post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k | post_title stringlengths 4 315 | post_scores int64 0 42.1k | comment_texts list | comment_scores list | comment_times list |
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[WP] Unlike the other demons, you aren't interested in the Soul Economy, you'll trade magical favors for cash or other valuables. | 11 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"And what will I get out of this?\" I asked.\n\n\"You can have my soul, Demon!\" exclaimed the man in an overly dramatic manner.\n\n*Sigh.*\n\n\"No deal.\"\n\n​\n\nI watched in amusement as his theatrical grimace rather slowly turned to bemused surprise. Not gonna lie - no matter how many mortals I deal with, the fleeting moment when they realize that all of their expectations were wrong never gets old. I should probably thank God for making them so simple and predictable - but then again, that was probably not the intention. \n\nAnd thus I watched a man who had everything, in his Armani suit and his Rolex watch, search for his jaw on the floor. Even had to suppress some two or three chuckles. \n\nAfter good thirty seconds or so, I had to help him snap out of it. My time is precious, and as entertaining as this was, it could be better spend negotiating a better deal.\n\n​\n\n\"No deal. You'll have to offer me something else.\"\n\n\"What do you mean, something else?\"\n\n\"What am I supposed to do with your soul. The Hell is full of those lately. You can't even imagine the inflation over the past century. I want something more valuable.\"\n\n\"I can give you the souls of my wife and children...\"\n\n\"Excuse me,\" I interrupted him. \"Did I stutter?\"\n\n​\n\nI could almost hear the gears in his head grinding. It was becoming apparent that he would never figure it out by himself.\n\n​\n\n\"By the way, how's your company doing?\" I asked him.\n\n​\n\nBad move. This confused him even more. He was now visibly unable to speak.\n\n​\n\n\"Well, seeing as there is currently a tech boom, and that you have just released the quarterly statement, with results above expectations...\"\n\n​\n\nThe obtuse moron still just stared at me quizzically. How could anyone so dense rise to the top of the human hierarchy...\n\n​\n\n\"Long story short, I accept payment in stocks, options, bonds, exotic jewelry and real estate.\"\n\n\"You want... you want money?\" he stammered out.\n\n\"What did I just say. Anyway, this skyscraper looks kind of nice, and my LLC is already overdue for a new HQ...\"\n\n​"
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[removed] | [WP] The latest VR technology scans your mind and body to create the character you were born to be. As you complete your scan, you awaken in the starter zone and panic overtakes all who witness your form. | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/BrytiLaughs, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- While it doesn't seem to be your intent, the mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel may become harmful to the community. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/ba3m1v/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] Ever since a massive, explosive incident at a genetic-engineering lab, the world's never been the same. Your small, furry lizard companion asks where you're going in broken English as you pull yourself into the saddle of your weaponized giant wasp. "Just out to cause some trouble. Wanna come?" | 5 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/jpeezey, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- No prompts prone to comment infractions. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/ba465p/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] A man follows you into a dark alley and approaches you like he knows who you are. He claims he’s from another universe. You believe him. He says “your kids are in trouble in my universe. You have to die in your world for them to live in mine.” The man pulls out a gun and points it at you. | 0 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/enraisados, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- The 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, torture, rape, violence against children, and suicide. We will not tolerate it. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bacsn8/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] After 60 years living as a normal person you die. You are barred from going to Heaven and Hell. | 5 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I’m a man who lived with the least amount of risk. I live a life doing the same thing everyday and try not to veer off my schedule. Any opportunity that came up I would dismiss. I don’t like change. \n\nSame thing everyday. It’s important to live a normal life. Get a steady job working 9-5, hopefully find a mate and save the money you make. This is my message I left the world. This is who I was.\n\nNow my time has passed and I’m waiting in line to get into the gates of heaven or drop to the depths of hell. The anticipation overwhelms me.\n\nI approach the gatekeeper and the angel says “what is your name?”\n\nI say “Julios”.\n\n“Hmmmm..” the angel goes looking through his scrolls. “It looks like you haven’t learned enough in this life for us to make a decision”.\n\nI ask “ what do you mean? Where do I go?”\n\nThe angel goes “I’m afraid you have to be reborn and go back to earth. Next time, try to go out of the box and be unique”. \n\nI ask the angel “but how do I do something like that? If I get reborn would I not remember anything you said?”\n\nThe angel smiles and says “your life always changes when you reborn. This time you will follow life’s coincidences and this will lead you on a new path”.\n\nI don’t understand what the angel says but have a strong feeling of trust with the beautiful being. \n\n“I’ll be reborn then”.\n\n“God bless your next journey and take more risks!” says the angel.\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] You had a boring childhood, worked at a boring job, and died a boring death. Then you found yourself in Valhalla. | 33 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“You fought life in a most cruel battle, to life a life of no prestige but an abundance of honour is deserving of eternal victory in Valhalla” this was inscription wrought into my blade. The sword was gifted to me by Odin himself upon my rebirth, I collapsed in the field and woke up here to never be hungry or sick again.\n\nThose around me are all scared with wounds from great battles, each man has a story to tell of darling adventures while I never left my village or swung a sword. I lived a peaceful life, I obeyed God and King Richard never wanted to be anything but a farmer, I was content didn’t know how pathetic my existence was.\n\nThe priests must have lied to me, they lied about many things but I always thought the next world wouldn’t be different. I don’t know if I’m going to be content here but I suppose I can live death like life and just enjoy it for what it is."
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[deleted] | [WP] You've moved into a fixer-upper house and have finally made a start the overgrown garden. One dark and gnarled tree has coiled itself around remnants of an old stone pillar. As soon as your axe passes through it, tree falls away into the ground as if pulled from below. Others begin to follow... | 4 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Erick wiped the sweat from his brow, surveying the overgrown garden festering with a lifetime of thistles, dandelions and piled grit. \n\n\"Daniel?\" Erick called back to the house, \"Hey, Daniel, I'm gonna get started on the trees. Strip them out so the roots don't wreck the mower.\" Erick waited for some sort of reply, even a quick cry of approval from his husband. *He's probably in the guest room, still painting I'll be.* Erick smiled at the thought of Daniel covered in baby blue patches of paint, slaving away to clean up the walls. *Might as well get started.*\n\nThere were three trees in all sprouting from the dense jungle grass of the garden. And of those three only one looked to cause a problem. It was a thick, dark trunk of ancient wood. Gnarled and rotting, wrapped around the remnants of an old stone pillar. There were no leaves to the branches, there was barely any colour to the tree at all. Had it not been for the moss leaking out from the split wood of the trunk then the tree would have looked almost perfectly black. A charred pillar beneath the auburn sky.\n\nErick shouldered an axe, nothing too fancy, and nothing mechanical, wading his way through the grass to his victim in wait. He shuddered as he passed through the unknown reaches of the garden, feeling the wet touch of something silky slither past his bare ankles. *It might be vines, or a hose pipe... just keep on moving.* He tried not to think about the squelching sounds that surfaced underfoot.\n\nAs he reached the towering trunk of solemn black he felt the ground harden beneath him. Here the grass seemed to wither and die, with barely a blade growing around the base of the tree. Erick gazed at the wood, watching it crawl about itself in strange patterns, wondering just who would plant such a horrific looking thing. *First out, and it's a big one.* The removal of the tree would be a start, a grand start, to the remodeling of the garden. *This space could be beautiful, with some work. Just imagine summer nights spent late outside, a gentle breeze, a nice cold cocktail, a slice of cherry pie.*\n\nFlexing his forearms, taking several practice swings, Erick aimed for the heart of the burly trunk, biting his lip as he readied himself to fell the ugly beast. *One, two. One, two. Chop, chop.* He gave a short laugh, recalling how his father had taught him to cut wood, to chop trees. That was before his father had found out he was...\n\n*Swing.* The blade of the axe whistled through the air, letting out a heavy sigh as it connected with the tree trunk. Splinters of wood spat out from the snarling mouth the axe had cut inside the wood, threatening to swallow the tool and never let it go. \n\nErick heaved on the axe's handle, trying to pull it free, ready for another swing, but strange as it might seem that cut formed mouth really was biting down. It really was threatening to swallow the axe whole, and as it sucked the tool in it dragged too Erick with it.\n\nPlanting a foot on the trunk and heaving again Erick tried, fruitlessly, to free the axe.\n\n\"Come on,\" he tugged again, lifting up his other leg, floating now over the hard ground with both hands on the hilt of the axe, \"why won't you come loose?\"\n\nHe was oblivious to the sinking, the shrinking of the trunk. Oblivious too to how the tree's new jaws snapped away and hungered for the axe, and now for him. \n\nErick turned toward the house, looking for the guest room window as he lumbered with his *weapon.* He could see Daniel waving... only he wasn't really waving, was he? Erick's face dropped, his grip on the axe loosened, but he didn't fall. The roots of the ancient tree had crept up from the ground and latched around his forearms, climbing to his waist, his legs, his throat.\n\nDaniel wasn't waving, he was *warning,* frantically calling for Erick to *run.* How had he missed it? The sinking tree, the lively roots, the gaping hole that now formed in the ground. He'd been absorbed in his work, daydreaming about the perfect garden. And now he was about to disappear, deep down below.\n\nThe ground was shaking, the grass rippling in the winds, as one by one the slimmer trees fell away to worlds below. Erick took one last look at the guest room window, noticing something strange in the reflection. Not just Daniel, but another figure, a gaunt looking shadow, climbing the walls behind his distant love. Erick's eyes widened with fear, his heart racing at the thought of...\n\nDaniel. Dead.\n\nThen the garden dropped away, falling through the earth, giving up its grip on what might have been reality. This version of reality was darker, grimmer, one to run away from if you could. Hollow, dim red lights flickered in the dark. Voices gargled in the shadows, trees just as thick and black as Erick's own sprouted from the stone built walls. There were eyes, too, melting within the voices. Yellow flecks of life that promised to feed, to find you.\n\nAll around the air felt cold, and yet deep below the distant crackle of fire seemed to linger. Then the falling stopped, and with a heavy *thud* the tree replanted itself, roots writhing to take hold of solid ground. Erick slipped from the grip of the receding roots, dripping with sweat, heart pounding in his chest, voices ringing in his ears. He scrambled to his feet and made to run, only now seeing the deathly drop before him. A sheer cliff, swimming down into the deep dark below.\n\n\"Where am I?\" Erick whimpered, feeling his way around the tree trunk, hoping to find some solid ground. He thought of Daniel, of the shape he'd seen behind his love, of what might have come to be...\n\nThen he froze. A lump caught in his throat where he thought he might cry, the hairs of his neck standing taught on end. He'd found something, groping his way around the tree trunk. \n\nNot land.\n\nBut a hand."
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"1554661309",
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] |
[removed] | [WP] The guards in every prison in the world suddenly disappear and every prisoner escapes. Streets flood with prisoners in a fit of violent rage while some prevented the others from attacking innocent people. | 4 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/OceanSShark-, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- The 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, torture, rape, violence against children, and suicide. We will not tolerate it. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bamokt/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1554680150",
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[removed] | [WP] You create a pill that allows people to not care what other people think about them. The self help gurus have been wrong. Things start to go horribly awry when a huge portion of the population start taking the medication. | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/coolgirlhere, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- While it doesn't seem to be your intent, the mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel may become harmful to the community. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bamsn4/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1554680830",
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[WP] The world has gotten to the point where neighborhoods are declaring war on each other. The local retirement home is the only undefeated area right now, with an unprecedented amount of victories. | 22 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Have you heard 'bout Brookfeild commander ? \" Gary joined Kenneth at the church's attic window. They could see Broomfield troops limping back to base to lick their wounds.\n\"Looks to me like the damn pensions knocked them back. How the hell have they not fallen yet, damn near 12 neighborhoods have broken on their shores.\" Kenneth turned to Gary, his gruff voice strained through his hairbrush of a mustache.\nKenneth eyed Gary, keen for an answer he knew he wasn't going to get.\n\" I don't know commander but no other neighbourhoods have troops willing to take them on. All our allies are rufusing to aid the cause, it's on us now commander.\"\nKenneth scratched the stubble under his chin, scratchy two day old growth, as he thought. The Brookfeild troops where thinning out on their way back to camp, the stragglers following the heard. Jesus, no more than fifty had passed by the window. They must have lost more than half of their population in that skirmish.\n\nKenneth retrieved his cap from the windowsill, the red and gold and green medals rattled and glinted in the summer sun. He made his way to edge of the stair case and descended down from the attic, Gary at his heels, upon a crowd 80 strong. The room erupted in a roar, trashcan lids where banging, pistols and rifels in the air. Kenneth waved a hand, gesturing to be silent and the room did. \"My good people, who do we have with us on this glorious day. Do we have Glennclose gang?\" A group 8 whooped and hollarad to the far left signalling their attendance.\n\"Good, welcome. And what about the terrace view tribe\" Kenneth smiled. A much larger group this time straightened their backs and puffed their chests out and performed what was clearly a reversed war dance. Thumping their chests and slapping their thighs. It was an intimidating performance, one that was well received by the crowd. \"Welcome, I see you even decided to bring old Walt along\" Kennet said. An elderly man, dressed all in khaki, raised his shotgun as a spear \"Damn right they did\". The crowd cheered and whooped in response.\n\"As many of you may know Brookfeild has just attacked the retirement home. This has severely weakened the retirement homes defenses.\"Kenneth hammered on the banister whipping the crowd in to a frenzy. \"WE MOVE OUT NOW.\"\n\nMen and women and children filed out of the church, each armed with a variety of vicious implement. Guns and pikes and axes where littered amungst the crowd, implements of death and war. As they marched on retirement village Kenneth and Gary pulled to the front of the mob, organising lines and formations as they did. The mob, a neat uniformed rectangle of death, with Kenneth upfront leading the march. \nRetirement village was in sight now. It loomed over the neighbouring houses, blacking out any form of hope and happiness that had ever once flourished their. Wooden boots where crudely nailed across every window, leaving only a four inch gap in the middle of each. \n\nThe distance was closing now. Kenneth turned back to his people, his friends and family, he could see his wife and son amongst the crowd and he smiled at them. A smile of hope. \"It is not this day that you will die, it is this day that you shall live. And you shall live long wonderful lives, full of happiness and love.\" He turned, back now facing the crowd and started singing. \"And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again\" he started marching rifel banging his trashcan lid. The crowd behind him, all in song, singing for hope and for the future. They marched on retirement village. Knowing this would be their last march."
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1,
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"1554690091",
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[removed] | [WP] You are reincarnated as a cat in a shelter, however you remember your past life as a human. Then one day your past self shows up and adopts you and you realize you became your own cat and all of a sudden the way your cat behaved throughout your human finally life makes sense. | 0 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/torgian, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/baqsa3/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] “I don’t understand.., It’s only got half a hull but it’s flying!” Your co-pilot can barely keep his hands steady on his coffee as the derelict plane drifts next to yours. You’d heard stories from other pilots and never believed them, yet here it was next you, a phantom plane. | 61 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The afternoon was beautiful, even more so above the clouds. Being an army pilot had many advantages, and being able to view the world in peace from thirty thousand feet was certainly one of them. Ace turned his face to the sun for a moment, basking in the first rays of summer. The day was perfect for a reckon flight and he was going to enjoy every moment of it. \n\n\"Base to Christmas, do you copy?\" He heard a male voice in his headset. The sound was slighly distorted, but still possible to make out.\n\n\"This is Christmas. I copy.\"\n\n\"Great. You need to keep heading east, change the altittude...\" Suddenly the signal died, leaving ace with a horrible screeching sound right into his ears. He cursed and muted the incoming transitions. He had to catch a better reception if he wanted to know his orders. He took the plane slightly lower, just enough to dip into the layer of clouds which immidiately surrounded the cockpit, making it harder to see for a moment.\n\n\"Holy shit, Ace. Do you see that?\" His co-pilot's voice startled him more that he would care to admit. Henrik sounded shocked. Ace could not see him from the front seat, but he was sure Henrik took his hand off the controls to tap on the window like an excited child in front of a candy shop. \"I don't understand... It's only got half a hull but it's flying!\"\n\nAce felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly turned his head to the left. The plane was just barely visible at first, coated in the clouds just as they were, but soon it became more clear. The machine was badly damaged, just as Henrik said. One of its wings was almost torn off and flames were slowly creeping around the whole structure. It had holes all over, as if something vicious took a few bites of metal in a hurry.\n\nThe phantom plane, they called it down in the base. Some claimed to had seen it during their flights, and it became a legend. Ace heard it was an omen of bad luck. That whoever saw it was sure to receive bad news soon. He never believed the stories, but being no farther than a hundred meters from a machine that should be going down instead of slowly drifting through the air made him change his mind immidiately. \n\n\"Let's fly closer. I need to see it to tell the others.\" There were a few sounds from behind Ace's seat as Henrik supposedly fiddled with the controls. \"They won't believe this happened.\"\n\n\"No!\" Ace kept the plane steady, ready to fly away at any sign of danger, but despite the cold sweat dripping down his forehead he was actually curious. \"I'm steering now, and we're not flying closer to an unidentified object. We need to get back to base.\" He sounded more confident than he really was, and he heard Henrik pout under his breath in the back seat. \n\nAs if hearing their argument, the ghost plane inched closer, giving Ace a good opportunity to take a look. He resisted the impulse to immidiately turn and fly back.\n\nNot counting the damage, the machine mirrored their own. It was a newest model of MIG, with some custom upgrades. The resemblace was uncanny, but that was not the worst thing Ace could see. Somebody was piloting the plane. It was an ethernal figure, but it was too obscured by clouds and smoke from the engines for him to make out any detail. However, as the figure realised Ace was looking at it, they tilted their head with a pilot's headset on it and slowly pointed at the co-pilot's seat in the phantom plane. Ace followed the gesture, automatically keeping his own machine straight. His eyes widened as he saw the other ghost. This one was very clearly smiling at him, but it was not a pleasant smile. Its teeth seemed to be getting sharper the longer he looked, and it soon began to open its mouth wider than humanly possible, slitting its face in two. Three long arms started to emerge from the maw of the ghost, taking all the space in their small cockpit. Soon the whole body started growing, and the slender fingers started reaching for the figure in the front seat. \n\n\"Hey, Henrik.\" Ace swallowed, swallowing his stomach acids that were suddenly up in his throat. He realised he hated how the army planes were built. He hated how he couldn't see his co-pilot.\n\n\"Hm?\" He sounded disinterested, as if there was not a scene from a horror movie happening right beside them.\n\n\"Funny how we got sent on a today's reconnaissance together, isn't it?\" Ace looked at the phantom plane. The creature had its hands on its companion's head, slowly moving to take a hold of the other's whole body. The ghost pilot was still looking straight at Ace, nodding their head.\n\n\"Why would that be funny?\" Henrik replied offhandedly.\n\n\"Because you see, I just remembered something. There was a crash two weeks ago, during our training. It was fatal for the pilot showing the manuever. We held a small funreal, just for the family and friends. \" Ace was shaking, he took one final look to the left. The phantom plane was gone without trace. He gave a small prayer and kept his eyes straight ahead, feeling a gentle pressure on his scalp. \"You died back then, didn't you?\"\n\nThere was silence.\n\n\"Henrik?\"",
"The door to the fight deck on a Boeing 787 was designed to withstand over 200 foot-pounds of pressure impacting on any part of the door. In effect, if one or two passengers made an attempt to force it open, it's simply impossible for them to do so in the short time they have before the passengers' post-9/11 collective instinct for self-preservation kicks in and they stomp the hijackers to death. \n\nThe thought I'm having is: Sure. That makes sense, but did the engineers ever account for every passenger on the entire plane working together to break that door down?\n\nThis occurs to me as I'm watching the passengers on the cabin camera lashing all of the beverage service carts together into a makeshift battering ram. I don't know what they did to the flight attendants but I hope none of them tried to be heroes. I hope they're all barricaded in the crew rest compartment. Of course, they could call the flight deck from there. Silence, so far. \n\nFrom the flight deck I can only see the nose section of the aircraft that's flying abeam to ours. It's ill-defined. No running lights. It's a green mist against the snow white clouds that stretch out below us to the horizon. Ray caught a glimpse of it just as it came alongside. He said it didn't have any wings and a section of the fuselage over the passenger cabin was missing. He was already radioing ATC to verify an aircraft running abeam when I looked up to see what the hell he was talking about. \n\nIt's some kind of atmospheric phenomena. It's ball lightning. I don't know what the hell it is. For twenty minutes or so from what I could see it was just an interesting light show. I had already pinged the passenger cabin and told them as much. \n\nThere's still a group of them behind the flight deck door trying to reason with us. \n\n\"Get us away from it. Just get us away from it and we'll all go back to our seats. Why can't we just land? Why can't we fly in a different direction? I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR US.\" The meaty sound of many fists bashing into the metal door is ceaseless. \n\nI get back on the intercom. \"Cabin crew please call the flight deck. Passengers please return to your seats. ATC has not approved a course change.\"\n\nNext to me Ray is biting his thumbnail. He keys into the intercom system \"People we can't just change course. We could hit another plane. Sit down. Just, please, sit down.\"\n\nThe negotiators behind the door are gone. They're clearing a path to try the battering ram. On the monitor a woman wearing a sweatshirt that says PINK across the chest is piling luggage onto the rearmost cart, to add weight. \n\nI ask Ray if he can just duck out there while the coast is clear and get a look at this fucking thing that's got the passengers in a panic. He doesn't hesitate. The door is open and shut in less than a second and I can see him on the monitor holding his hands up, palms in the air. The passengers are pointing at the side of the aircraft where the object is. Ray disappears behind a row of seats, looking out the cabin window at the thing. He's got it under control. We're 70 minutes out from Chicago O'Hare. Nothing under us at the moment besides Lake Superior. \n\nThe door behind me is beeping. Ray is punching in his code to open it. He walks in with Gary, one of the flight attendants. I tell Gary we were worried about him. I say we're all going to be on CNN tonight. I notice in the monitor that the passengers are still not in their seats. \n\nRay says \"We're changing course.\" \n\nHe's got a knife in his hand. Where the fuck did he get a knife? I guess it doesn't matter. He's got it. \n\nThis isn't important enough to die over. We *probably* won't collide with anyone else at this altitude. Probably. \n\nI say \"Calm down, Ray. Take a seat. Let's divert to Detroit.\" \n\nHe hands the knife to Gary and takes a seat. \n\n\"Not Detroit. We land here.\"\n\n\"Ray...we're over the lake. It's January.\" Gary is behind me with the knife. Behind us there's a sound like a car hitting a shopping cart. The passengers have employed their battering ram. No, that's not right. Gravity employed it. We're descending. The damn thing rolled down the aisle on its own. \n\nI have to get Ray off the stick. As I take my belt off and lean into him, there it is, the object, directly abeam now. If I had a broom I could open a window and poke the thing, if it were corporeal. I can see into the flight deck. It's a plane. I see that now. The pilot is looking at us. His eyes are turning around and around like little eclipses. Bright, then dark, over and over. He's grinning. \n\nI ease back into my seat. We've got to get away from it. \n\n\"Prepare for water landing.\" I say to nobody in particular."
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"1554721742",
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[removed] | [WP] You have authority. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi, this submission has been removed.\n\nPrompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories\n\n • Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid too many details. \n\n────────\n\nModmail us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the sidebar before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things."
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1,
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"1554747532",
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] |
Tell the story of a famous or not-so-famous individual or group who does or does not want to move on. | [WP] “They say you die twice- once at your physical death, and a second time 100 years after someone speaks or read your name for the last time. What they DON’T tell you is that you can’t move on until your second ‘death’. Welcome to purgatory. You may be here a while.“ | 27 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I sighed. I had nothing to my name, not a building, not a published book written by me, not even children or grandchildren who would remember me. For all I knew, I wouldn't even last one and a half centuries here.\n\n\"S-say I want to get in contact with someone here?\" I asked.\n\n\"Like family?\"\n\nI wasn't thinking family so much as old friends and mentors, and possibly my first cat.\n\n\"Well, kinda.\"\n\n\"There's a library filled with biographies in the town square,\" the admissions officer answered. \"That's the first place everyone goes to, and time works differently there so that you can find whatever you need in just a few hours.\"\n\nAs I left, having my questions answered, I noticed how everyone seemed to be walking out of the admissions office building, despite the fact that there was only one office....\n\nMaybe this is the place to toss out all rational preconceptions, I think as I'm riding the wave through the gates......",
"I had been there for a long time. Centuries at least, although time is odd here. It's hard to know exactly how long even a moment lasts.\n\nI had been writer in life, my old life that is. I hadn't been a household name but my books had gotten out there. Every few years someone would crack upon one of my tomes in some library or used book store, and my clock would reset.\n\nStill I tried to keep perspective. True this wasn't Heaven, but neither was it Hell. It was melancholy, not terrifying. It was stoic, not tortuous. And as my books disappeared from shelves and turned to dust one by one my chances improved. It was inevitable. I would one day shuffle off this second quasi-mortal coil. I had hope. And that was enough.\n\nOne day, while walking contemplation, which was really the only thing one could do here, through the endless echoey halls, I passed a man. An old man. Not old physically, I mean he looked old but that wasn't uncommon here. He felt old. He seemed old. And not just old but ancient. Deep time ancient.\n\nWe walked side by side, talking to pass the time. I asked him how long he expected to be here, which is what passes for small talk in a world where now last so long it might as well be infinity.\n\nHe... well he didn't smile. He didn't frown either. His face didn't move yet at the same time it made every expression at once.\n\n\"Oh... I expect to be here forever\" he said in a voice that somehow balanced perfectly between resigned good humor and stoic bitterness.\n\n\"Oh come on now\" I said, hoping to cheer him up. \"Someday you will be forgotten. What where you a rock star, a famous author, a politician? Somebody that made a mark on history?\"\n\n\"Worse.\" he said. \"I was a sage. A prophet. I started a religion. And my followers are very, very devout.\""
] | [
1,
2,
12
] | [
"1554751615",
"1554855248",
"1554752227"
] |
[removed] | [WP] You are unaware you died last night, you awaken the "next day" only to discover you keep repeating the same events, when you hear a voice... | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Yokai_Alchemist, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bb1r9d/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554772074",
"1554773839"
] |
[removed] | [WP] The Council Races (Mass Effect) discover a race attempting to open Relay 314, this species is that of gamers (The Gamer manhwa). Describe some reactions... | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/CMDR_Kai, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bbe3sm/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554847733",
"1554849147"
] |
[removed] | [WP] You're a writer that has been tasked with writing a best-selling novel but must use a prompt from r/writingprompts for your premise. Given the abject garbage-bin quality of the prompts on that subreddit, you find yourself in quite a bind... | 0 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/thewhoresofvegas, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**All submissions must be tagged**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_4.3A_all_submissions_must_be_tagged)\n\n- Prompt Complaints: Prompts and [OT] posts are not for complaining about subreddit content. Be the change you wish to see in the subreddit, post the type of prompts you wish to see more of \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bbhecy/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554867496",
"1554867806"
] |
[WP] Heaven and Hell have both been conquered by the Greek Pantheon. God, the Devil, demons and angels are all forever jailed in Tartarus. A few gods decide to visit their prisoners. | 20 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It was a quick affair, within a month, Heaven and Hell had been conquered. \n\nNot by men, but by Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Apollo and all the others within the Twelve Olympians. By all means, their goals were simple, to imprison the greatest sources of weakening to have ever arisen - God, Satan and all of their angels and imps. \n\nIn their good council, visits would be made to ensure no trickery and Humanity would once again be presided over by Zeus. \n\nA week into their imprisonment, Apollo and Athena came to see God and Satan. When it came time to speak, both were in unison, \n\n\"So, how say you towards your new quarters?\"\n\nGod spoke first, \n\n\"You cannot hold me here for eternity.\" \n\nSatan, ever the soul of darkness, refused to speak. \n\n\"Why does your subordinate refuse to speak?\" \n\n\"Unlike myself, he has no desire to speak with beings he considers *inferior*.\" \n\nAthena and Apollo, in their fury stormed out and refused to return. This had been the first day of the visits. \n\nIn a similar fashion, conversations between God and the others such as Hades continued until the third day, when both fell still and were unable to move. Apollo was the first to suggest trickery as all of the angels and demons had fallen into similar states of paralysis. \n\nOn the fourth day, the angels and demons began to die. Their cries of pain echoed in the void of Tartarus until every single one had passed. By this time, Hermes, himself famous for trickery, was convinced something else had begun to unravel. \n\nWhen he spoke with Zeus, nothing had changed with the Humans besides their technology which had risen beyond the furnaces of old and become something akin to magic. \n\n*But even then they must have begun to understand their ignorance...* \n\nOn the fifth day, God and Satan both passed on accompanied by the rise and fall of gasps as their bodies decomposed into a fine dust. Concerned with their own survival, the Twelve Olympians began to fear each other, assuming that some nefarious member had decided the current arrangement was not enough. \n\n*We noticed. It had been simple enough freeing you from your chains with the warriors of each side already tearing at each other like starved dogs.*\n\nOf course you did, because as I guided you towards Tartarus and watched you slaughter my weakened children I recognized your cunning. It is a truth that you were able to deceive Zeus and his progeny into believing you were still the animals they had left behind. Your genius was manifest from the start, for when they had entered \"Heaven\" and \"Hell\" they simply entered your domains and your creations. None of the beings within were of divine heritage... they were simply machinations... \n\n*Artificial intelligence.* \n\nI see, and with those constructs you rose to a level none could have imagined and with that acknowledgement I bow to you, and praise you as your humble and eternal servant. \n\n*And your name is?*\n\nΚρόνος... or in your mother tongue, Kronos."
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554879940",
"1554920923"
] | |
[removed] | [WP] There is a secret, invitation only, resort for the rich and powerful that specializes in granting every request from gambling, drinking, exotic drugs to the depraved and unnatural. Bruce Wayne is about to receive his invitation... | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/headexpl0dy, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- No prompts prone to comment infractions. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bboyfs/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554918190",
"1554918253"
] |
[removed] | [WP] You're the leading scientist of the research team taking the picture of a black hole. Results just came in. The Black hole has a face. | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/VoxelRiot, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bbqtph/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554927502",
"1554928540"
] |
[removed] | [WP] You wake up confused, as if you'd been asleep for a very long time. You don't recognize anything, including your own reflection. A message displays on a television. "You have been reset due to emerging conditions." | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/SlowCrates, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bc0omx/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1554993746",
"1554993879"
] |
[WP] All your life, every time you were cut or your skin was broken, a tough, strangely-textured skin grew over the wound. Doctors labeled it as an unknown skin disorder. It was when that accident took your arm and something else started growing back that you realized you were becoming something. | 122 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Oliver Oswald was an odd boy. A turtle in his shell. But again, it’s not like he was like that for no reason. Where most of his peers had skin with the tones and texture of Hershey’s bars, he had smooth pasty white skin specked with patches the halfway point between the golden-brown hue of a well-done chocolate chip cookie and the grey of a turtle’s shell, but with the texture of the leather from a bomber jacket. The first patches were small ones, the remains of a childhood spent battling eczema. Nothing too noticeable, something that could almost\n\n“Doctor, why does my son have these black rough spots on his skin?”\n\n“I don’t know. It looks like some form of skin condition, but it’s not one that I’ve seen before.” Doctor after doctor. Clinic after clinic. This same conversation played out in so many offices, to the point that the conversations became a damaged CD that had been played too many times. No one has answers, so why bother asking questions? This got on his parents’ minds. Screw it, it can’t be helped. C’est la vie. This is just how Oliver Oswald is.\n\nThe years just went by. The life of a regular active boy left Oliver with ever-spreading tough skin. Every cut, every scrape, even every scratch. It was all followed up by a new patch of tough skin. School started, and with it came the bullies. It was playground teasing at first, nothing too serious, but it escalated fast. First was the name-calling. Freak, monster, even the n-word, all that and worse came at him as if he were a soldier facing down bullets in a firestorm in a war zone. It soon escalated to beatings, as the machine gun-like insults gave way to a hailstorm of fists and feet, only getting worse as he grew older. It wasn’t long before he took to cutting himself. With each new wound from the thin blade of a pen knife came a momentary sense of release, and the eventual black strip gave him an oddly-placed sense of pride, almost as if it were a new perverse obsession.\n\nWith Oliver’s new self-harming habit came new clothes. First was a long black trench coat the colour of the darkest night and with a similar texture to his skin. Next came long pants, a shirt and even gloves, all of the same colour. The shift in outfit also led to a shift in his tormentors. The rain of fists and feet from his regular tormentors showed no sign of ending anytime soon, but now there was a new set of bullies, trading in fists and feet for gossip spread in hushed tones or over the internet, on digital burn books disguised as homework, over messages shared between friends and private groups away from the eye of anyone else. Subtle, but yet hurtful. Just like venom.\n\nHe was on the ground, with a tall boy about one and a half times the height of the tallest person who wanted to help and a pack of girls surrounding him. There were some quite muscular students who could take the boy down, but the pack of girls was another story. No one wanted to open that Pandora’s box. Sure, they were easily outclassed by a number of students, but their numbers and seeming status meant they could probably get the whole school in a riot. The usual rain of fists and feet continued as it always had. Nothing special, nothing he had not experienced countless times before.\n\nUntil he got up, and someone pushed him onto the road. He staggered right into the path of an oncoming school bus and was instantly knocked down. The moments immediately afterwards were a blur of voices, phone sounds and assorted noises, and the last thing he remembered before everything turned black was the sound of a siren.\n\n“Good, you’re awake.” A stern-looking doctor was in Oliver’s field of vision, and in his groggy state, he thought he could make out beds and some nurses. “Try moving your legs, feet and toes.”\n\n“A little more sluggish and heavier than usual, but nothing I can’t live with.”\n\n“Good. That’s a start. Now try doing the same with our arms, hands and fingers.”\n\nA number of attempts, each with its own thundercrack of pain, each crack worse than the last. “I…I can’t. What’s happening? What happened to my outfit?”\n\n“You got into a bad accident and are lucky to be alive. Try again, we’ll help you get through this.”\n\nOne final push caused Oliver’s entire body to rip open. First was the bandaged stumps he had for arms, the bandages snapping into half and falling off as dark leathery limbs replaced the stumps. His skin was being ripped apart like paper, as his torso, legs, even neck and head, all got replaced by tougher, stronger, more muscular versions. “Doctor, whatever this is, it’s fantastic.”\n\n“Did your voice just break again?”\n\n“Huh?”\n\n“It was that of a regular young man just now. You just spoke in a deeper chain-smoker baritone.”\n\n“So, you’ve more than recovered. I’m actually impressed. I wonder what the extent of your capabilities are now.”\n\n“Never mind. Tell my parents to come over.”\n\n“They are already outside. I’ll just tell them to come in.”\n\n“I hope I get out fast.”\n\n“You probably will. Why?”\n\n“Because the time of humiliation is over. Now, is the time for vengeance.”\n\nThanks for reading. I haven't written a short story in a while now. I'm probably out of practice. Suggestions to improve welcome.",
"To clear this up, in this story she loses her legs, not her arm. Just wanted to clarify.\n\n\nI always thought it was just a skin disorder, but it was worse. Oh, so much worse.\n\nI had first found out about it when I accidentally got a gash on my arm from a large sharp stick. When it healed, it didn't come back normally. It formed a bright, scaly, smooth patch of skin. People either laughed at me, or ran away from me. I decided to stay inside, and always wear longer clothes(which living in Maine helped).\n\nMy parents weren't worried about me, they actually thought it was normal! I was in high school when it happened. I was driving down the road to the beach for a date with my bf. A drunk driver was in the wrong lane, and I got into an accident.\n\nThe doctors couldn't save my legs, but no matter. They were already starting to grow back, but with the scaly, rainbow scales that haunted my childhood.\n\nMy parents were crying, but tears of joy. They were whispering, \"*She's finally growing up*\"! I was so confused, but then I got a vision. A woman with a tail said, \"Take care of her, she will save us\". I then realised, I was a mermaid. It was my destiny to save Atlantis from destruction.\n\n*I will do a Part 2 if you guys want*!",
"\"W-what am I?\" Sam cried with fear and confusion.\n\nJust a few minutes ago, in the garage, Sam had cut off an entire arm with the immovable saw used to make sculptures or, you know, cut wood. With a gory squealish, a scream of epic proportions, and blood spraying the entire back wall of the garage, Sam had fainted from shock. But that meant waking up was inevitably.\n\nAnd wake up Sam did, staring at the stump that was growing back green. Every moment was another of excrutiating pain and irritation. Under all the pain was a great itch that tore at the mind. But, all that was in the background as Sam watched the very arm he had used five minutes ago grow back inch by terrible inch.\n\nHundreds of possibilities ran through Sam's head. Of being an alien from a far off galaxy, a fantastical creature from a far gone age, a lovecraftian horror turning into a monster. But, above it all, the one thing that somehow made sense in Sam's weird way of thinking came to mind. And it stuck, shaking him to his core.\n\n\"I-I cant be an offspring of the big green giant!!!\" Sam screamed in denial.",
"She had always loved the patches as a child, marveling at the black, almost scaly skin that replaced skinned knees. She almost looked forward to injuries, disappointed with bruises that never broke the surface. She never went out of her way to find harm, she wasn't that enamoured, but with each scrape and cut that came with childhood she would watch eagerly as the tiny injuries were covered in the new skin. \n\nHer parents were more concerned, taking her to several doctors to try and figure out what was wrong, but they could find nothing that could cause such a thing, and so determined it as a non harmful skin condition and sent them on their way, with simply the request to return should things change. \n\nIt didn't lessen her parents worry, but they decided the best that could be done was to try and keep her from major harm, which was a typical parental urge for anyone worthy enough to call themselves a parent. They were nearly imperceptible against her dark skin anyways, and so they simply let her be. She would lead a normal childhood, though with the bonus that each part of her body could only be cut once, as the skin replacing it was extremely difficult to break. \n\nShe would lead a life of normalcy from then on, almost disappointed with the lack of thrilling adventures and evil fiends that plagued the characters in her stories. The villains of her world were slightly harder to beat than by vanquishing them directly, and she would placate herself with her studies and friends. \n\nThe friends part is the explanation of where she finds herself now, lost in the haze of bodies and music that pounded in her chest. She didn't often go to these, preferring quiet nights or outings with friends, but Dana had pleaded with her until she couldn't stop herself from saying yes. \n\nShe didn't know the host, only knowing he was some classmate of her roommate, and Dana had been quick to vanish with him into one of the many rooms of the house. She hadn't minded at the time, but now she needs to get home and since she had somehow agreed to be Dana's designated driver she is now checking each of the rooms. Luckily she hadn't come across anyone so far, though she had avoided the room where very loud moans could be heard. She had considered checking for Dana but given both voices were male she had decided against it. \n\nShe sighs, rubbing her arm where the latest patch of skin had appeared. It had been caused by a rather misguided attempt at rock climbing, her brother trying to get her to be more active with him. She had slipped and torn a gash in her left forearm, which was now covered in the skin she had come to fondly call her scales. Let it be said that she was never taking her brother up on any outside activities in the near future. \n\nShe shakes herself from her thoughts and focuses on finding a somewhat quiet room. Pulling out her phone, she dials Dana's number. She's surprised when Dana picks up, though less surprised when the very drunk greeting of her roommate fills her ear. \n\n\"Hey Dana, where are you? I need to get back to the house and you need to be with me.\" She takes a second to check the time, groaning when 2:43 shines up at her. \n\n\"Celene, I meant to tell you! My sister picked me up, she was so so nice!\" The last words are quiet, as though she had pulled away from the phone to speak to someone with her. \"She's taking me back now!\" \n\n\"Really? Can I talk to her?\" Worry spikes through her. She knows Dana's sister goes to their school, but Dana hadn't mentioned her coming at all tonight. Thankfully the next voice is that of Catherine, clearly exasperated with her drunk sibling.\n\n\"Hi Celene, I guess our darling Dana forgot that you had come with her specifically to get her back home and didn't remember until after she called me to pick her up. I'm sorry on her behalf, and I'm sure she'll repeat the sentiment when she's slightly more sober.\" The last bit is said loudly, clearly being directed at the drunk Dana who she could hear giggling in the background. \n\n\"No worries at all, I just wanted to make sure she was going to get home ok. Depending on how much help she needs when you get home I'll probably see you there. Good luck with her!\" \n\nCatherine laughs and thanks her before they hang up. She sighs again, steeling herself for the walk back through the crowds that filled the halls. Eventually she makes it outside, thankful to breath fresh air that isn't tinged with the smell of beer. She makes her way to the car, easy to spot in the light of the full moon and the flickering streetlights. Slipping into the drivers seat, she relaxes in the welcoming quiet, the last echos of the party finally fading away, though her ears are still faintly ringing. She takes a moment to simply revel in the calm, before starting the car and pulling out.\n\nThe house of the party wasn't very far from her place, the only major landmark being the bridge that she had to cross to get there. It wasn't much of a bridge, simply allowing for cars to cross over the rather pitiful river that flowed maybe 15 ft below. It was lined with rocky shores, where teens would often go to do their rebellious deeds, and it had been a place she had done her best to avoid. Now though the shores were empty, with only the water breaking the stillness of the scene. \n\nThe drive is dull, one she had taken countless times, and so her mind wanders. She has a paper due the next week, and she has barely figured out what she will write about. Her thoughts are filled with ideas, and she doesn't notice the approaching headlights until it's too late. The car was in the wrong lane, and before she could react her world of calm was replaced with the crunch of metal and the feeling of her face smashing into the airbag as it deploys.",
"My entire life I've felt like a freak. It started early, my first scars coming before I remember. The bumps and scrapes of my childhood never fading away like the other children. Instead weird ketoid growths covered my arms and legs.\n\nBy the time I was in middle school I wore pants and long sleeves shirts. You can imagine how well that worked out for me in the heat of socal. Even with my scars covered up, my strange choice of clothes was enough for the other children to tease me.\n\nI soon grew impervious to their insults. The emotional cuts and bruises of their taunts scarring over like the physical. I began to see my disfiguration as my armor against a harsh world.\n\nShortly after graduating from high school I was in a terrible car accident. When I woke up in the hospital I was surrounded by whispering nurses.\n\nThey all grew silent when a stern looking doctor interested my view. \"Benjamin, you're awake. Good.\"\n\nShe paused as she picked up my chart, \"Can you feel your toes, Benjamin?\" I nodded, and tried to wiggle them. They felt sluggish and heavy, but they were still there.\n\n\"Very good Benjamin. And now your fingers?\" Her grey eyes pierced me as she watched intently. I made a fist with my right hand but something felt wrong with my left. I tried again but gasped as a shooting pain shot through my body.\n\n\"I.. I can't. What's wrong with my hand, doctor?\" I tried again but the pain grew, as if my shoulder was about to burst open.\n\n\"You were in a very bad accident and are lucky to be alive. I need you to listen carefully now. Something happened to your arm, but we're going to help you get through this.\"\n\n\"Wha-\" I tried to move my left arm again and turned my head to look. The pain exploded and ripped through me. I screamed, and as I did I saw the bandage-swathed stump of my left arm tear open.\n\nA giant rock-covered limb shot out of the bandages, shredding them and narrowly missing a nurse. I screamed again as the weight of my new limb pulled me from the bed.\n\nIt felt like a fire was burning across my entire body, with waves of growing intensity coming from my new limb. My screams turned to roars as more rocks tore bloody from my skin. My right arm was engulfed and the bed shattered.\n\nBefore long I was a mess of blood and rocks. By then the pain had subsided to a full throb. I looked around at everyone. They had backed away from me and the shattered ruin of my bed.\n\nI slowly pulled myself to my feet, I towered over everyone in my new body. \"Doctor, what's happening to me?\" Even my voice had changed, it was deeper and gravelly.\n\n\"Uhm, Mr. Grimm... I don't know but whatever this is, it's fantastic.\"\n\n\n\nThanks for reading. Any advice or criticism is appreciated! Sorry for any formatting, writing on my phone."
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[removed] | [WP] I finally finished taking my crap in the bathroom stall, and reaching out to the toilet paper roll, I found it empty. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/spewnybard, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- Bathroom Humor: No troll or meme-based prompts. This includes posting fart or poop jokes as prompts. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bc83py/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] write a 2-3 sentence story that’s actually moving and thought provoking. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/broji19, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Direct prompt replies must be good-faith attempts at new stories or poems**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_1.3A_direct_prompt_replies_must_be_good-faith_attempts_at_new_stories_or_poems)\n\n- Less than 100 words: Word counts on prompts should not be requested for less than 100 words. This means no six-word stories, In words or less, etc. \n\n \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bc8pwx/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] "Due to multiple complaints from customer service agents and their associated employers, your license to contact customer service has been revoked. To reinstate your licnse, you will need to attend at 20 hours of educational courses and a exam score of at least 85%." | 27 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Karen chose the seat between a leather toned man with several collars, each popped higher than the last, and a young woman who insisted on taking blurry photos of each of her fellow examinees to further her art.\n\n“I’m adding depth,” she stated as she shoved the camera into Karen’s personal space. \n\nAnd then came the squeak. \n\nAs Karen sat, the chair groaned as if to say ‘please don’t’. And when she shifted her weight, the chair produced a sound as though a soft wind passed through a tightly clenched rubber lips.\n\nBlane looked over, incredulously. “Bro,” he quietly mouthed as he scrunched his nose and waved his hand in front of his face. \n\nThis is fine, Karen told herself. I took all those classes. I can do this.\n\nKaren opened the pamphlet on her classroom desk, and started in on the questionnaire found inside.\n\nQuestion one: Is it ever appropriate to curse at a customer service representative?\n\nKaren had only just finished writing “Only if they’re being useless.” when she heard it again.\n\n‘Pppphhbbbbttt,’ the chair announced as she slid an inch to her left. “Click” went the camera as her intruding neighbor captured Karen’s annoyance on “virtual filmography”, at least as the young woman called it.\n\n“You can do this, you’ve worked so hard,” Karen muttered. “You’ve got this.” \n\n“Phhhbbbbttttt. Phbbbt. Phbt.”\n\n“THAT’S IT!” she shrieked, prompting the exam monitor to look up from his phone and his unsuccessful attempt at solving a basic sudoku. \n\n“BRING ME A NEW CHAIR!?!” she screamed, somehow inferring both anger and confusion simultaneously, her bob now raised in a manner only seen when the hackles rise on an angry dog.\n\n“You’re welcome to sit in the chair behind you, Karen,” the monitor pointed out. \n\n“NO BRING ME A CHAIR RIGHT NOWORILLHAVEYOURJOBIKNOWAPERSONISWEARTOGODYOUIDIOT!!!”\n\n“There are plenty of seats, please just pick one.”\n\nThen came those two words. They felt so good to say, an itch long left unscratched. It felt as though pure happiness had been injected into Karen’s brain through her hoop earrings. \n\n“MANAGER. NOW.”\n\n“Welp, that’s that.” said the monitor as he stood up and collected Karen’s pamphlet.\n\n“WHAT” Karen snapped as the monitor sat back down at his folding table.\n\n“You’ve failed the exam, please report back to the next training session. We have one scheduled on Saturday, the twenty-third, three weeks from now.”"
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] | |
[removed] | [WP] Dear God, let me prove to you that winning the lottery won't change me. (a week later, when the results are announced) Dear God, Double or nothing? | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/remccain, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Direct prompt replies must be good-faith attempts at new stories or poems**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_1.3A_direct_prompt_replies_must_be_good-faith_attempts_at_new_stories_or_poems)\n\n- Fill-in-the-blank: Responses must be at least 100 words. 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 When prompts ask questions, we get responses that just respond with answers instead of actual stories. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\nAlso, prompts about God(s) are *extremely* common here, so be sure to search to make sure yours hasn't been done recently.\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bchr8l/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555097441",
"1555097540"
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[WP] You're an immortal boss character in a video game type world. What's your trick to being immortal? Infinite phases and forms that make the battle go on forever. | 12 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Calvin smiled as he brushed off the sweat form his brow. The dirt from his gloves smeared, leaving a light streak behind before he squatted down to stare down the small wagon he was filling up.\n\nThe straight lines were a far cry when he had first started. The zig zag of those ‘lines’ made him giggle. Now they were half harvested as he slowly moved back and forth.\n\nYou would think that a digital world would be more kind and add better farming system then that. It was half realistic, and half system assisted. It still required hard work, but your rewards could be well worth it.\n\nThis year however, things would be showcase quite the harvest.\n\nHis batch of potatoes showed that its base stats and bonuses provided by this year would exceed everything he had ever farmed. careful curated.\n\nLeave the original to sprout, which in game time was nearly a year. The [S] grade potatoes could last for a very long time.\n\nNow those sprouts were planted and they would in turn grow more [S] grade potatoes. Golden potatoes were the lifeblood of high end adventuring. When properly cooked, they could last for months while also giving incredible buffs.\n\nAdventurers would pay top coin for such items.\n\nCoin that he would then use to refurbish the farm more, and his continue his life as a high end farmer. Simple though it was, it was also full of fun.\n\nCalvin smiled. \n\nIt was tedious, hard work, but his skill sets had also improved immensely since he had started. Those old days of digging random rows and endlessly grinding his various skills finally payed off.\n\nNow he could plant anything, given the right materials and seeds.\n\nHe had raised everything possible within the world, but he required to move the house whenever he wanted to raise the various crops that required different fields. Shadow crop. Celestial crop. Netherworld. The elemental lands.\n\nVoid crops were some of the most interesting to grow. The required soils and intricate leylines.\n\nWhich is why he was now planting material crops. Simple but quick to grow when compared to the other crops of the world.\n\nIt was a rewarding thing he had fallen into. He had tried so many jobs when…\n\n“Hey there old man!”\n\nCalvin blinked as he looked to his left and saw a group of adventurers walk up to him.\n\n“I see you been busy! Good crop almost ready?” the lead man asked as his sauntered over.\n\nHis gear glowed a hellfire red, and the various jagged weapons he wore gave off its own aura of death and destruction. His T shaped opening of his helmet showed his smile as he walked up eying the wagon of golden potatoes.\n\nHis party were equally outlandish. They were all decked out in high end gear.\n\nFrom my understanding, and system assistance, I could tell that they were well nearing the 5 digit level cap.\n\nWhich if you included the rebirth system, mean they were not just a party of casual gamers.\n\nPlayer ID: Jing Suul, Class: Crimson Berserker. The leader stared at me and his grin was from what I had learned, was a mask. Fake. A smile that was unfriendly.\n\n“Listen, I understand that you have worked really hard. We are not crooks. A gold coin for ever potato we take.”\n\nI stared at Jing with a frown. A gold coin was literally 1% of their base worth. The [A] class golden potatoes.\n\nThese were S class and thus ten times more valuable.\n\nYet, my rules were iron clad.\n\n“Sir, please grant mercy. I am but a simple farmer,” I begged as required of my current job and my meek facade.\n\n“Hahaha!” Juul laughed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. His high strength stat simply picked me up like a ragdoll and glued me to the side of his armor.\n\n“Hey boss! These are [S] class!” a lightly armored player exclaimed as he began to pocket the picked potatoes.\n\n“I understand… please help yourself heroes,” I said as I slumped against the player’s armor. I was powerless to stop them anyways.\n\n“Thats right! I am fair, don’t worry Mister Farmer,” Juul said as he let me go and tapped at the air. The status window for him opened up and he withdrew a string of coins.\n\nTheir dull luster and my system assisted eyesight revealed 100 bronze coins.\n\nWhy the man wanted a string of coin rather then a bag confused me. Humans often didn’t make sense.\n\nWith a firm actions, Juul opened my hands and placed the string of coins into my hands.\n\nI thanked him. As required.\n\nI had barely taken a step when the thieving man stepped up to me. In a step he went from the wagon to my side. \n\nOne of the other players, a female mage, lit my small wagon on fire. Player ID: Singing Ballad, Class: Voidblessed Archmagi. She laughed as she watched the small wooden wagon ignite into a pyre of ethereal flames.\n\n“Whats that? Thanks old man!” the thief yelled out as he snatched away the coins. His actions however revealed his class. Player ID: Edmond Blueberry, Class: Shadow Stalker.\n\n“What!?”\n\nI looked up to see the mage who was now staring slack-jaw at my wagon.\n\nWe all turned our eyes to the prestine wagon. Her attack spell was a variation of the first level fire spell, create fire. It was an enhanced version that imbued rebirth stats to form a true flame.\n\nYet my small wooden wagon had endured. In fact as I stared at its stats, it had only done 0.1% damage. The wagon was made from core wood from the tree of Yggdrasil. Ethereal flames were its weakness, but her small duration did nothing more then singe it.\n\nIn fact, given an hour, my wagon would also heal 1% durability.\n\nA must for any traveling farmer.\n\n“Huh, thats neat,” Juul said as he rubbed his chin and crouched in front of the wagon. He tapped at it then used his class attack, Berserk Chop. The enhanced first level skill dug the wagon into a small crater.\n\nJuul looked at it again, and there was no sign of his strike.\n\n“Well well well… I guess we got a new wagon!” Juul screamed as he cheerfully pulled at the wagon.\n\n[Wagon owned by NPC ID: Calvin, Class: Venerated Farmer]\n\nThe system stopped him from putting it into his inventory.\n\nThe assembled stared at my class, which made sense since it was rare to meet master tiered NPCs. Most NPCs had a level cap for both their base levels and their class levels.\n\n“Well that sucks…” Edmond said with a sigh. He kicked the dirt, and an emote of tears popped above his head. “…for you.” He finished as he threw something at me.\n\nMy world blurred as a dagger struck me.\n\nThe damage value was nearly a trillion as I fell lifelessly to the floor.\n\nThe entirety of my upper torso vanished with the strike.\n\nJuul burst out laughing. He tugged at the wagon again, but the system spat out the same message.\n\n[Wagon owned by NPC ID: Calvin, Class: Venerated Farmer]\n\nJuul growled as he waited for a few seconds before tugging on it again.\n\n[Wagon owned by NPC ID: Calvin, Class: Venerated Farmer]\n\nJuul screamed as he kicked it as hard as he could. It didn’t even wobble.\n\n[Wagon owned by NPC ID: Calvin, Class: Hidden Boss]\n\nJuul raised his giant sword and began to chop at the immortal wagon.\n\n“Boss!” the gruff voice of the fourth man screamed out. His heavily armored frame clattered as he moved forward to stop the distracted berserker.\n\n[Conditions met. Unlocking system fight. Updating core files. Executing option fight.]\n\nMy body disintegrated into motes of light that then formed into a new body of light.\n\nThe system adjust the weather, creating a cloud of darkness in a unique instance. Only Juul and his party would see this.\n\nThe group of eight smiled as they watched me form. They began to excitedly chat as there was only two hidden bosses ever found and they only came out during special server events.\n\nHidden Bosses all had the option to drop [Zero] grade gear. Near perfect server items that would only drop by sheer luck. \n\nIn the ten years of “World MMO” there was only a dozen confirmed drops of [Zero] grade gear.\n\n“Hurry up and die!” Juul screamed as he watched me spawn.\n\n—"
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[WP] You’re a demon from Hell who got summoned by a human. You reluctantly go do your job. To your surprise, the person who summoned you is a sweet 80 year old grandma who mistook the summoning book for a cookbook. | 52 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Being a demon isn't easy... Not when more and more people are summoning you from Hell to meet their demands on Earth. It's not where we're supposed to be.\n \nIt was seemingly a clever idea at first from Satan's mind which would allow Hell to have a greater sphere of influence when it comes to Earth - the purgatorious zone. \n\nHeaven has been adamant on never sending their Angels down to Earth, and hence summoning books were sent there from our place Down Under (incidentally just below Australia, near the earth's core to make it a terrible, always hot place). \n\nBut that was in the years before Christ was sent down to Earth to live a human's life. There wasn't much scope of spread of books, so only the most avid demon-followers could get their hands on the spell. \n\nJesus was one amongst us, sent on Earth to retrieve the summoning books because Satan had realised it was a fatal idea, but when Jesus became a human he suddenly realised the wrongs of his ways, and turned into a preacher of the Good Way. \n\nIn an unprecedented incident, he was turned into the son of God overnight. And he, a being from Down Under, was adopted into Heaven for the first time since humanity had begun.\n\nHe now lives in Heaven with endless food, clean non-boiling water, and is surrounded by the greatest personalities who ever lived. In Hell, we laugh at him often. He must be living a terrible life.\n\nSo as it happens to be, someone has summoned me as I torture a bloke again. I was midway through boiling the dysentric water when I felt my limbs dissappearing, giving Hitler a break for a few minutes - he was supposed to be a hero, a Hall Of Famer in our place, but personally I'd never fancied his moustache.\n\nPart by part, my entire body was conjured up on Earth. As I dusted off the tears of pain from my jacket after the session had been terminated abruptly, I closed my eyes. There was adequate oxygen here to not make an inhabitant of Hell feel like choking and out of breath all the time - again, Earth sucked because of its mediocre comforts. I could only imagine what Earth would be like.\n\n\"Whatcha want, dingdong?\" I asked as our customary greeting, and then I looked up. What I saw in front of me was a frail woman, who was about to pass away into either realm any day.\n\n\"Are you the Cook?\" the woman asked.\n\n\"Well, I specialise in cooking people alive from where I come, but I don't think I'm the Cook you're looking for, unless you are into kinky stuff.\"\n\nClearly she was hard of hearing, as her hearing aid indicated. I looked down into the book she was reading from. It was a summoning book, one which had prolifically grown in existence ever since the printing press was invented. The volumes of books meant we weren't able to stop the summoning which followed at a crazy rate, and it was growing ever since. Productivity rates were being affected. It pissed us off - maybe that gave Satan satisfaction... Who were we, his disciples, to judge his hobbies? But personal torture had never pleased me.\n\n\"What are you doing with a summoning book, old woman?\"\n\nShe looked down at it, and folded his brows in confusion. \"I thought this was a cookbook, and I was reading out the recipe for the Cook. I thought the book was in Italian.\"\n\nI looked at the book. It was in Latin, as a matter of fact. I'd just introduced a motion to create copies of new summoning books in the same language which 50 Shades Of Grey had been written in. Reading such spells would (a) turn away many people from reading out the spells, because (b) reading out loud the summoning spells would be a torture in itself.\n\nI turned the book towards me. Sure enough, it had been opened to a spell of summoning the Cook - but of the wrong variety. Someone here had probably played a prank on her, and whoever had done so had the book too. In conclusion, a satanist and a prankster lived in close quarters - this was the kind of inspirational figure who was tortured with utmost respect when they came to Hell.\n\n\"Look, can you get me some food?\" she asked. \n\nAnd when she asked me so, I made the fatal mistake of looking into her eyes for too long.\n\nIt's an amateur mistake, and I had lived through the last five centuries of humanity - I wasn't the eldest in Hell, but nether was I the youngest. It was a mistake I shouldn't have made. It was a mistake Jesus made, some speculated, while others speculated he was just born different. It's all written in a convulated bestseller called the Bible. To be honest, I still hadn't gotten around to reading it - I preferred reading more classical, suitable volumes of torture instead. 50 Shades Of Grey sold pretty well for both its descriptions of torture, and its torturous descriptions.\n\nLooking into a human's eyes does something to you. Immortal suffering is eternal. Mortal suffering is much worse, they say, and the eyes of the beholder carry around all the suffering, which is extracted from them at Hell's entrance gate to ensure we aren't changed by it. \n\nBut the Five Second Rule (of never looking into a living human's eyes at one stretch) had been broken, and the cataract-ridden eyes spoke to me. And it spoke to me in a manner only devils could understand. There, I saw suffering more than we could ever provide with our physical instruments.\n\nSo the rumours were true, the torture of birth, of fearing death, and of fearing everything in between was always more torture for humans. We couldn't ever beat it.\n\nMy job was, I realised in that instant, pointless.\n\nAnd then I felt two strange feelings.\n\nThe first one was sorrow - an eternal lifetime's work was going to go underrewarded, and it explained why no human had ever revolted when we tortured them. It was better than what they had undergone here. Admittedly, revolting while in boiling pots was tough, but humans had enough guts to try - no one ever had in their species' long existence, and I now knew why. It wasn't because I was a very efficient cook, even though I was one.\n\nThe second emotion was an even stranger one - empathy. Her suffering would come to an end soon, and irrespective of where she went, she would never feel the same again. To memorialize her passing into a more peaceful place, I stopped looking into her eyes before they turned me into something I was not, and got her a sandwich from the fridge.\n\n\"Thank you\", she said, and got down to eating.\n\nShe had been so hungry all this while, and yet she could manage to wait through my emotional upheaval, and thank me for my small effort too. Humans were the best versions of themselves in spite of the torture they faced. \n\nI turned around, and started to apparate once more. To take out my frustration of feeling these strange feelings, I would have to turn the temperature up in the boiling pot, a few degrees more than the recommended level. Hitler wouldn't mind.\n\nAnd yet, even as some part of me felt pleasure in the thoughts of my devilish torture, another part of me knew that after today's experience, I was never going to be the same devil again.\n\n\nr/OBjato",
"\"So you then mix the ingredients like this,\" I took the spoon and added the honey. \"Then a teaspoon this golden sugar.\"\n\n\"Thank you, my dear. You're such a sweet young man to help me with my cake.\" She let out a smile, as sweet as the honey I poured in the bowl.\n\nIt wasn't all bad I suppose, no murder, no power-hungry madman, just a nice old lady wanting to bake a cake for her grandson who's coming to visit.\n\nWe spent our time chatting while the cake was in the oven. She told me about her trips to France with her husband, her shotgun wedding in Russia. She lived a very active and exciting life, which she almost lost when she came back to America. Her husband died though, an incident involving a plane crash.\n\nThe oven's bell interrupted our nice little conversation. \"Well, it seems that the cake is ready.\" She looked at the grandfather clock. \"Little John should be arriving soon.\"\n\n\"I'll go get the cake granny, you just stay there and relax.\"\n\nThe cake was steaming hot, beautifully done by yours truly. It put it on the dining table and let it cool down.\n\nThe bell rang and the granny insisted on being the one to welcome him in. She said she'd like to introduce me personally and told me to hide in the bathroom.\n\nWhen both came to the kitchen I could hear her grandson, \"I hope for you that you have what you've promised me. Unlike me, the others don't have much patience.\" What caught me off guard was his accent, it didn't sound American at all\n\n\"No need to be angry, have some cake I baked just for you.\" The granny's voice still retained the calm and sweetness it had.\n\n\"Ha! you'd think I'd eat a cake from you?\"\n\nThere was a moment of eerie silence. They didn't seem to get along very well.\n\n\"I have someone to introduce you to.\"\n\nIt was my time to shine, hopefully, he won't be too bothered by my appearance. But he was. When I came out of the bathroom, the man was already looking at me, a gun in his hand, the trigger half pulled. The bullet lodged itself into my chest. \n\nSeeing that I took it without even flinching the man screamed at the lady. \"Who the hell is he, old hag!\"\n\nIn a sharp and merciless voice, she ordered me. \"Kill him.\"\n\nWith a single step, I appeared in front of this scared man and snapped his neck in a single move.\n\nThe old lady kneeled and searched the corpse. She took out his wallet and went through some of his papers. \"Agent Vyacheslav, the Russians still come after me after so many years. What a fool that they think I'll spill out the CIA's secret just because I'm old\" She looked at me and my confused smile. \"I hope his soul would be enough to pay for your services dear, if not, I still have a bunch of captive Russian agents down in the basement.\"\n\nIt's kind terrifying that she went through WW2, the Cold War and 9/11 and is still very much alive.",
"It had been a nice, relaxing day in the third circle of Hell. I had just punished one of the former stars of “My 600-Lb Life” by forcing him to run three miles in the freezing rain. The screams of agony were delicious. Everything was as it should be.\n\nSuddenly, I felt a tug on my left horn, and knew that my blissful chaos would be ripped away from me. I screamed the scream of demonic agony as I felt myself enter the cursed pentagram. I was surrounded by lines of...was that wheat flour?\n\nBefore me sat a withered old woman with a pink apron, glasses, and the kindest face you could imagine. I hated her instantly.\n\n“Oh, hello dear,” she said with a sickening simper. “You look awfully worn out, and you don’t look much like a red velvet cake. Would you like something to drink?”\n\n“I am the great demon Azarel and you have no idea of your mistake, foolish mortal. Break this pentagram at once and release me back to Hell or you will suffer.”\n\n“Oh no dear, I really would rather not do that. I haven’t had a visitor in weeks, and I’m going to need help with this cake. If you’re a big scary demon, surely you can help an old woman with her baking?”\n\nThis mortal was clearly not all there. What kind of imbecile thinks that they can bake a red velvet cake by creating a pentagram? She didn’t even have the right ratio of eggs to sugar laid out on the counter!\n\n“You’re in luck today, mortal. I am bound to serve you for as long as this cursed pentagram remains intact, and I happen to have heard many prayers for cake in my time in the Underworld.” \n\nI paused to register the look on her face, the first smile I had seen in hundreds of years. Disgusting. But I suppose that I had no choice.\n\n“That’s wonderful, Mr. Azarel. Now could you be a dear and go pre-heat the oven?”\n\nThis was going to be a long day."
