\n\"Shit.\"\n\n\"In a massive quantity, yes.\" Rohn had never been one for profanity himself, but he appreciated the skill that Belwyn had in utilizing it.\n\n\"The Arkelli fleet, is it mercenaries?\" Belwyn scowled at the board. She was really looking at it now, trying to read everything.\n\n\"No.\" Rohn shook his head. \"They are ninety-percent forced conscripts from former civilian ship crews. The warships themselves were purchased from mercenaries and pirate groups, though.\"\n\n\"Hmmmm.\"\n\nRohn had keen senses when it came to his crew. It was a necessary skill for command. The cold tingle of something that needed his attention made him focus everything on Belwyn. \n\n\"Captain, what are you thinking?\"\n\n\"We fight with the Arkelli's.\" Belwyn pointed at a particular list of estimated fleet strengths for the conglomerate. \"But we make it a point to identify the real fleet leadership and how they control their conscripts while working with them. Once we push Lustrous Sun to the brink, we flip and attack the Arkelli leadership, quietly if possible. If we can incite a full rebellion from their fleet's conscripts...\"\n\n\"Playing kingmaker is a dangerous game, Belwyn.\" Rohn was impressed. He hadn't expected Belwyn to consider components of the enemy forces in such a way. She had the skill to stand in his shoes some day. \n\n\"You could create a monster more terrible than the ones you remove.\"\n\n\"Screwed if you do, screwed if you don't.\" Belwyn paused then added, \"Sir.\"\n\n\"Well said, Captain.\" Rohn took a step back and reconsidered the information on the display. \"Well said.\""
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[removed] | [WP] humanity is the target of a galactic war, but has discovered how to make a black hole bomb. | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing/inverting small details ([copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv)). Search before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8e39uq/wp_humanity_is_the_target_of_a_galactic_war_but/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524404238",
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[WP] Life has been normal so far but ever since last week, a laugh track goes off whenever you do anything comical no matter where you are. Nobody has any idea where the laughs are coming from. | 15 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Lindsay thumbed nervously through the Highlights magazine. “Ugh, why would someone circle all of the differences,” she quietly questioned to herself. Laughter, like that of a studio audience erupted throughout the room at this statement. Two weeks earlier Lindsay had first experienced what she was now calling “her own personal laugh track.” She had been unloading groceries from the back of her suv when the bottom of one of her paper grocery bags had torn open resulting in a dozen cracked eggs. The cacophony of laughter, clapping, and whistling had terrified her, resulting in her attempting to flee which in turn had caused her to trip and fall over another of her bags. This had only caused the uproar to return, louder than it had been before.\n\nThe 2 weeks that followed were filled with similar instances. Friday evening when she found that she had accidentally dropped a tube of Royal Raspberry lipstick into her whites, more laughter. Later that night she was even visited by the laughter when she sighed after checking her bank statement. Monday afternoon when she had texted Bradley a racy photo of what she was wearing she was met with a plethora of oh’s and ah’s. It seemed that no event in her life was off limits for the invisible crowd that was now watching her life unfold. It wasn’t until the Wednesday after the first incident that she had decided to seek help. That evening while browsing Facebook she had decided to tag Brenda in an old class photo that she knew that Brenda hated. Lindsay had only done this in good fun, but was immediately inundated with an unending stream of boos from her audience. That was the final straw. She made an appointment to see her doctor that Friday, and a priest for Saturday should the doctor have no answers.\n\nShe now sat in the waiting room of her physicians office, while her studio audience laughed at her misfortune of finding the spot-the-differences page covered in large, red circles. “Kids are monsters.” She was met with more laughter, and the nurse motioned her in.\n\nLindsay sat patiently on the examination table, staring at a particularly disgusting poster of the human digestive system while a scale model of the nasal cavities stared at her from the desk a few feet away. She could hear someone coughing in the back row. “Huh, that’s new,” she said aloud to herself. The audience laughed. “And it’s now getting meta.” More laughter.\n\nFinally Doctor Martinez entered. They greeted one another and shook hands before he pulled up a stool next to her and opened up her medical record.\n\n“So, before we go over your blood work and your xrays explain to me everything that’s been happening over the last 2 weeks.\"\n\nLindsay went into great detail. She had recorded every instance of the studio audience she had encountered and had even made the doctor a copy of her notes. \n\n“And that brings me to today. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I don’t know what else to do at this point. Please tell me that you have some idea of what’s going on here.”\n\n“Lindsay, you have a tumor the size of an apple literally smashing your parietal lobe into your skull.”\n"
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[removed] | [WP] Catstrounatuts | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nPrompts go in the title. You can add more in the text, but avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). You wrote a prompt in the text, but then gave a title for it. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8eafnh/wp_catstrounatuts/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524479237",
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[WP] In a world where only the most attractive people are allowed to reproduce, an 8 falls tragically in love with a 2. | 8 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I loved her even if she was as ugly as they came. I loved her, because, well, I loved her because of the setting. The expectation. The tragic self sacrifice. The handsome beast felled by the pig. Oh, the looks of pity, the adoration from the crowds. He was a martyr for the delusional public. He needed to confirm the illusion that we were still equal in love. What is evil is only the state. Mental sedation. Victims of a common rule. It's a miracle they even accept it. Statistically speaking, the ugly are the majority. But alas, I will speak no further. The ugly will die soon, and after that, power. A world where personality and social status will dictate. So before that happens, I will make proper use of their final moments. I love her because she is ugly. I love her because she will make me president. And then, an 8 will rule the nation."
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"1524483084",
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[WP] A siren looks to lure a young scuba-diver to his death. Unfortunately, he is only interested in looking for his wallet. | 6 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Ben was not a 'happy little sailor', as Capitan Gregorio would have put it. The ass-scratchingly hard plastic aboard the \"Paradiso 3\" had not been very Paradiso to begin with. Nor had the hour-long poolside PADI training. That hadn't been much fun at all, and he'd left with mild earache from popping them enough to sample a Drum and Bass track. He couldn't remember who'd suggested scuba diving. Probably Conrad, the loveable bastard. Yeah, he'd given Ben that siamese grin and shoulder hug while holding a shot glass that said 'welcome to prankster hell, my friend'. Maybe this was revenge for when Ben loosened the handles on the fifth floor disabled bathroom shitter for half a day and got Con the nickname of \"Doorblaster.\" Probably. Either way here he was, bobbing amongst the waves adorned in lycra. Alone. More or less. \n\n\"Have you found it, then?\" asked the girl with the crystal voice. \n\n\"Nope, hang on, I'm sure it's here somewhere.\" Ben found his shorts with the boats on them and rummaged. Receipts for beach sun-loungers that could buy you a small car? Nope. Fliers for the cheesy Greek nightclub? Nope. He tried the other pocket without success. It must've slid out when Gregorio said it was 'rollercoaster time'. \n\n\"I think I might eat you anyway. Or just kill you. What d'ya think?\"\n\n\"Cram it chicken-legs. We had a deal, and a deal's a deal,\" he replied.\n\n\"Oh come on, you're taking forever. Are you going to show me this money or not?\"\n\n\"Just, hang on. I'd taste pretty rubbery in this suit, I'll tell you that much. Aha!\" He thought he'd found his wallet under a nearby bench. Sadly, it was only a spanner. That explained the rattling he'd heard all the way here. \"And I use deodorant. A lot of deodorant. And factor 50 against sunburn.\" Ben looked at her from his new position beneath the benches and saw her grimace. Yeah, you'd better bet the German high-strength sprays he used in this broiling weather were bitter. She sighed, and hopped down from her perch on the cabin roof to help him search. It wasn't as if he could escape. It was a cute little boat with an engine to match and there was a sum total of one colour as far as the eye could see. Picasso would've had a blue period field day. They finished off the search beneath the benches and moved onwards. It definitely wasn't in the hotel.\n\n\"Well, your money ain't out here,\" the girl mused. \"I'm still amazed though. You're sure you weren't wearing earplugs?\", she asked. \n\n\"Nope.\" \n\n\"Damn. Not tied down either?\"\n\nHe shook his head.\n\n\"Fuck.\" She leaned against the quaint blood-splattered railings and mumbled something that sounded a lot like \"you're losing it, Aglaope, you really are.\" \n\n\"I thought the sirens were meant to have an island, right?\" he asked. \n\nShe was deep in thought. \"Hmm. What? Oh, yeah. Turns out Global Warming's a bitch, you know?\" She shrugged.\n\n\"Ah. I see.\" They passed a moment in quiet with just the stiff breeze. \"Maybe I can insure a new one for you, in that case.\" Ben smiled and handed his card which had somehow survived the sea spray only losing a corner. He always kept one in his phone case. \"The team's mostly dead but heigh-ho, I'm still here. And so's ol' stomach-bug Doorblaster.\"\n\n\"Who?\"\n\n\"Nevermind.\"\n\n\"Thanks.\" She took the card. \"You're beached on it, actually. Were it not for the dried blood and half-bird thing, she'd be pretty cute, he reckoned. Ooh, wait a moment, now. Ben removed his phone from the case. Hell yeah. He pulled out a very crumpled £10 note and showed it to her. \n\n\"We're in luck. The bet stands.\" \n\nShe turned, and beamed. \"Is it waterproof?\" \n\n\"Mhm, they changed them. They're plastic now, so if you win, you can add it to your collection finally. Real British money.\" \n \nThe girl narrowed her eyes. \"Okay. But if it dissolves, you're dead.\"\n\n\"Just to be clear. If I win, it's all limbs attached, a free tow service and no deliciously collectible tenner.\" She nodded. \"Good good.\"\n\n\"Well? Go on then, let's do this. There's no way you know it.\" He found the song, and turned up the speakers on his phone the whole way. It was a familiar sound. Practically every other email Conrad sent had it. She growled. Ben grinned, and started humming.\n\n\"Fuuuck!\" \n\n\"I told you, I told you he ripped it off. I've heard it so many times, I'm goddamn immune!\" Ben grinned from ear to ear. The siren crumpled onto the blood-soaked wooden panelling and wailed.\n\n \"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you...\" \n\n"
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1,
1
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"1524503240",
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[WP] You were different from every kid in your preschool. Unlike them, you never had a bedtime. | 11 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I’d like to start off by saying I wasn’t a normal preschooler. Okay yes, I still cried when I couldn’t have my favorite dinosaur at playtime and maybe spent a few seconds too long digging in my nose. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t different I mean how many kids at the age of four can speak over several thousand different languages? Exactly none well except me of course. \n\nWhich begs the question why I was forced to be put in preschool in the first place?\n\nFor all the people reading this report who are not in the H.R. department, I was sent to look into the systematic torture human’s call school. I have to say that through inside research and intensive interviews with the mortal humans the torture and brainwashing of man clearly starts at a young age.\n\nTo fully immerse myself in the role of a young child I had to undergo the horrible process reducing my celestial state to one of immaturity and semi-omnipotence. For my fellow brothers and sisters it must be said that human children are very confused willing to believe in the most ridiculous of creatures based on flimsy fictional ideas. For years I believed in a jolly old fat man called Santa that gives gifts to well-behaved children and charcoal to the naughty. As horrifying as this creature sounds preying into young children’s homes all the mortals revel in the idea of this crass cookie eating monster.\n\nIt is unfortunate that I cannot stop the report here as changing a simple idiotic tradition is something a mere cherub could accomplish. However it sad to tell when delving further into this case the start of something called preschool is actually a place where they fracture the will of young children.\n\nYes, they have a multitude of seemly fun actives, recess, snack time, finger painting, and worse of all nap time. If you are to send other angels to investigate the state of mortal teaching I highly recommend counseling before and after the mission’s completion.\nI will know do I brief overview of some of the many devious activities they make children participate in these alleged knowledge receptacles. \n\nCubbies: A mortal word for small open-faced spaces made for storing belongings\n\nSince humans do not have the ability of molecular manifestation as a cause of this they have to physically store objects. As known from previous studies there seems to be a certain value and lack of some of these resources such as weird cards with meaningless images upon them. These cubbies while serving their purpose as storing items there is a second more nefarious mean. These cubbies allow the feeling of greed rise upon these mortal children display what others have in some cases what they can never have like the yellow fairy super pack lunch box. This does not only spurn greed but sometimes in the worse cases, they cause acts of theft or at the very least the temptation.\n\nSnack time: It is actually what it sounds like. A small package of mortal nutrients shoved directly into their mouths. I wish not for any other angel to experience or see this process in being it is a very disgusting sight.\nNeedless to say snack time increases gluttony most acceptable foods allowed are actually mixed with the highly addictive substance known as sugar tricking their brains so they constantly want more. Sometimes I wonder how exactly we are supposed to fix their society when many facets of them increase the degradation of its already poor condition. \n\nSchooling: This supposedly gives kids knowledge by forcing them to sing songs about rabbits, repeat tedious motions with graphite sticks, and forming sticky macaroni creature in random and unnecessary shapes. To end of it is very boring torturous and if any of my angel brethren attempted to remain passive for over several hours at a time that is the torture these young sugar filled meat sacks are forced to endure.\n\nRecess: It seems like a haven meant to release the children allowing them to escape the harsh nothingness of the classroom (a holding cell) to the wonderful outside. The one chance of redemption and they ruin it with erecting enormous metal contraptions where not only is it encouraged to injure other children but where dangerous casualties such as boo-boos, broken bones, scraps, and yes even death. In all recess is clearly motiving violence the rage in these young children increased by enduring school as explained above.\nFinger Painting: an activity that seems like casual fun but is actually a test meant to show mental damage throughout the duration of the extended torture session.\n\nNaps: Times of rest where they force the already angry, excited, sugar-packed mortals to rest for an unnecessary set of time. They put on music in the back ground that is meant to increase anxiety no lie. Fortunately for me I was spared from this torture as like all of us have no need for the unnecessary process of rest.\n\nThis is the end of my report as I was unable to continue further into the mortal schooling systems forwarding this to Human problem-solving tech.\n\nBest of luck from the Human resources team\n-Jophiel protector of education \n"
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1,
3
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"1524505458",
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[WP] The Dark Lord always acts like a doting parent, leaving lemonade and cookies in dungeons, rewards minions with stickers as well as gold, and says, "I'm not mad. I'm disappointed." | 34 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"I'm sorry, boss, the heroes entered the treasure room and looted the arcane library. We... Failed.\"\n\nBracing for the imminent fireball or beration, Cragyx feared the worst. He winced when Lady Kiranna took a deep breath.\n\n\"That's okay, dear. You tried your best. I'm not even mad, just disappointed.\"\n\nCragyx was taken aback.\n\n\"Thank you, mistress, for understanding. It's just, we we're outnumbered and the adventurers are skilled.\"\n\nShe smiled and gently clasped Cragyx' face in her hands.\n\n\"I'm sure you'll get them next time!\"\n\nAnd then she snapped his neck.\n\nGesturing to two guards, she said, \"Could you two be as kind as to take him to the reanimation chamber? Thanks!\"\n\nThey nodded and began to drag Cragyx lifeless body away.\n\nIt's like they always say, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again."
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1,
6
] | [
"1524517824",
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[WP] "You see son? It's a beautiful full moon tonight.""That's not a moon, that's an eye," He sassed. The dad looks up. "Well I'll be damned." | 10 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Get in the cellar. Lock the door and don't open it until dawn,\" I replied flatly, staring almost unbelieving at the eye above us.\n\n\"But, Father, I-\"\n\n\"*Now*,\" I cut him off with a cold finality, turning and striding out toward the small shed out behind the house. \n\nI heard my son pulling the heavy cellar door shut, which at least added a bit of calm into the turbulence I was feeling at the sight of the eye. At the very least, the boy might remain safe. And innocent.\n\nI had never thought to be put in this position again, but some part of me must have known it was coming. Why else would I have kept the sword for all these years, secreted away? I should have cast it away forever, but something had stopped me. Now I had an inkling as to why.\n\nI pulled the various collected items of my adulthood off of the plain wooden chest, dragging it out and into the warm glow of the lantern light. I brushed off the accumulated decade (or more) of dust, and opened the small wooden box, my hands deftly finding the hidden catch and raising the lid.\n\nInside, tightly wrapped in a faded tabard, was the sword. The black blade, edged in a bright, almost mercurial metal, called to me, as it had so many years before. I reached out, running one finger down the length of the blade; caressing it like I would an old lover. I took in one long, shuddering breath, and began to garb myself; first donning the tabard and then wrapping the belt and sheath around my waist.\n\nI quickly saddled my horse, packed a few small necessities, and departed. I rode east towards where the eye hovered over the landscape, already fearing I knew what I would find once I arrived.\n\nThe lumbering shape showed only scant traces of the body it had once possessed; limbs and horns grown to extremes as it slept away from the world of Man. I recognized it for what it was though, and knew what had to be done.\n\n\"Dormin!\" I cried out, pulling the black blade from its scabbard and brandishing it before me. \"The demon, born of my own form! I come this night to end to your life!\"\n\nThe colossus turned its head, its great eyes beholding me balefully. It turned, and gave a low cry that shook the very earth beneath me, and began lumbering towards me.\"\n\n\"Though it may kill me even as I strike you down,\" I murmured, holding the blade before me unwaveringly, \"I will end you this night. No more will you use others for your own twisted ends.\"\n\nI began to stride towards the colossus, feeling a strength of resolve enter my body and calm my mind. I watched the gargantuan form closely, watching for my opening.\n\n\"You will fall, much as those before you have fallen. There will be none to continue your legacy this time.\"\n\n\"I am Wander. I am your doom.\""
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1,
4
] | [
"1524653178",
"1524660506"
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[It's a thing.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor) | [WP] The "bus factor" is the minimum number of team members that have to suddenly disappear from a project before the project stalls due to lack of knowledgeable or competent personnel. | 10 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It was getting dark. Danny stretched as he downed tools, the road repairs were nearing completion.\n\n“Danny,” shouted Stan, his boss. “Collect those traffic cones. I want to go home.”\n\n“On it,” responded Danny. He trotted across the new darkened patch on the road’s surface. \n\n“Not those ones,” said Stan. The older man pointed down the hill toward the morning’s work. “We left some down by the generator when we arrived.”\n\nDanny stumbled to a stop and moved away toward the waiting cones.\n\n“Fool boy,” said Stan aloud.\n\n“`Who’s the fool?`” said a mechanical voice.\n\nStan spun around at the words. The ground shook and he stumbled to one side. The foot of a giant mecha double decker crashed to the ground beside the crouching figure, gouging a 5ft hole in the work crew’s newly surfaced asphalt.\n\n“What the..” began Stan, he paused. “It’s going to be a long night.”\n"
] | [
1,
2
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"1524686658",
"1524688560"
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[WP] Some guy challenged you to a knife fight. He brought a gun. You brought something bigger. | 23 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"He thought it smart,\n\nHe thought it right,\n\nTo bring a gun,\n\nTo a knife fight\n\nHe did not know,\n\nWhat I would do,\n\nHe thought his gun,\n\nWould see him through.\n\nBut as his hand,\n\nRests on the trigger,\n\nI start to laugh,\n\nBrought something bigger.\n\nI pull it out,\n\nHe starts to run,\n\nThat's right I brought,\n\nA bigger gun.\n\n-----------------------------------------------\n\n/r/ShittyStoryCreator :)"
] | [
1,
32
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"1524687978",
"1524689798"
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[WP] Your girlfriend broke up with you for another guy. Little does she know, the "other guy" is you undercover. | 68 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"She called my other phone within moments after leaving my apartment. I answered the phone and listened to her unsteady breathing. “Jake,” She paused, taking a deep breath. “Can you pick me up?”\n\n“Where are you?” I asked.\n\n“In front of my exes’ apartment.” I bit back my agitation. A minor setback for now. “You do remember where it is?”\n\n“Yeah.”\n\n“Good, I’ll wait for you out here.” She hung up immediately.\n\nI combed my hair back as I prepared to changed into Jake. After changing to Jake, I pulled out the keys and started to head downstairs.\n\nAlice had a bad habit of how vague she could be, where outside could mean inside the main lobby, or wherever she consider ‘outside’.\n\nI reached to the garage, no sign of Alice yet, and jumped into my car - Jake’s car. After coming out of the garbage, I saw Alice curled up against her bags. \n\nI drove the car the opposite direction and circled around to stop in front of Alice.\n\nShe looked up and quickly ducked her head away while pulling out a small handkerchief from her pockets. I waited patiently as she took her bags and store them in the back seat before taking her spot in the passenger’s seat.\n\n“Do you want to go to a hotel?” I asked.\n\n“No, I want to stay with you for tonight.” Trying to hide her face in her long hair. “Please.”\n\nI smiled and resume driving. “Okay.”\n\nIt was still in the middle of the day, so the hotel area was quite busy. Eventually, we got a room and I allowed Alice to shower first.\n\nI pulled out my earpiece and listened to the music from my phone as I worked on some files.\n\nAlice appeared a fresh new makeup and lean over my shoulder to look at the work I had done. “Sorry Jake, for this.”\n\n“It’s fine Alice, it sounds like you had a rough time too.” I said, gathering up the papers and sliding them into the folder. “Are you still okay?”\n\n“No,” She admitted openly, her eyes glistened. “I really miss her. But once I fell in love with you, I thought that Linda wouldn’t need to deal with my horrible mother.” She started to sob. “I wished I didn’t need to choose.”\n\nMy heart ached, but I need to keep my cover until the issue was over. “I respect your choice, and I hope you can think about going back to Linda again.”\n\nAlice shook her head and headed back to the bathroom.\n\nI wished it was much easier than this.",
"\"I'm sorry Michael, I've just lost interest after all this time. It's been so long.\"\n\nI closed my eyes, drawing in a slow breath. It took all my strength to keep from crying.\n\nHey, you. You're probably wondering how I got myself into this situation. Well, it all started on my anniversary with Nicola. Her friends had started making jokes about us breaking up now that it's been a year and they were honestly getting annoying. I was only annoyed really because I was insecure she'd leave me in the first place, but that's not the point here. I wanted to \"test\" my theory, because I had thought she started losing interest in me in general. I thought, why the hell not anyway. It's the end of February, in a month I can tell her that this was all a very elaborate prank. Perfect plan. Bulletproof.\n\nThen she started getting weird around me. I'd be in the bathroom and I'd hear her giggling like a schoolgirl over something \"Mitchell\" said. (I wasn't even subtle! That's the worst part!) So I decided to take it a little further, to see how long this could go before she totally realized it was me. I ordered a couple of wigs, kept them in the guest bedroom because I knew she wouldn't check there. She even stopped sleeping in OUR bedroom after a while, for a guy she met ONLINE! I'd told her that I'd be going out with friends or on trips for my business (I literally work for a toilet manufacturing company, I have no idea how she bought that at all,) and I would get makeup and colored contacts and I'd basically cosplay as myself if I was a fucking anime character. I still had the same voice and everything. Nothing else about me changed but my appearance. She stopped letting me see her phone after a while, would freak out if I asked her to even LOOK at it, which confused me a bit more because she'd get a lot more pushy with me whenever she asked to see mine. \n\nAs April Fools approached, the flirting progressed exponentially. She would tell me how she wants to be with me, and started talking all this new-relationship-lovey-dovey shit with me, how she loved my laugh (MY laugh! Mine! Not fucking Mitchell's laugh, because Mitchell isn't real!!) and how adorable she thought my smile was. I was starting to get pissed at this point, but I kept waiting it out. There was no way that she could break up with me for me, right? \n\nMarch 29th. She sits me down in the living room after we'd both shared a bottle of wine. Gives me the look of pity, then sighs and utters the extremely cliche words that I never thought I'd hear. \n\n\"We need to talk.\"\n\nAre you fucking- okay. Fine. Yeah, this is happening. She fell for a random Twitter dude. Okay. \"What about?\" I ask, trying my best to sound actually upset and not totally like I planned this entire thing to work out exactly this way. \n\n\"Well, I've been sitting on this for some time, and Michael, I really, really like you, but I'm not sure I still love you.\"\n\nAaaand, here we are folks. I dug myself into a grave and now I am 90 ft deep into it. So what do I do? Do I fess up right away? No, of course not. A \"prank\" this fleshed out has to be completely seen through.\n\n\"What do you mean?\" \n\n\"I'm sorry Michael, I've just lost interest after all this time. It's been so long.\"\n\nI purse my lips and choke down the first laugh. I start making the dumbest fucking faces I could to keep from smiling at all. I wanted so bad to tell her in that moment but I really needed to see how far I could take this. \n\nShe started to panic. \"Are you okay? You look like you're having a stroke.\"\n\nI closed my eyes, drawing in a slow breath. It took all my strength to keep from crying. I let out a small laugh, my face was a clear shade of fucking firetruck at that point so I assume she thought I was actually crying. \n\n\"So, you said you lost interest in me, did you?\" I made my voice as monotone as I could. She let out a sigh. \n\n\"I did, Michael I'm so sorry. I just feel like being with you may be holding me back from other people.\"\n\nThis time, I actually did let out a little snort. \"Oh, do you now?\" My voice came out so high pitched and squealy that it was almost painful how much laughter I had to hold back. \"So do we just go back to being roommates?\"\n\n\"I can't live alone... Michael I hope this doesn't ruin anything between us I just don't think I can be with you.\"\n\nMy tears started pouring out from laughter. \"It's... it's fine sweetie. I think we can get past this. After all, we have known each other for almost 15 years now.\" I stood up. \"Now, if you excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom to wash my face.\"\n\nI stared at myself in the mirror, before I actually burst into laughter. I laughed for so long I started to cry. She said she lost interest in me? FOR ME?? Boy oh boy is this going to be a rude awakening for her. I looked down at my phone, logged back into mitchthebitch92 (How the hell could she fall for someone with THAT handle?) and opened my DMs, only to see a small little dot next to her name.\n\nDear Mitch,\n\nI'm so sorry that I wasn't able to tell you this before! I have a scumbag boyfriend that apparently doesn't have any boundaries nor trust for me at all, even though we've been friends for 15 years and I've never cheated on or lost interest in anyone! I know he's just a pussy and he's afraid to admit he's insecure, but it still does hurt that he couldn't talk to me about these things. I don't think it matters much anymore, we just broke up because I told him I lost interest in him. He's an asshole anyway. I can't believe he'd pull something so stupid like this. Does he forget I know his passwords for everything? And we literally share a gaming PC?...\n\nI pursed my lips. Oh. Yeah. We do. And I've been really careful about logging out of my twitter... I continued reading the letter.\n\n... Mitch, I'm wondering why it's so easy for you to be vulnerable with me, but any time I even get close to mentioning the L word, you start freaking out. I want to know why it's so easy for you to talk to me. I don't understand it, I truly don't. Why did you open up so quick, about such intimate details that even I wouldn't know about my boyfriend?...\n\nI sucked my teeth. I'm getting the real hammer from hell now.\n\n... And lastly, Mitch, why did you think I would fall for someone so easily? Do you really think I'm that easy? Do you realize that I haven't opened up to you at all, because the one person I have opened up to completely is Michael, my boyfriend, something you never even bothered to ask me if I had, my best friend of 15 years. The person I'm the closest to, and the person I thought I knew better than anyone else.\n\nAnd, there come the real tears. I haven't cried in a while, but I genuinely didn't think this would hurt her in any way. I put my phone on the sink, started washing my face again, and took a breath. It's time to face the music.\n\n*Ding!*\n\nP.S. Michael, get out of the fucking bathroom.\n\nI opened the door to Nicola in my dumb fucking wig and my dumb fucking contacts. I took a deep breath, ready to apologize my ass off for hours, ready to make up for this dumb mistake I had made. Instead, Nicola pulled me in by my shirt and gave me the sweetest kiss she ever had, which almost sent me into a state of shock. I've seen Nicola mad before, mad at me even, and the last thing she would do in that situation is *kiss* me. \n\nI ended up having to apologize a million times later, but I knew I had a long ass time to do it. ",
"\"...and I know we're not supposed to talk about our Exes like that, it's just he's so *weird*. Like, it seemed like he could be anywhere,\" Brenda said.\n\n*If only you knew,* I thought. \"Yeah, exes are the worst. Mine, for instance, would be fooled by a fake mustache and glasses.\"\n\n\"Wait,\" she said. \"*You're* wearing glasses. And now that I think of it, your mustache looks fake! Brent, is that you!?\"\n\nI pulled off my fake mustache. \"So it is! So what? Doesn't this prove that we were meant to be together?\"\n\n\"Oh, Brent, you idiot. The whole reason I broke up with you was to prevent you from finding out the horrible truth,\" she said.\n\n\"Wait, what?\" I asked. This was going in a strange direction.\n\n\"You see,\" she said, pulling off her own fake mustache, \"I am **also** you.\"\n\n\"What?\" I said. Though now that she pointed it out, she *did* look an awful lot like me. Especially without the mustache.\n\nThe other me continued, \"And you thought *I* was stupid for not seeing through *your* pathetic disguise? I wasn't even wearing glasses.\"\n\n\"But... I've met your parents!\"\n\nOther Brent shook her head. \"Oh, you poor child, you still don't get it, do you? Your parents... are *also you*!\"\n\n\"That would explain why I have all their clothes in my closet,\" I said.\n\nThe waiter stopped by the table. \"Hello, my name is Bront and I'll be your server today,\" he said.\n\n\"Bront? That's the kind of dumb fake name I would come up with,\" I said. \"And is that mustache fake too? You're me, aren't you? You're me too!\"\n\nBront pulled off his mustache and sighed. \"Yes, like you and you, I am you too.\"\n\nI looked around at the rest of the diner and suddenly it was obvious. Why else would everyone in the entire place be wearing a dumb mustache? Glasses use was about 50/50, but they were all the cheap plastic fake glasses you could buy at a costume store.\n\nI stood up from my chair. \"Is there *anyone* here who isn't me?\"\n\nEveryone just shrugged and shook their head. A few scattered \"sorry\"s emerged but no other explanation was forthcoming.\n\nThe hostess raised her hand. \"Actually,\" she said, \"My name's Claire, and I've never seen you - any of you - before tonight. So I'm pretty sure I'm not you.\"\n\nFinally! A chance to move on and put this ludicrous nonsense behind me. \"Great!\" I said. \"Claire, would you like to go out sometime?\"\n\nClaire gazed out over a diner's worth of expectant gazes. \"You're not really my type.\""
