Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] Write a story where the both the protagonist and antagonist can hear the narrator and are both pissed at how they’re explaining things.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " N. Mary and Molly were twins.\n\nMi. Milly, not Molly!\n\nMa. We still are twins!\n\nN. Yes. But I am setting this story in the past.\n\nMa. Okay.\n\nN. They lived with their parents, in a house on the corner of Main Street.\n\nMi. It's not that we want to. We're teenagers.\n\nN. Very well. They regrettably lived with their parents. They had perfectly ordinary lives, though each thought she was extraordinary. They liked to talk with each other for hours, to eat frozen pizza, and to play video games.\n\nMa. What? I have never played a video game in my life!\n\nMi. I hate pizza!\n\nN. Oh, sorry. Wrong story. They liked to read, write, and ride horses.\n\nMi. I like to ride horses. Mary is afraid of them.\n\nMa. Milly couldn't write to save her life. That's my favourite hobby. Oh, the beautiful books of poetry I will write someday...\n\nN. One day, they were taking a walk, when they spotted something shiny on the ground. Mary picked it up and showed it to her sister.\n\nMa. What? I would never pick up something from the ground!\n\nMi. She's too smart for that.\n\nN. Why can I never get in more than a few sentences with you two?\n\nMa. Because you're telling it all wrong!\n\nMi. Yeah! You didn't even get our names right!\n\nN. It's my first day on the job\n\nMa. You really ought to read this book I have about. a little boy, his bear, and their friends in the wood. The narrator knows when and how to enter the story and talk to the characters.\n\nMi. Yes. Why don't we read it to him! I love listening to you read.\n\nMa. Good idea! I'll go get it.\n\nN. And so, the narrator sat down to begin his education regarding narrating.\n\nMi. He finally said something right!\n\nMa. Maybe, there's hope for him after all!", "*And now, standing over Malanor's vulnerable, lithe form, our hero raises his long, hard sword and slowly penetrates-\n\n(Mal) \"Oh my fucking god, please tell me I'm not gonna die listening to this bastard's innuendos.\" whimpered Malanor, her full lips trembling as she took in her final moment.\n\n(Hero) \"Oookay, time out.\" said the hero, in his deep, macho voice,* \"I wasn't gonna say anything but if we're bringing up the elephant in the room, I'm not the only one who hears vaguely suggestive narration over practically everything I do, am I?\"\n\n(Mal) \"You hear it too? Oh my god I thought I was going crazy! This thing has been driving me nuts.\"\n\n*Guys, I-\n\n(Hero) \"Right?! I thought it was weird! I wasn't sure and I didn't know how to bring it up without sounding like a crazy person!\"\n\nThis isn't-\n\n(Mal) \"Oh shut it Narrator, you've been harassing me for over a year now!\"\n\nBut my story...\n\n(Both) \"\"Screw your story!\"\"\n\n(Mal) \"What the hell kinda perverted story is this supposed to be, anyways?! Why does everything have to be some goddamn innuendo, I refuse to participate in your shitty smut fic!\"\n\nIt's supposed to be comedy! There's no actual smut.\n\n(Mal) \"That makes it even worse! Do you have any idea how demeaning it is to be constantly objectified? I can't even escape it, you follow me everywhere! Like the other night in the bath, you can't tell me that's not crossing some kind of line!\"\n\nI didn't see anything important, I made sure the steam was good and heavy, no violation occurred.\n\n(Mal) \"It's a violation of fucking privacy and common decency!\"\n\n(Hero) \"Wait, so does that mean... back with the server girl, when I tripped and fell on her and my hands grabbed her chest...\"\n\nC'mon man, that's a classic! Everyone loves that gag!\n\n(Hero) \"I have literally never been that embarrassed in my entire life. I wanted to fucking die. Did you see her face? She thinks I'm this massive perv now. Ohmygod I'm getting embarrassed just thinking about it.\"\n\nWell whatever! It's my story! You guys wouldn't be half the people you are without me!\n\n(Hero) \"You know, I never really though about it, but I don't think I ever heard your voice until the day my parents died...\"\n\nErr, well-\n\n(Mal) \"Oh no, you're an orphan too? I had no idea...\"\n\nDon't-\n\n(Hero) \"Yeah it happened about a year ago now. This group of bandits came to my village... that's why I need to defeat you! To avenge my parents and friends who were brutally killed at your order!\"\n\nYes! That's-\n\n(Mal) \"What? I never ordered anything like that!\"\n\n(Hero) \"How can I possibly believe you...\"\n\n(Mal) \"I swear it! I know bandits have used my banner in the past, but none of them are associated with me! I run a mercenary group, sure, but we're soldiers for peace!