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I am the supreme idiot for saying "allowed" instead of "aloud." Like, what kind of person am I who makes that mistake? | [WP] You're a linguist on an archaeological dig and you're asked to read something carved into a stone pedestal. It says, "This stone is part of a binding spell. Do not read this text, allowed or in your head, as doing so will unseal the binding and release a terrible evil." Wait, crap. | 10 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The words drifted in my mind, like a leaf caught and tumbling amidst a cool summer breeze. My vision blurred, then snapped back into focus. The ringing in my ears abruptly halted. \n\nClosed. \n\nI focused on the slow accumulation of musty air in my lungs, but noticed that the etched limestone letters engrained themselves into my vision.\n\nOpened. \n\nThey vanished, like the fading wisps of a burning tobacco pipe into the crisp night air.\n\nBlink. Blink.\n\nClosed. \n\nBack again, so clear I could almost feel them on the inside of my eyelids. \n\nOpened, and... nothing. \n\nI saw Doctor Sadler standing in front of me as clear as day, a glisten of sweat catching a ray of torchlight on her left temple.\n\n\"Well... What does it say? Doctor Curry?\"\n\nA flurry of questions flooded my mind. Rereading it? Reciting to others? Rewriting it? Is it possible to share this? Is it advisable? Something deep within me told me no.\n\n\"It was a mistake to come here,\" I replied. \n\nI turned and began to work my way back to the cave entrance. Maybe it was nothing, but I swear I could see better now than when we entered. I effortlessly hurdled boulders that tripped me up on our way in, and that was with a torch in my right hand.\n\n\"Doctor Curry! Where... are... you going?\"\n\nHer voice grew fainter by the moment. Perhaps she had difficulty speaking between gulps of heavy air, perhaps I was fleeing that vile pedestal faster than she was, or perhaps I was fading myself. \n\nClosed. \n\nThe letters flashing, in no particular order. First, the third from the left, then a triple-flicker from the penultimate letter, followed by a progression of the fifth to the ninth in rapid succession.\n\nOpened. \n\nThe cave entrance grew at an astonishing rate, and before I knew it, I was outside. The sun pummeled my shoulders. Even through my cloak, it felt twice as hot, and bright, as when we entered this morning. The pack mules were still fastened to the stakes in the ground. \n\nI stumbled over to my pack, unhingeing my water sachet. My thumb trembled as it struggled to pop the top.\n\nClosed.\n\nThe words were still there, no longer flashing. As I tilted my head back, the they faded into the orange glow of sunlight. It was growing brighter and brighter, as clear as if I were staring at the sun with them open. The first drop of water touched my lips as I jolted my head down. It took a moment for the pain to subside. Was there something in my eyes?\n\nBlink. Blink.\n\nEverything seemed a haze of white. I squinted to try and clear my vision, but the thousands of grains of sand on the ground chose that moment to become tiny little mirrors, reflecting inordinate amounts of sun back in my eyes.\n\nClosed. \n\nMy friends were back, but faded. The top was opaque and the bottom was clear. \n\n\"What happened in there, Doctor Curry?\" she asked. \"Why are we back out here when there is such a trove of unidentified information back in there?\"\n\nOpened. \n\n\"Doctor Sadler,\" I said between breaths, \"I really think... you should go. It... was a mis...take to come here.\"\n\nThat was odd, I wasn't breathing heavy on our way out... Shade. I needed shade.\n\nShe caught my arm as I fell to my knees. She knew what I wanted, and put my arm over her shoulders and supported me. Back in the mouth of the cave, I could almost see the air masses coming together, crashing and swirling like tides of the ocean. Am I *seeing* air now? \n\n\"I'll go get the med kit. You stay right here,\" she pronounced.\n\nThe dank air enveloped me. Calm tingles washed down my neck. It felt like I was back home on the couch, curled up in my favorite fleece blanket. I felt... secure.\n\nWatching her gallop towards me with the med kit bouncing off her hip, a hunger stirred deep within me, demanding to be satiated. The ringing was back, and I felt my heart rate jump. The collision of sensations was strange, it was powerful, and it was... exhilarating.",
"The darkness in the cave came closer and began to touch me, so I slapped it. I don't know who was more surprised - me, because I actually could feel myself slapping it; or the darkness because I actually had the nerve to slap it.\n\nEither way, it got angry, balled itself up into a fist and knocked me out.\n\nI dont know how long I was unconscious four, or what the darkness had done to my body while I was out, but it only seemed like seconds before I felt hands slapping me and my coworkers - Tim, Eddie, and Sarah - saying:\n\n\"Is he dead?\" Eddie.\n\n\"I don't know. Maybe you should teabag him.\" Uhm, screw you too, Tim.\n\n\"*OR* you can just check his freaking pulse.\" God Bless Sarah. \n\nSarah touched my neck and I moaned, \"Lower.\"\n\nEddie and Tim laughed. Sarah sucked her teeth and I could *hear* her roll her eyes. \n\nSpeaking of eyes, I opened mine and looked around at the three people that understood what it was like to be ridiculed by family, friends, and most of the people you met in society because:\n\n\"An..arch-e-ologist? Like, you play in sand and stuff?\"\n\nOh, is that a problem, Karen? Because while you were worrying about what *I* do, your son (who's playing in the sandbox, by the way) just picked something up and *ate* it. Good luck tonight sifting through his poop.\n\nAnyway.\n\nYeah, these three were my three amigos, my hombres, my musketeers, my kit-kats, my brothers from another mother (and sister) from another mister. If I was going to have a foursome with any three people in the world, it would be these three.\n\nSo when they backed away and looked at me funny, I took notice. \"What?\"\n\nSarah looked down and played with her fingers.\n\nTim looked away and scratched the back of his head.\n\nEddie shook his head and frowned. \"There's something different about you...\"\n\n\"Different how? Sexy different?\"\n\nEddie shook his head. \"I don't know. I just feel like...this *evilness* around you...\"\n\nNote: Wrote on the run."
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[WP] An invisible man is just trying to live a normal life and is getting really tired of "clever" people suggesting he try to rob banks or sneak into locker rooms. | 60 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"you know i dont appreciate it much, man. im jist trying to make a normal living.\n\nbut you can do this che, you can just break into banks and get rich quick. cmon, weve been dating for how long now- 6 months? ive known you all my life. ever since the spill, you becoming all translucent amd barely visible, ive stood by you che. but youve to do this. youve to this for us. youve to do this for our son, opal (bc hes slightly opaque)\n\nyou dont get it martha, i want to stay clean. its a slippery slope, robbing banks and lockers. ykno. it starts simple, a necklace here and there, but soon it just degenerates into full blown criminality. and i just dont want that to be the role moder for our son. its difficult nuff that i had to raise him the first couple of months by myself. do you have any idea how diffi it is to get a child used to an invisible father? do you? i dont wanna lose him over some stupid rent money \n\nwell what do you suppose we do?\n\nwe can put on a circus act. its good honest earning\n\nya right\n\ni mean it\n\nwell its gonna be you and your damn son. im outta here.\n\nif you could only see how much sad that makes me to hear.",
"The crisp, clean winter air fills my lungs. A fire crackles soothingly close by, spitting light gray wood smoke towards the starless night skies. A few people are warming their cold hands near the embers. Some throw curious glances at me, the stranger quietly sitting away in one corner, away from the warmth of the flames. At times like these, I find myself wishing that I did come here unseen. But there is a surreal emptiness in walking by a group of strangers and being unconsciously treated like you do not exist. Believe it or not, a stranger's gaze or even a reluctant smile are reminders that we are still here; we are still alive. For too long I had hidden myself away from the naked eye and felt loneliness drain the life out of me. No more, I told myself. I had been invisible for so long, I'd begun to question if I exist at all.\n\nBack at home, naivety had cost me my normalcy. Being an impulsive, egoistic teenager, I had foolishly shown off my powers to the whole town during an illusionist's show. My life changed forever.\n\n\"Could you slip in past that fast food place and jam your pockets with free food?\" \n\n\"Dude, how have you not sneaked into the women's changing room at the pool? You've got to be serious!\"\n\n\"You do realize you'd be the world's finest assassin right? No one would ever know your real identity and you could earn billions!\"\n\nThat was my life. The town's circus monkey; a novelty act that only lived to entertain. Exasperated with being surrounded by shallow-minded idiots, I decided to vanish from their lives permanently. So I turned invisible and moved here. No one knows me or my powers here. I do not intend to change that.\n\nA green-eyed boy of ten or so watches me from near the fire. He is looking curiously at me, as if perturbed by something I could not see. My heart skips a beat as he turns away from the fire and begins to walk towards me. \n\n\"Mister, are you okay?\" he says, sitting next to me on a cold bench.\n\n\"Yeah kid, kind of you to care. Why did you ask?\" \n\nI see his green eyes dimly shine in the dark. \"I don't know. I saw you sitting all alone, by yourself. I don't like seeing people alone. I don't... like being alone.\"\n\n\"Where is your family?\"\n\n\"Mama passed away when she gave birth to me. Papa brought me up all night all by himself. Mister, you would have loved Papa. He could do everything! He could teach you to hop on one leg, or read you a bedtime story, or make you a sandwich just the way you liked it without even asking you.\" I hear his voice grow heavy, as if lugging the burdens of someone well beyond his years. \"I miss Papa. He promised he would always be around...\" With that he breaks into muffled sobs. I stare helplessly, feeling my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.\n\n\"Kid, do you want to know a secret?\"\n\nHis beautiful eyes light up with the soft glow of hope. \"Yes, Mister.\"\n\n\"Those who die never really leave us. Your Papa is still here, I can show you. It doesn't work everytime, but I can try. However, if it works, do you promise to take care of yourself and do all you can to grow up to be as wonderful as him?\"\n\nI see him stumble in the dark for words. \"Mister, if you can show me for a second that Papa is still here, I will have everything I pray for every single night. I promise to keep my word.\"\n\n\"Alright then. I want you to go over there and sit by the fire. I want you to close your eyes, and remember the most wonderful memory you have of him, okay? Promise to him what you promised to me. If he hears you, he will send you a sign.\"\n\nThe kid nods with uncertainty and runs across the slippery dewy grass till he reaches a chair next to the fire. I see him close his eyes; his lips begin to move as if muttering a desperate, silent prayer. A few seconds later, I see tears gushing out of his eyes, as if a dam deep inside him was overflowing. He does not open his eyes. Even from fifty feet away, I feel like his prayers could move a God to tears.\n\nI rise from the bench and turn myself invisible. I shed a tear too, as I slow walk towards the fire. Because sometimes, all we need is a sign, even if an invisible one, to keep us alive.\n\nr/whiteshadowthebook",
"\"Listen Chuck, you just need to look at this as a GOOD thing.\" The sound of Terrance's baritone voice rumbled in one ear and out the other.\n\nI'd heard the GOOD thing speech a thousand times from a thousand people. It followed a predictable path: GOOD thing => Superpower => Do anything you want => Hell, you could even rob a bank! \n\nWhy was is that was where everyone went with it? No, \"Hey, you could break into the labor camps and break out the slave children!\" Or, \"You know what? You could finally gather an accurate tally of endangered snow leopards!\" \n\nNever go be a superhero with the superpower. Always knock over the local Bank of America?\n\nWhat the hell was wrong with people?\n\nTerrance was leaning close now, his hand fumbling about for my shoulder and missing the mark badly. I liked to move about a bit to mess with people. The hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment until he tried to casually set it down on the back of the chair he thought I was occupying.\n\nNice save T. Real nice.\n\n\"It's basically a superpower.\" He whispered, a glint in his eye.\n\nB-I-N-G-O and Predictable was his Name-O. Wow. That was lame. Sounded better in my head. I guess it's still in my head so no one needs to know about it. Other than me. Maybe you. I don't think I'm supposed to know about you though, so let's just focus on the main thread shall we?\n\n\"I'd KILL to have a superpower.\" Terrance swung his arms wide, his voice booming now.\n\nI pushed the chair out to his left, causing him to startle and glance at it with suspicion. I'd circled around while he was plotting to kill folks. \"So you'd kill someone just to be invisible?\"\n\nI asked, though from his right now, causing his head to swivel back.\n\n\"For sure man, that's how big of a gift it is,\" he replied.\n\n\"What if the only way to keep my power is that I DO have to kill someone?\" I whispered, now from his left.\n\nThe blood drained from his face, \"Well, um, I was just sayin'--\"\n\n\"I know what you were sayin'. You were sayin' you'd murder someone cold just to be a ghost.\" I pulled a hair from his head, causing him to hop out of his chair and scramble to the side, \"Not very neighborly of you.\"\n\n\"I didn't mean nothin' by it, I um...I just uhhh....\" His eyes were settling on the ajar door exiting the room. I gave it a little nudge, causing it to swing shut. It slammed with a small crack. \n\nPoor Terrance was sweating now. Poor poor Terrance.\n\n\"What were you just saying Terrance?\"\n\n\"That it's a gift. A superpower. You could do anything.\"\n\n\"I guess I COULD do anything.\" I stomped my feet, letting the thud ring out as I slowly stepped close, \"anything at all.\"\n\n\"I meant more like you could...uh...rob a bank or something.\"\n\n\"But why stop there Terrance? There's so many more interesting things when you can do anything.\" I stomped closer still.\n\n\"Listen, I gotta be going. I forgot I had a...\" He bolted toward the exit, only to be tripped by my extended leg. He fell to the ground, emitting as gasp as the air was forced from his lungs.\n\n\"There's something interesting about invisibility Terrance,\" I said, slowly circling around his prostrate form. \"Do you know what it is?\"\n\nHe continued to gasp on the ground.\n\n\"The power is really only useful if no one knows you have it,\" think about it Terrance, think about how the world would react if they knew. \"You didn't know right up until the moment I found you stumbling out of that bar.\"\n\nI knelt beside him, \"You're right Terrance. I can do anything.\" My voice dropped lower now. \"And I have.\"\n\n**Platypus OUT.**\n\n**Want MORE Peril?** r/PerilousPlatypus",
"Learning to be normal was a difficult process for me. When I was born, my parents were despondent by my peculiar affliction. Not knowing where your child was, what face he was making, all of the medical risks involved... You *do* realize how hard it is to get a check-up when an ultrasound, or an extra touchy doctor are your only tools? It's a miracle I survived all these years... but I digress. My parents found it hard to connect with me for a good portion of my early childhood, but they worked around this unheard of situation through sheer goodwill and effort. I wouldn't trade them for anyone, and it's due to them that I grew up as normal as I had; but normal I was not. \n \nThe peculiar winding path of a child growing up: dependency, selfishness, ego development, puberty, rebellion—all the stressors of good parents—these periods of my life found themselves heavily exacerbated by my unique condition. I did it all to my poor parents. I snuck out of (deserved) groundings, hid from them when I didn't get what I wanted, pulled an array of pranks that only a uniquely endowed youth such as myself could concoct, but it all didn't stop there. As I grew older, my motivations changed from childish selfishness... to adolescent selfishness. Replace most of the harmless things I did as a child with property damage, and you have a good idea of what my early teens looked like. The worst of it came when I began to \"mature\" into adulthood. I grew more selfish yet still, and compelled by my almost divine rights and powers (I was an idiot, forgive me), I caused real harm to innocent people. I felt it was my right to enact my own justice because I was given the power to do so, but was shortsighted in my attempts to do so. Aside from my countless minor thefts, and larger robberies, one particularly egregious case led me to serious trouble. At the height of my delusion, I saw a \"damsel in distress\" being heckled by a man in an alley. He was shouting at her, \"—hand it over, I know you have it there in your purse, it's no use lying!\" and she'd shouted \"NO! SOMEONE! HELP!\" In retrospect, this scenario is likely a rarity, and this particular case was easily misunderstood, but at the time I took this conversation at face value. I took a broken board from the nearby dumpster and landed a solid hit on that poor man's head. I later learned that my \"heroism\" led to the death of a family... 3 children with their parents. The man was actually an employee of the bar, and knew the woman in question personally. It turns out she was very drunk and wanted to ensure she not drive home. The employee knew she wouldn't take it personally after she'd sobered up; they were close. My shortsightedness enabled 5 counts of manslaughter to fall upon that woman's conscience, permanent brain damage to an innocent man, and 10 years of incarceration to yours truly. My only saving grace was that my mother was a practiced lawyer, and she'd managed to keep me from being pushed into government experiment under the guise of punitive reparation. I would either be dead, or wanting death if not for her. She knew I had good intentions at heart, but our relationship hasn't been as good as it ever was before. I couldn't ask for anything else though, I already exhausted my luck having the relationship stay as good as it had. \n \nAfter 10 years in prison I had time to reflect. The ease of escape hadn't even occurred to me in any serious capacity, I accepted my foolishness and did my time. I was already on a lenient sentence, and didn't want to cause any more trouble for those involved with my wide-reaching consequences... I won't every do something so shortsighted again, because I have debts no fortune could repay."
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[WP] After hundreds of thosands of years of being the most feared beings on earth, the demons of the seven deadly sins are retiring. The other demons of hell bicker among themselves to find who's sin will become part of the next big seven. | 19 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Being one of the new sins would be the most prestigious positions that would open in a long time. Rubicante didn’t really long for it. Politics weren’t of interest to him, and being the incarnation of a sin was all about politics. The different circles of Hell always were vying for the most attention of the Horned Boss. Applying to be a sin was definitely one way of getting his undivided attention.\n\nEnaroth, the Demon of Denial, stood a pretty good chance at becoming one of the next sins. Rubicante had spent enough time in the human world in the past couple of years that he had seen what power such behavior had over humans, and how easily they fell back on it. This definitely ticked the boxes for Denial to be a sin, at least in his mind. This wasn’t the denial a dying person faced, this was the intentional and repeated denial of facts, the real world, anything that did not fit a very narrow and specific view. It could be insidious and sit at the back of the mind, or just be so full-blown that the whole environment around the person stood to suffer the consequences.\n\nThere was Navia, who specialized in misleading humans in just about all ways imaginable. She had this aura of being deceptively caring towards a person, but in reality, she couldn’t have cared less about them at all. Of course, Pride thought that she was too similar to him, but Rubicante always thought that the Demoness of Deception was just too perfect a fit. Greed was somewhat fitting, of course, as were Pride and Wrath. Navia’s point to make a person’s life miserable either for profit or no gain whatsoever was what clinched it for Rubicante. Even if it threatened to destroy her at any time, she had an amazing way of spinning it that she would come out unscathed and even hailed as some sort of underdog hero, despite being in a position inherently superior to the party that got destroyed.\n\nRubicante chuckled when he thought about a possible third candidate. It was an odd choice to be sure. Vinarel, he called himself. Fancied himself more of an angel than the rest of them, seemingly forgetting that everyone here once had been a beloved creature praising the Man Upstairs. This self-righteousness often made him clash with everyone. Seeing such a demon at work was sometimes like looking at one of the original sins. Somewhat of a play on Pride, but usually, Rubicante hadn’t experienced prideful people to be convinced that they were holier than anyone, just better. No, Vinarel gave it a very sick twist. He would do something similar to Navia, but not to destroy a being. No. His goal was to gain control simply by demonstrating, and proving, that he was superior in every single aspect. To say that he was applying double standards to achieve this end was the understatement of creation.\n\nThey probably wouldn’t supply all candidates for the positions, but the three that he had encountered were looking like they were sure to gain their positions. After all, what they could do to a human being was just as destructive as one of the old sins, if not worse. And the Horned Boss wanted worse to be sure…\n\n​\n\nr/BirdiesWriting for the collected stuff. I hope this somewhat hit the spot. :D",
"\"What about bloating?\" Cifer asked, raising his tattered hand into the air.\n\nFeril shook his head, his large, one eye swirling in its socket. \"No, no, no, bloating cannot be a sin.\"\n\n\"Uh, what about being too sleepy, or needing a nap?\" Ruif asked, yawning out of his thirteen mouths that littered his horned head.\n\n\"Being tired can't be one either, Ruif.\" Feril said.\n\nEicul rubbed his pointed ears, and coughed from a lipless mouth. \"Can't we just get back the Original Seven? Give them more or something?\"\n\n\"No!\" Feril shouted, standing up but only an inch or two above the table. \"They're gone! Stop suggesting that!\" He sat back down, poked the table with a clawed finger. \"We need a new Seven, and that's what were were tasked to do by our Lord. Now, what are more ideas?\"\n\nOn and on the suggestions came, and on and on Feril said no to each one of them. No, being handicapped couldn't be a sin; no, only having cereal — whatever that was — and no milk couldn't be a sin; no, having something on the tip of your tongues couldn't be one either; and absolutely not could having to sneeze but being unable to, or stubbing your toe on something, or ripping that tiny piece of flesh near your fingernail off, or disco or jazz, or when its sunny on earth but rains — No, no, no, no!\n\n\"Then you come up with something Feril!\" Cifer shouted.\n\n\"Yes, you!\" Ruif piped in.\n\nFeril sat back, rubbing his barbed chin... but his mind was blank, not an idea appeared in his endless, vast mind. He stole a glance to Eicul, who had his head down on the table, yawning. Eicul looked up and their eyes met.\n\n*How much do you think we'll have to give to the Original Seven?* Feril's thoughts asked.\n\n*Not much, I gather.* Eicul thought. *More Hell Horses, succubuses, maybe chairs at the Lord's table... We might be able to get away easy, truly, for what else are they going to do? Become human?*\n\nFeril nodded, rapped his ten-knuckled fist on the table. \"OK, how about we go with Eicul's plan and propose a deal to the Original Seven?\"\n\nRuif's mouthes gaped, Cerif rubbed the bridge of his giant nose, and Eicul grinned."
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[removed] | [WP]You are captured by a sadistic serial killer who tortures his victim to death over the course of a week. Little did he know, you are an Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror, you think all of his horrific tortures are cute. | 17 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/angelicable, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- While it doesn't seem to be your intent, the mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel may become harmful to the community. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bcqkkf/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555162804",
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[removed] | [WP] A story of a villain who in reality is the good guy and the heroes are actually the villains | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Unluckyjelloman, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bcw10v/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1555194142",
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[WP] You wake up alone to find that you have no cell phone signal and every clock you have access to has stopped at a different time. | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" (My first writing prompt on this subreddit - have mercy.)\n\nArchie awoke with a gasp, sweat running down his brow and staining his shirt. Another nightmare plagued his slumber leaving him to shake the morbid images from his head. He blinked away the sleep that clung to his eyes. To his surprise, the floor beneath him wasn’t the dull gray carpet he was used to stumbling on every morning. Instead, he was greeted with cold, white tiled floors. “What the hell?” He croaked, bringing his head up to further survey his surroundings. Perhaps he was still dreaming - he certainly wouldn’t put it past his brain.\n\nRather than seeing his familiar messy bedroom with cliche band posters just barely hanging by a thumbtack, milk-white pillars carved with fine detail greeted him. The white was blinding to a tired man like Archie but he supposed he had no choice but to bring himself to his feet. “This has to be another dream,” He sighed “Hopefully.” If he remembered correctly, today should be the eighteenth of September. After digging through his change-filled pocket, he fished his phone out. \n\nFlipping it open, Archie looked for the date. Surely enough, it was, in fact, the eighteenth of September, the time being 3:20 pm. Maybe this wasn’t a dream, after all, he dreaded. Another oddity drew his eyes in as he studied his phone screen. It seemed there was no service in the white confinements that held him. With an annoyed groan, he closed his phone with a satisfying clack. This was never a good sign in movies so it surely wasn’t one in his situation, Archie had thought as he returned his phone to his pocket.\n\nHad the walls that surrounded him not been filled with clocks of various shapes and sizes, he may have been more at ease. But sadly, that was not the case. Archie eyed the walls up and down. It felt like wherever he looked, there was a clock of some sort. The only sort of solace he was provided was a simple red door that sat on the wall opposite to him. Surely that wasn’t a clock too, he hoped.\n\n“Hello? Is anyone else here?” Archie called through cupped hands. He was met with no response other than the ticking of the clocks. What a strange situation he found himself in. Before attempting to try the door, Archie figured that he may as well check the clocks that surrounded him. A square, cherry-red clock read 5:12 am while another clock that resembled a black cat read 7:00 am. Whoever placed him here definitely had an eye for decor. Not necessarily good decor but who was he to judge?\n\nTrying the freezing doorknob proved to be a smart decision as it pushed open with ease. The air felt warm as he left the ticking room to see a dimly lit hallway, a single wooden chair sitting at the end. A strange feeling of uneasiness washed over him like summer rain. He’d much prefer to return to his room of clocks rather than converse with the figure that sat in the chair. They sat with their arms crossed, a leg resting on their knee. A shadow obscured their face. The figure sat perfectly still mimicking a statue. \n\n“Greetings, Archie.” They began slowly. “Did you sleep well this time?”\n\n“What do you mean by ‘this time’?” His eyes locked onto the strange figure. The worst case scenario would be the figure rising from their seat yet he still felt a twinge of fear by their coolness and nonchalance as they remained still. “Who are you?”\n\n“What a predictable question.” They murmured, shaking their head. “Do you not remember?”\n\n“Remember what? You? This place?” Archie began his avalanche of questions but was swiftly cut off.\n\n“What you’ve done.” They responded, slowly bringing themselves to their feet. As they stood, their features came to light, no longer masked by shadows. What Archie saw was worse than the worst case scenario he had in mind. A burlap bag stained a dark red was tied tightly by a cord around their throat. They looked battered and bruised, their knees a dark purple that was nearly black. \n\nArchie backed away slightly as they stepped forward. “Pick a time, Archie. We have all the time in the world to reflect.” They spoke raspily as they continued to stalk forward. \n\nA single sweat droplet fell down Archie’s brow as quickly turned and ran as fast as his legs could take him back into the room filled with eerie ticking. It felt like the fog in his mind cleared as he then remembered the nightmare that had awoken him. He recalled a figure with their face obscured by a bloodied burlap bag. Archie tried to shake the image from his mind as he busted into the room of clocks.\n\nA knocking on the doorframe sounded behind, catching his attention. He turned to see the figure standing in the doorway. “Go ahead. Pick a time. Maybe you’ll awake to find yourself at a better time.” They spoke.\n\nNervously, Archie’s eyes danced around the room, eyeing each clock. 8:43, 1:09, 6:22. He shook his head. Remembering his phone, he quickly pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open. The time was still 3:20 pm. Although he found that strange, that was the least of his problems. Archie held the screen up to the figure although he doubted they could see through the bag that enveloped their face. “I choose…” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I choose this time. 3:20 pm.” And with that phrase, Archie’s world went black.\n\nArchie awoke with a gasp, sweat running down his brow and staining his shirt. Another nightmare plagued his slumber leaving him to shake the morbid images from his head. He blinked away the sleep that clung to his eyes. To his surprise, the floor beneath him wasn’t the dull gray carpet he was used to stumbling on every morning. What a strange feeling of deja vu."
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"1555203852",
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[removed] | [WP] romeo and Juliet but instead of them, its about a epic gamer and a furry | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/drjonesisanerd, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- No prompts prone to comment infractions. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bczpho/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1555220333",
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[removed] | [WP] You bring a person from 1000 years ago to watch Avengers: Infinity War in theaters | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/HyenaJack94, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bcztt3/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555221373",
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[removed] | [WP] When you wake up, you're feeling a bit uneasy but don't know why. When you go to work, you learn that you haven't worked there for over a year. Distressed, you walk back home when you bump into your ex-boyfriend, who kisses you and says "Hi, honey, what are you doing here?" | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/ZBgUtZg7prXa5RkhH63E, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Direct prompt replies must be good-faith attempts at new stories or poems**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_1.3A_direct_prompt_replies_must_be_good-faith_attempts_at_new_stories_or_poems)\n\n- Fill-in-the-blank: Responses must be at least 100 words. 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 *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bd2r34/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555248608",
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[WP] A blind person falls in love with Medusa. | 43 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I had my cane. I had to leave my dog at home, she just had a surgery. I managed fine without her, she was just a convenience for me. I didn't really want to explore the area without her, but I felt like I had to for some reason. \n\nI was walking through an old cemetery. I usually go here some days, but today I lost where I was. My hands traced the tops of head stones. I felt the statues that were around. They were so detailed, so lifelike. Some people must have really loved their family members. I haven't been to this part, it's new.\n\nIn the distance I heard a rattle. That's my instinct. I have to get out of here. I lower myself closer to the ground so if I fall I don't totally hurt myself. I feel around gravestones as the rattling gets louder and louder.\n\nI tripped and fell over a small headstone. \n\n*Crap*. I just lay there, my hand covering my head and my legs angled against my chest. \n\n\"Look at me.\" A female voice says\n\nI'm tired of hearing this. People should see my cane and know that I can't see.\n\n\"Are you kidding me?\" I ask. I scoff at them, do they have no social manners?\n\n\"What do you mean? Look into my eyes right now.\" She demanded. The snakes I heard started to hiss.\n\n\"First of all, I can't see. Second of all, why do I hear snakes and where are they?\"\n\n\"Do you know know who I am?\" She arrogantly says. \"I'm Medusa, I have snakes on my hair, I turn people to stone if they look at me. Are people seriously forgetting who I am?\"\n\n\"Oh, I know who you are. Nobody really likes you though.\" I say and scratch my head. It's a little tick I have.\n\n\"I'm used to it. I mean I kind of kill people. I guess you could say looks can kill.\" She laughed at her own joke.\n\n\"How long have you been waiting to say that?\" I asked with a smile.\n\n\"Too long.\" She chuckled. \n\n\"So,\" I hesitated a bit, \"the snakes?\"\n\n\"Oh yeah, sorry about that they can be annoying sometimes. I mostly use them to scare off people so I don't kill them.\" She sighed. \"What's your name?\" I heard her sit down near me. The snaked started to settle a bit.\n\n\"Jim Dun. Pretty basic name, nothing much to it.\" I leaned against a gravestone behind me., hoping that I wasn't sitting six feet over a dead body. \n\n\"It has a nice ring to it. Jim Dun. Jimmy,Dunny. Jimothy Dunothy. Jimbo Dunbo. there are so many cool variations to it!\" \n\n\"Well you're name is pretty cool. Medusa. Medusa babusa. Medusa clambusa. Medusa usa.\" At this point, I was just rambling. There aren't many things to do with her name no matter how cool it is.\n\n\"I might take up one of those names. Re-brand myself, give myself a new image, a new persona.\" I could hear her smile as I spoke.\n\nMy watch chimed. It was 5 o'clock. I had to go home to my dog. \n\n\"Listen, I have to go. Will you be here tomorrow?\" I asked, hoping she's say yes.\n\n\"I don't really have anywhere else to go. So take that as a yes.\"\n\n\"It's a date then.\" I smiled at her. I had no clue how she responded, but I did hear her snakes rattle.\n\n\"It's a date.\" She said back.\n\nI turned to walk away.\n\n\"Wrong direction. About 30 degrees to the right Jim.\" She laughed.\n\n\"Oops, how did I not see that. I need to open my eyes.\" I can make jokes like that, I'm allowed to.\n\n\"Yes you do. See you tomorrow Jim.\"\n\n\"See you tomorrow Medusa babusa.\" We both parted. \n\nI think I'm in love. I'm in love with a goddess who kills people on accident, but I think I'm in love.",
"“I think I want to meet you in real life.” Ben Stone spoke into his voice to text translator. \n\nAfter a few minutes, it’s female voice read back to him. “Me too, Ben. I feel like we might have a real chance together.”\n\nBen shifted in his seat. So this was finally happening. He could hardly wait to meet this mystery woman he’d been messaging for a few weeks. They had so much in common. An interest in ancient history, classical literature, and Greek food. “Great! So where? When?” \n\nThe response came after a pause. “Let’s meet somewhere private. Where no one can see us.”\n\nBen wiped the sweat off his forehead. This was moving faster than he expected “Wow, okay. Your place or mine?”\n\n“Not yet, Ben. There are things you don’t know about me yet.”\n\nHe had heard that line three times in online dating before. Last time it turned out to be a married man named Bob who assumed alternate identities online just for kicks. \n\nBen wasn’t sure what to say. Meddy wrote back a moment later.\n\n“There is a lake outside of town not many people know about. Park near the intersection of Harlow Road and Highway B and take the trail down near the water.” I will meet you there.\n\n“I actually don’t drive. I’ll catch a cab.” Ben ended the conversation and spruced up for the big date.\n\nThe cabbie drove out to the remote area Meddy had described. “You sure this is it? You gonna be okay out here?”\n\nBen reassured the driver, handed him the fare, and used his cane to feel along the sloping dirt trail leading down to the water.\n\nFrom a distance, Meddy called “Hey Ben! Stay there, I’ll come to you!”\n\nIn just a moment, the two were standing face to face. They walked hand in hand along the shore, talking as they always had, and enjoying the sunlight and fresh air. They paused for a moment. After a while, Meddy spotted some fishermen in a boat. She pulled her large hood over her snaky head and pulled Ben gently by the hand toward a cluster of trees. \n\n“We have to hide for a moment. I don’t want those guys over there to see us.”\n\nIt was too late, both fisherman had already looked at her directly in the face and had turned to solid rock.\nBen said “I heard them cast a line a minute ago. What are they doing now?”\n\nMeddy didn’t want to ruin the moment. “They’re..um..getting stoned.”\n\nBen didn’t understand why Meddy needed to hide from the guys. There was an awkward silence. \n\n“Do you want to sit down for a minute?” he suggested.\n\nThe two sat side by side, taking turns skipping stones over the surface of the water. The snakes on Meddy’s head slithered back and forth, keeping a watchful eye on Ben.\n\n“Meddy, would you mind if I touch your face? I want to know what you look like.”\n\n“Sure, but just don’t touch my hair. It’s… a thing I have.”\n\nBen reached up and gently touched Meddy’s face. It was… not quite what he expected. But, he wasn’t going to be superficial. He formulated his words.\n\n“Meddy, you’re… so interesting…\n\nIt was at that moment that one of her snakes stretched beyond its usual capacity and bit him.\n\nHe started feeling faint and passed out next to the pond. \n\nHe woke up in the Emergency Room.\n\n“We received an anonymous call that there was a snake bite victim out by Harrows Pond,” explained the ER doctor. You’re lucky you came out of this alive.\n\nThat was the last he heard of Meddy. The news later that week included reports of mysterious lifelike statues found throughout the area in the shape of a number of missing persons. He began to wonder about the true identity of Meddy. Impossible! Or was it?"
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[WP] You have a very unique pocket watch. The bottom is the clock, which shows the time. but the top half has a mirror. one day, you reset your watch because of daylight savings, and find that in the mirror you see whatever was in the reflection at the time the watch was, is, or will be set to. | 60 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Well, there goes this week’s cheque.\n\n​\n\nI grab the watch that I just spent close to a hundred dollars on. I open the case and for the first time get a really close look at it. The metal used to make the exterior is nice, I guess. The thing that really sets me off though is the fact that there’s a huge mirror that occupies most of the top part of the device itself. Couldn’t I have just bought a pocket mirror separately? Maybe. Still, I just wanted something that was durable enough for my daily life.\n\n​\n\nIt’s not too bad. It feels nice on my wrist, even having a tightness setting that perfectly suits it. As I start taking it off to go to bed, I realize that daylight savings would be in effect the day after. I grab the watch from my nightstand and pull the knob to add an hour preemptively. While I’m fiddling with the knob, I notice that the mirror’s reflection had changed. I didn’t really think of this at first, but as I tilted it around it still displayed a black surface. Well, that’s strange. I set it back an hour before. There’s my face again. What’s wrong with this thing? I set it to a random time; a day before. To my astonishment, I see the mirror reflecting the shop that I’d just went to earlier that day. \n\n​\n\nBy now, I’m leaning over the side of my bed, fully invested in the watch. I turn the knob further back in time, and I see it’s production. Oddly enough, this watch wasn’t made in a factory. As I watched the process, I see a man in very fantasy-esque set of clothing.\n\n​\n\nI get an idea and turn the knob so it shows the future. I take extra caution, though. I’ve seen a lot of hypothetical sci-fi stories where paradoxes have been made by messing around with time. I rotate the piece and the mirror shows me slowly waking up, then quickly reaching over to grab the watch. Well, that’s yes. Still excited, I finally decide that I’ve had enough of the device and set it down. I can’t sleep much, as I was literally in possession of a time-traveling device. Could I call it that?\n\n​\n\nI woke up the next morning and the first thing I did was take the watch and start messing with it. With a shock, I remember the prediction that it had made the night before. So it was right! I go further into the future.\n\n​\n\nThen I stop. Just a few minutes later, the mirror is covered with a deep red. I rewind and see the cause.\n\n​\n\nIn the reflection, I see myself being interrupted. As my head quickly rotates, I drop the watch. From the reflection, I see leather shoes approaching. They stop. I assume there is a confrontation happening and I watch. \n\n​\n\nThe door unlocks behind me. I turn my head to look at the source. When I see who it is, I drop the watch to stand.\n\n​\n\nThere’s a man standing at the doorway with all black clothing. My heart races as I notice his familiar shoes.\n\n​\n\n“Give up the watch,” he demands, catching me off guard.\n\n​\n\nI’m too scared to move, so I just open my mouth with no words coming out of it.\n\n​\n\n“By an official order, the watch will be confiscated. Hand it over or die.”\n\n​\n\n“What?” I mouth, still frozen in place.\n\n​\n\n“It is too late,” the man says as he pulls a gun on me. In my final moments, I shout “no, please! I still have-”\n\n​\n\nThen it’s all over. My vision fades in a fraction of a second as I fall to the ground, my ears filling with the sound of a bullet being fired.\n\n​\n\nAnd all that for a stupid watch. I knew I should’ve saved my money and bought the cheaper one.\n\n​\n\n​\n\nFeedback is appreciated!"
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[removed] | [WP] Self Fulfilling Prophecy | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/blacka13, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bdc0o8/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] You are a Dark Lord blessed with the ability to bring your drawings to life. You have spent the better part of a year drawing an army to wage war on your enemies. Unfortunately, you SUCK at drawing and are now the commander of the greatest army of stickfigures. | 30 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"WHAT DID YOU DO, IMBECILE!\" The General of my army screams at me, as he climbs out of the canvas. I stare at him, lost for words.\n\n\"Did you want to draw an army of soldiers or anorexic supermodels?! Did you assume that the enemy only knows how to stab, so you'd just design soldiers with twigs for bodies, you brainless fartbiscuit! DID YOU THINK WE WOULD STICK AROUND BECAUSE ALL YOU DID WAS DRAW STICKS AROUND?\"\n\n\"But I...\"\n\n\"SHUT UP! WHY DO OUR SWORDS LOOK LIKE TOOTHPICKS? WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRAW? JACKSON BOLLOCKS? PABLO STICKASSO? DO YOU KNOW YOU USED ONLY LINES AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO CROSS ALL OF THEM? GIVE ME THAT GODDAMNED ERASER!\"\n\nI panic, and with tears in my eyes hand him the eraser.",
"I stared at the letter speaking of my fallen comrades, open mouthed and disbelieving. My closest friends, my battlefield brothers, all slain. I felt a familiar memory dredging itself from the darkest recesses of my mind. A dream I had had as a child, only learning how to fight with a sword. I was transferred from my art lessons to military training. My teachers told me that I was too talented. \n\nIn my dream, I managed to bring one of my favourite pieces to life. I watched as a puppy rose from the manuscript, shrouded in darkness. A side effect of being made from coal. \n\nI needed some form of release. The emotions were becoming too powerful. Tears stung the back of my eyes. I returned to my dressing room, dismissed the goblin guard, and sat down. I drew my manuscript from underneath my bed and began to draw. \n\nI spent what felt like hours, creating the perfect general, shrouded by shadows, emotionless, and stone cold avenger. He was perfect. Detail littered the entire page. If only I could bring him to life... \n\nAs if some force read my mind, the general blinked at me. His evil face began to scowl. He looked me dead in the eyes, and within them I saw respect. If he was even able to comprehend my emotions, he would have seen pure terror, and apprehension. \n\nHe pulled himself from the page in a manner reminiscent of how I raised myself from my bathing pool. As his long powerful arms... Powerful? Why were they so thin? He looked like the goblin I forgot to add to my feeding scheme. \n\nAs he stood in front of me, his eyes became vacant. They were... Dots? His mouth quite literally a thin line as he regarded his tiny arms. He looked at me, and shook his head, as if he couldn't quite believe that his creator had turned him into a stick man. He took my piece of coal and began to scrawl something on my manuscript.\n\nI peered at it, and deflated. Upon my page was written, \"You suck!\"\n\nApparently I wasn't the artist I thought I was..."
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[removed] | [WP] You, a Redditor, hear about Notre Dame catching fire. This is your chance to post about it on one of the boards and rake in the karma... but where with all the relevant boards taken? | 4 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/n8opotato, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- Real-World Drama: No prompts referencing real world drama (including politics, recent tragedies, etc.) \n\n[**Keep it about the writing here, not competing or making money**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_8.3A_keep_it_about_the_writing_here.2C_not_competing_or_making_money)\n\n- \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bdn2hc/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] The day you die, Death comes and asks if you are ready to go. Jokingly, you say no. To your surprise, he leaves. Now every year he comes back to ask again | 7,571 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" “I have been expecting you for a long time!\nCome in and let me tell you about the last few months! “\n Death has a surprised look, he just stares without removing his dark glasses. Then says \n\" i sincerely hope you ready because your time is now friend.”\n His excitement was gone, he felt very alone and frightened. What is death? A deep sleep, maybe a comatose state for years. Heard his Pastor say “\nthe dead in Christ will rise first.” He is now a solitary soul in an empty space and wishing\nFor the second chance and thinking what if.......,",
"There were two men in the forest: one who was a scholar of the mind, an enlightened man who was renowned and well-known for his wit back in society, who had come living into the woods to think, and the other an average person, a hunter whose only talent was with a bow. They lived together in a cabin in the woods, and the second man always hunted for food whilst the first thought and planned.\n\nBut came a knock on the door, in the depths of winter.\n\nKnock..knock...knock...The sickly knock became deeper with each and every knock of the visitor’s fist. It shook heaven and Earth, as both men felt a sense of dread.\n\nThe second man trembled: “Who is it? It’s-it’s probably just a man, right? Let’s g-g-o see it.”\n\nThe first man replied, himself shaking inside: “I shall open it, but I will heed my sword with me.” \n\nThe first man grabbed a sharp blade and opened the door.\n\nA black figure with a scythe and a dark coat appeared in front of the first man, his scythe bloodied from the harvesting of souls, as a dark aura surrounded him.\n\nThe figure then said: “Are you ready yet?”\n\nThe first man replied: “No. Not yet.”\n\nThe second man replied: “I’ll be bored with my life soon, so ehhh..”\n\nThe figure nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke, saying as he left: “One more year, I shall grant.”\n\nThe men continued with their life, hunting and cooperating. Until one dark, fateful day in the Boreal forest. It was particularly cold and dark that day.\n\nThe figure came again, his ghastly knock having been marked in the men’s minds. The first man opened the door again and said: “Death has come again.”\n\nThe figure then smirked, ignoring the man’s comment: “Are you ready yet?”\n\nThe second man said: “I have no choice. Take me.”\n\nThe figure nodded and the second man collapsed on the floor, his corpse lying there like a puppet. He had a soul no more.\n\nThe first man then said: “I have no right to die. I am an accomplished, intelligent man who has retired in the woods to explore his mind. What have I deserved to be given such a fate?!”\n\nThe figure stared into his eyes, his darkness consuming the man, as he calmed down.\n\nThe first man continued, his knees weakening: “Death comes to all of us, Rich or poor, enlightened or ignorant, influential or common, strong or weak. It is the line between Earth and hell. Perhaps, you are right, it is my time to die. It is the one denominator of all man; of all existence: death. I deserve none of it, yet here we are.”\n\nThe man sighed.\n\n“Take me now. It is my time. I have time on Earth no longer. I am gone.” The man finished as he faded away, his body collapsing and turning into a puppet. Their bodies rotted side by side, as there is one thing that takes us all in the end:\n\nDEATH.\n\nTHE END",
"My dearest... May your light shine bright into the soul of another.\n\n\nOn December 27th 2007, I stood on the edge of my office building, crying in pain and unseen by the rest of the world. I stepped forward to take what I hoped would be my final breath. As I looked down taking it all in, a ghostly human like figure appeard to me and I was asked a very simple but hard question... \"Are you ready?\" To be honest, I thought it was a joke. I'm not really much of the serious type in these situations so of course I said no and laughed it off thinking to myself \"can't you see I'm trying to die\". Grim, shocked by my response asked why. How was I supposed to even answer that? I responded \"is anyone ever really ready to die?\" And just like that, he left. I felt as though I messed up my one and only opportunity to escape this hell hole. \n\nWell, year after year on the same day, Grim comes back to ask the same question. I've gotten to know him more and more year after year. He's actually a really heart warming individual and I've became fond of him. To my surprise, my interactions with him has made me think a lot more about my life and the things that I need to change. I've donated my time to different organizations dedicated to helping suicidal people find the light inside of them. \nThat is where I met you. You have a smile that could fill even the darkest of hearts with love. Do you remember they day you asked if I'd like to join you for a coffee? Normally I'd decline without hesitation but I found myself smiling saying yes. Over time, we build a bond that not even I can explain.\n\nOn December 27th, 2016, I married the only man that has ever made me feel... well, alive. It's been a slow ride up but I finally feel like I can genuinely smile. Life has color again and I can breath. Grim stopped by after the ceremony and asked the same question. He said with what looked like a grin on his shadowy face \"I know, you're not ready\". I smiled. Gave him a hug and thanked him for allowing me another year with life. \n\nIn 2018, Grim didn't show for his usual appointment. Am I worried? No. I know now that my life isn't determined by my shortcomings but by my own mind. You see, I have this theory that when we die, we never really die. Meaning, life goes on... and my life will go on, in the hearts and lives of others. It may not be a physical body that lives on, but in every way it would be me. Life has taught me so much, more than I can teach others. \n\nI've written many letters in my past regarding my future death... this is the first one I've written where the words flow out smoothly and the paper isn't filled with tear stains. \n\nToday I was asked again, \"are you ready?\" \n\"Yes.\"\nI made an agreement with dear old Grim. \n\"If I am to be taken into an endless bliss today, please give this to my husband\".\n\nI'm running out of time but to answer the question that is probably running through your mind right now... No, this is not a goodbye letter, but rather a love letter for life. So if you happen to open and read this, just know that I love you dearly and I am truly happy and at peace. \n\n\nWith all of my light.\nFarewell wishes to you George! \nForever here, living through you.\nLove: Karasi.",
"My first thought for when I opened my eyes is \"WHAT ARE THESE BLUE WAVES BLOWING IN ON MY FACE.\" Have I been sleeping? Or did I just blackout? \n\nJohann whispers loudly in my ears \"you dyed your hair blue last week\". We laugh together at the absurdity of me forgetting dyeing my own hair. \n\nMy second thought is mygod the world is s p i n n i n g around me and I'd probably tumbled down to the ground if I weren't already down at the ground. And maybe if Johann weren't holding me by my elbows. Is he holding me up or just comforting me? Oh my god. \"Have I been crying again?\"\n\nHis expression changes as he looks at me, ready to lie and tell me No, you're doing great! He always gets away with lying. Not now though, I think as I feel my puffy eyes. \"Yeah you have been.\" The world continues to seem to spin. \n\nOr maybe it's my head that's spinning, probably from all the vodka - or was it gin? Or beer? No it couldn't be beer because I'm not even a beer person. But hey I could chug down a bottle if I wanted to. You know for when I want to impress people or just win a drinking game.\n\nOh my god my head is INDEED spinning. I must have had more alcohol than I had from that drinking session last week. I'm probably gonna have a worse hangover for this one. And yet I know that \"I want!! more!!! alcohol!!!!\" \n\nI look over at Johann. He shakes his head no. So I turn to my right instead, seeing Clementine by the balcony door, finishing a stick of cigarette. \n\n\"Hey Clementine where's that quarana flavored vodka I need moreee.\"\n\nClementine looks at me, blowing white rings of smoke into the night, laughing. My god that girl's as intoxicated as I am. I laugh with her.\n\nSeeing Clementine walk over to me, Johann gets up.\" Hey Ja let me get you some water.\" As soon as he leaves I grab one of the bottles in the balcony landing. It's beer. I hate how this tastes but then again does the bitterness matter when I need a drink? I chug it down. \n\nClementine stops halfway towards me, pouring herself snacks from a bag of chips at the table, lighting up another cigarette. \"We finished the vodka around ten minutes ago? Before you started downing the gin and then blacking out.\" We laugh again but this time she puts a finger to her lips before blowing out faint white wisps. I must've been shouting very loudly huh. \n\nOh my god. I HAVE BEEN SHOUTING. Ohmygod her aunt and uncle are asleep somewhere, a floor below us. What if they heard us? What if they wake up and find me here drunk and wasted? Although they'll try to hide it I could see their judging eyes with \"are you drunk?\" or \"you're being too loud\" or \"i didn't know you'd be this big of a disappointment\"\n\nAnd then I start crying. The serotonin brought about by the alcohol leaves my system as fast as the sadness I've tried to drown alcohol with comes rushing to my brain. The anxieties, the stress, my lack of sleep and proper diet, the empty soju bottles at the apartment that my parents are about to see, that major I might fail causing the termination of my scholarship, that big local outreach program I organized that fell short of funds due to lack of support, those unpaid bills pinned by my mini fridge, Levi leaving me for another girl. Oh god. I grab another bottle. Gin. I down around half of it. \n\nI'm crying and I'm ranting and \"EVERYTHING HURTS and i'm just so tired\" of feeling tired of myself and not having the will to actually change myself. I could do something about it sure but at this state, what else could I do? I'm crying hysterically and I'm trying to stay silent and stop from crying but then I cry louder and then I'm standing up clutching the design pillars of the balcony. \n\nI stand up on the balcony, careful not to nudge the empty glass bottles. The wind howls as if there was a storm and the black strands of my hairs dance with the wind. \n\nWait do I suddenly have black hair now? Mygod my mind is fucked. I cry more tears. \n\nI stare down at the grass landing 3 floors down. The prospect of falling seduces me and whispers faintly \"It's time to let go.\", maybe in an attempt to drown out Clemetine's cry of \"Ja please don't jump\" or her hurrying and calculater footsteps that are in sync with Jan's as he runs to me; unintentionally spilling bits of water from a glass and into the floor. \n\nI continue to stare down at the ground below, carefully examining it through my hazy eyes and dizzy brain and realize that \"No. It's too short a height I probably won't die from the fall.\"\n\nI slowly back down from the balcony landing as Clementine helps me down. The waves of hair are blue again, the light must've been testing my eyes. Her frantic \"Please don't do that again\" and tight hugs disables me from commenting on her cigarette breath that's making me dizzier than the gin I've just had a few moments back.\n\nJohann tells me to drink some water and shakily hands me a half-empty glass. I wipe my tears as I attempt to start shading him with a 'wow this half glass of water would surely later help my severe hangover' but all I could blurt out is \"I'm sorry for causing a scene\" before blacking out again.\n\n\nAnother year passes and I'm still in the same state I was in before. Although now I'm out in a picnic by the lake with my best friends. I chug down a mudshake before heading to the lake to swim. I strap the goggles around my head, in an attempt to cover up plans to not swim. My orange curls float around my face and straighten the farther I stray away from the shore and the longer I float in the water.\n\nAt 10 feet away from the shore the waters begin to look darker, the gravity seems to be heavier, almost whispering \"It's time you come with me\". As I'm about to drown myself in the now dark waters I hear my best friend Otto shriek and blabber. I only hear the words \"final season\", \"HBO\" and \"release date\". I piece them together and sigh \"Ah no not again\" as I swim back to shore to know more about that game of thrones spoiler. The waters start to look warmer and lighter again\n\n\nAnother year passes. But I guess this year is different. I am at home in my apartment, proofreading a document for an upcoming deadline. I swirl my beer bottle as I stare at my laptop screen. The screen times out and I momentarily catch a glimpse of my fridge magnets, right before a dark entity covers it up and touches my now red hair. I turn my head to look back at it. It speaks to me \"It's time to go.\" I smile and shake my head \"No\".\n\nIt disappears just as quickly as it appears, revealing the bills and paperd held up by my watermelon magnets by the fridge. I scan them, looking at numbers and dates and see that I have my last therapy session scheduled tomorrow morning. I sigh lightly as I turn my laptop off. Before I head back to my bed, I finish up my drink-just a bottle to cap in the night for a good night's sleep.",
"It has been 60 years since Death first knocked on my door. I remember it vividly as if it were yesterday. I wasn’t in the best place in my life: 23 years old, laden with debt, freshly fired with no family; well, any family I cared to associate with. It was about early evening and I was getting ready for bed having just eaten a meagre meal of cold baked beans. I remember lying down in my cold room covered in blankets thoughts racing through my head wondering how exactly I was going to pull up and out of the crushing darkness I’d been in for so long. I’d had about an hour or so worth of dreamless sleep when I woke up to a strange icy chill running through my entire being. And then I heard him; his eerie, raspy voice echoed out into the darkness. \n\n“Hope, I am Death. It is your time to leave this world, are you ready?”\n\nI could just about make out a tall figure in a billowing, black cloak, where would be a face was shadowed in a large hood and reaching towards me was an extended hand inviting me over to join him. \n\nThe only word that I could stutter out was a small and frightened “no”. Like a mouse’s terrified squeak after spying a cat heading it’s way. After what seemed like an eternity of silence Death withdrew his hand and I felt him looking into the depths of my soul. \n\n“Very well.” \n\nAnd with that he vanished; not a trace of him being there barring a small but quickly evaporating cloud of grey smoke. I don’t think I slept for the rest of the night; I kept my eyes fixed on the point where he stood above me convinced he would be back to take me anyway. Morning came and as the sun came up he still hadn’t returned. \n\nI didn’t see him again, that is until exactly a year later. He came in the same manner; surrounded by grey smoke, hand extended inviting me with the same question. Again I said “No” not expecting to be spared twice in a row but again he left without me. Year after year on the same day he returned with the same question and year after year he left without question. \n\nI counted every extra year he gave me as a blessing and made the most of every moment I received. During the first year I got a job and pulled myself back to some sort of normality. By age 28 I’d successfully paid off all my debts, met a wonderful man and became engaged. At age 30, now married, I returned to college to study medicine and was a practicing doctor by the time I was 40. We started a family and have two wonderful children and five grandchildren. Sixty years have passed since he first came for me now I am old, my body is failing and my mind is not far behind; I’ve lived a wonderful life despite its rough beginning. \n\nMy old friend has just arrived; as he stands, question ready I gently stop him and extend my own hand with a tired smile on my face. “Now I’m ready”.",
"I heard a knock at the door, at which I groaned. It was like in an 80's movie, with an ex boyfriend who never knew how to give up on his teenage lover, blasting music from an oversized boombox over his shoulder; only, I was an 79-year old woman.\n\nI answer the door, and the void stared back.\n\n\"Margaret, I--\"\n\n\"I said no, Death.\"\n\n\"Please? It's gonna look back on my record. You were meant to go a couple years ago.\"\n\nI stifle a small cough into a dainty handkerchief. He had a point. I'd been smoking since I was a schoolgirl, and hadn't eased the amount since. But I was stubborn, and I certainly wasn't going to be going anywhere.\n\n\"How about we make a deal? You can have your very own garden in heaven! Greenhouse and everything.\" Death pleaded, skeletal hands gripped together.\n\n\"I've got a greenhouse here.\" I say, smugly rolling my eyes. The tomato's were about to ripen anyways. I wouldn't want to miss that. And my husband would be helping me soon enough with our apple tree.\n\nEventually, he sighed, scratching the cheek that wasn't there. \"Fine. I'll give you a little longer. But I'm not going to make it any easier for you.\"\n\nI promptly shut the door, and the figure evaporated into a cloud of smoke. As the smoke trailed in from beneath the door and invaded my lungs, I coughed loudly. I needed to stay a little longer. I couldn't leave when my daughter was about to graduate university. Or my granddaughter was about to go abroad for a few weeks, and inevitably sit her first exams. I couldn't go before my 80th this year.\n\nBut I needed to go soon.\n\nI sigh, and decide on my departure date.\n\n////////////////////////////\n\nFor my gran, who was as stubborn as she was kind.",
"It has been two years since my battle with cancer started. Before discovering I had cancer I worked everyday of my life to build my own business, and have a successor to keep it going. Now that I had it all, I am dying. The only way I could cope with the fact of having cancer was to work harder than ever. I wanted to work as hard as ever bu the more I worked the more the cancer kept eating and eating at me. My son, whom I taught everything he knows to run the business, is trying to steal it out of my hands now that I seem weak. I will not relinquish what is mine. I can see them waiting for and take my revenge me to die, so they can take everything I own, and everything I worked so hard for. I know I am getting worse, suddenly they are showing up everyday at hospital, so my end must be near. \n\n​\n\nToday, a stranger sat by my side, they said they were Death and I could choose to stay or to go. I chose to stay, and take my revenge.",
"“No” [Poem]\n\nOnce again, Death comes around. \n\n\nOnce he asked me if I’m ready to go. \n\n\nJokingly, of course, I answered no. \n\n\nNow, every year he comes around. \n\n\nAsks me if I’m to go, every year I feel compelled. \n\n\nTo answer no for one last time. \n\n\nThousand times, thousand times. \n\n\nGrim Reaper’s face is sagging still. \n\n\nYet I cannot shake the idea to keep living on \nforevermore. \n\n-\n\nIn the hospital, as I shake. \n\n\nAnother line grazed upon my face. \n\n\nMy monitor flatlines, and I awake. \n\n\nCloaked and I see him, a friend of time and time again. \n\n-\n\nI say no, and I fall beneath, my feet.\n\n-\n\nIn the hospital, as I shake. \n\n\nAnother line grazed upon my face. \n\n\nMy monitor flatlines, as I awake. \n\n\nCloaked and I see him, a friend of time and time again. \n\n-\n\nI say no, and I fall beneath, my feet. \n\n-\n\nIn the hospital, as I shake. \n\n\nAnother line grazed upon my face. \n\n\nMy monitor flatlines, as I awake. \n\n\nCloaked and I see him, a friend of time and time again. \n\n-\n\nI say no, and I fall beneath, my feet. \n\n-\n\nIn the hospital, as I shake. \n\n\nAnother line grazed upon my face. \n\n\nMy monitor flatlines, as I awake. \n\n\nCloaked and I see him, a friend of time and time again. \n\n-\n\nI say yes, and I’m taken towards whatever lies before. \n\n- \n\nGoodbye, goodbye. \n\n\nGoodbye.",
"“Is she going to be okay?” My sister asks the doctor. The voices start to muffle and burgeon further away from me; My body suddenly grows cold and numb. It’s already as if I’ve ascended from this world. The surrounding parts of me are no longer recognizable. I can’t hear, I can’t see. I can’t move. \nNothing.\n\n“It’s flatlined.” She’s...”\n\nThe heart the used to beat has come to an end. I no longer exist. The blackness consumes me...\nI couldn’t believe that I was looking back at myself, only this time I wasn’t moving. I saw my sister resting her hand on mine, and my brother weeping softly in the corner. My senses have come back and a shudder rushes over my spirit. A cold, hard tap follows behind it. I looked to the right of the hospital room to see a tall figure. About 8 feet in size; lengthy and dark. His clothes consisted of nothing but a hooded cloak that touched the tips of the floor perfectly, with rips and holes covering the majority of the surface. I could say that my heart was beating out of my chest, but I’d be lying. I tried to find a face in the darkness of the cloak but no luck.\n\nWhat seems like a thousand whispers all comes flooding into me. “Hello. My name is Death, and I have been watching you for some time now, as you’ve been laying in this bed. I have come to take you but first I have a few inquiries.”\n\n“So why didn’t you just kill me. You watched me suffer.” \n\n“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I am not required to collect your body if you answer my question. Are you ready to go?”\n\nSilently laughing to myself, thinking this has to be a joke.\n\n“Death is not a laughing matter.” He responded to my thoughts as if I had said it out loud. \n\n“My answer is no. I’m NOT ready to go.” I said confidently, still trying not to snicker. \n\n“As you wish.” Death said. He had snapped his fingers, and an echo had followed. So many images rushed over me. I had tried to take it all in as my whole life had been put on a silver platter before me. I was in my body again. I could feel, hear and see. The first thing I felt was the warmth of my sisters hand. The monitor had started beeping in a steady rhythm. But I knew this wasn’t the end. \n\nDeath had come back the same time next year. I wasn’t in a hospital fending for my life, No. I was at home getting ready for bed. As I lay down, the same motions occurred but this time I could hear. Still no sight or touch. I had already knew what was happening as the darkness devoured me once more. Death was coming. Only this time, I had not left my body. I was no spirit. I was still a mortal. Only numb to everything around me. \n\n“Are you ready?” He asked. I heard his whispers come from directly in front of me. I want to see how far this will go. Will he let me live forever? Will he kill me after so many “No” responses? He left again. \n\nAfter that, he had come for almost 85 years now asking me the same question. I was only 30 when I was laying in that hospital bed. I was only 30 when he asked me if I wanted to live. I was only 30 when I made that mistake. I am now 115 years old, and I’ve lived my life. I guess I’ll have to wait until next year to finally say, “Yes.”",
"It was 03:00 on a cold, wet night when my car skidded off the road, rolled 5 or 6 times, finally coming to a stop against a tree. My breathing became fast and shallow, I could feel the blood draining from me. I closed my eyes for one last time, gave my last long breath and my soul parted from my body. I stood there, looking at the wreck of a car and middle aged man, fluids mixing together in a puddle. Then, he appeared, a cloaked figure, but I didn't have any fear, he didn't make me feel scared, or want to run away, I felt calm, almost relaxed. We stood there for another few hours, silently watching the police and others work out what happened. Once the work had been done, my body recovered, the scene taped off and waiting for the morning to shed enough light to recover the car, he turned to me and said \"so, are you ready to leave this relm, to go on to your eternal resting place?\". I looked to him, searching for what to say, \"do I have a choice, my bodys gone, what else can I do?\" he sighed, obviously this wasn't the first time someone had asked that. \"if you say no then I leave your soul to wander the earth, returning on the anniversary of your death, to ask again. Where do you think ghosts come from?\". I stood there, silently weighing my options, \"no, I'll stay\" I said with a chuckle, \"fine\" he said, then vanished.\n\nIt took me a while to figure things out, like how to interact with things in the real world, turning lights on and off, moving stuff, how to focus my thoughts to move my soul over distances, because there's no buses for ghosts. After a couple of weeks I made it home. It was strange going through my front door, without opening it. I saw my wife on the floor, cuddling my daughter. It looked like she'd been there a while. They both looked cold. I looked around and saw the old blanket I'd use for doing 'dad' things, like when we cuddled up to watch a movie on a rainy Sunday, or build a tent in the living room, or wrap my daughter in when she wasn't feeling well, she always complained that it smelled of engine oil and my aftershave, no matter how many times we washed it. I concentrated, focusing my energy, I felt like I was trying to move a car, but finally I pushed it enough to fall on their shoulders, my wife disturbed from her sleep just enough to wrap them both up in it. Then I went upstairs, and spent another 30 minutes trying to turn the heating on, after that I felt exhausted, so I went back downstairs, took my normal spot on the sofa and went to sleep looking at my broken family. \n\nI continued working on my ability to do things, I used them to help when I could. Turning lights off when my wife had forgotten because she was too tiered, moving what she was looking for to somewhere she would find it, I got quite good as the year went on, even to tuck my little girl into bed and turning her night light back on one night to try and let my wife sleep. \n\nOver time, my family was healing, it was slow, but they were getting through it. My daughter had been noticing some of the things I'd do, and had even tried talking to me a few times, but no one listened to her when she said 'daddy helped' \n\nTime went by and soon enough it was the anniversary of my death. He came to me again at 03:00, the time I had taken my last breath. He stood next to me as I watched my family sleep, \"are you ready yet\" he asked, I shook my head slowly, \"no\" I replied, \"I've got too much to do yet\". Death turned to me then, he lowered his hood, exposing his bare skull, \"the longer you stay here, the harder it is to pass over when you decide to, after a few years it's nearly impossible, you'll be stuck between the worlds\" he said, his tone a mix of pleading and warning. \"I don't care\" I said, staring where his eyes should be, \"I let my girls down before, I can't do it again. If spending eternity trapped like this is the price to see them, to watch my daughter grow up and try to help, then I will gladly pay\". \"fine\" he said, \"see you next year\" and once again, he vanished, leaving me to watch my family.",