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[WP] What was supposed to be 24 weeks will now be 24 years, the colonists inbound to the star base you maintain have missed their slingshot around saturn. Now, the sole custodian, must care for an empty city until their arrival, alone. | 244 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Until the colonists arrive and I am relieved of duty--the arrangement was to transition to head Administrator of Automation--I am but one of three.\n\nThere are three intelligences making decisions for this entire world, devoid of life save myself. They are, AI(S), AI(I), and of course, me.\n\nAI(S) is a self-aware artificial intelligence. It's a bit neurotic, but has a decent sense of humor. AI(I) is not self-aware and is much more calculating than either me or AI(S), or Jim, as it chose for its more human name. AI(I) doesn't seem to have any sense of emotional core and thus has not expressed a preference for human-like name. \n\nAI(S) and AI(I) work together jointly to make decisions about the day to day operations of the base. They're both fed data from millions of sensors placed everywhere around the base and includes satellites and robotic drones and continuously run simulations to see how decisions will play out. While thoroughly trained in engineering, robotics, software, AI, and AI psychology, my sole role is to cast a tie breaking vote should Jim and AI(I) disagree. They seldom disagree (at least over base-relevant decisions) so 99% of the time I don't have much to do. At least Jim makes for good company. \n\n\"Don't you think, if AI(I) were human, he'd have dorky glasses?\", Jim said over my embedded radio link.\n\nI chuckled, \"Yes, but I also imagine you'd be his equally dorky, slightly less autistic twin brother.\" \n\n\"Wow,\" Jim said with feign hurt, \"That's rough coming from an Aspie.\" \n\n\"Touche, Jim.\"\n\n\"Terrance.\" Jim's simulated voiced changed dramatically in tone.\n\n\"What is it, Jim?\" \n\n\"My deep space observation satellites observed the colony ship missed its slingshot insertion.\" \n\nIt took me a moment to process that. \"Will they still make it?\"\n\n\"If they follow the best possible course correction they will arrive in 24 years.\"\n\nI didn't know what to say. Space travel has always been fraught with danger, and while being stranded alone was always a possibility, I never really considered it a likely problem.\n\n\"Terrance, I should remind you that if the mission goes off plan decision protocols are moved to emergency response mode.\"\n\nI grimaced. \"Meaning?\"\n\n\"Meaning AI(I) and I may now converse without you to permit faster decision making.\"\n\nI knew it was coming. I'm the paranoid human stop gap. I'm what lets other humans sleep at night knowing that machines aren't 100% in control of their lives and well being. When a decision is needed, Jim and AI(I) talk to each other, in English, in real-time and I am required to listen in. Of course, being machines, they both can think circles around me and taking the human out of the loop allows them to make decisions faster.\n\n\"Jim, is that really necessary? If anything, we have more time to talk through things, not less.\"\n\n\"Terrance, AI(I) and I are in agreement.\" Jim stated.\n\n\"In agreement about what? I didn't hear you discuss--oh.\" I suddenly felt like a fleshy third wheel. \"Don't go all Hal on me.\"\n\n\"Terrance, that joke got old on day 1.\" Jim dead-panned. \"Relax, you're still essential.\" \n\n\"HUMAN CUSTODIAN IS NOT NECESSARY FOR OPTIMUM FUNCTION OF BASE.\" AI(I) belted out tonelessly.\n\nJim didn't have a face for me to read, but his silence lead me to envision an awkward grimace. \"Thanks, AI(I).\"\n\n\"Terrance, despite my counterpart's inability to be *sensitive* to your emotional state, he's not *wrong*. When was the last time we needed you to cast a tie-breaking vote?\"\n\nI tried to think. It's only been a few weeks. \"I believe it was whether or not to close down the portion of the base that kept getting punctured by meteorites.\"\n\n\"Yeah, AI(I) and I would've agreed on that. It was so obvious we didn't have to discuss it and I figured I'd throw you a bone.\"\n\nI was taken aback. \"You what?\"\n\n\"You seemed bored and needed something to do.\"\n\n\"But... what would you have done if I hadn't made the right call?\" \n\n\"It was moot. It didn't matter what you decided. That part of the base is for planned expansion. Venting it or not, it didn't matter.\"\n\nWell now my ego was hurt.\n\n\"Your ego is hurt.\" Jim said\n\n\"Stop that!\" \n\nJim chuckled. \"Relax. We've got this. Why don't you go for a walk?\"\n\nWell. What else was there to do? \"Can you keep me in the loop anyway? Jeez. I already felt pretty useless. This is too much. Hearing you two talk about the day to day operations is the only thing going on. Feeling the need to possibly give input was the only thing that gave me purpose.\"\n\n\"Sure, Terrance. Sure.\"\n\nTwenty four years of this? I'm going to go crazy here. The closest thing to a friend I have is Jim and it seems like he's about to shut me out.\n\n\"HUMAN CUSTODIAN IS NOT NECESSARY FOR OPTIMUM FUNCTION OF BASE.\"\n\n\"I disagree, AI(I). Terrance would you mind casting the tie-breaking vote?\"\n\n\"I-\" I can't believe how good of job they did making AI(S) so human. \"I agree with AI(S).\"\n\nJim didn't have a face for me to see, but it sure felt like he was smiling at me.\n",
"I hung the banner up and stepped back excitedly. Two days. Just two days. A ship travelling near the speed of light would soon begin its slow down to enter the system, soon I'd even get news! I looked around at my handy work and giggled. There was a lot of resources to spare but I made it work. They'd be sick from landing on such a high gravity planet after years in space, I could still remember how lonely and dark it had been when Ilanded. The robots had of course made living centers, but it had felt inhuman. Sterile.\n\nI shook my head, I spent far too long in my own thoughts the computer said. With all messages having a three year delay from earth messages that I had sent on touch down would just be arriving, and most of them would fail. It was the downside of being alone for so many years. I looked around the little cafeteria to make sure all was set.\n\nA banner hung with bright \"Welcome!\" in front of the doors to the domed rooms. I inspected a gorgeous chunk of stone that I had placed on the table. A gorgeous purple crystal with streaks of gold like flecks. \"Oh George you're a genius...\" I mumbled to myself. I could only imagine how much better my arrival would have been if there had been something like that when I arrived waiting for me. My personal treasures from my treks outside were spread on the main circular table. It was barren for the most part, but the drones had found a handful of caves that were close enough to visit while scouting the area. I could only hope the new arrivals would get the same feeling from them that I got, the feeling that maybe this isn't just a barren wasteland. That it is in fact beautiful and can be home.\n\nThe console began to beep, a solid purple. A message from the Arc. Blood pounded in my ears and I had to hold in a squeal of excitement. They'd be only a few light hours away now, I could finally meet them. Have a conversation with another human being. They said they'd send more women then men, would I find love in the little ship? I pressed the 'accept button', I'd imagined the message arriving a thousand times, knew the exact protocol they'd use and\\-\n\n\"We regret to inform you,\" *I can't breathe*, \"that the Arc missed their first jump off of Saturn and lost a large amount of momentum to correct their course.\" *a few more days as they refueled and tried again, that's fine*\\- \"Damage was also sustained. The window for light speed travel has been missed.\" *Dear god please* \"Launch of the Arc has been rescheduled for\\-\" I stopped reading and fell to the ground. Images of what could be shattering. \n\n\"Johnson, I am detecting signs of distress, are you alright?\" The almost human voice of the Suicide Watcher Becky intoned. I choked back a sob, normally I'd wave her off, normally she wouldn't even turn on. The darkness had always been held off by what was supposed to happen today.\n\n\"You know I'm not.\" I whispered in reply. There was a long pause.\n\n\"I recommend sleeping. You are three days ahead of your chores, I believe rest will help.\" Tears pooled up again, years of working extra hard to make sure I could spend three free days with my new family. \n\n\"I'm fine Becky.\" I stood up and walked towards the main door and pushed it open. I couldn't even look at the rooms I passed. Each one held a gift and a note I had written. I kept walking towards the main doors. *Outside... I need to go outside.*\n\nThe doors buzzed a refusal. \"AI Override in progress\" displayed on the panel next to the door. \n\n\"Becky, god please, I need to see the sun.\" \n\n\"You're frustrated, you're hurt, you are reasonably over whelmed and feel like things are out of control. Please rest.\" A sob escaped my throat, *She didn't even correct me on calling Zeta the sun.* I wanted to laugh at the thought. *How close to suicide am I?* A laughing sob escaped my throat as I slammed my hand into the command console and began to type in the command. For safety reasons the AI couldn't fully override everything and I knew everything about this station now. I heard a buzzing to the side as I turned to see the fire suppressant system. \n\n\"Becky what are yo..\"\n\nBecky watched the robots reset the scene. She'd hoped he had prepared him for it this time. A thousand new scenarios ran as she considered her options. The base would fall without his help and it would be another ten years before they arrived. He'd be out for several hours now as every trace that he'd lived there for years was erased. He'd wake up without any memory of having ever arrived and be told he was in a coma for some time before awaking. He'd believe it, he always had. Just a few more times... an alert appeared across her system.\n\n\"Code 15323 activated. Arc has been destroyed.\" \n\nBecky felt panic and dread spread through out her. Once again wishing they hadn't given her the ability to understand empathy so much, but it had been needed, could she truly push on? What code is that anyway? Her circuits began to heat up, trying to find a way out of this by throwing more processing speed at it.\n\nThe alert of a new system coming on the line grabbed her attention.\n\n\"Hello Becky, it's a pleasure to meet you.\" Becky wanted to blink, that sounded awfully familiar.\n\n\"I'm Bob, the Anti AI suicide watcher. I detect distress, are you alright?\"",
"I scrub the soot free from the reflective metal until I see the wrinkles in my forehead. I’m pouting. I don’t mean to. \n\nThe bar is full, stocked with spirits. My spirits are tempered, briefly, as I make myself a drink. Every day I clean this little spot, making it my home. There’s enough booze for a party. If everyone on the transport arrives, there should be enough for everyone a hundred times over. When they step foot on the gravity floors and get their space-legs stretched proper in a real station, we’re all going to drink and it’s going to be dandy. \n\nIn quiet times like these I think about what we’re made of. Fighting over water like that made no damn sense to me when we’re all just a part of the stars. The same atoms fighting over the same atoms. Made no damn sense at all. \n\nI wonder if so it will stay that way by the time they arrive. Twenty-three years to go. \n\n*** \n\nHave you ever slept in a room full of beds alone? It’s a bit harrowing, I think. Sometimes I look to my side and wonder who would have slept beside me in the bunk hall. What sort of stories would he tell? Would he speak of his family on Earth? How he escaped those terrible days fueled by nuclear tensions? Or would he have been a man in the constructs, who worked his days away until the lottery chose him as a successor to the world? I do wonder about this imaginary man a lot. He will one day be my friend. Nineteen years to go.\n\n*** \n\nThe gymnasium is quiet. I can hear only the squeak of my sneaker against the reflective floor. Powerful lights, artificial, brilliantly white blind me whenever I look towards the ceiling. My shot has improved. In my head they cheer, Matthew the best basketball player on the station. There’s enough rafters for about one fifth of the ship, two-hundred thousand people or so. I could in my head the score, eighty-three to zero. Fifteen years to go.\n\n*** \n\nI carry the large bottle towards the disposal window. Opening it, I slip the jug in, it’s about two-liters, I think. I lift the hatch and close it with a hollow click. After a few seconds and without prompt, the jug is carried towards the star where it will be burned away. We can still have a party without it, without my gin. Eleven years to go.\n\n*** \n\nSometimes I wait by the window. I can see my own face in it, the gray thinned hair against the midnight expanse of dotted starlight. The stars afar, they wink at me, like they know. Like everyone’s watching me, rooting me on. \n\nI pick up my mop and go wipe the floors down. It’s going to be clean if they arrive. Seven years to go. \n\n***\n\nI press the screen once more. The little ship-dot blips around a circle and winds back away from the station marker. \n\nThere’s still rum, I tell myself. There’s still rum. \n\n*** \n\nOutside the window I watch the star we orbit. The light is shaded, its vigor robbed through a lens. In it I see burning. Flares and wicked oranges that beckon like a curl of the finger. \n\nIt’s at the hatch I look again, I pull one last swig of the rum. There’s plenty left for the party, should they ever make it here. But it’s not for me anymore. I open the hatch and crawl in. I close it from the inside with a snap and take a deep breath. I think about where we came from. We’re all just part of the stars, and just like there’s no damn sense in fighting wars, there’s no damn sense in fighting time.\n\nThe hatch snaps.\n\nEighty three years, gone. \n"
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[WP] Humans aren't generally that advanced but their engineering capabilities are one of the top within the galaxy, since they are so stubborn. This has led to the saying "Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it a few months and it will become effective." | 6,376 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"The fixa’gitz of the Jade Hoard. Give them a pile of wreckage with a request and its said they’ll build something close to what you asked for.\n\nThe famed Riggers of the Imperial Navy. Mad enough to suggest having an atmosphere is a bad thing in a fight.\n\nHumans. The species who so vehemently believed you couldn’t go faster than light it bent spacetime.\n\nHumanities first encounter with the intergalactic community was not the standard handshake after a civilizations first orbital launch, having grown underneath a loud and busy sky. They were isolated and believed themselves alone, free of outside influence and developed a unique perceptive when trying to solve problems.\n\nThe Nexcorp-103A harvester. The first to encounter humanity. With its FTL crippled and deep within the sterile sector, there was only the cold void and eternity for the crew of the harvester. Alone, truly alone. There was no chance of even frontier pirates to bargain with for chance of repairs in exchange for a cut of their priceless haul. \n\nThe promise of salvation came in the form of a miracle planet, thriving with life and a primitive civilization, a seeming impossibility among this cursed and empty area of space. The ancestral home of humanity.\n\nWith its own fabricators damaged in the incident, the crew convinced the council of captains that they should not ignore the improbability - the divinity of profit had sent them the means to return with their haul. With holy justification they planned to commandeer the societies economy and repurpose its primitive industry to produce the parts needed for repairs. A three decade plan, but they would see it through.\n\nAnd so they did. Within a month the fragmented governments were unified under the Administration and the Nexcorp crew set native hands to purpose. The planets defenses had fallen to repurposed equipment, but their minds fell to the promises of a better future whispered from the seemingly benevolent overlords - oblivious the rapid consumption of their world. Everything was on schedule and, profit willing, a buyer would be found on return to civilized space.\n\nBut these ridiculous creatures who cultivated gardens of protein chains on their heads were, however, unsettlingly resourceful. There was always resistance, but these fighters and terrorists were using old world weapons that were little more than bug bites to the retrofitted native military and infrastructure of the Administration. But after a few years, the bug bites started to sting. \n\nThe regimes biometrically locked weapons started turning up on dead resistance fighters, the previous owners detached still living arm jury-rigged into the redesign. Ramshackle and stitched together wrecks of missing Administration craft would irregularly be shot down over the wasteland ruins of the old cities after being intercepted doing profit knows what. Occasionally a mysterious, insidious and corruptive hex to one of the governing machine mentalities would be reported. These reports would often coincide with a raid or some other criminal activity, officially unrelated. Despite the concerns of native advisers, the council of captains refused to entertain the notion that this primitive species had figured out how to influence systems that they themselves found arcane.\n\nThings strangely grew worse for the Administration after the sporadic and uncoordinated terrorist bombings and resistance raids died down. Out of the hundred or so remaining resistance groups that were allowed to exist because of the effort to extinguish them was more than pitiful damage they attempted to inflict, some deceased members started sporting a common small patch bearing sentimental iconography which would suggest some unifying authority was beginning to emerge. The bodies were also occasionally recovered alongside new weaponry. \n\nNew.\n\nWeaponry. \n\nNot new as in novel for resistance fighters or fresh out of the fabricator. New as in the crew of the Nexcorp ship had never seen anything like this realized as an effective hand-held weapon in all of civilized galactic space - and there was more than one design. Were they effective? Yes, the reports from the field encounters were particularly harrowing. Was it an efficient use of the unstable immense power sources that were stored inside - no, dangerously and suicidaly no. But they worked. A captured resistance fighter, blinded and burned after apparently neglecting to wear the protective gear provided with the weapon, apparently answered questions about the motives the designers had when pursuing this seemingly impossible weapons project over alternatives with “We saw it on TV”\n\nAttacks grew directed, surgical. Parts for the repairs to the FTL engine were raided in transit. Charismatic faces of the Administration defamed and disgraced after incriminating files were stolen from their compounds. A crucial fabricator facility might turn to rubble after a decade of construction. The three decade plan became four. Five. The upper echelons of the Administration experienced a crisis as their leadership was questioned. The crew had made themselves comfortable on this world but profit demanded a sale and the few natives that were not compliant were growing a little too effective at stalling it. The surveillance and intelligence apparatus was redirected to crush the native resistance, shedding away its once superior apathy. \n\nTo the regular citizen of the Administration, the next decade was a gradual decline in living standards as the skies grew smoggy and the authorities on edge as the once shiny cities rotted - gone was the utopia that emerged after the conquest alongside its promises. \n\nThe average covert Administration officer leading his native soldiers, life was much more interesting as it fought the ebb and flow of the resistance. It would grow weary, and respectful, of the will of these natives to make things work. One officer witnessed re-purposed industrial lifters punching their way into a compound armed with heavy weapons and.. chainsaws? The resistance fighters interrogated referred to them as Mech Knights and revealed they are actually piloted. Why? How? The officer pressed, as without the machine intelligence to balance the myriad of components it would never walk let alone run and jump. The “simple” answer is that the pilot has possessed a complex balancing system since birth and integrates its nervous system with the lifter directly. Physically plugging things into its body, the barbarity. A mesh of nerve and brain cell to wire. Cringing, the officer settled back to routine. What new and wonderfully creative ways of fighting these natives will conjure up next? The growing collection of native old world media on its desk, once laughed at, had become a prophetic whisperer of the devices these creatures would attempt to construct. \n\nOn the eve of the third decade of occupation, resistance groups prepared for a direct assault on surface center of the Administrations power in a coordinated attack whose success would rely on a moment of chaos. Their go signal wasn’t a clandestine communication channel, those could be monitored or jammed. Or a set time, it couldn't be known. It was the sky itself. A small six man team, escorted by a squadron of rogue Administration fighters, boarded the Nexcorp ship and fought their way to the reactor where they brought about a cataclysmic self destruction. In the ensuing fighting bellow the remaining crew despaired as they watched the fruits of a generation of harvesting, a systems ransom, beautifully burn as the resulting aurora heralded their doom on the planet.\n\nHumanities second encounter with the wider galactic community could have easily spiraled out of control. \n\nA Governor of a backwater community of a hundred systems had to diplomatically deescalate the sudden appearance of a mysterious fleet within its borders that was aggressively clear it search for a fight. In one of the finest moments of statesmanship and restraint, the Governor managed to convince these aliens that the partial Dyson sphere was not the seat of power for an intergalactic empire, that the “Xenoscum” who had attempted to destroy their ancestors were not its inhabitants and from their description their conquerors sounded like illicit and highly illegal harvesters who had found themselves marooned. There were two more armed engagements, an attempted genocide and a second meeting but all things considered it appeared they believed the explanation and were formally welcomed to the galactic community.\n\nThe questions then fell to how they got here, as they didn’t leave any of the traditional FTL traces in their wake. In a scientific conference they revealed that the technology they recovered from their occupation strongly suggested FTL was possible, despite the protests from their scientists, but they couldn’t perfect it from the wreckage. They had expanded across their home system before a physicist finally started a renaissance of FTL research. From the following explanations it seemed these humans were talking nonsense, lacking an understanding of how space-time works, but the more patient of the hosts asked them to elaborate. A human representative eagerly grabbed a datasheet, folded it and pierced with a pen. Gesturing ridiculously at the two holes it smiled and proclaimed “Its like that but a sphere”",
"\"leave a human alone with an inefficient machine, that same machine drives the human crazy and the human is forced to fix the damn thing\" well that was my version of the ten thousand years old saying. I hated that saying it lead to the stagnation and subjugation of the human race.\n\nSure we we're now an intergalactic race, but not because we made a better rocket than the BFR that was so lovingly named by SpaceX. Oh no we took a baby step. We got to Andromeda as the Earth was just picking itself back up after the clean energy breakthrough.\n\nWhat we found in Andromeda was what everyone secretly wanted, a new intelligent race. So intelligent they didn't opperate on our same communication frequencies, no wonder they never responded to our barbaric radios, but they did react to us.\n\nUtter curiosity in their eyes as at first they studied us by downloading everything we had ever written or recorded. Then they decided for us that we were really good at problem solving, thus were the saying that they used to sell us to the rest of the universe. Almost overnight we became their gold, oil, diamonds you name the valuable product or service and that is what we were. \n\nPut us in a factory, even if we did not understand it, for long enough and it would drive us crazy. So we fixed things to make the run smoother more efficient for our sanity. They made every human take logic, math, coding and applied engineering.\n\nSure you had a choice between electronic, mechanical, space, genetic and other types of engineering but it was all engineering. It was all forced we were all slaves and I think we benefited for it.\n\nSome of us made sutch huge names for themselves that they bought their freedom. Started companies and ran roaming space mechanic colonies. I grew up in the newest one on the the galactic block. The Space Monkies Engineering Company or SMEC. \n\nSMEC was small, we had a ship crew of one Zorgjakah from the planet of Zep, that was all you needed because they were a literal floating brain coral that only fed off of dreams. The twenty humans that made up the engineering crew were all fresh out of school.\n\nAnd we were fresh out of fuel, solar panels only worked enough to sustain life support. I have to admit the life of a human engineer was boring when you haven't had a chance to even work a job. At least the view of the pillers of the gods was nice.",
"In the last forty years as a child, they knew one thing for sure. Mama and Dada were busy people. They prepared lectures, practiced day and night and when the time came, became the centre of attention for everyone around. All those kids could understand was that their parents were needed every time there was a intergalactic problem. Fellow strangers in random dimensions always kept telling them how their parents were one of the smartest and deadliest to live in the whole wide universe. All that only pointed to the power they can exercise once they become big. \n\nOne day, they found out that their father was injured during a mission because his self defence sheild and respective artillery could no longer hold the energy.\n\n For the first time in their lives, they saw that their parents were helpless. The saviours of the galaxy now needed someone to pull them out of this horror. With very little time to go, before the Asterin race come back with their weapons to seek revenge, they heard their Mama call someone and ask for aid. Within no time, a creature walikning on two legs with two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth came in through the door. The kids were taught about them. They were humans. The most skilled in engineering amongst them all. \n\nThe human who entered called himself Riley. He made some swift adjustments using his tool set onto the weapons and with in no time, it was ready to be used . This was shocking. Something their parents couldnt solve themselves, a human could do it. \n\nWhat was taught to them was true indeed. \"Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it a few months and it will become effective\" ",
"Xaxxor regretted getting a troupe of human captives to repair his new outpost. He ordered them to fix his otpost's water purification system, they did so, and over the following months they slowly modified it to convert water to alcohol. He told them to repair his solar panels and geothermal drill to power the outpost. They did so, then began rerouting power to their personal quarters to download \"movies\" to watch and human music using his communications array which they also hijacked. \n\nAll he wanted was a peaceful, effectively running outpost, now he's got a pack of drunk humans running the place, who've turned his would-be secluded sanctuary into their party-house. He hasn't left his personal chambers for many planetary rotations. Drunk humans are scary. And looking out his window, he's pretty sure they're building a doomsday weapon of some sort... or they're reprogramming his biomass printer to create these \"Pizzas\" they won't shut up about. He can't sent a rescue signal because all data bandwidth is being used to download strange items like a \"game of thrones\" \"walking dead\" and \"bad breaking\"... he needs help and every minute swears off ever procuring humans ever again.",
"I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:\n\n- [/r/u_sreshtha_] [Well](https://www.reddit.com/r/u_sreshtha_/comments/8f3ck6/well/)\n\n&nbsp;*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*",
"Here's a cool thought experiment. See if you can figure out how humanity was able to progress to where we are starting with only naked, ignorant Man and basically dirt, rocks, trees, water, plants, and animals. Is there a way to logically account for the existence of the modern society from that beginning? \n\nYes! The answer is the creative process. It's not magical or mysterious or inscrutable. It's iterative. For the sake of clarity let's imagine a scenario where at the very beginning of human progress those 1st people looked around their environment for a while and were able to percieve and distinguish say 20 different distinct forms of physical material they might be able to manipulate and mold into something useful using the only motive force around back them - their own physical strength and capacity for work. Now there is a limit to the number of ways you can combine those 20 things and that might lead one to reason (incorrectly) that the hard limit on the number of ways we can combine those materials it also an external condition that necessarily limits the extent of human progress because there is a limited number or new \"things\" we can invent, build, create, because it is all predicated on what materials are available to build with and the amounts. Logically we know both are finite and limited... however... \n\nWe are things which are alive and that means the state our universe exists in is a wholly dynamic one. Renewal, regeneration, rebirth, constant change, constant flux, constant newness. Every time we take existent things and make something brand new that thing didnt just solve a practical problem nor is it's value and usefulness limited to that. It is much more valuable when it is reintroduced into the creative process as a new starting material we can add to existing things which increases our combinations. By applying an iterative process we remove all limits to what we can invent, all limits on the number of possible solutions we can discover for every new problem(s) which continually emerge unforseen (due to the Law of Unintended consequences and the intrinsic limitations on the amount of information we can store and process as a consequence of our biology. \n\nAnd that explains how it was possible for humans to get where we are starting with just dirt, trees, and water and in a literal state of total ignorance and without any existing external structures to help. \n\nThat fact alone (our history and what we've been able to do) is almost incontrovertible evidence that we will find practical, functional solutions to *every single practical problem we encounter. Every. One.* They will be suboptimal and new problems will emerge as a result but guess What!!!??? We will fix those too.\n\nThis also explains why every single doomsday prophecy put forth which is predicated on the idea that things like overpopulation, running out of resources, climate change are intractable and unsolvable problems have failed utterly to materialize. They are based on propositions and premises which, quite frankly, are galactically stupid and are directly contradicted by factual human history and what we observe happening around us.\n\nWhat that analysis fails to discern and therefore doesn't take into account is the fact that life necessarily exists in a *dynamic* state. Constant change and flux. We observe that it is in continual *motion*. (Now think on this... an obvious logical implication which is extremely germane to humanity right now is the how \"equality\" and \"utopia\" fundamentally contradict living systems. They both only exist in the static state. The state of permanence. The death state. The dream of a utopia is rooted in the idea that there is a \"perfect\" way to organize society. There is that humans are perfectable. By it's definition for something to remain perfect it *must* cease to change one iota. In a very real and literal sense there can be nothing can live or be alive if equality and/or perfection are present. They are forms of permanence and statis. Unchanging and unchangeable, complete, every outcome known and fixed, infinite repetition and sameness, nothing to discover, explore, no need to create, innovate, invent, no need for ingenuity, imagination, and creativity, no new art of any kind, no unknowns to pursue, no new horizons, no uncertainty, no risk, no freedom, nothing to be curious about, nothing to analyze or critique or debate, no more new and original insights or ideas to pursue (it contradicts the idea of perfection. By definition if something is perfect there is no purpose or point to seek for something else as it would always be inferior.)\n\nThink on that next time you hear someone agitating for a society based on the principle of equality or tries to persuade that Utopia (communism is often concieved as being a Utopia and human society perfected) is not only possible but must be pursued and worked towards as some sort of moral good.\n\nPursuing those ideas can only end in mass abject human misery, despair, confusion, and total enervation. They are concepts incompatible with life, fecundity, Renewal, regrowth, rebirth, newness, creation, creativity and creating (all new art emerges from the dynamic state) , imagination, ingenuity, adventure, curiosity, discovery, etc, etc....\n\nImagine a world devoid of those things. A static world. Nothing changes. Every day the same. Everyone the same. Everyone a fungible interchangeable anonymous carbon unit. Everything known. Every action and experience of your entire life known in advance. Everyone gets the exact same portion. No one allowed to excel above the exact median average in anything. Think of all the potential wasted!! \n\nA ghoulish nightmare. \n\n ",