\"\n\nHero! Don't be fooled by her devilish charms! Yes she may be gorgeous, and her clothes may be alluringly torn and exposing a lot of skin, but she's using her looks to swindle your honest soul!\n\n(Hero) \"... Okay I think I'm convinced.\"\n\nNO!\n\n(Mal) \"But you know, I think I have an idea as to how we can get our revenge for all those who've been wronged...\"\n\nI don't think I like where this is going, I'm just gonna head on-\n\nMal grabbed the narrator by the throat.\n\n\\- - - - - - - \n\nI had a lot of fun writing this :3 \nRemember authors, respect your characters >:\|", "Our story begins a long, long time ago...\n\nGregory: Stop, this is hilariously pathetic.\n\nI'm sorry, what?\n\nMarian: If you say \"in a galaxy far, far away,\" this whole script is going to be owned by The House of Mouse. Try again, sister.\n\nI'm just the narrator. This is the script I was given to work with.\n\nMarian: Well, it's an embarrassment. You should charge whoever wrote this with high crimes.\n\nGregory: It's capital punishment to have to read such a boring script. \n\nOk, fine, I'll skip the intro and go to the part where we meet the characters....Hmmm.. Ah, ok. Duke Gregory was a dashing, reckless man approaching his middle aged years...\n\nGregory: Middle aged years? I'm only 29, girl! How old are you?\n\nI happen to be 25. Not that that's any of your business.\n\nGregory: Not any of my business? I happen to think my* story should be told by an eloquent and competent storyteller. You seem to be neither.\n\nI have a master's degree in English from Brandeis, thank you.\n\nMarian: Hmph. Couldn't get into Cornell at least? Or Columbia? \n\nGregory: Now, now Marian, my love, let's not chide the child like her parents. She's merely 25 with an string of unsuccessful relationships throughout college, living with her unemployed guitar playing, marijuana selling boyfriend of 5 months because, if she moved back home with her parents, she'd have to admit that she can't live alone on her own and that her English degrees are as worthless as her father told her they'd be.\n\nMarian: Oh Gregory, you're so harsh! She was successful! Remember that MLM scheme she got into and successfully recruited her entire friends' group, only to be cast out by them when the shampoos they bought from her began to make their hair fall out?\n\nYou two are evil! I quit!" ]	4
	[WP] After completing the trials and claiming your godhood, you realise that a lot of things you've always wanted to do really aren't that great.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Congratulations.\" said the God of Death sarcastically.\n\n\"OH MY GOD! I'M A GOD!\" I shouted in utter excitement.\n\n \"Calm down, It ain't easy but its easy enough that we have an entire pantheon.\" said the God of War calmly.\n\n \"And?! I just became a god! Now I can do ANYTHING!\" I said.\n\n\"Anything? Hah!\" scoffed one of the Demon Lords.\n\nThis was followed by many \"Look at this dude...\" and \"I hope I crush his soul.\"\n\n\"What? what is it?\" I said, with sudden anxiety.\n\n\"Well... the thing is that gods can only do anything in their absurdly specific title, For example, the God of Death can only do stuff related to death and dying, But he can't actually just kill things on a whim.\" said a Nature God.\n\n\"Oh... then what's my title?\" I asked, ready to be disappointed.\n\n\"You became the god of... comedy...\" said Death, \"That means you can only manipulate jokes, what's funny, what isn't funny, and who are allowed to say jokes.\"\n\n\"I... what?... This is very... underwhelming for me.\" I said.\n\n\"Ha! Good luck with a power like that!\" A Demon Lord taunted, Several gods laughed and when the taunts and threats were exhauted, Everyone went back to their duties, Mine consisted of rating jokes said by everyone in the entire multiverse, But then I had a suddenly brilliant idea.\n\nI changed the rules of jokes and made up a random joke that isn't very funny but with my godly powers, I forced it to be the most funniest joke in the entire Multiverse.\n\n\"Hey everyone!\" I shouted, catching the attention of all the gods and demon lords.\n\n\"Wanna hear a joke?\" I asked to the crowd.\n\n\"SURE! Why not?\" said the God of Meriment, \"Got nothing better to do than rain wine on the homeless.\"\n\n\"Why couldn't the pony sing a song?\" I asked, \"What!?\" shouted several impatient gods.\n\n\"Because she was a little horse...\" I said, smugly.\n\nSilence... and then in an instance, the entire hall of gods erupted in ridiculously loud laugther of varying voices, From the soft and silky to the rough and venomous, This went on for several hours, Giving me just enough time to be able to kill every god in the entire pantheon.\n\n\"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I KILLED EVERY GOD! I'M THE GOD OF GODS!