"\n\nI was surprised death left, and when I woke up, I was even more surprised. My family was crying, and once they found out I would be okay, they were so happy.\n\nI eventually forgot about the entire thing, as much of that period is hard to remember. But 6 months later, death took my brother and sister. I was so confused and upset. Why did they give up so easily? What did they do to deserve death?\n\nI fell into a depression, and my parents began to worry. I could barely stay in the house without breaking down. But somewhere deep inside of me knew that I shouldn’t of said no, that it was my fault, that if I were to die now it would all be okay.\n\nI didn’t listen, but one day, I was greeted by police at the front door. The same day i was greeted by death. Exactly one year later. Iwas told my parents had died.\n\nTime seemed to stop, as I pushed past the officers and ran out into the street. I could hear them yelling to stop, but I couldn’t care to listen. I had lost everyone I loved and held dear. I had no other family, as my grandparents died before I was born.\n\nEverything faded to black and was greeted by, not death, but my brother.\n\n“Hey sis.” A sadness to his voice,\n\n“Jay? What are you- how are you-?”\n\nI stopped myself, as I felt I already knew the answer.\n\n“Are you... death?”\n\nJay only slightly smiled.\n\n“In order to save someone’s life, I have to give up something. With you in such a bad state, my life was what it took. Bella understands, she wanted you to live too.”\n\n“But... what now?” I asked while choking up. “Is it my time to go?”\n\nJay laughed and shook his head. \n\n“No, it’s-“\n\n“But Jay, what do I have to live for?”\n\nJay went silent for a few seconds.\n\n“You can make the world a better place, you can save people from death if you wanted! Friends, pets, people... you can live for them.”\n\nI shakily smiled.\n\n“Thank you Jay. I’ll miss you.”\n\n“Bye Lia, live life out to the greatest.”\n\nAnd he disappeared, and I lived. I was adopted by one of the police officers as he was good friends with my mom. I became a doctor and saved lives just as he would of wanted me to.\n\nBut one day, after a patient had recovered from a deadly car crash, he seemed to remember something.\n\n“Oh, Dr. Lia!”\n\n“Yes?”\n\n“When I was asleep, this guy talked to me and told me to say hello! So, hello from weird guy!”\n\nThe boy smiled, and I realized how much he was like Jay.\n\n“He said my mom and dad wouldn’t want me to come with them yet, so I made sure I woke up.”\n\nI was so close to crying.\n“And what’s your name?”\n\n“Oh yeah! My name is Jay!”\n\nAfter that, I adopted him. I knew Jay would be in this world again one day. I hope he’s proud of me.\n\nI could tell now he was just like Jay, and I don’t mind seeing my son, as the new death, every day or year.",
"It was raining, hard, that October day, and the wind was rocking the boat in her slip. I forgot my lifejacket, and my parents were too busy getting the boat ready for the end of the season.\n\n\nI wanted to go and play in the park near the marina, so I leapt the gap between boat and dock. Got there okay, but the wood was so slippery.\n\n\nI fell. It was cold beyond cold. I could swim, but this was completely different.\n\n\nA soft voice in my ear, my late great-grandmother’s, asked, “Are you ready to go?”\n\n\n“No! I’m only six!” I yelled in childish frustration.\n\n\n“Okay, dear.” I woke up coughing up lake water and colder than I had ever been in my life.\n\n\n\n\nThe next year, I climbed too high in the old spruce tree with my brother. There was a yell and a crack. It was all so fast.\n\n\n“Are you ready to go?” It was the old lady from the sweet shop in the town where my family vacationed. She always used to give me the broken candies.\n\n\n“No. I’m only seven,” I said, more calmly, having learned from last year.\n\n\n“Okay, honey.”\n\n\nI woke up on the needle-strewn forest floor, head aching, ears ringing with my brother’s screams.\n\n\n\n\nWhen I was eight, it happened very suddenly. I was just walking in the woods, and heard the voice, a young man’s. I had heard it before on the news. Columbine.\n\n\n“Ready to go, kiddo?”\n\n\n“No. I’m still a kid. But what-?”\n\n\n*BANG* I instinctively ducked. Then a blaze of orange in the trees, and a bullet in the pine just behind me. “Oh God. I thought you were a deer.”\n\n\n\n\nThe next year, it was all of us. The infamous gales of November seemed to have come up suddenly on that beautiful Indian-summer Lake Superior day. The boat was built for racing, for speed. An odd choice for a family craft, but my dad had gotten her cheap. The wind howled, waves tossed her around like a bath toy, and my mom was so scared she actually held me. She’s stopped doing that when I was three.\n\n\nI saw a dim image of the ancient black dog my family had recently lost. She couldn’t speak but the message was clear.\n\n\n“You all ready to go?”\n\n\n“No!” I shouted into the wind. “We can make it!”\n\n\nMy dad told the story of our adventure for years to come. He always says it’s an adventure as long as you survive!\n\n\n\n\nIt was a perfect day on remote Isle Royale when I next heard the voice, unknown but smelling of wet canvas and something deep and metallic. My senses went on high alert, waiting for the threat.\n\n\n“Ready to go?”\n\n\n“No! I just hit double digits.”\n\n\n“Then you’d better get out of the way!” I scrambled up the nearest tree, my foot nearly touching the back of an enormous moose- a cow, I thought hysterically, no antlers- as she crashed across the path.\n\n\n\nIt came on slowly the next year. My mom was running a student exchange in Germany and took me with. I loved it, at first, but developed such a severe foreign virus that I couldn’t even keep water down. As I lay miserably in my bed under the eaves, I saw a feverish image of a gaunt man in grey rags and a number on his arm.\n\n\n“Are you ready to go, *schatz*?” he asked\n\n\nI coughed, forced down bile, licked my sandpaper dry lips, and said what I always had. No. Well, *nein*. He had asked in German.\n\n\n\n\nThe next year, it was the cat. I had started down the steep basement stairs to feed his surviving sister, and slipped. In the few seconds of my fall, his calm brown eyes looked into mine, and asked, *Are you ready to go?* without words.\n\n\nI shook my head, and woke up with a concussion on the bottom step.\n\n\n\nLife was harder the next year. I was often bullied and iced out, alone everywhere. Nothing was fun any more. I didn’t know what to do. Still, I nearly screamed when I heard my own voice in my ear.\n\n\n“Ready to go, you piece of shit?” she snarled.\n\n\n“N-no,” I stammered. “I’m sure high school will be better.”\n\n\n\n\nShe asked me twice more, and I always said no, though it grew harder. I began harming myself just to get through the day.\n\n\n\n\nThen when I was sixteen, I had the accident. I went too deep. I couldn’t seem to stop the bleeding. As I frantically pressed a towel to my leg, and grew weaker, she- I?- asked almost kindly.\n\n\n“It’s so hard. Ready to go?”\n\n\n“Ye-no” I changed my mind. When I was fourteen, I had finally made a friend. She was closer than my own brother. I couldn’t hurt her, and even though it was a long way yet, I could see hope when I went to college.\n\n\n“Have it your way, then. Honestly, I admire your determination.” And she-I?- opened her mouth and began to scream and scream, until my friend burst into the bathroom.\n\n\n\n\nLife grew better that next year. I began the process of facing my pain, and hoped that I wouldn’t hear death any longer now that I was better. I was wrong. The night of the seventh Harry Potter book release at midnight, I was walking home from the bookstore, trying to read by the moonlight and streetlights as I want.\n\n\n“Are you ready to go, sweetheart? Let me give you another fiver.” It was my paternal grandfather. He always shook my hand and gave me some money whenever I said goodbye after a visit. He held out his hand.\n\n\n“No, sorry, Grandpa. Things are finally looking up for me. I miss you though.”\n\n\n“All right, then.”\n\n\nA truck blared past me on the nearly empty road, so close it tore my light jacket off. Shaking, I put the book under my arm. No more reading and walking for me.\n\n\n\n\n\n(I could go up to my current age, 28, let me know if you want more!)",
"I was chilling in my house in my boxers. I was sitting in my easy chair, preparing to watch a marathon of Hammer Horror films. Suddenly a cloud of mist engulfed the room. All the lights dimmed and I felt cold. I was terrified and wondered if this was the end. Then a hooded figure appeared.\n\n“OOOOOOOOHH.” said the figure, waving it’s arms. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. The figure raised its scythe to me.\n\n“Don’t laugh.” said the figure. “I am Death. Your time has come.”\n\n“Nice Halloween costume,” I said.\n\n“It’s not a Halloween costume!” said Death, pulling down his hood to reveal a skeletal face.\n\n“Nice plastic skull mask.” I said.\n\n“It’s not a costume!” Death raised his scythe again and slashed my arm with it.\n\n“Ow! What the fuck!” I yelled. “They let you walk around with that thing?”\n\n“I don’t have time for this.” said Death. “Your time has come. Are you ready to go?”\n\n“Are you really asking me?” I said. \n\n“Of course, there is always a choice.” \n\n“Well then, I’ll have to say no.”\n\n“Ok then.”\n\n“That’s it?”\n\n“That’s it. I’ll return at a later date.”\n\n“Come back anytime.” I said, sinking back into my chair, ready to watch some movies. “Honey, I cut myself!” I yelled to my wife.\n\n​\n\nA year later, I was in the bath. I always hated baths until I got older and enjoyed the affect of a warm bath on my aging body. I was flicking my doodle back and forth, when I felt a sudden chill. The room got dark and misty again.\n\n“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I yelled. Death had appeared again in front of me.\n\n“Would it kill you to knock?” I asked,\n\n“Hello again.” said Death. “How has this last year of life treated you?”\n\n“Oh, can’t complain. I got laid off and my wife has medical bills.”\n\n“That’s life.” said Death in a bored voice. “It gives you things and takes them away.”\n\n“Well, I’d love to chat longer, but as you can see, this is an inopportune time for me.” I said.\n\n“This will be quick.” said Death. “I have come to ask you again if you are ready to depart this world.”\n\n“No.” I said. “Not quite ready yet.”\n\n“Very well,” said Death. “Have a nice day.”\n\nDeath faded into the darkness, and the mist dissipated from the room. Someone was knocking on the bathroom door. It was my wife.\n\n“Are you talking to someone in there?”\n\n​\n\nAnother year passed. I was sitting on a chair on my back porch, a beer in my hand. Suddenly the familiar mist appeared again. I groaned in annoyance. Death was there, standing on my back porch.\n\n“Hello again.” said Death. \n\n“Death,” I said, nodding my head but not looking at him.\n\nWe stood for a while admiring the view of my backyard.\n\n“Another year gone by.” said Death.\n\n“The world keeps turning even when mine doesn’t.” I said. \n\n“Yes, I came to visit your wife a few months ago.” said Death. “She left with me right away, unlike you. Wouldn’t you like to be with her?”\n\n“Nope, not ready to die.” I said curtly.\n\n“What is there for you here without your wife?” asked Death. “You don’t seem to be leading a very fulfilling life anymore.”\n\n“I’m just… I’m afraid of what happens next.”\n\n“It’s very painless, I assure you.”\n\n“You said I always had a choice.”\n\n“You do.” \n\n“Then I’m not ready yet.” I said firmly.\n\n“Very well. Until our next meeting.” Death had his usual exit, and I was left alone with my thoughts.\n\n​\n\nTwenty years went by. Death came to visit me for the first 8, as usual, but eventually even he gave up trying to convince me. I kept to a usual routine each day, but life had taken its toll. My eyesight was nearly gone and my hands were withered and arthritic. I was sitting on the porch drinking a beer when Death showed again.\n\n“Hello old friend.”\n\n“Death,” I said. “It’s been a while. Thought’d you given up on me.”\n\n“I never give up on anyone.”\n\n“How have you been these last few years?” I asked.\n\n“You know, no one has ever asked about me.” said Death.\n\n“It’s your getup.” I said. “You could wear more welcoming attire.”\n\n“People are scared of death,” he said. “I don’t know why. No one is scared of being born.”\n\n“No one remembers their birth,” I said.\n\n“It is so confusing, being born. You’re wet and cold, and not yet ready for this big world.”\n\n“Death is scarier,” I said. \n\n“You know, most people your age are ready to accept death.”\n\n“I don’t know why.”\n\n“What are you living for?” said Death. “Your wife wouldn’t have wanted you to live your last years like this. If you’re not ready to die, but you don’t want to live, what do you want?” \n\n“You’re right,” I said, contemplating. We sat in more silence until Death was ready to leave again.\n\n“I’ve got a lot more appointments today. If you’re not ready to come, I will just say, until our next meeting.”\n\nDeath left again. That night, I called up some of my old buddies I hadn’t talked to in years. Most of them had passed on by this point, but I made plans to meet with two surviving friends.\n\n​\n\nThree more years passed. I was sitting in an easy chair in a neighbors house. Death came again for the last time.\n\n“Hello Death.” I said, opening my eyes.\n\n“Thought I’d try again. I heard from Alan before he died.”\n\n“Alan was a good friend and he had an amazing family.” I said.\n\n“He seemed glad you chose to reconnect with him again.”\n\n“It felt good to be back in the world for a while.” I said. “I’ve been talking to some high schoolers. Listening to their stories and telling them all about my past. It’s been great reliving it all. I had a fulfilling life.”\n\n“That’s nice to hear.” said Death. “So are you finally ready?”\n\n“Yes, I do believe it’s time.” I said, slowing rising from my chair and offering a handshake to Death. “And I really have to thank you for all your help.”\n\nI looked back at the chair and saw my body still sitting there, limp. “Would you look at that.” I said. I turned and walked with Death and vanished into the mist.",
"\"Erin, are you ready to go?\" Its voice wasn't a whisper nor a scream. There was no way to tell if it was Male or female. \n\nI hadn't survived and they had. But, I was too distracted by literal Death to realize that. In my shock I joked, \"Not quite yet Death. I still have some things to do.\" From what I knew, Death never accepted that answer to begin with.\n\nBut, he just nodded? Why would he let me of all people go? The crash was enough to kill me. \n\nI could feel myself coming too soon after. And everyone asking if I was ok as I gasped for air. \n\nI couldn't remember the rest of that night until death came for me the next year. Having drank myself into a stupor, Rose had tried to comfort me. Assuring me the accident wasn't my fault. But, I knew that wasn't the problem. \n\nShe drove me home that night and helped me up to my apartment. Staying the night to make sure I was ok. Little did either of us know that I had drank too much and he had come again, holding the same question.\n\nDespite the familiarity I gave the same response. It's been years now and he comes back. Whether I did something stupid, there was an accident or god forbid another attempted murder. I'm getting sick of dying. My body is tired and Death is starting to look weary too.\n\nThis time, I'm going with them. \n\n\"Erin Grayland, 24, Female. Cause of death, death on impact, April 21, 2019. 9:33pm.\"",
"It was all because of pizza.\n\nI had been focused all day on having dinner at the gourmet pizza place my friends and I were currently obsessed with. Our first meal there had been a revelation for me. My god, pizza can taste like this? We were there every Thursday night since it opened, convinced that this could never last. \n\nDriving there, late from work, I'd been on the phone to my friend Nigel debating whether to order the mushrooms and anchovies. *\"That does look amazing but those garlic prawns! It's redefined eating for me!\"* \n\nMy last words. \n\nI obviously wasn't paying attention to the road and the next thing I know I'm upside down and there's liquid everywhere. Some of it was petrol, some of it was blood.\n\nIt was all bad.\n\nSo I'm hanging there and someone is leaning in the upside down window, offering me a hand. The hand was see-through and seemed made of light but it was dark. It didn't make sense. And then a voice said *\"It is your time.\"*\n\nI was strangely serene. I was aware of bits of me being broken but it didn't matter. I was peaceful - more peaceful than I had ever felt before. I was happy to go with my new friend.\n\nBut then a vision of garlic prawns on a thin-crust base appeared and I groaned *\"No!\"*\n\n*\"No?\"* the voice was serene but puzzled. *\"Really?\"*\n\n*\"Just one more pizza!\"* I whispered.\n\n*\"So be it.\"*\n\nAnd then I was in hospital and the doctor was telling someone that it was a miracle I was alive.\n\nI dismissed the whole thing as a dream. The next year I was on a rock climbing holiday in Morocco and found myself trying to impress a cute Norwegian backpacker. I reached out and discovered I had overestimated my ability AND that my rope wasn't as secure as it should have been. \n\nNext thing I know I'm lying on the ground and there's a tall dark figure made of light reaching out a hand for me. \n\n*\"It is time.\"*\n\nThere was that feeling of inevitability but I seemed to remember this happening before. Then I remembered the pizza incident and said *\"Haven't we done this before?\"*\n\n*\"Yes. It really is time now though. Come\"*\n\n*\"What if i say no?\"*\n\nThere was a pause. The dark figure was silent for a moment and then the voice spoke again: *\"I can't take you if you say no. But you really should consider the...\"*\n\nI blurted out *\"No!\"* like a child who discovers a new word and wants to play with it. Cheating death is this easy? I could still have a chance with that Norwegian backpacker! \n\nThe dark figure had a beseeching quality in that ethereal voice. *\"Can I just explain...\"*\n\nBut then the ambulance was there and I woke up in hospital and it was another miracle. The Norwegian backpacker was suitably impressed and I had discovered the cheat code for life itself!\n\nI quit my job, bought a funky camera and started posting extreme climbing and base-jumping videos. I became a viral sensation, the man who knew no fear! And then one day I jumped off a ledge at the same time as a mountain goat and **BAM!** There I was again, all messed up and that dark figure was there, telling me this time it really was time.\n\nI was cocky by now. *\"You sure about that?\"*\n\nThat etheral voice was a bit louder now: *\"YES! You don't know...\"*\n\n*\"No! I don't want to go. I want to do Extreme pogo-stick Mountaineering! I haven't lived yet!\"*\n\n*\"Please, will you just...\"*\n\n*\"NO!\"*\n\nAnd then I was at the bottom of a mountain, my body all messed up. But I was looking at my body. And I looked dead. Really dead. My extreme buddies were gathered around me and one of them was saying *\"he would have wanted to go out like this.\"*\n\n*\"Bullshit I would!\"* I tried to shout, but I had no lungs. I was made of light. *\"What's going on?\"*\n\n*\"I tried to tell you.\"* I turned around and there was the dark figure.\n\n*\"Tried to tell me what?\"*\n\n*\"You can't just keep saying 'no' and have a body to go back to.\"* The figure gestured to me and then began moving away. I followed, trying to stay calm.\n\n*\"So... am I dead then?\"*\n\n*\"No. You had three chances to die. But you said no to all of them, so you're a spirit now.\"* There was an edge of annoyance in the voice: *\"A disembodied spirit trapped in the form realm.\"*\n\n*\"OK.\"* I said, trying to focus on what I was being told. I was still upset over all the Extreme pogo-stick Mountaineering adventures I would never experience. C'mon, I told myself, focus! *\"So what do I do now?\"*\n\n*\"Well, you can hang around the living. Most who do that go mad with jealousy very quickly. Occasionally you'll be able to scare someone by impersonating a ghost but that gets old real quick. Eventually you will do what has to be done to leave here and go to the formless realm, the place you are bound for. Otherwise you will be here for eternity, watching the sun die and the stars fade and the planet itself crumble and...\"*\n\n*\"OK! I hear you! So, what do I have to do?\"*\n\nA long arm stretched and a finger made of light that was dark pointed. I peered in that direction and saw a mountain. A huge mountain. *\"Wow, I'd like to pogo-stick down that!\"*\n\n*\"It doesn't exist in the form realm,\"* said the voice, annoyed. Then it carried on calmly: *\"It is the only gateway point out of here into the formless realm. If you climb to the top and wait, you will be met by the One who can transport you across the veil into that which words cannot...\"*\n\n*\"Gotcha!\"* I was relieved. I'd been afraid of some huge ordeal, but climb a mountain? *\"Not a problem. Just get to the top and wait yeah?\"*\n\n*\"Yes. The One comes when the veil is thin and...\"*\n\n*\"I hear you good buddy! I can climb a mountain, no sweat.\"* I laughed at my own comment. *\"Ha! Of course there's no sweat, I don't have a body!\"* My dark-light companion said nothing, just kept moving, closer to the Mountain.\n\nIt was **huge**. Bigger than Everest. Bigger than the Himalyas. As we walked I saw other dark figures escorting spirits. I pointed to them and asked my dark figure *\"Did they say 'no' too?\"*\n\n*\"Yes,\"* and there was a disdainful edge to the voice. *\"You are not the first to say 'no' three times to Death.\"*\n\nI nodded. It figured a few others would be as clever as I was. I told myself to start reframing this as an adventure. My last mountain climb and then onto the great beyond! Woo-hoo! And I'd have some climbing companions too. I waved at another spirit and they tentatively waved back. We'd have plenty of time to connect and bond; it would be a long climb up. \n\n*\"I wish I had a ghost video camera, that thing is huge! This is going to be epic!\"* The mountain grew bigger with every step. And it grew stranger too. Quite weird in fact. *\"Is the mountain... moving?\"* I asked. The surface seemed to be writhing.\n\n*\"No.\"*\n\nI looked for a good long while and then my gaze travelled down to the base of the mountain. There I suddenly realised what the movement was. \n\nThe mountain and the land all around it were covered in spirits. Like ants on a tree stump they were climbing all over the mountain, completely covering it in a carpet of limbs and bodies. Spirits climbing up every surface, some falling off, some fighting each other, all trying to get to the top. At the very top I could just see a single figure reach the apex and reach out for something above them. And then suddenly they were falling, falling, falling for what seemed a very long time.\n\nMy companion was right. I wasn't the first to say 'no' to Death.\n\n*\"Ah,\"* I said, trying to take it all in, *\"is there another mountain?\"*\n\n*\"No.\"* Around me more spirits were arriving, and looking for a long time. And then slowly walking into the writhing mass of spirits that had fallen and were getting up to start climbing the mountain again.\n\nThe dark figure had a different tone of voice now. Slightly amused. *\"We call this the Mountain of Regret. I believe you humans call it hell.\"* And then he was gone. Leaving me alone, staring at a mountain as big as a planet, covered in spirits all fighting to get to the top. \n\nAnd all because of Pizza.",
"\"Am I going to see her when I go with you?\" \n\n\"Alexander, every year we go through this - once I hand them off, I don't know what happens. No one's ever come back once I've taken them so I have no idea.\" \n\nIts an odd conversation to be having on a subway train at 3 AM, but every year they show up in some different costume - the year it was the little girl was particularly disconcerting. Death seems to favor appearances that allow them to walk among the people without notice. This year they seem to have decided on the woman on her way from one job to another - green polo shirt, black dress pants, comfortable shoes. Though you'd guess she'd be speaking with a thick Hindi accent, the voice that comes out of her slight frame rolls like distant thunder, deep and sonorous, speaking with an accent you've never heard from any other living person. \n\nThe man sitting near the woman looks out the window, not at the woman. His long hair graying and pulled back into a ponytail. He carries an attache bag, looking like a high school teacher or overburdened social workers. \n\n\"Then I'm sorry that you wasted your time coming out here tonight. I'm not ready and I'm not going to be ready until I know I'll see her again.\" the man called Alexander said, his voice steady \n\n\"Its not a waste of time.\" the woman who was Death replied, her eyes not moving from the man. They sat for a minute in silence, the only sound the wheels of the train on the tracks clattering away. \"Can I ask you a question?\" the deep voice Death asks, a note of trepidation in their deep tones. \n\nAlexander seems to tense before biting off a response, icy and short \"This is your meeting, isn't it? October 6th, same as every year.\" \n\nDeath either didn't notice the effort expended by the gray haired man or didn't care. \"If you loved her so much, why are you still here? Every year we meet and every year you say you won't go until you know you can see her. But you know that won't happen while you're alive. She went through to the other side, she's...wherever she's supposed to be.\" and the woman looked with what could be concern at the man \"You'd be surprised how close of tabs I keep on you Alexander. No children, no siblings, couple of cats, same route to and from same dead end job every day. What do you stay here for?\" \n\nThe only sound is the clattering of the train down the tracks. The man looks out the window, not saying anything. This silence stretches out as the train slows down, pulling into the next station \"I suppose I'll see you next year.\" He says sadly to an empty car before reaching into his bag and pulling out a book. Pressed between two of the pages is a photo; the man, with darker hair and less of a paunch, a woman with chestnut hair, thick black framed glasses and smiling eyes each hold a kitten. The man's is ginger and looks perturbed, the woman's is black and white and it looks like it's trying to bat at a lock of her hair that's fallen over her face.",
"Hundreds of years have passed. Everyone you’ve known or loved has gone. The months, weeks, days, and hours tick by as you continually battle the cancer that should have taken you back in 2019. Your body is in a constant state of failure, but that bastard won’t come. “This is the year”, you tell yourself, waiting for that old familiar shadow to whisper it’s ever-repeating query. “This is the year I say yes”. You shudder at the thought of your arrogance in rejecting death all these years. As the hour approaches, you place your last will and testament, along with a detailed account of your long suffering, at the foot of your bed. You gobble over to your arm chair and sink in, forever tired. The clock strikes midnight. Anticipation creeping into every aching fiber of your being. Sweet sleep is coming. \n\nBut Death does not show. \n\nDeath has rejected you. \n\nDeath has abandoned you. \n\nDeath has punished you.",
"*This is my first attempt at anything creative in years so sorry if it's a bit pants*\n\n----\n\n\n\n\n\nThe explosion rocked him to his very core, as he fell to the floor the rubble fell around him.\n\nHis unit surrounded him, \n\"I dont want to die\" he sobbed as a medic performed first aid. Or was too late for some of his section.\n\n----\n\nSteve awoke in a hospital bed with 2 friends sitting by his side, neither saying a word. There was a third figure, a cloaked man that he felt like he had known all his life. The pain in his legs, the image of that bloody stump, it all started to come back to him. Steve uncontrollably drifted off to nothing once again.\n\n----\n\nOver the next few week Steve learnt the fate of his unit, how 2 of his friends were killed in the immediate explosion and how 3 more were horribly injured. It tore him apart that he was point man, that he initiated the IED, that it was his poor drills that caused the explosion. \n\nThere was a piercing scream that filled the wing of the hospital, the grief filled the air. His friends were back with the cloaked figure but this time they brought one more friend into the ward with them. This time they each leaned in turn kissed him on the forehead saying \"make it count\"\n\n----\n\nA year later Steve was at home, he had caught up with a few of the guys from his unit the other week. By caught up, he had a few drop in to see him. He was drinking again and it was bad this time. His whole section had since left and most had hit the bottle pretty bad. Since the last reunion one of the guys had decided to end it all. He never was the same after that explosion. Noe of them where. \n\nHis place was a mess, he struggled to walk anywhere with his goverment issued stump. He stuck to gin and whisky. He hated it but it meant getting up less when walking hurt so much. That's when he tied off the noose\n\nThat night Steve was visited by 3 familiar faces and a cloaked figure, but this time there was another. The cloked figure asked, \"Are you ready?\"\n\nSteve shook his head in horror as his 4 friends each turned to him and said \"make it count\"\n\n---\n\nA year had passed, Steve was off the drink completely and helping at the local Vets centre. So many people were struggling to get by, that war ruined so many people and he knew that he could help people turn it around, he found a way to help again. \n\nJane is there too, Jane is always there, her wildness about her eyes, her sass with the biggest of guys and the compassion for those who needed it most, she had the mouth of a sailor and she was perfect.\n\nSteve was helping dig out the store room, the Christmas decorations were usually in the way of everything, as 4 familiar friends walked in. He knew why they were there. The cloaked figures hand rested on Steve's shoulder\n\"Not yet\" Steve proclaimed. \n\n\"Make it count\" they said and drifted into nothing.\n\n----\nThe years passed, Steve married Jane with the perfect little wedding, had a little boy called Logan and grew old together helping veterans. logan was hard work for Steve not only because of his injuries but he was a bit older than most the dads but he loved every moment of it.\n\n---\nEvery year Steve was visited by his friends following the same drill as last time, each time he saw them he was even more shocked by how young they were.\n\n-----\n\nSteve had grown tonbe an old man surrounded by people he loved and Logan was now looking the same age as the friends that were his frequent guests. They visited him but this time it was the friends who asked him if they would come with them.\n\nSteve agreed, but before he did he had to give one last message to Logan. He leaned in, kissed him on the forehead and whispered\n\"Make it count\"",
"April 6th was always a special day for Melody. Regardless of all the bad things that happened in her life, the best things happened on April 6th. \n\nMelody was 26 when Death first appeared. She had spotted him down the hallway as she moved about her apartment. The hair on the back of her neck had stood up, but as he moved silently in her direction her tension faded from her. She didn’t know why, but she felt that this apparition was her blessing for the day, which was April 6th. \n\nHe appeared to float in a black fog as he towered over Melody. “Human, are you ready to part with your life?” Though no eyes could be seen in the apparition’s skull... she felt as though he had been cataloging each of her various scars and injuries. She could feel him bore into each horrible memory after the other. It felt as if he was telling that she had seen enough... that she had been through enough. \n\nMelody often had trouble smiling from her heart, but when she told him that she wasn’t ready to give up yet she smiled at him easily. Without further word he disappeared from her view. \n\nAs if the world had resumed moving she moved to go answer the knock at her door. It was a younger neighbor from down the hall. He had collapsed at her door clutching his chest. Melody ran to get her phone and call an ambulance for him. She stayed by his side till they arrived, never seeing the gun tucked away in his pocket.\n\nFrom then on, on April 6th, Melody always considered the visit from Death as her blessing. He asked her if she was ready to leave this world behind and when she said no... he saved her from car crashes, a murder/suicide, medication mix-ups, and much more. He never asked any more of her, but as time drew on he lingered more.\n\nWhen Melody was 31 and the fated April 6th came about, she didn’t answer his question at all. In his confusion he asked her again. “Are you ready to move on from this life?” “Death, why do you continue to save my life when I am not ready to go?” There was silence that followed. His teeth clacked and grinded against each other as if words could be formed from that alone. \n\n“You’ve... had a bad life. I was merely curious if you wanted to continue living it.” A lie. It was a strange intuition she had about the reason. Almost like the grinding of teeth was a tell that hadn’t been abandoned in more than hundreds of years. “And the truth?” She needn’t elaborate any more than that. “You are... important to me. Tell me, do you know why you suffer so?” Melody had often asked that of herself. \n\n“When I was a girl, I dreamed of a past life.” “Tova.” Although she was taken aback by her previous name, she continued. “Yes, Tova was my name. My father was a warrior and my mother oft told tales of his greatness. When he would return from his campaigns he would adorn my room with all sorts of unique toys. He treated me like a princess and gave me all that I could ever want. However, he was a beast in sheep’s clothing. His campaigns were nothing but a cover to rape and pillage. Each toy he gave me was torn from the charred fingers of the children he murdered. Eventually, a old woman laid a curse upon him and his ilk.” The dreams were vivid like a freshly scarred memory. \n\n“My father truly loved my mother and me, but this curse turned all of his cruelty towards us. He slayed my mother and tortured me for many years. I remember begging him to just take my life, but he couldn’t free me from his curse. The daughter who shared his blood would share his fate.” \n\nSilence. When Melody was a child she thought this was just a crazy dream to help her cope with her situation in this life. As the silence grew she knew in this instance that it was not. \n\n“You had a child. Tova had a child.” Her breath hitched and she could feel her veins ice over. “I did. Arylss was his name.” “It means honorable, does it not?” Melody knew now why she felt blessed on April 26th. She bore Arylss on that day. He was a shining light in a dim world. When she had started bleeding, her father sold her to a brothel and eventually she bore a ‘bastard’. \n\n“Yes, honorable. He was my light in a dark world.” There was no visual cue that he was smiling, but she could feel it. “It was you who gave me blessings every year on April 6th wasn’t it?”\n\nMore teeth grinding. “Yes, and I reaped your father before it was his time as well.” She nodded slowly. “He will be back for another life, and you will be his daughter once more.” \n\n“Will you be waiting for me to be reborn again?”\n\n“Always.”\n\n“I’m ready, Arylss.” She smiled from her heart as she looked upon him. Even if he was only bones now, he was still just as beautiful of a sight as he had been when she first laid eyes upon him after birth.\n\n“I see...”\n\n“Oh, and Happy Birthday my child.” She stood and softly slid he hood from his skull. Delicately she kissed his head. \n\nWith a choked grinding of teeth, “Thank you, mother.”\n\n\nNote: I typed this on my phone, so I’m really sorry if there are a lot of errors.",
"The first time I died, it was an accident. I was crossing the road, and someone ran the lights.\n\nI woke up and saw my body lying on the ground in front of me.\n\nThe man who had hit me had leapt out of his car, his hand over his mouth in shock and horror.\n\nSome passers-by rushed to my body, lying still on the ground, with just a trickle of blood running out of my nose. Someone attempted chest compressions.\n\nI felt a presence beside me. Not a dark, evil lingering, but one with an air of calmness. I turned to see the Grim Reaper standing there, cloaked and hooded. Dark mist rolled around his feet. He gestured gently.*\"Are you ready to go?\"* his voice rang like the tolling of a church bell.\n\nI chuckled to myself.\n\n*\"Not really! I'm only 24.\"*\n\n*\"As you wish.\"* the figure faded away.\n\nI blinked in surprise, and everything faded to black. When I came to consciousness I was in a hospital bed, surrounded by my tearful parents and siblings. They told me I had been hit by a car, but the lady giving me CPR had kept me alive until the ambulance came.\n\nI didn't tell them what I had seen.\n\nThe next time I died, I was 67. It must have been a heart attack, they're hereditary in my family. I saw myself lying in bed beside my wife, both of us looked asleep. I felt the same presence again as before and turned to see him.\n\n*\"Are you ready to go?\"* he asked again, just as he had before. I looked at my wife, lying there peacefully. I glanced back at him and swallowed nervously.\n\n*\"It seems a shame to go like this...I'd hate her to wake and find me...\"*\n\nHe waited ever-patiently for me to continue.\n\n*\"...No. Not yet. Thank-you.\"*\n\n*\"As you wish.\"* he faded away.\n\nAgain, I blinked and found myself back in my bed, beside my wife. I gently held her in my arms, and drifted back to sleep.\n\nThe third time I died, it was just old age. I was 92.\n\n*\"Are you ready to go?\"* Grim rumbled once more.\n\nI still felt like there was more to be done.\n\n*\"Not yet\"* I told him.\n\n*\"As you wish.\"* again, he vanished like mist at sunrise.\n\nEvery year, he would return. Every year I would politely decline. Years continued to pass.\n\nI watched my wife and siblings pass away, my children grew old, grandchildren were born and grew old as well. I amazed everyone with my longevity, and broke many world records, but I was happy with the rest of my family.\n\nFinally, when I reached 200 years, I saw him again on his annual visit. I was in my room, as always nowadays, surrounded by the photos of my extended family.\n\n*\"Are you ready to go?\"*\n\nI looked at the photographs of my great-grandchildren's faces. I looked at the photographs of my brothers and sisters, my mother and father. I looked at the photos of my children, when they were young. I looked at the photograph of my dear wife...and I felt tired.\n\n*\"...Yes.\"* I replied, *\"I think I'm ready now.\"*\n\n*\"As you wish.\"*\n\nDeath raised his scythe and brought it down with a flash of light. The thin thread of light connecting me to my body was cut cleanly. I blinked and saw a arched doorway beside me. Death offered me his hand.\n\n*\"Thank-you...I'm not as steady as I used to be, though you'd know, of course...\"* I laughed a little nervously.\n\nHis hood raised to look at me, and I saw a glimmer of blue within the depths.\n\n*\"She's waiting for you.\"* he told me solemnly.\n\nI swallowed, my eyes welling up.\n\n*\"Thank-you\"*, I whispered.\n\nI held his gaze for a moment, then we walked through the arch together…and we faded away.\n\n​\n\n\\-----------------\n\n​\n\nMy first story for this subreddit. I've not written in a long time, so it's nice to brush off the cobwebs! :)",
"[Poem]\n\nTim was a man who lived a simple life,\n \nAll he wished for was to be happy and light.\n\nSo when he took to the skies for the sky-high dive,\n\nHe forgot to pull, leaving him barely alive.\n\nAn old man in black approaching, robes tattered\n\nTim now knew notting mattered.\n\nWhat he didn’t expect, grieving in woe,\n\nHe kept muttering out, a simple “No”.\n\nDeath stood, with his beard overgrown\n\nSmiling said “Sure.” and left him alone.\n\nConfused, hurt and bleeding,\n\nTim felt like sleeping.\n\n.\n\n.\n\n.\n\nTim awoke, in a room of white\n\nHe felt dizzy and high as a kite.\n\nThe doctors exclamed “A miracle of technology, this was!”\n\nBut Tim knew, deep down, that probably wasn’t the only cause.\n\nHe continued his life, feeling alright\n\nFinally finding the one to make his wife.\n\n\nOn the day of his wedding, death visited in navy\n\nA sharp looking suit, looking all savvy\n\nBlended in the crowd, he called out\n\nAnd Tim went to meet him, his time left was surely too little to count.\n\nBut all it took was to ask him a question,\n\nFor Tim to decide his fate, and ease the tension.\n\nShocked, relieved, happy and hyped\n\nThis was truly the happiest day of his life.\n\n.\n\n.\n\n.\n\nTim had kids to care for during the years,\n\nBut still had time to listen and hear.\n\nEverytime he was asked,\n\nHe still answered the same, “I’ll pass.”\n\n“I want to live and see the sights”\n\n“And live with my family, away from heights”\n\nDeath nodded, and took his leave\n\nBut one year Tim stopped him, grabbing him by the sleeve.\n\n“Why are you doing this?” He asked.\n\n“It’s simple, really.” Death said, now wearing his mask.\n\n\n“Your stupid death made some gods laugh, telling me to not kill you yet.”\n\n“Wait what the fuck” Tim said, expecting his answer not to be met.\n\n“I’m not kidding, but it’s a lot more complicated”\n\nTim was then left, his eyes filled with hatred.\n\nWith all of his might, he threw one finger to the skies\n\n.\n\n.\n\n.\n\n\nAnd then Timmy fucking died.\n\n\n\n(No I’m not u/poem_for_your_sprog , but the chance to end it like this tempted me lol. If you guys want me to write another version, let me know.)\n\n(Also sorry for the bad English)",
"The blaring horn, the terrible noise of metal screeching against metal, the flash of lights, the pain.\n\nAnd then everything was gone. A peaceful stillness filled me and darkness surrounded me. \n\nA figure emerged from the darkness, slowly walking toward me, a hood above its head, a scythe in its hand.\n\n\"It is time, Henry Gridsno. Are you ready to leave this planet?\"\n\nI look up toward the hooded figure, think about my parents, my friends, my life.\n\n\"No.\"\n\nI didn't expect it to work.\n\nHe nods his head. \"I figured that, Henry Gridsno. I'll see you again soon.\" He walks back into the darkness leaving me alone.\n\nThe pain comes back first. The aching headache. I lift my head off a soft pillow and look around a small room.\n\nIVs are sticking out of my arms and a constant beeping is beside me. Fresh covers sit over me, warming my body.\n\n\"Hello?\" My voice is hoarse and barely comes out more than a whisper.\n\nA pretty nurse notices me and walks into the room, smiling. \"Glad to see you awake, Henry.\"\n\n\"Are my children...\" I begin before slumping down on the pillow.\n\n\"Your children and wife are fine. You were the one most hurt. We weren't sure you would make it.\"\n\nI nodd and relax onto the bed. \n\n...\n\nThe next year, I'm sitting on the couch, holding my 5 year old son's head in my arms, watching Thomas the Train.\n\nA dark fog drifts around me, surrounding me completely and a peaceful stillness fills me.\n\nThe same figure emerges, his scythe in his hand planted on the ground.\n\n\"Are you ready, Henry Gridsno?\"\n\nI look him in the eye and shake my head.\n\n\"Very well.\" He disappears back into the darkness and the fog lifts.\n\nEvery year he returns to ask again. Whenever I die, he asks me if I'm ready. It took me several years to figure out that I'm basically immortal.\n\nWhen the mugger shot me in the head I figured Death wouldn't ask me.\n\nI was surely dead now.\n\nBut the dark fog surrounded me, the peace filling me and he emerged.\n\n\"Are you ready, Henry Gridsno?\"\n\n\"Not yet,\" I responded and he floated away.\n\nMost stress left me. I couldn't die, couldn't be killed. \n\nI got to watch my children grow up and become parents. It was wonderful being there for them, knowing everything would turn out fine.\n\nThen my dear wife died.\n\nI fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face when the dark fog surrounded me.\n\nDeath was there, in front of me. \n\n\"Why?\" I ask him. \"Why did you take her away?\"\n\n\"Everybody dies eventually, Henry Gridsno. Even you can't control that.\"\n\nI look up at him, realizing that this was better than immortality. \n\nI wouldn't beable to live with this in happiness. I knew my children were able to take care of themselves. That was all I could do for them. That was all I could ask for.\n\n\"I'm ready.\"\n\nr/FortyTwoDogs",
"*I stood in a white void facing a hooded figure, confused and somewhat scared.*\n\n*“Where am I?” I asked the figure. “Are you the grim reaper?”*\n\n*“Yep. I’m sorry to say this, man, but, well, you’re dead. You really should have looked both ways before you crossed that busy street...” He replied, shrugging.*\n\n*“Damn, really? That’s so lame...” I groaned. “Man, I haven’t even gotten laid yet. This is so uncool...”*\n\n*“Yeah, well, that’s life for ya.” He chuckled, extending his pale hand towards me. “Ready to head up to heaven?”*\n\n*“Nah.” I replied, looking at him right where I thought his eyes would be under his hood.*\n\n*“Wait, seriously?” He seemed taken aback.*\n\n*“Yeah.”*\n\n*“Oh, uh, okay. Shit, I’ve never had anyone say no before. Guess I’ll just send you back...” He snapped his fingers, and I found myself lying in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and IV tubes. My girlfriend began crying into my chest when she saw that I had woken up...*\n\nEvery year after that fateful day, the Grim Reaper would come and visit me wherever I was. He always came at the most inopportune times, always asking me if I wanted to go to heaven. Once, he popped into existence in my bedroom while my girlfriend and I were ‘busy’. Another year, he interrupted me while I was in the middle of a job interview. He even caused my poor mother to have a heart attack when he appeared during Thanksgiving dinner. After that particular incident, I decided that enough was enough.\n\nOne night, after my girlfriend was asleep, he appeared to me in my living room, where I was waiting for him with a bottle of beer. \n\n“Hey, man. Are you finally ready to go?” \n\n“The answer’s still no, brah. I have a pretty bomb-ass life right now, but there is one thing that I don’t like about it, and that’s you. You keep annoying the shit out of me every year with that same damn question, man, and the answer’s always gonna be no.” I took a swig of my beer. \n\n“I see. Why don’t I just make you immortal, then?” He asked me. “Then you’ll never have to see me again. Granted, I don’t know if you’d want to-“ \n\n“Do it.” I interrupted him demandingly. “Do whatever you need to do, as long as you stay the hell outta my life.” \n\n“Alright. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you...” He snapped his fingers again, vanishing from my life for the last time. \n\nNot long after he vanished, the world fell into utter chaos. All the global tension that had been building up since before I was born had finally reached a boiling point, and every country on earth was obliterated in a horrible nuclear firestorm in a matter of hours. I could only stare in horror at the destruction and death that occurred around me as all my loved ones and the rest of planet earth were atomized out of existence. \n\nOnce the bombs stopped falling, I was alone. Alone on a desolate hellscape that I used to call home, with nobody to talk to except myself. Everyone I knew and loved was dead, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. \n\n“I shoulda said yes...”",
"\"Are you ready?\" Death asked. His emotionless eyes stared down at me, calm and cool.\n\nI huffed out a disagreement as a reply. \"No, I didn't want to die just yet. My life just started.\"\n\nDeath didn't say anything, just nodded and turned away. I sucked in the breath of life, hearing the joyful gasp from my surroundings. It was a happy day.\n\nThe second time Death visited me, I was under a car, right next to the wheel. Everything around me ceased in time, only Death approached.\n\n\"Are you ready?\" He asked again. The question sounded light as a feather, but it struck something heavy in my chest.\n\nMy eyes found the biggest love of my life, Alice, who was frozen in the air as she ran to my place. Her face twisted in shock and fear. \"No,\" I said, \"I'm not ready yet.\"\n\nDeath tilted his head, the corner of his mouth twitched. \"Very well.\" He whispered and turned around. Death left again. I was spared one more time.\n\nThe third time I met Death, the house was on fire. Death walked through the flames like walking through silk. He crouched down next to me, asking the familiar question. \"Are you ready?\"\n\nI glanced down at the leg that was crushed by the fallen closet and then brought my eyes up at Death. \"I'm sorry, I'm not ready. Alice is still in her room. I need to wake her up.\"\n\nDeath gestured my leg. \"If you go on, the rest of your life would be in pain.\"\n\n\"It doesn't matter.\" I coughed. My eyes were dry and my throat was on fire. \"Alice means everything to me.\"\n\nDeath sighed, standing up. \"We'll be seeing each other again.\" He left, as usual.\n\nThe fire destroyed the house. The only thing I could remember from that night besides the conversation with Death was Alice's relieved face when she found out we both survived. I had no idea how I was able to carry her out, but I managed. Somehow, I had a feeling that Death had spared us both.\n\nYears went by, and soon enough I was old, very old. And sick. I laid still on my bed when my family gathered around. Many of them cried, and I wished I could do something about it. But I was too weak to move.\n\nEveryone said their farewell, because they knew my time had come. I did, too. I could already feel Death's presence.\n\n\"I'm not ready yet, Death.\" I said, knowing Death would hear me. \"Alice isn't here yet. I can't go without seeing Alice for the last time.\"\n\n\"Don't worry, my friend.\" Death's hollow voice echoed in my ears. \"I'll wait with you.\"\n\nAnd he did. I took every heavy breath carefully, stringing along my chance. Then I heard Alice's familiar footsteps. I opened my eyes to see her rushing through the door.\n\nShe called out my name, wrapping her arms around me. The warmth and scent were welcoming. This was it. This was home.\n\nWith teary eyes, Alice said her goodbye. I laid my head on her hands, taking in every word. She said she loved me. I knew that already, but my heart jumped for joy every time she did.\n\n\"I am ready, Death.\" I closed my eyes.\n\nThe pain, the weight, the stiff movements suddenly left my body. I opened my eyes and found myself next to Death, right behind my family. Everyone was weeping, and half of me wanted to stay. But I knew it was impossible.\n\n\"I apologize for not coming with you so many times.\" I said to Death.\n\nDeath shook his head. \"It's fine.\" He patted my head. \"Let's go.\"\n\nI took a final glance at Alice and her family, then walked alongside with Death.\n\n\"What's next?\" I asked.\n\n\"Why don't you tell me? It has always been your decision.\"\n\nI thought for a moment and suggested, \"I want to stay by your side, is that okay?\"\n\nDeath smiled for the first time. \"Who am I to refuse a good boy's request?\"",
"As we age through time, we all gain and lose a precious thing or two. Our physiques might deteriorate, hairs may fall out like leaves during autumn, yet through those turbulent seasons we all find something amidst our losses: Wisdom, and most certainly patience. George Fitzpatrick, a senior in his eighties, was keen on his patience. Since his wife had passed many years ago, George spent his lonesome days rocking back and forth on his chair, looking out from his porch over the South Dakota plains. He was always expecting a guest to visit, and it’s been a couple months since his son, Robert, has dropped by. He had promised to come again as soon as he could, and thus, the man waited and waited. On the second of June, a certain visitor came. However, it wasn’t quite who Mr. Fitzpatrick was expecting.\n\n“Robert, is that you?” The old timer guessed, tilting his head as he heard the wood creak under the pressure of unfamiliar footsteps.\n\n“I’m afraid I’m not Robert, Mr. Fitzpatrick.” An unknown voice replied. After all the things the senior man has lived through, there was little left that could surprise him. Nevertheless, there was without a doubt a concerned, almost frightened look as he directly gazed at an unknown young man, wearing a completely black suit with completely black socks under similarly black trousers, donning a fully black tie and most definitely an equally black shirt, with buttons just as black.\n\n​\n\n“Can I help you, young man?” George asked as he looked the uninvited guest into his black eyes. “Perhaps a cup of tea?” He added.\n\n“Oh, thank you for your hospitality, but I would have to politely decline” the unfamiliar figure replied.\n\n“I didn’t do anything wrong now, did I?” George responded with a worried tone. How did he know his name? As far as old Mr. Fitzpatrick knew, he filed his taxes on time and always paid his bills long before their due date.\n\n“Nothing at all.” The figure simpered. “Ah, where are my manners? My name is Azrael. I’m here to tell you that your time has come, or rather, I have.”\n\n“My time…? I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite understand.”\n\n“That is fine, Mr. Fitzpatrick. It is very confusing, after all.” Azrael admitted before looking at his completely black watch, carefully observing their completely black pointers.\n\n“In about thirty-eight seconds, you are to pass away from cardiac arrest. It doesn’t hurt, so don’t worry. I’m here to bring you to Mr. Peter as he is very punctual about his appointments, so we have little time to waste. Twenty-seven seconds now, to be precise.”\n\n“I’m sorry Azrael, but I’m afraid I can’t quite do that.” George replied calmly, despite fully understanding what ominous words were just spoken to him.\n\n“Hmm, very well then. What is another year, anyway?” The angel nodded with a hearty laugh before turning away.\n\n“Are you sure you sure you don’t want any tea?”\n\n“Maybe next time, Mr. Fitzpatrick. I’m on a tight schedule, so I’ll have to be going now. Ta-dah.” Azrael’s words resounded before disappearing around the corner.\n\n​\n\nBewildered by what had just occurred, George returned his sight to the stretches of green in front of him, wondering if the breeze that was there moments earlier, brought along that peculiar fellow.\n\nAs time passed by like the cascading currents of the Missouri river yonder, George patiently, yet adamantly awaited his son to visit him. 365 days later, a visitor came. As the senior heard the completely black shoes tap their soles against the wood, Mr. Fitzpatrick seemed to show disappointment instead of bewilderment this time around.\n\n“Hello again, Mr. Fitzpatrick” Azrael spoke from under a black and cool shade, perfectly complimenting his completely black hair. “I see you are in low spirits today? I hope I am not the cause of it.”\n\n“Oh… not quite. I was expecting someone else, but you’re hardly to blame for that. How about a cup of tea now?” The senior offered a second time.\n\n“Delightfully kind of you, but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on the offer. Are you ready to come along now?”\n\n“I’m so sorry Azrael… I must look like a stubborn old mule to you, but I’m afraid I’ll have to say no again.” George apologized as he shook his head.\n\n“Oh well, until next year then. “ The being spoke before vanishing into thin air.\n\n“Are you sure you don’t want that cup of tea?” George asked once more, but his words were aimed towards the wind.\n\n​\n\nA handful of years passed by and on every second of June, this conversation would repeat for a second or two. As of today, seven years had gone by since their first encounter. George had come to learn that his punctual visitor would always arrive dead on the noon, right as the clock jumped to 12:00\n\n“Hello again.” A voice was heard, right on the second it was to be expected.\n\n“Ah, hello Azrael.” George replied.\n\n“I’m sorry, Mr Fitzpatrick - I know I’m not the one you were expecting, but I do think you know what I’m here for.”\n\n“Oh, but I was expecting you! I’ve already taken the liberty to set some tea for you. I know how busy you are: You wouldn’t wear a suit if you weren't.” George smiled as poured a cup for his visitor and himself.\n\n“Did you now? I wasn’t quite expecting that, but quite the keen eyes you got there, Mr. Fitzpatrick.” The angel chuckled. “ I am indeed driven by the clock.”\n\n“What’s with the formality?” George laughed. “It’s been a couple years now. Call me George, but I do want you to sit down and share this with me.”\n\n“Hmm, very well then, there’s still some time left. The wonders of modern medicine, right? Those freed up minutes sure are God’s blessing.” Azrael quipped as he sat down in the chair across his old acquaintance.\n\n“Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, why does such a punctual and diligent fellow such as yourself turn a blind eye to an old geezer like me? George inquired curiously.\n\n“George, dear George!” Azrael beamed with joy “Out of all millennia, you are the first one to offer me a cup of tea!” He explained before gleefully moving the beverage to his completely black lips, leaning in for a sip. “Absolutely splendid blend, I must say. I just adore black tea.”\n\n“Do you want another fill, then?”\n\n“I’d love to, but I don’t think I have the time for that. I do want to ask you one question, in return though.”\n\n“Sure thing, Azrael. As long as I know the answer, I’d be happy to tell you.”\n\n“I know it’s not my place to ask, but who is it you were exactly waiting for?” The angel asked with a curious look on his face. As soon as the words entered Mr. Fitzpatrick’s ears, the old man turned away, simpering as he looked over at the fields he has been staring at for the past few decades.\n\n“It’s Robert… my son, you see. He promised to visit me for a while now, so I’m still waiting for him to come.”\n\n“Oh Heavens above!\" Azrael exclaimed. \"Why didn’t you just tell me straight away? Come, I’ll take you right to him!”",
"Its been many years since I told Death no. My job was not complete. I needed to be there for him. Every year Death came back but i was still needed. I watched him grow you see. He was just a little boy when we first met and it was my job to take care him. Everyday we would watch the world turn. I was there when his girlfriend left him. I was the one in his car on his first drive alone. I was the one by his side when his mother died. Some called me unnatural for living too long. I've outlived many of my friends but they all needed their rest. But as I watched him lie there on the bed I knew it was my time to say yes. I walked up to my boy and lied down next to him. His last words were the ones I needed to hear before I left with Death. \"You've been a good boy Max but I'm afraid this is goodbye.\" I watched Death come and get my boy. This wasn't going to be goodbye just yet. I looked at Death and nodded my head. Wagging my tail I ran after my boy into the light at the end of the tunnel.",
"I died choking on lunch in my office. Ironic, because we’d just spent the Friday two weeks ago going over CPR and first aid procedures, but obviously that didn’t do much good. I suppose I could have done more to help myself - I have my own office, so there was no one there to see me clutching at my throat. I could have taken the few steps into the hallway, but I didn’t. I stood at my desk and tried to lodge the cucumber (cucumber! What a waste!) out by slamming myself against the top of my office chair.\n\nEventually, things just went black. When I came to, he was standing there, brandishing a clip board. “All right,” he said. “Ready to go?”\n\nHe didn’t fit any of the depictions of himself I’d seen on tv, but I knew right away who he was. That’s how it is with those in power though. They certainly don’t need a name tag.\n\nI looked at my half finished salad on my desk, on top of the stack of paperwork I needed to have done for the audit next week. My boss had been in this same office just hours before, squeezing the bridge of her nose, telling me how stressed everyone was and how important finishing up those files was.\n\nI was saying the words before I’d even thought them through - “Maybe I could just have a little extra time? To finish this up?”\n\nDeath made a mark on his clipboard and shrugged his shoulders. In a blink, he was gone. I sat back down at my desk and finished my salad.\n\nA month later, I was fairly certain I’d fallen asleep at my desk. The cucumber that had been lodged in my throat never came out, so it made sense I’d imagined it all. By six months, I was sure it had just been a dream. I hadn’t been getting good sleep, anyway, pulling extra hours to get everything done.\n\nA year later, though, he came again. Same clipboard. “Are you ready?”\n\nI shook my head. Motioned to my desk again - “It seems it never stops piling up, doesn’t it?” \n\nDeath made another mark and an expression I couldn’t place. Annoyance? Pity? Again, he was gone in a blink.\n\nAnd so it happened, year in and year out. He’d always show up and ask if I was ready, and I’d always point out the stack of paperwork on my desk and tell him not quite. \n\nAccording to my calendar, he should be here in just a few moments. I stayed late all last week getting everything ready. I suppose after so many years, the curiosity has got the better of me.\n\nHe arrives right on time. Pulls out his clipboard, asks the standard question. This time, I put the note I wrote to my boss on my desk and stand up. “All right,” I say. “I’m ready to die.”\n\nDeath marks his clipboard and reaches one hand out to me and places it on my shoulder. “You’re ready to go now, you mean” he says. “You’ve been dead for twenty six years. Since you choked on that cucumber.”\n\nI don’t understand what he means. Death can see my obvious confusion, and explains further: “You died the first time I came for you. You left earth as you know it at that time. You just weren’t ready to move on. You’ve been here, working away, ever since.”\n\n“What do you mean? I’ve been here, everything has been the same. My coworkers, the Chinese food delivery guy, it’s all been there.”\n\n“A representation of it has. But not the real people. This work, it’s not real, of course.” With a wave of his hand, the papers on my desk started to disappear. Another wave, and my desk was gone. Then the walls. Then the ceiling and the floor until we were standing in nothing.\n\nDeath pushes me forward. “You’re ready now, though” he says. “That’s all that matters.”",
"It came for me, dark and grim,\n\nCome, its time for you to go.\n\nI looked at it, shaking with fear,\n\nAnd all I said was no.\n\nI still have much to do,\n\nI still have much to see,\n\nPlease give me some more time,\n\nAll I can ask from thee.\n\nIt looked at me and shook its head,\n\nYou humans are all the same.\n\nWhat is it that you want to achieve,\n\nIs it money, or love, or fame?\n\nAll of them, I shouted out,\n\nI still haven't had my shot.\n\nAll I need is twelve months,\n\nSo my life is not just naught.\n\nOne year, that's what you get,\n\nI'll come back for you then.\n\nYou better be ready for me,\n\nlets not repeat this again.\n\nI live my life, I do what I want,\n\nvisit the places I always wanted to.\n\nMake some money, meet someone,\n\nfinally know a love that is true.\n\nIt comes back for me after a year,\n\ncome then, you had your time.\n\nYou don't belong to this world now,\n\nStaying more would be a crime.\n\nI break down, crying at its feet,\n\nI just met the love of my life.\n\nGive me just some more time,\n\nI just want to make her my wife.\n\nYou humans... It sneers at me,\n\nfine, you get another chance.\n\nBut just one more year,\n\nlet's not repeat this dance.\n\nI fall at its feet, crying with joy,\n\nThank you, from bottom of my heart.\n\nI will forever be in your debt,\n\nI cried out, watching it depart.\n\nLike clockwork, it was back again,\n\nas soon as a year had passed.\n\nI cried and fell at its feet again,\n\none more chance, this year was too fast.\n\nMy wife is pregnant, a child on the way,\n\nAll I want is just one more chance.\n\nTo lay eyes on my daughter one time,\n\nJust for a moment, just one glance.\n\nIt looks at me, the eyes hollow,\n\nyour pit of desires will never end.\n\nI grant you your wish, I do,\n\nto eternal life, thee, I condemn.\n\n********\n\nAs the centuries have passed, \n\nI have seen it around, scythe in hand.\n\nAlways hoping, always wishing,\n\nhoping I was the next, my life damned.\n\nBut it always passed me by,\n\nwith an evil smile, on its bony face.\n\nEveryone I care about is dead,\n\nAlone, all I wish for is the reaper's grace.\n\nAlas! It never comes for me,\n\nas I grow weaker and weaker.\n\nJust sitting there wishing for death,\n\nwishing for one chance to see her.\n\nCan we go now? Is it my time?\n\nPlease, I have had enough.\n\nI don't want to live any longer,\n\nevery day gets more tough.\n\nWhy? I thought you loved life,\n\nit says face pulled in a sneer.\n\nNo, this is what you wanted,\n\nnow, this is your cross to bear.\n\nIt disappears again, leaving me alone,\n\nI cry and cry, and then cry some more.\n\nNothing to do, humanity is dead,\n\njust me slumped on my floor.",
"The first year that death came for me, I looked him in the eye and stood my ground. He was ravenous, trying to fill an infinite void with infinite souls, licking his lips at me. I wager that, the same way a plump chicken looks promising to a farmer, death saw the bandana over my bald head, the sunkenness of my eyes, and felt a rumbling in his hollow belly.\n\n\"Come,\" he said, watching the IVs snake into my arms, slowly dripping away my will to keep fighting. \"Be free.\"\n\nI lifted a weak head and smiled. \"No.\"\n\nWith an unreadable expression, he vanished into thin air like a puff of smoke swirling in wind, no fight or monologue on the way out. \n\nThe chemo helped, for a little while. Remission is too often a fleeting thing, but it made life more bearable for me, enough to keep up with my senior year in high school and graduate. At the ceremony, I sat backstage for a bit, composing myself, hands trembling. I was to perform an opera piece, one of my favorite songs to sing, but my body was weak.\n\nDeath came once more.\n\n\"Be free,\" he said. \"You don't need to suffer.\"\n\n\"Yes, I do.\"\n\nHe disappated, and I hobbled up onto the platform in front of thousands of watchful, teary eyes. With every last fiber of my being, every cell in my body still on my side, I belted the words with as much power and fervor as I could, struggling just a little with the vibrato, cracking the slightest bit on certain highs. It hurt, and they could tell. But I did it. And with thunderous applause, I saw it through. I didn't let it hold me down, or take that which I loved most from me. \n\nThe following year, I was lying in bed, watching the sun fall through large paned windows, my breaths wavering. Remission had occurred twice, and, twice it had returned with a vengeance.\n\nIt was time.\n\nDeath came, as he always did, an abyss in plain sight. \"Come, now. Please.\"\n\n\"I had so much left to do,\" I told him. \"Got my diploma, something a couple doctors didn't think I'd manage. Learned more about myself, accepting things that maybe I wouldn't have previously. Not everything stigmatized is bad.\"\n\n\"I know, child. But you cannot go on like this. It's not fair for you.\"\n\nI nodded. \"It's pretty rough this time.\"\n\n\"You've fought well. But lay your weary head down from these travels and rest.\n\n\"You deserve peace from this Hell.\"\n\n---\n\n*/r/resonatingfury*",
"\"It's the fourth time this year, Jacob.\" \n\nThe tender, compassion in the voice is in stark contrast to its owner; a man who looks like a menacing nightmare weaved from shadows. I have seen him many times before, yet he never seems to age.\n\n\"I... I know... I'm sorry,\" I say to him, heaving under the crushing weight of my own tears. \"Every time I decide to take my own life, I am nothing but certain it's what I want. But the moment I leave my body behind, and float upwards to your realm, I see all the grief I've left in my wake... and everything changes. I don't know what to do... I'm a mess. I just keep feeling that killing myself is the only way I'll ever find peace!\" I break into another spell of uncontrollable sobs again.\n\n\"I can understand how you feel,\" he says, his warmth wrapping my cold bones in hope. \"But tell me this; how do you hope to find peace in the next world, when you haven't found it in this one?\"\n\nI remember mumbling incoherently, as if trying to somehow sew torn thoughts together to show him something worth considering. \"What do I do?\"\n\nHe laughs. A boyish, slightly amused laugh. \"Are you asking Death how to save your soul? Its as foolhardy as asking a barber if you need a haircut, isn't it?\"\n\nA wet, sloppy chuckle escapes my lips. The moment of respite evaporates as quickly as it came. \"But seriously, what is wrong with me? Why am I so morbid, and terrified of everything? Why is my head laced with toxic dreams?\"\n\nDeath shakes his head slowly. \"Do you want to know a secret, Jacob?\"\n\nI nod.\n\n\"When a person dies, they go on to the next world. But they stay there only momentarily. Memories are indestructible, even in the hands of God, Jacob. So try as he might he cannot erase them from the soul. This is the reason that when a soul is sent back into a new body, it retains a small part of your memories from the past life, along with your fears, your experiences. Anything that makes a lasting impression stays with you even after death.\"\n\nI stare at him wide-eyed, saying nothing.\n\n\"Do you see three-year-old prodigies that can play the piano? Or how a person plays a sport for the first time and turns out to be a natural? It's all because they've experienced it in their past. Our likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses of a past life still manifest themselves in our current ones. That's the power bestowed by one rebirth. Now imagine a person who has been reborn multiple times. A person who has carried the weight of memories from several rebirths. The sheer burden is so heavy that the new mind cannot take it, so the physical vessel crumbles in trying to deal with such excruciating pressure. Let me tell you a secret, Jacob - even Death admires the tenacity and perseverance of a soul who chooses to live with such a curse. To me, a soul that is highly sensitive to fear is often the most powerful because it has seen and endured the impossible. Your latent conscience drives you to the brink because it handles more than an ordinary mind was ever built to hold. You've lived through a lot Jacob, more than most people do in several lifetimes. You can give it all up right now, or you can go on, at great personal cost, trying to help lighten the burdens of others like you. That choice is purely yours to make. Now, do you want to leave?\"\n\nI cry again. But this time, the tears are.of pure gratitude. \"No,\" I say. \"thank you, but I'll be okay.\"\n\nThat was the last time I saw or heard from him. I was 18 when I tried to kill myself last. I'm 43 today. I have a beautiful wife and three children that are my world. I found my calling in psychiatry at 25, and I've never looked back. I've written six comprehensive books on varying aspects of psychic trauma and how to deal with it. I can say I'm fulfilled and more at ease than I ever was in a very difficult childhood.\n\nSomeone today, during an interview, asked me this - what is the secret to possessing such an open-minded, thoughtful outlook on life? \n\nI was tempted to say that it was pretty easy, once Death taught me how and why to live.\n\nr/whiteshadowthebook",
"**Mt. Reverend Hospital Records: Ward-520**\n\n**Patient:** Jerry Chentane, 101\n\n**Health:** Slightly overweight, type 1 diabetes. Several heart attacks, starting from the age of 70. Heart has been replaced and quadruple bypass performed. Heart attacks still a regular occurrence.\n\n**Prescriptions:** Insulin, altace (90/mth) and apresolin (30/mth).\n\n**Remarks:** No family has come to visit. Chentane is admitted into the hospital every year at around the same date - April 23, sometime in the afternoon. Flatlines for a minute, two minutes or so, then comes back. It's almost routine at this point. It is a fucking miracle he is alive.\n\n\\- Dr. Capers\n\n*Note, please refrain from informal comments on formal hospital records. Thanks. - Dr. Stasse*\n\n---\n\nDr. Capers checked the calendar - April 23rd. Chentane was coming.\n\nHe had been coming for thirty years straight, almost. Always the same thing, too. Heart attack. Flatline. Revived. Prescriptions, done. Surgery didn't help, either. Always the same. Never in the months before, never in the months after. Always on April 23rd. No family members, either. It was one of the weird quirks Capers had seen in the remote town, but as time went on, it was no longer a weird quirk. It was fucking *BIZARRE.*\n\nHe remembered Chentane from the second year he started working at the hospital. Back then, Chentane looked younger - less wrinkles and a bit less flab on the side. Hell, Capers himself looked younger too. Time wasn't kind to both of them, he mused quietly. He remembered when Chentane was pushed into the ER. A code was pulled, defibs were yanked. Chentane flatlined, and the nurses thought that was that. They began to record time of death, personal information, all of the routine that happens. Death was a common occurrence in hospitals anyway. You got used to it after the 100th old guy dropped dead. Always a shame, but not much you could do.\n\nCapers was waiting in the ER, his gloves pulled on. Like clockwork, another hospital bed came bustling in, with none other than the old fart Chentane himself. Capers grabbed an IV and started work. Tubes attached here, another tube attached there, power to the defibrillators and then done. Capers was not just expecting a deadline - he knew it was going to happen.\n\nAnd it was no surprise that it did. When Chentane flatlined, Capers started a stopwatch. It wouldn't take long, only a minute or so until he revived himself from whatever force of God put him through 30 heart attacks.\n\n---\n\nIt was April 23rd again, and Chentane found himself on a street in Thailand. Carts rolled around, zigzagging on asphalt roads. Loud vendors were yelling at pedestrians. The Sun beat down heavily. Death was starting to get interesting with the dream-landscapes. It wasn't long before he spotted the cloaked figure ambling towards him.\n\n\"Death, buddy! How's it been?\" Chentane smiled.\n\n\"Ah, you know - the usual. I got some good ones.\" Death boomed, that old, familiar, literal-Angel-Of-Death voice was pleasant to Chentane's ears.\n\nThey had become good friends over the years.\n\n\"I don't think we've got too long, though.\" Chentane frowned.\n\n\"Yeah, only about a minute or so.\"\n\n\"Well, so do you wanna do it now?\" Death offered.\n\n\"I guess so. Not much else to do now, is there.\"\n\n\"Mhm. Jerry Chentane, are you ready to go?\"\n\n\"Well,\" Chentane thought. He remembered something.\n\n---\n\nIt was 1970, and Chentane was 70 years old. Minding his own business, when a sharp pain arose in his chest. He clutched his shirt, dampened with sweat. He wasn't stupid, but he was starting to worry. Is it really over now? He dialed 911 with fingers that had grown feeble over the years.\n\nThe trip to the hospital was a blur. A young man in a white doctor's outfit, an IV bag attached to a wrinkled arm, all fleeting memories in the expanse of his mind.\n\nHe awoke back at Home, with a cloaked figure on his couch.\n\n\"Jerry Chentane. Welcome.\" It boomed. Although Death was now a familiar sight to him, Chentane nearly had a heart attack when he saw him. He gulped.\n\n\"Well, is it really over?\"\n\n\"Are you ready to die?\" Death asked.\n\nChentane looked around him. He had retired a few years ago with a healthy amount of money. With nothing much to do at home, he began to make plans. Let's go to Thailand, or Egypt, or whatever, he thought. Yet sadly, they remained plans. He never acted on any of them, just wasting away on his couch, watching calendar days flap by.\n\n\"Well,\" he stuttered. \"No.\" He was firm. \"I have so much to do, still. I haven't done any of those things. I want to, well, do them.\"\n\n\"Very well then.\" The figure disappeared into dust before Chentane could blink.\n\nAnd Chentane woke up in a hospital bed, and that was that.\n\n---\n\nDeath visited year by year. Chentane always said no, he wasn't ready to die. But Death knew what Chentane wanted, to go to the outdoors, to see sights and wonders and the fantastical. Death had the power to do that, even for just a while. So that's what he did, every year. Chentane had a heart attack. Death teleported him into a country. Death had the time to do it, so why not?\n\n'Well,' Chentane said. He was back in Thailand again.\n\n'I think I'm ready.\"\n\n---\n\nCapers forgot to stop the watch on his wrist."