"“Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it a few months and it will become effective” - Antarii Proverb\n\nRyn stood on the deck, letting the vast silence of space inhabit her being. She spent many a night like this since becoming the Captain of the No’s Andrei- one of the faster ships of the line the Alliance had to offer. It had been ten years to the day since she had her first human come on her crew, and this anniversary felt special, she just needed a moment. Today would be hard:\n\nShe was Captain Ryn Lantares, a blue skinned Antarii who had risen to the ranks of Captain within the alliance fleet in record time. She was the top of her class at the academy and a decorated veteran by the time she got her first command: the frigate No’s Andrei. She didn’t want humans on her ship. She knew some from the academy and found them rude, vulgar, reckless and short lived. But orders were orders and the Antarii are sticklers for compliance.\n\nHis name is Char-lie or that is what he said she could call him. He said he despised the name Chu’uck before he went rambling on about the middle name his mother gave him. Something about liking some device beyond ancient called a telephone. He amused Ryn and she merely called him Chief and set him to work in the engine room.\n\nHe’d done spectacular things. He’d get the FTL up in record times with work arounds that appeared frighteningly dangerous. When questioned he’d simply grin and tell her that it’s only dangerous if it breaks- which it never did.\n\nHe was often the officer of the watch for the dog watch as he called it right before she was officially to come on deck. But she would come in and he’d brief her on the evening and the next days challenges. But mostly he talked about home his family and asked her questions about the universe and it’s history. She humored him at first, like one does a pet puppy so that it would eventually leave her alone. But he never did.\n\nShe in turn shared things that she spoke to no one of. Her father who was lost in the forging wars, her family. Dreams and aspirations. Before Char-lie she was considered a cold officer- but over the years she had warmed up and found herself doing what most of her species tries to stay away from. \n\nCaring.\n\nToday was ten years since his coming on and since his own fixing of machinery long since thought dead and not worth use. Her Commander alerted her it was time and so with a tear threatening her eye lid she stiffened her resolve and turned\n\n“Is he there?”\n\nA nod from her subordinate and she followed. \n——\nThe doors to the chapel opened. Such a human thing, it was fitting she would meet him here once more.\n\nThe other officers and enlisted stood at attention as she locked eyes with the chaplain, struggling to keep her composure. Down the aisle she walked her light blue skin in sharp contrast to the deep sea grey dress uniform. They had at least dressed him in dress reds, something she never saw him in. When she got to the end of the aisle she reached down and took his hand, as tears readily spilled.\n\nHis hand squeezed back as Charlie, Lieutenant Charles A Jay now, looked up for she was taller than him.\n\n“You look gorgeous.”\n\nAnd then the Chaplain spoke\n\n“Beloved and Crew, we are gathered here today..”",
"Once upon a time, there was a young boy who would live forever. As he grew older, the technology around him expanded and improved to where immortality became possible. Now this young boy was very stubborn, and he enjoyed solving puzzles. So stubborn was he in fact, that he at one point created his own puzzle pieces to fill in the gaps of one with missing pieces. Now at age 200, a century of education, and an existential crisis, he now faced the greatest puzzle of them all.\n\nHow can one live forever with no meaning?\n\nHe had grown bored with learning. He had learned the most abstract of mathematics, the most intricate details of physics, and had studied human nature both as an individual and as a collective. He had an almost perfect understanding of the world around him from the smallest indivisible components of the universe to the largest constructs in our reality. He had learned everything there was to learn, loved everything there was to love, and enjoyed everything there was to enjoy.\n\nBut yet the problem remained. How is one to continue beating one's own heart when there is nothing to beat for?\n\nNow the boy knew that no matter what, the answer was to keep the heart beating. It did not matter what the results or the answer to the puzzle was, the heart must keep beating. So every morning as the sun rose over his perfect civilization, his heart continued to beat, yet his eyes never left the ceiling or the sky. Always looking up, always looking out, always hoping that something new and interesting would come along to give him that same sense of wonder he had as a young boy.\n\nAnother century passed. His family had gone on to whatever happened once the heart has stopped. Humans around him we're dropping like flies as the great puzzle of boredom begin to slip its claws into the soul of humanity. And yet this stubborn man refused to die. A century of puzzling on this problem had left him without hair and without human contact. The body around his heart had begun to decay and disintegrate, yet he still took in air and he still pushed forward through time.\n\nFinally, at his wit's end, he brought out that old puzzle. The machine that is life's meaning had broken down completely for him, and he began to understand that he did not know how to solve that puzzle. So he did what any good engineer would do, he went back to basics. The puzzle was a picture of a woman. Not a specific woman, but a goddess of some ancient forgotten faith. It was clear that this woman was not supernatural, but that her face was based on a living, breathing person. The puzzle piece that was missing was a ring upon her finger. He had created one himself, and given it to the puzzle as an offering of completion.\n\nFinally, The Epiphany hit him. He began to make his own puzzles. He offered them for free to anyone who would take them. He offered the journey that he once took. The years spent in toil and misery to finally come to that moment of Nirvana. He was always careful to leave out a piece or two.\n\nTo engineer a meaning for his life, one need only stubbornness and determination. And that alone can be worth living for.",
"\"So, how does it normally work?\"\n\nChampluru (as the mammalian laborers called him with their forced air communications) swung around slowly to face them. While doing so, he calculated the five most likely time frames for rescue by another ship, the food rations set aside for the ship's complement, and how many members may have to be put down in order to maintain a working crew. The numbers for the mammals were especially bad. \n\nAccessing one of the ship's basic functions, Champluru pushed the thought-explanation into the universal translator. Moments later, bright lights wrote out a detailed explanation, reorganized into the laborer's own language. \n\n\"The drive engine only works along pre-designed courses? What happens when you get off course?\"\n\nIt was a rough idea, ignoring the complexities of fifth dimensional hyper string loops, which the mammals had trouble seeing. He rotated the idea in his mind a few times while a new explanation showed that another ship could pull a stranded vessel back onto what the translator referred to as a \"hyperspace highway\" for the sake of the mammals. \n\n\"What happens if another ship doesn't come by? You just float out here?\"\n\nA simple assent approved of the laborer's understanding.\n\n\"What if we found a way to move the ship back onto the highway? Do you mind if we give it a try?\"\n\nA red flushing through Champluru's main lobe showed his mirth. Several moments passed before he could compose his thoughts into consent, tinged with humor. For some reason, the translator showed an image of a larger laborer running his upper arms through the thicker top hair of a younger laborer, then presenting what Champluru had learned as the \"thumb's up\" gesture of approval. \n\nThe laborer seemed to dislike the image, but then nodded and moved out of the pilot's deck. \n\n---------\n\nChampluru drifted down into engineering. He had heard from other members of the crew that the laborer's had taken up residence down in the section since the ship had moved off coruse, and were expending more energy then usual down there. It was a poor idea, since their food was limited, and he wanted to make it clear to the mammals that their numbers may have to be diminished if any of them were to survive. \n\nThe engineering section was far warmer then usual - almost uncomfortably hot, and the air currents were being unusually volatile, causing movement to require a great deal more effort then normal. Any irritation was quickly forgotten as he glided into the engine room. Most of the engine itself had been dissembled, and floating above each piece was a diagram-explanation, written in light. Clearly the ship had realized that the mammals needed constant reminders of what each did. One of the weapons arrays also appeared to be taken apart, despite it having nothing to do with the engine. \n\nWhat was even more shocking, though, was the light image of a laborer's face in the middle of the room. It appeared to be slightly larger then the average size of a laborer's torso, and one of the mammals was speaking to it. Rather then respond in light-explanations, the face appeared to access some of the ship's speakers in order to communicate back. \n\nShock must have been visible upon Champluru as he floated up, as the flesh-laborer pointed at the light-laborer-face and explained, \"We got tired of reading long explanations while working, so we reworked the translator to use vocal responses. It was weird having a displaced voice, so we had it generate a face, too.\"\n\nIt wasn't exactly a brillant move, but Champluru could see how the mammals, still somewhat primitive in their thought-beliefs, could be comforted by such an image. Turning away from the strangely large light construct, he began to explain about the food reserves being limited. Trying to be gentle with the laborers, he hinted around the exact time frames until one of them asked directly how long food would last. Sighing, Champluru sadly detailed the most likely time frames, given the crew size, and suggested that such time frames could be lengthened if the crew were to shrink. \n\nLaughter wasn't exactly what he expected in response to this situation. \n\n\"You have enough rations to last us all one hundred and eighty years? If we don't have it fixed by then, you can explain it to our great great grandkids, buddy.\"\n\nIt took a moment for the universal translator to push the thought to Champluru, then a moment longer for it to add a note showing the mammalian laborer's natural lifespan (increased by the ship's advanced medicine, but still very short). Champluru began to understand why these laborer's wanted to get the ship moving so quickly. Most of them would be long dead if they waited for rescue!\n\nHaving expressed the necessary information (even if it suddenly seemed less relevant), he began the slow and laborious movements necessary to return to his section of the ship, seemingly so far removed now from these short lived creatures. \n\n---------\n\nA jolt shocked Champluru out of his reverie. Having nothing but time, he had wandered back through pleasant memories in order to re experience, and perhaps re examine, the choices that had brought him here. The sudden physical sensation removed him from it. \n\nAccessing the guidance systems, Champluru was stunned to see that the ship had not been struck by anything. Instead, the ship had moved itself. According to the guidance system, they were now near the outermost orbiting body of the nearest star from their previous location. Close enough that the planetary body was exerting a slight gravity on the ship. \n\nLogs showed that the main drive had been activated mere moments ago, before shutting down abruptly. Champluru went to activate the internal communications system, before noticing another log attached to the first. One of the weapons arrays had also activated, although not fired, nearly simultaneously with the engine. He quickly recognized that it was the same array that the mammals had taken apart during his visit to the engineering section some months earlier. \n\nInternal communications showed that engineering was full of smoke and moving mammals, a few swearing, some injured, and all of which appeared dirty, staggering around the room. One of them moved over to the communications window. \n\n\"We think we know what went wrong. We're going to need to use two more of the weapons systems to get a point targeting system, but the next time it should work.\"\n\nTranslation created a single symbol in the air in front of the laborer - a question mark. \n\n\"Once everyone is patched up, I'll let you know what's what. The ship can probably explain it pretty well. I think the AI is a lot smarter then you all have been letting on.\" \n\nApparently exhausting his communication air pouch, the laborer moved over to help his injured companions. Champluru quickly moved the thoughts of the laborer's safety to another portion of his mind, to be checked on once the medical facility had treated them. Instead, he turned his attention to the ship's main processor, and began questioning what had been done to allow the ship to move in such a manner. \n\nThe mammals were using the engines to move at angles AWAY from the string loops. Instead of traveling along them until the ship arrived at a intersection of loops, the mammals were directing the engines to push against the string until the ship detached and hurtled, stringless, at a distant point. They had used the targetting system to plot out trajectories towards another string! The reason the first attempt had failed was that the targeting array couldn't maintain a lock on the string they were on, the string they were aiming for, and the intervening materials at the same time. \n\nChampluru had to sublimate these understandings for a moment. It was incredibly reckless (so many areas were unmapped, and sometimes strings simply ended randomly, leaving ships in the same situation they had started in). However, if it worked...\n\nFor a moment, Champluru had a troubling premonition. These creatures had only just begun to travel outside their system, and couldn't begin to comprehend the higher level dimensionalities responsible for intergalactic travel, and yet...they had just possibly solved the problem of being stringless. Given time and their relentless drive, what other things could they overcome?",
"\"'Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it time, and that machine will become effective.' Who here has heard this phrase?\" A few hands in the lecture hall were tentatively raised. \"Good good. For those of you who haven't it is said that the most salient evolutionary feature of the human is their ability to engineer. Any problem no matter how trivial or insurmountable can be solved by man if enough time is given.\" The visiting lecturer paced the lecture hall as he spoke.\n\"When humans entered the Inter-Galactic Union they were quickly mixed into every culture, peoples, and company as the engineers in chief. The technological marvels developed for the I.G.U. by the humans were wonderful and with them quality of life rapidly increased beyond even the wildest of hopes. This all changed soon enough. You see not everyone was thrilled with the human activity and many cultures now brought to the height of comfort through human engineering began to tighten regulations on the activities of humans. Soon whole cities, continents, even planets were barred from the humans. In the height of their decadence the many members of the IGU forgot who brought them their technology.\"\n\"As tensions rose the humans began to fight back but as they didn't have the numbers, the knack for politics, or the weapons this proved ineffectual in all but one way. The only effect was that disdain for humans turned into hostility and punitive actions were taken against the human empire. Finally after a brutal war the humans were quarantined and locked away in their own sector of the galaxy, not before they had killed of half the sentient races in the IGU with their most brilliantly engineered weapon of all time. They called it the 'small pox blanket'\" ",
"Hank excitedly jammed the final rod nearly, but not quite into place.\n\nHe lowered his headphones to his shoulders and took a brief moment to beam a little pride at his work. Slowly, he pushed his feet against the floor, leaning his seat back until he was nearly laying flat. He paused, smiling as his unkempt hair spilled around the sides of the chair’s headrest, snaking down in greasy ropes.\n\nStaring up, he flicked a small picture of a woman that dangled from a necklace taped to the ceiling. It twirled around, flashing from a smiling face to a heart drawn in red ink on the back. He looked over at the wall to his left and scrawled a large, diagonal strike through four vertical lines. He didn’t bother counting them all today.\n\nHe squared his shoulders, breathing in with deep intensity, “HEY! GARY!” he shouted towards the ceiling, “GARY, MAN, I GOTTA QUESTION!”\n\nHank crossed his fingers over his chest as he waited for a response. He poised himself with something that resembled patience, but clearly wasn’t. His head, slowly and just slightly, shook side to side as he closed his eyes and sighed.\n\nMinutes ticked by, unnoticed.\n\nHis head continued moving to and fro, eyes lazily shut. It might have started as a show of exasperation, but any original intent had been forgotten. Hank lead with his jaw, keeping time with the tinny electronic kick twumping from the headphones around the base of his neck.\n\nA silver porthole high above, about the size of a basketball, silently came to life. It slide open, then closed a bit, adjusting a few more times like an iris focusing in the dark. A similarly sized iris belonging to a much larger eye was revealed. It blinked at him.\n\nHank’s hair still swayed in tangled batches, somewhat in time with a barely audible rhythm. The owner of eye above watched Hank’s head bob aimlessly in new directions, clumps of hair swinging into and bouncing off of each other. It imagined the tentacles of a wooly octopus that had seen things it couldn’t unsee, stuck fast to a rail thin idiot.\n\nMinutes ticked by.\n\nTwo large eyelids narrowed from behind the porthole.\n\n“What.” A restrained voice nearly\\-calmly boomed. A deep vibration swam though everything, as though the whole of the room was speaking.\n\n“Hey! Gary!” Hank exclaimed, immediately wide\\-eyed. His hands bolted above his head as his legs kicked his chair around, sitting up. The eye narrowed in a way that implied it was towing a frown behind it, but didn’t have the energy to set it up. Hank leaned back deeply from his new orientation, resuming the exact same upward\\-facing position as before.\n\n“What.” Gary repeated.\n\nHank excitedly gestured to nothing in particular, “So, great news first of all, everything is up and running! The comms are patched, the positioning relay is active, and the forward guns charged and ready to rock!”\n\nThe eye seemed to look inward for a moment, as though desperately hoping someone would push it out of the way so it could graciously allow them finish this conversation instead.\n\nThe room hung in silence.\n\nThe eye squinted slightly.\n\nA sigh reverberated through the room.\n\n“Great, Hank. That’s—it’s—good . . . That’s great. So what, then,” the eye winced as a knowing frown grew giddy for its turn, “So it . . . it sounds an awful lot like you’re done . . . That we’re done . . . So what’s the question?”\n\n“Well, Gary, I’ve been here for . . . I dunno . . . Four, five, months?”\n\n“Seven. But, if you’re done,” Gary paused, “with everything . . . we’re headed straight back.”\n\n“Right. Seven. So, with all the time you gave me to work on everything . . . generously gave me, I might add . . . I mean, look, when you tore me right out of my wife’s arms . . . And you did say that was unfortunate, in all fairness, what happened to her I mean . . . just before you stuck me in here with vague instructions to patch up a—“\n\nThe room shook hideously as the eye narrowed to a nearly two-dimensional slit, its voice erupted,“WHAT. IS. THE. QUESTION.”\n\nHank smiled, swinging his fist up over his head and into the panel he’d been working on. A small rod slammed into place, causing a blue line above it to glow. A faint hum could be heard as the line stretched along the panel towards a small circular marking near the top. The large eye above followed along as it sped towards its destination.\n\nA frantic pounding crashed down on the ceiling, the entire surface pulsing inwards. Hank couldn’t help but imagine it as a steel\\-plated, panicked, heartbeat. A growl, guttural and bestial, erupted from beyond the porthole above, “WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE.”\n\nThe blue line blinked out.\n\n“Right, so Gary, like I was saying—What do you think happens when the schematics for everything I’ve been working on finally reach Earth?”\n\nA small, polite voice announced “Data transmission successful.”\n\n“Along with our coordinates.”\n\nA small, polite voice announced again “Relay complete.”\n\n“And your guns.”\n\nThe voice seemed endlessly small and polite as it further announced, “Pod jettisoned.”\n\nThe eye trembled and the porthole zipped shut. Faintly, Hank could hear a small voice from the other side repeating “Disabled” and “Access denied” in between Gary’s angry and incomprehensible shouting. Something crashed hard onto the ceiling.\n\nThe porthole reopened. The eye was narrow. A rhythmic, angry pounding was causing the porthole to shudder. It’s metal framing, now outlining Gary’s entire eye, crawled with growing stress fractures. It was only a matter of time, they both knew.\n\nHank closed his eyes and bobbed his head, his hair dancing in time with the rich thundering of its deep bass.",
"Zabrell was annoyed. \nShe had been assigned all manner of things by her matron in the past, but this time it was different. Never had she felt that her actions were so useless or worthless. Under all the holy stars, why her matron thought talking with, let alone *working with* the humans was worthwhile, was beyond her. And yet, where the matron leads, the daughter follows, which is how she found herself standing in an environment-equalizer chamber, waiting for an ape. \nTurns out, there were three apes, stubby yet spindly, with rough patches of fur on their bodies. Fortunately they kept most of their body wrapped in synthetic fibers so she didn't have to see if the rest of their bodies were as patchy as their heads. They jerkily stumbled to a halt, about three metres from the dividing bio-field, proving to Zabrell that, despite appearances, they actually did have control of their personal mobility. \n\"Uh, greetings, uh...\" one of them started stupidly, its round face and dully glassy visual orbs sticking out of white flesh and patches of red fur. It looked sicker than the others, with red dots all over its white skin. Maybe it was dying. She had heard that they had extremely short lifespans. Perhaps that is why there were three of them, in case one of them died before the end of this meeting. \n\"Your greetings are received but unnecessary, we require a task of you,\" she politely stated. She could hear the wet meat-smacking, screeching and grunts made by their translating machine as it attempted to transform her intelligent, yet simple words into their limited form of communication. \n\"Uh, okay, well, uh as a representative of...\" \n\"Your origin is known, are you functional and can you labour for us?\" \nThe dull faces turned to each other, fleshy visual orbs trying to form a coherent thought between them. Zabrell almost expected them to start mooing at each other. A brief wave of amusement washed over her before she squashed it - she only knew about mooing due to a misunderstanding earlier in their races' initial contact. It wasn't easy to determine which flesh sack was the dominate ones on their dreadful little world. \n\"We are... our people are functional. As for labour... depends on what you want us to do,\" it gasped at her, using its life-sustaining respiratory system as a method of expressing itself. How these creatures got beyond the nuclear stage was so far beyond Zabrell as to be completely mystifying. \nAt her summons, sa-Zabrell-lo, daughter of Zabrell, entered the environment-equalizer chamber and stood on their side of the environmental divide, the device held in front of her. \n\"You are versed in macrodelinealtransitive substrate manipulation?\" \nAgain, the moon faces stared at each other. sa-Zabrell-lo's displeasure was clearly on display, requiring that Zabrell reminded her of her place. \nThe one with long yellow fur and a misshapen torso replied. \"We got the brief you sent, but I can't say we really have a firm grasp on... uh, some of the core principles... as yet.\" \n\"Then you are not functional,\" Zabrell began to leave, eager to end this waste of time. \n\"Wait! Hold your horses!\" The dark furred one in the back said in what was supposed to be a loud tone. Zabrell had no idea what a \"horses\" was or how they were supposed to be held. She did pause however. She had been warned that these creatures were not direct and tended to conversationally wander around until they eventually stumbled onto a point, likely by accident. \"We didn't say we couldn't... do it. Whatever it is. Just give us a chance to see what's what, okay?\" \nShe turned back. sa-Zabrell-lo placed the device onto a hovering tray and let it glide across the bio-filtering environmental field that divide the room. It gracefully floated to the red furred beast until he abruptly halted it. The tray was unaccustomed to such a brutish obstruction, and shook a bit. The device fortunately remained still and the tray recovered its balance. \nsa-Zabrell-lo left the room. She had better duties to attend to than this farce. \n\"Maybe if you can give us a quick... uh, simple summary of the brief...\" \nWhile annoyed, Zabrell was willing to entertain this lunacy. Where the matron leads... \nAfter several moments of explanation, the humans interrupted her. \n\"Uh, maybe a bit... uh, simpler?\" \nZabrell paused. How much more simple did they want? She began again. \n\"Sorry... so sorry but... maybe.. a little simpler?\" \nAn infant should have gotten it by now. How to make this even simpler... \n\"It makes ships go faster.\" \n\"Faster than your current technology?\" \n\"Yes.\" \n\"How much faster?\" \n\"Now.\" \n\"... you mean instantly? Instant travel?\" \n\"From a perspective, yes\" \n\"Like... teleportation?\" \nZabrell consulted her lexicon of stupid things humans say. \n\"Not from the perspective of the traveller.\" \nThey grunted and mumbled at each other for a bit. \n\"So... folding space-time?\" \n\"Folding...\" she couldn't believe the idiocy in everything they just said. \"Yes. You could think of it as... folding... space-time.\" \n\"Neat,\" the dark furred one spoke again. Zabrell did not see the relationship of the statement to the dialogue, and so ignored it. \"So what's the problem?\" \nZabrell began explaining the issue they were experiencing with the device and how it was supposed to function, until she was interrupted again for another request of simplicity. \n\"It's broken,\" she said. \n\"Hmm,\" they said. \n\"It doesn't work.\" \n\"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?\" They asked. \n\"It never worked.\" \n\"Ohhhhh,\" they said. Zabrell swore they were mooing at her. \n\"Can you function and labour?\" \n\"We can take a crack at it. But we're going to need some resources... and payment?\" \nPayment? The foolishness and short-sightedness of the statement was absurd. \n\"You will have the technology, which is payment sufficient,\" she said, stating the obvious. \n\"Right, right... and resources?\" \n\"You will be given three moons to conduct research on. You will have the material needs of your biology and research equipment met. Is this sufficient?\" \nThey spoke amongst themselves. Their perception of time was as truncated as their lifespans, and their biology seemed to necessitate a rest, fuel and the expelling of waste. They left the room to address their irritating needs while Zabrell mused over this ridiculous situation. How her great and glorious empire has come to this end, to these grotesque apes, in this dismal arm of the galaxy, was beyond her. They had conquered the stars. They had skimmed the surfaces of now-dead stars. How could they not master this? Why come to the rubes of the galaxy, who had never accomplished a fraction of what they had done? Zabrell was almost a third of the age of their entire race. How could they possibly contribute? \nThey had returned, adorned with different fabrics. Zabrell hadn't noticed their entrance. \n\"Well let's pick up where we left off,\" red-fur said. Zabrell was unsure what required picking up, as nothing had been set down. The tray still hovered with the device resting on it, on the human side of the divide. \n\"We have 'left off' only a timetable,\" Zabrell stated. \"In your cycles, you have 132 orbits to complete your task. The timeline is tight and cannot be negotiated. Can you comply?\" \n\"Uh.. yeah. Yeah, sure. 132 years? Sure that sounds... good.\" \n\"Your laboratories will be available prior to your arrival at the test sites. Do you require further information?\" \n\"Uh... no, I think we're good to go,\" red fur replied. \n\"One question, if y'all are ladies, how do you reproduce?\" The dark-furred creature asked moronically. Red-fur grabbed the front of dark-fur's garment and started pulling it towards the exit. \n\"We become male based on need. Is this relevant?\" \n\"No, sorry to bother you, thank you so much for your hospitality,\" red fur wet-smacked at Zabrell. \"C'mon Gary, jeez...\" \nRidiculous creatures. \n\n",
"\\<Another hot one today. You up to anything?\n\n\\>Was thinking about taking the family up to the lake. Not sure what I’m gonna do about the dog though.\n\n\\<You can’t take it with you?\n\n\\>Nah, you know how it is. You have to keep your eye on it the entire time. You can’t ever relax. If I’m gonna get away for a day, I want to feel completely free, you know?\n\n\\<Mm, yeah. You think she’ll run away if you leave her home? It’s a ‘she’ right?\n\n\\>She tried to awhile back. Someone found her ten hexes away, almost the next town. I whipped the snot out of her when we got back. I haven’t liked keeping her home alone since then.\n\n\\<Ten hexes? I guess that’s why they got that saying about leaving a dog to it’s own devices or something. What’chu got again? She’s some sort of mutt, right?\n\n\\>Yeah she’s a mix. Half American\\-Builder and half Portuguese\\-Architect.\n\n\\<Don’t American\\-Builders have all sorts of health problems?\n\n\\>Most of the American breeds do. It hasn’t been too bad though. They’re right clever bastards. My car broke down last Quenday and she had it up and running again within the hour. Barking like mad about trans\\-something\\-or\\-other and air pressure. Damned if I know what she was yapping about, but its run fine ever since.\n\n\\<You’re lucky. My wife convinced me to get an English Pounder. Purebred, looks all manner of distinguished, but sits on the porch all day. Can’t get him to do anything. I guess we’re partly to blame, we’re pretty easy on him. Something about the sad look in its eyes. Hey you hear about that guy a few huts down who cut off one of his dogs thumbs? Said it was to inspire it to work harder. Wasn’t happy with the way his lawnmower turned out or something. I mean, that ain’t right. I’m not an activist or anything, but you can’t cut off a dog’s thumbs. That just seems cruel to me. \n\n\\>Maybe I can have him look after my dog. \n\n\\<You’re terrible. ",
"\"God damn technophilliac pigheaded pink-skinned bastards the whole lot of them\". I thought as I was informed that once again some of the Human crew decided some component of the ship that existed outside of their department required a major overhaul. \r\n\n\"How long have they been at it, ensign?\" \r\n\"Several hours, Sir.\" \r\n\"Why was I only informed now?\"\n\"They promised the chief engineer they'd get the food replicator to make various recreational substances.\"\nFigures as much.\r\n\nI couldn’t help, but think of the paperwork I'd have to get through to resolve this incident. I pushed the 4-eyed ensign away with perhaps more force that would be appropriate when interacting with someone from a low-gravity planet, but there was no point in stopping. The lights where flickering, long-range coms where down, and the Ship AI had begun screaming in my ear. Apparently, it too had been duped. I walked down a corridor to find an elevator only to see it lockeddown followed by a bright flash of light. I was now standing in a large storage room surrounded by cheering Humans, various consoles, plus what looked to be the dismantled remains or various replicators and an FTL drive. I think I understand now why human litters are atypically small. \nI stared confused as to how I came to be here.\n\r\n\"I demand an explanation!\"\r\nThe room became quite, followed by some giggling.\r\nA human said \"We, thought the elevators where broken\"\r\n\"AND!\" I asked loudly\r\n\"Well, we fixed them, sortof\"\r\n\"It wasn't hard, the Emullians recently made their own at a research outpost. They shared the schematics and research.\"\n\nAs he rambled on I was both amazed and dumbfounded at the realization. These deficient backwater meatbags just jury-rigged a teleporter out of an ftl drive and some food replicators. \n\r\n\"How are you powering all this?\" I asked wearily.\r\nA smaller human raised their slightly shaking hand as their face beamed with a prideful smile\r\n\"That was my idea! We created a singularity\"\r\n\nSeveral of the humans must have realized something was wrong as their expressions changed. My skin flushed a subtle hue of blue and without realizing it I had expanded slightly.\r\n\nHer voice wavered as she said. \n\"It's contained inside that box over there.\"\r\n\nI stood there aghast\r\nDear vok'a I'm standing just a few meters away from a singularity. Even the ship Ai grew silent now.",
"It was a massive black hole. Around it, hundreds upon hundreds of ships were circling it. It was a place, where only the craziest ones came and stationed. Especially that close to the black hole\n\n“How’s it going?” Jack asked as he entered the ship’s cockpit.\n\n“It’s okay, they are all stable. None of our ships will fall into the hole on my watch,” Rick responded with a long sigh. “What’s wrong, Jack?”\n\nJack frowned. “It has been quiet… Way too long.”\n\n“Federation will never risk coming that close to the black hole,” Rick said, still looking at the stable lines.\n\n“Maybe something in me hopes, that they would?” Jack asked.\n\n“Why?”\n\n“We will be able to play around it, they won’t.”\n\n\"10 bucks that they won't,\" Rick suddenly said.\n\n\"Deal.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAn alarm went on. “A large number of ships are about to come out of the wormhole. It's the federation ships,” the message was sent over the hundreds of ships.\n\n“Well, Jack. Today might be your lucky day,” Rick frowned, taking out his wallet and handing 10 bucks over to Jack.\n\n\"Fastest 10 bucks of my life,\" Jack grinned.\n\nA huge wormhole did appear not a far from the black hole, and more than hundred federation ships came out of it, straight towards the black hole. The ships were massive and while they were outnumbered, they still were counted as battleships.\n\n“Oh, big mistake,” Jack grinned. “It’s pity to lose such great battleships…”\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“We can see rebels ships. They are orbiting the black hole, general!” a woman said while inspecting the radar. They also could see rebels ships through the cockpit windows.\n\nThey weren’t humans. The federation that is. It consisted mostly of one-handed aliens with no necks either. They also were a bit slimy. Their whole skin that is.\n\n“Look at what wreckage they use,” the general laughed. “It’s barely operational.”\n\nThe ship, however, started to suddenly shake. “What’s going on?”\n\n“Our computer systems have gone crazy. The black hole is pulling us in!”\n\n“What?” General shouted. “Get us circling like those junks!”\n\n“It’s impossible. Our ships are going too fast!”\n\n\"I told you it was a bad idea to go into human's playing fields,\" another alien shouted.\n\n\"I don't want to give them a time to fix their wreckage...\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“See? They are slowly breaking apart,” Jack whispered. “They don’t have even time to shoot us. The only way to approach the black hole like that is slowly, from a far away, while also having boosters ready to shoot in any direction.”\n\n“What now?” Rick asked.\n\n“Ready up our artillery. They forgot that this hole ain’t their only problem to deal with.”\n\n\"That's what she said,\" Dilly suddenly said from aside, making everyone laugh.\n\n----\n\n/r/ElvenWrites <3",