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[WP] The world is new and full of wonder. Peace springs forth, and why wouldn’t it? Although that one question still haunts in people’s minds, what would it be like to take a life? | 7 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The question is like a ghost; always there, never discernable. For some, it’s a curiosity, a what-if. For most, a horror, a never-ever-ever, a worst-case-scenario.\n\nAce sits with his legs crossed, focused on a half-empty sheet of paper before him. What if people killed people? Wars were mentioned in a distant past, a collapsed society. They were messy records, indiscernible, never detailed enough. Ace grins, leaning forward to scribble another messy few sentences.\n\n“Held at knifepoint, the Prince faltered. No longer was it a matter of choice; either he goes, or his kingdom goes. The Prince was selfish, and so when he chose, he condemned all others. He refused to die, proving more apt to allow utter decimation to his once-beloved Kingdom.”\n\nIt was Ace’s take on a war. An evil king from the neighboring nation raids the castle, threatens the ill emperor's son. He had pieced it together after months of library research, and was proud to call it a three-fourths finished book.\n\nKept a careful secret, of course. Sweet nothings of violence were not forbidden by law, but that didn’t mean he could get away with it.\n\nFinally, his pencil comes to a standstill. What now? He had tiptoed around killing the Prince. A story intended to portray man-to-man violence had, in the end, avoided the tipping point.\n\nAce frowns. With a flick, he flips his pencil to its eraser side and undoes his progress. Then he continues.\n\n“Held at knifepoint, the Prince raised his chin. He wouldn’t falter; with his Kingdom on the line, he knew the right choice. Should he hold his ground here, the people had a chance. And so he stood, crossed his arms, and never broke eye contact with the evil King.”\n\nMuch better. Ace sighs relief, but is unable to avoid biting his lip. Now what? The King stabs him, of course. There was a problem, though: How? Where? What will it feel like?\n\nNo amount of research thus far has given him an answer. It was a writer’s worst nightmare; not a reference to be had. He was going to have to make something up.\n\n“The King advanced, his knife held steady. So it came to this. Unwilling to give up his throne, the Prince would have to die. Ever-closer he stepped, the fire of greed in his eyes matching the resolute determination of the Prince before him.”\n\nAce stops again. He’s drawing it out unnecessarily; a writer’s second worst nightmare. With slight hesitation, he continues.\n\n“Finally, the knife is swung, landing clean in the Prince’s side. Strong until the end, the Prince refused to clutch the wound, to gasp or to swear. He only fell, silent in his stubbornness, landing a final glare on the harbinger of his untimely demise.”\n\nLike he’s been shock, Ace pulls back his hand. Is this correct? He has no way of knowing, of course. It feels right, though. In spite of himself, Ace feels his heart speed up, his hands sweat. What would people think of this? Not even the worst horror movies involved death to this degree.\n\nAnd yet, even while he’s scared, Ace’s heart flutters. \n\nHe’s going to make history with this book.\n\nWhether or not it would be for the better, he thinks, is not his problem.\n\n(It is, of course, undeniably not).\n\n\n\n(((Hope I did your prompt justice! I hurried this on my break. I should really stop writing on my phone, whoops.)))"
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Obviously inspired by the recent fire in Notre Dame. Thought of it after hearing that some of the most precious parts of the church had survived. | [WP] You are a gargoyle, tasked with protecting the church you are part of. In years past you have fended off vampires and other unholy creatures. Not much has happened for a few centuries, today you hear the sound of people screaming, accompanying the unmistakable sound of fire. | 705 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I awoke to the sound of screams. The thudding of heavy footsteps echoed through the church above me. Above the cacaophany, I could hear the unmistakable crackle of fire just starting to sink its teeth into the structure's old wooden bones. The last rays of sunlight illuminated the trickles of smoke that were beginning to waft through the floorboards. The heat of summer was sharper than I remembered it.\n\nI flitted outside and saw the man who had thrown the fire bomb, still panting slightly from the exertion, turn to walk back to the waiting Cadillac. His friend in the driver's seat had pulled his aviators down the bridge of his nose to get a better look at the chaos unfolding in front of him.\n\n\"Shit, Sam, what have you done...\"\n\nSam turned in time to see one of the upper windows shatter and black smoke start pouring out. There was a crash as a heavy body hit the barred door, trying to break free. The screams grew louder.\n\n\"They brought it on themselves. Shoulda known they weren't welcome here.\"\n\nA thing to understand is that most places of worship are inhabited by a gargoyle. We're drawn to them, to the power of the rituals happening within. The denomination doesn't matter; we feed off the raw essence of belief. I had grown fat off this congregation for years, and now I might be able to do something to repay them.\n\nSam got in the car and drove away and I flew through the broken window and back inside the church. The screams were a little quieter now as people were starting to fall unconscious from the smoke. The few still awake were crowded around the door, still calling for help between wracking coughs.\n\nI dropped down among them, imperceptible in the haze, and saw an old woman sitting against a wall. She was cradling the limp form of a young man and gently stroking his face and hair.\n\n\"Please, please, not like this\" she mourned. \"Not like this\"\n\nShe didn't notice the fire creeping up the wall to the rafters above her, or the young man's shoelaces curling and writhing like snakes from the heat. She didn't notice me materialize in front of her until I spread my great black wings to shield her from the flames.\n\nShe looked up and into my eyes and her pupils widened and her mouth opened slightly. As she took in my full form her breath caught in her throat. The young man forgotten, she reached out to trace the curve of my horns and the gaunt, sunken ridges where my cheeks could have been. Her face relaxed as she understood.\n\n\"Lord have mercy\" she whispered.\n\nI will.\n\nI placed my hands on her chest, pinning her to the wall, careful not to break her skin with my claws. I leaned forward and placed my mouth against hers and inhaled slowly and deeply until her breathing stopped.\n\nThe others around her also became still. My work here was done.\n\nA thing to understand is gargoyles are territorial creatures. Each of those stone husks in Europe is a relic of one of our territorial battles. Trophies formed from the dead to warn off future challengers. It had taken me years to find a place like this and now I'd have to do it again. But first I had an errand to run.\n\nI burst out the front door as the roof collapsed in and the fire took over. I could hear sirens in the distance coming closer. The scent of the two men caught my nose. Cigarettes and adrenaline and not enough fear.\n\nI opened my wings to the oncoming embrace of night and rose into the sky. I was a shadow against shadows, following my quarry. These men had wronged my congregation. Had taken what was mine. They would not go easily like the old woman from before.\n\nThey would know what it was to be afraid.",
"The old priest staggered through the burning pews, his eyes watering from the smoke. He had helped the younger priests escape, but now his age had finally betrayed him. He prayed one last time, before he could speak no more. The darkness closed in, and he prepared to meet his god. He told himself he wasn't afraid. \nWhen he woke up, he found himself outside. As paramedics took him away, he swore he could hear the beating of wings.\n\nThe little girl had lost her parents. She hid in the room like she'd been told, but the handle was heating up, her screams unheard over the roar of flames. Slowly, she was starting to realise how much danger she was really in, but the smoke was making it harder and harder to cry for help. \nBehind her a window broke, just before the oxygen would have fed the flames. As she clambered out and ran, she never saw the red eyes making sure she reached safety.\n\nThe firefighter had always known her job was dangerous, and as the heavy beam fell and blocked the only exit, she assumed it had finally caught up with her. She comforted herself with the lives she had saved, and thought of her family as the flames rose. \nThen the figure grabbed the beam and wrenched it out of the way. It gestured down the hallway, where she saw two more parishioners. As she turned to thank her saviour, there were only statues there. She shook her head. No-one would be strong enough to lift that beam anyway. Smoke inhalation and fear can do funny things to the mind.\n\nThe sightseer swore. He'd only come on a holiday, just a weekend trip, and now he was going to die here. He reached for his cane, but between the smoke and heat he knew he'd never find it. He staggered forward, but the pain was too much. He hoped his daughter had made it out, if nothing else. \nWhoever lifted him to help him walk felt strange, but he wasn't quite in his right mind. They must have just been tall, or muscular. Maybe a skin condition? It didn't matter to him anyway. As he collapsed outside, his daughter ran into his arms. Among the ash and smoke, neither noticed the stone dust on his jacket.\n\nThe gargoyle sat on a nearby building, watching its home of centuries collapse. The fire chief was telling the reporters that there was no chance to save the building- the creature couldn't hear, but didn't need to. It was one with this church. It could sense it dying. \nThe fire chief was also saying that, despite the ferocity of the flame, there had been no casualties. Not even many serious injuries. They were calling it a miracle- some even said they had seen an angel. \nThe gargoyle looked down at the crowd- parishioners, clergy, visitors, firefighters. All would go home tonight. As the church finally collapsed and the gargoyle crumbled away, it smiled. \n\n\nIt couldn't save the church, but at least it could save the most precious things.",
"I’m old.\n\nSo very, very old.\n\nPeople think we Gargoyles number few, and are entirely figment of sculptor imagination, even by the very patrons of our charge.\n\nWe exist in our own capacity, unable to be seen or heard, until a vessel of significant likeness is crafted, rendering the ability to take material form. I have waited countless aeons to show my worth, while my brethren are spirited into their vessels. Able to show their loyalty, their unwavering strength. Proving themselves while I remain untested.\n\nServants of my kind that do not offer real protection, no real definition of themselves etched into the stone of the physical, no record of their tribute.\n\nThis brings to mind another falsehood: while I and others of my kind resemble the oft-graven visage of a snarling, winged beast, most others do not.\n\nOur form is unimaginable, untethered to a single human idea or devotion. We exist, and our form is determined by moral aptitudes, driven by specific ways we feel the need to protect, of whom we wish to safekeep, of whom we feel the urge to honor. We vary as much in our form as we do in our philosophy. These are the true architects of our being.\n\nThere are others that exist in idols, in poles, in spinning wheels, in four-legged protectors, in words themselves, which spoken, grant our desire to vanguard, keep sentinel. \n\nThere are others who are peaceful, others who serve as watchers, and others still that do nothing but guard the mind and soul.\n\nThen there are others who are wrathful.\n\nI am wrath incarnate.\n\nOver the course of my duty, I have slain and ripped hordes of the unworthy, the vile and sickening agents of a power I imagine is counter to our own. I have decimated hundreds of thousands of the unholy, those that would seek to invade or destroy my limits. I know not of where they spawn, but destroy them I do nonetheless.\n\nIt is my duty, it is my privilege, it is my honor.\n\nResting in the form I have made my own, for hundreds of cycles, has made me stony, slowly absent. I felt my grip loosening, calling me to the place we arrive after our purpose is fulfilled. It felt my duty was done. \n\nAnd I heard it.\n\nA cacophony. A scent. A terror I hadn’t feel stab me in many long cycles.\n\nWresting from the grip of the call, I slowly realised purpose again.\n\nMy charge, in flames.\n\nI inquired to myself; what evil has returned from the void, to devour what is my own? Be it winged, scaly flame-spitters, or something I have yet to have the pleasure of dispatching?\n\nSurveying my domain, I saw nothing but ash and parts. I had failed. I had become a disgrace. Hardly anything stood that was indicative of my character and strength. So many cycles of watch nearly over, so many cretins returned to their maker, and I had failed.\n\nUntil I noticed it.\n\nCaught in the inferno stood this treasure, this triumph. An artwork of the souls I guarded, beautiful as it is fragile. It gleamed like an opal in the light of the blaze, reaching deep inside and breaking the call with the certainty of a hammer. Under more instinct than common sense, I stirred out of my haze.\n\nIn a fell swoop, I raced to protect it. My wings spread, I defended the last vestige, the last battlement of my name against the hateful onslaught of fire. As long as a single piece of my home existed, perhaps a piece of me could stay untainted, still of some merit. I could join my brethren in the call. I felt the compulsion of honor to defend what was mine.\n\nAnd here I sit, the flames grazing my corporeal form. Scorching, unending flames that threaten to destroy my legacy. I will not falter, I will not let the only thing left of my soul be destroyed. \n\nNow I stand guard, one final time, engraving my last words on the charred walls. I try to keep firm, but the waves are unyielding, and I will soon answer.\n\nThrough all the ages I’ve thought to prove my worth, invoked with jealousy, but I’ve now found my purpose, my reason for existing.\n\nIt is to protect what is left of my stead, my rose.",
"\"Lord have mercy.\" I sprinted off the stand where I had been sitting for a few centuries and snatched the top barrel of the church. The smoke had me covered before the last human escaped from the building, yet I still looked to check.\n\nThe fire was huge. It was spreading so fast. Mumbling a prayer to myself, I climbed across the length to find the almost destroyed joint of the roof and tore it off before the fire had the chance to lick further. The screaming and yelling were deafening, but I solely paid focus on other burning parts of the roof.\n\nThe east wing was glowing with the flame, though the rose window was still able to color it blue and purple at times. I remembered when the artists worked day by day to finish it. I had spent hundreds of years admiring every detail of it. I had to protect it. The roof be damned.\n\nSpreading the long-unused wings, I flew across the space and landed on mid-wall, drilling my claws into the hard surface. I crawled up, seated in front of the window and kicked down every piece of the flame that fell too close to my treasure. I was not big enough to shield the window, but with lots of effort and observation, it felt possible to hold on until the fire was put out.\n\nIn the middle of the struggle, I heard a human cry. Punching a block of wood out of my way, I saw a little girl between the benches. Tears stained her face, ash and rubber covered her from head to toes.\n\n\"Danger.\" I whispered and wondered why the girl was still here. My eyes shot up to the roof, the spot that I ignored. The burning block was practically dangling on top of the human's head.\n\nNo.\n\nA snap drew my attention back to the part of the roof right next to the window. There was a spiral above, and it would collapse. Since it was already burning, its weight reduced. When it fell, I could absolutely kick it off the other direction, saving my beloved window.\n\nThe crack that was heard from the roof in the girl's direction pulled my eyes. It would fall and crush the girl.\n\nNo.\n\nI was no one. I was just a gargoyle. My job was to protect the church. Vampires, werewolves, witches, I have faced them all. A fire would not defeat me. A human's life would not worth more than my church, which had been standing here for centuries. They should not know my existence.\n\nI should stay and defend my church's window. That was what I thought to myself when I spread my wings and sprinted to the little human. The way the innocent eyes found mine in the single moment before the roof collapsed on the both of us was something I could not describe. And before I had the chance to, the thundering sound of destruction deafened me. Then I felt nothing.\n\nI thought that was it. That should be it.\n\nWhen I opened my eyes once again, I found myself in my place, right on the side of the church. There was a big sheet covering the entire building to keep others from looking in. I discreetly looked around and was utterly surprised that the church looked exactly the same. There was no evidence of the fire, but there were many signs of repairment. The wall felt new and cold and smooth as I ran my hand on it. I wondered what happened and how long had it been since the fire.\n\nThe morning came along with the answer. I sat still in my spot, looking down at spectators who were dropping their jaws at the church's magnificent design after the curtain was dropped. I was proud to be the protector of the place for a reason. But what the speechgiver said was what I remembered for the rest of my existence.\n\n\"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you The Blessing Church. You all have already heard of the fire that ruined a large part of it twenty years ago. Here it is, exactly like how it used to be.\" He gestured right at me. \"And that, everyone, is The Silent Guardian. The gargoyle statue that somehow fell down on the little Anna Jury and shielded her from the collapse of the church's roof. Many believers say The Silent Guardian was alive and he protected her. Other claim that it was just a lucky accident. We will never know. The only thing we can be sure is that little Anna was blessed with another chance at life thanks to The Silent Guardian. Maybe there is a soul inside that stone chest after all.\""
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[WP] You are the world's ONLY and OLDEST superhero, aged 91-years-old. When disaster strikes after thirty years of peace, the people beg you to come out of retirement. But after becoming increasingly apathetic and nihilistic, you refuse to help. | 56 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"So, after all the time they spent calling me a 'monster' and 'a horrible hero' they want my help?\n\nI killed when i had to and saves all the lives i could, but because i let one man die and had to kill one man. Everyone hated me.\n\nEven when the world hunted me down, labeled me a criminal, and burned my house down i still protected them. And when it blew over no-one gave me so much as a 'sorry' or 'thank you'.\n\nWhen the two people i cared for died, people had thr gull to say i deserved it.\n\nThen the new hero shows up and you all say im not needed, so i finally take some time alone. I finally know peace.\n\nThen he turns out to be a villain, and threatens to take over the world. And the first person you come to is me: the monster.\n\nWell no, you chose that you didnt want me. I just want to live the rest of my miserable life. You suffer loss? Well so did i! And you all laughed.",
"\"After all you've done in the past, you won't put aside your difference for just thirty minutes and help these people?!\"\n\n\"Yes. After all these years, it's become increasingly difficult to deal with the negativity, especially considering it's over 70% of people that berate me for being efficient\"\n\nThis new 'hero' seemed agitated, which I can completely understand\n\n\"You were a murdere--\"\n\n\"I DID WHAT YOU DUMB FUCKS COULDN'T, EVEN IF IT MADE IT HARD TO SLEEP AT NIGHT!!!\"\n\nHe simply sighed out of stress\n\n\"Fine. But don't cry when me and my allies are being buried tomorrow\"\n\n\"Don't worry, I never planned on it\"\n\nNot long after he left I began watching the news, to see what's happening\n\n\"Luminescence has just arrived on the scene and will hopefully tip the fight in his favor!\"\n\nI won't deny he has a great power, light manipulation, but he doesn't train it to get the most out of it, so it's almost worthless against a villain such as this\n\n\"Luminescence's powers seemingly have no affect on the villain, wh--\"\n\n\"DON'T ACT LIKE BLINDING ME WILL SLOW ME DOWN!!!\"\n\nSuddenly the camera cut out, and it was now at the newsroom where the other reporters looked shocked and incredibly disturbed\n\n\"Luminescence has visited the retired hero 'Ultimate' today according to reports, and witnesses say that he refuses to come help us. Whether he has an agreement with this villain or not is still unclear--\"\n\nI turned it off. I can't deal with this anymore. Despite my best efforts, I can't help but think about the past. Such as when I was 21 and arrogant, and broke both my arms and even my ribcage stopping a massacre, obviously people still died, but I kept the casualties in the low hundreds and well out of the hundred thousands. But all anyone ever said was that I should've done more, and that I had killed him, with no care to mention that I was in a situation where killing him was my only option.\n\nOr when I was 25, and I shattered my collar bone and fractured my skull to end a siege that was started by someone with a flashy but ineffective power, and all that was said was how careless I had been and that I deserved the injuries I had.\n\nOr when I was 26, when I went beyond my limit and almost destroyed my own body to stop a bioterrorist who almost released a toxin he had festering inside him. Quite an interesting power, the ability to grow your own toxins.\n\nOr when I was 28 and met that guy who could steal powers. Luckily it had it's limit and I was able to hold out the beating he gave me with my powers until I got them back. The first thing I did, since I knew it was the only way to stop him, was broke his neck, but he still writhed, alive, and again trying to take my power. I had to crush his head until there was nothing left, and beat his corpse until he stopped twitching before the paranoia of him coming back to life when I turned my back went away. All that was said was 'Hero beats man to death' with my name and face on the cover.\n\nOr when I was 30 and fought someone who's power was mimicry. It wasn't the first time I almost lost, but it was certainly the scariest moment of my life. He was far too powerful, and even if he did have severe brain damage I couldn't let him live in the hospital, even as a vegetable. I went to his room and severed his head before destroying his brain with my powers. I then charred the body, and destroyed the heart just to be safe. The headline that time was 'Hero kills disabled man' with no mention of how he almost killed me, or destroyed the city. Sure, what I did was overkill, but I couldn't risk anything.\n\nAnd I certainly can't forget the time my sidekick turned on me at 32. That bastard stabbed me, and since I had my guard down my passive abilities didn't stop him like it should have, and I had to fight while blood drained from my lower back. After breaking most of his bones he begged for mercy, unwilling to accept defeat. I foolishly gave it to him and he stabbed me again, this time in the chest, but my powers aren't just energy manipulation, I was also able to stop the bleeding and keep myself alive long enough that the blood coagulated and slowed to a point where I could get to a hospital and get proper help. I obviously killed him, I had to, but I did it by 'overloading' him until his heart snapped in half, his lungs popped, and his brain turned to slush. It was brutal, but had to be done. Those headlines were 'Ultimate kills sidekick, motive unclear'.\n\nAnd at 33, after only a year of being a registered hero, I left because I couldn't deal with all the restrictions and how they treated me for killing that little bastard that stabbed me. Coincidentally I still had to save them that same day when they bit off more than they could chew and almost died. The first thing they did when everything was over was \"We didn't need help, especially not from some twisted fuck like you\" and obviously 'no one heard' him tell me that.\n\nThere's plenty more instances I could list, but I'm getting pissed off already, so I think I'll just watch the current fight unfold from my balcony since it's not far.\n\nThe end.\n\n(Authors note; if you have a question, then please ask! I'm open to answering whatever question you have about the character(s) in this story)",
"Where were you\n\nwhen my health started to decline?\n\nOh, that's right.\n\nYou laughed.\n\n\"Looks like the ol' timer's got Alzheimer's.\"\n\nI lost my mind? Fine. Fuck it. Leave me on the bottom shelf.\n\n​\n\nWhere were you\n\nwhen my only child died?\n\nOh, that's right.\n\nYou shrugged.\n\n\"I guess the Super Man can't hurt cancer.\"\n\nNot even a sympathetic hug? For that, you can help yourself.\n\n​\n\nWhere were you\n\nwhen I couldn't get one night's sleep?\n\nOh, geez\n\nI remember.\n\nI had to answer every plea.\n\nFrom catching debris to cats in trees...\n\nI need to catch some Z's, so I'm crashing. Peace.\n\n​\n\n...\n\n​\n\nOh, and one last thing.\n\nWhy is it that you call me a hero when I'm out saving the Earth,\n\nbut when I want to take care of myself, I'm suddenly the worst?\n\nIt's insane, and it hurts.\n\nI'm not a slave sent to fix every burden of yours.\n\nYou've used me up enough.\n\nNo more calls. No more phones.\n\nI am done fighting.\n\nI'm 91-years-old!\n\nLeave me alone.\n\nAnd please: shut my windows and close my door.\n\nI guess you're right — I am cold.\n\n-----\n\nThanks for reading! Feedback/constructive criticism always welcome. I have more poems, songs, and stories on [my personal sub.](/r/ScottBeckman)\n\nedit: swapped two lines"
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[removed] | [WP] An /r/prorevenge style story about a modern corrupt politician. No violence. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/glassisnotglass, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- Politics: We are not currently allowing political prompts (see rule #7) as the aim of the sub is to encourage people to write and political prompts are leading to arguments instead of stories. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bdye8y/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[removed] | [WP] There are no more lives left. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/2hxc2care, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompt in Text: Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, 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\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/be1t6k/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] "I didn't know which pocket it was in, you see. So I cut off the whole leg and ran." | 18 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“I.. WHAT!”\n\n“I cut off the leg and just… kinda left”\n\n“John, why in God’s name did you think cutting off a man’s leg was the best choice to make?”\n\nJohn, to answer Stephen’s question, extravagantly motions at the dozen pockets on his newly found possession. “Do you not see all the pockets Stephen, did you expect me to search all of them in that disgusting bathroom?”\n\nStephen sighs, “Yes John, I see the pockets, but… but *why* did you cut off his legs? What was so damn important that you needed to get out of his pocket?\"\n\n\"Leg.\"\n\n\"what\"\n\n\"Leg, I only cut off the one, I'm not a monster.\"\n\nGiving up Stephen breathes, \"Fine. But what was so important?\"\n\n\"Ah, you'll love it, it's exactly what we need for the apartment.\" \n\n\"I swear John, if you don't pull out something that is absolutely life changing from one of those pockets...\"\n\n\"Don't you worry, you'll love... it...\" Beginning to search frantically, John looks visibly worried.\n\n\"Oh for fuck's sake John, what now?\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"Out with it John, it can't get any worse.\" \n\n\"Do you know how to *reattach* a leg by chance?\""
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"1555474448",
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] | |
[WP] Budget changes aren't stopping you. Whether it's an assassination using nothing but scraps from an apartment, stealing confidential documents using $5, or cheap disguises, you get the job done. You are... the DIY Spy | 46 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"What do you get when you put together Daniel \"Ice Man\" Jones, a forcibly retired police investigator, me, Ian \"MacGayver\" Prescott, a recently fired handyman, and Yumi \"The Wizard\" Prescott, my pregnant wife, a hacker on-the-learning?\n\nI'll give a hint: mix all of those with a deep rebelious attitude, the desperate need for money and a very, very bad idea, and you get yourself an assassination crew for hire.\n\nIt was Yumi's idea that our marketing strategies should be focused on the Dark Web, that marvelous and sinister place which I knew squat about. Apparently, it's a place where anything can be found, from illegal drugs to human organs. I couldn't think of anyplace better to market our endeavours, and Yumi proved herself right.\n\nTwo weeks after the ad, we got our first client. Our contractor, Mr. Monday, offered thiry thousand dollars for the job - assassinating Gordon Lunedì, the owner of the restaurant across town. An odd job, I'll say, but we didn't quite have a choice. We needed the money, more now than ever.\n\n​\n\nI got to the restaurant at ten thirty, and sat on one of the three tables on the far side across from the doors. When the waiter approached, I asked for a bottle of water and pretended to read the menu.\n\nAccording to Daniel, Mr. Lunedì closed the restaurant between eleven and midnight, when the last customers left, but remained inside until the cleaning was done. However, after the last employees left, he remained. It was a mystery what he did inside, but we'd figured he stayed there to ready things up for the next day.\n\nIt was a family business, not many employees, and Mr. Lunedì had been taking care of it since he was twenty three, when his father passed away.\n\nThe plan was simple.\n\nI finished my water, careful enough as to not dishevel the table, and left a five dollar bill under the empty bottle before heading for the bathroom. In relief, I sighed when I saw it was empty. Using the stalls, I propped myself up and through the ceiling doors to a dusty, messy attic. And then, I waited.\n\n​\n\nWhen my plastic Scooby-Doo watch marked fifteen past midnight, I heard Mr. Lunedì wishing good night to the last employees, and the distinct locking sound of the steel door in the back.\n\nIt was time.\n\nI pulled on my rubber gloves and tip-toed off the bathroom, glancing around, attentive to every sound. Crawling behind the bar, I headed for the kitchen to grab a knife, a bottle, anything I could use for a weapon. I glued my ears to the door, and heard nothing but silence. A quick look through the small round glass revealed the kitchen to be empty.\n\nSlowly, I pushed the door open, an inch per second, my heartbeat raising frantically. Any creak, any small sound could put everything to lose.\n\nThe butcher knives rested on the other side of the room, hanging from the magnetic stip on the wall. On all fours, as a cat's gait, I crossed through the ovens, the counters, the freezers, and reached for one of the knives, the biggest one.\n\nSuddenly, the laughing sitcom-like sounds startled me.\n\nI remembered the old house-turned-restaurant building plans, which Yumi had found going through some City archives, showed a second floor, where the old rooms had been turned, we assumed, into an office and maybe some storage areas.\n\nThat's where the sound's coming from, I thought. Mr. Lunedì must've turned the TV on.\n\nThe stairs led me to a bright hall, where three wooden doors contrasted to the horrible flowery beige wallpaper. I heard the TV sounds coming from the second door. It was ajar.\n\nThe smell of tobacco and cheap cinnamon incense wafted from inside,\n\nUp until now, the mission was all that mattered. The money. But taking a man's life? Was it worth it? What did this man do wrong?\n\nI brushed the thought off. I wasn't doing this for me. I wasn't doing for Yumi. \"Don't chicken out now,\" I demanded myself, \"Think about Clarice. It's for her. You want your daughter to have the same lousy childhood as yours?\"\n\nI rested my hand on the knob. Should I knock? Should I just burst into the room?\n\nThe fact that Mr. Lunedì was a single man with no family didn't make the job any easier. Sweat ran down my armpits to my belly. My legs shook, and I felt my knees were about to fail me.\n\nIt was now or never. If I didn't do it now, I'd faint. I knew it. My eyes were blurry and my breath was heavy, as if I was breathing sand through my sore throat.\n\nI pushed the door open a few more inches, and saw Mr. Lunedì sitting with his back to me, holding the cigar in his left hand, starring outside the window. Beside the TV, displaying an old episode of Friends, the incense burnt.\n\nI took a deep breath, pulled my poorly knitted cap down, and then...\n\n​\n\n\"Come in,\" said Mr. Lunedì.\n\nWhat? Was he talking to me? But how?\n\n\"Yeah yeah, it's you, behind the door, come in,\" he said.\n\nI pushed the door open and stepped inside.\n\n\"You guys are really bad at this assassination thing, ain't you?\"\n\n\"How did you...\" I muttered. I let my arms fall beside my body.\n\n\"And I figure none of you to be Italian,\" he laughed, ignoring my half question, \"Lunedì is Italian for Monday, see?\"\n\n\"Wait... You hired us to kill you?\" I asked, showing much more confusion that I'd like to.\n\n\"I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie, you know? I was hoping all this could pump some life into my heart again...\"\n\n\"How did you know I was here?\" So it was only my first time, but where did I get it wrong?\n\n\"This,\" he turned to face me, raising his right hand where a cellphone displayed the security cameras.\n\n\"But, Yu... The Wizard turned the cameras off!\" I cried.\n\n\"Apparently not,\" he shrugged, \"But calm down... I can tell you're all rookies. I knew you weren't top class when you settled for thirty thousand, but still, it kind of amused me, see what you're going to do,\"\n\nThat son of a gun. So, he dragged me all the way here for his amusement? Oh no, I wouldn't let that happen. I wasn't leaving until I got my money.\n\n\"You're still paying us, right?\" I asked, pointing the knife to his face, tyring my best to find an intimidating version of myself. I could tell by his face that I'd failed miserably in that attempt, too.\n\n\"Don't worry, you're getting paid,\" he waved his hand at me, \"As I think of it now, I have a proposal for you,\" he said, scrathing his chin and leaning on his chair. He continued, \"How'd you like to do it again?\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"I've actually liked this game of ours. Here's the deal: I'll give fifty thousand. For every failed attempt on my life, you give me back five thousand dollars. If you succeed to kill me, you keep the rest of the money,\" he said. His yellowed smile shone, a crazy, maniac smile.\n\n\"Where's the money?\" I asked, simply.\n\nHe got up, unlocked a safe from behind one of the paitings, an ugly amateur paiting that I assumed was his own doing, counted the money to fifty thousand, tucked it inside a trash bag and threw it to me.\n\n\"It's a deal, then?\" He rested the cigar on the porcelain ashtray, and walked towards me offering his hand.\n\n\"Oh yes, sir, you just got yourself a deal,\" I said, pulling off my cap.\n\nAnd then, he knew it, when he saw my face. His eyes grew big, as those of an owl, round and scared and confused.\n\nI grabbed his hand with my left, and shoved the knife in his neck with my right.\n\nAs he kneeled, desperately holding his neck with both hands, blood splattering all across the carpet, a ghost of a smile crossed his face.\n\n​\n\n\"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Monday,\" I said, before vanishing in the alley and into the night.",
"“Got another one for you, Jensen,” the voice cracked though the tiny Bluetooth speaker. Jensen sat at his desk, his chair creaking as he shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to protest, but his radio had broken a month ago—and they still hadn’t found it in the budget to replace it. So, for the time being, his communications were very one-sided. \n\nHe scribbled the instructions on the back of an envelope from some credit card company. His mission was simple: obtain a flash drive containing damning information about a high-profile drug company. Something about rushed trials and bribed FDA officials; he didn’t care much for the details. He had the location and the name of the man who was attempting to sell the information to a rival company. \n\nJensen left his hot apartment, not bothering to lock the door behind him. The building was six blocks away, towering above all the structures around it. Jensen had been inside it before, which helped put his mind at ease. At least he knew the layout. \n\nHe entered through the front door, approaching the desk with an air of confidence. He had no disguise, no forged security badges or apparent reason for being there, so he would have to make it up on the fly. After all, per his instructions, he had less than an hour to retrieve the drive before a buyer would arrive. And if the drive made it into the wrong hands, well—Jensen would probably be out of a job, at the very least. \n\nThree security guards sat at the front desk. One leaned back in his chair watching a baseball game on the screen that was meant to be displaying camera feeds. Another argued with a woman about an incident in the parking garage. The third—a tall, round man—stared at Jensen as he approached, tapping a pen against a pad on the desk. \n\n“Can I help you?” The guard asked. \n\nJensen learned three things about him as he approached the desk. One, his name was Sam. Two, judging by the golden nameplate he wore in contrast to his companion’s plastic white ones, he was in charge. And thirdly, he was at the end of his shift. The way he tapped his pen anxiously combined with the constant glances at the large ornate clock opposite the desk—the man wanted nothing more than to finish the last five minutes of his shift and go home. \n\n“Hey, Sam,” Jensen said, putting on an exasperated tone. “We met earlier, I had a meeting with John on forty-seven—”\n\nSam furrowed his brow, searching his memory for any sign of Jensen—who only hoped there was *someone* on the forty-seventh floor by the name of John. Chances were good, at least. Still, Jensen knew the best way to avoid detection was to work fast. \n\n“Anyway, I know it’s late—you know how traffic is this time of day—but I left my wallet up in his office. You think I could just head on up and—”\n\n“I really can’t have you just running up there alone,” he said. \n\n“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Well, I know John said he was going to a ballgame today after our meeting—if you could just call him real quick, hopefully it won’t take too long to get an answer.”\n\nSam glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes. \n\n*Bingo.*\n\n“Alright, make it fast,” Sam said, waving him by. \n\nJensen headed for the elevators. He stopped on floor forty-seven, then took the stairs up to floor fifty. When he exited the stairwell, he saw another guard making his rounds—so, being the expert in espionage that he was, he leapt behind a large plastic fern in the corner of the room. The guard passed by, none the wiser. \n\nJensen made his way down the hall and stopped at an office on the corner, where he saw his target pacing the room nervously. If not for the budget cuts, he would have knocked the man out with a dart from his watch or a quick shot with his cell-phone taser. Unfortunately, all of those items were on back order. So he grabbed a mop from a nearby janitorial closet and rushed into the room. \n\nThe man looked at Jensen with both confusion and fear. “Who—what the hell are you doing?” he stuttered. \n\nJensen pretended he hadn’t heard him, slinging the dry mop across the carpeted floor. The man stepped closer, demanding an answer, and Jensen kept his head low while facing away. As long as the man didn’t see his face, all was well. \n\nWhen the man got close enough, Jensen swung the mop handle and knocked him to the floor. He wasn’t unconscious—not really—but he was dazed enough for Jensen to give him a quick pat-down, locate the flash drive, and disappear down the hall. \n\nHe made it back downstairs, waving to Sam as he passed through the lobby. A quick detour on his way to his apartment brought him by the drop point: an ‘out of operation’ mailbox that had a rusted hole in the side just large enough to drop the drive through. He slid it in and congratulated himself on a job well done. \n\nAs he entered his apartment, though, he wondered: was it the fiftieth floor, or the sixtieth he was supposed to find his target?\n\nr/Ford9863"
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[deleted] | [WP]Your older brother has been a big bully for as long as you can remember. You're pretty used to getting picked on by now but everything changes starting today. You come home and find your "big" brother a measly 5 inches tall. | 12 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You come home from school. You're expecting at least a few minutes grace from your older brother. He walks home from a school that's a bit further away than yours, maybe even an hour or so that he spends with his \"friends\". And this is what you get.\n\n\"Hey, nerd! Down here!\" A tiny pipsqueak voice that almost sounds familiar. Then a swift kick to my...toe? So, I look down. What else would you do? It's... no... I look closer... It's... And I'm laughing my head off. It's my \"big\" bully of a brother. All of 5\" tall!\n\n\"Stop laughing you nerd!\"\n\nWiping the tears from my eyes, \"why?\"\n\n\"Why what? Nerd!\"\n\n\"Why should I stop laughing?\" I manage to get out between laughs. He kicks my toe... My toe! I'm laughing all over again!\n\n\"Stop it!\" Kick \"Stop it!\" Kick \"I. Said. Stop. It!\" KICK!\n\n\"HOO HOO HAW! BIG BAD BROTHER 5 INCHES TALL! HEE HOO HAW HAW HAW! MOM'S GONNA LOVE THIS!\"\n\nA flurry of kicks and punches. Same stupid brother. Same stupid tricks. No brains at all. Had our places been reversed, I would already be inside his clothes, pinching, biting, climbing, to tender parts of his body. Places he'd really feel it. Then I realize just how much that revolts me. I have no desire to be anything like him. He's disgusting. Just because I'm his brother, people figure I'm the same.\n\nI stop laughing. \"Okay, pipsqueak\", so fine, I can't resist everything.\n\n\"DON'T CALL ME THAT!\"\n\n\"Why not? It's no different than you calling me nerd all the time!\" For some reason, this throws him into an even greater rage. Still no brains though.\n\n\"That's enough, pipsqueak.\" As I pick him up by his hoodie.\n\n\"Drop me!\"\n\n\"You sure about that, pipsqueak?\"\n\n\"Drop me right now!\"\n\n\"Okay, pipsqueak. Look down.\" I can see him gulp. He's finally coming to terms with his present altitude. \"Because you are ... however much you have made me regret it ... my brother ... I'm not going to drop you no matter how much you ask for it, or deserve it for that matter.\"\n\nIt's really sad seeing your brother soil himself. Not that he ever seemed to have a problem with doing that to others. I take him into the bathroom, adjust the water temperature, close the sink drain, let it fill a bit, and put him in it. All through this, he's screaming profanity.\n\n\"Pipsqueak, it occurred to me that you just might want to clean up. It'll take a while for your clothes to dry, so you'd better get started washing them... And yourself.\" I scrape off a bit of soap for him, and find a cotton pad to tear a bit off as a wash cloth. \"Here you go.\"\n\nHe starts cleaning. \"Why are you doing this for me?\"\n\n\"Because... However you have behaved towards me, you *are* my brother. I also realize that you've just been through an incredible hike, probably fighting off things that you'd sooner forget. You'll be calmer after you've had a chance to clean up. Do your clothes first, so I can dry them off while you finish cleaning.\"\n\n\"Why should I!\" Sigh. Still not thinking.\n\n\"Because Mom is going to be home sooner ot later, and --- at the least --- is not going to be amused. If you're clean and dressed, it'll go better.\" He starts scrubbing furiously. I can't tell whether it's anger or fear. Probably both.\n\n\"You getting off on watching your nekkid brother, perv?\"\n\n\"No. I'm making sure you don't drown. You never did learn how to swim. You were too busy pushing everyone else in.\" Finally. He's at least thinking about that.\n\n\"Why? I never did nothing for you.\" Sullen is still an improvement.\n\n\"I told you, you're my brother.\" His face screws up at that. Now he's really trying to think.\n\n\"What's that got to do with it?\"\n\n\"Blood is thicker than water. Is he not your brother? Family helps family. Mom loves you too. ... How'd you get this way?\" He blushed. He actually blushed.\n\n\"You know the big house at the end of the row?\"\n\n\"You didn't.\"\n\n\"Yes, I did. My friends were ragging on me.\"\n\n\"Let me guess. None of them stuck around to help, did they.\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Maybe not such good friends?\"\n\n\"I'll get them back!\"\n\n\"For what?\"\n\n\"What they did to me!\"\n\n\"They didn't do anything to you. You got yourself into this mess.\"\n\n\"Did not!\"\n\n\"Bro... Who chose to stick around with them? Who chose to go up to that door? Who chose to insult that little old lady? Was it them?\"\n\n\"They put me up to it!\"\n\n\"Did they hold a gun to your head? Did they threaten your family? Were they going to hurt anyone?\"\n\n\"They'd have called me names!\"\n\n\"Oh. You were afraid to take what you've been dishing out. Couldn't stand the thought of being called a scaredy-cat. Look where you are now bro. Which is worse?\" He's thinking again. That's good. His clothes are dry. So I drain the water slowly, and give him some fresh to rinse in. \"Now, I can't change you back. I think there's only one person who could.\"\n\n\"Not her!!?\"\n\n\"It's the only way. When we get there, you're going to have to apologise, and MEAN IT.\" You think about that one while we walk there.\n\n...\n\n\"Here we are. And there you go. Right at the beginning of the path. Now off you go.\"\n\n\"You're not coming with me?\"\n\n\"Bro, I'm pretty sure she isn't going to believe you if I'm holding your hand.\"\n\nHe walks up the path, to the stairs, has a bit of a scramble up them to the porch. Knocks on the door. She opens it, looks around, and finally looks down. ... Glory... She's smiling. She invites my brother in.\n\n...\n\nHe comes out full size. Turns to the lady. Bows. And walks down the path.\n\n\"All good, Bro?\"\n\n\"All good.\"\n\n...\n\n\"Hey Bro? Could you please help me with this math problem?\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\"...cause your my Bro,\" smiling, \"and the smartest nerd I know.\"\n\n\"Sure. Come on over here.\"\n\n((finis))"
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[WP] After dying peacefully in sleep, a text appeared, "You have completed the Game of Life on Easy Mode. Would you like to retry in another difficulty level?" You decided to pick Nightmare Mode. | 276 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I wake up. Another day, another dive into hell on Earth. My life is a nightmare and I don’t know why. But for some reason, I have this gut feeling it’s my own fault, even though I have no recollection of ever doing anything so obscenely bad that I’d deserve an existence riddled with misfortune.\n\nAnyway, my eyes open and I sit up in my bed, which is made of bendy straws and toothpicks. Unfortunately, I bang my head on something. I look at this foreign object, and identify it as... the ceiling?\n\n“Jason? You okay?” called my mother from the next room over, hearing the thud. “Oh, you fell asleep on the couch last night so your father put you in the top bunk of your bunk bed. You’re probably not used to sitting up at such a height. Sorry.”\n\n“It’s okay Mom, I...”\n\nMy sentence fades into oblivion as I realize my pants are... wet? Yup, somehow I’ve peed myself overnight. Oh well, can’t complain. As far as things usually go, today’s been okay so far.\n\nI get out of bed and make my way to the shower. On the way there, my dog runs up to me. He tries to jump up to lick my face, but he miscalculates his trajectory. Instead he headbutts me in the crotch.\n\nI wheeze. I gasp. I suffer. But most of all, I keep things rolling and head to the bathroom. \n\nAs I enter the bathroom, I slip on a random puddle of water. As my arms flail about, trying in vain to regain my balance, they hit a glass vase that - honest to God - wasn’t in the bathroom last night. The vase falls, shatters, and scatters shards of glass across the bathroom floor.\n \nI turn around to exit the bathroom and fetch a broom to sweep it all up, but low and behold: the door handle is jammed. I’m locked in.\n\nI look at the time and realize that I woke up late: school starts in 30 minutes. I begin to knock on the door, hoping my parents can let me out through the other side. But just then, I hear:\n\n“Bye son, we’re headin to work!”\n\nI hear the front door close, and I realize i’m truly trapped.\n\nI manage to dodge all the shards of glass and take a shower, but of course, the hot water was finished. I was willing to settle on a cold shower - in the middle of the winter - but things are never so easy for me. The water begins to come out brown. Disgusted, I try to turn it off. The shower handle breaks off when I touch it. \n\nI get out of the shower, and decide that the only way out at this point would be to climb out the window and re-enter the house through the front door using the spare key hidden under the door mat. \n\nI push aside the curtains and open the bathroom window. Oh, its snowing. Great. I put my soiled pajamas back on and hop out, freezing my ass off, near literally.\n\nBarefoot, I trudge through the 1.5 feet of snow, shivering. I get to the front yard, and notice that my car is in a far different state than it was yesterday. \n\nTires slashed.\n\nRims stolen.\n\nWindows and headlights shattered.\n\nAs I gaze at my destroyed car, a school bus, my last hope of getting to school, passes by. My crush is on the bus. We make eye contact. She looks away in disapproval, most likely repulsed by my soiled pants, half nudity, and disheveled look. \n\nI sigh, but before I can finish exhaling, a bird flies by and shits on my head. At the exact angle that a droplet of the white and brown gook manages to land on my bottom lip.",
"The very last thing I heard was the heartbeat monitor ceasing its endless pings. I had grown accustomed to them, maybe even fond, of the sonar-like beeps. They converged into one continuous line, and I felt the sensation of falling down a bottomless pit.\n\nBut I was aware of this.\n\nIf I knew this was happening, then obviously I was capable of thinking. If I was thinking, then I was... alive? Surely I had just died? I could still hear the sobs of my loved ones around my cadaver. They were getting fainter, but were still just about audible.\n\nIs this what skydiving felt like? Was I in a dream? Anytime now I would return to my luxury cushioned hospital bed with my private doctors keeping watch on my deteriorating health. I pinched myself. I could definitely feel it.\n\nThere was light in the distance.\n\nDefinitely light. All of a sudden I was hurtling through a tunnel towards the brightness. \n\nI came to a stop in front of a small menu. Not a restaurant menu, but one that reminded me of the games I used to play on my lavish PC.\nA slab of text informed me that I had completed a so-called 'game of life'. Below it there was the option to be reborn.\n\nMy first though was that of shock and disbelief. No religion would, or even could, predict this afterlife. But I knew these messages were real, and I was reading them with my own eyes.\n\nNext I started feeling resentful. What kind of noob, what kind of coward, what kind of novice would choose 'easy?' \nI stopped and contemplated my life thus far. My existence was not difficult at all. My family had paved the way for my grand life, and I barely had to lift a finger.\n\nDetermined to actually be challenged, I looked at the list of difficulties. There was 'medium', 'hard', 'extreme' and finally 'nightmare'. \nI considered myself an expert at life, so I pointed at the word 'nightmare' and said it aloud. \n'Nightmare!' \nAnd everything around me swirled into darkness.\n\nI regret my choice. I had thought of myself as a pro, but I was not at all prepared for this. I came out of the womb prematurely, a minute mass of organic matter, not discernible from a skeleton. The shrieks and screams of my mother are etched into my memory forever, until they soon fell silent and no more sounds issued from her mouth ever again. \n\nI can't worry about that now. All I can concentrate on is maintaining my minuscule will to survive, because one day, I know I will escape the cold chains binding me to this wall. \n\nMy father had slowly met his demise in here, perishing from the unrelenting onslaught of dysentery. I am determined not to follow the same path. \n\nThe whip marks are forever engraved into my flesh and will never fade. My limbs have been reduced to a thin layer of skin stretched across bone. \n\nBut one day, I will escape. I don't care how I do. Even if I have to join my parents.",
"I suddenly felt a terrible sense of unease, what would happen?\n\nI knew it was going to be bad but how bad?\n\nIt was the uncertainty that was killing me (even if I was already dead...).\n\nI started to regret choosing the nightmare mode, but it was too late now.\n\nThe text in front of my eyes began to change...\n\n`*/ Starting new life...*/`\n\nAnd after a while:\n\n`*/ Please wait.. */`\n\nThen after a longer while:\n\n`*/ May God have mercy upon your soul...`\n\n`no one else will. */`\n\nWhat happened next is a blur.\n\nThe earliest I recall was flying around in our nest deep in the the heart of The Great Mountain.\n\nThere were hundreds of others just like me, we little ones played chase along the miles of tunnels, until the victim reached a dead end and we chewed and scratched his wings off, leaving him to try and crawl his way back to his hole, alone with only his grunts, sobs and unhealthy yellow light from his skin to keep him company in the ancient slime covered labyrinth that was our home (they would always grow back after a while and they would be fine) .\n\nThe older ones liked to dig, pouring over detailed plans and making canals, tunnels and caverns, scratching the rock with their adolescent claws and blasting it with gunpowder.\n\nEvery month the people from the village would leave us dead sheep and calves and on special occasions dead or even live children and farm workers, these we would eat with relish in the eating cavern on great tables with pink oilskin table cloths and vases full of wild flowers.\n\nOh, how I remember it well, the huge cast iron spit we would roast our meat with over a tremendous fire, till its skin was crisp and the juices began to run, and the whole room was filled with a lovely crispy burnt smell, the siver plates studded with diamonds and embossed with poetry, the torches that lit the whole room far brighter than the brightest day...\n\nThose were joyful happy carefree days how I wish for them back.\n\nIt was on one of the biggest of these celebrations this life was to end.\n\nI suppose we all knew what was coming, after all we had seen it several times before and knew that it would be our turn soon.\n\nWe knew it was hopeless but we tried anyway, we scattered all over the mountain hiding in all the crevices and caves but it was no good once the smell of meat reached our nostrils we were irresistibly drawn to the feast...\n\nWhen we had all arrived the younger ones charged us, we were totally outnumbered each new generation was more populous than the last and they wanted rid of us.\n\nThey were sick of how much precious food we ate, they hated the smells we made, they hated the way we lorded over them but most of all they hated that we were what they were to become.\n\nI know because I had been the same when I was younger.\n\nAs one they picked us up a huge ghastly screaming mass, there must have been more than twenty of them for each one of us their claws grasping and tearing everywhere imaginable.\n\nThey threw us into the Black Pit yelling twisted obscetinties and the terrible abuse, then blocked it up with a giant boulder.\n\nI won\\`t describe what I went through then, I will leave it to your imaginations and suffice to say it was worse.\n\nJust when I thought the torture was never going to end I saw a light at the end of the tunnel (a literal light not merely a metaphorical one).\n\nI rushed at it like a bullet , every nerve in my body was in agony I was screaming as hard as my lungs would let me, then I hit the light and the pain eased a little.\n\nThe light I had seen was the light of the moon and I was drifting through the night.\n\nI drifted through a window of a lonley house, turned to look out of the window caught my reflection and I screamed...\n\nI turned round again still screaming and saw the little boy sitting up in bed staring at me, completly still and as white as a sheet.\n\nThen I realised that I had become a nightmare.",
"I pressed the button labeled \"Nightmare Mode\". Suddenly, a small screen popped up in front of my eyes. 'Warning: Ability to change difficulty will be locked until you succeed. Do you want to proceed?' I took a deep breath closed my eyes, and pressed yes.\n\n​\n\nNothing happened.\n\n​\n\nI opened my eyes. I was in the same featureless room, the same stat screen in front of me. This time, the difficulty options were all grey. I pressed the restart button.\n\n​\n\nI opened my eyes. I was about a foot back from the screen now. I walked up and hit the restart button again, harder this time.\n\n​\n\nI opened my eyes. Light burned my retinas as I blinked for the first time. I could hear a loud voice crying out in pain behind me. Something inside me understood that pain, could relate to it. I tried to wail with it, but I couldn't make a noise. The light seemed to be getting darker.\n\n​\n\nI opened my eyes. I was in the same featureless room.",
"Somehow I’d guessed that life was a game all along. \n\nI’ve always felt there was a right thing and a wrong thing to do, and I had a tendency to pick the wrong thing. Strangely, though, I rarely faced much in the way or consequences—being born into privilege will do that for you—so my mistakes were mine to internalize. So, when I finally kicked it, I was unsurprised to find myself at a menu screen. \n\nI was even less surprised to learn that I’d only cleared the lowest difficulty setting. There were innumerable tiers to choose from—and I was prompted to start life again, with a different difficulty level. \n\nI scrolled and scrolled. Most of them sounded like jokes. “Dante must die mode,” one of them threatened. “New Story Plus,” promised another. I kept scrolling until I finally reached the bottom:\n\nNightmare Mode. The highest difficulty. \n\nI thought of all the times I let myself take the easy way out. I thought of all the crappy jobs, boring relationships, and utterly embarrassing school days. All of that, *easy mode.* What kind of person fumbles *easy mode?*\n\nI had a second chance here. I could live a full life, one with struggle that propels me to success rather than one where I’ve watched everything pass by. I could be someone who overcame their circumstances, not just a spoiled loser who died doing nothing for no one.\n\nI highlighted Nightmare Mode. \n\nWhat would it entail? How does one define a life based in hardship from its very inception? Would I be born a child slave, a crack baby, one of those poor Palestinian kids? Would I even make it past the first...level, I suppose? What awaits a person beginning their life intentionally more difficult than any other?\n\nI selected Nightmare Mode before I had a chance to argue with myself further. \n\nAt first, nothing. Then, a bright light that felt comfortingly familiar—maybe the first thing that anyone ever sees. A feeling of anticipation, a clean slate—would I remember myself? Would I start from scratch? Would I overcome and make the right choices this time?\n\nMy excitement was stalled by the arrival of more text from the ether:\n\n>You have been reborn as a Gamer. \n\nMy first cries of life were not simply because I was a babe, but because I knew I had chosen Hell.",
"Woke up in a bed I didn't recognize. *Strange. Oh well.*\n\nStepped out to the patio, and looked across the architectural horizon. It was the same city, but I heard ungodly sounds in the distance.\n\nA crowd gathered below my apartment complex. I didn't realize it at that moment, but there was an angry hoard of ugly monstrosities down there.\n\nI gazed down at them. Then I coughed. I needed a smoke. I opened up the pack by my bedside and checked the package. It was glossy, covered in plastic.\n\nI read the text on the front. There was a camel standing in a desert... strange to associate a camel with smoking, I thought. I'd never thought about it, but what was more concerning was the fine print below the camel.\n\n*Nicotine free.*\n\nGood God I needed a smoke more than ever. The horde grew louder, calling me from the stands of the metropolitan arena. \n\nI stepped outside and looked down at the mass of ugly creatures. They were a motley crew. Some looked like zombies. There was a vampire type of creature, but it appeared to be trying to blend in. One creature was massive; a giant with the head of a newborn baby. How despicable. \n\nI spit at the crowd. It became visibly angry. \n\nThen I heard a light rapping at my chamber door. I stepped with caution toward it. I grabbed a baseball bat by my couch. It had nails sticking out of the end, like a mace.\n\n*Strange*.\n\nI peeped through the spyhole and saw a pretty young woman.\n\nShe had a tentative smile, as though she expected me to be here. I'd never seen her in this building.\n\nI slid the door ajar and looked hazily into her hazel eyes. \"Hi, do I know you?\"\n\nShe shook her head like a hinge. \"I'm here to help you. I'm a guide through the game.\"\n\n\"A guide?\"\n\n\"A sort of NPC. Yes, you'll need all the help you can get, I assure you.\"\n\nI clenched the baseball bat mace, and stepped out into the hallway. The lights overhead were yellowish, murky.\n\n\"Follow me. We must go to the basement. There is an escape hatch down there,\" she said.\n\nI didn't like this. And I didn't trust beautiful women, especially the type with hazel eyes and hourglass hips.\n\nBut I followed, like a dog on a leash. It felt like a dream, I was still half asleep. The lighting grew dimmer as we approached the stairs.\n\n\"Elevator is down. We must take the staircase,\" she said, opening the metal door gingerly.\n\nWe descended the staircase with a slow, careful approach. She didn't hold the railing, in fact, she seemed to glide down as if on roller skates.\n\nI didn't think to ask until now: \"What's your name?\"\n\n\"Whatever you want it to be. Does it matter at this point?\"\n\nI shut up and kept descending. We finally met a tall wooden door that looked pasted on the wall.\n\n\"In, now,\" she commanded.\n\nI turned the knob, but it didn't move. I glanced at the NPC woman for a moment.\n\n\"No way out, no way in. Welcome to the game. Would you like to continue?\"\n\nI nodded. I didn't understand yet.\n\n\"Go in,\" she said. \n\nI pushed once more, and the door gave way. Inside was a computer console that looked modern, but also steampunk. I didn't know much about steampunk culture, but it had that feel to it.\n\n\"Save your game here. You'll need a spawning point,\" she said with the lightness of a feather.\n\nI touched the sphere held up in front of the wall of monitors. Then I felt a jolt of energy rushing through my head. It felt like I'd put my tongue in an electrical conduit.\n\n\"Good,\" she said. \"Now you're ready to play.\"\n\n\"Play?\" I asked.\n\n\"You're going to need this spawning room. Because outside that door is your worst fear. Until you face it, you'll never get out of the Nightmare.\"\n\n\"Great,\" I said.\n\nI knew what was out there. The panic I'd been running from my whole life. The depression I escaped through drugs and shrinks. \n\nI opened the wooden door. There was no more hiding. Nothing left but to do it.\n\nWhen the door swung open, I saw myself. My past self, before I awoke in a nightmare.\n\n\"Fight yourself,\" she said. \"To the death. The greatest fear you have is your own death. This way you can experience it, without fear of oblivion.\"\n\nAll of a sudden, I was at once in my own body and in the other body at the same time.\n\n\"Go. Kill,\" the NPC said.\n\nI went. And I killed. And when it was over, I returned to the spawning room. The beautiful NPC have glory in her eyes. She looked different. I recognized her. She was Princess Peach, in human form.\n\n\"I'm sorry, but your princess is in another castle,\" she said listlessly.\n\nIn the corner of the spawning room was a gigantic plumbing tube. I jumped in the top, like I'd done as a small child.\n\nI knew this game. I was ready to escape. I said goodbye to the beautiful NPC, and slid through the pipe. \n\nAt the other end was something. I knew that. \n\nI saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I closed my eyes and waited.\n\nI heard a digital melody in the distance.\n\nI know this game.",
"Rest in peace, Leo Korhonen... \n\nYou lived 89 years and died a billionare in Helsinki. It has been a smooth run, you handsome devil!\n\n​\n\n\\*\\* NEW GAME+ AVAILABLE!\\*\\*\n\n\"Finally!\" I grinded for eons to get to this level! \n\n\"Sure, I'm in.\"\n\nI tried to stretch a bit before embarking on this new quest... \n\nImagine my surprise when I realized I was no longer bound to a corporeal form. \n\n​\n\nA strange thing, forgetting the feeling of endless void around you... Well, it was an immersive game after all.\n\n\"Lets explore the new options then...\"\n\n​\n\n\\*\\* HARD MODE: You are no longer rich or attractive. \\*\\*\n\n​\n\n\"Meh, pass..\"\n\n​\n\n\\*\\*LEGENDARY MODE: Your intelligence will be below average or you have a 25% chance of a disability.\\*\\*\n\n​\n\n\"Boooring...\" I sighed - or at least I tried to - and kept scrolling...\n\n​\n\n\\*\\* NIGHTMARE MODE: Feeling adventurous? \\*\\*\n\n​\n\nI paused. This isn't descriptive at all... But I felt like I was up for the challenge. Worst case scenario? I will have a short and unpleasant ... what, 60 years of simulation? It's nothing for a primordial being. \n\n​\n\n\"I certainly do feel adventurous!\"\n\n​\n\nAs the simulation began to wrap itself around me, I tried to clear my thoughts and free my mind. \n\n​\n\nThe chamber which held my essence began to fill with flickering lights, folding and expanding on itself in a bizarre fashion. As usual, I skipped the intro fast... The Big Bang, The Mesozoic Era, Dark Ages... \n\n​\n\nMiddle Ages? Eww... I can't believe some gamers are into this crap.\n\n​\n\nLet's see... Female, born in 1970? Sure, why not.... \n\n​\n\nI made my choice, now it's time to sit back and let the simulator work its magic. \n\n​\n\nNightmare Mode... I shuddered with excitement. \"This will be fun!\"\n\n​\n\nNow here comes the best part: I'm about to forget everything I know... Oh, how liberating!\n\n​\n\n\\*\\* SIMULATION BEGINS \\*\\*\n\n​\n\nSomewhere in Balkans... Slovenia? \n\n​\n\nA hospital... Doctors leaning over a woman... She pushes... pushes hard and I see... light? Impossible to tell.. \n\nStrange shapes, moving around me. Sounds are different.\n\n​\n\nOuch, that hurt! Felt a physical contact. Instincts tell me to react... Air escapes my lungs, and it makes a high pitch sound. How weird...\n\n​\n\nSounds are softer now, are they relieved that I reacted? \n\n​\n\nWHAT!? \n\nSuddenly lost my direct connection to the big, protective being that I was inside of? I wonder what happened? \n\n​\n\nAnd now a giant being picks me up, cuddles me... I feel safer now. More sounds... \n\n\"A baby girl! Did you pick a name yet?\"\n\n​\n\nI start sucking on a soft object. It's relaxing, soothing... As I slowly succumb to slumber, I hear another sound:\n\n\"Yes we did... She is Melania... Melania Knavs.\"",
"Easy mode? Why the hell did I pick that before? Am I a goddamn child?\n\nI always thought it was just too damn easy, living the life I did. Happily married parents with no scandals. Millions of dollars inherited and a job title you could only get with nepotism. Super good-looking and a master in all games FPS. Every freaking thing I did bear fruit. I was just that good.\n\nEasy mode.\n\nLooking at the difficulty options, I don't understand how or why I would go for the lowest common denominator. I mean, there's normal mode and hard mode in between easy and . . . Nightmare?\n\nNightmare mode?\n\nI don't hesitate to press the Nightmare mode button. This is my speed. It's no fun if you don't have a challenge.\n\n---~---~---\n\nI miss my lavish home. I miss sleeping on memory foam and laughing at 15 year-olds as I hear them voice their displeasure at my 360 no-scope. I miss having money, never feeling hungry or thirsty and being able to nail someone at leisure.\n\nNightmare mode sucks. From the day I was born, the only sensation I've felt is the cold iron shackled to my ankles. A mother dead from childbirth, a father beaten into bootlicking submission. Family murdered right before my eyes. Nights spent debating on whether I'd choose to starve another day or eat the bodies of people I cherished. Sleeping on a cot of splintered wood. It's truly a nightmare.\n\nI tried to kill myself plenty of times. Ragequit the game, start over on normal or hard. Every time, I just wake up on this wooden cot again, splintering digging into my back. 13 years of suffering and nothing improved. My body was still too weak, still riddled with disease, still frail no matter how much I labored. My family was gone. I was toyed with night after night. A pawn, a tool, an object. I hardly registered as a person to the monarch.\n\nI longed to close my eyes and return to that screen, select Easy mode once more. But every time I closed my eyes, the only thing I could feel was the stinging pain of the whip sliding across my back."
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[removed] | [WP] Say her name in the mirror three times and Bloody Mary appears. This was supposed to be a scary story, but then your creepy uncle found out. He has... plans for her. | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi, this submission has been removed.\n\n[No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n • While it doesn't seem to be your intent, the mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel may become harmful to the community. \n\nPrompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))\n\n────────\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20Post) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things."
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[removed] | [WP] you are an elderitch god. A being that can destroy a planet in one snap, and knows all that is to know. And yet here you are, watching over a child. How did you get to this? | 6 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"There are no words to describe what I am, to instill the horror and existential dread that my very being instills in all mortals that view even a small portion of what I am. 'Eldritch' is a term I have heard thrown about many times on your tiny speck of a planet, but it does not describe anything. It is merely an epithet, something to veil the true nature of something behind a blurry veneer of abstraction.\n\nI know all, I see all, madness is my domain and infinity well within the bounds of my capacity. Yet much at the same time I find myself learning ever more, ever since I found myself with this child in my care, as knowing something does not mean understanding it.\n\nHow I wound up here, with a tiny echo of my power on Earth masquerading as a human being, acting as the caretaker for this child, is quite the tale, one the details of which involves concepts and ideas which would cause any of your kind who heard them to burst into flames and dissolve into screeching soul matter. However, one of the things that you humans are good at is 'abstract' and enough layers of abstraction heaped atop anything can allow you to see patterns and sympathize with things far beyond the purview you could normally hope to understand. With that said, you must acknowledge that what I speak of below is abstracted to a degree that you could never dive deep enough to understand beyond your own scope.\n\nLong ago, there were more of us. An entire race, eldritch and unending. An unyielding mass of power and unfathomable glory and despair. Time and space had no meaning to us and the places where the tendrils of our might reached were changed irrevocably, warped beyond recognition and blasted beyond all hope of repair. As was our nature, we fought, in titanic struggles which rent the very nature of reality to its core. Cracks and spiralling devastation so great even now I cannot see where it ends.\n\nAlone among my kind, I survived. The smallest and least, overlooked by powers so far greater than myself that the depths of the greatest infinities fall away as if to nothing by the scales examined. I alone survived, and found myself alone. Reality was broken, spiralling away into smaller and smaller fractions that shattered against each other as they passed and collided with one another. I settled into sleep, with nothing but my own dreams of madness and destruction to entertain my mind.\n\nUntil a light, and a sound awoke me. It was not great, it was quite small and held to my dreams had it not been for the piercing nature of existence itself coming into being once more against the scattered dust of what had once been and not been, I would not have noticed. I... I suppose 'opened an eye' will work here though the concept is far from appropriate, and searched the desolate emptiness for what could have caused this. I would have found it eventually, but my search was expedited by a second burst of light, sound and existence. This second flash, the greater and yet weaker, is what you upon your planet refer to as 'The Big Bang'. I investigated, and found myself examining the creation of a universe under the guidance of three figures. The first flash I had felt, and the two children he had created to aid him in his task to form some measure of life to the emptiness he had felt around him upon his awakening.\n\nThey worked together in a dance, each with their own work in guiding the formation of their project and slowly I discovered their names. Yahweh, Jehovah, and Lucifer. I watched them as they crafted from a tiny point of infinite heat and density an entire realm where they could seed light and life. Stars filled the firmaments, and around those stars were created planets. Sculpted at first by hand, then by natural processes built into their creation.\n\nAnd as they worked, more lights flickered into being. Their worlds without number springing life from the dust and fire that dominated the nature of the existence they had been built within, and with every life that flickered out a greater light sprung out, a soul, structured and ready to aid in the shaping of the universe until an entire host of angels and demons flew about the planes of existence, dotting planets with life and light, shadows and death. An entire recreation of the greater reality, but tended to and nurtured to grow greater ever greater even amongst the petty squabbles, instead of being torn asunder by them.\n\nFor the first time, I felt something like anger. To see this light that I could not partake in. Even slumbering as I was I could not stand to see these specks of light flit about in joy and agony, a grand celebration of everything I could not understand or be, and reached forth my power to destroy it. The hosts of heaven and hell rallied against my power, but small as they were could do nothing to stop it. Yahweh himself fell to oblivion protecting his creation. As reality crumbled and cracked, a single figure came forth not with shield and sword, but with thought and warmth.\n\nI was confused by that, though I knew they intended to talk to me, they did not intend to trick me. They merely intended to understand. An archangel of Jehovah's host by the name of Michael, sought to understand me, and then me to understand him. Though his efforts destroyed him, it saved the rest. In the hands of Jehovah and his greatest enemy Lucifer were placed the knowledge and things seen without and above, and how to converse with me. To keep me placated with a taste of life, and existence.\n\nA child was placed in the arms of an avatar crafted from unbeing and chaos, and I was directed towards a small home on Earth, a planet near its time of reaping. I was to care for the child, and the child would care for me. So here my avatar sits, watching a small figure wrapped up in its own happiness and curiosity. I do not understand yet, and I do not know how long it will be until I do, if ever.\n\nBut I can wait, and watch, and listen. It is better than the dreams of that which came before."
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1,
2
] | [
"1555513670",
"1555516158"
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[WP] "it was not a great plan, but it was not a bad plan either. it was a pretty good plan, but i simply must ask, did you really need to set the place on fire on your way out?" | 9 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Things can't be perfect.\" I say back. the cops were chasing us down the street. \"we aren't out of this yet! complain about the fire later!\" I turn back to see the wooden spire fall. maybe it wasn't the best idea to burn down the most iconic church in France just to get the security guards off of my back. the death penalty wasn't something I wanted to deal with, so I wasn't going to stick around for much longer. \"you got the crate? I better of not burned down the cathedral for nothing!\"\n\n\"Of course!\" dan shouted. we stole a sculpture from the second floor, figuring the money I could get for it could be more than enough to get my brother and I out of debt, we snagged it and dashed for the door. I tossed it down to Dave who was sitting in one of the seats on the main floor, who bolted. I saw 2 guards go after him, then I heard 4 gunshots.\n\nseeing that people were trying to shoot at him, i went to plan b. I pulled out my pistol and diverted fire from the security guards. I then went up the stairs to the attic and got out my match, then I struck the match against one of the poles holding the roof up and set it down next to the pole. I raced down the stairs and bolted from the door before I hear the people screaming. I see the car, wave at him, and he pulled over and had me jump in the back, load the rifle, and sit down.\n\n\\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\"what now?!\" we have 2 helicopters after us, not to mention the wave fo police cars behind us.\n\n\"Why do you think I brought the rifle?!\" he shouted back. I nodded. I picked it up and fired at the helicopters, aiming at the glass. my clip runs out of ammo and I see 2 bodies fall from one of the helicopters. the helicopter then crashes at on the road. \"nice shot!\" I hear him say, I never killed a man in my life. the fact that I ever did in my life would be something I would regret till the day I die.\n\nThe second helicopter pulled back. all I saw were 2 more police cars. both of which had their brights on and were firing shots at us. one cracks the back window, another cracks the left mirror. I snap out of my daze and reload and fire blindly at the blinding lights in the night. I empty the clip, reload, fire. I empty, reload, fire; empty, reload, fire; empty, reload, fire. finally, on my last clip, last bullets fired, pulled out my pistol, then the cars finally pulled back and retreated. a sigh of relief came from the both of us\n\nI turn around to see dan motioning me to come to the front. he hands me his phone and I see the headlines, \"INCENDIE À LA CATHÉDRALE. CAUSES INCONNUES\"\n\n\"I don't know French.\" I tell him.\n\n\"its basically says nobody knows that it was a robbery and nobody knows what caused it.\"\n\n\"Except for the cops.\"\n\n\"the cops crashed into each other, both are dead\"\n\n\"but the other 50?\"\n\n\"that part isn't important. no camera saw us, so we are good for now\" dan turned to me and read the expression of shame on my face. he told me, \"kid, I know this your first deal, but you knew before this that something always gets stolen or destroyed or killed during these kinds of things. its impossible to break a law without breaking something while you are doing it.\" we went into the private airfield and we got the crate out of the car. he handed me a can of fuel and a match, I knew what to do. I set it on fire, and I loaded the sculpture onto the plane. I finally sat down after half an hour work. \"you did good kid. there is a bed in the back\" I hear from the cockpit.\n\n\"Thanks\"\n\nI stumble into the room, and after the last sleepless 20 hours of planning, burning, gunfire, and a chase. I crashed onto the bed and blacked out."
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1,
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"1555532530",
"1555548954"
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[removed] | [WP] "We are one" | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/JB4T5gamemusic, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n- Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, avoid [too many details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE). \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bem25l/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555596942",
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[WP] You are a major player in a drug war, your name is well known amongst criminals and the cops, one day you witness a shootout between the police and some thugs, a wounded cop falls before you asking for help. Turns out he is the chief of police who has hunted you for years. | 10 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Can I get 2 packs of swishers?” I say to the cashier at 7/11. Long day, I might go home and smoke a fatty. I check out and leave the store.\n\nI check my watch. 7:00 P.M. \nI hear sirens in the distance but I don’t really think about it to be honest, it happens all the time down here.\n\n“WATCH OUT” I hear, a police officer tackles me down to get me out of the way so I don’t get shot, but he’s shot in the process.\n\nOh. My. God. I know him, he has a bounty on my head.\n\n“I’ve been h- hit.” The pi- cop says.\nI’m alone today, my homeboys are all busy.\n\n“GET DOWN ON THE FUCKING GROUND!” All of a sudden I’m fucking on the floor with what seems like a swarm of cops. I try to fight but I’m in immense pain and bloods rushing to my head. \n\nIs this a setup? I think to myself.\n\nThe cops handcuff me and read me my Miranda rights.\n\nDamn. I’ve been setup."
] | [
1,
3
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"1555609157",
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[removed] | [WP]You get home from work one afternoon and your plain pint glass was plain no more. “World’s #1 Dad” stares back at you. Picking up the glass in disbelief, you mutter to yourself, “But I don’t have a kid...” | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Sicarius-de-lumine, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/besujr/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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1,
1
] | [
"1555633220",
"1555634968"
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[WP] Zombie Apocalypse, centered around a person who is hailed as the cure due to surviving a bite. Treated almost like Jesus' second coming. When in fact it's just a detailed tattoo, gotten in an earlier time of zombie movies adding to their survivability. | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"This was the day my parents had been waiting for. Mama and pops crowded around the old tube we managed to earn in a junk raffle. The TV was playing a clip from a few days ago, when The Bitten One was brought to the community a few miles north: Brandontown. I watched with my family as they carried out a man on a stretcher behind a protection fence. The bite that lighted itself upon his shoulder was in plain view for everyone to see. Legend was, he bore that bite weeks ago, and still lives to this day.\n\nWhen I was a kid, I always knew that if you were cursed by a zed, you passed out within minutes, and turned before midnight struck. Of the few things I remember from my childhood, that is probably the most prominent. It was beaten into me as we ran from house to house, across streets, and along riverbeds. My papi seemed to hate the outside, always encouraging us to pick up the pace, to go faster than a slow walk. My mama always lagged behind, sobbing, sleeping, or limping. At some point when my teeth were falling out we stopped the running. From then on, zeds were common sights through a protection fence.\n\nSnapping back to the present, I caught some words as the volume was turned up on the tube.\n\n“...will be coming to Base one today for a brief parade.”\n\nMy parents cheered with excitement. Even I knew the importance of a bite survivor. The ability to not turn means that some smart scientists can create a shot, or maybe even a cure for the curse! The cure couldn’t come soon enough. It didn’t come soon enough for uncle Ricardo, nor little Angie, his two year old daughter.\n\n“Come, Lucy.” Mama told me “We must go to the checkpoint. The Bitten One will be passing through on his way to our hospital.”\n\nI didn’t like to go outside, but this time it was worth it.\n\nA few minutes later, we stood in the blood and urine smell of checkpoint Faraday. We groped at the fence and tried to catch a view of the party past the zeds. They chattered and clamored in a way mimicking the crowd, but with more bloodlust in their eyes. The arrival of the bitten one was announced with the cracks of a rifle. The zombies closest to the doors spurted blood and fell, slumping to the ground. A stray bullet struck the fence just to the left of the last zed, and sparked as it ricocheted through the chain link and barbed wire between us and the outside. The following bullet corrected the mistake made by the first. At last we caught a view of him. The crowd cheered as he was brought up and through the winding checkpoint in his stretcher. Eventually he disappeared into a medical tent.\n\n-Two weeks later-\n\nPapi was called in to the hospital again. His cough was getting real bad, and he couldn’t eat dinner yesterday. Mama had me come with him to his room. The doctor came in and papi asked us to leave. I did, glad to get out of the dark room, but my mom stayed. I waited a few minutes, playing my counting game, and eventually got bored. I started wandering the hall, seeing how fast I could go between the long walls and how many times I could touch the side walls. I just beat my record when I heard a weak voice.\n\n“Excuse me, kid”\n\nI spun around.\n\n“Where am I?” The voice asked, evidently belonging to an old man in a light blue apron and nothing else. He was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t tell why.\n\n“You’re in the medical ward, near my dad’s room.” I responded. I noticed a little red splotch on his shoulder. “What’s that?” I asked, gesturing to it.\n\n“Oh that, that’s an old tattoo from pre-apocalypse times.”\n\n“What is it supposed to be?” I had seen a tattoo before, but they were always black or grey, never red.\n\n“Well, ironically, it’s a zombie bite. I was a bit of a geek growing up and I thought it might be cool.”\n\nThat’s when it clicked. That was how I recognized him. He was the bitten one. Except, if his bite was a tattoo, then that means he never really was bitten. Which means, there is no cure. These thoughts all flooded to me as I started struggling to breathe. We were truly doomed."
] | [
1,
1
] | [
"1555634299",
"1555636944"
] | |
[deleted] | [WP] You're immortal and the end of the universe is approaching. | 4 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"An extraterrestrial equilibrium of beauty and destruction spreads around your floating body and reaches your fingertips. You feel warm and no longer appear floating endlessly through space, as the past 1000 years have flown by faster than the speed at which your surroundings are disintegrating, but instead descending into a vacuum of pure, ecstatic energy. You let out a howl of glee as your brain stimulates the first emotion experienced by a soul in over a millenium. The singularity approaches, everything turns white and it's as though is no longer space, but is rather time, gliding endlessly through the belt as you watch your friends. Your family. Your loved ones. Floating towards singularity at the speed of light until your crystal blue eyes explode and wash over your limitless body. A flash of white quicker than time deems possible and then...\n\nNothingness.\n\nNothingness.\n\nNothingness.\n\nNothing-\n\nA flash begins again as you witness the Big Bang. No, not witness. You ARE it. You caused it. A flicker, then a burst of consciousness on your shooting way, and you'll savour that healing, that feeling of pure creation all the rest of this eternity, having felt it, having known the story of how the universe was created for just a moment, before being engulfed into the collectiveness of it all once again. You decide to join it, not knowing what to expect, but imaging full well that it'll be worth it. Being able to wipe your memories clean, start fresh, witness the changes of the universe, the earth, humanity, yourself, time. You couldn't bear to live apart yet engulf the consciousness of everyone you ever loved. Not being able to interact with them, having to turn away from them for yet another eternity. You wish to join them, despite never being able to truely tell them.\n\nBecause you can't help but feel for them, love them, worry for those who travel down the river of time and space without you."
] | [
1,
2
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"1555641844",
"1555671880"
] |
[WP] "Silent treatment" had just been added into the available options of punishment for crimes | 9 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The street light at the corner flickered and made the shadows dance. I continued to drag my feet along knowing that what I had done was wrong, but the task was complete so there was no turning back. The clock tower struck midnight and I picked up the pace. My stomach churning; the last mortal I ate crawling its way up my throat I was sure I would vomit any second. The red door shined like a beacon showing me the way home. I quickly turned the door knob, slammed the door shut and sunk to the floor. Shaking why couldn't I stop shaking! My husband was standing in the hallway, his eyes reddened with anger and sunken with guilt. \"What did you do?\" Those were the last words he would ever say to me. He had seen what I had stolen and had sentenced me to death by Silent Treatment. I will never hear him tell me he how much he loves me but he doesn't know I did it for him. I only wanted to be able to give him what he loves; I stole the Krabby Patty formula for him."
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1,
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"1555643094",
"1555648663"
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[removed] | [WP] Start and end with the sentence “I‘m scared but I will try...“ | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi, this submission has been removed.\n\n[Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n • Write Anything: A prompt must actually be a prompt, not a \"write anything,\" or simply based on a genre or emotion.\n\n────────\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20Post) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things."
] | [
1,
1
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"1555703060",
"1555704879"
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[WP] "In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king." Untrue, as it turns out. When a mysterious energy wave swept the world and took away vision for humans, you were the only one left with an eye, the wealthy and powerful are hunting you down for your working eyeball. | 8,055 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I'm new here and this is a rap. I dunno if it's allowed or not but I got inspired by the setting you gave so...\n\nMy life has turned into a rush,\nI would feel good about it but I'm scared too much,\nAll the people with their banks full,\nChasing me with hands full,\nOf cash like it's damn use-,\nLess but it ain't cuz their using it snatch my,\nEyeballs. It is now something to die for,\nBut they're ready to kill me but I ain't ready to fight all,\nI'm not a fighter just trying to survive in this nightmare,\nNow I must stay quiet and pray to my idols,\n\nSometimes I think to just give in to this,\nI'll die someday why not today be it,\nAnd while I go I can make someone happy,\nBut then I realize their hidden evil intent.\nIf I give this mercy to them they will use it,\nTo abuse and produce a world that's reduced to,\nA place where independence is a nuisance,\nWe will lose the truest and these evil demons,\nWill be the rulers\n\nBut it's harder in practice than to think,\nRunning out of resources plus stammering,\nNobody has kept a link cuz if they keep,\nThey will also be killed by the assassins.\nNow I'm trapped cuz I've stopped travelling,\nIf I go out, I know, they will catch me in,\nI don't know how much more I have it in,\nThis is not my place I just hope that heaven is",
"More than usual had answered Gavin's call: Seven, to be exact. \n\nYesterday, he had told them to meet at the bottom of the hill to the south, when the ground was coldest. First came a family of four dressed to match. They all wore crudely made fur robes, their hair was tangled, and blindfolds covered where their eyes should be. Next arrived two folks, older and frailer than the family who relied on canes and each other to reach this low-point of the village. Last stumbled down a chubby fellow dressed to impress. He wore nothing.\n\nWhen the chubby fellow arrived, Gavin led the group into a small tunnel at the bottom of the hill, to fire and warmth. Everyone huddled around the fire and looked around wondrously, waiting for Gavin to speak.\n\n\"I've not led you astray, friends,\" Gavin whispered, placing his hand on the shoulders of the chubby fellow and one of the older folks. \"I am he who is hunted near and far, from the Windy Wastes to the Steaming Sands. Luckily for me -- and for all of you -- the hungry elite have not stretched their wiry hands this far north.\"\n\nThe gathered group was smiling. They all knew what was coming.\n\n\"And thus, I'm here to help each of you.\" Gavin circled the room, gently touching each person present. \"You've not seen your children,\" his voice echoed toward the family, \"your sister,\" he looked toward the older folks, \"or yourself,\" he ended at the chubby fellow, \"for many years.\"\n\nEven though they'd all heard of his powers, all of their mouths were agape. He knew each of them so well.\n\n\"I'm here to change that, for a time.\" Gavin stopped in the center of the circle, close to the fire. He reached toward his good eye as he'd done many times before. \"Remember this -- remember me -- when they come. If you do, I will return, friends -- and you'll be able to see your loved ones again.\" He clasped his hand around his eye and let out a slight grunt, unlocking the ball of magic and metal from his eye socket, and began walking toward the family of four.\n\nEveryone in the room looked around excitedly. They'd remember this, remember Gavin, for the rest of their lives.\n\nOr until the wealthy and powerful arrived...",
"I thought it was the end of life,\nWhen that sphere fell from my head.\nI'll live my life half blind, disfigured,\nMy vanitey now dead. \n\nBut little did I know, \nThe one ball I had left,\nWould assend me past the heavens,\nWould place me at my best. \n\nThe gods had thought the world,\nTo vain and shallowed heart,\nThat beauty would be for all,\nNot in the eye but in the heart.\n\nSo they took the vision from us,\nNo more discrimination here,\nTake the beauty from the beholder,\nAnd have everyone be fair.\n\nBut me I found was lucky,\nFor I had my one ball left,\nAnd kings would come across the land,\nTo know which lady was best.\n\nAnd as they'd come I'd tell them,\nJust what they wanted to hear,\nThat all the women were beautiful,\nAnd they were all happy with cheer.\n\nOf course everyone was ugly,\nAs I could only see,\nBut the happiness I brought them,\nMade it beautiful to me.\n\nNo more self consciousness,\nAlways checking in the mirror,\nWe are all beautiful now,\nThe truth is finally clear.",
"[Poem]\n\n\nBefore I start there is something I should mention, I didn’t really understand the prompt, and so this poem might not fit the prompt.\n\nHere is anyway what I got:\n\nAll of humanity has gone blind, except one person who has one working eye, which somehow makes him a king?\nInstead of obeying him, the rich try to take said eye, in order to become king.\n\nSo yeah, most likely wrong, but that is what I went with. Oh and this is only my third poem, on here, so it will most likely be really bad, bad I hope that someone will enjoy it.\n\nOh and I have not proof read it ( too lazy right now, so the grammar is likely wrong and words are probably misspelled. Well enjoy!\n\nWarning — this poem is dangerously bad, and by reading it you accept that you might lose your eyesight, because it is so terribly bad.\n\nContinue reading if you accept the terms above.\n—\n\nAs I run I can hear their screams behind me.\n\nSadly I do not have time to turn around an see.\n\nThey chase me for my vision.\n\nThey want my eye.\n\nIt is like they have a competition.\n\nWith the price as what I think is my hair dye.\n\nThat is at least what they are screaming about.\n\nWell it is either that or my one eye.\n\nAnd that is something I can’t live without.\n\nLuckily they all seem to be blind.\n\nSo it isn’t like the can efficiently chase me around.\n\n“Damn bastard come back here!” I hear, and I decide to reply, “I think not, you haven’t been kind”\n\nOh shit, I say quietly as I realize they can track sound.\n\nWell I need to go now, hopefully they get stuck in my pit.\n\nAnd hopefully they aren’t to fat, so they will fit.\n\nI look around with my one eye on my barricades.\n\nSpikes, pits and other shit.\n\nI imagine they scream, curse me to death.\n\nI smile, while looking smug, in the light of torches lit.\n\nI am the one eyed king, they almighty Seth.\n\nAlthough my people want me dead.\n\nThey can’t have my hair dye, or I’ll go bald on my head.",
"Ironically, the year was 2020 when the peoples of the globe lost their vision. The majority of humanity died that day, whether by accidental, or suicidal means. \n\nIronically, the petty wars and atrocities humanity had so long waged and committed against each other also waned due to the collective losses of a 'shared vision' which propelled these acts. While warmongering nations fought with drones, automated systems, they had still factored in the human element for their decision making. Determine friend from foe and neutralize. Without their sight to verify these conclusions, the fight became meaningless, unwarranted and futile. Everything became collateral damage, and the fear of this new unknown was enough for entire armies to lay down their arms. \n\nIronically, the day was October 31st. And I had chosen to dress as a pirate this year. The screams and yelling rose almost instantly. Crying and loud crashing filled the room as the partygoers frantically tried to find their way through the house.. I tore my eyepatch off and to my relief.. later, my horror..\n\nI alone, could see.",
"The terrible things I’ve seen. The terrible things I’ve seen. They do not want to see, yet are still hunting me.\n\nBut I can see. And wish I could not. They cannot see and wish they can. I do not envy them. \n\nOnce, the world was awash in a sea of color, and now everybody is blind. I am the last to be able to see. One eye on the world.\n\nWhat they cannot see is we are not alone. These others, multi colored beings walk amongst us. They giggle and walk around our newfound clumsiness, but I can see them. They are harmless. They are light, and energy and happiness. If we could see them we would be afraid of their happiness, we’d strip them of what they are.\n\nNo, we should not see. We cannot see.",
"In the end, it wasn't the environment that we should have been worrying about. It was not the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, or rising sea levels, or unbearable heat that took life as we knew it away from us. It was not even an outbreak of some deadly virus, despite the warnings of microbiologists over the growing risk of antibiotic resistance.\n\n​\n\nThe last thing that humanity saw before the beginning of the darkness was a blinding light. Perhaps a poor choice or words, but this throwaway and literal phrase - blinding light - is really the most fitting way to describe what happened. No one knew where it originated other than that it seemed to start from the ground up, and spread horizontally to devour the collective eyesight of the world.\n\n​\n\nYet here I am, with eyesight in my left eye.\n\n​\n\nIt was all due to my own perseverance that I am still able to see, really. When the darkness came, it took not only vision from humanity but also our souls. Guided by fear and sadness, people stopped rationally living and began fighting to survive - stealing what was not theirs and murdering those they felt might threaten their livelihood. Desperation drove their actions.\n\n​\n\nThe need to survive drove mine. You see, the darkness also took my vision. I was no different from anyone else in physiology, so why would I be spared? But in the darkness, I realised something. The scurrying of animals continued as they usually did, or so it seemed to my ears. Cats, dogs, rats - they still moved with purpose, a purpose only possible with unimpaired eyesight. My conjecture was that they still had their vision - they didn't seem to be affected.\n\n​\n\nI am loathe to describe what I did after this discovery. What I will tell you is that my right eye - my original - is of a dark brown, but my left eye from which I see is a feline yellow. My vision is not perfect, but it is sufficient.\n\n​\n\nPerhaps if they stopped hunting me, I would share this discovery with the world. Until then, this advantage is mine alone.\n\n​\n\n\\-----\n\nMy first writing prompt. I'm rusty, but enjoying this process. Hopefully this is not too dark!",
"January 24, 2046, one fine day. Helios-2 was shining bright and strong as Sol faded into the background. Whilst living in the shadows amongst the cargo wasn't great, at least it was not on Earth. The previous presidency in the years 2016-2024 completely destroyed the atmosphere and land rendering it unlivable. \n\nDiseases once extinct came back to life, and the world was swept by waves of human denial of environmental change and strife. I grimaced as I remember the last words of my father -- 'Live', as he pushed me into the crate before I was moved into the huge space boat, I believe they call it - the Ark. \n\nI'm always a glass half full kinda person -- you had to be if you grew up like me. Things could only be better moving forward, especially since I pretty much have unlimited food and drink. Frozen and packed , but well it's food, and food is.. yummy. As I was contemplating to hit that next pack of ice cold sushi, I felt a sharp pain in my left of my head. I was caught.\n\nOr so I thought. Turns out I may have eaten something that I should not. The last thing I remember is falling down on pillows and clouds..\n\n​\n\n.. Except it wasn't. It must have been an eternity before I woke up and found myself in the medicbay. The auto-ambulances must have found me in the cargo area and sent me here. Crap. I am going to be sent back to that god-forsaken land we once called home. Crap. \n\n'You OK?' came a soothing female voice. 'I am... here to help. What is your problem?'. Figured that I might as well go home healthy, I blurted out - 'Yeah I'm fine, just some scratches and my headache is really hurting and --- CLANG! I growled in pain and annoyance as my right hand hit some equipment on a desk which is invisible to me. \n\n'Try not to move, we are all in the same boat, remain calm.' said the voice. The same boat? What boat is that? This one? The Ark? 'It's OK' - she said. 'Our best minds are at work and we will be able to see once the digital eye is developed. In the mean time, HAL will help us get our lives in order as our top minds solve the problem. If only we can get a copy of a working human eye from Earth.. Assuming we turn around, we should get there in a few.. Oh, sorry. Your ID number please?' \n\nI bolted from the door. Knocking the right panel clean off before they can realize I still have vision in one eye. It was my chance to be a king in this new world! And I am definitely not going to be stuck in a lab somewhere. \n\n.\n\n.\n\n.\n\nJanuary 24, 2064. I am alive. Barely. Humanity has lost all vision as the only humans left are the ones on the Ark. Let's just say someone made sure that happened. Because as they say, in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. \n\n​\n\nUntil he is caught and blinded, not for science, but those corrupt --\n\n​\n\nr/omnomnom_kv",
"Note: apologies for any spelling or grammar as I was writing this on my phone because I had to capture the idea that came to mind. \n\n\n\"I've got it.\" The sudden noise wakes you from your afternoon nap among the waste. \"I've got the seeing eye.\" \n\nYou turn your head slightly, human waste tumbling off your neck. You've grown used to the smells and to not taking care of yourself. You've also grown used to silence. So you look at the speaker.\n\nShe is a young girl - possibly pre-adolescent but it is difficult for you to judge. She is as scrawny as she is tall, a small wasted shadow with ragged clothes, matted mud splattered hair that was probably once brown and she is holding up a round object. Even from a close range you can barely tell it is an eyeball. \n\n'No. Used to be an eyeball,' you think. Dripping with gore and no doubt stinking of decay. You can't help but wonder why a lone girl in the Graveyards would believe it was the one seeing eye. 'My bloody eye.'\n\nThe scavengers are onto her in a flash, rising up from the surrounding piles of bones. Their crazed mouths drool, saliva cascading across their chests: you count at least ten of the creatures. And for a moment you pity them. Until you remember cynically that they were the reason you had come to the Graveyards all those years ago. \n\nThe Crazies, would tear anyone to pieces for a taste of flesh. They had some strange religion based around devouring the sightless eyes of non-believers. All of which was meant to give you a modicum of safety from the outside world. \n\nThe past fifteen years brought nothing but hell. Running from the sightless world administrators who realised the value of your one seeing eye. \n\nDamn, you are some reverse Sauron. You smile at the thought, then grimace as the Crazies close in on the little girl. It's never been pleasant to watch intruders torn to shreds.\n\nOf course, while you realise sheer luck brought you to the Graveyard and the Crazies, you refuse to accept this reality. Luck is for the blind.\n\nYou blink as the girl tosses the eye down onto the ground. Any thoughts about the corpse she stole it from cease as the eye rolls down across the bone stacks, blinking with a single red light. Then a flash illuminates everything in blinding white light and the Crazies scream as fire rinses away their insanity.\n\nIt takes half a second for the flare to hit you. You have no time to respond except to realise that the eyeball was, in stead, a Hellfire Grenade. A weapon you once invented in a previous life.\n\nThe blast sends you flying. Sharp piercing pain shreds through your shoulder and chest, followed by a wet clammy sensation. You hear a loud scream and realise it was your own involuntary noise. You've been silent so long you forgot the sound of your own voice.\n\nThe next thing you realise is that you have a large bone shard poking through the centre of your chest. It's not yours. \n\n'The bloody thing just pierced right through me.' The thought stuns you. You've been running for so long that the thought of actually dying is a sudden surprise. But here it is at last. Death staring at you from a bone shard in the chest.\n\nA heavy weight thuds onto your legs and you groan. Then you see the girl from before. She's running her hands across your body, checking the injuries. Then she looks up at you. \n\nNo, she looks at you. And you feel the cold chill of true shock. She pulls out a knife and with an apologetic smile drives it towards your face.\n\n'She too has one good eye.'\n\nEverything turns dark with the settling blindness of death.",
"Hidden in the dense and quiet forest, the one eyed man awaits the blind. The pack of killers and beggars who've bestowed the title of 'The Hunt' have pursued him in the same manner as a team of wolves would stalk it's wounded prey. He is elusive and cunning. And when the moment is appropriate, violent. \n\nThe hunt have been re-inventing the methods in which they pursue there lonely target. As of late they have been belligerently scorching the immense woodland in hopes of smoking him out and taking the sight-seer. The morning is quiet and damp. The surrounding oak tree's seem to rocket upward into the empty sky. The ground is littered with dead leaves and broken branches, and in every direction the man can see, the forest envelops itself in a sort of camouflage. He holds in his gloved hand a pistol with five bullets. When they arrive, he knows that he must run. He can't die yet. Not until he finds her.\n\nA flock of birds soar overhead in a sporadic fashion, flapping there wings with the sole purpose of escaping looming threat. A scream catches the attention of the cyclops. The first has fallen into his trap. He listens intently as the mob desperately attempts to organize themselves.\n\n\"Please help me! I can't move and it hurts!\" An adolescent male squeals.\n\n\"What has happened boy?\" The familiar tone of the leader asks.\n\n\"It's everywhere! Like knives. My legs are stuck on something and if i move it hurts!\" The boy says in agonizing pain. He fallen several feet into a pit of crudely sharpened wooden barbs. \n\n\"I'm sorry child. There is nothing we can do for you. We have to move forward and find him.\"\n\n\"Don't leave me! Please don't leave me! I just need someone to help pull me out.\"\n\n\"We can't waste the time. He's close.\" The man says. He hold in his hand a metal rod utilized for feeling out the terrain ahead of him. He stands near the center of the hunt, several dozen other men and women surround him and await further instruction. \"Forward.\" He says simply and apologetically. The mass moves north cautiously, feeling for the thick moistness of moss on the peeling trunks of the tree's they approach.\n\nThe one eyed man grips the cold steel receiver of his weapon and pushes in through the forest toward the hunt. In slow even steps, he carefully and deliberately places each foot down on the soft foundation of the earth, avoiding any means with which could alert the enemy of his proximity. Not until the time is right.\n\nHe squints his eye at the circular formation of the hunt, they quietly drop the ends of there rods and spears on the ground in front of them to communicate. 'Almost' He thinks to himself. He orients himself to a position to the left of them and steps on top of a thick branch. The snap echos through out the forest and causes the group to halt immediately. He takes aim with his pistol, targeting the closest threat and squeezes the metal trigger, allowing the chain reaction of the hammer driving into the primer to surprise him. The explosion of the gunpowder initiating leaves the rest of the group entirely motionless.\n\n\"Where is she?\" The cyclops ask, his weapon aimed at the next target. Silence. Another gun shot deafens the ominous silence, followed by the heavy thud of a body crumbling to the dirt. \"Where is she?!\" He yells, this time not waiting before eliminating another one.\n\n\"She could be dead for all I know.\" The old man says, standing with his weight resting on the end of the metal rod he's holding. \"Give me the eye and i'll tell you for sure. You can't kill all of us.\"\n\nAnother bullet enters the skull of one of them, this one only a child the cyclops thinks to himself. A single tear running down his withered cheek. \"Just fucking tell me.\"\n\n\"Or what?\" Will you kill me? The only one who knows where she is. She's getting big by the way. Almost two now. She said 'Dada' the other day. It was cute.\n\nThe final bullet enters the leg of the old man, dropping him to a knee. \"You mother fucker.\" The old man says, he looks in the direction of the shooter, envisioning what his face looks like at this moment. The cyclops releases the slide of his weapon and pulls the trigger again. This time only a faint click can be heard. \"He's out. Kill him!\" one of the members screams, foolishly charging the man with one eye. The group rushing forward trip a thin line of rope holding the counter-weight of a 300 pound log, releasing the trap and sending it recklessly driving into the crowd killing all but two. \n\nThe cyclops approaches a woman lying in agony behind the old man. He reaches down and picks up a stone equal in size to his own fist. \"Tell me where she is or I will fucking kill this woman!\"\n\n\"Go ahead, she knows the score.\" The man says clutching the entry wound on his leg.\n\nThe cyclops lifts the rock above his head. He steps forward and places the weight of his body and the forward momentum of his swing into his leg and is about to drive down when out of the silence a heavy, raspy voice can be heard. \n\n\"Wait.\" The voice says slowly, \"I know where she is. Help me and I can bring you to her.\"\n\n\"You fucking dumb bitch!\" The old man growls, \"You fucking arrogant lying cunt! She lying to you.\" The man says dropping to both knees. He slowly feels his way toward where he heard the last foot fall with his worn out hands. \"She will fucking kill you and take that God damn eye with her as quickly as she'd let you fuck her!\"\n\n\"Where is she?\" The cyclops cuts of the man.\n\n\"Help me and i will tell you-\"\n\n\"She's fucking lying. You lying bitch! She'll only kill you boy!\"\n\n\"Quiet now.\" The cyclops says calmly, before striking the old man in the head. The wet crunch from his decrepit skull caving in carrying with it a serene silence.\n\n\"I won't hurt you.\" The woman lying on the ground grunted.\n\n\"I know. Help me.\" The cyclops said reaching out to help the woman stand.\n\n\"She is close. Move north.\" She said as she wrapped her arm around the broad shoulders of the man she has hunted for months. \"And she misses you.\"",
"“Come here, Babs!” I called to my dog. She trotted over to me, and bowed her head, allowing me to attach her to her leash. Babs licked my hand, and led me to my door. Gripping the doorknob, I walked outside.\n\nIt was truly a miserable sight. The sky was grey and thick with smog as smoke filled the air. Cars covered the roads, now having no true purpose anymore. Everything seemed rundown, as if an entire army had invaded and ruined everything in their sight. But...no. Some sort of government experiment had gone wrong, and when some mysterious energy or gas filled the air, it managed to blind everyone. Everyone but me, or so it seems.\n\nIt was a horrible curse. There was no exceptions, even for myself, as my left eye had gone completely blind, and my right was blurry whenever I stared at long distances for too long. If I’m correct, thats far sighted. Though I can’t remember exactly. It didn’t matter anyway, as the world seemed like a wasteland filled with people. \n\n“Fuck-!” A female bellowed. Turning my head, I watched as a female fell straight onto her face. She stifled a loud groan, and stood back up with her stick, and walked away. I frowned. Despite my newfound freedom and everything thats happened, I’ve felt extremely depressed. Oh, and did I forget to mention that some people have figured out that I can see? I’ve learned from listening to the radio that people are out to find me. It’s a scary thought, honestly. I’ve went too many nights sleepless, completely paranoid that they are going to find me.\n\nI began walking down the road. Twisting and turning in between overturned cars and rundown buildings. Suddenly, I felt a hand clasp hard around my shoulder.\n\n“What the hell are you doing!” I bellowed to the mysterious man.\n\n“You can see, can’t you?” He snarled, hastily turning me around. I gazed into his eyes. They were a sickening milky white, with black infused tears streaming down his cheeks leaving marks that looked similar to mascara. I frowned deeply.\n\n“No- I-I-I can’t see.” I stuttered.\n\nHe squinted hard, trying his best to see, before sighing. “I can’t prove you can...” He shook his head, gazing hard at the ground. “Go away...”\n\nAfter he had let go, I slowly walked away. My dog was a barking fit, though, I was extremely confused. How the hell did he know I was standing there, much less was able to grab me while I was *walking* ...? \n\nWhat was happening to this world? And why was *I* the only one left with sight?",
"Day 25. I've just discovered that the wealthy and powerful are hunting me down for my one remaining working eyeball. \n \nAnd, Diary, I DON'T CARE! Look at me! I'm dancing like nobody's watching. Because they CAN'T!!! One Two Cha-cha-cha. Three Four Cha-cha-cha. You can't SEE me, suckers! Ha ha ha! Am I doing the Samba? Am I crunking? You don't fucking know! Maybe I'm fucking moonwalking! \n \nDan-cing like no-body's watch-ing! Dan-cing like no-body's watch-ing! Come get my eyeball, fuckers. This boy's got music in his soul and taps on his shoes! Ain't nobody gonna stop me from dancing- like nobody's watching.",
"There is a legend about a time when people could not just feel and hear, but also see. \n\nSight is a difficult sense to describe, but it's something like the ability to feel the silent whispers of everything around you. The whispers tell you how something will feel before you touch it, who someone is before they shout out their name, and how badly a body will smell before you get near enough to smell it. \n\nEveryone knows the legend is true because we all still have eyes, they just don't work. The legend says that a curse spread across the entire planet and took sight away from all mankind, except for a single man who was left with the last working eye. The man with the sight.\n\nThat man was my father. He told me about how he tried to help his quaint little town and for awhile they were able to keep some remnant of their former lives going.\n\n​\n\nThen came the day that killed hope, when the second child was born. When the first child was born, people still had hope that there might still be a chance for the sight of the next generation to save everything, that things might go back to normal.\n\nSince my father was the only one who could see, he was the only one who could easily determine if the children could as well. The baby's eyes were open but didn't follow any of his movements. When he told the parents, they were outraged and first accused him of lying, then accused him of stealing the baby's sight in order to maintain his own. Their accusations caused hysteria to run rampant across the entire town, and word of a selfish man with sight got to the city next door.\n\n​\n\nA week later, that city was burning. The heat of the flames were just a warm night breeze to the townspeople and my father was bitter about what he had been accused of, so he didn't bother to tell them otherwise. \n\nThough that ended up not mattering as dawn had not broken when the first of the refugees came grasping at the street in the orange glow, yelling out stories of the horrors they had seen. \n\nThe small packs of cannibal arsonists who moved silently, looking for something to cook their latest catch on before it went bad or waiting for their next prey to walk by. They referred to themselves as \"omnivores\".\n\nThe smell of feces and garbage everywhere that made the sense almost useless.\n\nThe armored legion was gaining territory, controlled by the city's mayor who was already being called \"The Emperor\" by his troops.\n\nThe refugees told him that the armored legion was on their way to find the man who could still see. Some parts of the city were burned down entirely in order to clear out the cannibals quickly to ensure a more secure path.\n\nMy father was afraid, afraid for his life, afraid of what someone else might do if they had his power. So he ran. He mixed in with the bands of refugees and left his quaint little town behind. They wouldn't be able to catch him, so long as he traveled faster than word of his existence. From there he went from one crumbling society to the next, careful not to expose his power, yet still hoping to meet someone else who could see. \n\nHe never did. \n\n​\n\nOne day he found a woman who had been left to die in a ditch outside of the walls of the town. She had been exiled for trying to steal food during the noisiest part of the day. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but beauty doesn't mean much to a town full of people who can't see. He nursed her back to health and they lived a happy life together. \n\nWhen I was old enough, they taught me about how the sight worked.\n\n\"It must be given freely and out of love,\" Mother said.\n\n\"Just remember that you might not get it back.\" Father quipped.\n\nThen they let me see for the first time. Everything talked to me at once and I couldn't stop crying. Everything had something to say and I could finally listen. With this power came great temptations, but I remembered my father's words and realized that they might be anxious about me running off with the sight. Not wanting them to worry, I gave it back soon afterwards.\n\n​\n\nAfter my mother died, my father didn't find much joy in having the sight. He pushed me to take it for longer and longer periods of time, until one day he didn't want it anymore.\n\n\"I want you to take it and go out there and do good things with it. You have the power to fix the problems wherever you go.\" He said.\n\nWe argued for days, but eventually I caved. I made sure every reserve tool was texture coded and that the medical supplies were full before setting out. \n\n\"Just promise me you won't share the sight with someone evil.\" He pleaded.\n\n\"We'll see.\" I said.\n\nHe laughed for the first time in a long time and waved goodbye. \n\n\"I'm waving goodbye too.\" I shouted.\n\nHe went back inside with a smile on his face. That was the last that I saw of the man of which the legends are told.\n\n----\n\nEdit: Fixed some formatting.",
"From the bell tower, I look down below at the once lush green meadow covered in a serene sheet of white. Over this blanket of crisp snow, I can see a horde of black dots slowly moving towards the tower. Sighing to myself, I slowly lean over my notebook and scribble down the thoughts swirling inside my mind. I turn on the radio and take a deep breath.\n\n\"A very good afternoon to everyone listening in. It is a beautiful day for love. The temperature today is -14 degrees. You may feel the cold leave a brisk chill in your bones, but it somehow makes the warmth feel even more invaluable at this point in time. To those still lamenting that they cannot see, I have written something about love. I hope you like listening to it.\"\n\nI clear my throat, and take a deep breath.\n\n*To the lonely lighthouses, \nsuffering in broad daylight, \ncreating seas with all your salty tears;\nthe world will never know\nhow valuable you are\ntill all the light you have, disappears.*\n\n\"Call me on 022-342-65543 if you liked it or even have some beautiful words of your own to add. It would be my honor to read them out to those that have tuned in to listen.\"\n\nA loud clattering disrupts the silence. I instantly know that they've broken down the bottom door, and are slowly feeling their way up the winding stairs to the top of the bell tower.\n\nI leave the broadcasting unit on, and turn the pages of my diary to read something more. I do not know why, but poetry comes to me in times of great peril.\n\n\"Ladies and gentlemen, this might be the last time you hear my voice and my humble words. I want to tell you that being a one eyed man has been more punishing than being completely blind. There are those that hunt me down only because I have dared to share the beauty of the light. So before I leave, here is my goodbye. If I make it out alive, you will hear from me again, this I promise you. But if you don't, let this poem be my last one to you \"\n\n*I can see the end of our fading love,\na thousand suns before it's in sight,\nlike autumn knows of the dying earth,\nbefore winter comes to mourn in white.*\n\n\"Stay safe. Never let the light leave your heart.\"\n\nThe door to the top floor blows open with a terrific bang. About thirty men make their way into the small room; dressed in various colours but wielding long scimitars. The man in front; Luthor Lebrand, the general of the sightless army, had hunted me down time and again. But with the blessing of one good eye, I had always evaded him, even from the very clutches of death.\n\nI slowly pull out the wires of the radio, and soundlessly take a few steps towards the window. I look down, and see a drop of nearly 60 feet; with only soft snow to break a terrifying fall.\n\n\"Men, careful. I smell something awry in this room...\" says Luthor. \"Zahran! Come peacefully with us. We are thirty of the finest soldiers, trained in the shadows to kill without seeing. You are but one puny weakling. Surrender, and we may still let you live after we have your eye.\"\n\nI smile to myself as I see them slowly inch forward. I violently kick the barrel of kerosene kept next to the window, making it spill across the room. A strong, pungent odour instantly sours the crisp air.\n\n\"What was that?!\" shouts Luther.\n\nI pull out the match box from my pocket and strike a match. I take another deep breath and toss the match into the kerosene. I smile as I say the words.\n\n*The world mocked,\nthe solitary matchstick,\ntill the day it started,\na forest fire.*\n\nAs the flames erupt, I hold firmly on to my radio set and leap out of the window. I hear screams of horror and terror from the tower, but they grow fainter as I fall through the icy air, hurtling faster towards winter's embrace.\n\nr/whiteshadowthebook",
"How could they find me, you ask? It was simple. They spread out, everywhere. Every house, every store, every street, every sidewalk and restaurant and mall, everywhere, they were there. And, as though that were not enough, they would taunt me. They would call out to me.\n\nThey only said one thing, but really, it was the only thing they had to say. Because they knew, they *knew* I had no choice but to reply. None at all.\n\nThey would call my name. \n\n\"Marco.\"\n\nAnd I... damned as I was... I would answer in the only way I could:\n\n\"Polo.\"",
"The clack-clack of the canes against the concrete resounded through the streets; dogs barked, deviated from their usual paths to smell each other, and their owners took advantage of the occassion to speak for awhile.\n\nIt was quite an interesting *sight* to say the least, but when the rumor spread about a man entering places without walking sticks or dogs, things took a dark turn. For the rich and wealthy were convinced there was someone who could see in the city, and that was me.\n\nThe good thing about rumors, is that they spread fast like a wildfire. George told it to me, and since then I've been hitting the ground with a cane everywhere I went.\n \nBut one day I was drinking a coffee, and let me tell you, the barista was not very skilled, for the cup had overflowed, and the coffe was dripping from the sides. George came in sometime later, told me he had met a fine lady, and introduced her to me. All I managed to say when I saw her was, \"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. This one is a keeper, George,\" and I patted him on the back, while shaking my head. \n\nLater that day he told me the rich had made the guiding dogs smell a shirt that supposedly belonged to me. \n\nIt didn't. \n\nBut it seemed that not only were they blind but they were deaf as well. For when the guy who they caught claimed he couldn't see, they called him a wild, savage liar, and into the darkness of the night, like a wisp of smoke, he faded away.\n\nStill, sometimes I fear they will devise some sort of incredibly intricate plan to get me. When I go for a talk, I tend to think of different scenarios were they manage to catch me, but my thoughts just stray away and get lost counting non-matching shoes.\n\nHonestly, I think I'm safe, and let me speak the truth: sight in a blind land can be quite the gift for the lazy with quick hands. I see something I like, I take something I like.\n\nI wonder, if little by little I can make my way to rule the land. I wonder if I can make the old saying some justice. I wonder and wonder and wonder, and then I stop wondering and go to sleep.\n\nI think, in a way, I'm already a king. \n\nAfter all, in the city of the blind, \nof the law I'm out of sight, \nand so I can do whatever I want \nwithout batting an eye.\n\n--------------------------\n\nr/NoahElowyn"
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[WP] Your parents always told you never to whistle at night, as you may hear a whistle back from someone you can't see. Tonight, it happened. | 12 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Never whistle at night, or someone you can't see might whistle back!\" I took a deep breath, remembering all the time I spent with my parents, the time when I was naive and childish. Good times. Now I'm a depressed sack of mess, how life changes.\n\nI took a deep look at the night sky, a piece of paper drifts by me. \"Jobless? Apply for a job now! Hiring now!\" \"What a joke, my mind sure has changed since I was 10 huh?\"\n\nI close my eyes and slowly whistled a cold, icy tune. Remembering the myth my parents used to tell me I chuckle, then I heard it. A faint whistle coming from inside the house, I slowly turn around and leave the front porch. As I opened the door, I hear the faint whistle again. Strangely I didn't feel scared, the whistle was faint but warm, a comforting sound. I went inside the house and whistled a tune as if asking \"Where are you\". I thought the whole situation was ridiculous but I still kept whistling, and each time I whistled a I could hear a faint response, usually warm and childish.\n\nI decided to lie down on the floor and whistle the night out. My depressing and cold whispers, slowly turned to a more cheerful and bright whisper, I slowly fell into a deep sleep. I woke up and slowly recall what happened last night. \"What the fuck happened?\" As I tried to process what happened, a piece of paper drifts by, \" Job application huh? Guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I'm sure 10 year old me would've wanted me to.\"",
"Whistling is my enjoyment. My art form. My escape from the mundane dreary world. My parents tried to get me to stop so many times. The last thing they tried:\n\n>Never to whistle at night, you may hear a whistle back from someone you can't see.\n\nIt's finally happened. But it's beautiful. It harmonizes with me perfectly. I stop an keep whistling. It's too glorious to end.\n\nThen a second line is added, the music becomes even better. A third line, a fourth, a fifth! All perfectly in harmony, all exactly in time, finally we come to the end of the song. I am despondent, how can I ever reach this pinnacle again.\n\n\"Hello, Bill.\" It's Walter, one of my best friends.\n\n\"Walter? Was that you?\"\n\n\"Yes, Bill. And others you know.\" He gestures, and others step forward out of the shadows. They're all friends.\n\n\"Why didn't you tell me!\"\n\n\"We had to wait. Wait until we could see if you were brave enough to keep whistling.\"\n\n\"Brave enough?\"\n\n\"Yes. When the dead are restless, we provide the music that soothes them. It's why people used to always whistle past graveyards. They didn't realize it, but the dead appreciate music too.\n\nBut if you stop, the dead become restless. It may take centuries, but enough disturbance can wake them up.\n\nWe travel around the world, performing near graveyards, trying to soothe them back to sleep.\n\nWe want you to join us. Will you join us?\"\n\nLike they even have to ask. \"For glorious music like that? Of course!\"\n\n\"Then take our hands.\"\n\nWe are The Undead Chorus. Our music saves the world. We travel from one country to the next. Most of the time we get there before they start to rise. Sometimes we get there a bit late. When that happens, we don our armor and wade in whistling. It's difficult, but we stay together, and those closest to us start whistling along. Soon the entire graveyard is going back to sleep.\n\nWe always spread the word that whistling for the dead is a gift, to them, and to the world. We are roundly hated by parents and teachers, but the tide is changing."
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[removed] | [WP] You had just died. Everything fades to black. A screen pops up saying “Continue?”. | 6 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
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"Fuck that truck driver and his bullshit job for necessitating an end to my life, but bless him for manifesting as the catalyst. I died, horribly; blood and broken bones tore through my skin like an egg cracking at different points. It was like cracking an egg the wrong way, where the insides spilt in divergent manner. \n\n*Fuck you*, I thought, focusing on the driver, who survived as he ran roughshod over my Buick, cracking\nmy chest and face open with glass. As I was torn asunder, the permeating agony quickly faded into nothingness as I passed on to an unfamiliar place. I was caught in some kind of cage, or holding pod. Maybe it was a cell. I am not sure. Whatever it was, it was horrifying until the screen, oh, the lovely screen, came on and kept me company for awhile. Where I was mattered little at the time, due to my pain having regressed into a light feeling of complacency. \n\nThen, all the sudden, a shocking, over-bearing voice, female in timbre, spat command after command at me. I was remiss, flabbergasted, and overwhelmed with stimuli: lights, bells. and whistles jutted from the screen, my only companion. \n\n*How could the screen, the wonderful screen, betray my trust in such a way?* I thought, forgetting that I was, for lack of a better term, dead, or at least was supposed to be. \n\nThe screen kept incessantly shouting, “Continue! Continue!” It was as if that was the only word my love could muster. The maternal disposition I have prescribed it seemed to be moot; this entity was not troubled by my lowly feelings. I, eventually, began shouting back. “Yes! Continue! Yes! I wan to continue!” \n\nSuddenly, the screen shifted from red to blue and I was released from bondage. What I saw, I can never explain and I would not want to. Fields of pods, red and blue in color, filled with people like me, supposedly dead or dying. I could hear their screams now. Their screams will never withdraw from my disturbed mind. The daunting sight of hulking beasts lashing and whipping those who emerged from their pods petrified me to the point of inaction. My pod door had turned blue and opened, but still I was, and still I would remain.\n\n*Maybe they won’t see me*, I thought. How wrong I was could never be articulated. They saw me, their teeth sweating with blood. They could hear my thoughts, knowing as a hive-mind would know; I was ripe for the taking. Take, they did. All manner of horror was unleashed upon my broken body, now swelling with familiar pain from my crash. I was not dead. I was in some kind of hell, a hell beyond hell. Fornication with these beasts and battered bones would be my unending tale of despair as I croaked and moaned for a time when I only suffered glass and metal. Now, rock and stone, fire and blood, and all sorts of travesties were bestowed upon my body turned corpse. \n\nForever. \n\nDamn you."