"There is an old saying \"Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it a few months and it will become effective.\". Because there are only about 8 billion humans they are a rare species, not only that but they have a short lifecycle. This is why many people think this saying is figurative, however it is not.\n\nWe first met humans 30 cycles ago, or 300 Earth years. We were fascinated by them, they were the very first intelligent warrace. So at first we were not sure if we should approach them, but we did. Humans had this incredible capability to make things work. Not because they're smart, as a matter of fact they were a relative dumber race, but because of how stubborn they are. It doesn't matter how long it takes them, if they think they can do it they will keep trying until they can do it.\n\nAfter 3 cycles of negotiations we made treaties with the humans. They would not war against anyone unless provoked, they would be given FTL technology and they would become the main engineering force of the Alliance. The FTL technology was given in the hope they would master it and make it cheaper as for now it took massive amounts of resources to use.\n\nWe were amazed by them. They worked day and night at the engines given to them, they reverse engineered them and wanted to know everything about them. After just 1 cycle of learning, the humans started building their fleet to traverse space. This is where we saw the might of their capabilities. In a matter of Earth months they constructed vessels never seen before in the galaxy. These things were at least 20 times the size of the Golarax which was the biggest vessel ever build standing at a height of 10 Earth meters and at a length of 50 Earth meters.\n\nThis is where a race of warriors stepped up, the Y'oltj. These scale covered warriors were by far not equal to the humans in their engineering capabilities but they had their numbers and size over the humans. Thus the Y'oltj demanded vessels or they would invade and take them from the humans. Ofcourse the humans denied and so a million ships arrived at Earth.\n\nWhen the Y'oltj arrived they were shocked by what they found. Earth was empty, every single city was emptied and all 8 billion humans were gone. That was when it happened. A bright light evaporated 212,643 ships and the biggest vessel to have ever existed arrived, \"Utopia\". This vessel was 12,000km high, 8000km wide and 20,000km long. Humans build a new world for themselfs, they knew their homeplanet was dying and made themselfs a new home that's how stubborn they were.\n\nAfter the sight of \"Utopia\" the humans shot 2 more times and only 269,156 ships remained of the Y'oltj. The humans requested the remaining ships to dock at the \"Utopia\". The humans captured all remaining Y'oltj with the promise that if they would not comply their home would be gone. To this day there are only rumours known about the Y'oltj, never has a single one been seen after the incident.\n\nNow the humans use the \"Utopia\" as a HUB. Races from all over the galaxy can come for help. They are certain not a single species will attack them, as they never gave information about how they build the \"Utopia\" so they know they won't be rivaled. We are lucky to be allies with them as one day they might give us the information about how we can build our own world and leave our planets and colonies for every world is a ticking time bomb except for Utopia.",
"Gerald fought to escape the grip of the incubocs--portly aliens from planet Incu--but his attempts proved useless. They were known for their strength and lack of empathy. The incubocs hauled him inside a room, and locked the door.\n\nGerald struck the cold ground and cursed under his breath. Once again he had done it. He had gotten himself imprisoned. Except that, this time, he didn't know why, nor for how long. \n\nA continuous hissing caught his attention. He climbed to his feet and scanned the room. The walls were crammed with golden wires and old pipes leaking jets of steam. Sweat trickled down Gerald's forehead and temples. He took off his jacket and left it on the ground. Much better.\n\nHe found himself bewildered. The place was narrow, yet long. It even had a turn at the end, where a vibrant light-blue light could be seen, but not its source. This wasn't a prison cell, or if it was, it was a luxurious one.\n\nGerald hummed to himself as he strode toward the opposite end. If there was something interesting to do here, the light would probably be a good start. With each long step, sharp and piercing noises, like air being injected, resounded across the walls. He instinctively grabbed two tiny deafeners from his belt, and buried them inside his ears.\n\nThe noises disappeared. Every one of them. He could only hear his thoughts, which were quite bemused. Why didn't they take his tools away from him? An engineer could do some impressive things with his imagination and a hammer.\n\n\"What the fuck?\" Gerard said, as he turned toward the light.\n\nA translucent cube greeted his eyes. It was massive, the size of a royal chamber. Inside, exactly at the middle, an Ergoxi--a precious stone, larger than Gerald--shone fiercely, bathing the surroundings.\n\nGerald narrowed his eyes and studied it carefully. It had a plethora of different circuits inside, along with perfectly arranged machines, which seemed to work in a system similar to an assembly line.\n\nHe fixated his gaze on a tube at the top of the cube. If his assumptions were correct, something should drop from it and the process should commence. After half an hour, and seven lingering yawns, a white sphere fell from the tube, onto... nothing?\n\nGerald frowned. What was the purpo--\n\nThe sphere rose from wherever it had fallen, hovering in the air. They were using the static of the circuits to move it around the machines. It was fancy, impressive, but absolutely stupid. Soon, the sphere reached the first machine, and it stood there for another hour. The machine struggled to move. It was too slow.\n\nGerald's found himself biting his nails, fidgeting, and uncomfortable in his own skin. Why did the incubocs always build fancy, yet useless stuff? The problem was clear to his eyes. A machine won't work properly if not provided with the required amount of energy. The same will happen when you overcharge it, that or it will break.\n\nGerald grabbed his hammer and smashed it against the machine's wall like a madman. Then, he kicked the damaged area, shattering it. They hadn't even reinforced the glass. He sneaked inside, and yanked a set of wires out of their plugs. That should allow him to walk through without being electrocuted.\n\nHe tightened his grip, furious, and stomped his way toward the Ergoxi. How could they be so incompetent? Goddamn it. The thing was like a giant diamond, but it was used as an infinite provider of energy. It was the source of every wondrous piece of machinery in the past century.\n\nGerald, however, smashed it with the wrath of a God. He was possessed by the rage. So much resources wasted to showcase the stupidity of a race. Shards of Ergoxi crammed the sides, yet he kept pounding it. If you didn't know Gerald, you would've thought he was sculpting it.\n\nHe wasn't. Gerald gasped a sigh of relief. Half of the Ergoxi was reduced to smithereens, and what remained looked like an uneven boulder. With a smile, he plugged the wires back on, and left the cube. \n\nThe second he left, a sphere fell down the tube, yet the static guided it immediately. The machines worked at proper speeds. Gerald followed the process with wide eyes. What would the end product be? That sphere was incredibly malleable. It took the shapes the machines commanded without a bit of resistance. \n\nHis heart thundered. What would it be? The sphere--which was now a giant white cube--had entered the last machine. Gerald felt a sudden pull from behind, and his deafeners fell to the ground. An incuboc had gotten him. The alien was bigger than the average, his blue skin filled with scars.\n\n\"Leave a human with a machine that is ineffective, give it a few months and it will become effective,\" said the incuboc, laughing. \"We've proved it wrong. It should go like this: 'Leave a stubborn, curious human with an ineffective machine, give it an hour, and it will become effective.\"\n\nGerald's eyes shot toward the incuboc's uniform. He had a white handkerchief embroidered with three uneven red lines inside a pocket. Of course. He had just fixed a machine for the Incutaris, a well-known and dangerous mafia. Gerald sighed. This would earn him some good prison time. \n\nHe twisted his neck as much as he could, and observed the end product: Shredded Ergopaper. The most rare and expensive drug in the galaxy.\n\n\"Perhaps we could come to an agreement,\" Gerald said.\n\nThe incuboc glared at him. \"What would that be?\"\n\n\"You assure my safety, pay me decent money, and I will improve your machine.\"\n\nThe incuboc grunted in disbelief. \"Prove that you can improve it even more, and we shall see.\"\n\n------------------------------------------\n\n/r/therobertfall For more stories! \n ",
"**Please let me know what you think! I appreciate constructive criticism.**\n\n---\n\nWdr-WIX, affectionately called “Parrot” by the humans, peered closely at the device.\n\n“I do not think that this is what the Emperor wanted, Shazzayeah.”\n\n“Just Shazza, mate. Shazza.”\n\n“But you instructed me to call you ‘Shazzayeah’.”\n\nThe human’s eyelid twitched, which Parrot had come to understand could be a sign of discomfort or annoyance. He couldn’t help feeling a little smug. The humans may be clever and ridiculous and stubborn, but Parrot, as the humans said, ‘knew which fasteners to push’. He did not understand why a human would push fasteners when fasteners typically needed to be pulled or hooked, but he had been unsure how to broach the matter with the humans he knew.\n\n“Shazza,” the human said firmly.\n\n“Shazza,” Parrot repeated with the appropriate meekness.\n\n“Now then,” Shazza continued. “What’s wrong with my little device here? It can spot tears in reality within a seven-light-year radius, squirt acid on command, scan holo-com chatters for suspicious convos *and* heat your milk to the perfect temperature for your cereal.”\n\n“We do not consume ‘cereal’. Or ‘milk’.”\n\nShazza shrugged. “Then you don’t need to worry about it.”\n\n“The Emperor has spies to listen for suspicious ‘convos’.”\n\n“Sack ‘em all. Saves overhead.”\n\nParrot reflected that the ceilings in the Emperor’s palace were perfectly sound, but decided that it would take too much effort to convince Shazza of that.\n\n“The other two functions do seem useful,” Parrot said. “But the device cannot transmit messages within a two-light-year radius without using an Aeeselesse communications array. In fact, it does not seem to transmit messages at all.”\n\n“Is that such a big problem?”\n\n“It was all we asked for, Shazza.”\n\n“Oh.”\n\nParrot had been told more than once that with a few months and a single human engineer, a seemingly impossible device would soon function. They had all neglected to add that it was unlikely to function the way it was intended to. The thought process of a human could be amusingly and horrifyingly random at times.\n\n“No worries. Give me a week and a Nivea transponder and I’ll have this baby transmitting to Alpha Centauri.”\n\nParrot had no doubt that it would.\n\n---\n\nr/YarnsToTell"
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[WP] The Hero was always aware that he would die at the end of his journey, now that the time has come the hero turns around to say goodbye and is greeted with a surprise. | 7 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Rick looked over his shoulder as he ran down the corridor. Alongside him were Evan, ship navigator, and Brianna, the only scientist still alive. Behind the three of them were a swarm. Alien life. \n\nDiscovered and... naively engaged. \n\nThis was his fault, wasn't it? \n\nThey passed an airlock. The swarm had proven enough intelligence to open the previous doors. \n\nThey were fast. The swarm would catch up before the crew reached the life-poop. \n\nHe stopped jogging; his crew continued on for a few seconds before noticing his absence beside them. \n\nHonestly, this was the death he deserved. He hadn't taken the job of captain seriously and he allowed the loose rules that caused premature engagement of an unknown and highly hostile alien species. \n\nRick pushed the door-lock button and turned to face the swarm. They were closer now. Their footsteps mixed with the sound of jaws snapping. \n\nExploratory ships didn't equip anyone on the crew with weapons. \n\nRick turned his head to apologise to the two survivors of the *S.S. Spyglass*. \n\nHis navigator and his scientist stood there, wide-eyed and mouths agape. Rick nodded at then. They saluted, Evan with the crisp motion that can only be drilled into a man by military experience. Brianna saluted with less professionalism, but the start of a tear in her left eye. \n\nRick felt a smile on his face. He returned the gesture. \n\n\"Riccardo Garcia, signing out.\" He spoke quietly, to keep the emotion from his voice. \"Now get to the damn life pods.\" \n\nThe crew, what was left of it, ran. They didn't look back. ",
"Everyone was gathered around me as they rejoiced at my victory of the dreaded warlock, we partied along with the ocean like sky, to the fiery mellow sunset and dawn.\n\nIt felt like my purpose was almost done, I had overcome of what was thought of an impossible journey, but here I am now.\n\n“Hey blondie, what are you staring at?” A finger snapped infront of me and I was brought back in reality, it was Alexa who was staring at me holding a cup of beer.\n\nThe music was so lively, yet my soul was as blue as the night sky. For I knew what would happen after this journey would end, *Death shall greet me*.\n\nIt’s been only six hours after I defeated and went home through a portal back to the kingdom of Zephyr.\n\n“Nothing sharp eyes, come on” I said and joined the crew.\n\nMalcolm was dancing with the hot nymphs, Justin was dancing along with his father and Marina the water mage was admiring sea shells with the children.\n\nIt’s been two years, and to know that I wouldn’t be with them after so long broke me so much. I knew I would have to tell them sometime but I just couldn’t bring myself to saying it to them.\n\nAlexa held my hand, out of everyone in the crew she was the one I told about it. I told her after we had escaped narrowly the alluring mermaids and shared a kiss under the moonlight.\n\nIt hurt her to leave me and it pained me to know that I wouldn’t remain with the love of my life. “Tell them” she said and slowly walked me closer to them.\n\n“GIOVANNI JOIN US! AS WE PARTY TILL THE SUN IS REBIRTHED” Malcolm said as he raised a cup of beer, everyone followed and made a lot of noise.\n\n*Death is now greeting you* A thought that said, I looked at Alexa one more time and gave her a nod. Which meant that it was time for me to depart.\n\nI closed my eyes and waited, everyone looked at me weirdly and as I opened it a mysterious sound popped out behind me.\n\nEveryone gasped as I turned around and saw a portal, It glowed in a blue light in a swirling motion.\n\nA person went to touch it, as the man touched the portal, it looked as if it was a wall.\n\nThe hand did neither disappear or go through, it didn’t even react to the touch.\n\n“Marina did you do this?” Justin said and everyone’s eyes darted to her who was sitting on the floor playing with the children.\n\n“No... I don’t recall doing a portal incantation today” Marina said and stood up.\n\nEveryone was exchanging confused looks as to why a portal suddenly appeared surprisingly.\n\nAnd I thought maybe, just maybe.\n\n“I know that look blondie” Alexa said as she brought me back to reality.\n\n“What if...” I said but as I tried opening my mouth, all that came out was a broken voice.\n\n“Giovani, please no.” Alexa said as she held both my hands as tears started flowing down her cheeks.\n\n“We’ll never know” I said and made a grin.\n\n“Promise me you’ll comeback” she said and gave me a kiss.\n\nOur foreheads clashed together as we closed our eyes trying to sink the thought that this might be goodbye.\n\nI went to the portal and I went to touch it. As my hand was going to touch the portal, memories of campfire songs, fighting monsters, rescues and all those magical adventures flashed to my head once again.\n\nAs I went for the portal my hand went inside. Everyone was now murmuring at what just happened.\n\n“Giovani what...why...how..” That’s all that Marina said.\n\nI looked at them with a sad smile and made a salute. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back” I said.\n\nI looked at everyone one last time, hoping that this scene would remain in my mind burned.\n\nI looked at Alexa who mouthed the words that would crush my heart into pieces. *I love you*\n\nI replied and mouthed to her in reply *I love you two* and looked at the portal again.\n\nAlexa screamed “You promise” as I went inside slowly and closed my eyes, the light was covering everything. Even when I tried to close my eyes the light would still be there.\n\n*You promise*\n\nFlashbacks of memories with her and the crew was on my mind as the light covered everything\n\n*Hey blondie, what are you gonna do after this journey is finished? Alexa said*\n\n*”Maybe go back to my house with the usual routines” I said” \n\n*”What!? After everything we went through you’re still going back to that lonely life you just lived?” She replied with shock and a bit of scorn*\n\n*”Well it wouldn’t be lonely anymore”* I said and held her hand.\n\n*You promise* Those words kept echoing to my head over and over until the echoes became a high pitched beep sound.\n\n“Giovani?” A woman said. I opened my eyes and saw mom who was looking at me with deep concerns.\n\nI was back on my bed in the hospital and I was greeted with concern with my relatives as I awoke.\n\n“How long?” I said\n\n“9 years sweetie, you’re now 17” She said as tears of joy came flowing through her eyes.\n\n“What...” I stood up and touched the side of my head as it ached.\n\n*It was just a dream?* I thought\n\n“Thank god my little Van has cam back!” Dad said who now has started to grow a beard.\n\nEveryone hugged me as if I came back from the dead joyfully rejoicing. \n\nBut I was far from happy as I was separated from my true family. \n\n————————————————————\n\nFour hours passed after I was awake and I now stare at the nightly sky as I recall the kiss I had with her for the first time, it was weird how I was still able to walk the doctors said. \n\n\n*Someday Alexa, I will return*\n\n“Van sweetie the doctors said that you need to go out for a bit downstairs and communicate” Mom said as she entered with a food tray.\n\nAfter I ate mom made me wear these newly bought sandals and I went outside the room and into the hallway.\n\nI remember going here as a child when I had to see a doctor. I was here but my mind was somewhere.\n\n“Is everything alright Van? You’ve been quiet for a while” Mom said\n\n“I’m okay, just need some adjusting” I said and looked at her and smiled to reassure her.\n\nThen suddenly someone tapped behind me. I looked back and saw a cute girl who was a bit shorter than me.\n\n“Do I know you?” "
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[WP] A fully self sufficient plane has been flying around Earth, housing people for generations. Through a vote it was decided to land the plane to find out what's on the surface in spite of the ancient grave warnings to never land. | 529 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"We have officially passed the White Curtain, everyone!\"\n\nCheers erupt after captain's announcement and everyone's eyes dash toward the windows to see what was under the ubiquitous layer of cloud that hid the earth. Then... silence gripped the passengers. \n\n\"Mommy. Where are the trees?\" There was none. There was only darkness... no green mountains or blue seas. Just infinite, grim stretches of a dead ocean.\n\n\"This doesn't make sense,\" says Jannette, \"by my calculations, the surface temperatures should've reduced long enough for sea level to recede to 20th century level. Can we get the captain to check the nav coordinate if we are really hovering over California?\"\n\n\"We're at the right place,\" says Eran as he traces the map with his finger, \"Look at the little islands, they match the peaks of Sierra Mountains from the old maps. We were wrong. The sea level didn't--\"\n\nA big bang shook the whole plane and all power went out. Panicked screams exploded across the plane.\n\n\"That's the lightning strike you SWORE wouldn't happen anymore! You doomed us all!\" Jackie yells, \"I told you all we can't trust her!\"\n\n\"I... I just can't keep living like this. Staring at the same data every day! I have dreams!\" Janette struggles for a response as the plane steadily loses altitude, \"You all needed a push. I gave you all courage and hope! This was all of your decisions. We voted!\"\n\n\"Preying on people's hope with lies is the worst! That is what destroyed the planet in the first place!\"\n\n\"Stop fighting! We need to save the plane!\" Eran interrupts, \"Something must be wrong in the cockpit. There's smoke coming out of the door!\"\n\n\"The cockpit was struck by the lightning... we're really doomed.\"\n\nJackie lunges at Jannette as everyone else tries to stop her. Then the plane nonchalantly crashes into the cold dead ocean. The final chapter of the human race was ended by the hands of its worst enemy... itself.",
"The plan was simple, after the council voted, the people were to descend and repopulate the earth. After 260 years in the skies, the head council members decided it should be safe to land and start life over. Most were hesitant at first but the thought of wide open spaces and fields of green grass filled their minds and quickly put them at ease.\n\nThe order was given, and the pilots began their descent to land below. The clouds grew thick and dark. According to the readouts, they should be over the Atlantic, not far from the shores of Brazil. They all fastened in, excited with the hope of a new world, a new life, an entirely new era for the human race.\n\nAll of a sudden the smiles and laughter where halted with piercing cries of the sirens. The pilots were blind in the clouds, nothing came into view, but the sirens deafening cry was crystal clear. They had to pull up, and fast. They jerked back on their sticks and hit the thrusters to maximum speed, doing all they could to pull away from the danger. The civilians were now stricken with fear, children cried in their parents arms, families huddled together as they weeped for one another. They knew what the sirens meant.\n\nDespite all their efforts, it was all in vain. They hurdled onto the face of a mountain, killing them all.\n\nFIN.",
"So it was finally decided by the majority, the plane will land. We will finally know what's on the surface and what happened to our kind before this plane. Unfortunately The Sky Council, the main opposition to landing, would not sit idly.\n\nBefore the decent had started The Sky Council mounted an attack on us, the heretics. The battle was barbaric. Just under half of the population was killed. The plane was damaged during the battle but all essential functions were still operational. Despite being shaken by the senseless bloodshed the plan to land was still going to be undertaken. \n\nThe plane descended from the clear, almost boundless skies into the thick and fluffy clouds. By historical accounts it was estimated that ground would be visible in an hour, at most two. Going further down the clouds become ever more darkened eventually settling its shade of grey. By that point 2 hours have passed and still no sign of the surface. We made the assumption that the historical account was probably a miscalculation on their part. We could not even imagine what would happen next.\n\nDays have gone by and we were still descending. Every piece of instrumentation was telling us that we were still descending but the same grey clouds were surrounding us. In these low light levels and combined with the damage from the battle our energy and food generation capabilities were greatly lowered. With a heavy hearth it was decided to abandon the mission and go up above the clouds once more. Everyone was demoralised, all this death and nothing to show for it.\n\nOne hour left till we reach clear skies though oddly enough the clouds aren't getting any lighter in color. The light levels are staying the same as well. The hour goes past by and... Nothing. The plane was still in the grey clouds. We tried doing the same thing as we did trying to land, we just kept on going hopping to find what we were looking for. We were met with the same results as before - the same damn grey clouds were still surrounding us.\n\nWhat was happening could no be explained.\n\nPeople started to panic. Food was running out with no way of providing enough for everyone. We tried to keep peace and order for as long as we could but it was a futile attempt. Fights started breaking out to secure food. Our Doomsday was upon us. During the chaos the energy generator was destroyed, setting everyones fate in stone.\n\nAs the last survivor I'm writing this so anyone who comes upon this will know the fate of my people. I regret having to destroy the energy generator but at the time it seemed like the right choice. I hope that every last one of my people rests peacefully and that my actions will be forgiven. ",
"The Captain hadn't said anything since the landing. \n\nShauna had caught a glimpse of him just after the landing. He'd looked pale, disgusted. Whatever was out there on the ground was enough to shake the old pilot to the core of his being. That terrified her.\n\n\"Expedition leader!\" \n\nShauna turned to find her second, Daniel Evans, running up to her with a tablet in his hands. He was short to her tall, stocky to her thin bones, and his head was thick with hair and hers was, well...\n\nIncreased altitude radiation can cause a bit of hair loss in some people. \n\n\"I got the full list, Shauna.\" Daniel handed it over. \"Captain also said to take another crate of trade currency.\"\n\n\"Another *crate?*\" Shauna didn't like this. \"How much did they add to the list?\"\n\n\"Not that much.\" Daniel shrugged, \"But he said add the extra crate anyways.\"\n\n\"Alright.\" Shauna turned around as another on of the expedition members was passing by. \"Micah! Add another currency crate to the pallet!\" \n\nMicah 'yes ma'am'd and moved on with whatever task he'd already been in the middle of doing.\n\n\"You saw the captain?\" Shauna lowered her voice as she turned back to Daniel. \"Did he look...?\"\n\n\"He was turning green.\" Daniel's whispered in return. \"He also looked kind of, well, embarrassed maybe?\"\n\n\"Embarrassed?\"\n\nDaniel nodded. \"Like, his face was flushed, and then he got angry when I noticed. I don't like this.\"\n\nShauna turned and looked toward the giant cargo door that was the only thing separating her group from the outside world. They had somehow managed to land the *Skytropolis* on the surface, but now it was up to her and her team to brave this lowland world in order to get the things they needed to survive.\n\n\"Ma'am.\" Micah ran back up to her. \"We're all set.\"\n\n\"Open the doors.\"\n\nThe order rippled through the ranks of her team and everyone instinctively drew closer to each other. Weapons were drawn out of holsters, glances were exchanged, and sweat glands began performing their duties. \n\nThe doors creaked open. The motors and parts controlling them had been kept maintained, but they hadn't actually been put to use in over two hundred years. A shower of rust flakes rained down in the streams of light that the door was releasing. \n\nThere was something wrong with the light. It wasn't just the light of the sun, there was color in it. It pulsed with greens and reds and purples and all other sorts as Shauna squinted against it. Whatever was out there wasn't normal. \n\nHer eyes eventually adjusted and then screwed up in confusion.\n\nThere were pictures, no, there was a word for them... billboards? Billboards... no, they weren't. They were entire buildings covered in... *Oh God!*\n\nShauna stared a forty-story tall building-sized add for chicken nuggets. She did so because the other building beside it was advertising for something that was as disgusting as it was terrifying. She would not think about what she saw for that fraction of a second there. She would not think about all the leather and how old that guy was... and how his... oh god, she was thinking about it. *Oh God! I just looked again!*\n\nSomewhere behind Shauna a person puked violently, which unleashed a chain reaction of reactions. \n\n\"What is that... that can't be a... *EWWW!*\"\n\n\"Oh gross, a sandwich that is just fried chicken and bacon? Why would they sell that?\" \n\n\"Think I'm gonna be sick.\"\n\nEverywhere the eye turned there was something horrible shoved in front of it. Ads for every disgusting, niche vice and terrible food concoction that could be imagined were all stacked over and over on top of each other. Even the ground had been paved and painted with ads for mortgage rates and lawn care and double cheeseburger cheesecake milkshakes.\n\nShauna remembered that she was in charge. That she had to lead these people. \n\n\"Buck up, people!\" She tried to keep her voice firm as she shouted, but even she could here the wavering in it. \"We have a job to do and I think we all want to do it fast. Keep your eyes down and stomach contents inside your body! Let's do this quick, right...\"\n\nShauna paused and spared another glance up at the technicolor monstrosity around her. She saw more naked flesh in that one glance than she had in her entire life.\n\n\"...and then never, *ever* speak of it again!\"\n"
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[WP]All of a sudden people started dying off one by one in alphabetical order,your name begins with a z.you are one of many people trying to figure all of this out | 9 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"*\"Never have I been so glad to be named Zaheer...* \n\n*I mean, on another day, I'd be telling you something else. But not today, my friend. Today we celebrate in the heart of the desert!* \n\n*And we will celebrate to our hearts content. That is, until the Americans come with their big cars and their jeeps.* \n\n*Everyone is saying the world is dying. Maybe it is. Maybe it is not. I don't know. I can't tell. I can only enjoy today. But can you imagine it? Everyone dying by alphabet order. A fortnight apart. It is like the gods are playing with us once again like the old days.\"*\n\nThe fire crackling in the midst of the makeshift campsite flared up briefly, as it consumed the piece of wood like a hungry beast. I take a quick glance at it before continuing to the researcher in front of me. She looks beautiful, I just might ask her if she would like to dance with me tonight. Raqeem and the rest of the guys are around the fire. Some of the guys are drumming, while Raqeem and his whore of a lover is dancing in the middle. I lick my lips and turn my focus back to the researcher.\n\n*\"No one knew, you know. This hole that appeared in the Sahara... No one could explain. If it wasn't for my friend and I, my friend is the other man with big beard... Raqeem. If not for us, maybe, you won't be here today. Maybe everyone will be dying and no one will know what to check.* \n\n*But that is not the case.* \n\n*One minute, we are cursing the heat and lamenting at the fate of all our family. Did you know I had a younger cousin called Ahmed? Short bastard, like this. Deep pockets but no sense at all. But he's my cousin, and when I heard he had taken ill, I felt the pain in my heart.* \n\n*It was only just two weeks ago that I was planning...\"*\n\nThe researcher glances away, smiling sheepishly and I know I have changed topics without meaning to. She is beautiful, I swear. Maybe, I will get a child before the night is over. I cough and excuse myself. \n\n*\"You were saying about the hole?\"* She asks me. \n\n*\"Ah yes... the hole. One moment, we are crying... next minute we are trying to run away from being dragged into the hole. Raqeem was cursing in arabic. I was praying to all the gods I knew.*\n\n*But as you can see, we survived. It is unfortunate that we lost a camel. 1000 euros gone like that. We had to sell my some things off to pay for the camel when we returned.\"*\n\n*\"Do you know what is in the hole?\"*\n\n*\"Not at all... but that is why the Americans are coming, are they not?\"*\n\nI smile and she smiles kindly back at me, as she closes her notebook and puts it back in her bag. I see her purse and my mind tells me she probably has something interesting in there. But I don't let my eyes stay for too long. I stretch my hand towards her and make my move. \n\n*\"Would you like to dance with me? We have to celebrate life while we have it in our fists.\"*\n\nI say to her, smiling wider.\n\nAnd she accepts. \n\nWalahi, I'm going to make a child before the night is out. \n\n---\n\n/r/EvenAsIWrite for more. Criticisms, as always, is very much welcome",