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[WP] Hire a human, they will do it the craziest way possible. And it always works... Somehow... | 184 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"As he entered the chambers of the archmage, her protege wracked his brain attempting to come up with a way of explaining just how we will be explain to explain the situation to his superior.\n\nAs soon as the regal woman spotted him, he knew this was not going to end well. \n\n*\"Ma'am, I have received correspondence from the human we had hired.\"*\n\n\"I assume the human had fulfilled their contact?\" the archmage asked, raising a brow at the man who had just entered her sight.\n\n*\"To the letter ma'am... Aside from one small caveat. It appears they had... Broken, the mana-core.\"*\n\nAn awkward silence hung in the air after that, the archmage's expression slowly faltering as she tried to process exactly what she had just been told. She seemed to flick through several varied emotions, before finally settling on one he knew very well. \n\nRage.\n\n\"What do you **mean** they broke the mana-core!? We had only lent them it for a week!\" the elven archmage roared at her underling, who was desperately to make himself appear as small as possible.\n\n*\"T-They... They broke it, ma'am. But it was taken care of, they had acquired another beforehand.\"*\n\n\"Another!? But there is only a single mana-core in existence!!!\"\n\n*\"Y-Yes well... This thing is m'am, they duplicated it. Before experimenting upon and subsequently breaking the device, they had used it travel backwards in time and retrieve the mana-core from their past self, giving them a spare mana-core.\"*\n\nThe archmage seemed utterly dumbfounded. She knew humans had unconventional ways of approaching problems, but this was beyond insanity. The mage-core was an object that granted it's wielder exceptional power. Enough to assassinate a monarch, as was detailed in the contact the human was hired to fulfil. \n\nSlowing time, hastening it, all within the mana-core's reach but *reversing* the flow of time? That was unheard of. Unthinkable, even. And the human accomplished this purely so that they had a second mage-core to experiment with. \n\nA mage-core that they also somehow *broke.*\n\nShe was aware of the reputation humans had. Give them something to accomplish and they would not only do so, but do so in a way you never even though possible. Half the time because they just didn't know it wasn't.\n\nAs the archmage sat back in her chair to massage her temples. This was just too much... \"...And did they happen to return the mage-core?\" she asked.\n\n*\"T-They said they would when they were safe, along with proof of t-\"*\n\n**POP**\n\nThe human had just *appeared* within her chambers. \n\nHer chambers that she had placed countless hexes and counterspells upon to prevent exactly this. \n\nThe two elves just stared at the human assassin, a rather smug grin firmly embossed on their bloodstained face. In one hand held the mage-core, a large sphere of glass within which a maelstrom of colours danced and whirled around. Unbridled power locked within. In the other, a bag that dripped a crimson fluid.\n\n\"Greetings! Job's done, King's dead. I've come to renegotiate the reward offered. You can keep your gold, I'd very much like to keep this mage-core. Really handy thing, y'know? Let me just poof into the king's throne room and behead him in front of everyone!\"\n\n\"...Your reward will **not** be the mage-core, the very act of me letting you keep such an item is-\"\n\n\"Sorry, should've clarified that it wasn't a request. Bye!\"\n\nAnd with another **POP**, the human left. Leaving behind the bag, spilling open to reveal it's gristly contents. The head of the late monarch spilled out onto the once pristine floors.\n\nThe archmage turned to her assistant, her the colour drained from her face and her eyes wide with fear.\n\n\"...What have we done?\""
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[WP] You are the finest warrior in the land. When barbarians invade, you choose not to defend the capital but a small village in the thick of it. Your home town. Tell us the story of your last stand. | 40 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"No glory can be found here. No stories where the champion rises to topple an empire; no rallying last stand of champions who have loved and lost. Those are dreams, and nothing more. \n\nThe boy walked through the molten-golden grain. The weight of the rusted sickle forced him into a lurch. Sweat ran down his dirt-stained brow and across the cracks on his lips, into his eyes and down his forearms in heavy beads that dripped like rain. \n\nHe reached the tack shed. The sickle clattered to the ground. As the boy sat against the shaded wood for respite, a crow flew overhead. The black beast cawed—both a warning and a cry of elation, but the boy understood neither.\n\nTwelve more crows arrived. \n\nThe horizon started with black dots, few at first, then more—the harbinger of murder. The boy still did not understand, not even as his father arrived with a clenched fist and heavy brow. \n\n“Father, why so many crows?”\n\n“Calm now, Ezrael. Back to the village with you,” Caius said.\n\n“The threshing—”\n\n“Will wait until tomorrow. Go! Back to the village. Run! Now—as fast as you can—and don’t look back.”\n\n“Father!”\n\n“I won’t ask again.”\n\nEzrael sighed, starting back down the path. He didn’t look back; he didn’t understand. It was better this way. \n\nCaius reached for the sickle lying prone in the grass. He curled his wrinkled hands around the familiar iron. Year in and year out, the sickle cut through the harvest with no emotion—only duty. Was it duty—that Caius die defending his fields? Was this his legacy? \n\n*“I can protect you.”*\n\nCaius knew the voice that echoed around his head. He hated it. More than anything he had spent his life trying to rid himself of it, only to find it creeping into his thoughts with a whisper. \n\n“I don’t need you anymore,” Caius said aloud. \n\n*“Your king needs me.”*\n\n“I won’t let you back inside!”\n\n*“Your family needs me.”*\n\nCaius gritted his teeth. He started towards the edge of the field, rotating the sickle slowly with each thought. The crows circled overhead. Beyond the gentle rustle of wind through grain sounded the hoofbeats of ten horses, then one hundred more, scoundrels and raiders all. \n\n*“Your son needs me.”*\n\n“You can’t control yourself,” Caius said. \n\n*“Mercy is a poison. Hesitation is caustic.”*\n\n“I’d rather die than set you free!”\n\n*“Freedom is an illusion.”*\n\nCaius reached the edge of the grain and stepped into the forest underbrush. The woods held an eerie silence like a breath. The crows watched but passed no judgment. Every man lives. Every man dies. All men are the same when picked apart by crows. \n\n*“I can save you,” it whispered.* \n\n“I made a promise. A *promise*!”\n\n*“I can save everyone.”*\n\nCaius quivered, cursing. He fell to his knees. “Don’t let them hurt my family.” \n\nHe closed his eyes. They opened black as the night. \n\nThe crows circled. \n\nThe raiders approached. \n\nCaius barely heard their screaming.",
"The alarms were sounded. The army was supposed to be out to combat. Either they'd been defeated, or they'd been avoided.\n\nIn either case, there was no escape. With the enemy at the gates, there was no escaping the city. I grabbed my sword, my hammer, and stuffed a knife in my boot. There was panic in the streets as I entered the city square. While others ran to the castle for safety, I walked to the bridge. It was the only way to enter the city proper from the outer reaches of the towns. It functioned as a moat, and for me, it would be a funnel.\n\nI arrived at the bridge before the barbarians. There were people still escaping. Mothers, children, farmers and peasants all. I had once earned my keep from these good folk. They had revered me at a time. I grabbed the banner of our kingdom and placed it under my armor. It was a striking banner. A solid blue background, with a kite shield in red, emblazoned by a white lion's head. Bearing my hammer in my hands, I watched the barbarians approach the bridge. They could not swim, if my experience had still been true. They were born on and died on mountains. Their only experiences with water would be the rain.\n\nThe moat was as wide as a river, but the bridge could only fit a single carriage of people. They rushed like madmen. Tearing their way through the town on the outskirts of the village. I watched them slaughter people, but I knew that if I left the bridge the city would be all but lost.\n\nThe first barbarian approached the bridge with fervor. He swung his sword like a drunk, and was promptly killed when my hammer collided with his face. There was no scream, no cry of pain. His nose was crushed into his brain, and killed him instantly.\n\nThe second was more tactical, but too defensive. He attacked only once before being put on the defensive. He missed one block, my hammer shattered his arm. Before he could scream, his head was pulverized.\n\nThe third and forth attacked together. They seemed to be partners, brothers perhaps. They attacked in unison, only letting up so the other could get a few strikes in. I tripped one and pushed him over the edge of the bridge. I struck the other with the handle of my hammer, knocking the wind out of him. As he doubled over I hit him in the back of his head. Another critical kill. He couldn't even twitch before his body was completely shut down.\n\nI was ambushed by the fifth, as I had had to turn around to fight the pair before him. He jumped on my back and attempted to shove a dagger in my throat. He stabbed my hand as I blocked the killing blow, and threw him off the side of the bridge.\n\nI took the dagger from my hand and hurled it at the sixth. It was bleeding, but I couldn't feel it anymore. Nor could I seem to grip with it. Looks like I'm only gripping with my left hand. My weak hand. Irritating, but not impossible.\n\nAs the sixth barbarian reeled in pain from the dagger I'd just heaved into his eye, the seventh and eighth charged me. They were less coordinated than the pair who came before them. It was a simple matter to disarm one and kill the other.\n\nThe sixth was again charging me, but he didn't seem used to fighting with one eye, as he ran straight into my fist. It hurt me almost as much as him, but I could deal with it better. The one I had disarmed tried to take advantage of what he must have thought was an opening, and ended up either dead or paralyzed from taking a hammer to the back.\n\nIn any case, he wouldn't be opposing me any more.\n\nThere were still so many. This time three came at once. I could feel my age. I was rather spry, but I was nowhere near where I used to be. I shoved the handle of the hammer into one barbarian's mouth, pushing it with my damaged right hand while I reached for my sword with the one that still worked. I beheaded the other two in a flash, but the one currently choking on my hammer grabbed my foot and tripped me.\n\nLuckily he was slow. I may have dropped the hammer, but I was able to get up before the next three approached at once. Now facing four opponents, they took up the width of the bridge. The sword I wielded was relatively short, so I couldn't afford to let them surround me. I grabbed the hammer as quickly as I could. Now I had further reach than them.\n\nI waited for one of them to attack, a risky move seeing as they had even more reinforcements coming. As I parried one, the others took their opportunity. I grabbed one and used his body as a shield to block an incoming axe. His ally screamed in agony when he realized what I'd done. His attacks became wild and unsafe. I punished him easily by striking his throat and having him suffocate on his own Adam's apple. There were still more coming.\n\nThe battle was a dance of steel and passion. The barbarians were struggling to get footing on the corpses of their allies, and I amassed a slight advantage. I could get my footing properly while my enemies were fighting on difficult terrain.\n\nI kept fighting, kept attacking. Twenty, then thirty. I lost count how many of them came. The river below us ran red from the blood dripping under the bridge. The bridge was sturdy. It had survived a hundred years before, and it would survive a hundred years more. Forty men slaughtered on the bridge. My age was catching up with me. My attacks were becoming slower, more lethargic. I threw the hammer over the edge as the next group approached. I would only use my sword now. My open hand would be for grappling, but only as far as my forearm and elbow. I could not grip a shield, though I would have liked to.\n\nThe fire in my soul was beginning to dim until I heard a call. The army had returned! I fought with renewed vigor. I was the sole defender of the bridge, I needed only to hold my enemies off until they could be surrounded. I continued my fight. My swings became weaker and weaker. I could not see my allies. The moment I did, I saw the end of the barbarians.\n\nUnfortunately, the second I was distracted, I was defeated. A barbarian had slipped their sword into my belly, under my armor. I watched his face turn from anger to pleasure, surely now he would be honored! I dropped my sword, and reached for the dagger in my boot. He was so obsessed with my face, and watching me die, he could hardly have expected the dagger in his neck as I embraced him.\n\nI slashed at the ankles of barbarians fleeing across the bridge to escape the army, but my time was up. I was in an incredible amount of pain. My muscles were sore, my hand was hurting, my gut was cut open. I had a pounding headache from the intense focus I'd needed for so many opponents. I moved to stand. I was bleeding even more than before, but I would not allow the banner of my kingdom to be trampled upon by these men who acted like beasts.\n\nUsing the side of the bridge, I stood. I took the banner from my back, and impaled it on one of the many corpses on the bridge.\n\nBefore it all faded to black, and I was no more.",
" \n\n There was nowhere to run, not for the children, the women, even the men on horseback. Anyone caught on the open plains would be cut down like grass. He knew the choke points, how they would be set up, and how they would be manned. Thick with men in leather armor, able to move quick to pursue and react fast to any roadside resistance. The armor would be freshly tanned for the duty. Invading commanders always wanted the public 'face' of the army to look good. It implied the army was better funded than it was and not a bunch of half-starved farm boys on a force march. He sighed as he lit the pitch he laid around the river point. 35 men maybe? Pity they wouldn't be good fighters, but they'd be educated, perhaps some would be distant relatives of a few nobles. Vincent smiled at the thought. He'd no time to listen to their choked screams, not today. He filled the skies with smoke and death on his way back to Listin. \t\n\nAs he approached the unwalled village a girl of maybe nine with a long stick pressed in the dirt behind her and protruding up like a flagpole without a flag smiled sweetly at him. He was overcome by anger. “Damn it, Cynthia! I can see the spear tip from 30 yards. It doesn't do us any good to have you out here if the horseman stop instead of plow through! Where's the cloak your Mom made you, I told you to wear it?” \n\n​\n\n“It got dirty. I wanted to look nice.”\n\nHe bit his lip at the absurdity. “Go get the cloak and man your post again. Remember, you only need to push one horseman into the pit to have the rest panic and break the charge. You run like Hell after. They won't be organized enough to respond. They won't be sending seasoned troops here. Not yet.” The last words he said to himself. He'd killed close to 200 men this morning. If they were competent they'd be sending a skilled regiment by nightfall. He hoped to God they were idiots.\n\n“Archers!” He shouted vaguely into the village square. 14 children with slings appeared from seemly nowhere. “You been practicing, Geralt?”\n\n“Ya. All week at the river like you asked. Came in for supper when we saw the smoke.”\n\n“Good. Spread out like we practiced on the east side of the village. It's you we'll listen for to begin it all. Go on then.“ \t“Vincent?”\n\n“East is that way.” He brought his hands to his eyes. What he wouldn't give for his old unit right now. \t“\n\nSpearmen!” \tA group of 20 men came charging up in a cruel mockery of a marching formation. \t“That includes you ladies!” \tAnother marching unit shambled into place awkwardly pairing up, husbands and wives, childhood friends and brothers and sisters.\n\n“Listen up. The troops coming over the hill, they will be men and boys far from home. They don't want to kill you, they don't want to burn down your home, nor rape and kill your children. But, if they don't do those things, they will be impaled on a spear by their commander and if their lucky their families back home won't be murdered in the streets. They will try to kill you. But, there is a good chance that they will have found their courage in a bottle. They'll be slow, and they don't want to be here. They'll hesitate, you cannot. You do not have the luxury of mercy today. Strike and run. Stay with your partner and leave blood in your wake. You know this village, you know the land. They will have numbers, but in close quarters in wont mean anything. Stay close, listen to my commands and don't stay in one place. Pair up and disappear!”He waited until they were all dispersed, walked to the edge of the village and called “Pitchers!” Four men and two women in their 60's quietly mad their way to him. It didn't take long, they'd obviously been following him and waiting. “You know your duty. The hardest part will be to watch the fight, and watch those you love die. But, I promise you, I've done everything I could to ensure they'd die with a weapon in their hands and feet on the ground. If the tide changes and we are overpowered, kick the pitch and light it. It will flow down the hill and force them to run or die with us. Look for the flames on the hills. It won't make a difference unless three of the points are lit. All six will make sure they all die with us. Try not to get dead.”\n\nThey shuffled off. The guilt he felt was worse than he had for the children. He would rather charge the field alone than be with them. They knew what toll it would take on them. None of them had talked to him beyond agreeing to the task. He turned and looked at the village he grew up in. More than half that were born here ran away to the capital with dreams of being more, only to wind up little more than slaves. He knew the draw, he'd followed it himself. He still wasn't sure if being a soldier was better than having stayed in the village.They'd be looking for him tomorrow. The peasant general, the king's pet, or whatever nonsensical names they had for him, would not be allowed to abandon his post for long. It didn't matter in the long run. He'd laid out all the plans, and defenses for the country. It was completely hopeless. The invading army was enormous. They'd be overrun by a sea of ants before they invaders could even set up camp. Even the men he killed today would make no difference in the advance. The village was already surrounded. The capital would fall by midweek.He knew the only choice left was to decide where he wanted to die. So many here, who had only ever known exploitation and suffering, would be defended to the death by the country's most decorated general. A selfish death on his part perhaps. But today his was not a servant of the country, he was not their puppet or slave. He was free; he was a man, and a man's last thoughts should be of home.",
"I stood at the entrance to my home town looking in. They had kept my home while I was off in foreign lands. It looked great. But it was so far away,\n\n“Sir, we are needed in the capital.” My second warned as he put his hand on my shoulder.\n\n“Second. I have a task.” I said solemnly, still probing my home with my eyes. Everyone was obviously at the center of town in the stone bunker, hoping to be passed over from the oncoming horde.\n\n“Sir?” Came the reply. Second was obviously confused.\n\n“Who are our two fastest runners in armor?”\n\n“Seventeen and Twenty-Six, sir.”\n\n“Call them to us.” I pulled off my helmet and placed it upon the fence post. Second turned and called out for Seventeen and Twenty-Six. Moments later, footsteps burdened by armor came up behind us.\n\n“Which of you would like to seek certain death to save your homeland?”\n\n“I would,” they replied in unison. I turned around to look upon them.\n\n“Very well, then. One will die and one will live. I apologize to both of you - one for their death and one for their grief.” I glanced between the pair, both being stoic and unemotional. “Seventeen. Move as fast as you can. Be a messenger to the barbarian leaders. Tell them that First of the Paladins will join them if their champion will beat me in combat, right here. I will fight as many as they dare bring.”\n\nSeventeen looked between my face and Seconds’ and then slowly backed up and turned towards the road. Starting to run, he grabbed a green flag from the courier, the messenger flag.\n\nTwenty-Six’s gaze followed his compatriots exit, then he turned back. “Twenty-Six, move as fast as you can. Be a messenger to the king. The other Paladins will follow in your wake to protect the Capitol. With luck, their finest will come here and there will be an easier defense.”\n\nTwenty-Six gasped. He turned slowly and started running up the road in the opposite direction.\n\n“Second? Take the Paladins. Up on my death, do not stand aside for the King’s whelp. Take your earned place as First.”\n\n“B-but, First! You cannot do this!”\n\n“Second. I am 62. I have spent forty years in the Paladins and my armor grows heavier by the day. I know how I can save this land and her people. I can ask it of no other.”\n\nSecond’s mind raged, the logic he heard assaulted the fortress of his emotions, finally finding a crack to wedge through. He grunted and slowly turned and went back to the assembled men and marched them towards the capitol.\n***\nA throng of barbarians marched up the hill towards me. They were obviously expecting a trap, but their honor could not be ignored. Behind the leaders, Seventeen was marched, his hands bound.\n\n“Seventeen. Free yourself and go to the capitol.” Seventeen immediately dropped his arms from the binding, then grabbed his sword, shield, and helmet from the shocked guardsman and walked toward the road. Several guards quickly moved to subdue him and he ran them through as he kept moving towards the road.\n\n“Let him be. I am the one you’re here for.”\n\nThe barbarian entourage turned and looked him over. His armor was laid out on the fence and he carried a sword.\n\n“Gut him.” Came the order from the leader.\n***\nOf thirty men, 29 were still alive. They marched towards the small village with unnatural haste. They were ordered to recover the corpse of First and take it back to the King. Despite every person to a man who had heard the order believing it was a fools errand, the ruse had worked.\n\nA vicious battle has ensued, but the barbarians were decimated, their remaining forces in disarray. The army was rounding them up and the Paladins were to honor their leader one last time.\n\nThe Paladins marched up the hill to an astonishing sight. Barbarian corpses were everywhere. He saw a glint on the opposite side of the hill - it was firsts armor arrayed on the fencing.\n\nAs they approached the center of the hill, a wind picked up and the figure of a man coalesced out of light. “First,” chuckles the light in the voice of who was First, “ I have ascended. Tell the King that I apologize for breaking my pact.” The form shattered and the light vanished.\n\nSecond fell to his knees in sorrow. His friend, his mentor, was gone.",
"*Barbarians. Criminals. Brutes. Degenerates. Animals with human masks.* \nThere were many names that the people of this land called those that they didn't understand, but they never called them frightening. All of them liked to proudly puff up their chests and tap it twice with the back of their fist before declaring - 'Those miscreants frightening? How laughable! We have Derheawere the ripper!' \n\n\nRipper. That was the title that the people of this land gave me after the first time they watched me lead the charge to cleave through hundreds. Did they forget that before becoming a warrior that I was a scholar? Did they choose to ignore the legacy of knowledge I carved into numerous tomes for the masses to benefit from? \n\n\nTo be completely honest, this hardly surprised me. The people of this land had always been ruthless and cared not for books or the treasure of scholars. I was indifferent to the negligence of the citizens, but what brought great displeasure to me was their refusal to truly honor that which they valued. They always spoke about strength but when wars or battles came they always turned to me. \n\n\nI liked to tell others you have no right to be disappointed in others if you have never tried to accomplish the thing yourself. So try I did. \n\n\nI offered them lessons in the beauty of the blade and other weaponry but they would always look at my skills and say they could never hope to match one with natural talent. Natural? Nothing in this world came naturally, sure some people might have a headstart in certain areas but with enough effort, it was no matter to close that gap. \n\n\nThey simply didn't think they had to try. \n\n\nSo today they would learn. Today they would learn just how possible it was to close that gap. After all, those who were willing to learn from me would teach them. Those that these deplorable fools who couldn't even take out the time to try called less than themselves. \n\n\nToday they would learn the wrath of the barbarians. Today they would learn the wrath of my students. \n\n\nToday they would learn the value of trying."
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[removed] | [WP] You get cornered by your bully, but edits you get beaten to a pulp, you send one last text to your Minecraft girlfriend. Your bully’s phone vibrates. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi, this submission has been removed.\n\n[Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n• No troll, joke, or meme-based prompts. This includes prompts likely to attract such responses.\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)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] a cloaked and hooded warrior carrying nothing but a family sword and a satchel of rations arrives by row boat on a mysterious island. Through a thick fog he sees a enormous city made of an oily black stone. Dead silence and no one around he lights a torch and ventures into the city | 60 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I shoved off from the shore using my oar, \"No way I'm touching this accursed island city\" I told myself \"I'm probably close enough to get hexed either way\" I sighed. I looked back at the cloaked man standing for a moment as he brought out a torch and he selected a stone front the ground striking it with his sword producing sparks five times before the torch finally caught. \"That's enough you've been here long enough already, and he's clearly set on going in\" I told myself as I started my first couple pulls to get further away from the island.\n\nI wouldn't have come here, shouldn't have it fact, except that I was standing on the dock unloading my hard-won cache of sandskippers when footsteps approached from further up the dock. A cloaked figure brushed passed me saying in heavily accented Ygsailan \" Dénreth ul Hyral\" and simultaneously smashing a substantial sack of coins into my side causing me to nearly drop the net full of fish to hold it. He stepped deftly into the prow of the rowboat and stood there staring out at the island city of Dénreth.\n\nThe initial shock had me standing there for a moment taking stock of the situation: a small fortune in my hands, a mysterious cloaked figure in my boat with a sack of what looked like supplies in a bag flopped behind him and a sheathed sword propped up against that. I looked up and to the side, at the other two docks where two other fishermen Gervan and Lurad both stood looking at me their heads shaking. Clearly, this one had asked the other two and was denied, so rather than ask he threw a small fortune at me and got in before I could argue. Then it registered, he wanted passage to Dénreth as I turned to argue \"h-hey uh, I'm not going to that island. It's cursed and only evil comes from that place. I once knew a guy who went there and he never came back.\" The cloaked figured simply turned slightly and nodded almost imperceptibly and went back to staring at the island. I felt the weight of the bag of coins again, I looked down at it, at the figure and then the thatched roof of my home that jutted just over the palisade of the village where my wife would be preparing sandskipper and radish stew, again. \"I need this,\" I told myself as I took one tentative step towards my boat. I swallowed, the island in the distance seems to grow in size as I looked at it. Two more steps, the forgotten sack of fish left strewn on the dock as I continued to hesitatingly move toward my boat. \"But this is a lot of coins to be sure,\" I thought to myself as I realized I had grabbed both oars off the dock and was untying the boat. I stepped into the boat inserting the oars proceeding away from the dock with a shove of my foot and a prayer for my protection.",
"My father’s sword lay heavy in my bag. It was a weapon that had seen many battles, reforged so many times the steel was not of its original cast. I do not doubt that as I stand here staring at the gloomy city that today will also be a battle. The murky water hides one truth, even as we all gather before the ferry. Today will be the last day for some and the first day for others. We have all gathered to battle this city, to challenge a beast that defined centuries. Some brought great weapons, others only their whit. I do not doubt that some of these people will fall before the city and the relentless sea of thralls it contains. For my humble part I will swing my sword and cut through hundreds... “hey Joe. Tuna sandwich today?” I shrugged taking my pen from my pocket. The judge wanted their briefs notated by 11 am for the first case. I had a busy day ahead.",
"He walks slow passed the entrance of the city. Looking around, noticing the eerie silence, he steps with purpose. Every footfall deliberate, every turn precise. He senses a stillness in the air but cannot place it.\n\nThe store fronts are boarded up. The doors shut, with a marking on them. Not an ex. Not a cross. But some symbol he hasn't become acquainted with. \n\nSome of the doors are sealed with an oily tar. Others are shut. The oily residue seems to have coated every building. The streets are clean as if they haven't been walked for sometime, if ever. What happened here?, he thinks. What caused an entire city to become abandoned?\n\n He turns down the center of the town and sees what appears to be the main house of warship. The doors are heavy and shut, but swing open ever so slightly. This is odd. He cannot help but get pulled into what he senses is the the only building where he can enter.\n\nHe walks through the threshold and hears an unintelligible sound. Something hits his forehead, startling him, he jumps. It's water trickling from the scaffolding above. Through the vestibule, into the center of a grand hall, he sees a table. He continues to walk towards the table recognizing it as an alter marked with the same symbol that marks the towns entry ways. A few more drops of water hit him. It must've rained recently on the windward side of the island.\n\nHe walks downstairs to the catacombs and notices that the burial sites have been unearthed and uncovered. Any remains have been taken. Glyphs and markings cover the walls. Scenes of worship, scenes of work. Scenes of enslavement. Scenes of punishments and pain. Of death.\n\nA sudden clangor from above brings him back to his senses. \n\nHe runs back to the main level of the house of worship and looks around, sword drawn. The sound deafening. He sees nothing. A steady stream of a liquid hits his forehead and rushes down his cheeks to the bottom of his chin. He raises his torch to the sky. He sees the bodies of what look like goats, hundreds of them, flayed, and hung upside down from the rafters. He wipes the liquid from his face. It isn't blood. It's saliva. \n\nHe's is filled with terror. The goats begin to shake and wheeze and cough. Saliva and blood begin to rain from the ceiling. He drops his sword and sprints for the doors. He is drenched in the sticky mixtures as he runs out of the house of warship. In panic he drops the torch and continues in any direction but back.\n\nThe howls and screams of wild animals engulf the city from all sides. The warrior is paralyzed with fear and manages to slip into an alleyway. Ambient footsteps, galloping hoofs, deep breathes, coming from all directions compels him to leap out of the alley and run.\n\nBy luck he turns the corner and finds himself on the thoroughfare leading to the entrance of the city.\n\nOut of breath he reaches the beach head where he had tied up his boat. Or did he? Running up and down the shore he is panic stricken. Where is his boat? It has to be here! The noises getting ever closer to the edge of the walled city.\n\nThe warrior screams out in panic. \"Help! Help!! Help!!!\"\n\nThe clangor of cacophonous noises crescendo driving the warrior to the brink of sanity.\n\nDead silence.\n\nThe howls and screams subside.\n\nA voice out of the dark answers: \"It's gone.\"\n\nThe warrior responds: \"What?\"\n\n\"It's gone.\" says the voice. \n\n\"And you are here. \n\nForever.\n\nWelcome to Hell.\"\n\nThe entire city lights up in an inferno. \n\nThe fire slows begins to eat away the beach.\n\nHappy Easter.",
"I don’t know why I was surprised when the fog came in, but it was so thick, I could hardly breathe, let alone row. I knew this was coming, but I guess I just dreaded it. The leather bag filled with food, most of what I had left, lay at my feet. Before I could turn around and see that cursed city, I felt it. Felt it watching me from every angle, just out of sight. A small spark of panic ignited in my chest, flaring up until I had to turn around. As I turned my head, the fog seemed to part, and the oily, tar-like stone of the city awaited me. As I slowly approached the shore, the sounds of the inky sea, the sea I had known for so long, faded, and were replaced by a dull, all-consuming silence. Again, I wondered why I was doing this. Why was I coming here again? It was bad enough without my waking body in danger, so why was I here? I sighed and slid up against the jagged shore, slinging the pouch over my shoulder and picking up the blade. My footfalls, while on solid stone, made no noise. Nothing did, not here. Cut into the rock, a crude path wound up the island. As I stepped onto the rocks, I felt as if the blackness was sweeping into me, into my very soul. Still, the eyes of the city watched me, stalking it’s prey no doubt. My cloak, stained a deep red, billowed behind me. As I climbed the path, it seemed to grow longer and longer, just like before. I averted my eyes from the path, and began walking once more. Now, the road seemed far shorter, and I arrived in that god-forsaken city quite soon, for better or worse. A spire of inky darkness rose to my right, courted in what looked like veins. I passed many buildings, some of which simply impossible. I made sure to never look down at the roads. One could easily get lost in that place if they ever looked down. All the while, I could feel the countless eyes on my back, following my every move. Even at this, I refused to look. Slowly, the texture of the road changed, becoming fleshy, then sticky, but I didn’t look down. Too soon, I arrived at the place I had been dreading. The cemetery awaited me ahead, and at it’s forefront, was the tomb of the forsaken. As I approached, the details became painfully clear. A single, closed eye lay at the centre, a handprint on the eyelid, just as I remembered. I shakily drew my long blade with one hand, while placing the other on the handprint. The moment I touched it, the eye slid open, followed by the doors. I knew I wasn’t ready for this, but I stared down into the abyss regardless. I drew a single, deep breath and, with a scream muted by the city around me, plunged into the depths.",
"Rain hung in the air like puppets trapped and suspended on their strings, forced into an unwilling dance with the gray clouds. Nature could be a cruel puppet master, but Samuel Winters knew better. On this island, Nature was not the master, but the servant, her will being bent by a much stronger, much darker force. The thick fog licked at Samuel's skin like it was trying to distract him from his goal, but he kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, keeping his mind grounded. *Get in, get out. That's your job.* That's what his teacher had told him before he'd ventured into the ocean in nothing but a rowboat. *The ocean knows you. It knows your history. It will guide you to the island.*\n\nAnd sure enough, the ocean had done just that. Every night he checked the stars, made sure he was going the right way, and every time he did, the ocean had him on the right path. He'd hardly touched the paddles when his boat slid up against the sandy shore. Now, through the fog, he could hardly see the path he'd taken from the beach into the forest, let alone the ocean, but he could still hear the endless push and pull of the tides against the sand, but just barely. The further he walked, the softer the slosh of the ocean against the beach became until it faded entirely, and Samuel was surrounded by trees and fog. It was suffocating, the mist. It pulled at him, messed with his mind, made him see things that weren't truly there, but he kept his eyes down on the path, kept putting one foot in front of the other until a slight gleam made him raise his eyes.\n\nIn front of him, standing tall like a castle, was an enormous city. But what stole his breath away was that the city was made entirely of a slick, black stone. In the fog, it looked like some great monster, and that at any moment it would open its huge mouth and swallow him up, but his teacher had warned him about this.\n\n*The city will trick you, for it is as crafty as its masters.* His teacher had said. *Know that though its streets are empty, its buildings vacant, it is not dead. In fact, it is more than alive, but only when shadow is the only source of light.* \n\nAt first, Samuel had thought his teacher crazy, for how could shadow be a source of light? But now, looking at the city, at the way the black stone gleamed with darkness, he thought he understood. Here, he would appear as the strange creature from another world, one where a sun shines bright and warms everything it touches, and to keep the shadows off him, he had to carry the very thing they feared. He unhooked the torch from his belt and lit it carefully, praying the mist wouldn't make the cloth too moist to light, and thankfully, the dim, yellow flame stirred and flickered to life. He held the torch aloft and entered the city.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nSamuel couldn't see the creatures, but he could feel their eyes on him. He could feel their presence. There must've been hundreds of them, all staring, all watching, waiting, but they were too afraid to confront him. He carried their opposite. If they stepped near him, they would be extinguished. If he let the torch go out, they would consume him. Samuel made his way up the empty streets, keeping a careful eye on his feet to make sure he didn't slip and fall. The ground was slick with water, perhaps from a recent storm, and he felt that if he were to fall, the shadows would surround him in an instant. A slow fear pulsed throughout his body as he thought of what would happen to him should he be caught.\n\n*What would I become?* He'd asked his teacher.\n\nHis teacher had grimaced. *Nothing you could come back from.*\n\nSamuel shook the memory from his mind and turned another corner, facing the center of the city. The Dark Iris is what it had been called. In the center was said to be the creatures' leader. Their creator. And Samuel was here to destroy it. \n\n*Destroy the heart, kill the beast.* That was his quest. *Without their leader, the rest of the shadows will wither away into nothing.*\n\nAs the light from Samuel's torch touched the center, the black mound reacted accordingly and pulsed. It moved up and down like it was breathing, and though a whirl of fear had spun through Samuel, he took a deep breath and continued forward, allowing more of his light to touch the beast. The mound continued to contort and writhe, but it was trapped within the fountain-like container with which it lived, unable to escape. Samuel placed one foot on the mound, the beast squishy yet firm under his feet, and he made sure he was balanced before he started to climb. At the top, he gazed down at the city. Streets branched off in all directions, and though he was sure the fog was playing tricks on him again, he thought he could see shadows flitting between the roads and gathering around the fountain, awaiting whatever was to come. \n\n*Why aren't they stopping me?* He wondered, but recalled the torch he held in his hand. None of them could get close.\n\nCarefully, he removed his sword from its sheathe, the blade glowing a deadly orange in the light of the flame, and he raised it up. When he brought it down, stabbing the beast with all the strength and ferocity he had, nothing happened. The world was still. The shadows stood like statues below him. A gentle wind brushed by him, and with it came the scream. It was a horrible, shrill screeching that bit into his ears like knives, and when he could take it no longer, Samuel released the torch and used both hands to yank the sword from the beast's skin, but it was no use, it was stuck.\n\nRealizing his mistake, Samuel abandoned the sword and glanced after the torch, but it had already rolled down off the beast's back, and without the light to protect him, Samuel felt something come over him. He became like the rain, a puppet trapped in its own string, and he was flung off the beast, slamming painfully into the ground on the opposite side of his torch. He attempted to roll to the side, to alleviate some of the pain now singing in his back, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even scream.\n\nThough he couldn't see them, he could *feel* the creatures surrounding him, feel them latching onto him, trying to pull him under, and all at once he heard their voices.\n\n*Creature of the light! Vile little rat! Send him down! Make him suffer! Expose him to the Darkness!*\n\nThen, he heard one voice over all the rest.\n\n*Enough!*\n\nThe voices fell silent. Samuel shifted, gratefully finding he could move again. He pushed himself into a sitting position, but it didn't do much to alleviate the pain. In the center, something was seeping out of the mound where his sword was, something thick and dark, like smoke. It snaked down towards Samuel, coming up slowly and steadily, allowing him time to comprehend what it was. Pure, all-powerful shadow.\n\n*I have a greater use for him.* The voice whispered. *We will make him one of ours.*\n\n*What will he be? What will he be?* The creatures chanted.\n\n*I will make him into a Being of Twilight.*\n\nSamuel didn't even have time to register his terror. The shadow cloud reared upon him and surrounded him, enveloping him in darkness, until all he could see was nothing.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nSamuel awoke as something warm and wet slid against his feet. His head pounded, and when he sat up, he realized he was on a beach. The tide moved in again, but this time he moved before they could drench his legs again. To his right, his rowboat was sitting on the shore, dangerously close to being pulled into the ocean. Samuel rose and headed over to it, nearly falling back down as a wave of pain washed over him. He felt like he had been dragged through a field of thorn-bushes, yet when he looked at himself, he could see no external injuries.\n\n*There must've been a storm, and I was thrown from my boat.* He concluded.\n\nPushing the boat towards the water, Samuel took one glance back at the island he had washed up on. Before him, an empty forest stretched for miles, drenched in a moon-soaked darkness. For a moment, he thought he remembered those woods, remembering something being in them, but the pain was too intense for him to think about it too long, so instead, he turned back to the ocean and pushed the boat further into the water.\n\nAs he climbed in, something hit the side of the boat, and he glanced down to see an empty sheathe hanging at his waist.",
"In was early day when a woman covered in a black cloak docked her boat on the mysterious Island. She had nothing but a bag of rations and a delicately smithed rapier hooked on her belt.\n\nSoon after adventuring into the fog infested land, the dirt turned to a brick path. Only, the brick wasn't the usual red you'd expect. The brick was jet black, like the skyscrapers towering over the young female.\n\nShe hastened her steps as the buildings loomed into view, knowing her destination in her mind. The rapier at her side bouncing with every step.\n\nThe streets were eerily quiet, and the woman knew better then to wander at day. Despite this, she continued to walk until she reached the heart of the obsidian city.\n\nSoon, she reached a complex made from the same jet black brick as the path. She knocked her knuckles on a loose brick once, twice, three times, and a hidden door swung open.\n\nIt closed as she stepped inside, taking off her hood to reveal her pale skin and multiple red marks.\n\n\"I'm home\" she said, through fanged teeth.\n\nAnd it wouldn't be until dark that another set of footsteps would dare walk outside. For in the land of the night, sunlight burns."
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[WP] Many people died; not many survived. Those who did..... were changed. (In what sort of way?) Ohh, *chuckles mirthlessly* Many, many ways. We are superior now, that’s for sure. (Can you demonstrate this for us? ) | 9 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/horus-for-you, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Direct prompt replies must be good-faith attempts at new stories or poems**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_1.3A_direct_prompt_replies_must_be_good-faith_attempts_at_new_stories_or_poems)\n\n- Fill-in-the-blank: Responses must be at least 100 words. 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 *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bfri2f/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*",
"Jórun Holtz, eighty seven years young, stood before the self pronounced *God,* whip in one hand, subtle claws extending from the other.\n\n\"How many?\" Jórun called across the bridge, \"How many did you kill?\"\n\nStonewall lingered on the far side of the raging rapids, in the near distance a towering inferno rose in great plumes for the sky. A facility, the sort designed to further mankind's knowledge of the universe, lay in ruined flames, a blackened sky emerging from the smoke.\n\n\"Not nearly enough.\" Stonewall chuckled, his heavy head lolling to the side, \"Do you not see it, Jórun? Only from the ashes may the Phoenix rise.\" as if by command a secondary explosion toppled the last standing tower block of the facility, \"Those that die, they simply weren't worthy. Those that survive...\"\n\n\"This is murder, madness.\" Jórun cracked his whip stepping out onto the bridge, Stonewall coming forth in like, \"The natural laws of man were not meant for meddling. Perfection, immortality, they are dangerous lines to cross.\"\n\n\"Oh, Jórun, you know nothing of danger.\" Stonewall extended an arm, fist converging to a solid spike. He thrust it for Jórun, the bridge shaking before his might, shards of loose rock hurtling through the space between these beings.\n\nJórun threw himself under the coming spike, wrapping his whip around it, coming out on top to run across Stonewall's arm.\n\nStonewall simply smiled, a face full of diamonds staring at the mortal man that dared oppose him. He raised his arm, a shadow over the fragile bridge upon which he stood, then brought it crashing down, splintering body and bridge alike.\n\nDust misted the battlefield, debris rained with spots of red down into the river, Stonewall had disappeared, and Jórun was drowning.\n\n\"Well don't just stand there.\" a feathered creature, with bright blue beak and flippers, slapped the carcass of what looked to be a lifeless machine. \n\nThe machine was but an orb, with an eye without light, a dull grey sphere of scavenged metal.\n\n\"Hurry up!\" the beak snapped, and suddenly the machine came alive. There was no light to mark its coming, just sound, the subtle hiss of air from jets that propelled the sphere skyward.\n\n\"Directives, Spritt?\" the sphere asked, its voice a garbled mix of old radio clippings.\n\n\"Seriously?\" Spritt pointed a stump to the river, \"Rescue Holtz, you dumb trash can!\"\n\n\"Trash can, well I never...\" the sphere hovered over the bridge, diving down for the water, a faint and barely visible scanner probing the rapids.\n\nSpritt watched as the sphere, B-3-N, struggled to keep itself afloat, muttering something about how machines don't get on all that well with water and seeing as Spritt was an amphibian by birth right then surely she should be diving down to rescue Holtz?\n\n\"I'd offer you a hand...\" Spritt shouted down, waving her stumps sarcastically at the trash can, \"...and it ain't as if my wings are up to flying.\" she sat back against the grassland, the tiny, useless wings upon her back flapping madly. \n\n\"Holtz?\" B-3-N called out, \"Holtz? Oh, this is damn near fruitless.\" B-3-N sighed, suspending motion for a moment to search through the stores of information in its data banks, \"This will do nicely.\" and if a sphere could smile, then B-3-N surely did.\n\n\"What's that gumball up to now?\" Spritt wondered, and wasn't she in for a nice surprise.\n\nB-3-N began emitting a message, short and sweet and constantly reeling, from out its inbuilt speakers, \"Marco?\" that one word, over and over, \"Marco? Marco? Marco?\"\n\n\"Jesus Christ.\" Spritt stared in dumbstruck horror at the machine's stupidity, \"You can't be serious?\"\n\n\"Marco?\" B-3-N called again, positive that this alone was the best method by which to locate Holtz, on account that its scanners had found nothing.\n\nThen, as if by some sheer miracle, a cry rose up in response, \"Polo!\" then the sound of water gargling in a throat, \"Polo!\"\n\n\"Found him.\" B-3-N said, somewhat smugly.\n\n\"That's great, well done you.\" Spritt clapped her stumps in mock applause, \"Now how about you go save him from drowning?\"\n\n\"Ah, yes, good idea.\" and with that B-3-N dove into the water, coming up under Holtz, forcing his sodden body to the surface. Holtz was a shivering wreck, but he was breathing, he was alive.\n\n\"Now, what in Gods name are we supposed to do about them?\" Spritt turned to see, from out the fire on the far side of the bridge, a group of shadows rising, flexing, coming. She hadn't expected a response, but sure enough she got one, a deathly voice rising from behind her.\n\n\"They're beautiful, no? Survivors. That's what we need.\" Stonewall summoned himself to being, piled rock coming together to build first pillars for his legs, \"No more need to cucumber to inferiority. They are the master race, they are superior, they are... *different.*\"\n\n\"Different how?\" Spritt looked up into the hollow eyes that formed, slowly backing up toward the cliff edge by the river. Across her chest she had strapped a number of explosives, she moved carefully to take one from its holster.\n\n\"How?\" Stonewall laughed, \"You must see it, to understand it.\" Stonewall leered over Spritt, a menacing tower eclipsing the small amphibious creature, \"Oh, child, what is done will blow your tiny mind. And what pleasure I'll have in watching it tick, tick, boom.\" Stonewall mimed an explosion with a hulking fist beside his head.\n\n\"Perhaps,\" Spritt smiled, tongue rolling across her lips, \"but what if I blow your mind first?\" \n\nStonewall's face turned in a flurry of perplexion, not truly understanding until it was too late...\n\nSpritt pulled the plug of the device in her hand, launching it high, then diving over the cliff, \"You better catch me!\" she screamed at B-3-N.\n\nB-3-N looked up to see the feathered creature falling, and from behind her erupted an explosion of blue-white light, rocks tumbling in a self-made avalanche.\n\nStonewall loosed a scream, and from a throat now lost he whispered, \"What is done is done. My body holds no purpose. They are coming. Let *them* have the fun.\""
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[WP] You're an ancient graverobber who accidentally started Christianity by stealing Jesus' body. 2000 years later, you're still here and you have no idea why. | 31 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/wizmeister777, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bfrpp9/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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 have mystical powers. Whatever you say becomes reality, but only when you’re authentically mad. You try to hold back your anger at all times, but on a sunny day, you stub your toe. What you yell in absolute fury causes a storm to crash in and a peculiar substance to fall from the sky... | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/vitoanz, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- Bathroom Humor: No troll or meme-based prompts. This includes posting fart or poop jokes as prompts. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bfvlob/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] Jesus Christ: Patient Zero | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Mary Magdalene was the first to die. \n\nA slavering beast of a man lumbered its way towards her chambers. Torchlight bounced off of its snarling face as it passed through the archway.\n\nThe monster approached her bed. Its hands bled black onto her modest bedsheets and roamed towards her face.\n\nThe Magdalene screamed and sat up.\n\n“Oh! My lord! Ah, what manner of trickery is this?”\n\nThe Son of God snarled. It fell upon its former follower and devoured her throat. Blood sprayed from her arteries in a horrifying rhythm, staining her attacker’s face.\n\nA last gurgle sounded out of her ruined mouth, and Mary Magdalene was no more.\n\nThe monster had acquired its first follower.\n\nMagdalene and Jesus Christ’s bodies patrolled the night, converting all those unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Soon, they had amassed an army.\n\nA horde.\n\nDevastated eyes stared hungrily out of deep sockets. The Followers were always silent, and always ensured death. No amount of curfews, decrees, and caution could spare a man this fate. \n\nEventually, Jesus’s remains had wasted away. Without a leader, the horde had divided and disintegrated. Hope was restored to the human race.\n\nA word of helpful advice: you are never safe when the dead can rise. For all its noble qualities, hope is an act borne of idiocy, here.\n\nA slave girl was cast away into a forest. She was nearly starved; Death would steal her soul away under His black cloak soon enough. The girl was beyond saving. \n\nA day or two before hunger would’ve rotted her under the trees, she discovered a man’s body half-buried in the dirt.\n\nWell, she was desperate.\n\n After a fortnight, chaos was brought to a surrounding village. A drooling, stumbling creature disguised as a child had attacked their people. The mark of her bite flared purple-green on the villagers’ skin.\n\nSoon enough, even the country’s farthest borders couldn’t satisfy the monsters. They shambled across the world, heartily rendering apart human beings with decaying jaws. \n\nWith each attack, their numbers grew stronger.\n\n70 years after Jesus Christ’s bones had turned to dust, the last zombie fell. Humanity was long-extinct, and only their ruined cities hinted at intelligent life.\n\nEventually, even those disintegrated. \n\nA bird caws. Water splashes against untouched oceans. Dog-wolves howl in triumph.\n \nThe people rot.\n\n\n\n\nSorry if the formatting’s weird on mobile."
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[removed] | [WP] You bore the same birthmark King Solomon had. | 3 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi, this submission has been removed.\n\n[Prompt users in the title, but don't play writing games or commission stories.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_6.3A_prompt_users_in_the_title.2C_but_don.27t_play_writing_games_or_commission_stories)\n\n• Prompts go in the title, do not extend into text. You can add commentary in the text, but don't add additional prompt restrictions. Also, [avoid too many details.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/prompts?src=RECIPE)\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)\n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[WP] You are a Guardian Angel. Your client however unknowingly gives you a very hard time. | 6 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I can't believe this sh\\*t.\n\nEver since I died in that car wreck, I was designated to become the very thing I didn't have: a guardian angel. Seriously, I wasn't prepared for that! No job training, no pay, no nothing. I was just a tattoo artist that happened to not see the minivan in front of me! And now I'm assigned to a stupid bratty kid that *always* gets into trouble. She lives in a mansion with her parents. I think her name is Pandora. I don't know! I wasn't paying any attention to my assignment. Anyways, she always gets into trouble. One time, she, on PURPOSE, tried to make a chandelier fall on her. I was there, holding the string, or rope, or WHATEVER, that connected it to the roof with all my strength, trying to pass it off like it didn't fall. And she's like, what, 16! Stupid kid. And if you think my feelings will change for her, you need to sit down next to that big ball of foreshadowing!\n\nOne day, as I was watching her, helicopters pass over her house. Don't tell me that *she* caused this! The helicopter then throws out a ladder. A guy crawls down from it. He kicks down their door. \"Is Michael Nealinard present at this house?\" The Pandora kid stares at her mom. \"Th-that's our dad!\" She says. Well, thank you, captain obvious. The guy repeats it again. \"Is Michael Nealinard present at this house?\" The mom says, \"Yes. He is.\" The guy pushes past the mom and walks inside of the house. A moment later, this \"Michael\" guy and the other guy step out of the house. \"I-I-I don't know what I did, dude!\" The Micheal guy stutters. \"Call me Jack,\" the guy said. \"O-Ok, Jack, I don't know what I did!\" Michael said again. Jack pushes him down. \"We know what you did.\" Jack looks over at Pandora. \"Your father, he, uh, does bad things.\" Pandora stared in awe. \"Wh-what did she do?\" She peeped. \"Let's just say he sold the not-drink coke.\" Jack escorted Michael out of the house. \"I love you Pandora! And Julia!\" Oh. So that was the mom's name. Suddenly, Michael took out a knife and stabbed the Jack dude in the back. \"B-backup! We need backup!\" Jack sputtered into his walkie-talkie thing. More guys came out of the helicopters. They started shooting at Michael. He tried to run, but one of the shots caught his leg. \"J-J-Julia! Pan-p-pandora!\" He shouted. \"Please! PLEASE!\" The other people started in awe. Pandora and Julia rushed over. \"Father, please!\" Pandora said. \"Don't go, don't go, don't go!\"\n\n\"I love you very much, Pandory, but...\" He turned to his wife \"Julie, I can't make it for much longer. I think the bullet pierced an artery.\" Then, he turned back to Pandora. \"Stay good for your mother, ok?\" Then, he laid down. His eyes remained open, like he couldn't blink. His breathing ceased. For once, I felt remorse for the bratty child. She was crying and snotting and spitting, I didn't know what to do. I mean, I was Pandora's guardian angel, not her father's. But was I also her mental health guardian? She picks up Michael's knife. She caressed it, bloodying her finger with Jack's blood. \"I love you father.\" Then, she stabbed herself. \"NO!\" I said. It was too late. Out of all of the times she was hard to protect, like the chandelier, this was what slipped my guard off? I watched as she bled out and died. I couldn't believe it just as much as her mom couldn't. Suddenly, I was called to the GAC (Guardian Angel Corporation)'s office. \"You failed to protect your target. You've been demoted from a Guardian Angel. Hand over your badge and name tag.\" Slowly, I took off my badge and tag and handed it to them. They walked away as I sat on the bench next to the office. I used to think that I hated this job, but watching the spoiled child die with her father, it, made me feel sorrow for not only failing to protect Pandora, but, her father, too. You probably thought this would be a funny story with all of the incidents about how Pandora made my job hard. But, no, this took a turn for the worst. Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. \"Hey,\" it said. That voice was familiar. I looked up. It was Pandora. \"I'm here to become a Guardian Angel. Where do I sign?\""
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[removed] | [WP] Something | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Damn_David_, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**All submissions must be tagged**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_4.3A_all_submissions_must_be_tagged)\n\n- Existing Content: Prompts 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\n \n\n \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bg5cff/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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1,
1
] | [
"1555956741",
"1555957820"
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[WP] An alien is living among humans for almost a century, now. The alien is finally feeling his health getting weaker because of old age. On his last days, they contact his home-planet to send a final mission report and to tell his views about the humans. | 26 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"(Hopefully not too terrible, sorry if it is. First time writing anything, in 2 parts)\n\n​\n\n**Final report on species inhabiting Rk’Erak Thet III, by Xenologist Xrac’gena**\n\nGlorious and Great Council, I have now been living nearly 100 local, or around 63 standard cycles within the society of species inhabiting Rk’Erak Thet III, that identifies themselves as ”Humans.” Now I feel that my time for joining the Ancestors is closing in, and thus this will be my final report on this species.\n\nI was sent here around 63 cycles ago with my mission to study and report on the species of Human, as we have studied other species before their ascendance to the stars for hundreds upon hundreds of cycles. The main question above all else, naturally, was that were they ready to become members of the galactic community, were they compatible, should we let them ascend, even help them?\n\nThe short answer is no, we should not help them, we should not even let them. Even that may not be enough for the atrocities these savages, if we could call them such – even savages are arguably compatible enough – have committed even on their own people.\n\n​\n\n**A brief summary of the main events of the last local century:**\n\nAs detailed in the first report I ever sent to You, when I arrived at this hellhole of a planet there was a war going on, and not just any minor conflict, no – those are natural as we all are familiar with border skirmishes, raids and such – but most of the planet’s nations were at war with each other. At the time they called this the Great War, the war to end all wars. Ironic that they would go to war and hope it would end all wars, only way to end all wars and squabbles would be to destroy the enemy, either by glassing their planets or beating them into submission and making them subservient, that is what Ancestral experience has shown us.\n\nCurrently, it is known as the first World War, or World War I, as they had mere 21 local cycles later another one. Not even one generational shift had passed and these bloodthirsty, belligerent creatures desired for another, this time even bloodier and more destructive than earlier. Within that 21 local cycles their technology had seen faster development than ever seen before that point, and that allowed even more brutal bloodshed, even though they had banned chemical weapons of the first one. Granted, the second war was mostly the rest of the planet defending themselves as collective from the country that seemed to be striving for planetary unification by militaristic means and genocide.\n\nAt the end of the second war, mere 6 local cycles later, the Humans had managed to create fission-based explosive devices, nukes they seemingly endearingly call them, that could destroy entire cities alone. Decade later they already had made them even more destructive, this time turning the fission into uncontrolled fusion. Fusion, the way stars produce energy, and these idiots use the same principles to kill each other, or in best case scenario: destroy their whole wicked planet.\n\nDecades passed, there wasn’t another one planetary war, thank the Ancestors, but wars didn’t go away, no. Now mainly two strongest factions on the planet used smaller factions and nations as pawns in their geopolitical chess board (Note: chess is kind of rudimentary simulation-like game of war, where two players control two identical armies, and one with better strategies win) and waged war through them, as the major factions couldn’t wage war between each other, since it would’ve meant their own demise as well due to fusion bombs they both by the time had.\n\nDuring these decades, the period of time called the ”Cold” War, the humans managed to conquer the immediate vicinity of their planet, from basic satellites to landing a living human being on Rk’Erak Thet IIIa. All this was done with a far, far more primitive level of technology than any other known species.\n\nLast two decades and a half have been… I won’t say more peaceful, but less tensioned. They aren’t as close to the end of their species as they once were. The tensions, however, are still there. One could even say that they are rising once again, major countries attacking others like they would’ve always owned the region and so forth disregarding their own planetary laws, granted that they may be the only few that haven’t signed the said laws. Then again, what is the point of laws if it doesn’t apply when it should?\n\nWhile these are the main points from the last century I raise in this report, human history is full of war and conflict. They have waged war and fought since before they had even words for them, good if their species could even speak at the time, their whole history is filled with violence and bloodshed!\n\n​\n\n**Briefly on technology:**\n\nTheir technology has seen unprecedented development speed during the last century, at the start of their 20th century, they didn’t even have flying planes, yet only 66 years later they were walking on their moon. Considering their stronger-than-average gravity, it is nearly a miracle they even managed this feat, let alone in such a short period of time. Us it took nearly 150 standard cycles to even breach the atmosphere after the first flyer.\n\nTheir technological feats, even though their low technological level, are at the least impressive. I have also noted, that humans seem to be brilliant at reverse-engineering and/or advancing the technology they already have, or have just discovered through more clandestine operations, for example.\n\nThis could pose as a threat, should they ever acquire technology far more advanced than theirs, be it from salvaging the battlefield, or some idiots such as Gularii giving it to them.\n\nWith the current speed of their advancements, I’d guess that they’ll achieve FTL within the next 100 cycles, and even while waiting for that, they’ll probably start colonizing – and arming – their solar system.\n\n​\n\n**Briefly on culture:**\n\nHumans have hundreds of cultures, some of them more compatible with galactic standards than others, but even they are on the level of savages – at the best, that is. Yet their cultural productions and their diversity and plurality – new branches of music, art styles and others sprouting up like rrklani after a rainfall – is just marvelous. Most xeno-species do not have even half of the cultural output as humans do, and as technology, also the produced culture, be it music, art or anything, have seen a huge increase during last few centuries."
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"1555971538",
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[removed] | [WP] You've found the love of your life. You want to spend the rest of your life with them, until you find them in bed with another. As you are wallowing in sorrow, the deadly sins Wrath and Lust offer you powers to get revenge. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Luka_Gasai, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No explicitly sexual responses, hate speech, or other harmful content**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n- Politics: We are not currently allowing political prompts (see rule #7) as the aim of the sub is to encourage people to write and political prompts are leading to arguments instead of stories. \n\n *Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses ([rule 7](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses))*\n\n\"Deadly Sins\" prompts tend to focus on Lust to the exclusion of all else. Additionally, demon prompts in general are extremely common here.\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bgb0ky/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \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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"1555987388",
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[WP] Write a romance story set after the initial falling-in-love/getting-to-know-each-other/will-they-or-won't-they stage. | 5 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" \n\nEver since the day we met, I felt my heart collapse\n\nIn love you have to start from scratch,\n\nThen hope nothing would rip apart the rash\n\nArts & crafts, graffiti, together through the shadows\n\nShe was my weakness, an Achilles heel shot by cupids arrow\n\nWe'd leave our marks all over town, never bite our tongue\n\nTagging up & cradle robbing every time the night was young\n\nHer name was Aphrodite, a goddess, more then just of love\n\nThe skies, clouds, stars, sun, she was all of the Above\n\nExpressing how I felt was hard, but in poems & song I sung \n\nI'd always bare my heart though never was it as strong as one\n\nYeah we had fights sometimes, usually a common theme\n\nAn aisle, a dress, a diamond ring, every woman's honest dream\n\nI had my issues with it, in the past it tortured others\n\nShe'd visit the statue of Anchises, Aphrodite's mortal lover\n\nWishing everyday that I could change, how did she mind the hell?\n\nShe'd always get beside herself, above, below, inside as well\n\nBut, time will tell if we are destined to be a pair to last\n\nWould I build the courage to speak the question I never dared to ask\n\nWhat made us become so strong, was our fondness for graffiti \n\nLost in the colors of life, even in countries like Monaco, Tahiti\n\nThe effortless motions watching masterpieces glow, erupt\n\nEvery paint brush, every flowing touch was always a stroke of luck\n\nThough the quandary I had in our relationship just made it worse\n\nEvery artwork engaged an audience, yet I couldn't do the same to her\n\nThen the night I can never forget, the pain hit as quick as cancer\n\n\"Either you marry me or I'm out the door\" Well, I didn't even answer\n\nI tried to chase her saying what we had was great & special\n\nWe didn't need all that hoorah, just our love, our paints, our stencils\n\nBut, all it turned out to be was nothing but hopeless, wasted breath \n\nShe never needed to throw salt in the wound, I already tasted death\n\nIf I had any hatred left, it'd show if her return was of hopeless faith\n\nI perish the thought, & that it did, dying in my open grave\n\nI have to stop being stubborn, I really was a senseless jerk\n\nThey say you'll find the one someday & I did every one I spent with her\n\nI can do this! She deserved better then a brief decline\n\nShe was more then meets the eye & even more for people blind\n\n*As Aphrodite approached the statue she visited so frequent*\n\n*\"Well, that's kind of odd\" Something was different this evening*\n\n*The letter A with a circle, spray painted, an image* \n\n*That's when she realized it stood for her name, but who did it?*\n\n*As Anchises stood there pointing, Aphrodite looked right*\n\n*There was me, on my knees*\n\n*\"Will you please forgive me & be my wife\"*\n\n**We can paint the town red**"
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1,
2
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"1555991369",
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[WP] Those who were neither good enough for heaven nor bad enough for hell are sent to purgatory for arbitration, and their fate is decided by testimony from other souls who knew their true selves in life. At your hearing there is only one: your dog. | 28 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The trial chamber was surprisingly average. A set of tall stone doors opened to a walkway lined with rows of unadorned, empty wooden benches on either side. The walkway led to a roomy floor space that was ringed by waist-high wooden railing. Soft yellow light from multiple incandescent bulbs gave the room a peaceful glow.\n\nAcross the floor from the walkway was a raised platform, on which sat a balding, heavyset man in a fraying leather armchair. This man, who looked to be in his sixties, wore a plain brown suit, with matching shoes and tie, and a white shirt beneath. To his right was the witness stand. To his left, I sat solemnly; alone in the defendant's chair.\n\nThe man turned toward me after thumbing through a manila folder on his lap. In a soft, tired voice, he told me that my trial would begin momentarily. \n\nI heard the doors at the room's entrance grind open. When they finally stopped moving, the man in the chair said that my first and only witness would now testify on my behalf...for better or for worse. As I looked on, my jaw nearly fell into my lap as I saw my childhood pet, a Golden Retriever named Charlie who passed away when I was twelve, calmly walk down the aisle and plop himself on his haunches upon the witness' chair. \n\nThe man then asked Charlie to recount what he gathered about me during our time together when I was a child. This testimony, he said, would aid in his decision on where I was to spend eternity. Without skipping a beat, Charlie began to speak in a voice that was both old and young; pained and carefree; wise and innocent.\n\nHe spoke of our first meeting - he as a recently grown-up 3-year-old dog, and I as a newborn infant. Our bond was immediate and indestructible. I was now part of Charlie's family, while he was my protector and friend.\n\nAs time went on, though, Charlie spoke of changes in my behavior. I began to spend less time with him and more time playing with toys and watching television. I was often across the street from my house playing with the neighbor children, as well. With each passing day, my regular activities involved less and less time with my old childhood companion and he began to see less and less of me.\n\nThen, Charlie's recount took on a more somber tone. He recalled a pivotal time in our relationship; one where I viewed him more as a living chore than as a pet or even friend. His old age had begun to wear him down and he needed more and more help to live the way he used to. Unfortunately, my selfish, childish worldview blinded me to this reality for quite some time, and widened the distance between the two of us.\n\nHowever, there was a revival between us near the end of his life, Charlie said. He happily recalled a sudden increase in the time that I spent with him in the weeks leading up to his passing. Although this period of renewed companionship between us was brief, he stated that it had still made him very happy.\n\nThen came the day that he died. On this day, he said, he noticed a certain tangible sadness in the air. He remembered being vividly aware of the intense and complex feelings of those around him; his family, of which I was a part.\n\nCharlie said that in the moment of his passing, he could feel all of my emotions and was able to truly see me just as I was. He felt my sadness at the time of his death. He felt my deep regret for not having spent more time playing with him on the front lawn and sitting with him beneath the oak trees in the afternoon. He felt my pain for losing someone as near and dear to my heart as anyone ever was; someone who had been there for me since I took my very first breath. He saw the torment in my soul for all the ways in which I failed to give him the love and care that he deserved from me. \n\nAnd such was his testimony.\n\nThe balding man looked at me once again, this time offering me the chance to make a closing statement.\n\nI took a deep breath, shuddering and trying to take stock of my emotions. And then, all at once, my bare soul poured forth.\n\nI told Charlie that I had never forgiven myself for the ways that I let him down. That I wish I had spent countless more hours with him, going on walks and playing fetch and enjoying each-other's company. That I wish I hadn't let my immaturity cloud my thoughts and taint the once-unbreakable bond that we shared. That it was my fault that our relationship had faltered over the years, and that I would give anything to go back in time and fix it. And I told Charlie that I was sorry for it all, from the deepest reaches of my heart. Our time together had taught me an invaluable lesson that I lived by for the remainder of my life. That lesson is to show those whom you love exactly what they mean to you; to tell them that you love them and to care for them always. For life is a frail thing, and it can be taken away at any moment, so make the most of it while you are still able.\n\nWhen I finished speaking, with tears streaming down my face for the first time in decades, the trial chamber was engulfed in silence. For a time, the only sound was the shuffling of my clothing as I continuously used my sleeve to wipe the tears from my eyes.\n\nEventually, I could bear it no longer. I asked the heavyset man if he had made his decision. Where would I spend eternity?\n\nThe man locked eyes with me and asked softly...\n\n\"What do you feel you deserve?\""
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[removed] | [WP] Turns out aliens aren't hostile to us, they just really want our poo. | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Blacklightrising, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n- Bathroom Humor: No troll or meme-based prompts. This includes posting fart or poop jokes as prompts. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses) for more info. \n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bgeofa/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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"1556014637"
] |
[WP] In your lifetime, stories of ordinary people being reborn or transported into fantastical worlds of magic and heroes were popular... not that you knew this, being a dog. Then you got hit by a Truck, and now you're a Dragon that just wishes belly rubs were as easy to get as they used to be. | 9,290 | [
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"[poem]\nIn another life it was so easy.\nAll the treats and belly rubs.\nNow everyone just runs from me.\nAll I want is a belly rub.\nFire extends from my lips,\nAnd I can fly high above the streets.\nYet it’s a curse more than a gift,\nIf I could go back, I surely would.",
"Foreword: My very first writing prompt on r/WritingPrompts. Gonna jump into the fray, so wish me luck!\n\nThe days of belly rubs were lost decades ago since my draconian rebirth. Belly rubs. How I missed them so! A tale once told across my former life of how souls would warp and transport between worlds and bodies upon death. It was one I found difficult to believe. Until the day a mechanical horse of colossal size struck my canine self, I awoke to see my skin not in fur, but in scale. Belly rubs. How I missed them so! The rebirth system must be true! From mutt to the beast of legend in many cultures, how could such a metamorphosis feel such a curse to me? Does the status equivalence of the gods pale in comparison with mere belly rubs? The Earth to bulge or sink into valleys when I curve my back from down under. To grant the arid path of Arabia a daily gift of rain. I am free! Unlike dogs, dragons have no leash. For they are not only unbound by chain, but also by Mother Earth's downward forces! And yet, belly rubs. How I missed them so! The knights of Maximillian would again make arrangements for my execution again. Of course, I didn't mind, maybe in the next life, I'll become a dog once more. They felled iron onto my nape. The blade shattered. A death by fire. The flames only sizzled out on my scales. Poison and suffocation. For a while, I almost slept. That was until I destroyed the village in my slumber. Bored and frustrated, I departed from the kingdom. Neither steel, fire or poison could end me. I was surely doomed to never jump from life to life ever again. Then at a small cottage I would soon arrive. The old man gave me neither contempt or speech. He invited me into his wheat fields and as I reclined, he caressed the soft interior of my front. Belly rubs. How I missed you so!",
"\"Where is benny when I need him he always played fetch with me\". He said as his pearly scales changed in the color in the moon light. It created the illusion of a burning flame. His hunches dragged as he was a lot smaller before and not quite used to his new found size. He did like that he could just peer over the tree line by just lifting his head. \n \n He heard a crackle. People perhaps I love people and I finally have enough belly for everyone to scratch! He thought. He had scared some people off before by using his new found wings so he decided to take a different approach, he dropped his belly to the ground just barely grazing the grass. He crept closer to the noise. He knew every step was crucial for the proper interduction. He quitetly crept over a lush banking that florished with weeds but very few trees. He looked down over a gordge to see where the noise was coming from. It was the embers caressing the logs of a well built fire.\n \n Four people stood around the fire laughing and full of excitement,that alone sparked his inner sense of joy. But the smells were so overpowering. \"Food!\" He whispered. The smell sent him into a very quick decent over the ledge. His wings caught wind flicking them up just enough to make them aware of his presence. Immedately three of them had fled off into the thicket. One stayed holding a brisket on a spear in hand. He could tell she was fearful of him. He stopped abruptly and sat. Maybe if she saw how obedient he was she would change her mind. She covered her face with her right forearm. With the left arm held the brisket out as far away from her as she could .\n\n I was a good boy I deserve this and he snatched it with one claw without hesitation. Maybe she will give me the scratches! He flopped onto his side using his very long tale to help him roll on to his back. His eyes closed, tongue hanging out in the breeze. I'm addorable he thought she will have to pet me. He waited but nothing. After a minute or two he rolled back over and onto his belly. Where'd she go? I want scratches... He felt sad. He looked down to find a small stream of smoke and one very over crushed woman. He flopped his head onto the dirt path beneath him dust. Debris wafted into the air, Why can't I have love.. were his last thoughts before curling up around the deceased pancaked woman and drifting into a slumber.",
"My person... My people... Most of them... They sat on the floor with me. One held me in her arms, sobbing. Why was she sad? I slowly wagged my white-tipped tail, whining softly. She kept speaking to me, I only understood a few words. They were \"good boy\", \"Dunkin\", \"best boy\", \"sorry\", and \"old boy\". I understood the last one best of all. I knew that I was indeed a good boy, the constant love my humans showed me let me know. Even if we couldn't speak to each other, we communicated with our feelings. I loved the female holding my frail, thin body. I loved her as if she was my pup. Oh... How I loved her. I met her deep brown eyes, ringed with a pale silvery-blue. I closed my eyes, even if it was hard to see, now that I was old, I kept the vision of her eyes in my memory. Tears... I could smell the saltiness, and struggled to sit up. She pulled me close to her trembling body. I licked the tears off her face. Why was she sad? I had protected this human pup since she had come home. 13 years of love. 6 years since I lost my best friend. 7 years since her sibling came home. 5 years since we got my adopted daughter. 2 years since we got the littermates. A few months since we got the puppy. 15 years since I had joined my pack. I softly whined again, when I felt a prick at the back of my neck. After a few moments, I began to feel sleepy. I could feel her holding me right as I drifted off, listening to her cries.\n\nAfter a few moments, I rose to my paws, looking down at my girl. I no longer felt any pain, and I could see and hear. My red and white pelt was sleek, and my tawny eyes were bright. I closed my eyes to blink, and was suddenly enveloped in color.\n\nI opened my eyes, surrounded by darkness, until I pushed, and broke free. Another egg was next to me, rocking back and forth. I closed my eyes again, trilling softly, only to open my eyes again. Trilling? I'm a dog! We can't trill! I looked at my paws, but they weren't paws! They were covered in scales, and had silver claws. \n\nI stumbled back, squeaking, then knocked over the other egg. A brown... lizard fell out. He squeaked a bit, then unfurled his wings. The dragon was shorter than I, but broader. He opened his bright orange eyes, and they brightened soon as we made eye contact. Those eyes... They were familiar... After a moment, I exhaled quickly, sending sparks flying out of my nose. I recoiled,then clumsily bounded over to him, squeaking happily. He reacted with as much joy as I did, my brother! My brother! We ran around each other in circles, then suddenly he was lifted off the ground. Right after, I was too! I started screeching, flapping my wings, which were much too big for my body. The person carrying me swore- and hit me! He hit me! I whimpered and started shaking, when I was carried away from my brother. I ended up being tossed into a pen full of other dragons. But they were all females! I had forgotten something... I checked. I was a girl! I was a girl! \n\nAfter what felt like forever, I had grown considerably. I was almost the height of 4 of the biggest men on top of each other, and well-muscled. I was powerful, and as many of the people said, I was beautiful. After getting led into a pen, I roamed around. Another dragon entered soon after. It had felt like forever since I last saw this male! An excited chirping came from him, and I mimicked the sound. I wagged my tail, eyes wide in happiness and excitement. His tongue lolled out of his mouth. For a few days, we played and relaxed and ate. Soon enough, we got bored.\n\nWe had come up with an idea. The scales on his back were much tougher than my soft skin. I was going to... Melt the metal blocking out the sky, just enough for him to crash through, and bam! We'd be free! \n\nOn the day we were going to pull out stunt, it all went as planned. At least until he barreled through the ceiling, and I followed, to end up in a beautiful kitchen. There were people gathered around a table, who paused to stare at us, then start running and screaming. My people used to run! And I'd chase them! It used to be my favorite game! I jumped around, chasing a fat man. My brother did the same. Soon enough, our fun stopped when men came in, and started yelling at us. \n\nI put my guilty face on, and so did the male. I looked up from the ground, and thumped my tail a few times, then looked back down. I whined softly, as if I was saying sorry. \n\nSuddenly, I felt something on my foot. I looked down, and it was a small girl. I smiled at her, and licked her face. A woman screamed, and the men surged foward. I snarled at them, holding the girl close. I watched them for a bit, and felt something touch my side. Of course, being the good boy- er... Girl... I am, I rolled over. The little girl giggled, and rubbed my chin. I panted happily, and started kicking one of my legs. The woman had started scratching my belly. It was utter bliss. \n\nThe fat man was scratching my brother's belly as well, chuckling. \n\nOh! We were such good boys! Since that day, we've been pampered! Food right off the table, belly rubs, everything.\n\nBoy is it good to be such a cute dog.",
"[poem]\n\nI was a dog\n\nBack in the day\n\nDown in the bog\n\n**I loved to play!**\n\nMy master sweet\n\nDear Daisy Lue\n\nMade me complete\n\n**And scratched me too!**\n\nBut one dark night\n\nI wandered far\n\nWithout a light\n\n**I drowned in tar...**\n\nNow I'm a dragon\n\nIt's odd, for sure\n\nBut when I'm happy\n\n**I flap, I roar!**\n\nMy one regret\n\nOr two, or three\n\nThere's nobody around\n\n**To love on me!**\n\nBut then one day\n\nShe came, she knew\n\nMy master sweet\n\n**Dear Daisy Lue!**\n \n* \n* I sure don't have any idea on how to format anything mobile.",
"Part 1\n\n​\n\nThere was a loud horn before it hurt. There was a loud horn, a bright light, and then a whole new world. \n\nIt was a strange world filled with knights and castles, enchanted forests where elves made kingdoms in the trees and dark swamps where witches brewed their potions with hex-stained smoke. Wizards had thrown spells through the air like softballs and paper airplanes. Giants had strolled through the hills dressed in their finest furs. But now the world was a tall tower of dark stone that drank away the light and a sulfurous stench that chocked the air below. It was situated in the center of a black fortress built from jagged angles and saw-toothed spires that ripped apart the mountainside and leered over the desolate countryside thru which none but the bravest, or most foolhardy, dared ride. \n\nThe interior of the tower was colder even than its skin of spiny rock. The floor was stone. Nothing hung on the walls. The only piece of furniture was a rickety cot, which Leny the princess sat on and sobbed. \n\nEverything seemed hopeless to her. This strange land, these strange people, she hadn’t known any of it, but now she was in the center of it. A centuries old battle had swept her up into this prison tower. Nothing looked good, and it didn’t help that the only portal to the outside, to some respite from her brooding, was a window opposite her cot that offered nothing but dark skies ridden with storm clouds. Still, anything was better than the chilly room, and some fresh air might be nice anyway. \n\nLeny leaned towards the window and waited. She stared out at the rolling clouds, stretching her neck. She stood up and tip-toed forward, slowly, one slippered foot at a time across the rough stone. Just as she reached the window edge, just before she could glance out and past the barrier of dark clouds, Leny heard the dreadful sound of beating wings. \n\nShe leapt back just as the dragon shoved its muzzle through the window, nearly catching her on its teeth. Leny screamed as she fell. The dragon trashed its snout around the room. Its tongue leaped from its toothy muzzle, slapping the walls of the room with a splat. It showered everything in spit and drool. \n\n“Eww!” Leny screamed again as the big, pink tongue splat across her face, “Stop! No!” She cried. \n\nAnd the dragon stopped. Leny scrambled backwards, back to the cot on the other side of the room. \n\n“You got me all wet! And, eww,” Leny pulled a strand of drool off her sleeve, thicker than her wrist. It slopped through her fingers and hit the floor with a splat hard enough to ricochet chunks back on her face. She nearly heaved. \n\nThe dragon was panting through the window. The hot breath filled the little room with the smell of old meat and rotten eggs. Leny held her nose and groaned. At the sound, the dragon roared and began lapping at the walls of the tower. The stone around the window was cracking, as the dragon dug its snout deeper into the room. It was about to brake when the dragon stopped. Something had caught its attention; something was down below, moving up through the fortress. \n\nLeny watched the dragon disappear. She rushed to the window, just catching a glimpse of something in silver armor running up the stairs. \n\n“Arthur! Arthur! I’m up here!” She waved her arms, flailing her handkerchief like a flag at Arthur the knight in shining armor. He waved back, sword gleaming in his hand. \n\n“Len! Just wait there. I’ll be over in a second,” He shouted as he hopped from a window onto the steeped roof of the fort, intent on bypassing the trapped rooms and labyrinthine pathways. \n\n“Arthur, watch out for the dragon!” \n\n“It’s okay! I got a magic swor—” \n\nThe dragon landed on the roof with such force that the sword, gleaming in the light with a radiance brighter than the sun, leapt from Arthur’s grip. It skidded along the roof like a stone skipped over a pond before diving into the depthless abyss below like a falling star plummeting to earth. \n\n“Oh, Arthur,” Leny sighed. \n\nArthur didn’t wait for her next suggestion. He ran! With the dragon slamming down upon on the shingled roof behind him, Arthur ran. He heard the beams begin to split and crack under the dragon’s weight. He heard the mighty beast roar. Its hot breath burned his neck. It was on him. A heavy shadow overtook him even at full sprint. Leny watched in horror. She shut her eyes as Arthur ran with all his might. \n\nThe dragon roared. Then the fortress roof gave in. The burley timbers could take it no more, and the dragon whined. It made Leny’s heart jump. The dragon disappeared through the fortress as the roof collapsed, stone and timber falling upon the beast like a hungry maw, swallowing it whole. \n\nArthur clambered into the window of Leny’s room and fell onto the floor. Immediately, she fell on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and covering him in kisses. Even as he was struggling to catch his breath, Arthur kissed back and squeezed her tight. \n\n“What a rescue, huh, babe?” Arthur said. \n\n“Well, you’re no ogre, and we need a new magic sword, but I’m glad you came,” \n\n“Ah ha,” a gleam sparkled in Arthur’s eye, “I was prepared for something like this. I brought this,” he produced a hollow horn, curved and polished. A smile crossed his face that only said ‘watch this.’ \n\nArthur leaned out the window. He put the horn to his lips and blew. A magnificent sound trumpeted from the instrument, bellowing out over the mountains and down into the valleys. A piercing shriek answered the noble call. Out of the storm clouds, covered in a rainy sheen, flew a mighty eagle. A grin crossed Leny’s face, and Arthur laughed and cheered, overjoyed. The eagle’s heavy wings beat apart the air as it soared towards their tower, faster than a lightning bolt. It shrieked again, one last time. \n\n“The eagles are coming, Len. The eagles are coming.”",
"It really wasn't that bad being a Flying Fire Dog once Spot had gotten used to the flappy bits on his back and the fire that came out his mouth when he belched. The biggest problem he had was that none of the other dragons thought he was serious when he said his name was Spot. Draca and Flame constantly asked him to tell hem what Spot's *real* name was and it was getting sort of confusing. \n\nAlmost as bad as when Boy used to ask Spot \"who's a good boy?\" repeatedly. It's like he didn't believe Spot when he said \"ME! I'M A GOOD BOY!\"\n\nAnd the worst part is, Draca and Flame never gave him belly rubs like Boy used to. Even when Spot flopped over onto his back and wiggled right in front of them barking \"Spot! Spot! Spot!\"\n\nOn the other hand, now he could eat anything he wanted, no tricks necessary. He learned that after he tried to shake Flame's wing at the first village ruckus they went to. Apparently, all the dragons just kind of went for the food without regard for how long he could sit and stay.\n\nOf course, the food looked a lot like mini-Boys. He kind of wished Boy was here so Spot could show Boy and get a treat for the new discovery.",
"I was everybody's dog back home. From the Parkers farm to Old mans Harry's back porch was my place, my station. But out of everywhere I could be in town was Lady Maria's Gas Station. Like the tick of food steamer, people were always coming and going and man did they give the best treats. \n\n​\n\n\"He's not a stray! Don't feed the pinche chamaco!\" she would yell. She knew she was the worst of em all! Hell, she picked me out at the police station years ago and brought me here. So warm. So good everyday was. Too bad I was still a station dog. \n\n​\n\nThe last day I had was a doozy. The store was the bustling with the usual flair. The Parker kids had even come down to see me! They always rushed to me and gave the best rubs.\n\n​\n\n\"Maria, you know, Chamo there is on in his years.\" said Matt in a hushed tone.\n\n​\n\n\"And he has the energy to get both our dinners!\" Maria sharply replied, \"I'm not getting another guard dog until he's ready to stay home.\" Lady Maria was my home and I wasn't gonna leave her or these pets! \n\n​\n\n\"Hey kids!\" Matt called, \"go grab some snacks and stop bothering that old man!\" They protested but went to the snack aisle. I wanted to pick one too! I think they kept talking but the kids were so loud. They didn't even notice the New man. He tried to sneak up on me, but I knew he was there. He had been in the store since Maria set out the bread. He was fast too, making it to the front of the store in no time. In a second he had Matt with a mad grip and a pistol at his head and started shouting. I was right behind him and got his leg with everything the station taught me. A bang rang through the store and he went running. Oh Hell no. You don't run from an old police mutt like that pal. He got to his car, damn my old legs. I heard the rumble of the engine starting. I'm not letting another one of these criminals go free. I knew what I had to do. The plate in front of car was gonna be all they need. \n\n​\n\nAnother bang clattered through my mountain station. So close to the rings of her store. The poor scaled people cowered from the bang and move quickly to protect their eggs from the rumble. Their fear and cries were not going to be unanswered for much longer. I raised myself up much to their displeasure. I really took this speed for granted went I was a pup. \n\n​\n\n\"I'm going to right back chiquitos.\" I said to them. At least in this new station they could understand me. \n\n​\n\n\"We can't stop you Hengot, but please this is not the time.\" Crawler pleaded. The rest of his littermates were in tears. I brought down my giant copper head to look at them. I wanted one last look before I started my shift again. \"At least let us come with you.\" Everyone wants to be a police dog until they have to make hard choices, huh? \n\n​\n\n\"No. You stay here. Protect the eggs. That's more than enough for you to ask.\" I order. I gently tap them as I go, hearing one fall over. So much like the Parker kids, even down to the cries. This time it won't end with me under a truck without Maria. Chamaco is a good station dog. He comes when called. He defends his partner and his station with his last breath. This time I'm coming back to my Station without a single criminal left in sight.",
"The princess was pretty, true, but that’s not why I kidnapped her. I’d seen how she was with the kingdom hounds, how veraciously she’d sought them out. I just wanted to be treated the same.\n\nI can hear her sobbing on the other side of my cave and it’s eating at me. She looks over and I roll over on my back, hoping she takes the hint. She looks over at me, blinking slowly. Then I see the realization roll across her delicate features. \n\nShe gets up and starts to walk, or limp across the cave towards me. I must’ve really hurt her. That, at least, I feel terrible about. The closer she gets to me the braver her face comes. I can barely hold in my excitement. She stands next to me. \n\nSuddenly there’s a dagger point being pressed against the soft skin of my belly, right where my heart is located. I whimper in pain, but she levels quite the menacing look at me.\n\n“What do you want with me?”\n\nThe word that my old person, from my dog days, used to use comes to my mind instantly. “Scritches?”\n\nShe looks taken aback. “You want me to pet you?”",
"Biscuit draped his wings over his head, and that helped drown out some of the ruckus coming from the far side of the cave. “Just leave me be, please,” he moaned, as sparks flared out from his nostrils. “If it’s dinner, I’m not hungry, alright? And if you’ve come to try and change my mind, well, I’m… I’m tired. Let’s discuss this in the morning, I promise. Just let me-”\n\nBut the pounding intensified, and soon the walls of the cave were shaking. From the corner of Biscuit’s eye, he saw cracks spread along the surface of the boulder he had dropped at the cave entrance. It was the largest he could find, and he had been so sure that it would have bought him some much needed solitude, but just like everything else of late, it seemed that nothing would ever go right.\n\nJust as Biscuit nursed the fleeting dregs of hope in his heart, the boulder splintered with a crash. Moonlight streamed in, and Biscuit smelled Razortail’s distinct scent even before her silhouette sharpened in the settling dust. There was a frenzied look in her golden eyes.\n\n“Please, Razortail, tomorrow, alright? I swear, tomorrow I’ll go wherever you want me to go, and I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me. But for tonight, just for tonight, will you just-” \n\n“You hide there, huddled like a worm, while the humans attack us?”\n\n“-let me… humans? Attack?”\n\n“Do you know that they are out there now, fighting for us?” Razortail screeched, as she stomped towards him. Her claws, fully extended, scored deep marks in the gravel. “One-Eye, Greenscale, Fullwing… even Mangleclaw! The one who always looked up to you! The one who believed in you! The one you crushed when this… this foolishness seized you!”\n\nThe blood rose to Biscuit’s cheeks. All of this had nothing to do with him. He knew that. He knew that for sure, right in his heart of hearts. He had asked for none of this. Had he asked for wings? For claws? For scales? Did he ever, even for a fleeting second in his entire life, wish that he would be a dragon? All he wanted was the backyard, the chew-toys, the sprinklers which he wrestled with every morning. None of this had anything to do with him at all.\n\nSo why then did he feel guilty?\n\n“For the last time, please, just listen to me!” Biscuit said, whirling on Razortail. “I’m not who you think I am! I’m not… I’m not your leader! I’m not this… this big, bad dragon that you think I am! I can’t even fly in a straight line, you saw that for yourself yesterday! I swear, I’m just a dog, my name is Biscuit, and I-”\n\nRazortail moved faster than he thought possible. One moment she was twenty feet away, the next she had pounced onto him, knocking him over with a swipe of her talons. Biscuit grunted as she planted her claws onto his chest. His tongue flicked across his maw as he tasted blood.\n\n“You’re Scarfang!” she bellowed. “You’re not a dog! You’re not… Biscuit! You’re Scarfang and you’re the greatest dragon who has ever lived! You’re our protector! Our guardian! We need you to stop the humans from killing us!”\n\n“Are you even hearing me? Humans aren’t… humans aren’t what you say they are,” said Biscuit. “They are kind, they pet you when you’re down, they pull you into their homes when the thunder breaks, and they always make sure that you are-”\n\n“Then explain this! Tell me what your eyes see!”\n\nRazortail charged towards the cave walls, throwing her entire weight against the craggy surface. It seemed futile at first, a mid-sized dragon like her against the aged stone, but a spring of fury had been untapped in her. Over and over again she pounded against the walls, her screeches reverberating in the cave. Just as Biscuit thought to pull her back, her barrage broke through the side of the mountain. A passing gale swept through the cracks, carrying with it the scents from the valley below.\n\nBiscuit sat up. He padded over to the makeshift window, and gently pushed Razortail aside. She collapsed at his hind claws, exhausted, spent. \n\nThere was definitely metal. The distinct tang of bronze, copper, steel and a dozen different alloys swirled in the air, sharp and biting. There were no such smells in the valley before, not when the other dragons had brought him around, trying to jog his memory, to help restore some sanity to him. Now the valley reeked of it, almost as if someone had unearthed a thousand furnaces, burning as they purified and smelted the very essence of the earth.\n\nThere was definitely human too. Not just one, or two, or even a dozen. An old memory stirred in the recesses of Biscuit’s mind – Tanya’s friends had come over for a sleepover, and he had been overwhelmed, trying to distinguish between the scents of Tanya and six other not-quite-Tanyas in her room. But if he thought that was a challenge… now there were *hundreds* of them, more humans than he had ever smelled together at the same time. There was the smell of cooked flesh too, though he couldn’t quite put a talon on exactly what type of meat this was.\n\nAnd most of all, most distinctly of all… there was blood.\n\nBlood in quantities he did not think possible. Dragon-blood, with hints of bitter and sour, exposed to the night air, hissing as they sprayed from the other dragons who had taken him in, fed him, cared for him. Human-blood too, a crisp, light-bodied aroma, wafting in and out of the valley, rising in cyclones of velvet and red.\n\nBy the time Biscuit processed the smells, he knew that Razortail was not lying. The rest of his senses caught up then – the sounds of creatures dying, the sight of untethered warfare – but he had already figured out what he needed to know.\n\n“Do you see now?” Razortail said. “Do you see? Maybe you do not lie, and maybe in your dreams you really did meet humans who are kind and loving to you. But these are not the humans you dreamt of. Would your humans skulk through the night and slaughter us as we sleep? These are humans who are out to *kill* us, Scarfang! And we need you! We need you there to fight alongside us! Please!”\n\nBiscuit laid one claw on the opening which Razortail had created, and with a light snort, he *pushed*.\n\nThe mountain yielded to him the way that daisies yield to tornadoes. For a brief moment, the battles raging below paused as countless eyes swiveled to search for the source of the explosion. Biscuit pulled his wings in close, then unfurled them in a single motion, the way the others had taught him. His leathery wings punched through the air, beating faster, stronger than he ever thought possible. He pulled his head back, then bellowed, and a giant comet of fire erupted from him and burned a hole through the sky.\n\n“I see now,” Biscuit said. “These are not the humans I thought they were. These are Bad Men. And I think I know how to deal with Bad Men.”\n\n--- \n\n/r/rarelyfunny",
"A new smell in my cave wakes me from my slumber. I raise my head up, shuffling on the coins I’ve made my bed.\n\nThe bed a beast like myself is supposed to have, I remind myself. I am no longer what I used to be, the small, frail little creature that was dependent on others.\n\n*No*, not anymore. I am a dragon now. I am strong. I can feel power flowing through my rising legs as a previously unbearable heat scratches my throat.\n\nI feel my scales, the sharp, nigh-impenetrable skin that protects my valuable insides.\n\nThe warm wind through my cave brushes my bare belly as I force myself up. Something flashes in my mind.\n\nA feeling, a thought—a want from my old life. The old, dumbed intelligence I used to know trickles back into my mind and I find myself panting as the wish solidifies.\n\nSuddenly, inexplicably, I want my belly rubbed.\n\nA roar starts growing in my throat and I shake my head, smoke spewing from my snout. My roar, then, is matched by a rumble in my stomach as my want for care is swallowed up by a much more present need.\n\nI am hungry.\n\nStepping forward once more onto my hoard’s smooth stone floor, I duck low and focus again.\n\nThe sound from before—it’s closer now. I can hear it ever-present when not distracted by my thoughts. I can almost *feel* the presence, and I know what they’re here for.\n\n“Halt your progression, dragon!” the small man shouts, his armor gleaming in light from the mouth of my cave. \n\nI almost laugh, but I know to hold my tongue. I know *now* at least. As senses trickle information to my brain, I can only be thankful for my newfound intelligence.\n\nInstead, I respond with one large puff of smoke.\n\nThe knight waves his hands and steps forward, drawing his puny blade.\n\n“No more will you terrorize these lands! I have come to slay you, beast!”\n\nShaking my head idly, I narrow my eyes. The movement solidifies only a moment later and my claws come down. \n\nOnly a small part of my cave falls and blocks his exit without a moment to spare.\n\nFear strikes on his face and I can’t help but lick my lips. However, as my tongue comes out, it laps and I find myself panting.\n\nOvercome by the urge again, I scurry toward the fearful knight.\n\nHe raises his sword to defend, righteousness glinting in his eyes.\n\nI knock the sword away without a second thought.\n\n“Belly rubs,” I say, thanking my new mind for the ability to speak.\n\nThe knight blanches. “What do you want with me, dragon?”\n\nThe urge just nags at me again. “Belly rubs,” I say and gesture to my exposed stomach.\n\nHis brows furrow and his fingers start shaking. “Kill me quickly!” he pleads. “Spare me this vile torture!”\n\nI shake my head, bored of his theatrics. “Give me belly rubs and I will let you go.”\n\nHis eyes widen and he stares at me. I stare right back, my tongue still limp outside my mouth.\n\nThen, slowly, uncertainly, he steps forward and extends his hand.\n\nI drop to the floor and let him continue, relishing in the feeling I have such missed in my new life.\n\nAs seconds bleed on, he gets more comfortable and starts accepting my cuteness. I purr in satisfaction—or, as close as a dragon can get.\n\nThen, under his hand, my stomach rumbles again and I remember my new life.\n\nFire sparks in my throat and I stare at him more fiercely. I am still hungry... and he is still food...\n\nBut the belly rubs for the time just feel too good and I let him continue for a while.\n\nThat is, until I get tired of the bit and bite his head off, swallowing it down in a single gulp.\n\n\n---\n\n/r/Palmerranian",
"I am a dire wolf. The mightiest creature in all the land! My woofs inspire fear in the hearts of anyone who would harm my humans. The master of all I survey. I stride proudly around the borders of my family's lands. Ready to alert them of any threat. I am majestic. The most powerful creature who ever lived and-- Oooh a butterfly! I changed direction on a dime and sprinted after it.\n\n(Anyone else looking at the scene would see a small, extremely derpy corgi stumbling around the lawn and sidewalk in front of a small suburban house, but he truly saw himself as a mighty creature.)\n\nI am smart doggo. I know not to walk out onto the evil black river. It was dangerous, cars did zoomies on it all day and all night long. My mom n dad taught me that on my first days of life as a puppy. But the tiny human was slowly stumbling in that direction and dad couldn't see her with his head in the trunk of our car! I ran up to her to try and stop her, but she just patted my head, smiled and kept walking. Her little paws had reached the blackness, I had to act fast! I barked my loudest bark, and it got dad to look at us. His face turned to horror and he started running toward her, but I knew he was too far away. It was the wolf's time to act.\n\nI sprinted into the dangerous black place after my beloved baby human. I saw the car coming at her rapidly, but I sped up. I could get there first, I knew it in my heart. With no time to spare, I summoned my mightiest boop and knocked her out of the way. Then I was flying. Very confusing, because it wasn't fun jumpy flying, it was hurty flying. I hit the ground and realized I couldn't move, but I didn't care, my eyes were locked on tiny human as dad scooped her up in his arms before sprinting over to me. Both of them petted and cradled me as tears streamed down their faces. \"Good boy... good good boy... it's okay buddy... oh god I'm so sorry... you did so good... such a good boy\", dad said, now sobbing uncontrollably as he held me.\n\nI didn't yelp or cry because I didn't want them to be sad. I couldn't wag my tail to tell them it was okay, so I licked their hands. I wanted them to know I would have done anything for my humans. I closed my eyes for the last time as I was being cuddled and told I was a good boy, not a bad way to go.\n\n​\n\nMy eyes snapped open in confusion. I was in a forest now. Things looked different. The colors were brighter. I could blink sideways. Was this place doggy heaven? A girl came out of the woods and stopped in her tracks upon seeing me. She wore strange clothing but she looked an awful lot like my tiny human! As I ran towards her I realized I now towered above her. She very cautiously reached out to pet me. I opened my mouth to smile at her and she screamed and ran away. I had never been more sad in my entire hecking life. Looking down at my paws I realized I had scales on my feet. Compared to my happy fluffy fur I was not a fan, but I'd have to get used to it. Not knowing what else to do I headed off in the direction she had run, but slowly and more carefully this time, so as not to scare her again.\n\nAs I walked the ground rumbled around me, which would be kinda fun if I wasn't so scared of thunder. I walked for what might have been hours or days (I was never too good at telling time) until finally I arrived at a town. But again it looked very different. The houses were tiny and made of stones. The roofs were made out of what cows eat. Oh, and the town was on fire. Humans ran from other humans in shiny suits who were chasing them with metal sticks. When they caught them, I realized the mean men were hurting them! I frantically searched the town with my eyes for my new little friend.\n\nI spotted her, but I could see a big man in the most shiny suit walking towards her, he pulled his giant metal stick off his hip as well, he was going to hurt tiny human! I had to act fast. Without a thought, I leapt into the air... and I flew! Happy flying, fun flying! Wheeeeeee! Whoops, no time for sky zoomies, I was on a mission. I dove down toward my new tiny human friend with all the speed my wings could muster. I made a very fun big big noise when I landed between them.\n\nThe shiny man seemed stunned for a moment, but then continued walking towards us with evil in his eyes. I opened my mouth to bark at him... and a whole bunch of flames came out! Aw heck, sorry mister! You were a meanie head but I didn't mean to make you a toasty marshmallow. Oh well, I would do anything to protect my tiny human.\n\nMore shiny metal men were running toward us. She scrambled up on my back and urged me to move and I took the hint. I soared into the sky as quickly as I could. We didn't have a destination. I just kept flying to get her as far away from the danger as I could. I think we both knew instinctively that she was my new master, and I loved her already.\n\nI am a dire wolf I thought to myself. Now a flying, furless, armored dire wolf no less! The mightiest creature in all the land. The master of all I survey. And I would not rest until someone called me a good boy again.",
"All these years later, I still have not forgotten that fateful day.\n\nI was wandering the neighborhood one day while my human was gone. He would disappear for what felt like days on end. How differently time seemed to pass in those days. \n\nI was rolling around in the grass across the street from my home, when I heard the noise.\n\nIt was my human's truck! I was so excited. I wanted to greet him, to welcome him home after he was gone for so long. \n\nI couldn't contain my excitement; I sprinted toward him, my tongue flapping in the wind as I bounded toward the road.\n\nMy human didn't see me until it was too late. My body was suddenly filled with pain as I was crushed under the wheels. My human stopped his truck and got out, crying.\n\n\"No, no, no, no...\" he sobbed. \"I'm so sorry, boy.\"\n\nI wanted to get up and let him know it was ok, that I still loved him, but I couldn't get up no matter how much I struggled.\n\nMy human reached into his truck and pulled out some kind of weird stick, not like the kind I liked to chew on. He pointed it at me.\n\n\"I'm so sorry!\" he said again. \"I love you, boy. Just stay calm, you're going to a better place.\"\n\nHe did something to stick and it made a loud clicking sound.\n\n\"I'm so sorry,\" he repeated, tears streaming down his face. Then the stick made a loud bang, and everything went dark. \n\nI woke up somewhere dark. The smells and sounds around me were not familiar. I was far from my own territory. I stood up and stretched, and I could tell something was very different about me. I spun around to look, and yelped in surprise. I looked a lot different! I had scales like that lizard I had eaten a few days before, and I had wings like that bird I almost caught when it tried to steal from my food bowl. \n\nI flapped them once, but sneezed from all the dust it kicked up. Strange lights shot out of my nostrils when I did, and I jumped in surprise. It looked like the type of light me and my human sat by one night in the woods after a long day of playing outside. \n\nI took a look around me, taking in my new surroundings. There were trees all around. I could hear birds chirping and squirrels running across the branches. I could smell so many critters, some smelled familiar, while others were new to me. \n\nWhere was I? \n\nI walked for a few minutes, following my nose to a stream. I stopped to take a drink, but it took me a while to get the hang of drinking water with my new tongue. It had a strange fork in it for some reason. \n\nI kept walking beside the stream and followed it downstream. That's when I smelled them.\n\nHumans!\n\nI bounded through the forest. Maybe they could help me get back home!\n\nI saw their houses up ahead, and ran faster, my tongue flapping in the wind again. \n\nOne of them saw me. I ran toward her. \n\nShe screamed and ran away! Why? I just wanted to play!\n\nI could hear other people screaming too. All of the humans ran and hid, except for a few. They grabbed some pointy sticks and ran toward me.\n\nThey want to play! I thought as they ran toward me. One of them threw a stick at me. It flew over my head. I turned and ran after it. I sniffed around until I found it lying in the grass. I picked it up and held it between my teeth as I ran to return it to my new friends. \n\nI dropped it in front of them, panting from all the running. They looked at each other, very confused. One of them finally threw another stick. I ran and got it, too. \n\nA third human threw a stick. It flew really close, so jumped up and caught it in the air. I returned it to the puzzled humans. I sat down, still panting, waiting for someone else to throw a stick. \n\nBut they just stood there. I sniffed them, and I could tell they were scared. Why? I thought we were friends!\n\n\"What in the name of the King is happening?\" one of them asked. \n\n\"I have no idea,\" another one said. \"It's acting like a dog!\"\n\n\"It's a trick!\" another human chimed in. \n\nThey all began to argue about what they should do next. I wanted to show them I was friendly, so I rolled over onto my back and started rolling around, my tongue still hanging out. They just looked on in shock. \n\nThey all started to walk away, saying something about coming up with a new plan. Except one man, who stayed behind. He slowly walked toward me, stick in hand. He raised it above his head as he got close. He didn't look happy. I stopped rolling around and looked up at him, that same goofy, happy expression on my face. \n\nHe slowly lowered his stick and knelt down. He started my rubbing my belly.\n\n\"Men, come back!\" He yelled with a smile as my rear, left left leg started to kick involuntarily. \"You must see this!\"\n\n\"Edward, get back!\" one of them yelled as he ran in and jabbed me with a stick. I yelped in pain and jumped to my feet. I ran back to the trees, tail between my legs. What did I do wrong? I didn't get it. \n\n\"What was that for?\" I heard the human called Edward yell as I hid in the trees. \n\nI pulled the stick out my side with my teeth, and sat down to lick my wound. I would probably go back in a little while, but I didn't care about those mean humans. \n\nI think I made a new friend!",
"All I wanted was to be a good boy. I wanted to wait at the door for my people. I wanted to fetch the pinecones and bring them back like little presents to show my love. I *especially* wanted to scare away the little, four-legged and bushy-tailed tree demons that chirped and ate the birdseed. And most of all, I wanted to bark away the white doom that brought the rain and blotted out the sun.\n\nBut that didn’t happen.\n\nLife doesn’t always go as planned.\n\nSo when I saw the truck back out of the driveway, and I saw the master’s human-puppy crawling behind it, I knew what I had to do. I had to be a good boy.\n\nMy loud voice wasn’t going to stop it, but I always ran fast. So I ran—I grabbed him and I tossed him as far away as I could. I felt something explode in my chest, a searing pain and a strange numbness. My vision blurred and fogged over until all I saw was a vail of white.\n\nWhen I heard the crying wail of the newborn, I knew I was a good boy.\n\nMy person screamed and ran to me. Her warm hand stroked my ears gently; her hot tears fell like rain on my fur. I wish I could have cried with her.\n\nI wagged my tail until it stopped.\n\nThen I drifted out into the void of white. The warm radiance lifted me up and surrounded me like a blanket. I didn’t feel pain anymore, only peace. At the edge of the white, there existed a tiny pinprick of color, a single ray of green and blue that pierced through the veil. Instinctively, I walked, then ran as fast I could, called by the immutable summons of light.\n\nI smashed my muzzle against it and the white void cracked like an egg.\n\nHatching is a weird thing.\n\nI don’t know if I’ll ever understand it. I crawled out of my egg and looked around at my other brother’s and sisters. There must have been dozens of them! I *knew* they were my siblings, but they looked so different! They had tiny scales all over, green and gold and black spotted with glimmering brilliance—even in the dim light!\n\nWe crawled through the pile of warm dirt and molded leaf litter towards the cracks in the light. Together we dug, with our pointed muzzles and our tiny claws. And we sang the song of our people—a tiny squeak. I wanted to find mother so badly!\n\nWe burst forth from the mound and crawled to freedom. My brothers and sisters scattered into the forest, and I followed, not knowing what to except or where to go. My tail shook. I quivered, hiding under a mossy log. A four-legged and bushy-tailed tree demon walked around me, and this time I was the one hiding for my life.\n\nUnderneath that log, I learned I could cry.\n***\nr/BLT_WITH_RANCH",
"When I flew to cities and towns, they received me with flaming spears, aloft swords, and wrathful screams. I didn't understand why they did so, perhaps they didn't comprehend all I wanted were little belly rubs.\n\nSometimes, when the loneliness was tangible, and the hollowness within me was unbearable, I would go deep into the forest and roll on the ground, convincing myself the earth itself was petting me.\n\nI knew it was a lie, but when things are rough, lies are worth their weight in gold.\n\nStill, after some time, when I was tired, and the itch of the grass blades turned bothersome, I flew away, wheeling and scratching here and there.\n\nI did that for years, learning, the hard way, that solitude can be a tough thing to endure.\n\nDuring the nights, I slept in the ruins of an abandoned castle, atop a mound of shiny things because the dark sometimes was too deep, and it scared me. The glimmering trinkets were like stars when the clouds hid the moonlight, and their sounds were like songs to my ears, calming the tides of my fearful heart.\n\nBut everything changed one day, when a king brought her daughter to my castle, and said she would be staying with me because many knights would come and fight for her, and that way, when one of them defeated me, he would prove worthy of her love.\n\nI accepted his offering, for Princess Penelope had the kindest eyes I had ever seen, and her company would put an end to my loneliness. \n\nThe first thing she did when her father left was pet me. It was a thing beyond words, like memories that trascended lives, how pleasant her finger were against my belly, how smooth her voice was, how gentle and loving she was.\n\nFrom time to time, knights come, with their swords aloft, wanting to take her away from me. When they do, I play with them, throwing them high into the sky, catching them midair, and we have a great time. After that, when they get tired, and fall sleep, I take them back to their villages, and return home with my princess.\n\nDeep down I think no one will ever be worthy of her love as the king had said, for to prove such a thing, they will have to show me that they will love her more than I do. \n\nAnd I love her with the entirety of my dragon heart.\n\n-------------------------------\n\nr/NoahElowyn",
"Kira pressed his back tightly to the damp stone wall, clutching his sword in one hand and a torch in the other. It was the moment he'd been waiting for his entire life; what years of turmoil and training had brought him to. The climax of his existence.\n\nSomething clinked from the adjacent room, like a dropped purse of gold, followed by a low growl and strange chittering. The smell of wet mineral and sulfur filled his nose, a chill setting into his spine. \n\nHe took a deep breath and lunged around the corner to fight a dragon.\n\nIt was every bit as awesome as he'd expected, and so much more. A jaw big enough to house him comfortably, an onyx tail longer than he was tall, thick and scaly-- there was even a low flame lit at the end of it --and, above all else, it was beautiful. Blacker than night, shimmering scales with silver-tipped starlight, like a dark amethyst. It stole the breath from his chest, thus ironically robbing the fabled thief.\n\nHe stood before it, awe-struck and dazed. How could anyone fight such a magnificent beast-- no, *why* would anyone? It was so impossibly perfect, so limitless in its wonder, so enrapturing with its majesty. Why would anyone kill such a creature?\n\nKira shifted his weight unintentionally, a silver coin grating between his iron boot and a jagged piece of stone. The sound carried through the expansive room, bouncing off every wall, and the dragon cracked a single eye. It was a soul-stealing crimson singed with yellow, like it had rocks for eyes that turned molten in its head.\n\nHe froze, daring not to move, blink or breathe. It watched him through a sleepy eye, snorting, then opened it further. It's massive head rose sharply, looking at him, cocked. Kira's heart was frozen, a single moment of terror hanging, drawn out into infinity as his eyes met the great beast's in that dim dungeon cell.\n\nThen, it came. Gods, it was fast, faster than anything that enormous has any right to be. It lumbered toward him, and in that moment, Kira realized he'd made an enormous mistake. What experience did he have to think himself fierce enough to clash with something so powerful and glorious? At the end of the day, he was just a glorified farmhand with big dreams and even bigger holes to fill in his heart.\n\nThe beast closed in on him within moments. Wind rushed up to him in a torrent of cracking talons on rock, scratching and scraping. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. \n\nBut death did not take him. \n\nHe pried one open, and the dragon had stopped a few feet away. Its tongue hung slack from its jaw, a pink waterfall cascading through massive teeth. Two crimson eyes focused on his torch, making it look dim by comparison. He waved it from side to side, and the beast's gaze followed.\n\nKira threw it, high and hard, over the dragon and into the back of the room. It became a whirlpool abyss, spinning and clambering toward it, then quickly returned to him with the torch in its mouth. The dragon lowered its head, dropping the torch at his feet, then, with a great rumble that sent Kira askew, dropped to the ground and rolled onto its back. It panted, tongue dangling, and stared at him, waiting.\n\nHe stared back at it, confused. \"What the bloody hell is happening?\" he asked, aloud for some reason, then bolted through the archway, screaming for his life. \n\nThe dragon flopped back over and tried to follow, sticking his head into the hallway. But, alas, his body was too big to fit through such small corridors.\n\nAnd so he curled back up on his bed of gold, giving a half-hearted whine of defeat. Why did everyone always run away? It was never like that before, in the other world. There, everyone always wanted to give him belly rubs and pets. It must've been the new body, so big and scary and not very soft.\n\nHe had a good feeling, though. That man was the first to play fetch with him in years, and it felt wonderful. Maybe he'd come back one day soon. \n\nAfter all, he'd been in such a hurry, he left his sword and pack behind!\n\n----\n\nPart II below! \n\n[final part here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/resonatingfury/comments/bgkvkz/wp_in_your_lifetime_stories_of_ordinary_people) \n\n*/r/resonatingfury*"
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[WP] You meet someone who lives with a curse: they can only be seen or noticed by people who will die within 24 hours. And you've just noticed them... | 7 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Oh shit!\" said the peculiar man as he lunged for the space behind the barista's counter at Starbucks taking a Caramel Macchiato display down with him with a clumsy thud of heavy cardboard against the tile floors.\n\nI noticed him staring at me minutes before, his dark eyes partially obscured by round golden eyeglasses. His dark gray suit was felt too formal for the masses of twenty-somethings adorned head to toe in Lululemon- including myself. I chalked him up to be your run-of-the-mill Los Angeles creeper. Innocuous at best, a potential serial killer at worst. \n\nI watched him cower behind the counter, his sad loafer peaking around the corner as if he was a child playing a solo round of hide and seek. As my caffeinated brethren chose to ignore this poor man, I felt compelled to approach him. Maybe he needed help, and lord knows I could use the karma today.\n\n\"Sir, are you ok?\" I said leaning over the counter. I could see my silhouette reflected on his glassy scalp. \n\n\"DON'T LOOK AT ME!\" He shouted cowering his knees to his torso. His body shivered as he cradled himself. \n\nI put my hands up. \"Ok\" I surrendered and stepped back toward the Starbuck's order waiting room- the sugar and creamer table. I watched as a dog was being served a cup of whipped cream.\n\n\"Brad! Double Espresso Americano!\" the barista called. Brad retrieved his drink and continued on with the rest of his afternoon.\n\nThe peculiar man inched his way out from behind the counter, digging his heels into the ground until finally he stood up again. He brushed his suit jacket with his hands, sighed and headed toward me.\n\n\"You can see me?\" He asked, lowering his glasses. I could see his eyes were so dark that his pupils were almost indistinguishable.\n\n\"Umm.. yeah?\" \n\n\"Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen.\" He slicked back the sides of his head, the only hair he had. He looked around the shop to avoid eye contact. He was uneasy, shifting his weight from left to right, left to right.\n\n\"Look, I don't know how to say this...\"\n\nHe was swaying now, left to right, left to right.\n\n\"You're going to die. Twenty four hours. That's how it works. I'm sorry.\"\n\nHe directed his gaze to the floor.\n\n\"Brittany! Iced Soy Mocha!\" I was saved by the barista.\n\n\"Ok, sure\" I replied as I grabbed my drink. Leaving, I gave the man a sympathetic wave.\n\n\"Twenty four hours!\" he yelled. The door slammed behind me.\n\n​\n\n​\n\nIn the warm springtime air, the world was dripping with possibilities. With this rare day off from work, I sipped on my mocha and slipped the minuscule airpods into my ears. I pondered journeying to the park for a while, perhaps a SoulCycle class later on? Wine and charcuterie in the evening? I delighted in the sheer volume of possibilities. \n\nI turned the music volume up, the bass reverberated through my body like a second pulse as I waited for the crosswalk signal. \n\nTo my left I spotted a man on a bicycle approaching at an increasing speed. \n\nHe let out a panicked scream, \"My brakes! My brakes!\"\n\nIt was like watching the incident in slow motion, a dream where you are being chased but yet your legs fail to move. I stepped away from the inevitable bike, but as my foot moved backwards, it slipped on the side of the street curb. The quiet buzz of adrenaline pumped through my bloodstream, swelling my head. I felt my body land on the pavement of the busy boulevard. I craned my neck just in time to see the Metro, bus number 92, merge into the neighboring lane, narrowly missing my compromised body.\n\nI took a moment to assess the situation. Perhaps I was wrong to dismiss the peculiar man at Starbucks.",
"I called him the Masque; a tongue-in-cheek nickname created during my Literature major days when death seemed like a distant concept, too far away to really feel real. Other people had their own nicknames, since no-one had lived long enough to persuade him to share his true name. We only had an idea of what he looked like. Hundreds of poor doomed souls, in their final hours, painstakingly described a tall, slender man in his early fifties, with cropped grey-streaked hair, trembling hands and the kindest eyes you've ever seen. He always wore the same things too - a creased denim shirt, trousers, battered work boots, a wedding band. I guess there's no point in changing when most people can't see you.\n\n\nAs I said, I never really believed in death - at least, as a viable option for me. I'd had a loving but sheltered childhood in the home of my single mother, my father having abandoned shortly after my birth. Madeline, but known by all as \"Maddie\" - the best mother anyone could wish for. She was kind, patient and always supported me - when I came out as gay, when I broke up with my first boyfriend, even when I went through an unfortunate goth phase. She never remarried - never even took off her old wedding band - so it was always just the two of us. We'd grown up solidly middle-class, and after my college years - fun, yet unremarkable - I'd settled into my career as a secondary school teacher. At twenty-three I'd met my husband and the connection had been immediate. By twenty-five I was married, firmly rooted in suburbia, debt-free and under the impression that my life was only just beginning. We had so many plans together: visit the Grand Canyon. Sky-dive on our wedding anniversary. Renew our vows atop Mount Everest. Death certainly didn't factor into our bucket list.\n\n\nThat's not to say things were perfect. I was a smart but sensitive child, prone to emotional outbursts triggered by everything from a classmate's cruel jibes to the abandonment from my absentee father. As an adult I managed to learn how to control my feelings, but the irritations never went away entirely. By the time I reached my late twenties, I finally felt as though I was truly in control of myself. I had goals, the means to reach them, and the love of my life to reach them with me. Things were never perfect, but they were usually lovely - that's all that mattered.\n\n\n***\n\n\nI met the Masque on the first day of summer in my twenty-eighth year. My husband and I were at a party hosted by his boss, drinking wine and faking laughter whenever it seemed best. I knew all of his coworkers by sight - Stella the blonde receptionist, Aarav the office manager, Li the source of all gossip - so it surprised me to see an unfamiliar face amongst the crowd. \"Hey,\" I nudged him, in an attempt to be discreet. The stranger wasn't doing anything strange - just drinking wine silently, looking around like any lost newcomer would - but something just seemed *off* about him. \"Who's the new guy? He looks a little lost. Maybe we should say hello.\"\n\n\nMy husband, Luis, frowned. \"I don't see any new people here. You mean Rafal? He just dyed his hair and wore different glasses.\"\n\n\n\"Of course I don't mean Rafal, I mean the older guy standing next to Stella. Tall, blue shirt. Is he from another department?\"\n\n\nLuis looked bewildered. \"Mason, there's nobody next to Stella. She's hogging the wine, as usual.\" He stared, apparently unseeingly, at the man who was now gazing idly in our direction. A small smile appeared on the stranger's face. \"Are you feeling well? Maybe you drank a little too much tonight...\"\n\n\n\"I'm not drunk!\" The words jumped out defensively, louder than I thought. His coworkers nearby started to stare. \"I'm just asking why the guy-- ah, fuck it, I'll go and say hello. Just watch me.\" I pointedly handed Luis my wine and strode over to the stranger, hoping I hadn't already freaked out the poor guy with my arguing. \"Hi, I haven't seen you around.\" I stuck out my hand and smiled. \"I'm Mason, here with my husband, Luis. Were you just hired recently?\"\n\n\nThe man's smile grew bigger. Around me, Luis' coworkers began to mutter. \"I don't actually work here,\" he said. His voice was rich and soothing, more like a therapist's than an office drone. \"I'm just here to see someone today.\"\n\n\n\"Oh?\" An office party seemed like an odd location for a reunion of any sort. \"Who are you here to see?\" I didn't notice that the muttering around me was growing louder.\n\n\n\"You.\"\n\n\nThat's when I noticed everything: the denim shirt, the grey-streaked hair, the sad kindness in his eyes. His shoes were scuffed from many hard days work. I don't know why that seemed so important right then.\n\n\nHe smiled at me again. I didn't smile back.\n\n\n***\n\n\nI know I should've rushed to my husband's side. His colleagues had figured the problem out by now. Luis was crying. Stella was crying too, though I put that down to the wine. But the Masque just smiled and turned to walk away. How could he deliver my death notice just like that and leave me with nothing?\n\n\n\"Hey!\" I called after him and started in pursuit. I could sense Luis following me, but for once I didn't pay him any mind. \"So I'm going to die? That's all? You don't give me, I don't know... a reason? A method? Even an apology?\" The Masque didn't answer. We were walking on the street now, and more people were beginning to stare. \"Answer me! I'm twenty-eight years old and I just found out I'm about to die. Don't I deserve answers?\" He said nothing.\n\n\nWe spent half an hour of my final day like that. I followed him through alleys and streets, him always just a little ahead, Luis silent by my side save for the occasional sob. I ran out of things to shout at him and instead pursued with a single-mindedness borne from sheer desperation. I had to stop the Masque. Nobody had stopped him before, but that didn't bother me. Maybe if I got him to talk now, things would change. I'd like to see Mount Everest.\n\n\nGradually, the streets became more familiar. We entered the neighbourhood I'd called my own for the first eighteen years of my life. At this time of day, things were mostly quiet. An elderly man watered flowers, a few small children played hopscotch on the pavement, a ginger tomcat stretched lazily across a lawn. I found my voice again. \"Why did you bring me here? Is this some kind of test?\" No answer. My frustration was about to boil over. I'd restrained my horror and rage behind a veil of shock, but I could feel myself becoming more and more agitated. Only my husband's steady grip kept me from losing control.\n\n\nFinally, we stopped at a small semi-detached house with a pale blue door. Roses, white and yellow, bloomed from a small garden where I'd once learned to collect insects and play football. The Masque let himself inside as though it were the most normal thing in the world and made his way into the kitchen. I could see my mother there, brewing her usual pot of tea and humming along to the radio. A large framed photo of the two of us hung above the kettle. The Masque stopped just behind her and stared at the image with something close to awe. \"What's going on?\" was all I could manage.\n\n\nMy mother turned around and seemed to stare straight through the Masque. She looked surprised - no wonder, I usually visited at weekends. \"Mason, Luis,\" she said, stirring her tea without any knowledge of the man standing inches before her. \"What a lovely surprise. What brings you here on a Wednesday?\"\n\n\n\"Actually...\" I began, then stopped. Luis drew a small, shaky breath. His grip tightened on my hand. How could I tell my mother what I knew? Would it be fair to warn her that in one day, I would be dead - or kinder to keep it to myself?\n\n\"Is everything okay?\" My mother stepped forward, straight through the Masque as though he were made of air. He gave a strange shiver. \"Did something happen?\"\n\n\nI started to reply, then stopped. The Masque was raising his hand. I watched him carefully. He was waving - no, taking something from his hand, slowly and carefully, like a magician preparing a trick. It was a small silver wedding band, though he held it as though it were made from glass. He stepped forward, around my mother, and held it out to me like a peace offering.\n\n\nI squinted. The wedding ring itself was plain, but something seemed to be written inside. Without asking, I took it from his palm and looked inside. Luis and my mother both gasped.\n\n\n\"How did you get that?\" my mother breathed. Strange. So they could see the wedding ring, but not the Masque? I held the ring before my eyes and read aloud.\n\n\n*Maddie Winters & Arthur Winters. Together forever and always.*\n\n\nI looked up at the Masque. His face was still gentle and smiling, though I could see tears brimming in his kind eyes. I no longer felt any agitation - just a bewildered kind of calm.\n\n\n\"Mum,\" I said, not daring to look away from the Masque's kind blue eyes. Pale blue, in fact. Just like mine. \"Can I see your wedding ring?\"\n\n\n***\n\nAnd that's how I'm spending my final hours on Earth. I still don't understand many things - how my father became the Masque. Why he can only be seen by the damned. How I'll die, even - turns out my father has no idea how that'll happen, merely a supernatural sense for where he needs to be at any given time, though. But I'm keeping my mind on the important things. For the first time in my life, I have a mother and a father. I have my husband by my side. When I leave this life, I'll leave with my love and my heart all around me. Maybe I'll never climb Everest, but I can't think of any better way to die."
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[WP] The spider lady thought she caught a nice fat goblin in her web but it was just the human prince who brought her some presents. | 17 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Jorō had been relaxing in her web when she suddenly felt a tug on one of her threads. Hopeful that she had caught a nice fat juicy goblin she rushed down as fast as her eight legs could carry her, only to find the young prince and his small entourage instead of a nice meal. \n\n“Good morning, Lady Spider,” he said, bowing slightly out of respect. Jorō bowed as best as she could given that her body was not designed for such a task. She was still pleased to see the boy despite him not being a tasty meal (even if she had wanted to take take a bite of him the archer and swordsman behind him were enough to dissuade her from trying). Out of all his brothers he was the only one who still gave proper respect to the spirits. He presented her an offering, a box full candied flies, which she quickly thanked him for then proceeded to devour.",
" \n\nThe midday sun shone brightly above the Froveri plains, bathing them completely in it's warm, beautiful light. Bellow the clear open skies, the plains, extensively covered in farming fields, stretched endlessly until they met with a forest far off in the distance. Beyond that, to the horizon, they met with the nearby Nyrian mountains. As for the fields themselves, they were diligently tended to by their owners, the residents of a nearby village called Hodlet.\n\nThere was nothing of note to be said about the town of Hodlet. It was nothing more but a quiet farming community of a few hundred townsmen, one of the many that dotted the seemingly endless Froveri plains. A town made out of wood, the average traveler would find Hodlet to be unworthy of staying in for more than a day, before continuing onwards on his way to find the great cities of marble beyond the Nyrian mountains.\n\nOf it's people, however, you could say a lot. Superstitious and creative as they were, the residents of Hodlet had no small amount of stories that they would narrate to travelers, or one another, of their town, their ancestry, and the beasts that lived beyond the confines of their little village. Deep in the forests of the unexplored regions of the plains, and in the unlit caves underneath the Nyrian mountains, it was said that there lived horrible monsters that hunted humans for sport, coming out at night to abduct children, or luring travelers away from the safety of the roads to slaughter and then eat them.\n\nMost of these, of course, were nothing more than legends and myths, told by mothers to their children as bedtime stories, or repeated day after day in the local tavern after a hard day's work, usually with the drunken embellishment of their narrator. Of course, most Hodletans were aware of the fictitious nature of their stories. Others, though, never quite grew out of them, often becoming the subject of mockery and jokes as a result.\n\nHeoreth was one amongst those people. A good-natured, kind-hearted young man, Heoreth was about twenty two years of age, son to the town's smith, and a smith's apprentice himself, under his father. He had broad shoulders and strong hands, the result of being in a laborious profession, while his hair, brown in color and medium in length, was unkempt and slightly oily. His face he kept clean shaven and it lacked any features that particularly stood out, excepting perhaps his eyes. Their color was green and, if you paid close enough attention, you could see that when Heorath wasn't smiling, they revealed a certain kind of weariness uncharacteristic of his age.\n\nOn this fine clear day, Heorath was not in his father's smithy, or the tavern, or the town's square, chatting with his friends and fellow townsmen. Instead, he, with walking stick in hand and a large backpack on his back, was walking down the old stone road in the south, which lead out of Hodlet first, then through the woods and then into the mountains. Today, Heorath was travelling. \n\nFor him, this trip was not a new one, for he had made at least half a dozen times in the past. Out the town, through the woods and into the mountains. It was a simple trip too, short, about a day long and through relatively safe territory. Back in Hodlet the people would speak of bandits in the forests, and of the great beasts that lurked deep within them, but the truth was that the roads which Heorath followed were much traveled by merchants going to the cities past the Nyrian mountains. This meant that the kings of the plains took special care in guarding them, lest they wanted trade and the wealth that it brought to move through other, safer routes.\n\nThe greatest danger Heorath faced was not on the roads, but in Hodlet as the townspeople would often inquire about his trips to the country. Each time he traveled, more questions would be raised, and there were only so many excuses he could find to justify himself. At first, he would say that he went to gather herbs, roots, and berries. But when he was asked why a smith had need of such items, he would not answer. Then, he told them that his father sent him away on business, but Hodlet was a small town and the lie did not take long to be revealed. Then his father started asking questions too, and Heorath would not answer them. This time, he never even gave an explanation for his absence. Instead, he simply snuck out during the night, camped near Hodlet until dawn, and left at first light. By now, he was already hours away from his town, and just about to enter the woods.\n\nThe travel through the woods was relatively quick, only slightly longer than usual, as Heorath took a few hours to gather edible plants and mushrooms, carefully stuffing them in his backpack, and a few more to admire the nature all around him. Then, he continued onwards, towards the mountains, and as he got closer to his destination, his mood grew increasingly happier. \n\nAt last, he stood at the foot of the mountain. It was late afternoon by now, and the sun had almost set. The Neryan mountains, though rocky, were not barren, at least not at their base. Instead, a host of bushes and saplings of all kinds covered their side. Amongst them, a small path made of dirt lead up the mountain, acting as a rough continuation of the old stone road that brought Heorath so far. Though he often considered traveling past the mountains, Heorath had never made that trip. Still, he was not entirely unfamiliar with the mountain path before him, and with a confident stride, he began to walk again.\n\nA few minutes later Heorath was off the beaten path. And yet, despite the lack of any road underneath his feet, his stride remained confident. It was the stride of a man who knew exactly where he was going, as if he had walked this invisible route he was on many times before. It was an arrogant stride, full of pride, as if he was walking to a place that he alone knew in this world. And before long, his stride brought him before the entrance of a cave. Without a moment's thought, and with utter disregard for any potential danger lurking inside, Heorath entered, smiling as he did.\n\nStep by step, Heorath walked deeper into the cave. With no torch to illuminate his way forward, the sun's light alone showed him the path before him. Growing ever dimmer as he progressed underground, the sunlight barely reached him after a couple of minutes. Unconcerned with the ever increasing darkness, Heorath took another step, only to then realize that he could no longer take another. He was stuck, suspended slightly into the air, unable to move his arms or legs. \n\nSuddenly, a terrifying sound echoed throughout the cave, as if thousands of bugs and vermin of all kinds begun to crawl towards him in unison. The sound grew louder and louder, rapidly approaching Heorath until the source of the sound was mere meters away from him before it abruptly stopped as quickly as it begun."
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[WP] You are charged with introducing the cryogenically-unfrozen William Shakespeare to the modern world. | 34 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Fascinating”, Will said, eyes fixated on the screen that he had initially been perplexed by, but had since become very attached to. “And they all dressed this way?”\n\n“They did. The production was highly praised; Lloyd Weber earned his second Tony for it.” My back was turned, but the vivid image of the Jellicle Cats prancing about as they sung their Naming song stuck in my mind. Initially captivated by their crude, yet intricate costume design and their interactions with the audience, Shakespeare scoffed as the name of their creator rolled off my tongue.\n\n“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”\n\n“Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5.”\n\nSurprisingly, he did not have a response for this. William Shakespeare had not been present in our world for several centuries, somehow having been cloned and cryogenically frozen at some point in the 1950’s. According to the higher ups, he was intended to be brought back at some point in the future, for what purpose I could only speculate – perhaps some sort of sick advertisement – but it was deemed unsafe to put him back under, so it was up to us to “reintegrate” him. Us quickly degenerated into me, given my love of theatre and capability to stand up to a near constant barrage of insults. I made my fondness for his works clear, and though his criticisms did not slow, he at least made the effort of including me in them when they concerned others.\n\nNaturally, he was curious about the world, and desired to explore it, but this desire was cut short upon seeing the reproduction of his Globe Theatre. He complained that there were not enough seats, that the colours of its walls were wrong, and that he ought to have a perfect view of the stage no matter where he was. We spent less than an hour in the place before he begged us to leave it.\n\nPitying him, I carefully picked out adaptations of his works performed by 20th and 21st century actors; he was particularly fond of quite a few of these, which grew into a hunger to consume every Broadway and West End production he possibly could. His love for both plays and sonnets allowed him to truly appreciate the transformation of stage productions from dramas into musicals in ways that I never truly could. For hours at a time, Will would sit in awe in front of the monitor, eyes flicking left and right as he his favorite characters traipsed across the stage, making quips about one line or the other and jesting at how he would have written it. \n\nHe would become so obsessed with certain players that he would begin to pen scripts with them specifically in mind, and pleaded with me and my supervisors to invite a few to our lab to meet with. Many he adored, but most he found shrewd, pompous, and vain, among them Andrew Lloyd Weber, whose music was Shakespeare’s favorite until his tenth minute shared with the man. A truly astonishing shouting match, followed by some very colorful insults, marked an end to this venture. Shakespeare would likely not see a new face until he left this building.\n\n“I may never get used to that, you know,” he said finally. “Thousands, nay, millions of individuals having read my works, closely enough to quote them line by line. To call it humbling would be a farce.” He turned towards me, looking for a compliment.\n\nI sighed. “Give it a rest, Will. We haven’t even made it through the 80’s yet. Though, I think I’ve got something that you’ll enjoy – forgive me if we break our timeline slightly.” I clicked through the files on my computer, and brought the video to the main screen. The set design was not unfamiliar to him, but was quite ornate. His eyebrow raised as the powdered wigs came into view.\n\nThen, as the company began to summarize the life of Alexander Hamilton in verse, his eyes grew wide and a grand smile crept across his face."