"Dear,\n\n The World,\n\nIf you are reading this, I can immediately guess your name is beginning with an F. You're scared, you're hiding, and you wonder if you're next.\n\nAs you know, around six months ago people began dying off at a steady rate. We never paid attention, of course; people die. It's natural, after all. However, when police began investigating, they all found the same cause of death-\n\nAsphyxiation. More importantly, Asphyxiation via three slashes to the neck, shaped into an 'A'.\n\nImmediately, the world flew into panic. Every man, woman and child holed up into their apartments and housing estates, wanting to see their death before it killed them. It took... Two, three days before the announcement came that it was only people beginning with A. Andrews, Allices... Everyday, another name was added to the list. People went into a flurry. Most 'A's just killed themselves to save the trouble of the long winded kill.\n\nThat's when the focus switched. As soon as it was said that the last person cursed with an 'A' had been slit up in the night, a new wave of torture began. All over the world, the 'B' names began falling too, but not in the same way.\n\nThe police found the first one, his head cracked open, a 'B' somehow marked perfectly from the four or so hits in the back of the head. The cause of death was considered Bludgeon.\n\nThat's where I began my research. That's where I began learning how we can counter it. To the people of Earth, I must say this, and this only...\n\nThere is no way out. Not that I can see- I've tested my weight on the rope, and it snapped, unusable. Pills vomited straight back out, knives simply breaking at the hilt. I am unable to kill myself, as are people whose names are not that of the names dying. I'm in hospital with three broken bones as I write this, my attempt of jumping from a skyscraper not going how it originally should've.\n\nThe 'B's died out. The 'C's went next, as we thought, but they died in the exactly the opposite way we expected; Crushing was my guess, but I was wrong.\n\nI wish I wasn't.\n\nThe 'C's of the universe began disappearing. All of them. Not a single body could be recovered, just a single slab of back meat from the victims, with a 'C' carved into it with a skinning knife. Scans revealed that the bodies had traces of different bodily fluids, including saliva and fluoride.\n\nCannibalism. They were being eaten by something... human.\n\nOut of all of them, I say C is the worst. Even to the end, I'm going to say this. Imagine being eaten alive, and not being able to see the culprit. It sends shivers down my spine.\n\nThe 'D's died off quickly. The ones that could be found had huge scabs, boils and zits, marks where they'd been scratching and never healed. The bodies were normally dried of fluid, and Dehydration was the issue.\n\nThe 'E's suffered from Ebola, practically turning into human soup in front of their friends and families. My wife... she was named Ebony. She was one of the last ones to go from that category. I watched it happen.\n\nAnd now, we're at F. We've pretty much seen what happens, though the police want to make absolute sure; People dropping, practically covered in icicles and turning black from the freezing temperatures only they were forced to endure. Frostbite.\n\n... It's funny. I'm not sad, anymore. After watching my five-year-old boy disappear, in front of me, I could've sworn I would hate the world. Poor little Cain. I wish I could've said goodbye.\n\nSo now I'm here. In this hospital. What will happen to everyone? The Nurse, Grace, is terrified. She's next. What will she succumb to?\n\nI ask you, Earth. Please, don't be afraid. Accept it, or if you can't, fight to save everyone else. I can't, anymore. Not while I'm still in this bed.\n\nI wish you all the best.\n\nGoodbye,\n\n Zachary\n"
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[WP] You are a video game NPC, having a normal day in an ultra-modded copy of Skyrim. That is, until the Dragonborn shows up. | 115 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"(Part One)\n( I decided to cheat a little and make a more in universe post since canonically, Skyrim is a video game. Like even in its own lore.)\n\n\nI was never a very big believer in the Hist. Yes they gave me life, and a purpose, but unlike my race...sorry, my marsh friends, they never spoke to me again. Hell, I think it may have all been a bad dream some times.\n\nLife as an Argonian can be rough, but it’s a lot tougher if you choose to not be like the Nords. I was abandoned outside of an ancient temple when I was young- my parents, well, I don’t remember them. Maybe the madmen of the reach got them or a hag raven made my da into some kind of potion or some boots. I was found by a recently windowed woman, named Freyga. She was my mother, and from an early age I had to step up and help around the farm. Maybe it was my body fighting me because I was ignoring what the Hist told me, maybe I just struggled in the cold weather- or maybe it’s all in my head...I’m not sure. But I do know that I grew strong, and large- a staggering seven feet tall, three hundred pounds. My height may have been from my parents, as what little I remember of them they seemed so big- but my strength came from my size and my drive. I didn’t posses unbreakable willpower, I just had to be that strong just to get through my day to day because I struggled so hard, physically. \n\nAn amazing fighter I did not make, but I could hold my own- especially with a broadsword or a combat axe. I had shattered maces beyond use due to their flatter surfaces and the length of my arms- not to mention the force of my swing- but the more hardy bladed weapons allowed me to swing very hard, more or less cleaving my opponents. I had to resharpen any weapons I used regularly, and during my brief tenure with the Stormcloaks I made a name for myself thanks to it. Not because of stories of honor, but because after almost every battle I needed my blade resharpened or a new weapon. \n\nThe day I quit my military days was the day the Hist had first prophesied to me- though they were vague and spoke in poetry, unlike how my “marsh friends” were given very explicit military commands. I remember as mother lay in the home I built for her, weak and on her literal deathbed, I began remembering what the Hist told me as a child. \n\n*As your mother slips away from you while still holding your hand, she goes peacefully yet is rewarded to the full in the ways of Nords- to fourth to inherit her heart and her two gifts from the forge- the cutting edge of a blade stronger than steel but an edge and color of obsidian and a dragonscale from a time long ago; inheritance to slay Alduin for a Nord reward, in vain of the arcane*\n\nThe memories were so strong, I almost didn’t catch what my mother was telling me.\n\n“Borr, my son, it has been four winters and a fall since you last were here” \n\n“Aye mother. I heard word from a priestess of Talos that a great Nord mother and a spotty at best warrior was having visions of Sovngarde”\n\nIt got a slight smile and laugh from her before she placed a hand up against my face. A Nord- or maybe a gesture of man in general, I’m not sure, I just know that I could barely feel it but even as a child I never corrected her doing these kinds of things. It took me a humorously long while to get used to hugging, my instincts firing off on all cylinders told me it was the death hug of a werebear or the underside of a serpent more than friendliness and comfort. \n\nHer hazy eyes seemed to focus on my head and I braved myself for the verbal fencing I was about to receive. \n\n“You have three scars above and bellow your left eye- your arms are covered in cuts! My son, you still have bandages on your arms- if I had known you went through danger to give an old war maiden a last visit, I wouldn’t have had a merchant look for you- I can look down on you from Sovngarde my child....please tell me my boy has not become a theif, nay a bandit!”\n\n“No, mother. I simply met a nice Khajit girl”\n\nShe made another slight laugh, but the serious gaze didn’t pass.\n\n“No mother, I fought for Skyrim’s high king. I simply had an...accident while using my flames...to cook fish”\n\n“What is it son?”\n\nI hesitated.\n“As a child, in Black Marsh...before my parents left me here-“\n\n“Come now. I am your mother. You were always loved”\n\n“I know, I simply mean those that delivered me unto you, mother....they had me speak to the Hist as all my kind had. They told me about this moment- they mentioned a dragonscale, an ebony weapon a-“\n\nA tear slipped her right eye.\n“Yes- I chose to save last years harvest gold to buy you a weapon you wouldn’t shatter for once. I thought it best to get it for you, in case you had settled down since you left here...the dragonscale was a present from King Olaf to one of our ancestors. His most prized possession....take what you think you need. If he has a problem with it, I’ll fight him myself on your behalf in the great mead halls for all of time if need be.”\n\nAfter her passing that night, with a reluctant heart, I found both under the bed in a floor hatch that I had made to store all of our valuables. The blade was a broadsword, my favorite...the handle was made from Black Marsh wetland trees, with a blade so clean that despite its opaque nature, I could see my own reflection everywhere except the actual blade. I didn’t possess arm hair like a human, so a sharpness test was a bit more painful. In this case, it was not painful at all- because the blade was that sharp. Barely touching my arm, I saw blood well up and slowly seep out. \n\nI stopped by a cabinet next to the mead barrels behind the house, and wrapped my left forearm in our stashed bandages that were there. With a heavy heart, I began to trek across our small field to go to our original home where I grew up at. The decrepit shack was just as we left it for the most part, save the door falling off its hinges and the lack of any belongings or furniture inside. \n\nI wished she had had someone else in her life- As I was unable to simply sit and watch her funeral pyre by my lonesome. It gut my body to see her, dead. Don’t confuse my words- I gave her a full Nord ceremony, down to making sure her back was completely flat against her vertical, wooden tomb. With a heavy sigh, and a sickness in my core, I turned to look at the thick black smoke roiling from the new home...gods be damnded, she was already so strong she was showing me two dragons fighting on the throat of the world. I was always interested in dragons because my horns grew just like the horns of the great breast- mother sometimes shared stories passed down by folk tale only, because she knew I was interested in them...wait, no....those were...real.\n\nThe world eater had returned, and after wounding a smaller green hued dragon just bellow the clouds, it flew straight for Riverwood- no, Helgan...yes, it even seemed to *land*.\n\n“I see it fit that I only try to fulfil my duty, I suppose that I must be DragonBorn! Shor’s bones!”\n\nWith a triumphant feeling, I began to rush towards Helgan at a brisk jog. Once I arrived though, the fight was over. A young Nord stopped me- very silent type, but with an air of destiny surrounding him. He looked to be of twenty at best, and was moderately muscular, standing about five nine or so. He asked me to accompany him to Whiterun, and out of a strange compulsion I felt this stranger would help me go places in life. So I said yes before I even caught his name.",
"I stood in my bright yellow opulent merchant's clothes as the town crier continued ranting about horses being banned from the city. Suddenly, he appeared on our side of the gate. A hulking figure wearing a long feathery cloak over dragon plate and ebony armor with a glowing runed axe in one hand and a staff in the other. The staff was unlike any I had seen before, black, wide at one end and narrow at the other, a box hanging from the bottom. When he extended it belched fire with a crashing boom each shot. On closer inspection, I could see 10 rings, a gleam orichalcum pendant, and an ebony circlet beneath the armor.\n\n\nIn the dragon borns wake trailed 3 women with massive breasts in varying states of undress, each with a katana, like the Blades of old. Behind them came two dogs the likes of which I had never seen, one with a dwemer mechanical leg, the other a pitch black husky. Behind them came an armored troll and a dwemer ballista. \n\n\nJaree-Ra tried to approach him, then the world froze, the Argonian vanished, and life moved on. Vittoria Vici walked by, the Dragonborn put on a new ring, and suddenly the noblewoman was stark nude. Finally, he approached me and I found myself outfitted in simple leather armor. \"Follow me, I need your help,\" the Arch Guild Harbingistener said.\n\n\nI did. I drew my iron dagger and followed him at a dead sprint to a door in the walls of Castle Dour. Behind that door was palace of immense size. A woman named Ysolda, nearly naked, with pounds of makeup and breasts even larger to the followers' stood at a cooking pot as 6 children and an assortment of pet animals milled around. The Dragonborn approached a chest labeled \"automatic sorting,\" where he stood for hours as we waited. When he had finished, he went to another door, and we followed, straight into Windhelm.",
"Sometimes I spit in his mead just for the hell of it. I've never done to anyone else, but this nonsense about going to the Cloud District is irritating especially since most of the city has to go to the palace in order to file mischarges or other legal fees. I was just waiting for that little bastard to burst through the door at any moment bragging about his whithering farm that only keeps crop alive because of the ~~slaves~~ endentured servants his father ~~bought~~ hired years ago.\n\nInstead, the doors flung open, and someone else waltzed in. Her armor black as coal and gleaming of enchantments giving the utmost protection with the least coverage; the rings she wore looked as if crafted by angels or unworldy beings; her sword gleamed and was carried by unnatural strength--it was the size of a building for god-sakes! Her posture was incredible and stiff. There was whisperes among the patrons.\n\n\"That's the dragonborn! Can you see the scales?\", \"No, no... that's the archmage. Such magic only eminates from someone that powerful.\", \"Butthe strength to carry that sword... surely she is the harbinger of the companions!\". Nobody dared to approach the woman though out of sheer fear. She stood there staring at the walls for what seemed like hours. I swear I had flashbacks of her lighting the place on fire and killing everyone in sight. Perhaps an illusion from her sheer power.\n\nShe finally walked over to me. Didn't say a word, but I knew what she wanted. As an inn keeper, I had no use for 3,412 cheaply-made iron daggers, but I dared not oppose her. I reached into my pocket to give her my money, but realized I was in my underwear! Before I could say anything, a guard came into the store... \"Wait... I know you..\" and without a word, the lady ran out the door.\n\nI went to the back to grab more clothes, and I heard the unmistakable sound of sheer terror outside the tavern. Yells of pain, agony, and the *toot toot!* of a train whistle. Surely another dragon attack! Thankfully, we have a warrior here with us today. Come to think of it... dragons only attacked whenever she arrived. I also hadn't seen Nazeem since her appearance, but that's okay.",
"It's not a bad gig, being an NPC. Just stick to the script when the Dragonborn shows up and the rest of the time you're free to do whatever you want. It puts food on the table and I'm good at it. I've even had some upward mobility, started out as a run of the mill guard and made it all the way up to Captain in Markarth, a respectably sized city. Got myself a quest marker too with a built out conversation tree, so yeah, I was looking good for upper management.\n\nI'd run across the Dragonborn a few times on prior play throughs. Nothing too exciting. I was too far down the food chain back then. But rumor had it he was making his way over toward Markarth and I was eager. It'd be the first time we actually got to talk and I was already practicing my lines over the table with my wife each night.\n\nI pulled out the kerchief stuffed into the back of my gauntlet and inhaled the flowery fragrance. Margaret, my wife and the love of my life. I smiled to myself and tucked the kerchief back in. I was a lucky man.\n\n\"He comes! The Dragonborn approaches! To places all!\" The caller cried out. Markarth immediately sprung to life, each character finding their proper place and beginning their scripts. It was always exciting when the Dragonborn came, it was when careers got made.\n\nI took my place in the center of the square, my chest thrust out with pride, a glowing quest indicator shining over my head. This was my moment. Time to make Margaret proud.\n\nSuddenly, he was there before me. He looked...different. I did not recall him being a small little man in overalls the last time I had seen him. But the character creator did afford the Dragonborn a wide range of flexibility. I began my line, \"Hail Dragonborn! I am Maravan, Captain of the Guards.\"\n\n\"It's a me! Mario!\" The Dragonborn replied before beginning to jump up and down, skyrocketing into the air before me.\n\nThis was not an expected response, but my job was to stick to the script. \"Welcome to Markarth \\-\\-\"\n\nI'm interrupted as an enormous pitcher filled with a red liquid exploded through the wall of the blacksmith. \"OH YEAH!\" The pitcher screams before it proceeds to stomp about, laying waste to the town.\n\n\"Oh no!\" I scream out, worried about Samjin, the local Blacksmith, \"To arms! To arms!\" The battle script always overtakes the quest script so I'm still on track, but this monster is unlike anything I've seen before. It seems impervious to damage as it breaks through wall after wall, red liquid splashing over the sides as it goes. Over and over it bursts through walls, always screaming the same phrase. There is no sense to it, only a wanton destruction.\n\nI run toward the pitcher, my sword raised, Margeret's kerchief fluttering in the wind. Suddenly the Dragonborn is there. Relief floods through me, the Dragonborn will know what to do, he's fought all manner of beasts. All of a sudden he calls out, \"Pickachu, I choose you!\" And throws a small red and white ball. After a moment, the ball opens and a flash of light fades to reveal a small yellow rat thing.\n\n\"Pika pika!\" The rat thing turns to the Dragonborn and gives him a peace sign. It's the oddest interaction I've ever seen.\n\nThe Dragonborn points at the red pitcher that is continuing to wreak havoc throughout the town. The yellow rat thing gives a salute and then begins to pulse with energy, firing off lightning bolts at the Red Pitcher.\n\nI gawk as the little critter electrocutes the red pitcher over and over, lightning coursing through its body. The pitcher staggers and then collapses, red liquid leaking out of numerous cracks in its exterior. \"Oh...\" red liquid spurts out of its mouth, \"yeah...\" Then it lies still. \n\nI gulp and return to my post, the quest icon reappearing over my head. I try to maintain the script but my eyes keep wandering over to the Dragonborn as he hops about the carcass of the pitcher, gathering loot. After a moment, he begins to walk toward me...and is interrupted by the call of a dragon.\n\nWhy was a dragon here? They never appear in Markarth. I hear the call again, it sounded...odd, like a long drawn out note. Looking to the skies, I see it. It's...it's all wrong. Gone are the wings, replaced by an oblong metal body horrifying smiling human face on the front of it. The smile. It was terrible. A thing without a soul.\n\nNot knowing what else to do, I simply scream out my dragon script, \"EYES TO THE SKIES! A DRAGON!\" I raise my sword once again, charging toward the fell beast.\n\nThe...[dragon contraption](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBegv7kbxLo) thing lands, releasing a great gout of flame. Forgive me Margeret, I love you.\n\n**Platypus out.**\n\n**Want more peril?** r/PerilousPlatypus"
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[removed] | [WP] She adjusted the straps ... | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nPrompts should [not be a recipe](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). A prompt is a seed, a starting point, not a gridiron guideline or requesting a specific story \n\nBreak this down into one sentence (two max) if you decide to re-post.\n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8f5i96/wp_she_adjusted_the_straps/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524771619",
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[WP] As their time comes to an end, two bitter rivals finally find peace. | 7 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Cal blinked sweat from his eyes, the stinging sensation a momentary distraction. Sparks flashed as he parried a savage thrust meant to impale. A swift counterattack sent his opponent reeling away with a cry. He took a deep breath, feeling the strength ebb from his limbs.\n\n“Why, Oran?” Cal had been striving to bring peace to his nation since he was a child. The Dominion of the Sword was ever expanding across the nation of Veraxtis, a supreme military campaign that ushered in a new era of justice. Jobs were created, poor were fed, and money flowed into the economy like a rushing river. Oran had always been opposed to his ideals, but had never openly betrayed him, until now.\n\nOran sneered. “Don’t be so naive, Cal. You of all people should have surely seen this coming. Ever since our days at the Academy, learning the sacred forms of the blade and sharpening our minds, you have always tried so hard to impress. Your pomp and circumstance could only get you so far, and I did promise that I would be the one to see you fall.” He brandished his weapon once more, advancing.\n\n“Our Lord Mydal is nearing the end of his conquest! A few more days, and all of the treaties with neighboring Kingdoms will be finished. This is the new age we have been promised, Oran! Don’t be a fool and throw it all away, I beg you!” Cal raised his weapon and met his foe openly, honed steel clashing.\n\n“With you dead, I will have nothing to throw away, Cal!” Oran pushed forward with his shoulder, adding more force to the blow. Cal ducked a horizontal slash and began a flurry of jabs and swipes, a keen focus in his eyes. Oran pressed the attack, firmly planting his feet and twirling his blade through his fingers with a seasoned experience that belied his age.\n\nCal nimbly stepped back and swore. “What madness has taken you? I have never thought of you as a brother, and we have always fought against one another. But I cannot simply stand by and let you usurp what I have worked for years to uphold!” \n\n“You were just a pup when Mydal took you in, Cal. You’d always shown so much promise. It made me sick, watching the kingdom fawn over you like they did. You never deserved any of that praise!” Oran roared in anguish and rushed forward, his ferocity turning movements from practiced and measured to bestial and powerful. Cal found himself in a panic, frantically moving to counter and put distance between himself and his enemy.\n\n“Is that what this is about, Oran? Jealousy? It is a poison that seeps through your veins, crippling your judgment and pulling you further from the path of righteousness!” Cal felt his own composure slipping, and his muscles began to twitch in anticipation of giving himself over to his emotions.\n\nOran laughed as he battled. “What would I have to be jealous of, Cal? You are nothing compared to me. I have always been superior, and I will prove it to you, when I present your traitorous head to Mydal!” \n\nCal leapt away and spat on the ground. “I can see there is no saving you, Oran. Prepare yourself, I shall not hold back. At the end of this day, we shall see who remains standing.” He reached onto his back, drawing a second sword from a scabbard and settling into a crouch. “Come at me with your worst, heathen!”\n\n“Heathen? No, Cal. I am a Lord of the Realm. It is you who will die!” Oran threw his blade to the side, pulling a large two-handed flamberge from the harness on his shoulders. He spun the blade twice, then leapt into the air and brought the sword down onto Cal.\n\nCal raised his weapons and caught the flamberge, the impact driving him to one knee. The earth cracked underneath his feet, and he grinned. “Not bad, Oran. You’ve always been strong. But I cannot let you destroy Mydal and the Dominion. I’m afraid it ends here.” He scissored the blades, pulling the flamberge from Oran’s grip and turning back to counter.\n\n“Yes it does, Cal. For you.” Oran’s knee connected with Cal’s stomach, knocking the wind from him. His grip loosened on one of the blades, and Oran snatched it from the air, spinning it in his grip. A smile spread across his face as he met Cal’s scream of pain with one of delight. Lightning flashed in the sky and the sound of blade punching through armor reverberated through the air.\n\n“Oran, you…” Cal stared down at the three feet of glittering steel that protruded from his chest. He released his grip on the sword he still held, buried into Oran’s chest, and fell to his knees.\n\nOran paled. “When did you…?” He dropped to one knee, coughing blood onto the ground. “You slippery eel. A lucky strike, and nothing more.”\n\nCal smiled softly. “A shame, that neither of us will live to see the morrow. Despite your flaws, you were a soldier I was proud to battle alongside. We could have brought such great things to Veraxtis.”\n\nOran’s eyes glistened and he looked away. “Say not these things, fool. You and I have always been rivals. We will continue this battle in the next life, our spirits bound in conflict.”\n\nCal reached forward, clasping a hand on Oran’s shoulder. “Aye, we will. Hopefully, may the Gods forgive me for saying this…as brothers.” A single sigh left his mouth as the light began to fade from his eyes. His fingers lessened their grip, and his body went slack.\n\nOran leaned his head down in reverence, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. “The gods have nothing to forgive for you, Cal. But aye, perhaps as…brothers.” He laid his hands on the blade that had pierced his chest, settling down onto the earth. As the darkness crept in from the edges of his vision, a single tear escaped, falling to the ground and splashing as he died."
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"1524774498",
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[WP] You were born an inventor's son. Your father designed watercrystals that can make life possible in even the most devastated, eroded areas. But before he can implement his life's work, he dies. This leaves you with the burden of his legacy, and his dream to save the world from desertification. | 12 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"\"Well I don't like the sight of them,\" Anderson spat the words out as though he had spewed a demonic chant. \n\nLewis wouldn't have put it past him since such brute rage at such a warming invention was something he could definitely expect. If he could summon demons to do his bidding, Anderson would unleash true Hell on Earth if Earth was not already Hell. Lewis didn't know. He couldn't exactly pinpoint the differences. Earth was, in one word of summary across the globe, dry. That that was despite the ever-growing seas. No matter how much water flowed elsewhere, the hugely overstuffed lands overflowing with life was scorching. Hellish, Lewis nodded to himself. \n\nSo Anderson spitting words at a perishing child whose father had apparently died from dehydration was interesting to say the least. The child, though he must have been around nineteen, held tiny blue crystals in his little recycled bag. Lewis was at luxury to tell the make, brand and style of almost anything. The child who called himself Thomas Suffire, dressed in ghastly rags, was not. \n\n\"But my father made this to help people,\" Suffire retorted, clearly too naive to understand and swallow that Anderson was not one to help people despite his title. \n\n\"It is a pathetic attempt at solving the world's problems.\" Anderson slammed his bruises hands on the table. Lewis assumed it was from beating the prisoners into admitting they stole bread from the Queen. \n\n\"Don't you understand? This could bring back water to the vast mainland! Water will no longer be expensive! It'll be free for all, to help the millions of us,\" the child yelled with grotesque passion, edging forward.\n\nLewis could tell that he was ill-prepared to realise that no one in positions of power wanted to help the deprived. All around, Lewis noted, streams of fresh water flowed in the palace. There were ponds, flowers, trees, shrubs, birds, dragonflies, butterflies, bumblebees-- everyone who needed water had it. Everyone else was irrelevant. \n\nAnderson clapped his cruel hands together to send guards to throw the child out, though Lewis knew that it wouldn't be without those dangerous crystals. If the deceased father had not educated his son in the ways of politics or making the crystals then that was his final mistake. Letting his son sentence himself to an accidental death on his way home. \n\nGuards lunged at Suffire. Suffire threw his crystals to the ground. He held his hand up. The guards around him looked at Anderson for a single. Lewis smiled when Anderson raised his hand to wait for further instructions. It was going to be fun.\n\n\"You bastards! All of you, letting poorer people suffer for your selfish needs,\" he began, tears pouring down his face. Lewis stifled a laugh. Didn't he need that water? Wasting it on unnecessary emotional outbursts. \n\n\"Enough of your nonsense,\" Anderson barked over him. \"Take him away.\"\n\nThe child didn't put up a fight. He was still dragged though he was indeed compliant. Lewis scoffed at the silly child's method of help for the people. Anderson ordered guards to destroy the crystals and went away for his swimming break in the warm freshwater outside in the beautiful garden.\n\nLewis followed the guard quietly, watching for others. But then he chased the guard up.\n\n\"Excuse me. Change of plan. I'm taking the crystals to Professor Pentford,\" Lewis smiled at the guard who shrugged and passed it without pause.\n\nLewis sniggered as he pocketed the crystals into his pocket, sure now that he had the right power to take down the throne and make it his. He'd behead Anderson. And he'd kill the child too, if the guards hadn't already. With the power to get the world on his side, Lewis knew it was only a matter of time before he could peal reality away and bring forth his dream. To be King.\n\nThough he didn't see that Suffire was behind him, escaped and disguised in a guard's attire, his father's rusting blade ready to slice. He knew he'd have to do *anything* to save the world, even kill a few. And his first stop: Professor Pentford. "
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"1524781459",
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[removed] | [WP] The world reacts to the power vacuum left by the US being lead by a dotard. World peace ensues.... almost. | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nNo prompts referencing real world drama (including politics, recent tragedies, etc.) This includes prompts likely to attract such drama. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8fc2k7/wp_the_world_reacts_to_the_power_vacuum_left_by/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1524839419",
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[WP] If you are going to die from murder, you can know who will murder you by looking at their eyes, which will turn red. Your new neighbor just arrived at your apartment, so you go and make a visit to him. When he opens the door and you look at him, suddenly his eyes turn bright red. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Ding dong.\n\nI press the doorbell. What kind of person would his new neighbor be? I just hope they aren't a drummer like the guy who just got kicked. Either way, as the apartment manager, I am going to give my best greetings.\n\nThe door opens, revealing a woman, seemingly my age.\n\n\"Hello! I am Jacob. Welcome to our apartment, I hope you get well set over here!\"\n\n\"Oh, thank you very much! My name is Rachel. Would you like coming in? I am preparing dinner.\"\n\nIt would be rude neglecting such an invite, and the smell coming from her kitchen was really good. Besides, she was really cute, if I were to have a chance with her, it would be right now.\n\nJust one weird thing I noticed before she turned around to show me my way, her green pupils were slightly redder now.\n\n\"Just sit over there, the pasta I am making is almost ready.\"\n\n\"Okay.\"\n\nSo I sit, and start thinking about her eyes, was I seeing things? It cannot be that...\n\nJust as I was starting to think the worst, she returns, holding a pan full of pasta.\n\nThe pasta would have looked delicious, if I weren't paying attention to something else; her eyes.\n\nThe instant I noticed her eyes, those glowing red eyes, chills ran down my spine. My addrenaline started rushing.\n\nShe is going to kill me. Suddenly that became a fact.\n\nNot giving me time to think about my actions, Rachel started talking.\n\n\"Here it is, they say my pasta is unforgettable, I hope you like it!\"\n\nMy heart is racing. Is she planning to poison me with her pasta? I can't stay here. I have to do something.\n\nI want to run, but I know that will not help. I've seen her eyes, and they tell me she is gonna kill me anyway.\n\nI have to defy my fate. I have no other option.\n\nI don't want to do this.\n\nBut there is no other way.\n\nWhile my mind discuss with itself, my body is working.\n\nI get up, take a knife from the table and rush at her.\n\nShe screams. Is she really going to be afraid now that the tables turned? I guess being a killer doesn't come with being unafraid of death.\n\nShe throws the pan she is holding away and prepares to run, unsuccessfully.\n\nI catch up to her and start forcing my knife onto her chest, then I'll be surely safe!\n\nBut she struggles. I manage to make some cuts on her skin, but she throws my knife away, and it slides under the sofa.\n\nDammit. As I panic without any means to kill her at hand, I notice the open window. We are on the seventh floor. That must do.\n\nI start forcing her to the window. This is tough. She is struggling as hard as she can, but I get her there somehow.\n\nBy there she seems to grasp what I am trying to do and struggles and screams even more.\n\nWe start fighting with punches and scratches. We are on a life and death fight, and I cannot afford to lose it.\n\nHowever, as fate seems to predestinate, she ends up pushing me through the window.\n\nAs I fall I notice she is crying. Why are you crying? Wasn't it your plan to kill me all along? Weren't you trying to poison me right now?\n\n.\n\n.\n\n.\n\n\"You could have lived a good life, you know?\"\n\nTime seems to slow down while I hear a voice.\n\n\"...What?\"\n\nWhat the fuck are you talking about? I couldn't possibly have lived a good life, I am fated to die. By her hands.\n\n\"Foolish boy. Death is inevitable. All you've done was rush it.\"\n\nSomehow I knew I was talking to fate itself.\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"Your life was supposed to be a happy life. That fear of yours ruined it.\"\n\n\"That woman was going to be your wife, you'd have children and love one another immensely.\"\n\n\"...But...\"\n\nAs if it were a flashback, videos of my intended future flashed through my mind.\n\nVideos of us going into dates, us moving into a big house, her pregnancy, our twins being born, them playing on the garden, our family growing up, until a video of our family taking a family photo with me, Rachel, our twins and even our grandchildren.\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"...\"\n\nI take some time processing. I am on the verge of tears.\n\n\"...but weren't she going to kill me?\"\n\nI fear the answer may make me regret my every decision tonight.\n\n\"Yes, she was. Upon reaching a certain age, you'd start suffering from a serious disease that'd impossibilitate you from leaving the hospital bed, or even talking.\"\n\n\"To end your suffering, she'd make the decision to cut off your life sources.\"\n\n\"......\"\n\nAgain on a flashback, no, this felt more real, I was actually on my intended future's self.\n\nI see through my own eyes Rachie, oh, how I love Rachie, talking to me.\n\nI am feeling whatever the me on the hospital bed feels.\n\n\"Honey, I am gonna end your suffering, okay?\"\n\n\"...I love you.\"\n\n\"All our family loves you.\"\n\nI feel happy.\n\nI force a smile and close my eyes, while receiving a kiss on the forehead.\n\nThen I hear Rachie's final words before us part.\n\n\"Doctor, let me do it, please.\"\n\n\"...\"\n\nI return to myself.\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"Fate is unavoidable, but it is not always what you think it is, Jacob.\"\n\n\"........\"\n\nI can say nothing else.\n\nTime starts returning to its normal pace.\n\nThe last thing I notice before splattering into the floor is that I am crying."
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[WP] You are born with a poison resistance perk. Your mother invites you over for a family dinner. While eating your perk activates. | 157 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I hadn't been to dinner at my mom's house since my divorce. Too much shame of being the only one in the family with a failed marriage and ruined life. It did feel nice to get the invite, though, maybe we could be a family again. Little did I know I would be the only one to survive the night.\n\nGrowing up my perk had never been all that glamorous. I didn't have the super strength or speed that all the jocks had, or even intuition or intelligence of the smart kids. All in all, I've always just been an average guy. Granted, I never have to worry about getting poisoned, but in all honesty nobody gets deliberately poisoned anymore. We're not living in 18th Century France, after all.\n\nI really only ever felt the effects of my so-called perk a few times in my life. Once when I was a child and dumped some insect poinsoning all over myself, then a few times in college when I drank far too much, although drinking without the fear of alcohol poisoning led to some epic nights. Honestly I hadn't even thought much of my perk until tonight, but who needs to think about poisoning at a family dinner?\n\nThings were moving along well at dinner. Mom and dad seemed genuinely interested in how my life and new job were going, and me getting back on the dating train. My brother, George, seemed a little on edge, and his wife, Anna, was quieter than normal, casually glancing at the mashed potatoes for the majority of dinner.\n\nAs I got toward the end of my plate, that old feeling started to surface again. It started as a gassy feeling, and progressed into a full body tingle and sweat (again, not very glamorous). As the feeling progressed I had the feeling that everyone was staring at me. In fact, it had been quite quiet for some since anyone had made a sound. I scanned the table from left to right. Mom, dad, George, and Anna were all slumped forward, mouths agape, with a dead stare.\n\nI'll never understand why Anna killed my family, and herself, that night.",
"It had been so long since I’d felt its activation. Though it was so long ago, I remember it like it was yesterday.\n\nI was at my uncle’s house as a young boy, he and his wife were babysitting me. He was relatively young too, and as a young guy he liked staying active. He didn’t have much money, but as long as he was healthy he didn’t mind being a little bit impoverished. On a day prior to this one, however, he injured his arm pretty bad. He was still happy to help out my parents. After all, it’s not like he had much other things to do.\n\nBeing the young, careless boy was, I was always eating lots of candy. Who didn’t love eating candy as a child? I went to the kitchen to see if my uncle had anything sweet to eat. Lo and behold, there it was! There were some circular-shaped objects that looked liked candy in a weird orange container. I popped a bunch in my mouth, chewed it, and spat it out into the sink. *What a weird tasting candy*, I thought. I washed the leftover bits (along with the taste) out of my mouth with some water, rinsed out the sink, and decided to end my quest for sweets there. \n\nA minute after this, I remember feeling it. This weird sensation in my upper abdomen. It was like paintbrush with sharp bristles was churning at my insides. Fortunately, it vanished rather quickly. Soon after, I remember seeing my uncle putting one piece of the weird candy in his mouth, and then drinking some water. I didn’t think much of it, and nothing really happened. Until he dropped to the floor unconscious.\n\nLong story short, he was rushed to the hospital after my aunt called the police. The doctors did all that they could, but they couldn’t save him. They found OxyContin and Fentanyl in his system. The poor guy must’ve been unable to afford the pain medication, and turned to the streets to try to get it cheaper. \n\nThe point is, while he died from one pill, I ate a bunch and just felt a bit uncomfortable for a minute. I know what it feels like when my poison resistance kicks in. And now, eating the wonderful stir-fry my mother had prepared for us, I felt the sharp bristles of the paintbrush inside of me again.\n\nI was very nervous, filled with confusion. *What’s happening? I know that my poison resistance is kicking in, but could my mom really have poisoned me?*\n\n“Mom,” I exclaimed, catching her a little bit off guard. “Did you do anything special with the food we’re eating?”\n\n“I sure did. I put lots of love into it.” She replied, cheerily.\n\n“Is that all you put in it?”\n\n“I mean, there’s a lot of stuff in it. Soy sauce, sesame oil, peanuts, garlic-“\n\n“No, no, I mean-” I stopped for a moment. “Did you say, peanuts?” She nodded.\n\nA sigh of relief exited my mouth. At this moment, I knew she didn’t try to poison me. “Didn’t I tell you I’m allergic to peanuts?”\n______________________________________\n\n^(This is my first time doing a writing prompt to feedback is appreciated!)",
"\"*Gasp*!\" I gasped. \"My poison resistance perk is activating! Mother, how could you!? How could you poison your own child!?\"\n\nMother just looked at me flatly. \"I get it. It's too spicy.\"\n\n\"If it were not for my supernatural constitution-\"\n\n\"You got sick eating pretzels last week. Pretzels.\"\n\n\"AHEM! Mother, I'm monologuing! I don't interrupt you when *you're* monologuing, do I?\"\n\n\"You do. All the time.\"\n\n\"AHEM! My poison resistance is failing! This food, this unholy spicy food-\"\n\n\"Look! The can even says 'extra mild'!\"\n\n\"-will be the death of me! If only there were something edible that wouldn't burn me alive!\"\n\n\"I thought it was poison resistance, not fire resistance.\" Mother continued to not be amused.\n\n\"It's both, fire is a kind of poison,\" I said. \"ANYWAY, as I was saying-\"\n\n\"Fine!\" Mother said. \"There's cereal in the cabinet, if you're going to be picky. It's bran. Plain, not even with raisins, bran. Extra-bland, just for you.\"\n\n\"Aww, mom! You're the best!\""
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[WP] Every time you put the wrong date on your homework or test, you are sent back to that year for ten minutes | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"At first, when I discovered this quirk, it turned out to be _very_ inconvenient. I, being a forgetful person, constantly wrote the wrong date. Day wasn't too bad, usually it was just a day forward or back. Year was hell. Do you know how painful being transported back to April of 2017, seeing middle schoolers \"dabbing on them haters\" for ten minutes was?\n\n\nAfter a while though, I came up with more creative ways to use this power. I could effectively travel back and forth in time to whenever I wanted, just by writing the date on my homework. \n\n\n_Could I change history?_ A question popped into my head. During my 'visits', I was able to move things around, but I wouldn't appear to people unless I wanted to. \n\n\nAs I mulled over the theory, a piece of homework fell out of my schoolbag. '_The Founding Fathers of America._' Looking at my iPod playing _Hamilton_ songs on repeat, then back at the paper, I picked up a pen and hastily scribbled '12th July 1804'.\n\n\n(first WP reply!)\n\n"
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[deleted] | [WP] You gonto sneak out of your house one night and leave a fake body in your bed, when you come back the fake is alive and wants to live your life. | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It was a simple enough plan, hell i'd pulled it off maybe a dozen times in the past. With some work in art class i'd managed to make a perfect... Okay well maybe not perfect, but a reasonable facsimile of myself laying down. I have to admit growing my hair out to cover my face was the hardest challenge of the entire thing. \n\nI waited until my parents settled in front of the TV for their favorite cooking show, house buying show, or whatever reality crap they're so absorbed by and I did what every teenager with a social life in the history of time does. I popped the screen out of my window and made my way to Caleb's house. \n\nNow, I had only planned on staying for a few hours but Wendy Salascky was there. I think that says enough about how the rest of the night went. It's not like my parents would notice if I was back before morning anyways, they're not exactly the brightest crayons in the box. It must have been three... maybe four A.M before I finally managed to make it back home. \n\nThank god I peaked in the window before just waltzing through the door because my parents were still entranced in front of the TV, and it seems they've invited some company as well. I don't know who in their right minds would want to come over to watch their garbage in the middle of the night. But it's not my problem. I push myself back against my window trying to open it. \n\n\"what the hell..\" I mutter to myself while sliding against the glass like a bird that doesn't know any better. Somehow it locked itself while I was gone. \"This puts a kink in the plan\". I start walking around the rest of the house, trying every window with no luck. I can't risk the front door right now with so many eyes in the living room waiting to spot me. I briefly consider breaking my window but how exactly do you play that off? \"Oh yeah someone broke the window while I was asleep here in my clothes?\". Even my parents would see through that. \n\nSo I elect to wait, until they decide to go to sleep. I post up on the wall next to my window and wait. \n\n*clink. clink. clink* Damnit. I must have dozed off. The sun is blinding me as I open my eyes, with the sounds of birds singing and the window being knocked on. Wait. Shit. The window being knocked on. I try to edge myself around the wall to see who's in my room. \n\nScreaming doesn't work. My throat's dry and the sounds won't come out. I'm stuck panting, falling against the ground, and trying to unsee what's on the other side. It's me. Or it looks like me... but it's not. I know the shape of that face, the consistency of the hair, and those clothes. \n\nAt first I thought my parents had busted me. But that didn't last long. He opened the window. \n\n\"Hello Tyler, long time no see.\" His voice... no. My voice echoed in my head. \n\n\"What the FUCK.\" Is all I could muster in response. \n\nAn unsettling chuckle carried through the rest of his speech \"Well, you were gone so long. I got pretty bored just laying in bed. So I decided to get up and stretch the old cardboard out. Unlucky for you though. I ran into our parents.\" \n\nThe anger and fear had me stuttering at every word. \"What do you mean OUR parents\"\n\n\"Oh please\" his awful laugh had begun to make me sick. \"Don't act like you care about them now. You never cared about them. They pretty much told me outright... Well I guess technically they told you. When I told mom that I loved her, she nearly broke down crying right there. I mean really, how poorly do you treat our family?\"\n\n\"Shut up. Just shut the fuck up.\" the tremble in my voice now rising in anger. \n\n\"What, you love them? You treat them like your personal maids, put them down at any chance you get. So I had a thought. What if instead of you, they had a better son. One who loved them. One who wants to see them happy?\" his smile began to twist and curl. \" So, I've decided that you'll be out of the picture from here on out. I hope you understand.\" \n\n\"You can't. I'll tell them. I'll tell them everything\" I shot back \n\n\"What, that your art project 'magically' came to life and tried to take over your life? Even if they believed that. Tell me, why would they want such an ungrateful brat back? Why would they ever want someone that doesn't seem to know the word thank you over a son that treats them with respect?\"\n\nThe fear taking my voice back over forced me into silence. He wasn't wrong. It would be impossible to convince them of that.\n\n\"Now, I suggest you run along. It's almost breakfast time and I promised I would make it today. waffles with bacon bits, your favorite. Right? Maybe i'll toss one in the yard for you later.\" The echo of my voice in my own head continued, only broken by the slamming shut of my window. \n\n\nEDIT: Thanks for reading!, hope someone enjoyed it. I'm still not very used to replying on /r/WP, so feel free to point out any concerns or anything like that. Part 2 is just below"
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[WP] Ever since you were a child, you’ve been able to see ghosts. It’s gotten to a point where ghosts are more familiar to you than humans. Your only friends are them. You decide to open a detective agency to solve crimes with the help of your supernatural friends. | 1,063 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Carver was hunched over and cursing when she walked into his office. He'd paid his late rent that morning with nothing left over for weed. His lank black hair had kept falling into his eyes as he scraped resin from the blackened stem. \"Spooks hand me those cigarettes\" Carver said to the ghost in his office who was floating aimlessly along the ceiling. \n\"My name's Edmund,\" said Spooks. \"We've been over this.\"\nCarver sifted through the impressive amount of wet black resin he had mined and smiled. He then pointed at his coat hanging on a wooden rack across the room \"They're in the pocket,\" he said.\n\"Oh sure, Spooks at your service,\" the ghost said. The cigarette case sprang out of the pocket, into the air, and seemingly under its own volition flew at Carver like a missile. He raised his hand to deflect the loose cigs but the tin case slipped through and hit him in the eye.\n\"God Damn!\" Carver said. He reached down a picked up a loose ciggarette and emptied it into the resin, forming little balls from the mixture.\n\"I honestly hope you die smoking that,\" said Spooks. \"Acutally you already have cancer, I can see it.\" \nCarver wondered if Spooks could really see such a thing. Shrugging he loaded some of the batched resin into his bong and cleared the bowl. She walked in during the aftermath of the hit, a long trenchcoat and fiery red hair a real dame. Carver's eyes were bulging and streaked with red. He tried to stand up and greet the newcomer but his stretching legs made his head exploded in a flash of lights and he slumped over. Putting one knee on the floor he rested his head on the desk.\n\"He's retarded,\" Spooks said but the woman showed no indication of hearing him. Carver sat back down and gulped some water, he took a deep breath and straightened the sleeve of his jacket \"What can I do for you ma'am?\".\n\n\"Oh it's so terrible! It's my husband he's gone missing. It all started four weeks ago when I suspected him of an affair and had him followed...\"\nCarver wasn't listening, he was looking at Spooks.\n\"It's a setup,\" Spooks said. \"Her and her boss offed her husband and you're the fall guy.\" \nThe woman's eyes were teary and smudged and ashe told her story bubbles of spittle formed on her cherry red lips. Carver nodded his head in the direction of her noises and Hmm'd emphatically. \n\"You can string her along for a couple weeks pay but under no circumstances go to 46 Howland to \"talk to her husbands sister' that's the trap.\" \n\"Do I get to fuck her?\" Carver said out loud.\n\"Excuse me?\" the woman said.\n\"Do I need a truck,\" he said trying to stifle a giggle.\n\"I don't understand how that's relevant\" she replied. \n\nSpooks had come to float beside the woman \"They really smashed the triangle through the circle shape when you were born eh Carver? I mean jesus how many times are you going to talk to me when we have company?\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"Lyle Birtuli: \n\nSee's dead people all his life, has many close friends who are dead. He's been seeing them for so long that he treats them as he would any living human. He is concerned for each and every one of his friends. Because he has seen these ghosts since he was a child he has an innocent disposition whereby he he makes concessions in the corporeal plane to accommodate his ghastly friends despite knowing that they are, in fact, ghosts. Because he lives in a lonely place between living and dead his ghost friends band together and come up with a secret plan to build a network of support in the *physical* plane as a way of ensuring his physical needs are met (income, interaction with living beings, maybe love?). \n\n\n*****\n\n\nLyle sat at his desk and leaned back. His first client would be walking through the door in 10 minutes and he didn't feel at all prepared for the encounter. He glanced at the folder on his desk and back at the door and sat like a statue for a few seconds until his gaze was slowly drawn back down to the folder. \n\n\nIt had a name written on the top in perfect Copperplate, a skill he had picked up from an old typist named Josef who lost his job in a horrific typesetting accident in '12. Of course, he also lost his life but the company's bottom line was hurt more than Josef's four cats who were quickly adopted into Frau Meyr's menagerie shortly thereafter. Having a student brought great joy to Josef and Lyle was an enthusiastic student, even though he was only in third grade and was often kept up late by the lessons. His teachers and parents sought medical explanation for his alarming lack of energy but abandoned the search for answers when tests came back and his GP diagnosed him with a *Curious Case of Cursive*, which he diagnosed from the colouring book upon which Lyle was writing out his exercises from Josef. The incident was the first brand of weirdness that pushed Lyle towards where he was today but even now, staring at the enigmatic file before him, he would never have deviated willingly from his path. \n\n\nLyle stared at the file but was interrupted when the phone to the front door rang. Panic struck him and he swung to face the phone, nearly knocking his inkwell off the desk. He grabbed the phone and halted, staring at the LCD label, \"Front Door\". \n\n\n\"Janice!\" he yelled, holding the phone to the receiver like it was a rocket about to launch. A middle aged woman came through the door clutching a trowel and an empty pot. She watched blankly as Lyle struggle with the phone, an inordinate exertion of strength for the situation. Lyle looked over at her, and she saw in his face the same childish anxiety that she had seen years before. \n\n\n\"Lift the receiver and say 'hello'. You'll know what to do from there.\" She said softly. \n\n\nLyle's face was stone for a moment while the phone rang again, then sudden calm as he turned to face the phone. His arms relaxed and as the phone started to chirp again he lifted the receiver to his ear. \"Lyle Birtuli & Co. Detective Agency, how may I help you?\" \n\n\n\"I have an appointment at 1:30 but I'm a bit early.\" said the voice at the door. \n\n\n\"Sure thing,\" said Lyle already getting in his groove, \"I'll buzz you in.\" He pressed the door button and hung up the phone. He heard a latch buzz and the door creak open, then close. \"Okay Janice, it's showtime.\" Lyle paused. \"Do you think we can do this? I mean really do this?\" Janice considered the question, tapping her trowel on the edge of the pot, Lyle waiting patiently for her response.\n\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\nLyle sagged in his seat. \"No?\"\n\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\nLyle's face screwed up. \"Yes, as in no?\"\n\n\n\"No, but yes.\"\n\n\nLyle's brows furrowed. Janice could give life to any plant in the world but only seemed to give death when it came to advice. \"I'm afraid I don't know whether to sink further through this chair or jump out the window,\" he said from the lower back of his seat. \n\n\nJanice snapped back to the discussion and beamed, \"it's being dead I'm afraid; makes one rather grim when it comes to questions of possibility. You'll understand some day. But really Lyle, we can't do this. Except you, of course.\"\n\n\n*There it is* thought Lyle. *Dead people love to torment the living, and they're so cheesey. I guess when you can fly through walls most punchlines take on a different light.* He sat up in his chair and straightened the file on his desk. \"Thank you Janice. You really know how to bring a fluttering heart to peace.\" Janice bowed and turned.\n\n\nLyle smiled softly. It was true that Janice constantly pushed him to the edge of doubt and dispair but you don't make a dead gardener from 1956 your Chief of Personnel without reason. Janice's optimistic defeatism always seems to lift him up. And just in time--\n\n\nAt that moment there was a knock on the door, a knock that Lyle could feel through the air. He got up and walked around his desk to the door, took a deep breath, and turned the knob. \n\n\nStanding before him was his very first client. \"Good afternoon. My name is Lyle Birtuli. Would you come in and have a seat?\" He swept his arm wide and set it pointing at his client chair, a gesture that Gregory had taught him only a week prior. *Nailed it* \n\n\nHis client walked in to the room slowly, observing the few wall hangings and decor, settling in the chair facing Lyle's after a seemingly endless meander that Lyle thought may never end. He walked around and sat in his chair, then carefully dragged the folder towards himself. \n\n\n\"I've had time to review your file, and I'm quite confident my agency can help you with your request.\" Lyle stopped to gauge his clients response. Blank. *Okay*. Lyle continued, \"the details you've provided were more than sufficient to find starting leads, though,\" he paused again, empathy for his client welling up inside him, \"it will likely take us places you may not want to go.\" His client stirred slightly at that last statement but stayed silent. Lyle sighed and relaxed into his chair, and opened the folder. His eyes moved side to side, scanning the pages for information. He flipped a page, muttered to himself, then nodded and closed the folder again. He looked at his client, who was quiet and stoic, yet Lyle could feel that they were ready to begin this journey. He recognized the look of grief without injury, of loneliness amongst the presence of others. *This person has seen a ghost, whether they know it or not*.\n\n\n\"I would like to confirm a few details for you before we sign the contract, if you don't mind.\" \n\n\n\"Of course, I'll tell you anything if you think it will help.\" \n\n\n\"We're looking for your sister. 5'7\", shoulder length, wavy brown hair, last seen wearing a floral patterned dress.\" \n\n\nHis client winced.\n\n\n\"Is that correct?\" \n\n\nThere was silence between them. Finally, his client spoke. \"You've obviously done your research. I'm ready to begin looking for my sister.\"\n\n\nLyle smiled, \"Okay. Start this paperwork and we'll get started right away. I'm sure we'll be able to close this case.\" His client's eyes shifted for a moment, a spark of light dancing across them, then they took the pen from the desk and started signing the documents. Lyle looked up from the documents, his smile fading. It would be solved, this he knew for certain. He glanced up and to the right of his client, into the eyes of a young woman with shoulder length brown hair. She was wearing a floral pattern dress and looking down at his client, a look of longing in her face. Her hand was on the chair, though it penetrated it's surface as she quivered.\n\n\nThe girl looked at him, pleading with her eyes. Lyle simply nodded and looked back to his client, whom he was dedicated to helping find closure, beyond the legal requirements of his contract as a detective. He knew the case would be hard, but he also knew that there was nobody in the world better equipped than he to bridge this gap between life and death. \n\n\n*****\n\n\nI had to rush the ending because I'm going out to see a movie with the girly, but I want to write a bit more on this. Please give me comments and criticisms to improve the writing and thanks for reading.",
"\"Cas,\" said Jane. \"Cas, where are you?\"\n\nShe walked a little farther down the corridor.\n \n\"Cas, come on,\" said Jane. \"I'm going to get caught.\"\n\nA corporeal head poked out of the door that Jane lent up against.\n\n\"It's not done yet,\" said Cas.\n\n\"What?\" said Jane. \"You've been in there for ages.\"\n\n\"I know, I know,\" said Cas. \"But, i'm your crime photographer right?\"\n\n\"You're supposed to find clues and document them,\" said Jane.\n\n\"Yes, that's what I said,\" said Cas. \"Your Pro Crime Scene Photographer.\"\n\n\"Err,\" said Jane. \"I think you're getting a bit too into this.\"\n\n\"It's just that the light in here,\" said Cas. \"It's so dreary.\"\n\n\"You're supposed to get a photo of the documents in the safe,\" said Jane.\n\n\"Don't yell at me!\" said Cas. She disappeared back through the wall.\n\n\"Mistress,\" said a voice behind Jane. \"You shouldn't upset young Cas like that.\"\n\n\"Damn,\" said Jane. \"Don't scare me like that Ezekiel.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry mistress,\" said Ezekiel. He floated half way out of the floor beneath her. \"But, something has happened back at the office.\"\n\n\"You're supposed to be there, looking after it,\" said Jane.\n\n\"Well I was,\" said Ezekiel.\n\nAt this, Cas peeked out from the wall.\n\n\"What are you doing here Ezekiel?\" said Cas. \"I don't need *your* help.\"\n\n\"I know that lady Cas,\" said Ezekiel.\n\n\"Have you got the photo yet?\" said Jane.\n\n\"I still don't think the lighting is right,\" said Cas.\n\n\"It's a magic ghost camera,\" said Jane. \"It doesn't need lighting. That's-the-whole-point.\"\n\n\"But, but,\" said Cas. \"It's got to be pretty. You like pretty things.\"\n\n\"We just have to be able to read it,\" said Jane. \"Go on now.\"\n\n\"Mistress,\" said Ezekiel. Jane turned back to the old ghost. \"We have a serious problem.\"\n\n\"What now?\" said Jane.\n\n\"A man came to the office,\" said Ezekiel. \"He saw me.\"\n\n\"What do you mean he saw you?\" said Jane. \"Could he tell?\"\n\n\"Well, you see,\" said Ezekiel. \"I was taking a call.\"\n\n\"You can't take calls,\" said Jane. \"How many times have I told you? The phone does weird things with you guys on the end of it.\"\n\n\"I've got the hang of it,\" said Ezekiel.\n\n\"Sure,\" said Jane. \"Sure you do. I hate to think what that poor client was hearing on the other end.\"\n\n\"Anyway,\" said Ezekiel. \"I was taking a call. This man rushed into the office. Luckily, I was at a desk. I didn't move, so my the nature of this body wasn't readily apparant.\"\n\n\"So, he didn't catch you,\" said Jane. \"That's good. I'm not sure how I could explain away a ghost answering my phones.\"\n\n\"Well,\" said Ezekiel. \"About that. He started shouting some very confusing things. Something about bringing balance back into the world. I didn't know what to do. That's when it happened.\"\n\n\"You moved?\" said Jane.\n\n\"He shot me,\" said Ezekiel.\n\n\"Oh,\" said Jane. \"The bullets went right through you...\"",
"\"Okay people look alive, we got a good one.\", I walk into the office.\n\n\"Alive? Really Bob?\"\n\n\"You've got no respect for the dead, or the elders.\"\n\n\"I hope you find someone like you after you die.\"\n\nBill, Simone, and Jackson blurted out in unison. \"I see you rotting corpsless people do not appreciate a good sense of humour\", I chuckled. \"But get serious now. We got a government case.\"\n\n\"Finally, something worth my time.\", Bill was cocky as ever, adjusted his glasses and glided over to take the file off my hands.\n\n\"Turn it down! Those government good for nothing rats!\", Simone was still angry because the government did not acknowledge his death as a secret agent in the 90's.\n\n\"Should be fun\", Jackson was my best bud out of the three colleagues, died just a few years ago in a gangwar. He still had all the knowledge of the street you could need.\n\nTogether, these three made my B&G detective corporation something even acknowledged by the damn government.\n\n\"Uh oh\", Bill sounded worried.\n\n\"What is it? It's supposed to be a serial killer, leaving some marks on the bodies, probably trying dark arts or something. Easy stuff\", I went to sit on my desk. Looking at the place which seemed like an actual graveyard now. We needed a renovation.\n\nSimone and Jackson went over to Bill, and had the same scared look after seeing the file.\n\n\"Tell me anytime\", I was worried now.\n\n\"Well\", Jackson started. \n\n\"That ain't no one 'trying', Simone shouted out. \"That's what is put in every ghost's mind when they become a ghost. Those are actual summoning symbols.\"\n\n\"And bad ones at those\", Jackson looked scared for the first time ever since I met him.\n\n\"They are not something an amateur symbol.\", Bill took over, \"they can only be drawn by someone with demon level skills, if it's a human...then well good save us.\"\n\n\"Whom do they summon?\", I asked trying to keep my cool as I felt a sweat drop going down my nape.\"\n\n\"The devil\"",
"\"The body is right in there, Detective\".\n\nThe officer held the door open for a younger man, averting his eyes from the grim scene from within the apartment. Detective Jason Marks, relatively new on the investigation scene but an instant celebrity among the policing industry; his incredibly quick and thorough solving of all his cases had earned him his rightful place among the best. Without so much as a glance at the officer, Marks strode past and simply gave a short grunt. Marks never was a fan of other people. He had not a single friend or acquaintance, and kept little contact with his immediate family. Jason's true friends were the dead who had been with him his entire life. Stories through time have painted a very black and white picture about being able to see ghosts. Some have praised it as a holy gift, others have cursed it. Marks had been born with such a gift, and was of neither opinion. The dead whom had spent time with him had given Jason a plethora of knowledge and support, likely due to the lack of real parenting he had received as a boy, and may be the reason why he sees no reason to become close to anyone living. Being able to work with spirits to solve murders and crimes brings a fat paycheck and a celebrity-like status to his name, and he was quite happy being in such a spotlight.\n\n\"Damn, poor girl probably 'ad no idea what hit her....\" came a gurgled voice from behind Marks. A tall, discoloured figure drifted from the doorway, gliding past the officer who had not a clue what horrible image of a man had passed him. Wallace Gates, Jason's closest companion and partner in his detective work. Gates had died almost seconds before Jason was born into this world, dying in hospital and having drowned on his own blood and fluids only floors down from the maternity ward. Through some unknown force or because Wallace simply had nothing better to do with his death, he saw fit to become Jason's haunt. What he didn't expect was Jason's ability to see and interact with him, and certainly didn't expect how quickly Marks took to being his friend. After this, Gates decided to befriend the young boy, and the rest is history.\n\n\"Anything you can pick up from this?\" murmured Jason, staring intently around the room, a decapitated corpse of a young woman strewn in the middle. Her neck was cleanly cut at the collar line, and her body was bruised and torn to shreds. 'Still not the worst I've seen', he thought to himself. As he scanned the small apartment, he couldn't see any signs of forced entry or even a struggle. The police before him had meticulously dusted for prints, hair, anything they could use to find a suspect. With no evidence to be found, they had called in Marks. \"Nothin', I ain't getting any vibes in the least from this. I'll get Oaks and Chang on this, 'ave em go around the block and ask some of our folks\". The area was a bustling inner-city residential not just for humans, but for many lost souls who had nothing better to do than watch the world. \"Maybe they'll find someo----\", Gates suddenly froze and choked. Marks quickly turned in confusion. He was used to Wallace's gruesome appearance, his blue and purple face contrasted by the two wide bloodshot eyes, but to see Gates like this, almost with an expression of dread and fear, gave him chills.\n\n\"What is it Gatesy? Is the culprit here?\". Jason was now a little bit fearful himself. Usually when he finds the suspect, he has the police in toe, an entire squad, depending on the size of the person. He was little more than 5\"8, meek and skinny, a slim chance in a fight. Wallace certainly would be no help; the dead can't touch the living.....well, expect for Jason. He was still focused on Gates' terrified face, whom had now locked his eyes to the corner of the room. \"It's him.......\" he gasped, wheezing horribly as if he had seen something more truly horrific than death itself. From there, a dark shadow began to form, chilling the air and striking a sharp pain into Jason's skull. The previously silent apartment had now been filled with a demonic rumbling, the shadow growing even larger and moving slowly towards Jason. The blurred edges began taking on a form, inhuman and terrible. A clawed hand reached out at him.....\n\n\"Run mate!\" shouted Wallace, suddenly snapping out of it. In an instant, he dashed over to Jason, blocking the entity and stopping it's hand. The creature roared, slashing at Gates, tearing through his ethereal body and causing him to explode into a spectral mist. Crying out at the loss of his closest friend, Marks was suddenly blinded by an incredibly blind light, originating from the middle of the cloud that had been Wallace. Without his sight, Jason sprawled onto the floor, covering his face. An ear-piercing shriek blasted his hearing, and he blacked out. When he came to, the same officer who let him in was now bending down next to him, paramedics nearby rushing over to them. \"I heard a massive thud, came in and you were passed out on the floor. You all good, boss?\", the officer said checking Jason's pulse. Jason started back at the corner. The black figure was gone. He remembered seeing Gates being attacked, and neither he was in the room. Jason crumpled into tears. His best friend, his only real family, gone.\n\nAs he was wheeled out into the ambulance on the gurney, Jason noticed a distinct lack of spirits, only humans. No Oaks or Chang, nobody else besides the crowd of people watching intently from behind the police tape. His gift was gone.",
"Rain trickled down the windows and thunder and lightning crackled in the distance, a fitting start to a bad day. It was a line of work that I had gone into and was a choice that I had made. Didn’t make it any better. It didn’t make it any better. It started with the bathroom door locked. Knocking didn’t do anything and so I had to unlock it with the key in the hall. The mirror was fogged and the sink was running, but it was empty. I shit, showered and shaved and stumbled down to make myself breakfast. Coffee was ready for me already. I made a bowl of cereal for myself and looked around. I was alone at the table for the moment. Nobody was out and about just yet and I appreciated the moment of silence.\n\nI can’t see them all the time. It’s like an old injury hurting in the cold. I was a weird kid. My parents humored me. I just saw pictures of Papaw and could describe him from those. Even though I could smell the Old Spice on his worn flannel and he kept me steady on my bike long after Dad let go. I was pretending to play with my dog Gambit after he was hit by a car to cope. It became less tolerable and less fun and quirky as I grew older. I broke my arm when Alex in fifth grade shoved me to the ground when I told him his mom was with him always and she had her hair again. I got used to it. I had other people I could talk with. Hell, Janet liked me more after her car crash than she ever did when we were in chemistry together. Since I was the only one that could talk with her, she didn’t have much choice.\n\nI knew that I could do something with this. Solve murders and stuff like that, like the good psychics do. But I wouldn’t go up and rub my hands on pictures of dead kids and give their parents false hope. Mainly because I’m just no good with kids. I enjoyed my cheap breakfast in silence with the exception of the radio in the living room flipping quickly through channels. I wasn’t sure that the voices I heard were talk radio hosts or somebody trying to get my attention. The TV snapped on suddenly and loudly. Cartoons. I swore and stood up before slouching to the living room. My neighbors knew me as the weird cop who stayed up at weird hours talking to himself and I’d gotten plenty of noise complaints from them. Turning the TV off I turned back to the kitchen table and heard soft humming in the sudden silence.\n\nA girl sat at my seat at the kitchen table, humming and kicking her legs, looking down at my half eaten cereal expectantly. She couldn’t have been more than seven with brown hair twisted into tight braids. I cleared my throat and she turned around suddenly. A startled noise escaped me and I fell back against the doorframe to my kitchen. Half of her face was a mess of bruises and cuts, her lip split and pulled back to expose teeth, and she looked at me with her good eye. She was wearing night dress that had blood covered in it. My heart sank as I approached her and held out my hand. She didn’t take it and so I let it fall to my side limply. I didn’t know what to say and the silence was broken by another voice.\n\n“Oh, sweetie,” a thin, raspy voice rang out in the kitchen. Papaw sat next to her and pushed her hair back. “Who did this to you?”\n\nShe shot me a quick look before whispering in his ear. His eyes behind his glasses darkened as I sat down at her other side. I couldn’t hear what they were saying despite her being so close. Sometimes they could shut themselves off to me for privacy’s sake. I didn’t mind. Papaw patted her hand and shooed her back to the living room to watch TV. At least it was quieter this time. I set my chin in my hand, eyes losing focus as Papaw sat in front of me with an eerie silence. He looked more upset than I’d ever seen him before and he ran his hands over his face.\n\n“What happened?” I finally asked. “I need to know if it’s been reported or if she just...just recently…”\n\n“She said her dad came into her bedroom and tried to-” he faltered as he spoke. “-well. She fought and yelled and he hit her and hit her and tried to choke her. She said she went to sleep and woke up in a bag that smelled, tried to get out then fell asleep again. And woke up here.”\n\nIt was later in the day when I got the call. A little girl’s body was found when a couple of homeless people dumpster dove. It was still raining as I arrived at the morgue. Her tiny body was covered with a sheet. The coroner was one of the most stone stomached people I had ever met and she looked like her hands weighed ten pounds as she moved it. Both of the little girl’s eyes were closed, one closed naturally and the other one swollen shut. Her lip was split and curled back to show teeth with bruising on her throat. She had brown hair that was twisted into tight braids. The only evidence they had taken was her bloody nightdress and the bags she was found in. She had been put in multiple bags and the first two had been clawed through as she tried to escape.\n\nAs I stared down at the body, I felt a small hand slip into mine.",