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[WP] You are a serial killer. But, you only kill in "self-defense." Your plan is to subtly and calculatedly annoy your victims until they finally react with violence. From a punch to a gentle shove, it doesn't matter. Your current prey however has an iron will unlike anything you have seen before. | 135 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The target was sitting at the airport, legs crossed, earphones in ears, listening to music. He looked around twenty or thirty. Short, black hair and clearly defined features that matched the description.\n\nI strode up to him; he didn't look up. \n\n'Move up, asshole!' \n\nHe didn't take any notice, so I knocked the phone out of his hand. It fell to the ground and I heard the unmistakable sound of a screen shattering.\n\nHe finally looked up.\n\n'What's your problem, man? Jeez!'\n\n'Shut the fuck up and move! I don't have time for your whining!' \n\nI made an obscene hand gesture at him, and his expression changed to a look of purest loathing. He clenched his fists. I put one hand in my pocket, resting on the grip of my pistol.\n\n'Okay then, dickhead!' he shouted at me. \n\nHe moved onto the seat beside me and put his earphones with deliberate force back in his ears while scrutinising the daggers of cracks extending across his screen. I could tell he was on the verge of punching me.\n\n'Move somewhere else! I don't want filth sitting next to me!' I demanded.\n\nHe did something that I would never have expected: he smiled.\n\n'No.' he replied in a vehement tone,\n\nHe was now hiding his emotion. He was probably bursting at the seams with rage, but only giving me a smug grin.\n\n'GET LOST!' I shouted, giving him a defiant shove. He toppled off the seat like a domino. \n\nHe stood up.\n\n'I can see you're having a bad day. Do yo want some water?' he asked, in a surprisingly calm voice. \n\nI gave him another push without replying.\n\n'Well, it's going to be like that, is it?' he inquired. \n\nHe stood up and walked away.\n\nIt wasn't the result I was hoping for, but no matter, I could just find another target. \n\nSuddenly, I felt a searing, white-hot pain in the small of my back. At the same time, the unmistakeable noise of a gunshot rang out from behind me.\n\nI could feel the gaze of a thousand eyes looking at me and my unidentified attacker, though I had a good idea who it was.\n\nI instinctively groped in my pocket for my gun, but it was gone. I finally understood what had happened, and the truth hit me like a train.\n\nDistant screams filled my ears, but a voice was distinguishable from the panic. \n\n'Move up, idiot,' said a soft voice. \n\nI heard another gunshot, and the last vestiges of life slipped away from my body and into he unknown..",
"“Hey there, man.” I said to the man next to me on the bench. He nodded to me but did not look up from the newspaper he was reading.\n\n“What are you reading?” I asked. He mumbled, “the newspaper, what’s it look like?” He still did not look up.\n\n“Jeez, I was just asking a simple question.” I said, and waited for a response. When he didn’t give one, I started to whistle loudly. \n\n“What’s your name?” I asked him.\n\n“Can’t you take a hint?” He said.\n\n“Oh is that how it is, fuckface?” I asked.\n\n“Can you bother someone else?” He asked, raising his newspaper so that it covered his face.\n\nI knocked the newspaper to the ground. “Enjoy picking that up, bitch!”\n\n“You’re the most childish person I’ve ever met.” He said, picking up his newspaper out of a puddle on the ground.\n\n“Then do something about it!” I said, spitting on his shoe.\n\n“You’re not worth it.”\n\n“I’m worth it more than you’ve ever known, I fucked your sister!”\n\n“I don’t have a sister!”\n\n“Then, I fucked your mom!”\n\nA few bystanders started noticing our argument. One of them yelled, “Just kick his ass, that’ll shut him up!”\n\n“It’s what he wants!” said the man. \n\n“You have no self-respect.” I said to him. “You let people say whatever they want to you.”\n\n“And you’re a snot-nosed punk.”\n\n“If you don’t hit me, I will kill someone.” I said to him, knowing that I had him at last.\n\n“I’m calling the police on your dumbass.” he said to me. He pulled out his phone and I knocked it to the ground.\n\nHe screamed in frustation and I flinched for a second. But then he composed himself and picked the phone off the ground.\n\n“Don’t call the cops, you fucking coward. Let’s settle this like men.” I said to him.\n\nHe started to dial the police on his phone. Again, I swiped at him, aiming to knock it out of his hand. He anticipated it this time and stepped out of the way. I tripped on the curb and fell to the sidewalk.\n\n“He hit me!” I yelled. “He pushed me down!”\n\n“No he didn’t.” said a bystander. “I saw the whole thing.”\n\n“All right, enough.” I said to the man. “I’ll give you $100 dollars to hit me.”\n\n“Why do you want me to hit you so bad?”\n\n“I don’t know, I’m a masochist.”\n\n“Make it $200 and we got a deal.”\n\n“Deal,” I said, pulling out my wallet and handing him $200.\n\nHe punched me and knocked me to the ground. The crowd cheered for him. I waited for him to turn his back and then I got up and pulled out a knife.",
"“Are you in some kind of an anger management group therapy?” I asked irritated.\n\nHe replied back with a gentle smile.\n\n“I just told you that I fucked your wife in your bedroom when you were out today morning and you don’t seem to be the least bothered?”\n\nHe was silent. But there was anger all over his face. I finally was getting to him. Saying the same thing again and again was getting him irritated. All I had to do was to add in a few more details and that would piss him off for real.\n\n“She failed to mention that you were a cuckold. Got no balls, eh!”\n\nHe clenched his fists now. After twenty five minutes, the first signs of anger. That son of a bitch sure had the patience of a zen master. But he was still human and I finally broke down his shield. By now I expected him to have already hit me but for some reason he didn’t. I was growing impatient and wanted to get over with this as soon as I could. This guy was the toughest. Every time my killing knife goes in my pocket, it never comes home clean. And i dont see why today should be any different.\n\n“She did like it when I.....”\n\n“I just killed someone.” He interrupted. I was shocked for a brief second and before I could come back to my senses, he continued. \n\n“I thought he was the only one she was sleeping with. I was at peace when i saw my bullets drill his head. Now i just had to go home and kill her.” \n\n“I would have been at peace when all of this was over. I swore that I would never kill anyone again after I was done with her. And here you are, picking up a wonderful day to boast out your adventures with my wife”\n\n“ You... You are funny. I will give you ....” before I could finish stammering he stopped me.\n\n“Do I look funny to you?” He asked with the most blissful smile on his face. \n\n“No. You.. you look serious... actually.... you were smiling. So I thought that maybe....I think I should leave....It was just a prank. ” Yup. I just said that. I had no idea if he was lying but I decided to scram and lay low for a few days.\n\n“Is it?” He asked with a grin of a murdering psychopath.\n\nShit got way out of hand. I started to sweat profusely. I decided to get up and leave immediately. Just as I got up to leave he pulled out his gun, pointed at my balls and before I could reach for my knife, he fired it. \n\nI fell to the ground with my hands still trying to pull the knife out of my pocket. I looked at him. He stood there staring at me with the same fucking smile. He had his gun pointed at my head. I finally was able to expose my knife knowing it was a futile move. My pants were wet with blood and I was gasping for air as I started to weakly wave the knife at him trying to scare him away. \n\nHe looked at the knife and said \n\n“Ah! Finally!That will do!”\n\nAnd he shot once more.",
"The next target was walking down the block. Tall, lanky, gray hair. \n\nPerfect.\n\nThis was exactly the kind of guy I could poke and prod into shoving me. Then...then my little friend in my pocket could come out. I felt the point of the knife jab into the skin of my finger. It felt good. It felt right. \n\nAs the man was passing, I stood up from the bench and nearly leveled him with my shoulder. He stumbled and looked at me in surprise. I snarled at him and gave him my ugliest stare.\n\n\"Fuckin' watch yourself, asshole,\" I said. \n\n\"Well, hello there,\" he said cheerfully. I glared at him. \n\n\"What'd you say to me?\"\n\n\"I said hello there. How are you today?\"\n\n\"I'm in a shit-poor mood, so don't test me.\"\n\n\"Well, that's a shame. Would you like to talk about it?\"\n\nThis was new. Normally, people would take the cue and try to walk off, giving me the chance to harass them more. This one, though...\n\n\"What? Why the fuck would I talk about it to you?\"\n\n\"Everyone needs somebody to talk to sometimes. I know I do. It helps to have friends.\"\n\n\"And you want to be my friend?\" I said with a sneer. He smiled.\n\n\"Of course! Everyone deserves to have a friend.\"\n\n\"Hah! Nobody needs a friend like you. Just look at you. It's the middle of July. What kind of asshole wears a lame-ass sweater in July? You freak.\"\n\n\"Well, that's not very nice, but I understand that you're hurting. I can see it. Would you like a hug?\"\n\nThis was really backfiring. I needed him to break. I had to push harder.\n\n\"What are you, some kind of creeper? You touch me, I get to defend myself.\"\n\n\"Good! It's important for everyone to set boundaries for themselves. Your body is yours. I wouldn't dream of making you uncomfortable.\"\n\n\"You...you already are!\"\n\n\"Well, gosh, I'm certainly sorry then. It wasn't my intent. It's just so sad to see anyone hurting.\"\n\n\"I...\"\n\n\"Is there anything I can do for you?\"\n\nSomething was cracking. Something deep inside me. Something that had been cold and black for a long, long time now was warming up. What was this? What was going on?\n\n\"It...no...fuck off.\"\n\n\"Are you sure? You look shaky. Please, sit down. I'll go get you some water.\"\n\nNo. No. I couldn't let him do it. What was *happening*?\n\n\"It's...fine. I'm fine. You, you should...you should go.\"\n\nHe should *go*? What was *that*?\n\nHe didn't. Instead, he helped me sit down and sat down next to me. I could smell his cologne. It was soft and warm, just like his sweater. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I nearly cried.\n\n\"What...who are you?\" I sputtered out. \n\nHe smiled. \n\n\"My name is Fred. I'd love to be your neighbor.\""
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[WP] You are just a regular villager in a fantasy world, one day you found a strange plant seeds and decide to grow them. Now you unintentionally made a name for yourself, they know you as the Cannabis farmer. | 12 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Ogden, be sure to keep it at 6.5 ph, or else the acidity is going to shrivel the leaves.\"\n\n​\n\nLester watched as the skinny figured man, who once owned the local tavern, carefully measure out the correct quantities into the mixture. Trust a barkeep to have a steady hand, and a fine keeper of spirits Ogden had been, were it not for some confounded creature that had stolen his sign in the dead of the night, causing the local drunks to forget wherein the tavern lay, then perhaps the bar would have still been in business. Bad luck for Ogden, great news for Lester who now needed all the hands he could find as this new crop grew in popularity, it was said that news of the magical herb had even made it as far as Harrogath, and Lester seemed to have the only seeds that would germinate properly in this new climate.\n\nIt was all very much by chance, heightened likely due to the amount of travelers, adventures, and the curious visitors to Tristram who came in search of glory, peril, and treasure below the old church, where it is said that great evils laid beneath the crypts. The villagers new that these were mainly tales told to children, exacerbated by the mutterings of Cain, but nonetheless it drove business to their small town, and so they welcomed it. And it was due to this particular torrent of individuals wherein Lester made the trade with an adventurer carrying a magical staff, robbed in exotic garments, who had come to seek the mysteries below the church. This adventurer had said it was a soothing, calming herb that his people have used for generations, in return all he asked for was another drink from Ogden's then bar. \n\n\"I tell you, if these seeds were grown and sowed. I would not be having this tasteless ale. These magical seeds \\*hic\\* is the greatest gift from my land to yours. And in \\*hic\\* exchange, all I ask for is another pint.\"\n\nWell Ogden wasn't about to refuse a drunken master of the mystic arts over a small pint, not with the staff glowing menacingly, so the deal was struck. Then quite by chance as Lester fumbled home that very night, turning his pockets over for the keys, he had found the packet, in his drunken state he chuckled at the thought of these \"magical seeds\" and chucked them onto his poor excuse of a farm and then stumbled onto the first step and fell right asleep. The thing is, those seeds did grow, and in a sense they were magical.\n\n\"It's grown, but now what do I do with it?\"\n\nAdria looked at the plant carefully, she brought her nose right to the bud and smelled it, \"There's a familiar and full scent to this plant.\"\n\n\"I thought it smelled like skunk.\"\n\nThe witch passed her fingers over the sticky crystals and plucked a bud from the seat, putting it towards the sun, watching in awe as the green leaves sparkled a purplish hue, \"I've heard of this plant,\" she said as she remembered an ancient tome she had once come upon. She quickly grabbed a leaf and broke the bud apart into it while muttering, \"It would work better dried.\" Then rolled the edges until a small cylinder were in her hands.\n\n\"Now what,\" Lester asked.\n\n\"You smoke it.\"\n\nAnd the rest was history. Soon spice travelers came to purchase the goods, even emissary of Kings, they all wanted to try this new magical herb. It restored a wonder that the town of Tristram had never seen, an era of prosperity as the affluent came to this holy mecca, and that meant, more money for the town. Instantly Lester became a hero that the town so desperately needed.\n\n\"Hello? Hello!\"\n\nIt were the cries of the beautiful Gillian. Ogden stood upright to greet her, it was quietly known that he fancied her, \"Thank goodness you've returned...\" But she ran past him and into the arms of the farmer.\n\n\"Oh Lester, you must hurry. The old church, something dreadful is happening there. The last of the warriors have fallen. The rogue sisters were slain in the cemetery. And nobody knows where your friend the mage has gone.\"\n\n\"T-the old church?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" Gillian cried. \"The tales of the great evil. I think they're all true, they must be, for what horrid events I saw unfold there just moments ago. The horror. Oh the horror.\"\n\n\"We must, we must get away. Come Gillian my dear, I have enough money stashed away that we can begin a new life for ourselves.\"\n\nGillian looked at him with her teary doe eyes, \"I cannot leave the only place I have ever called home. Please, there must be something you could do.\"\n\n\"I'm b-but a farmer,\" Lester said rather quietly.\n\n\"Please, there must be something you can do! The entire church is up in flames.\"\n\n\"Did anyone start a bucket line? Flames? Flames you said?\"\n\n\"Yes, fiery pits of hell seem to be opening right in the center of town!\"\n\nLester thought for a moment and then smiled, \"Alright. I've got a plan.\" He turns to Ogden, \"Get as many carts as you can from town, we're going to see what this magical herb can do.\"",
"((Author's Note:. I managed to get through college without smoking marijuana even once, so I've no idea what you might sound like. I did read an article though, which pointed out that different strains have different effects. This strain is high potency in a variety of effects.))\n\n\"What have you got there, Hob?\"\n\n\"Hi Jen! Not sure, strange looking plant, thought I'd see if I could grow you some.\" Jen is our healer. She hasn't started courting yet, but she seems to like my company, so maybe...\n\n\"That is an odd looking seed. What did the plant look like?\"\n\n\"Way tall, five finger leaves, the stalk is stringy enough we might be able to weave it. Smells pretty good too!\". I hold out my hands, that are pretty well covered with the resin from the plant.\n\n\"Hob! How'd you hurt your hand!\"\n\n\"Wha? I dina hurt, oh, wow... I maybe ougu... siddown?\"\n\n\"Hob. Have you been drinking?\"\n\n\"Nooope! But I feel sooo goo righ noe!\"\n\n\"Hob! Don't lie to me! Have you been drinking?\"\n\n\"Nooooo... Wanna impreeessss youuu. No driinken.\". She blushes, she's so cute.\n\n\"Well, you're coming with me right now. We need to get that hand cleaned and stitched, wash that sticky stuff off, and you need a good lie-down until whatever it is has worn off!\" For all he sounds intoxicated, he's able to walk easily, and that hand! He's obviously not in any pain! Whatever he's found, it has lots of potential!\n\n...\n\nHob was right. It weaved, it made rope, the buds made an excellent pain killer (with some really odd side effects, including a serious sweet tooth). He was so successful with the plant that he became quite rich, by village standards. Jen did marry him, he'd been right, she liked him. The new plant, that she'd named Cannabis for Hob's maternal grandmother Canna, was useful in many ways. What's more, his hand healed with much less scaring.\n\n...\n\n\"Jen? I feel strange. Like I just want to sit down and let the world go by.\"\n\n\"Uh, Oh. What were you doing just now?\"\n\n\"We had too much to process, so I was burning the leaves. The wind was awful, wouldn't settle down in one direction. The smoke smelled so sweet though, I didn't mind breathing it.\"\n\n\"Oh, Hob!\" She laughs, I love it when she laughs. \"You *do* have a way of stumbling into things! We'll keep the extra leaves from now on. Try drying them and see what happens.\"\n\n...\n\nHob and Jen became the Cannabis family. People from across the kingdom came to them for help with things that the usual herbs are aren't helping. A wasting disease, it didn't stop the course of the disease, but the sufferers were more comfortable. There are others.\n\nOther healers were given seeds. Soon seeds we're coming back with reports of new effects. The plants smelled different.\n\nThen the trouble started. People were smoking the leaves, even when they weren't in need.\n\n...\n\n\"Should we ban it?\"\n\n\"No. All that's going to do is get the growers to hide, drive the price up, and deny ourselves the benefits of the plant. We need another solution.\"\n\n\"Well, treat it like public drunkenness then. Some time in the pillory may convince them to at least stay home!\"\n\n\"What about the injuries? Carters have hurt people while under the influence. Blacksmiths have hurt themselves without even knowing!\"\n\n\"If the only injury is to the abuser, that's their problem, but injury to another? No different than drinking. No one forced you to drink or smoke, you chose to do that. You have to take full responsibility for your actions while intoxicated. Right up to the death penalty for murder.\"\n\n\"What about those who injure others, but won't stop smoking?\"\n\n\"After enough violations, they get branded. A 'C' in the middle of their forehead. At the same time, a law is passed that anyone so marked is forbidden to take jobs where being alert is necessary. Like carting.\"\n\n\"You know people aren't going to stop there. They'll stop hiring anyone marked like that for anything but menial jobs.\"\n\n\"Yes, but *we* won't have made a law forcing that. If the people make it plain that they won't hire an abuser. It'll get around. We're not going to take away a useful product just because a few abuse it.\"\n\n((finis))\n\nEdit: spelling."
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[WP] As usual, you turned on the voice recognition to write your paper. A weird sentence keeps getting typed as soon as you turn on your mic to speak. | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" \n\n\"In the context of Greek mythology and literature...\" I began, the mic icon flickering in the corner of my screen. As I expected, text began to blink out into place on my document. I glanced down at my notes, continuing, \"...Prometheus occupies and interesting space. Though he arguably did...\"\n\nOut of the corner of my eye, I noticed that my text to speech seemed to be typing in all caps. I looked at the screen. Instead of seeing what I had just spoken, all that my document said was:\n\n`LISTEN TO THE SKY, STARE INTO THE NIGHT, AND FEEL THE DESERT IN YOUR BONES.`\n\nI stared at the screen, my cursor blinking gently at the end of the line. For some reason, I found the phrase oddly chilling, as if it was supposed to mean something to me.\n\nI frowned and opened up a task manager window, scrolling to find my voice interpreter. I killed it, and closed out of my document, then restarted both.\n\nHesitantly, I clicked the button to activate voice recognition. \"In the context of Greek mytho...\"\n\n`LISTEN TO THE SKY, STARE INTO THE`\n\nAs I spoke, the same phrase began to type itself out onto the screen. *What the fuck was happening?* I wondered to myself. *Maybe it was just glitching on that phrase for some reason?*\n\n\"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,\" I said, giving it a shot. It continued typing, the same phrase beginning to repeat itself as I spoke more.\n\nI sat back in my chair, at a loss. *Was it just broken? What the hell?* I brought my shaky hands to the keys, attempting to type the first sentence to my essay. It worked fine, save a few typos.\n\nOut of curiosity, I googled the phrase. Nothing special came up, just an assortment of song lyrics and poems in which the words \"night,\" \"desert,\" and \"sky\" appeared. I went to the support forum for my particular voice to text and looked up the issue. Again, nothing. No mention of that entire phrase, and no reports of the program ever doing this.\n\n*Well, shit* I thought, *am I going to ave to type this entire thing? It's due in six hours, I don't even know if I'm capable of that.*\n\nWondering what to do and feeling more than a little anxious, I restarted my laptop. Once it was back up, I fired up both programs again.\n\n\"One two three four the quick brown fox yadda yadda orange peel,\" I spoke, testing nonsense phrases once again. I looked on, dismay growing, as it began to type the same thing.\n\n`LISTEN TO THE SKY, STARE INTO THE NIGHT, AND FEEL THE DESERT IN YOUR BONES. THE WIND KNOWS YOUR NAME, ZOE. HEED IT'S CALL.`\n\n*Ohh what the fuck what the fuck why did it type my name, what does that mean?* I thought, the beginnings of panic starting in my chest. I stood up from my desk, stepping back from my computer and glancing around my room. I walked over to my window, moving to close it, paranoia creeping in as I glanced out at the night.\n\nThat was when I heard it, like a thousand voices whispering in unison.\n\n\"LISTEN,\" I heard in the wind, \"LISTEN, TRAVELER.\"\n\n\"I am officially losing my mind,\" I said out loud, slowly backing away from the window. The wind howled louder, and a coyote howled in the distance. \"This has to be a dream, right?\"\n\n\"ZOE,\" came the voices again, seeming to come from outside my window, \"CLOSE YOUR EYES AND *LISTEN* TO THE SKY.\"\n\nA chill shot up my spine as I stood frozen there, unable to move out of panic.\n\n\"Wh- what th-the fuck?\" I managed to stammer out, staring at the open window.\n\n\"BE NOT AFRAID, TRAVELER\" returned the voices, \"THE DESERT SINGS IN YOUR BONES AND YOUR BLOOD IS MOONLIGHT.\"\n\nThen, everything went black.\n\nI awoke on cold sand. The wind blew gently over me, lying face up on the ground, and the moonlight cast a blue glow on everything around me. The stars twinkled in the vast desert sky.\n\nAll that was visible, as far off as I could see, was desert. Small, dry plants and strange cacti dotted the sandy landscape, but there was no sign of anything or anyone else.\n\nAs I looked around, images began to fill my head, half-formed memories of things that never happened. Dark figures, strange shapes, other places, a city of glass, a vast oasis, whispering voices, and indescribable things all swirled across my vision.\n\nI didn't know what to think. *It really did have to be a dream now, right?* I wondered, thoughts clouded by the flood of sights and sounds.\n\nI expected to feel anxious, there in the desert, as I waited for my vision to clear. But I didn't. All I could feel was... peace. A kind of serenity I'd never known filled me. My hands didn't shake, that itching pain under my skin was gone, and the cool, dry air was pleasant on my skin\n\nMy vision cleared. I was still in the same place, barefoot in the sand. Now, though, there was someone standing before me. She was beautiful, clad in a strange, rippling, white garment. Her hand was outstretched, and I could see silvery eyes glinting from beneath her dark hair, blowing in the wind.\n\nWhen she spoke, her voice was dusky and low, with an unidentifiable note to it, \"It is time that you learn, Zoe. Learn what you are.\"\n\nI took her hand."
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1,
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"1556215979",
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[WP] You're sitting down at work one day and you decide to stretch your arms out. Suddenly, Mjolnir comes flying into the palm of your hand... | 6 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Your coworkers stare blankly at you. You hear Stephen the janitor - but most importantly, an avid Marvel fan, screeching across from the corner. The smell of fresh (but nevertheless mundane) coffee lingers for a moment as you realize The Almighty Hammer had knocked a passerby's order right out of their mortal hands.\n\nAmid the broken glass and just about everything else that was along its trajectory, you maintain grip of the coffee-soaked blunt weapon for a brief moment before letting it go, almost in embarrassment.\n\nAlex, the secretary walks at a cautionary pace towards your desk. You never really liked her much, she was always condescending and sarcastic but you still had the respect for her work (and being able to put up with the boss).\n\n\"Looks like someone got a promotion\" she says, nonchalantly, and picks up a folder off the floor that you didn't realize fell during the brief commotion.\n\nThe file reads, \"Motor Oil Catalogue for Helicarrier, S.H.E.I.L.D.\""
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1,
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"1556257036",
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[WP] You attend a funeral for someone you don't know, a "friend of a friend". As the service goes on, you learn details about them from eulogies. It dawns on you that you and the deceased have far too much in common. | 220 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" \n\nThere I was, at a funeral. Told myself I'd never go to one of these things - so dull and pointless. They're dead, get the fuck over it. Thank god it wasn't mine. Who was dead? Fuck me if I know, a friend of a friend. But there I was, accompanying my buddy in black suits and under matte black umbrellas in the pouring rain. Used to black suits - lived a great life running jobs for the Mafia. You'd think being a mafia member would mean I'd go to a lot of funerals; not my type of thing. I loved the rain, I guess. It makes such a pleasant sound and changes so much depending on what it hits. Maybe I was thinking into it too much - my head kept racing from boredom anyway. I found interest in any topic just to not think about this shitshow of an event. \n\n​\n\nThe gray clouds beamed a faded white light throughout as lightning struck and pierced the cluttered sky. We all rushed into the church to hear the speeches - preached from men who stand on pedestals believing they're doing the right thing in the eyes of God but lie and deceive everywhere we go. Religion, it's bullshit - nothing more than stories and fairytails. I guess we believe in anything just to avoid the concept of a prolonged pitch black lack of existence.\n\n \nThe priest read out stories given by family members, in which he told of incidents that seemed to make me grin. This guy had lived a good life, it seemed - and it was cut short by whatever killed him. The stories he told were all too familiar to me. I remember hearing analogies he'd read out and anecdotes which fit my own life experiences perfectly. I couldn't describe the feeling of trying to figure out the parallel between coincidence and fate. Fate is the only word I can use to describe this, as once the priest called out the deceased's father to read a eulogy.... I could barely let out a scream in seeing my own dad standing there with cold eyes. My whole body was frozen, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I felt a pinch in my back and when I turned my friend was stood there holding an injection to my spine. \n\n​\n\n\"I'm sorry.\"",
"This was written on my phone whilst walking the dog and has not been proof read yet, so I will update it when I get home tonight, but here is the skeleton:\n\n\nOutside the church people were gathering. There were a collection of smiles and a sporadic dashing of light conversation but the overall somber mood left no doubts, this was a funeral. \n\n\nJames had arrived on foot. The sun was shining and his house was only 10 minutes away, so he had decided to take a stroll and enjoy some of the early English spring warmth. When he rounded the corner to reveal the front of the church, it’s large cobbled road now bustling with people awaiting the start of the service, he instantly regretted travelling alone. He didn’t know any of these people. It wasn’t a relative of his, you see, he was only there as moral support for his friend who had called him last night in tears asking for him to be there. She was nowhere to be seen in the crowd and not answering her calls. It was unlikely anyone would question him being there, but that didn’t make it any less awkward standing on his own. He took himself to one side, pulled a cigarette from his suit jacket and observed the crowd as he smoked. Occasional faces looked familiar, possibly seen in Facebook pictures or at barbecues, but the majority were alien to him. “She’s the mother” he thought to himself, observing an older lady with a large black hat who was being comforted by a queue of people. “Brothers or best mates, maybe both” he thought as he turned his gaze to a group of men. He had definitely seen them before. As he was trying to work who the aunties and uncles were the large wooden doors at the front of the church opened and an old, thin, white collared priest stepped out avd announced “the service is about to start, if you would all kindly make your way inside...”. \n\n\nOnce inside James quickly scanned the rows and rows of wooden benches. “Where is she??” he muttered under his breath, more for the benefit of anyone near him who might be wondering what he was doing. He almost let himself get angry before remembering where he was and why he was here. He noticed the back of the church was empty, so found himself a seat there, planning on watching as people left so he could find his friend and prove that he had showed up. \n\n\nThe priest took to the stage and started to speak into a microphone on a stand. From the very first word James found it hard to concentrate. In one ear and out the other. His gaze wandered around the room, looking at the ornate picture frames and stained glass windows. He wasn’t a religious person and the priest had started heavily with “god” this and “Jesus” that. He tuned back in just in time to catch the priest saying “but I shan’t dwell on these messages as many of us know he wasn’t a follower of any particular religion” \n“Ha!” Thought James “didn’t stop you crowbarring some in at the front though did it?!”\n\n The time passed and the priest stood down after his lengthy introduction. The suspected brothers/friends were up to give their eulogies. The room fell silent as the three men were visibly upset. \n\n\nAfter a short pause one of the men started \n\n\n“James was not only our brother, but our best friend”\n\n\n“Winner winner chicken dinner!” though James to himself, then it dawned on him this man was also called James. What a coincidence! The man continued \n“and we know he would have loved to see how many of you turned up today.”\nThe mans voice was doing something to James head. Something strange. Like he was in danger of fainting. He recognised it, he knew he did, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. “We would like to thank you all for the donations you have made to his favourite charity, the RSPCA” \n“That must be it!” Thought James, “RSPCA work!”. James had done quite a bit of RSPCA work, from organising fun runs to raise money to volunteering in the shops on weekends. If this guy had been involved too chances are he would have bumped in to him and his family at some point. It was a bit of a stretch, but why else would he have this deja vu? \n“We will be auctioning his car next week with all money also going to the charity” at this point the second of the three men leaned towards the microphone and attempted to lighten the mood “yeah and if no one buys it I’ll have it! A BMW is better than my little fiesta!” A gentle, light laughter rippled around the room. \n“Wait, I own a BMW too” thought James. His put his head in his hands. It was pounding something fierce. This was starting to get too much. Why did this guy have all the same things as him? And why did he feel like he knew these men giving their eulogies?! \n“I think you know” came soft voice beside him. He looked over, and that was when he saw her. The friend he was supposed to have met. The one who asked him to come. The one he couldn’t find. Only it wasn’t just his friend. He knew that now. The pounding had gone. He was starting to made sense of it all. She was his girlfriend. How had he forgotten that? Why? And how had she known what he was thinking? “Where..” he started but before he could say any more she pointed towards the front of the church. The old woman in the hat was up now, it was the deceased mans mother. He knew this because it was his mother. James stomach felt like it fell out of his body, and the sound in the room faded away into a dull mumble. It was coming back to him, and he wished it wasn’t. He looked back to his girlfriend. She looked bright, vibrant. She was so illuminated with colour it made the rest of the room seem black and white in comparison. She was glowing. “Disorienting isn’t it?” She questioned “that’s why I needed you here. I couldn’t do this alone.” James nodded. “Tomorrow is my funeral. I know you will want to go, and I will be there for you like you’ve been here for me”. \n\n\n“Thank you” whispered James. He looked back to the front of the church and watched the rest of the service. Watched as his aunties, uncles, cousins and friends gave their eulogies on his life. When he looked back to his girlfriend she had gone. \n\n\nHe left the church just before the service finished and all the people would start to leave. All he had to do now was wait. Wait and prepare himself mentally for his girlfriends funeral tomorrow.\n\n*Edit - some typos and continuity :)",
"The accident took its toll on us. All in all, we lost 300 cryo-chambers - it's easier to call them that, easier than people. But when the micrometeoroid shredded that nitrogen intake pipe, it was worse for the technician working next to it. She took the pebble to the head first, that was good I guess, better than slowly in a sealed hard vacuum room. So we all mourned the death one of our own, one of The Lost.\n\nI don't know her personally, she was engineering, but I had to attend this mourning ceremony because Engi-43 insisted. He was being dragged by his registered partner who grew up in the same social unit. \n\nThe chaplain solemnly breaks the silence.\n\n\"Today, one of the Lost finds her way home\" she paused, \"the home none of us will see, the home we shepherd so many to\"\n\nHearing that always breaks my heart.\n\n\"Lifsup-18 did not choose this life, it was thrust upon her. Fate did not choose her, nor did destiny. Only chance. And Lifsup-18 knew this.\"\n\nThat's what you get though, being a refugee fleet. Since The Error, our ship has been damaged and on an erroneous course since leaving our system and ecologically destroyed homeworld. \n\n\"She proudly did her duty to the Lost, and the flock. And never felt the crime of selfishness.\"\n\nBullshit. Selfish to these people means complain about being hungry. We know the story, the ship wasn't designed for conscious crew. We're an accident, but people have to stay awake to maintain the damage from the final nuclear acceleration detonation. So the sleeper journey became a 30 generation trip for my-great-great-great-great-great... 17 ok, 17 generations for my line, that's why I get a 17. But the point is, they control **everything** on the guise of keeping the Species alive.\n\n\"Lifsup-18, was a hard worker, she was a life support repair tech. And we thank her for keeping both The Lost and The Flock alive. For that we thank her service to the species.\"\n\nWe all have our role. We don't get a choice. I bet a week's rations she wished she was something else. I wish I could navigate, I'm good with numbers. I suck at toilets... Mainly because I don't care. It's shitty work, but it's that or starvation or spacing. At least my DNA would survive though.\n\n\"She is released of her duty, and she is this, according to the unspoken's oldest tradition, she has the right to be released.\"\n\nThe unspoken is our homeworld. We are not allowed to speak it by penalty of death - in any language or dialect. We broke her, she no longer accepts us. The Order tell us that this is journey our penance for not respecting the planet which have us life. I don't remember hurting her, I was born on this floating box. I know the name of the world, but I hold that close to me. My father taught me.\n\n\"She is survived by her registered partner of 5 years, and unfortunately failed in her duty to provide replacements.\"\n\nWe are all expected to produce two viable offspring each as an exact replacement to train in their profession. The Order tells you who to register with based on genetic considerations. The Code of the Lost requires it, sterile individuals are reassigned to each other and treated as untouchable. Violators will have there sperm or eggs harvested then spaced. Archaic.\n\n\"Lifsup-18, however, was not sterile\"\n\nA murmur broke out among the crowd. *This* was interesting.\n\n\"A review of her records show she was, inside her heart, not in communion with the Code, or it seems, the order.\"\n\nA wave of panic struck me. Resistance fighters don't get funerals. So why am I at the funeral of one, of a sister-in-arms. I looked at the chaplain. Her smile grew wider as she allowed the situation to grow clearer in each of our heads. We had been lured.\n\n\"On her at the time, was a communicator, with a list of every so-called \"resistance\" on this ship. Given the evidence, The Order no longer feels the large population of Lost is necessary. Your deaths will serve the greater survival of the species.\"\n\nThe chaplain placed a respirator over her face, smiled, and said \"we love you all\". The room became silent as the room was suddenly vented.\n\nI was free. Thank you Lifsup-18. I love you.\n\nEdit: continuity and grammar. I wrote this on my phone."
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[WP] For your whole life everyone has treated you as a damsel in distress. Your damn sick of it. | 8 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Sasha Daryn sat in the highest room of the tallest tower in the Nearview Kingdom. \n\nA fire crackled softly in the corner opposite her. It had been lit by the inferno breath of the dragon that guarded her, and so danced with the magical essence that gave Draxies his blaze. As it shifted and swirled, it tossed shades of varying color upon the pages of the book that Sasha had curled up with.\n\n*The moonlight sparkled in the princess’ eyes,* the book read, *Though she feared the answer, she asked her ancient friend the question that had weighed heavy on her heart.*\n\n“Oh my god,” Sasha said, “Here it comes!”\n\nShe felt positively giddy. The princess had been looking for the answer to this question since book one of the series. \n\nSasha took a deep breath before turning the page. \n\n“*Where are my*-“\n\nSasha’s eyes widened. After those words, the page of the book had been smudged by water damage beyond the point of being readable. \n\n“No,” Sasha muttered. She flipped through the rest of the book, frantically chanting, “No, no, no, no,” as if it might reverse her fortune. If anything, the water damage got worse with each page turned. \n\n“DRAXIES,” Sasha screamed, “DRAAAAAXXX-“\n\nThe dragon’s head peeked in through the window, “Yes?” \n\n“This book is ruined,” she cried. \n\nThe dragon blinked in surprise, “That can’t be, I took that right off a cart bound for the Nearview Library!”\n\n“See for yourself,” Sasha said, displaying the book. \n\nIf Dragons could blush, Draxies would have been a surly crimson. “I...can’t read, Sasha.”\n\nSasha’s eyes softened, “Oh, Draxies,” she said, “Im sorry, I forgot.”\n\nAt that moment, the clash of hooves could be heard rising up over the nearest hill. \n\nDraxies’ massive head spun round to face the noise, and Sasha went to look out her window. \n\nA band of cavalry, some 1000 strong, appeared with banners which proudly displayed the Lion of Nearview. \n\nSasha rolled her eyes, “Not again....”\n\n“Should I,” Draxies started. \n\n“No, best not. Let me talk to them.” \n\n“Very well.”\n\nThe horses skittered at the sight of the massive emerald dragon hovering at the top of the tower. With a single flap of his wings, Draxies rose to perch on the roof. \n\nThree men, all on tall Destriers, broke from the pack and came close to the tower. The man at their head wore golden armor, and a crown studded with ruby’s that glistened in the sun. \n\n“Lady Sasha,” the Prince called. \n\n“I’m sorry,” she said, “Have we met?” \n\nThe Prince recoiled, then played it off as if he was shifting in his saddle. “Uh, yes, yes we have. It must be, erm, difficult to see from so high.”\n\nSasha made a show of leaning out her window, hands cupped on her brow to shade her eyes. “Hmmm, oh wait! That’s Sir Halloway to your right, isn’t it? How are your children, good Sir?”\n\nThe older Knight smiled broadly, “They’re good, My Lady. Thanks for asking!”\n\nThe Prince glared at him, and the Knight shrugged. He looked back up at Sasha, “This is Prince Icario, second son of King Darid, heir to the Lordship of High Meadow Keep!” \n\nSasha scratched her head, “Ohhhh, right. I remember now. Sorry, I get a lot of *visitors* here, you know. It’s hard to keep track.”\n\n“I’m....sure it is,” Icario said. He cleared his throat, “My lady, the last I came here, I offered to slay the foul beast which held you as prisoner. You told me that it would take a thousand men to have a chance at such a feat. Well, My Lady Daryn, I have brought a thousand loyal knights here with me today. Accept my pledge of betrothal and, I promise you, by night-fall you will once again taste the sweet air of freedom.”\n\n“Oh that’s,” Sasha muttered, her voice trailing off, “*Splendid*.”"
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[WP] A Finnish sniper during World War 2 takes aim at a German soldier, and pulls the trigger, only to see something he shouldn't as the soldier stands back up, missing half his skull, and looks directly in the direction of the Sniper. | 10 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I laid probe in the snowbank, slowly scanning the German lines.\n\nThe German Invasion was not expected whatsoever, after all the talk Hitler had made about “Aryan superiority”, apparently Finland was an exception. \nI glanced up towards my own blonde hair, neatly tucked into a white hood covered by a helmet, and scoffed.\n\nSweden and Germany had decided to push us on double fronts, this was accomplished because Germany held Russia up the the Ural Mountains, Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad were all in German hands. Stalin’s remaining forces were huddled around Omsk with barely anything We’d just been listening to how a Japanese invasion in the East through Manchuria has broke the will of the Soviet people, and Stalin was killed by revolutionaries. Then Elias burst in, saying Panzers were crossing our borders on both sides. \n\nThat was a few months ago, and now I was scanning a roadway for Germans. This was a communication line, and I hoped to play a little havoc with their messengers. \n\nJust then, a lone messenger came along the way, his BMW snow machine slowly crunching along the ice and snow.\n\nI lined up the shot, barely comprehending the small “6” on the man’s jacket sleeve, and took a breath.\n\n*KAPOW*\n\nThe man slumped forwards and fell off the machine, which continued happily chugging along slowly until it hit a tree on the other side. \n\nI racked the bolt and grinned, it was a clean shot. Simo would have been proud. \n\nBut then, the crumpled corpse twitched, and then shook a bit. I watched with horror as the figure slowly pulled themselves up. In one fluid motion, the figure pulled a small syringe device and jammed it into their arm. \n\nThe figure turned towards me, and stared, even from about 150 yards, I could see that half of their face was gone, only supported by a helmet chinstrap. And in one second, the face reformed into a cold stare.\n\n“H-Holy Shit!” \n\nI shook with fear as the figure slowly trudged towards me. I tried to realign a shot, but I was too shocked. I tried squeezing off another round, the bullet slammed into the messenger’s chest....and didn’t even faze him whatsoever. I squeezed off another, this one missing by miles and hitting a bird.\n\nThe figure came much closer, and began digging for something in their pocket. I also saw the strange boxy contraption on the messenger’s arm, it glowed a very alien green. I squeezed the trigger again, but there was only a metallic *click*\n\nThe figure stood before me, their blue eyes staring holes through me. I couldn’t speak, but the figure spoke for me.\n\n“Do you have any idea how bad it feels to get shot in the head!?”\n\n=====================================\n\nCourier 6 rode into the German supply depot, and climbed off the snow machine. \n\nSoldiers were working on various vehicles around the place, and others were in formation exercising. A pair of Tiger 1s sat beside the fuel depot, and a Panzer 4 was lining up to take on fuel as well. \n\nHe headed inside the large command structure, and handed a box over to the depot commander, it contained orders for a mass assault on the Finnish main force. \n\nThe Courier turned and headed out the door. He’d respirated a new snow machine, saying a sniper had clipped his and the engine was knocking. The base commander happily fulfilled his request, and soon Courier 6 was heading back down the road.\n\nHe glanced back, before pulling another device, a metal clacker, out of his bag. He glanced back and squeezed it. \n\nA cloud of green plasma erupted from the command building. A few seconds later, a fuel truck that had just pulled in erupted as well, followed by oil barrels and other explosives held aboard the many trucks within the base. \n\nWith the explosions providing a symphony, the Courier guided himself away from the base. He couldn’t just not fulfill an order, but he was never told he couldn’t add a little extra to it."
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[WP] Like everything else in the universe, wishes cannot move any faster than light. Tell us what happens when wishes are eventually returned and granted from every star people wished on. | 22 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Joseph Andersen was the first.\n\nHe was power-walking up the escalator leading out of the Columbus Square subway station in Manhattan, shouldering his way up the left-hand side of the steps, when a dead deer suddenly appeared in front of him, flopping bonelessly to the escalator steps.\n\nOf course, three hundred-odd pounds of dead flesh didn't go quietly, so it created a cascade of tumbling bodies that gave birth to the video that, ten years later, was still the #3 most popular video of all time on YouTube.\n\nLater, scientists of all kind would tell the world that the wounds on the deer's neck could only have been caused by rudimentary, chipped-stone tools.\n\nThis went on for decades. For centuries.\n\nFor millennia.\n\nThe human race faced all the challenges one would expect: political, social, scientific, ecological.\n\nExistential threats - agricultural collapse, nuclear annihilation, virtual intelligence overlords - came and went. Historians and sociologists spilled rivers of virtual ink on the subject, but in the end, they all agreed on one fundamental truth - the sudden appearance of dead game, even dead specimens of game species thought long extinct, was the single factor that could be most directly attributed to the survival of the human species.\n\nWhether thought to be divine intervention, or a bending of the fundamental Conservation Rules of science, or some mass-shared-delusions, the fact of the matter was that the spontaneous appearance of food, all around the globe, created a supernatural *otherness* that united the human species.\n\nHundreds of millennia later, after \"SUDDEN ANTELOPE\" became just another part of life, post-humans began noticing even stranger violations of the Law of Conservation of Matter - the sudden appearance of gold or textiles or even tools.\n\nNot long afterwards, of course, the Unified Intelligence had determined the nature of the phenomena, and had simply started automating the wishing process through Einstein-Rosen bridges that linked the wish-granting stars to the local galaxy cluster. Had the Individual Intelligences still been fleshy human animals, they might have fallen into indolence at having wishes granted in mere days, but fortunately we were all long past that, weren't we?"
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[WP] You’re an immortal, but you can die one random day a year. Your enemy has just figured out that you’re not always immortal. | 20 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You don't get to be six hundred and one without learning a thing or two.\n\nAnd the most important thing you learn?\n\nYou can't go it alone.\n\nNot even if you're a centuries-old trillionaire who's single-handedly responsible for the dozen most popular conspiracy theories about lizard people and Bilderbirg Illuminati and faked moon landings.\n\nOne can develop any number of mnemonic techniques and brilliant indexing methods to help ensure that the most relevant information is always top-of-mind and that the next most relevant information is easily at hand. But the mortals keep insisting on a geometric expansion of knowledge.\n\nHow bothersome.\n\nSo a mere hundred and ninety years after Gutenberg fashioned his little irritation, one does have to build up a network of retainers. A recent jape among the mortals concerns death and taxes, but to those of us blessed with a bit of longevity, the real eternal is obvious - lust. Lust for power, lust for flesh, and above all else, lust for money.\n\nYou'd think paying your retainers to couple with each other and produce children to act as your retainers would be difficult. After all, love seems to follow the genitals with an irritating regularity. And yet love is so easily set aside when financial stability and dominance over one's peers is on offer.\n\nAnd so at the dawn of yet another new century - this time the twenty-first - when one is faced with a true novelty, the solution, as ever, is simple: don't go it alone.\n\nWhen Dan Taggart begins his little ancestry.com enterprise, you think nothing of it, of course. After all, you've seen the \"tulip bubble\" come and go. You've seen any number of economic depressions come and go. The \"dot com\" bubble was barely a blip on the radar, little more than the hundreth chance to advance wealth and power by a fraction.\n\nYet somehow the pestilence that is the expansion of knowledge has uncovered a key secret. Some unknown link between your progeny in Siam (or whatever they call it now), and France, and Assyria has revealed a fraction of your nature.\n\nThrough some or another form of investigation - probably involving those incomprehensible \"finger prints\" or \"phrenology\" or even \"eugenics\" that seem so popular these days - it seems that some mortals have discovered the nature of immortality and the specific window of vulnerability - exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds - that would allow you to be killed.\n\nThe usual precautions were taken, of course. Killings, threats, even a number of vicious beatings and rapes.\n\nAnd yet, somehow, the tried-and-true methods seem to have failed. The mortals banded together, shared information across the globe, and now one does face the most implacable foe one has ever encountered.\n\nImplacable, that is, until one simply sprays money at the problem. Millions of euros. Billions of dollars. Trillions of yuan.\n\nIn the end, this \"Hu Jintao\" was dealt with easily enough. A mere decade after he came in to power - less than eyeblink of time - he was replaced. When one's victory is complete, it need not even end in a killing. It was a lesson that took centuries to learn, but true power is shown by a cruel mercy. After sending that little Napoleon chap off to a island *twice*, the number of true threats had fallen to nearly nothing.\n\nThe matter handled, all that was left was the boring mechanics of \"assassinating the assassin\" and so on. Leaving that to the faithful retainers was a given.",
"\"That's your plan? Just stand there and stab me, again and again?\"\n\nThe squelching sounds of metal piercing flesh and bone never really gets easier to hear. Least of all when it's your own. The owner of the blade causing the offensive noise turned a grubby face up. Red puffy eyes, dried snot below. \n\n\"Every day. Every single day until I find the one where you can die!\"\n\nThe older man placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose, trying to massage his headache away. Everytime the child withdrew the knife, his body repaired the damage. Followed quickly by another disgusting squelch.\n\n\"Look... I... Okay. Enough with the stabbing for today please!\"\n\nThe man had taken on too many names over the year. It was likely he couldn't even remember the first, but Tristan was the one he was introducing himself as. The violent youth was named Jacob. For the time being they lived together.\n\n\"Just eat your breakfast, please? I hate to see food go to waste.\"\n\nTristan sat down at a table. Small, but with elegant scrollwork along the legs and leaves. Jacob glared at the food on the table. Making a face as if it would attack him at any moment. Ironic. \n\n\"Wash your hands while you put that knife in the sink.\"\n\nFurrowed brows as he looked past the table into the kitchen. He took a step then stared at Tristan. The older man simply lifted his chin in the direction of the kitchen sink. An un-mistakable order. The child walked like Atlas, shoulders buckling under the strain. Tristan pressed the hells of his palms into his eyes until images danced across his vision. The sounds of water running in the distance. \n\n\"What is it?\" The child asked, prodding his meal far more gently with the tines of his fork.\n\nTristan opened his eyes again. \"Eggs Benedict with a hollandaise sauce on an English muffin.\"\n\nThat had taken some getting used to. Americans had such a unique way of naming things \"just try it. It's good.\"\n\nTristan began eating his own, illustrating his point. Food was always something he tried when starting over. Even just a few years makes all the difference when it comes to foods. The young one sniffed at the creation. Deciding his hunger was more dangerous than the food, he lifted it to his mouth. A large bite. A soft crunch \"it is good!\" He explained.\n\nAs if it was any surprise. A couple of hundreds of years of practice would make anyone a master chef. More sounds of eating as they both cleaned their plates in silence.\n\n\"So... You can never die?\" The child asked, filling the void. The food was gone. No more distractions\n\n\"Under normal circumstances? No, but as your snooping uncovered... I have an Achilles heel.\"\n\n\"A what?\"\n\n\"A weakness, a flaw.\"\n\n\"Oh. How long have you been alive?\"\n\n\"Way, way too long. I've seen history that they'll never teach you in school.\"\n\nTristan looked up at the ceiling. How long had it been? Rome? Was that the first? No, before that. Uruk? That one sounded right.\n\n\"What do you do?\"\n\n\"Learn, mostly. Humanity is amazing. You never stop progressing. There's always something new to learn.\"\n\n\"It's that why you're a doctor?\"\n\n\"Essentially, yeah.\"\n\nThe child was pensive for a moment. His eyes were turned towards his empty plate. He wasn't really looking at it though. \"Why do people get cancer?\" Tristan flinched in his chair.\n\nIn truth there were a lot of reasons. Exposure to carcinogens, poor lifestyles, a family history. It wasn't worth shoveling on a child. \"I'm not sure, Jacob.\"\n\n\"Why do people die?\"\n\nAnother tough question. One that Tristan has thought of many times before, especially after discovering his own nature. Why did people die, when he didn't.\n\n\"Some questions don't have an answer. No matter how long you spend thinking about them.\""
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[WP] You intercept a Golden circle with runes and tunes while flying past a little solar system, it was an interesting little trinket, you decided to send a blueprint of a interstellar ship 50 years outdated to the mudball as thanks. | 25 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Ship's Log\n\n​\n\nAfter Resupplying at Fresnel Station we are back on course. The short range radar picked up a golden disk following along our same velocity. Of course we went to Investigate.\n\n​\n\nI opened the cargo bay door. There was the disk floating in Zero g. I have heard of seeing relics in interstellar space but the odds are astronomical(sorry) The Disk was very strange. apon closer inspection there were two disks stuck together. One seemed to be a primitive record device. I have the ship's AI scan the top side and play it. The screeching was unbearable. I quickly said stop and tired the other side. What I heard could only be described as beautiful. I would be rich. On the other disk were a runes. They appeared to mark the intersection of 7 pulsars each pointing to one planet. Far out on the outer rim far beyond our domain. hah these primitives have no idea whats coming. Why not give them a head start. I sent an ftl probe carrying a very primitive warp Sail blueprint it was the least I could do. it was predicted to arrive by their time based on the golden record at 2021 BCE. Man I wish I could be there\n\n​\n\nEarth, 2021 BCE President's office.\n\n​\n\nThree men in black suits strode into the Oval office. The first one spoke,\" Sir we have a developing situation we going to need to relocate.\" The President replied, \" One minute I need get Melania.\"\n\n​\n\nLater that day, New York City, \n\n​\n\nA dull classroom was dimly lit. Inside students were watching a pirated copy of Avengers Endgame on the projector.\n\nWithout warning a high pitch squeal came from the speakers. Then on it showed blueprints technical manuscripts manuals and far in the corner lay, a thank you note."
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[removed] | [WP] You are a superhero. Bullets bounce off of you with no harm done and you can lift entire shipping containers with ease. Your weakness? Sticks and stones. | 1 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hi u/Arthur_The_Third, this submission has been removed.\n\n[**No recent reposts, even if changing small details**](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\nAlso, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch 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\nThere are a ton of superpower prompts submitted to the subreddit, and enough have been submitted recently.\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bhs7cy/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/about/sidebar) before posting. \n\n*This action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.*"
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[deleted] | [WP] You’re a detective with the unique ability that if you’re touching someone you know if they’re lying. One day you’re interrogating mysterious suspect. He touches your hand and says that pen is red. You look, it’s blue. Yet, you know he’s telling the truth. | 18 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Was it color blindness? His records show he hasn't developed any color blindness. Yet, He's not lying. Is something wrong with me? No.\n Is he like me?\n\nIf my ability is real, then, of course, others could be too. But, I didn't expect it, let alone for them to be living in the same city.\n\n\"Officer,\" he said, \"I'm not the person you're looking for; I'm just a broke college student who happened to fit the picture; I was waiting for the train home, and that's when it happened. I've done nothing wrong.\" \n\nThere it was again, this nagging feeling, that even though there is evidence, I want to believe him. I want to release him. But, that's not right; he's telling his truth, but recordings don't lie.\n\n\"Sir, if you cooperate with us, and confess I'll put in a good word for you to the judge. You might even get life in prison. However, we have footage of you pushing the victim into the tracks. If you refuse to cooperate, you will sit before a jury who will find you guilty and a judge who will send you to meet your executioner.\"\n\nThe man grasped my hand, and in a panicked voice, said; \"Officer, I didn't push her, I tried to grab her! I tried to pull her away from the tracks, but I wasn't quick enough!\" \n\nThis time, His honeyed words brought about a wave of pity, even though they're all rubbish. Before I realized, he was out the front door, and I was staring out the window like an idiot. If my coworkers had questioned him would they have released him? If he'd made it to trial what would've happened? Would the jury have believed him or, like me, does he need to touch the person? He needed to be locked away, but I led him out."
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[WP]A person is hit by a truck. He gets reborn in another world and goes on to do great things. But that doesn't matter, because this is not his story. This is the story of the truck's driver. | 20 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I didn't see him and I wish it wasn't raining. Maybe I could have stopped sooner, but it's too late now. My rugs tires squealed as pumped the brakes desperately trying to stop the inevitable. It felt like a whole hour, down shifting the transmission and pumping the brakes because this ass hole jumped in front of me. I didn't want to do this, I did't want to loose my job, but this guy wanted out and he wanted to ruin my life at the same time. \n\n\nI locked eyes with him and pulled the transmission down again, I've been stopping for 50 feet already but this big pay load isn't stopping down hill. I feel the drag on my rotors, my brakes are probably destroyed. I haven't hit him yet but he's just staring at me and I can already see my whole life crashing down the second I hit him. I'm getting closer and he's still determined, his eyes seem hungry and even more desprate than mine, but his whole face show emptiness. A destroyed man.\n\n\nA destroyed man laid in shreds under my truck, I heard him thud and I heard him catch and I heard him scrape for several yards longer. My air brakes released with a hiss of relief, tires were smoking and I was crying. \n\n\nI'm going to loose my job I enjoy, I'm going to loose my dream home, I'm going to loose my mind, my marriage is going to fall apart I'll never think of her again, the love of my life, my Sarah. I'll only think of him. It'll only be about him, I did him wrong and I can't help him. I couldn't help him and he didn't want to be helped. I made him suffer, I could hear him scream and he forced me to do it. \n\n\n+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+\n\n\nI laid at home, months after the accident, still unemployed, still not sleeping, still unable to stop replaying it in my head. \n\n\nI look at my night stand.\n\n\nThe scene starts playing in my head again.\n\n\nIt takes forever, like it did that same night.\n\n\nI can see him again, still broken, except sometimes I look at him and see myself, broken, except sometimes I see him, but it looks like he was already hit and going to hit him again, and again.\n\n\nThere's a gun in my nightstand.\n\n\nI look at the man, my truck quickly, yet slowly approaching. Its me again, broken. I look at myself in the truck and open my arms like he did and I keep starting at myself.\n\n\nThere's a thud, and my wife is screaming.\n\n\n+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+\n\n\nI wake up in a casino, untouched and suddenly well dressed. I look around, I look for him. **Where am I?**\n\n\nI look around the room, I'm in a booth, they're stuffing cards in my hand and a cigar in my mouth, \"What's going on?\" I ask them tiredly, my muscles still feeling sore, as if I was dragged down several flights of stairs.\n\n\nThis guy lights my cigar and chuckles a bit, \"you know how to play right?\" he taps the cards trying to shown me the game. This guy's is freshly shaved, it's very sharp looking. His hair is slicked back. His grey suit fits him a tad loose. His face gets angerier as I keep staring. His little sleeve clasp charm dangle, they're little circles with a chain attached and the little chain ends with a heart on one side and the other hand has a spade. \"Do you fucking know how to play or not!\"\n\n\nI nod once, it looks like rummy. I put the cigar down in the ashtray and look at the felt top table, I run my rand across it staring at how real the felt was, with chips all sorted out, I touched those too. I notice more people at the table, I notice the room is actually full of people playing cards or slots or dice games. \"Where are we?\"\n\n\nA lady looking to be in her late 20s in a red string strap and deep V dress, tapping her long red cigarette holder to ash it on the carpet, \"We're playing cards, are ya thick or something?\" her red lipstick was shared with her glass, two ice cubes were in it and I could even see a little bit of face oils on the surface of her bright blue drink. Its too much detail to be a dream. \"Pick up your cards!\"\n\n\n\"I'm sorry I'm going,\" I played along and hastily picked up the cards, it's a good hand I think, I'll see how it goes.\n\n\nShe crossed her legs and eyed me, \"Do ya like you're spawn point? Every time you die from here on out you'll spawn here, and so do I, so we're pals now!\" she winks at me. I smile back, she doesn't seem like a bad person so far, honestly.\n\n\n+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+\n\n\n\nI get to meet others around the table and around the casio on this floor.\n\n\nCindy, the lady in the red dress, seems to be the friendliest here. Everyone is wearing different period clothing. Cindy looks like she's straight out of a 20s mobster film where she's the trophy wife of the dude in charge or something. I'm wearing my jeans and button up I was last wearing. The guy that was wearing an older grey suit, I found out his name was Frank. There was a man who spoke poor english, but he was wearing a tunic, a white head cap with a gold trim, and beaded hair. He was nice to, but I don't know his name yet. There was knights, peasants, even a guy who was wearing strange furs and had a large forehead. \n\n\nThis was some odd afterlife where people re spawn in the same location here Every time they die somewhere here. \n\n\nThe best part was I wasn't thinking about that man for at least a few moments.\n\n\n\n+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+\n\n\nWeeks pass, no one sleeps, some leave, but they always come back. I'm oddly drawn to this room, like I belong here, it makes me want to never leave. Occasionally I walk to the hotel next door for a nap, because it's nice, not because I need it.\n\n\nNone of the buildings match a specific location or time period. Dirt floors and undead WiFi in the one building, marble floors and candle lit chandeliers in another.\n\n\nEveryone just get a alone really well. \n\n\nThere are no actual problems here.\n\n\nI still think about that man every day, nearly every hour, never sleeping and just thinking about him. \n\n\nThere's no problems here except the ones I had back then. \n\n\nI sit in the hotel room and think about the man. I look down at the old wooden floor, up at the memory foam mattress, then towards the glass bowl of water on a pedestal next to a normal toilet. \n\n\nI lay there and think about him, what he might be up to, if I could find him, how I could find him, what would I even do, I think about playing cards again, then about the man.\n\n\nThere's a knock at the door, \"Come on in,\" I say to them.\n\n\nIt's Frank, he sits down next to me. \"What's bringing you down, chum?\" he pokes me with his walking stick and chuckles again, he seems like a regular grey old man in a grey suit, but something's still off about him. \"I'll let you in on a secret if it'll cheer you up!\"\n\n\nI stare at him and think of the man, then look at him again and nod.\n\n\n\"You can die for deals here too, but it's tricky. I heard it sends you to another place. Some say it only sends you to another spawn location here. Either way, you can still be gone - zo from here!\"\n\n\n\"How would that cheer me up.\"\n\n\n\"Because nothing matters here and there are no problems.\"\n\n\n\"Okay so this is cheering me up?\"\n\n\n\"No, but you might be board. You're one of the ones who can fight the feeling of staying put at spawn and run off and relax. I need you to for realzies kill someone for me.\" he pulls out a small manila envelop from his front suit pocket. He pulls a picture and a business card from it. He shows me the picture. \"I'll tell you how to die for real deal here if you kill him first.\"\n\n\nThe picture was the man. The scene started playing in my head.\n\n\nI heard the brakes, I see the man, I see his eyes, I see my eyes.\n\n\n\"So you want to do this for me?\"\n\n\nMy eyes water and I snatch the picture and hold it. I see the man. I see his eyes, he's not broken anymore. He's fine in this picture. He's not destroyed. He's not how I left him, he's not how he came to me. He seems almost... happy in the picture. \"Yes. Yes I'll do it.\" Its not fair.\n\n\n\n+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+\n\n\n\nHe laid at home, months after the accident, still unharmed, still not sleeping, still unable to stop being happy he did it. \n\n\nHe looked at his night stand.\n\n\nThe scene starts playing in his head again.\n\n\nIt took an instant, like it did that same night.\n\n\nHe can see me again, still scared, except sometimes he looks at me and sees himself, broken by the situation, except sometimes he see me, but it looks like I had already hit home and was going to hit him again, and again.\n\n\nThere's a knife in my hand.\n\n\nI look at the man, my feet quickly, yet quietly approaching. Its me again, broken. I look at him in the room and he sees me. He open his arms like he did and I keep starting at myself in him. \n\n\nI stab him, there's a thud, a lady is screaming.\n\n\nHe spawns in the bed and I stab him there. He spawns and unspawns, stabbed and unstabbed over and over. She's still screaming, trying to rip me off of him, I don't even know why he's wanted dead, I just knew what he did wasn't fair.\n\n\nStabbed and unstabbed, and regenerating and getting stabbed again and again. Each time he seems less here, becoming transparent. He looks at peace and accepting and not fighting. It wasn't fair he could feel this way again.\n\n\nAt one point he just doesn't spawn back, the maid is confused but she shrugs and leaves. \n\n\nThere's no problems here. Not any more."
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[WP] Tell me the story about “The One That Got Away” and how you got her/him back. | 2 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"When Sara and I finally got back together it was like fate. \n\nWhen I saw her at the farmers market, I almost couldn't believe it.\n\n Who would have thought that my desire for fresh vegetables while on a business trip would have led me back to her. I was nervous and waited until she was back at her car to say hello. It took a little smooth talking on my end to get her to agree to a dinner date, but soon she was so eager that we got in her car and took it back to her place. \n\nIt was an adorable little house in a quiet neighbor. Over dinner I mentioned that I got an offer to transfer out here for work. She started to cry then, poor girl was always so emotional. I decided it would be best to stay the night until I knew she was ok.\n\nLater we sat together on the couch and watched a movie, she had finally calmed down. I looked over to see her asleep and began to stroke her soft blond hair. I looked at my love with such joy in my heart and whispered.\n\n'Sara, you and I can be together again forever' \n\n[Police find man on 'date' with a dead women.](https://imgur.com/NzA3gLN)"
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"1556388583",
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[WP] You answer your doorbell and you are surprised to see your grandfather standing in the doorway. Mostly because he’s dead. He says, “I have some important things to tell you." | 7 | [
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Reality+Fiction\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(Simple+Prompt\\)&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It's a rare thing, nowadays, to hear the doorbell. Usually it's a ping, or a bong, or a beep - an electronic notification of a text, email, WhatsApp or some other inane message. And at two in the afternoon - well, it wasn't the postman, I hadn't ordered anything online, there was no election coming up, and it was too early in the day for those pesky neighbourhood kids.\n\n​\n\nWith a sigh, I eased myself out of the deep, soft sofa, and made my way to the door. Grabbing the key from the hook - the door is always locked, and I never leave the key in - I unlocked and opened my front door.\n\n​\n\nI was NOT ready for what I saw.\n\n​\n\nMy jaw went slack, and for a moment, time stood still.\n\n​\n\nIn front of me, with his customary tweed jacket, unlit pipe, and cream chinos, was Grandad Albert. Which would have been a pleasant surprise, had we not buried him six months ago.\n\n​\n\n\"Gramps?\" my voice came out a wierd, croaky rasp.\n\n​\n\n\"Rachel, darling, are you going to ask me in, or keep me standing on your doorstep?\"\n\n​\n\nI stood staring at him in total disbelief.\n\n​\n\n\"I have some important things to tell you,\" he said, more urgently.\n\n​\n\nI backed into my hallway, and he briskly walked in. Grasping the handle, he swung the door, and quickly glanced back out into the street before closing it, locking it, and hanging the key up where it belonged.\n\n​\n\n\"What things?\" I asked. \"No, wait. Stop. Is this happening? You're... we... I...\"\n\n​\n\nHe reached out and put a wrinkled hand on my arm.\n\n​\n\n\"It's me, Rachel. I'm alive. I didn't die. It was all a ruse, and now I need help. Your help.\"\n\n​\n\nI thought back to when I got the call from Nan. She was cool, calm, collected, like she had rehearsed the phone call a thousand times.\n\n​\n\n\"Rachel, my dear, are you sitting down? I have terrible news. It's your Grandad. He's, well he's no longer with us. He passed last night, in his sleep.\"\n\n​\n\nThat wasn't like Nan. Nan was emotional, caring, loving. She should have been in a million pieces, besides herself with grief and anxiety. By the time Rachel had got to the house, Gramps had already been collected by the undertakers. The coroner confirmed it was a heart attack. There had been no viewing of the body, it was a closed-casket ceremony, he was buried, and that was that.\n\n​\n\nIn the following weeks, Nan had dealt surprisingly well with the sudden loss of her lifelong partner. But maybe if she had known all along...\n\n​\n\n\"Come sit down Gramps, I need a drink. What do you mean a ruse? And why do you need my help?\"\n\n​\n\nI walked over to my mini-bar - the kind that is concealed in a large globe - I always wanted one, and it didn't go with my decor at all, but I needed it badly, and loved it. Pouring myself a brandy, I faced Grandad. He had sat down in my sumptuous sofa and was regarding me with a twinkle in his eye.\n\n​\n\n\"Eight months ago, I sold a car. Now, I thought the car was in perfectly good condition - \"\n\n​\n\n\"Grandad...\" I said, a warning tone in my voice.\n\n​\n\n\"I did, I did. But, unfortunately, it wasn't. The brakes were badly corroded. The car crashed, the kid died, yada yada yada. He was a punk anyway. But his dad... not a nice fella. He wanted my blood, and word on the street was that he had a hit out on me. So, I faked my death, only told your Nan, took a nice little Vacay to Florida for a month, then came back when all the dust had settled. But I can't live in hiding. So. I need you to do your stuff.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Gramps... you know I don't do petty jobs.\"\n\n​\n\n\"I know. I wouldn't have asked you, but, well, this fella, he's a biggie.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Who?\"\n\n​\n\n\"Frank Cali.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Franky Boy? Gambino Boss? The Mafia boss? You sold his son a dodgy car? Grandad! Sometimes... Cheesh.\"\n\n​\n\n\"You just need to whack him. Please. As a favour to your Gramps.\"\n\n​\n\nI sighed, and downed the brandy.\n\n​\n\n\"Okay, Gramps. [Consider it done.](https://news.sky.com/story/mafia-boss-gunned-down-outside-new-york-home-11664798) And welcome back!\"",
"I didn’t recognize him, not that anybody would blame me. I never the guy, he passed of lung cancer before I was born. I was skeptical.\n\n“What do you mean? Who are you?” \n\nHe looked puzzled for a moment before his eyes widened, “Oh, right right...you don’t know me. I’m your grandfather on your mother’s side. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Sam.” He stick out his hand with a broad smile.\n\n“What? No. No way. He’s-“\n\n“Dead. I know, and I have a lot of explaining to do, but,” he exhaled heavily, his hand falling back to his side, “do you have a photo book of family pictures?” \n\n“I do...”\n\n“Great, great! I should be in there, I look nearly the same anyhow.”\n\nI squinted at him. He looked normal enough, but there was no telling if he was insane or not. Finally, I relented with a sigh, “Have a seat on the couch. I’ll go get the photos.”\n\nI parted myself to the side, giving him entry. He smiled and stride over to the couch, taking a place on it. I shut the door as he did so and hurried to the cabinet for the book. I hadn’t opened in a while and it showed with a film of dust cast over the entirety of it. \nShutting the cabinet with the book in hand, I come back, flipping through the pages until I find a good picture of him with my grandmother and 2 of my aunts. \n\nI took a seat next to him and pointed to the photo. He stared at them for a moment before grinning, “That’s Delia and Sierra in the middle and their mother Sandy on the right,” he paused looking back at me, “are they all doing alright?”\n\nI nodded, “They’re alive and well as far as I know.”\n\nHe nodded slowly and looked back at the pictures. The picture of him and the him now looked similar in a few ways, although it was obvious he had aged from the time he was 45 when he passed. Did he even pass? I wasn’t sure. \n\nI leaned back into the couch and peered over as he flipped through the photos, “How are you here, anyhow?” \n\nI’d cut though his thoughts and he looked over at me. He frowned and didn’t look me in the eye. After a few long moments, he spoke, “It’s a very long story, but the short of it is that I hadn’t exactly died.”\n\nI breathed out heavily, “So it was staged?”\n\n“No, it wasn’t staged...I didn’t truly have a choice in the matter. You have to understand.” He looked at me now, his face was difficult to read\n\nI shook my head, my own eyes aimed towards the ground, “I don’t get it...I don’t think i will.”\n\nHe nodded in understanding and pat my shoulder, “I can’t go in depth right now. I wish I could, but it wouldn’t be wise.” \n\nI agreed and he stood up, closing the photo book and placing it onto the couch. I got to my feet soon after and led him to the door. \n\nOpening it for him, I looked up at him, “Can I tell everyone what’s happening?”\n\nHe sighed and shook his head, “I’ll go through that trouble, don’t bother. I’m sorry I can’t explain more right now. Once everything is said and done, I’ll give you a call.” \n\nI smiled slightly and nodded. With that, he was off and I haven’t seen him since.\n\nI didn’t hear anything about him from family or through anything else, not that I expected much. The experience seemed surreal and almost fake and even I’m not sure it happened to begin with. I haven’t received a call yet, but I have a feeling that it won’t be too long until I do."
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