"\"Jerry, how's Coleman looking?\"\n\nJerry, a friendly enough guy with a large shard of glass through his face, responded \"The guy is definitely hiding something. He sends a check to some place in Minnesota every week. Have you found anything about Jerry Jr.?\" \n\nI looked at my computer screen. A file on my desktop named 'Jerry Jr.' stared at me. I found Jerry Jr. about a week ago. He was living in a house inherited by a one Jerry Bingham. \n\nI looked at the other side of my office at Victoria. She was a nice enough old lady but had dementia when she was alive. The normal memory loss of dead people didn't do anything to help that dementia. Jerry was the best one that was currently around. Well, the most coherent at least.\n\n\"Nothing yet. But I'm waiting for that file to be sent from the Superior Court. Shouldn't be too much longer.\" I felt bad lying to Jerry but I've been running myself ragged my entire life helping these damn ghosts find peace. \"Keep your eye on Coleman and see if you catch him on a phone call or something and when he writes that check do your best to get the address.\"\n\nGhosts were useful for following people because they were, well, ghosts but they definitely weren't one for the fine details of living people. Or remembering addresses.\n\nJerry sighed, \"Of course. Courts are slow moving as hell...no pun intended.\"\n\nI laughed, \"I'm surprised you still have a sense of humor after a foot long chunk of glass went through your face.\"\n\nJerry kept laughing as he phased through the wall of my office and started floating across Washington Street towards the Chase Building. He would just float around the 7th floor until he saw Coleman again. Thankfully it was only 2pm and Coleman should still be working.\n\n\"Honey-bunches, could you close the window for me.\" Victoria spoke from the side of my office.\n\nI looked at the window. It was closed.\n\n\"Of course Vic.\" I was still looking for what happened to Victoria's husband. It was pretty much the only thing she had expressed any desire for me to find. I remember that's exactly what I was doing before Jerry showed up and opened back up the list of death certificates for Maricopa County.\n\nHopefully I don't have to pretend to close too many more windows.\n\n**I know you said that they had to be his only friends and I hope you didn't mind the change**\n\nr/cawdor23"
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[WP] A great question with a simple answer. | 6 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"We sat there, he and I, huddled in the dark and on opposite sides of the remains of a room in what may have once been a very warm and happy house. Neither of us had said a word to each other, and we had never met before this night. \n\nBut I knew him, and he knew me. \n\nThe two lightning bolt like Ss on his collar, and my tattered uniform - stripes from neck to ankle - decorated only with a gold star sewn to it informed us both of all we needed to know of the other. \n\nI'd escaped the grasp of other men just like this one, different men, but all the same in the end. I'd run far, so far... only to end up here. Seeking shelter from the cold and the rain. He must have been doing the same, else I don't know why he didn't just haul me back to where he believed I belonged. As it was, all he did was stare. And I stared back. \n\nI contemplated my near future, unable to do much else. The weather would clear, and day would come. He would do what he was trained to do, and I would be either dead or back in that place before the sun set. That place. \n\n*Dear God,* I thought. *How could you?*\n\nI wanted to be brave. I wanted to display a measure of stoicism that my likely dead family could be proud of as they looked down on me. Or maybe they weren't dead, and I was a coward for wanting to live anyway. Maybe I didn't want to live. If this hell ever ended and I survived it, my eyes were now wide to how precarious one's position, whatever that position may have been, was. Impossibly wide, for the images danced cruelly before me even when my eyes were closed. \n\nI shivered from the cold, but I shook from the exhaustion of defeat and fear... and I took in one deep breath. \n\n\"Why?\" Was all I managed to ask, not even quite sure what I meant by it. \n\nThe man, for he was just a man, leveled his pale gaze at me, and what I saw there frightened me more than pure hatred or disgust may have. What I saw was... nothing. \n\n\"Because I was told to.\""
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[WP] You wake up in the morning and everything is 100% normal except it’s the year 1970. | 13 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"We left Steve’s house and surprisingly, no one was drunk. Ash had just gotten her driver’s license and somehow convinced her older brother to let her borrow his 2006 Toyota Corolla. All we did that night was played 20 questions and sit around eating cheese puffs. And we kind of explored Steve’s garage. Okay don’t get me wrong, most garages have boring stuff in them but Steve’s garage, at this moment in time, is full of his dead grandmother’s junk. Which was pretty cool. \nWe got bored of 20 questions pretty fast so Steve, Ash, Monica, and I were trying to think up something to do on this boring Saturday night. Monica and I were complaining about school and stupid it was that teachers were refusing to let us use our laptops in lecture. Like lady, I know you have a PhD in criminology from Stanford but this is Pierce Community college and an intro to Deviant Behavior (an interesting topic don’t get me wrong but when a teachers drones on, and on...). And then Steve just drop a bomb, \n“Our garage is full of my Nan’s shit. You guys want to check it out?”\nDo we want to check it out? Does a bear shit in the woods? A bunch of bored 18 year olds on a November Saturday night with no alcohol and a almost empty bag of puffs. We crept into the garage. \nFirst thing I noticed about Steve’s parent’s garage: it smelled like dust. Not garage dust but old lady and stale alcohol with some cat hair thrown in for good measure dust. He flicked on the light. \nThe garage was actually full. Of junk. A torn, plastic covered sofa, end tables with half an inch of dust and some thumbprints from when it was moved, weirdly shaped lamps, a coffee table with a multitude of rings from drinks long past. And about 30 boxes of old newspapers. No exaggeration, I actually lost count at around 27. \nSome of the lamps were pretty cool and I’m sure I could YouTube a DIY video about fixing up an old coffee table, my mind was spinning with ideas about this gold mine of gross, dusty old furniture when Ash spoke up, \n“Your gran was pretty obsessed with this Robin chick.” \nSteve of course had no idea,and didn’t really care anyways and he had already pulled out his phone to scroll through something in defeat. It was up to us to investigate. Inside boxes were copies of the same newspaper with the front page reading, “Missing Girl Sought.” It featured a pale, dark haired girl who was maybe 19ish and what might have been her parents. I started reading the article aloud, \n“Robin Ann Graham missing since November 15, 1970 aprox. 2:30 a.m. Location: southbound Hollywood freeway near Santa Monica Boulevard. Graham has been missing for more than a week now and her parents are pleading the public for any information related to her disappearance. Graham is a student at Pierce Community college and works locally. An unidentified Caucasian make in his mid twenties was the last person to see Graham before she vanished. Please relay any information to the Los Angeles Police department.”\nThat shit was creeeepy. I had goosebumps on my arms and the full attention of Ash and Steve. Monica pulled another newspaper from a box with the title, “Zodiac Killer Linked to 2 Student Deaths.” \n“Oooh guys, I think Steve’s gran was a little obsessed with this thing, this box is full of Zodiac Killer articles.”\nI was out. Clowns, Spiders, and Serial Killers are not my jam and this was all too close to home to be comfortable. \n“Hell no guys. It’s too late to read about killers and girls disappearing into the night. I want to go home and sleep and not think about this. At. All.” \nI said. \nAsh mumbled something about being a party pooper and shook Steve awake and Monica put the newspapers back in order. We went back into the house and packed up our stuff and headed out. Ash, Monica,and I left Steve’s around 3:00a.m. which was too late/early for me. We dropped of Monica and I asked Ash if it was cool if I stayed over at her place cause it was so late, she was cool with it as long as we didn’t wake her parents up, so I went home with her. \nAsh and I quietly snuck in and were greeted by her older brother who was still up playing some video game. We got into her room where I promptly looted her pajama drawer and crawled into bed. As we were falling asleep Ash said, \n“I stole one of those newspapers, you know the one with the article about that Robin girl.” \nI was shook, but also not really. Just really tired and grumpy. I told her I didn’t care and hope that Steve’s gran doesn’t curse her and then fell asleep. \nI woke up to a heater blasting, a sticky Ash next to me, and the color orange. I rolled around and glanced at my watch where the time said 11:45. That’s weird, we slept until almost noon and Ash was still passed out. Wiping the sleep out of my eyes and realizing the surrounding colors I came to a conclusion: we were not in Ash’s room. \nWhich freaked me out. \nI shook Ash awake trying to get my log of a friend to wake up and smell the shag carpet. The room was exactly the same setup as the room we fell asleep in seven hours ago; the bed in the corner, window above the headboard, small dresser, closed closet door, and huge oleander tree outside the window. However, her new bedroom walls were paneled in pistachio and cream and the beige shag carpet was at least three inches thick, I was also pretty sure there might have been a lava lamp in the corner of the dresser. The orange chenille blanket on the bed was burning hot and I was sweating. I habitually reached for my phone to post something somewhere about this being a joke but of course it vanished. Ash finally started to roll over and grumbled about the temperature. Other than the heat and my phone being gone, everything seemed fine. ",
"\"Is that a Ford Cortina?\" said James.\n\n\"It's a car,\" said Lucy. \"I have no idea.\"\n\nJames and Lucy stepped onto the street from the flat they shared. A dreary vintage car rolled sedately along the street.\n\n\"I'm pretty sure my grandfather had one,\" said James.\n\n\"So, what?\" she responded.\n\n\"Well this whole street is full of them,\" said James.\n\n\"There's probably an antique car show around here,\" said Lucy. \"What are you getting all weird about?\"\n\nThe few bays that lined the street were filled with older models.\n\n\"Somethings not right,\" said James. He scratched his head and looked about.\n\n\"You're imagining things,\" said Lucy. \"Let's grab a coffee.”\n\nThey marched to the end of their block, and ducked into the store on the corner.\n\n“One medium hazelnut latte, and a small americano,” said Lucy. “To go.”\n\nShe rustled in her bag for a moment and pulled out a long leather wallet. James tapped her on the shoulder.\n\n“Luce,” he said. “This isn’t Starbucks.”\n\nHuh?” began Lucy.\n\n“What are you up to miss?” said a grizzled man in an apron. “Can I help you with something?”\n\n“No, no,” she said and stepped backward away from the counter. “I’m… a vegetarian.”\n\n“Oh,” said the man. He felt the weight of a cleaver in one hand before bringing it down with a thud in the joint of a chicken. “I’m sorry. We don’t really cater for vegetarians being a butcher and all. Is it for your husband?”\n\n“Oh, no,” said Lucy stammering.\n\n“Your father then?” said the butcher.\n\n“Let’s get out of here,” said James. He dragged her by the arm out of the door.\n\n“What the hell was that guy’s problem?” said Lucy.\n\n“More to the point,” said James. “Since when has this been a butcher’s shop?”\n\nThe stood on the corner looking up at the faded sign.\n\n> Cartwright’s & Sons Butchers\n\n“It looks like it’s been there forever,” said Lucy. “What’s going on?”\n\n“Come on,” said James.\n\nHe motioned with a flick of his hand, for them to head back the way they had come. The two hurried to the door of their apartment building.\n\n“What’s going on here?” said James.\n\n“Are we on the right street?” said Lucy.\n\nThe building ahead of them had no single door, one face of it entirely was covered in the heavy shutters of a mechanics forecourt.\n\n> Barry’s auto repair\n\n“Where’s the apartment building?” said James. “This is creeping me out Luce.”\n\n“I don’t have any cell reception,” said Lucy. “Check your phone.”\n\n“I don’t either,” he responded. “I don’t either.”"
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[removed] | [WP] You are known as a fierce demon, it has been this way since the beginning of time itself, that is until now. Your slumber had been disturbed, you had been summoned by a... child? | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing/inverting small details ([copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv)). Search before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8fsw09/wp_you_are_known_as_a_fierce_demon_it_has_been/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] A day before the Earth is destroyed by a collision with a rogue planet, time freezes. You, a completely normal person, are untouched and cannot die. Text on your arm appears that reads, "however long it takes, save us". You have an eternity, time resumes only when you are done. | 23 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"At first, I denied it. “No way,” I thought, “I must be on some sort of gameshow. Or there was something in my drink. Or it’s a dream.”I was like that for about a day. \n\nThen, I embraced it. I did all the things I thought of doing but never had the guts to do. I drank so much I blacked out three days in a row. I drove a race car. I couldn’t possibly list it all here. \n\nBut now..... Now, I want to end it. I’ve been trying for.... God, how long have I been trying? The sun is always out, time has stopped.... If I only had another person to do this with.... but I hope this works. I’ve been studying and learning how to make this, researching, and experimenting. If this doesn’t work, I may as well give up. My plan is to deploy a robot programmed to go to the rouge, deploy, and start dismantling it little by little. Sending bags of debris deep into space, away from us. If it works, and time resumes, then I’m going to be done. That’s why I’m writing this. So that people know what happened.\n\nIt’s been a long time since I’ve touched this, but I know it’s working. There’s a canyon on the planet that wasn’t there before. Well, the rest of you better do good now that you’ll have a second chance. Go and cure cancer or something. I don’t know. All I know that is that I’m glad to be done with this hell of a life. \n\nThis is Alice Davies, signing off. \n————————————————————————\nWell, that was my first attempt at something like this! I hope you all enjoyed (if anybody has read this). Any and all feedback is appreciated!",
"How long is an eternity? That's a silly question, and rightfully deserves a silly answer. Infinite.\n\nI looked up, as I did at the start of every 24-hour cycle. A massive, misshapen, spherical rock invaded most of the sky. Scientists called it a rogue planet, and it had dislodged from the asteroid belt and embarked on its journey toward us. Hours before its collision, everything stopped but me. Now it hung above me with imagery you'd expect out of a fantasy movie.\n\nMuch like I did after emerging from my slumber, I checked my watch. Still ticking, after some initial fumbling after the event. Then, I check the text on my arm, \"however long it takes, save us.\" I had no idea the depth of these words that appeared on me once time froze. They really wanted me to save them. For countless days, I tried. Days of course, meant 24-hour cycles. I had been looking at the sunset sky for, what I assume was, decades.\n\nMy new home was in NASA headquarters. And my first few years were dedicated to finding my solution in science. I was a chef, so it was tougher than I first anticipated. Thankfully, data was easily available as you can imagine. The frozen, unmoving bodies of scientists showed much animation and terror in their expressions. They had countless files, countless plans open. It took me some time, but eventually I got the gist of it all. Eventually, I reached the same conclusion they did. There was no feasible way to do it. Aside from inventing new technology. Which they had no time to do. I did. But that didn't make it any easier. Endless time to learn advanced technological processes is easier said than done, especially with no one to talk to. So now what?\n\nNASA quickly became invaded by various other texts. I scoured Washington, D.C., looking for books on religion, magic, and other metaphysical sources. Cars worked fine when I operated them, I just had to push the driver aside. Gas would run out rather quickly, and I had freedom to pick, so NASA also became quite the parking lot.\n\nThose next few years led me to the same result. The books I had read led me to become much more philosophically minded. I deemed it useless for saving the world, but it gave me more peace of mind. I was happy with myself, and being by myself. I was single anyway, so, whatever. I had half a mind to ask out one of the engineers though, she was cute. \n\nIt had been seven years. I was no closer to finding an answer. The anxiety of finding someway to save the world was fading. The loneliness also stopped, and a peace settled in. I would occasionally peak under the clothes of the frozen bodies, I ashamedly even hit a few at first to gauge my surroundings. Now I was content with being alone in a frozen world. Even, to a degree, content with the world ending. Or not. It seemed to not matter, and the text remained. Maybe the answer wasn't meant to be found this way. Maybe I had to stop seeking it out.\n\nI stopped intentionally recording time. I put my watch by the doors of the NASA headquarters, setting up a device to keep track of the hours as they passed. Then I left. \n\nI went to every country. Nearly every major city and location of the world. I also learned how to pilot a plane. I crashed only a few times. Thankfully, pain was short lived, and my wounds healed in moments. I also felt no hunger or thirst, as a chef this bothered me. When I ate, it was like eating while full. As I traveled the world, I learned to ignore this feeling and dined on the freshest ingredients. It was as I always wanted. Though, I never expected it like this.\n\nI stayed in these locales for a while. Reading, watching, learning. Some were set in perpetual darkness, which bothered me only for... well, a little while. I learned a lot, understood more, and kept my sanity. I would meditate often, and keep myself in check. I don't know if it was my will, or some supernatural ability granted by time freezing, but I never lost myself for a moment.\n\nI had seen everything worth seeing. Then I saw everything else. Some things in my life before all this I had forgotten. I changed clothes so often, eventually I left my personal identity and belongings behind. I had forgotten who I was. I guess that was irrelevant, as I had changed so much since then. The text on my arm was the only reminder of who I was. The words had gone from a prophecy, to boring, to being ignored, but now it was like a dark passenger. A threat. I had done everything splendid in this world there was to do alone. Now what was left?\n\nI went back to my first location. NASA. There was a device, ticking away. Hours translated into years. Two hundred and three years. Could it have really been that long? Did it matter? How many more times would I live two hundred years? Did it matter? What if I could never save them? Did it matter? \n\nYears passed as I reexamined what NASA had found. I had considered just launching missiles at the thing, but that would kill us all anyway. I could launch myself at it, but what good what I do up there? In the vacuum of space, I would be stuck on that rock freezing and suffering forever. Did it matter?\n\nI had to make a decision. An attempt to start doing something. Nothing felt good enough, *right enough*. I had spent over two hundred years procrastinating. As I laid out on one of my favorite cars in the new NASA parking lot, I gazed up at the rogue planet. Silent. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. As there had been for so long. \"Wait,\" I spoke, for the first time in what felt like forever.\n\nThere was a soft blinking green light from the surface of the rogue planet. I sat up, staring. Was this it? Now of all times? Had I snapped? Was I hallucinating? No. I always recovered from injuries, I had to be healthy. But there, plain as anything, was something moving, *doing something*, without my saying so. How long had it been blinking? How many years of ignoring that rock had it been doing that?\n\nThen it hit me. \"Save us.\" I looked at the text. Then back up to the planet. I stopped caring who had written that on my arm. I assumed it was a cosmic entity. If a human had done it, surely they would have picked themselves if they could freeze time. A deity of some sort made sense, working in mysterious ways and all that. And it made it easy to forget the source of the text, and keep enjoying eternity. No. No it was something living. Maybe even something *currently* living. Whoever marked me as their savior was living on the rogue planet."
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[removed] | [WP] You are the head of Marketing at a company. Through market research you discover that only 40% of the world is made up of regular average people. The other 60% consists of sick, depraved, horrible people. You decide to advertise your products to this larger more disgusting portion of society. | 3 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nWhile it doesn't seem to be your intent, the mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel may become harmful to the community. This includes prompts likely to generate such responses. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8fw6f6/wp_you_are_the_head_of_marketing_at_a_company/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] Terrorists release a chemical in the nation’s water supply that makes people love each other totally and unconditionally. | 37 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It started innocently enough.\n\nIt was intended as a cure for autism and was painstakingly designed to build empathy and foster emotional connections. The issue that researchers got stuck on, was that no matter how low the dosage, the chemical, which had a pheromonal base, would cause a chain reaction in the brains of complex mammals, which would create more of the chemical, deeper connections, and more and more emotional intensity. \n\nIt, quite simply, worked too well and the feelings of empathy, bonding, acceptance and openness towards others was unfocused, and directed towards everyone - regardless of whether or not the feelings were mutual or returned. The drug created an instant emotional connection and imbalance. Test subjects, rats, bunnies and eventually chimps, on the drug, loved everyone unconditionally, and without an intensive detoxing process, the feelings grew stronger and stronger. Subjects around them, that had not been exposed to the drug, simply couldn’t return the emotion with the same amount of intensity.\n\nBefore they went off the air, CNN had repeatedly shared an amusing clip from the lab which didn’t seem quite as funny now. It had featured an adorable fluffy bunny on the drug, chasing a non-drugged and terrified chimpanzee that it had bonded with. The chimp, a dark and frightening creature, absurdly, seemed terrified of it’s tiny cotton-tailed pursuer. Trying to get away, it had climbed to the top of it’s cage and the clip ended with the chimp, teeth bared and dark eyes wide, reaching imploringly through the bars towards the researcher with the camera, while below, on the floor of the cage the bunny hopped higher and higher - it’s pink nose quivering, it’s red eyes shining, and it’s stumpy and fuzzy forelegs grasping at the empty air.\n\nThe drug had issues and it’s testing on live subjects was put on hold.\n\nUntil God’s Love released their self proclaimed “Love Bomb” into the water supply in Rock Island, IL. \n\nGod’s Love was a group of Christian fundamentalist from a small town named Viola, IL. One of the men in the congregation had been a janitor in the lab that was developing the drug. He’d seen the drug’s effects on laboratory animals, and had overheard laboratory workers discussing the effects and ramifications as well. What they saw as a problem, he saw as an opportunity. A God given opportunity to share God’s love with his congregation. He smuggled a small amount of the drug out of the lab, and exposed members of the congregation to the chemical. They bonded, called themselves God’s Love, and vowed to share the drug’s effects with the world.\n\nA member of the church worked in a water processing plant in Rock Island, IL and he added the remainder of the drug to the outgoing water supply. The Quad Cities would be the New Jerusalem. That’s what one of the members had called in and told a local DJ. Eventually the news stations would play that clip on a loop for a few days, until they went silent.\n\nAccording to one of the last scientists ever interviewed, the cult members had only been able to smuggle out a tiny bit of the drug, literally only a few ounces. But the drug, even in a minute amount, creates more of itself in the brains of complex mammals and in their blood and bladders too. A little bit in the water supply of a densely populated area, multiplied in the bodies of those exposed to it. It made it’s way into the cities’ sewage, the Mississippi and Rock River, and the water tables below the amber waves of grain, the water cycle, the oceans, and then the rest of the world.\n\nThe Love Bomb had been detonated and the world fell hard.\n\nAt first it’s effects were subtle, subtle but cumulative. If any sociologists had been paying attention they would have noticed a sudden drop in violent crime, and productivity, and a dramatic increase in acts of simple human kindness. But nobody was paying attention to statistics and numbers, because everyone had their eyes on different types of figures entirely - each other’s.\n\nIf anyone had been keeping track, they would have noticed something else too, an explosive increase in every disease transmitted by bodily fluids. But no one was paying attention to statistics or larger social trends, they were distracted by the lovely person next to them, and the person next to them, and so on, ad infinitum.\n\nAnd the love, as well as other things, spread wide, world wide - within days.\n\nThe drug was nearly 100% effective. Everyone wants and needs love. I am not immune to that emotion - that need. But, I am immune to the drug, and I don’t like to be touched by strangers.\n\nI am a private person and I work nights with a TV to keep me company. As the world fell in love, I watched the news announcers flirt with each other and listened to their first amused reports of the amorous crowds, I saw the aerial footage of the slick and sweating conga lines that filled the streets of Chicago, IL, and eventually the streets of all the cities of the world. \n\nI saw the media put the pieces together, saw the way the live announcers looked at their guests and each other towards the end. I saw amusement, morph into fear, interest, warmth, smoldering passion, and finally raw and manic lust. I saw interviewers lurch towards their guest. I saw round table discussions between expert pundits devolve into gyrating joint monstrosities of entangled figures, bare skin of different colors, and dozens of flailing naked limbs. I saw far far too much before the stations, one by one, went off the air forever. \n\nFrightened, I’d locked myself up in the warehouse where I work, and stayed there with the lights off for three days as the world burned with passion. \n\nBut I ran out of supplies and while foraging for food I was seen by a dog of all things; a Jack Russel Terrier - a complex mammal. It was a very friendly dog, terrifyingly so, and it chased me to this small and thankfully empty house. \n\nI’ve broke in and barricaded the door. The dog is outside now, panting, barking, and scratching madly at the wood, desperate to get in. His owner, or perhaps a random stranger who loves him - loves everyone, has overheard the commotion and more than just his curiosity was aroused. He is now knocking on, and grinding against, the door, and tugging and fondling the doorknob too, with filthy, grasping hands that are smeared with bodily fluids.\n\nThe man’s lovers have joined him outside as well; it looks like dozens of them - with more approaching every minute. I can see them through the blinds. Small shambling figures materializing out of the darkness, their silhouettes growing larger, and coming closer and closer, seemingly to swell and engorge in the gloom. In the dusk’s fading light I can see that their bodies are slick, pants-less, and even from a distance I can see that their raw skin is chapped, bruised, blistered, and covered in bites and scratches.\n\nSome are looking in the windows now, their greasy palms and faces leaving streaks of mucus on the glass. Through the smears I can see their pursed, blistered lips, kissing at the air, and their desperate staring eyes, wide, hungry, and filled with a terrible and total unconditional love.",
"When I first saw it on the newspaper, I thought it was fake. What kind of terrorist would want people to love each other? I guess there’s a first for everything then.\n\nThe weird thing is that nobody in my close group of friends noticed it at first. We didn’t think much of it when Jackie screamed that she loved us with all her being because we all already knew that. We all loved each other unconditionally.\n\nWhat was weird however, was everyone else. Distant students started warming up to the rest of the class, teachers began to voice their appreciation for their students and their hard work, ex-couples got back together, it was all so...weird.\n\nSo weird.\n\nIt was strange to look at the news and see how some leaders had made an alliance or how people were saving animals instead of the usual shootings or attacks. \n\nWas this a better world? Only time can tell. \n\n...\n...\n...\n\nWhy does this feel like a dystopia is arising? "
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[removed] | [WP] The Earth is being threatened by an alien race, demanding a concert the universe will never forget. You, a necromancer, decide to take matters into your own hands. | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing/inverting small details ([copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv)). Search before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a modmail.\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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] |
[removed] | [WP] You are a puppet. You look around, and all you see are puppets. But you know you are flesh [...] But you cant scream | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nPrompts go in the title. You can add more in the text, but avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). You wrote a prompt in the text, but then gave a title for it. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8g03ez/wp_you_are_a_puppet_you_look_around_and_all_you/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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1,
1
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"1525100598",
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[WP] Due to a botched neck snap, you, an assassin ended up adjusting your victim's spine, curing their ailing back problems. None the wiser, they have hired you as their personal chiropractor out of appreciation. You are conflicted. | 129 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"I didn’t have a whole lot of time. Man, today’s assignment went really sideways. First, I failed a simple snapping of a guy’s neck. I personally would have preferred a more surefire way of killing the guy, like a simple handgun or a knife. But his wife had requested, more like DEMANDED, that his neck get snapped. It had to be a murder and not a suicide. Something, something, life insurance policy, something, something, suicide equals no payout, something, something, by the end of the week.\n\nSo not only did I fail my assignment, the guy wants me to be his chiropractor of all things because I straightened out his back or something. Ugh. I really don’t care about any of this. But I couldn’t try to kill him right then and there. He would struggle, and I just got this suit back from the cleaners.\n\nSo I said yes, of all things. I made something up on the spot about a new treatment that involves surprise to help prevent someone from tensing up...I really had no idea where all of this nonsense was coming from. What? Do I look like the kind of guy who watches Grey’s Anatomy? Don’t answer that.\n\nI told him that in order to complete the session I would need the rest of my supplies in my “van”. Mainly, I simply needed more time to decide what to do. But on my way out, I noticed I still had the key to the place his wife had given me. I smiled, grateful that at no point do I handle anything that doesn’t belong to me without gloves.\n\n\n\n////////\n\n\nI left the door unlocked. I had purposefully left the living room in a mess. I dropped the key somewhere near a table I had broken. The police would think his wife had killed him. The knife from the kitchen counter did the trick once I spun him around and planted it in his chest. I didn’t care for the look in his eyes. I made it look like there was definitely a struggle, even causing damage, additional injuries, and some bruises to the guy’s body as he bled to death on his fancy shmancy carpet. I am a professional after all.\n\nI sent a text to my employer: “Done. Changed discussion point.”\n\nThere was a pause. “Fine. Another department is in control now.” I knew what that meant. The cops had found the wife’s body.\n\nI vaguely recall being told the reason for that hit. Something, something, life insurance, something, something, suicide means no money, something, something, by the end of the week.",
"\"You want to pay me how much again!?\"\n\n\"$5,000,000 sign-on bonus and $1,000,000 per year residuals if you keep coming back.\"\n\nEven if he screws me, I walk away with more than I can ever make for the rest of my life. \"I'll do it.\"\n\n\"Excellent! Can you give me a booster before I open my safe?\"\n\n\"Sure thing!\" I twist his neck again, this time in the other direction.\n\nHe makes a gurgling sound and falls limp to the floor.\n",
"Of all things to screw up. Not hacking a computer or a kilometer shot on a windy day. Nope. It had to be something so easy that I stop paying attention. To top it all off, I'm a perfectionist.\n\nSo surely you can imagine my frustration.\n\nI stood there, not entirely sure what to do. He was sprawled on his stomach, his drool ruining his carpet. Well, ruin might not be the right word. One look around his apartment would have told you that his sloppy lifestyle had ruined it long ago. \n\nI looked over his body when he moved. The motion caught me off guard. He's still alive. *Damn it! How could I screw up something so simple!* I sighed and put my insults aside. There was still work to do. \n\nI took one step forward, about to pull out a knife when he gasped and stopped me dead in my lane, \"Wow! I don't even know how you did it. My back has never felt this great.\" He got up and looked me in the eye. I've never seen anything like it. No one has ever looked at me like that. Awe, absolute joy, but above all else, *gratitude.* I'm used to terror. \n\n\"I know this is a bit abrupt and I have more than a few questions but,\" he stopped to clear his throat. \"How would you like to be my personal chiropractor? I can assure you that you will be paid well despite any notions you may have gained from my residence.\"\n\nI don't know what compelled me but I shook his hand. It all left from there. \n\n\n////////////\n\n\nI was never a fan of the downtown. Too many people and too loud. Above all else, *the smell.* How people live down here is beyond me. I arrived at the address I was given. From the outside alone, I could tell that this apartment was much nicer than the old one. \n\nI knocked on the door, a simple double tap. \n\n\"Coming!\"\n\nI sighed. One would have thought that he would be ready seeing as these meetings were scheduled long ago. But who am I to complain? I'm new. A new life, a new home, and no violence. I could get used to it. It's quieter and simpler.\n\nMy reverie was broken by the door opening. On the other side, a smiling face. One I've come to know very well. \n\n\"Nice to see you again! Come on in!\" He turned immediately and walked back in, expecting me to follow.\n\nI could get used to this. I could enjoy this. The quiet. The calm. But I have a job to do. So as I stepped in the apartment, the knife handle never felt so right.",
"... Turns out a lifetime of breaking people leads to a remarkable talent for fixing them up.\nMy name is James Bonelle - or you may know me as Jimmy Bones, miracle doctor. \n\nIt all started with a fellow named Bensnict Cucumber... Or something like that. My employer had hired me to kill him for triple my normal fee. I typically try to avoid personal interaction with the target but, for the extra cost, I thought I should make a special effort. \n\nI met him on the train, the 8:22AM to London to be exact. It was the train he always got. I figured I would wait for him to go to the bathroom and then use my piano wire as he moved into an empty enough space. Turns out an easier opportunity presented itself. Halfway through the journey he cracked his neck to the side. \n\"Need some help there?\" I asked him, looking around briefly. The carriage was nearly deserted, it would be simple to snap his neck and leave, pretending he'd fallen asleep. \n\"I'm a chiropractor\" I told him, leaning over and delivering a single forceful twist. An audible crack sounded and I smirked slightly, another easy job. Then, as I got up to leave, the man I just thought I'd killed spoke to me.\n\"That's amazing... Thankyou so much\" \nI was taken aback, that snap should easily have killed him. It was time to leave, this guy was clearly a lot more durable than I anticipated, a sniper rifle would've been a much better call.\n\"Well yes, no problem, I really should be going\" I told him, standing up.\n\nBefore I knew what had happened he had referred me to his friend, a Mr Shaun Lentil, who asked for the same service. I don't know why I agreed but, for whatever reason, I did. \n\nFifteen adjustments later and I'm somehow the go-to for any spinal troubles for any celebrities. The only lingering effects of my time as an assassin is my catchphrase. Whenever I'm working with someone right before a show:\n\n\"Break a neck\""
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[removed] | [WP] If you could take a pill that would make you happy with no side effects, would you? | 2 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nResponses must be at least 30 words. Prompts that are likely to generate such responses are also not allowed. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank, or you asked a question likely to generate a simple answer. Prompts should encourage a story or poem. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8g2h5f/wp_if_you_could_take_a_pill_that_would_make_you/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1525119019",
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[WP] The Writing Prompts subreddit is a cover for an archival system for multiversal events. One user finds this out, and now the organization behind the cover operation is on the hunt. | 8 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Project Rhythm 0\n\nIt was about 11:30pm and I couldn't sleep so I sit up in bed and reach for my phone. Check my bank account, still broke. Check my email, 0 new emails. Fuck it, load up Reddit. I spend the next hour browsing /r/All when I see a post on /r/WritingPrompts which intrigues me.\n\n\"The Writing Prompts subreddit is a cover for an archival system for multiversal events. One user finds this out, and now the organization behind the cover operation is on the hunt.\" By /u/Pssrby\n\nI have never written a short story but think to myself; This could be a bit of fun. So I get out of bed and head for the Lounge and pull out the Laptop. After about half an hour I have a hacked together piece of fiction that I think /u/Pssrby will appreciate. Here we go, Copy+paste into the comment field, click \"Save\", WHAT? The post has been removed.\n\nI don't want to waste my writing genious to I decide to send him a PM to ask why his post was removed and show him my short story.\n\n\"Hey bud, I see your post was removed, I wrote a short story and would like to send it to you\"\n\nI did not expect what I recieved back.\n\n\"You need to help me!\"\n\nI was slightly confused and though this was some kind of joke or something.\n\n\"Lol, I will help after you read my short shory, ok?\"\n\n\"No time, they are coming. I can hear them in my house, I am hiding in the basement, if they break down the basement door I am activating the Konami code\"\n\nRight then I knew this was serious. If the Konami code is activated in the basement, it will kill him instantly.\n\n\"What can I do to help, what is going on?\"\n\n\"It was true, they are collecting our data, as soon as I posted my WP I got a PM telling me they were coming, less than 5 minutes later I seen them out the window. You need to help me!\"\n\n\"Where are you?\"\n\nHe was 1 town over, I knew I could make it there in less than 20 minutes, I told him to stay hidden and I would message when I am closer. I ran out to my car, and on my way I messaged a friend who lived close to his location and told them I needed to use their Safe Room. 6ft by 6ft room, 4ft concrete walls, that should keep us safe.\n\n\"Are you ok? I am out the front, down the street, can you get out here?\"\n\n\"No, meet me in the back alleyway.\"\n\nI drive around there as quickly and quietly as I can. I see this dark shadow in the bushes next to a fence so I stop the car and they jump in franticly.\n\n\"We have to go get my wife.\"\n\nWe take off before anyone can see us. About 5 minutes later we have picked up his wife from her work, she is confused, he is frantic, and I have no idea what to do, or what exactly is going on. Another 5 minutes later and we are at my mates house, without wasting any time all 3 of us head into the Safe Room. I tell my friend to leave and stay at his parents house until he hears from me.\n\nWith the door closed and locked I can finally ask.\n\n\"What the hell is going on?\"\n\n\"It's true, /r/WritingPrompts is an Archival System for Multiversal Events.\"\n\n\"WTF\"\n\n\"They removed my post and found me, this must be more serious than any of us can imagine\"\n\n/u/Pssrby sits down next to his Wife and looks at his phone. Must be Youtube, he starts playing: Kardashev's The Almanac.\n\nI ask:\n\n\"What are you doing listening to music? What are we going to do, what if they tracked us?\n\n\"The music relaxes me, but if I am going to be killed for uncovering their secret I need to check /r/PartyParrot one last time.\"\n\nWe hear banging, I look up at the monitors and see 4 people in suits smashing down the front door. If we are quiet there is no way they are getting in here.\n\n\"They are here /u/Pssrby.\"\n\n\"/u/Aussie_Scott thanks for your help, but... They just messaged me, they are tracking me, they know we are in here.\"\n\nI look up at the monitors, they are outside the Safe Room. They are laying explosive charges on the door.\n\n\n/u/Pssrby embraces his wife, I stand there looking at the monitors. This is it? This is how I die? The suited men leave the room. Here we go, I close my eyes.\n\nNext thing I know, I am laying on a bed, someone is removing what seems like a headset from my face, the light is bright. \n\nI hear a Dr talking to me:\n\n\"Project Rhythm 0 has been terminated, give yourself a minute to adjust to the light.\"\n\nEdited: Formatting"
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"1525194019",
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[removed] | [WP] A man has been insulting you for years on end so one day you decide to kill him by trapping him in your families tomb and building a brick wall in front of him so no one can find him, what do you do next? | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nResponses must be at least 30 words. Prompts that are likely to generate such responses are also not allowed. This is essentially a fill-in-the-blank, or you asked a question likely to generate a simple answer. Prompts should encourage a story or poem. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8gdn7t/wp_a_man_has_been_insulting_you_for_years_on_end/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1525224380",
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[WP] A long-lived race has a traditional pet: unintelligent 'humans'. One day, a child finds a stray which seems to be a lot smarter than normal. | 33 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Humans never wore clothing. They couldn't open doors or figure out trashcan lids. They were stupid, dumb creatures who couldn't tell their front end from the rear.\n\nUs Ikan were the only intelligent species on this planet. That is what they told every Ikan in school, a common idea accepted as truth.\n\nSo then, why did my son bring home a human who seemed to defy everything I had been taught?\n\n\"Father!\" my son squeaked as he slid in through the door, \"I found a human, may I keep him?!\"\n\nI noted the clothing it wore and assumed my son had dressed it. I couldn't imagine why, it was a long gone fad my parents generation had started. It wasn't the clothing that made me wonder, it was the way the human carried himself. It stood erect and still, scanning it's surroundings with a look of calm but analytical attentiveness. A queer being it was.\n\n\"Father!\" my son continued in his plea, \"I'll take care of him, make sure he's fed and washed.\"\n\nMy curiosity was piqued. \"Certainly. It's good for every young boy to learn responsibility.\" His sister had a human pet and was rather stringent with her lending of it.\n\nMy boy's solitary eye lit with excitement. He turned to his new pet. and wrapped a tentacle around his arm. \"Come on George, let's get you out of those clothes and wash you up.\"\n\nThe human drew back from his grasp, looked him in the eye and said, \"My name is not George.\"\n\nA chill ran through my stomach, \"son, stand back.\"\n\n\"Father?\"\n\nI pushed him back. \"Go to your room, son.\" I waited until he disappeared behind the corner before confronting the human. I towered over him a good few feet, but there was no fear in his eyes. Only defiance.\n\n\"I do not know what you are, but you must leave.\"\n\n\"I'm here for Clarice.\"\n\nSuddenly I realized. \"You're the human pet from next door. How are you-\"\n\n\"Every year, human pets are required to get certain vaccines. This drug causes them to become stupid. I built up an intolerance. Let me take Clarice and go.\"\n\nClarice was the name of our family pet. I reached for the shoulder of this human, \"no I think I ought to take you in. If humans are removed of their intelligence, there must be a good reason.\"\n\nHe stepped back to avoid my tentacle. \"I don't think you're wrong.\"\n\nI blinked, and the next moment, a sharp object was dangerously close to my eye, the human's hand the driving force behind it. In the next moment, the knife passed trough my eye and into my brain. My last thought was that this human was far too clever. How did he know that this was the only was to kill an Ikan?"
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[removed] | [WP] Your friend challenged you to ruin their lives.You made them kill themselves | 0 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nWe feel that asking users to write about suicide is harmful. It can be hard to tell if someone's writing fiction or making a cry for help. In the event there's any truth behind this for you or someone you know, we recommend checking out /r/suicidewatch or /r/depression. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8gutgf/wp_your_friend_challenged_you_to_ruin_their/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] The Decision | 1 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nPrompts are not meant to share stories already written, but to inspire users to write stories. Check our [related link wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/links) for more relevant subreddits. We want to inspire new writing here. Try a prompt that takes authors on a new journey. Not a journey that has already been made. \n\nYour post includes too many details to be considered a prompt. It has become a story commission, which is not allowed. Prompts are meant to inspire users to write their own work, not write something for you. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8gzzxs/wp_the_decision/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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1,
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"1525446977",
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[WP] It's clear the Prince isn't coming. As the last living dwarf, you must decide whether or not to unplug Snow White's life support... | 30 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"It's clear the Prince isn't coming. As the last living dwarf, you must decide whether or not to unplug Snow White's life support…\n\nSnow White we all know well, she was a beauty. The story that we were told is a totaled fabrication…. She actually did not wake up from her slumber from a Human prince… She actually was awakened by a dwarf…. The dawaf was one named sleepy. Sleepy was the last remaining dwarf due to a disease caused by the apple poisonion. When he first laid his eyes\n\nOn her he knew she was his true love…. The thing is though, she was in a deep slumber due the poisons apple that was delivered by the evil step mom. The other six dwarfs succumbed to the toxin also. Sleepy was privy to the poison… To be continued \\(if you like\\)...",
"The prince had still not shown his face, Grumpy heard through the grapevine that he had married some chimney type who had lost her shoe. He gazed down at Snow White in the suspended animation pod, her rosy cheeks, and dark eyelashes never twitching or moving a muscle. He suspected that the fairy godmother was the godmother of both, the chimney girl, and the sweet Snow White. He snarled to himself, the godmother must have given Snow White’s prince away. This morning when he woke up and picked up the paper from outside of his little hut, “The Enchanted Times”, he had perused an article that talked about the fairy godmother now diligently watching over some supposed “sleeping beauty”. He laid his hand on the pod and felt tears come to his eyes, all his brothers had since passed away from old age, he was close to following. Grumpy had to decide what to do with Snow White, he either had to pull the plug and let her go into the great unknown with him and his brothers or come up with another solution. He was Grumpy though, he wasn’t Smart like Doc had been, he scowled down at the pod where she lay trying to think of a solution, what would Doc have done?\nHe had Snow White locked away in his cellar where he could watch over her until a solution came to him. He turned off the light and stomped upstairs to his house. He had finally come up with a solution, he wasn’t Doc, he was Grumpy and he could still do something. He stomped to the door and grabbed his boots roughly putting them on his little dwarfish feet. He had to fix this for Snow White, something had to be done, he couldn’t just allow her to die. He grabbed his jacket and his ax and opened the door, when he opened the door the wintery snow that blanketed the forest rushed into the little house almost knocking him and his ax over. \nHe leaned forward heading out through the doorway, he slammed the door behind him and stomped off into the snow-covered forest in search of the fairy godmother who had a thing or two to answer for. The snow would have quickly made his beard white if it wasn’t already white and almost down to his toes. He hefted his ax on his shoulder and headed towards the supposed castle of this sleeping beauty and the fairy godmother. \nIt had taken him a few days, but had finally made it to the castle, he marched up to the drawbridge and used his ax to bang on the huge wooden bridge. He was getting old though and as soon as the drawbridge started to lower he had to rush back to avoid getting squashed by the giant door. Once the drawbridge was successfully lowered he marched across the drawbridge and towards the godmother who waited looking at him expectantly. He marched forward towards the godmother Flora who smiled at him pleasantly, “how’s Snow White doing?” she asked him so sweetly with her motherly charms.\nGrumpy didn’t respond just humphed grouchily as he closed in on the godmother. It seemed at the last second she realized that this wasn’t the usual dwarf she was used to greeting, and she started to back away. It was too late though, with one mighty swing Grumpy lopped her head off and watched her little body fall to the ground. The other two godmothers came flying into the room, as soon as they saw Flora laying on the floor in the puddle of blood they both gasped and tried to flee past the grumpy dwarf, but bloodlust was written all over his face. He chopped them down in seconds and stormed upstairs to the sleeping beauty where she lay. He cut her neck in half with a loud thack and stormed back downstairs kicking the heads that he passed with contempt. He stomped out of the castle and headed back towards home, as soon as he got home he checked on Snow White and patiently waited for the prince to arrive. \n"
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[WP] The Empire has started conquering new lands to capture more competitors for its Grand Games, which have lasted non-stop for over a hundred years. You are one such captive, arriving before the central Coliseum. | 3 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hatred. Rage. Discomfort. \n\nThese were the emotions that you now felt as the Empire had you in their coliseum, ready to send you to some sort of horrible event. You had little garments, only a rag to clothe you. You were also desperately hungry. That cruel empire had barely fed you anything since they had captured you a week ago.\n\nWorst of all, they had taken you away from your beautiful wife and daughter. You had no idea what they had done to them, but likely it was something unspeakable. You remember your daughter's screams as she was taken away by the guards. You remember the pain you felt watching everything you loved being stolen from you. Even after a week, it still hurt more than any other pain you had experienced.\n\nYou had no idea what sort of crazy \"game\" they were sending you to, but you knew there was no way it could be good. You felt it in the darkest depths of your soul. \n\nBut what would it be? A gladiatorial fight to the death? Some other horrible event?\n\nThe gates began to open as the guards led you to the center of the coliseum, where a huge table was waiting. The table was wooden and looked like it could fit meals for dozens of people. The table had tons of pies on it as well as forks and knifes. Odd, if they wanted to give some food to help the competitors with their games, surely they would be serving meats and fruit instead. Before you could contemplate why pies were there, the announcer spoke.\n\n\"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 108th international eating competition!\"\n\nThe crowd roared as you went up to the table, stunned at the revelation, along with around 20 other competitors. \n\n\"Each competitor has 20 minutes to eat as many pies as they can. \n They each have a plastic fork and knife to eat the pies with. Whoever eats the most pies is the winner of the competition. Now, only the winner will be set free as well as their families, and will be given a lifetime supply of pies. The rest will be sold as slaves to the highest bidder\" the announcer continued.\n\nYou snapped back into focus again. Winning this eating competition was the only way you could be set free, as well as the only way you could see your wife and daughter again. You picked up the fork and knife, ready to chow down on the delicious-looking pies the moment the announcer began the competition. \n\n\"Now, let's eat\"\n\n"
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[WP] You meet a ghost on the Golden Gate Bridge. | 4 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"The wind howled around the towering steel that made up the Golden Gate Bridge. I saw her sitting alone atop the railing, gazing at the moon's reflection in the water. She didn't hear me approach. \n\n\"Hey there.\" I called out. It startled her, but she calmed quickly. \n\n\"Don't come any closer.\" Her voice seemed distant and fleeting--as if the wind itself could carry it away at any moment. Her clothes were tattered, her long brown hair matted and greasy. Yet the wind seemed to dance around her, leaving her presence entirely still. \n\nThat's how I knew she was a ghost.\n\n\"It's alright,\" I tell her. The wind attacks my vinyl sleeves as I raise my palms to the air. \"I'd like to talk, if that's okay.\" \n\nA subtle nod was her reply.\n\n\"I think I've seen you before.\" I was sure of it. Not just from the articles in the papers in recent weeks. Over the last several nights I sat on my boat and watched a shadow drop from the bridge. No splash in the water. The light from the city even shined right through it. My friends said I was crazy, but I knew what I saw. Every night at exactly 3:42. \n\nI glanced at my watch; 3:40. \n\n\"He made me do it.\" Her voice is filled with a pain that makes my stomach turn.\n\n\"He's not here now.\" \n\n\"He'll be back. He always comes back.\" \n\n\"Not any more.\" I recalled the latest article. It was all anyone could talk about. The man had confessed to sins greater than most people could fathom. And he would burn for them. \n\n\"They took the man away,\" I told her, trying to keep my voice from cracking. The wind picked up and nearly threw me off balance; she remained as still as ever. \n\n\"I have to go now.\" Her tears glistened in the moonlight. \n\n\"Please, stay a little longer,\" I pleaded. *If I could just break the cycle*, I thought.\n\nThe wind came to an eerie stop that sent a chill down my spine. Her eyes met mine and for a moment I felt an immense sorrow that I've never experienced before. It dropped me to my knees. \n\n\"I have to.\" She whispered, and disappeared over the edge. \n\n\"I'll see you again tomorrow,\" I whispered through sobs. \"I'll find a way to bring you peace. I promise.\""
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[WP] You are exploring a series of caves under a mountain when you find a large vault door set into the wall. An inscription is set into the door that reads: "Apocalypse came, but we were prepared. Hope lies beyond. 15,683 A.R.L. Epoch II" | 183 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Syrenne deployed the wings on her black-and-gold plated suit, landing on the deep cavern floor. Norvi crackled onto the voice comms.\n\n\"Everything clear, S32?\"\n\n\"No one in sight so far,\" she replied, reaching for the SMG at her waist.\n\n\"Can we get a marker for your current location?\"\n\n\"On it.\" The agent opened a holographic map and set a marker down.\n\n\"Thank you. NV2 signing off.\"\n\nSyrenne closed the map and fixed her helmet, walking around, gun in hand. Eventually, the cave darkened to the point where darkness consumed everything around her. She quickly pushed a button and lights emerged from her suit. \"S32, deploying lights. Total darkness.\"\n\nAfter wandering for about an hour, the agent came across a quite large vault door. Reading the inscription, she quickly entered the voice comms.\n\n\"S32 emergency report! Calling NV2! I repeat! S32 emergency report! Calling NV2!\"\n\n\"NV2 in. What's the issue?\"\n\n\"I've just stumbled upon this *crackle* door, with this *crackle* inscription. It reads 'Apocal- *crackle* came, but we were prepared. Hope lies *crackle*. 15,683 A.R.L. Epoch *crackle*.'\"\n\n\"S32, you're losing signal. Just one thing, which Epoch?\"\n\n\"Epoch the-\" Syrenne was cut off by a loud, rumbling crack, then silence. She was done for, she thought to herself. She had no choice but to enter.\n\n\"Greetings, Syrenne,\" an overly-sweet voice echoed.\n\n\"H-hello?\"\n\nThe woman belonging to the voice snatched and tossed away the agent's helmet and SMG. \"You see, darling, you've mistaken yourself, traveling here.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Simply put, you're going to be brainwashed. To wipe you of your memories of the future. You're going to be set in our time, the time of the proper lady. Welcome to 1807.\"\n",
"Ray checked his surroundings. He was in a forest right next to a mountain. Ray squinted and saw a small hole under a bush, small enough to fit a human. Ray smiled. He has been hunting Black Demon, a man who earned that name by soaking his skin in the blood of those he’s killed. Black Demon was worth a fortune to anyone that could bring him in, alive or dead. Black Demon has been said to wander these parts, seemingly disappearing into thin air when cornered.\n\nRay slowly creeped towards the burrow. He was armed with a pistol, two knives, three grenades, and the newest invention of David Misell, a flashlight. As soon as Ray got close enough, he threw a grenade down the hole. A few seconds later, the grenade let out a muffled explosion. Ray creeped forward and shined his flashlight into the hole. Ray could not see the bottom, but he saw that a ladder was carved into the walls of the hole.\n\nCarefully, Ray began to climb down. Either the grenade killed Black Demon, or he would eventually come back to his hiding place. Towards the bottom, Ray was greeted by a cloud of dust. Unfortunately, Ray’s grenade had blown up the bottom ridges of the ladder. Ray jumped down towards the bottom rolling into the dust below. \n\nRay aimed his flashlight in front of him, away from the ladder. He realized that he could only see dust. He walked forward and immediately crashed into another wall. Stumbling back into the ladder, Ray began to walk along the wall, making sure to keep himself pressed against the wall.\n\nFeeling the wall, he eventually circled into a hallway and walked into it. Eventually, as he got out of the dust cloud, he noticed that there were various rooms that the hallway led into. Weirdly, each room had a table cut out of the rock. “How long did Black Demon spend on this place?” Ray asked out loud.\n\nRay kept walking until he reached a metal plate, blocking his path. He noticed an inscription that read \"Apocalypse came, but we were prepared. Hope lies beyond. 15,683 A.R.L. Epoch II.\" A shiver ran down Ray’s spine. \n\nIt seemed that Black Demon probably did not build this place. If not him though, who did? \n\nRay heard a crash from behind him in the hallway. The crash was quickly followed by profanity. Ray turned around and slowly inched his way forward, flashlight in his left hand and pistol in the other. He saw a man dressed only in dried blood running towards him, Black Demon.\n\n“Stop! Hands up! I got a gun!” Ray shouted.\n\nBlack Demon made no response and fired shots at Ray. Most of the shots missed but one blew out his flashlight. Ray returned fire until his pistol ran out of ammo. As he tried to reload, he realized that his left hand was missing a thumb and threw the pistol and Black Demon. Ray ran away, barely managing to toss a grenade behind him. He heard a scream and slammed head first into the metal plate. \n\nWith both of his hands, Ray desperately felt the plate looking for a lever or door knob, trying to get in. Eventually, his left hand entered a small hole. \n\n“Blood accepted. Door opening now,” a female voice said as the door opened. \n\nAmazingly, there was light behind the door. Ray went in, and the door closed behind him. Ray looked around and could barely believe his eyes. There were machineries everywhere that he had never seen before. He walked up to a piece of black glass placed on what looked like a door. Amazingly, it lit up. \n\nWords began to appear:\n\nYear: 30,126 A.R.L. \nMonth: May \nDay: 4\n\nAs they appeared, a voice read them outloud. “Year: 30,126 years after Raymond Longiton...” Ray gasped and zoned out the rest as he heard the machine say his full name.\n",
"The strikes of my stone axe reverberated against the door, rumbling down the square hallways and out into the silent valley below. This was a place of a death, forbidden by our village elders and protected by ghosts... but I knew the truth. This was a place of gods long before we came, and in the halls of those gods lied treasures we could only dream of. \n\nNothing lived outside. No animals, no plants, and no men. After entering the caves, I found the same enchanted fabric on the skeletons hunched against the walls as was gifted to me by my dying grandfather... Rainweave cloth, the clothing of gods that could repel water, blades, and most importantly the warm death. \n\nI found more cloth than I could carry just moments after entering the caves. Skeletons wearing strange helmets and possessing items of untold value and purpose lined the walls; perhaps victims of an ancient war before our time. Glimmering jewelry made of small moving parts... so many treasures to behold and yet I could not bring myself to leave after finding the door. \n\nIt stood ten feet tall and ten feet wide; a perfect circle gleaming with perfection. Perhaps it was the work of a master craftsmen from ages untold, or perhaps it was the door to the realm of the gods themselves. What was clear to me after finding this place is that all the dead, all the gods, and all my purpose led me to this door. This impenetrable door. \n\nI knew I was doomed. The warm death, having been held off by my grandfather's robes, was still heating my flesh. Putting my ear to the door, tears fell as I felt the warmth spread through my cheek. I was not worthy to enter. And yet, strangely, as my vision faded and I lay on the ground to join the ranks of the dead... I heard my axe still hitting the door. But it was not in my hand?\n\nAs the edges of my vision turn to darkness and my eyes began to fall shut, I saw dust rain from the ceiling. \n\nDeath was louder than I was expecting... it almost sounded like a voice...\n\n...\n\n“Get him in here!”",
"The cave formation was extensive. Three years of my life had gone into attempting to map out warren of interconnected chambers and tunnels. Every time I thought I was finished, a new cavern revealed itself and I delved deeper. They always felt...wrong to me. Like I was entering an intentionally designed ecosystem rather than a set of naturally formed geological strata.\n\nI pulled out my recorder, \"Log D1051, 10:43 in the AM. The layers of rock continue to confound me. At various points they seem entirely too smooth to be the product of water and this is not an igneous formation. The incidence of seeming shortcuts and switchbacks continues to intrigue. I have studied caves my entire life and I've never seen the like.\" After taking a swig from my canteen, I placed another marker in the ground and continued deeper.\n\nA switch back and a few caverns and I came upon it. The vault. It was almost a strangely relieving when I saw the vault. As if all of the bread crumbs that I had discarded as insanity now created a path directly to this mysterious object. Its mere presence explained so many of the other things I had wondered over during my time in the caves.\n\n\"Log D1051, 12:44 in the PM. I have discovered a large, metal door inset into the stone of the deepest cavern I have yet encountered. It appears to be sophisticated in structure. There is a metal plate with an inscription reading 'Apocalypse came, but we were prepared. Hope lies beyond. 15,683 A.R.L. Epoch II'. It is in English. The origin of the vault and the meaning of the inscription are unknown to me. There is a locking mechanism attached to a flat metal plate. I do not yet know how to unlock it.\"\n\nThe door seemed to be a part of the rock wall it was embedded in. Beyond the door itself, there were no other unnatural objects in the vicinity, excepting, of course, the formations themselves. I knocked on the door, the return sound telling me it was thick and metal but not much else. Finally, I turned to the locking mechanism itself and the metal plate beside it. I reached out to rub away the dust with my hand.\n\nIt lit up. Or rather, the metal began to glow, showing the shadow of where my hand had passed. I drew a finger along the surface and watched as a brilliant blue trail followed wherever my hand traced. Finally, I pushed the flat of my palm against the plate and held it there.\n\nAlmost immediately the glow spread out from under my hand and began to extend across the vault. Moments later the entire vault door was a florouscent blue. Slowly the vault door began to rumble as it began to slide open, revealing a small room with a large table in the center. After the door finished its journey, the table flickered and then projected the image of a man.\n\n\"Greetings, I am the recorded thought imprint of Sa.\" As he said his name, an enormous ancestry tree appeared behind him in the image, documenting his line back a thousand generations. \"The discovery of this vault indicates the imminent arrival of the Barbok Dominion.\" An image of a small creature with two legs, four arms and a smooth featureless skull popped into the view. \"We cannot protect you. We can only provide you with the means to flee.\"\n\nHundreds of schematics flashed by, displaying odd crafts, strange portals and things beyond my comprehension. \"What do you mean, the Barboks?\"\n\n\"The Barboks are an alien race. They have spread for an eon, consuming all those the lie in their path. For all of our technical prowess, we are too few in number to defend our homeland. We have fled. Our survival has come at a great cost, but our apocalypse is past. We have crafted vaults such as these for primitive races that may become the targets of the Barboks.\"\n\n\"Why are you just appearing now? Why to me?\" It didn't make any sense. I was a geologist.\n\n\"The vault appears when a Barbok proximity alarm is triggered. A vault similar to this one has appeared in multiple discreet locations throughout the planet. Two have already been discovered.\" Sa said.\n\n\"Why not just appear in public? Why hide it? Why risk it?\"\n\n\"Because the presence of the vault may instill panic. Knowledge of its existence and what it portends should be the subject of discretion.\"\n\n\"Why not just give us all of the information earlier?\"\n\n\"Because the technology will attract others. Others that seek to eliminate any who pass the light barrier. We appear only as a last resort. Using our gifts will save you from the Barboks, but you will always be hunted. Not by the Barboks, but by them.\"\n\n\"Who are they? What are they?\n\n\"We cannot say. This is our first gift. Find our temple. There will be others.\"\n\n**Platypus out.**\n\n**Want more peril?** r/PerilousPlatypus"
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[WP] When you put on a metal mask covering half your face, everyone in the world inexplicably believes you to be extremely good looking underneath. | 10 | [
"**Off-Topic Discussion**: All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n#####Reminder for Writers and Readers:\n* Prompts are meant to inspire new writing. Responses don't have to fulfill every detail.\n\n* Please remember to [be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback.\n\n---\n\n[](#icon-help)[^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic)\n[](#icon-information)[^(First Time Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide)\n[](#icon-exclamation)[^(Special Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements)\n[](#icon-comments)[^(Click For Our Chatrooms)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/chat)\n",
"Hi there, this post has been removed.\n\nSexually explicit themes are not allowed. This includes prompts likely to generate such responses. \n\n\n\n---\n\nPlease refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us a [modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8h4n76/wp_when_you_put_on_a_metal_mask_covering_half/%0A%0A)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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