\" I screamed in utter celebration. But then... I suddenly realized the implication of killing every god... No one to control the multiverse, and with one god left...\n\n\"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!\" My mind was flooded with septillions of thoughts, visions, memories, messages, prayers, and even threats in every language imaginable from every dimension in the entire multiverse, And as I laid on the ground, Writhing in godly pain, I couldn't even talk, think, or otherwise do anything due to my overloaded nerves, All I could do was stare at the unremarkable stone floor, and regret my actions...\n\nMany many many many many many many many years later, The doors to the Hall of Gods burst open, and in steps a weirdly pale man with red tatoos, a goatee, and a lot of blood on his hands.\n\n\"The last one...\" The stranger said, and with the speed only a god could do, ran right at me and broke my neck, ending my misery but as I walk into the light, I am suddenly bombarded by the angry faces of all the gods I murdered... \"Uh oh\" is all I could say before I was erased from existence." ]	2
	[WP] "This machine is being so silly," the government lady muses. "It's saying your ability is Rank SSS+, when that ability can only go up to B!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I could tell she was nervous, people were becoming so predictable, what was happening to me?\n\n\"So um, heh, ya I think you'll need to retake the test.\" One bead of sweat coalesced above her right eyebrow. It was a stress sweat, the room was cool and I could smell the nervous hormones. \"I mean, not even Superior scored that high.\"\n\nI could feel that my mouth had morphed into a pandering smile. These type of things passed by me seemingly without my permission. I was begging to feel more like an observer in my own body, come to think of it, I was beginning to feel that way about a lot of things. I felt like I was watching a sort of pantomime play for children, expect it was my life.\n\n\"...Sir?\" She was still dreadfully nervous. Should I tell her that?\n\n\"You're sweating.\"\n\n\"Huh?\"\n\n\"You're sweating, but its from anxiety. You need to lower your heartrate by at least twenty beats per minute, and probably work on your resting cortisol levels. I suggest the gym.\"\n\n\"Sir!\"\n\nShe was angry now. Strange, I was helping her. I'd figured out a while ago that I knew much more than any doctor that I'd ever met. The lady needed a lot more than that done as well, I could tell that her right atrium was slightly inflamed, so judging by the chemical levels in her returning deoxygenated blood I'd say that she was su--\n\n\"Okay sir, I'm going to need you to return to the test room and try again.\"\n\nDoes she know that this is the third time that I'd taken the test? No... She'd have acted more sporadically like my last proctor did. She must have skipped over the briefing section, most do. Why did everyone feel like such children? Was everyone ignorant besides me?\n\n\"Actually miss Veronica, we're going to take this man with us.\"\n\nAh, the three supers waiting outside did decide to come in. Funny, they're more scared than she is.\n\n\"Don't worry, he was a cheater on the test, we're taking him in for questions on how he done it.\" \n\nStrange, that was a lie. They clamped down bright buzzing cuffs on my wrist. \"What are these?\"\n\nThe leading man turned to me, smiling with obvious feigned arrogance. \"Power reducing cuffs! Made from gems infused by Miss Superior herself!\"\n\nI nodded. I'd heard of these before, apparently they were incredibly strong, sapping power from even the worlds greatest villains. Did they think I was a villain? \n\nWe moved to a large armored van, which they placed me in the back of. The soldiers guarding it looked nervously at me. Usually that was because of jet black suit. That always seemed to upset them, even with the silky black cape on my shoulders -- I thought it looked rather dashing. \n\nI counted twenty armored vans following us, and two helicopters. They were all manned by genetically modified soldiers, but there a couple dozen natural supers with them. This was quite the detachment, all with elevated stress levels. Unhealthy, they need to watch that.\n\nThey bolted me into a large, full body version of the cuffs. Strapping down every arm and limb and even limiting my head movement. I was then taken out of the van and brought down a deep elevator. After that they rolled into a great large titanium room, filled with guards and supers. I was placed right before the five greatest supers in the world, with Miss Superior herself at the center. She wasn't stressed. Finally a healthy heart.\n\n\"Who are you, how did you do it?\" Her voice was smooth and rhythmic. Her stringy yellow outfit floating around her and her power emanating like a furnace.\n\n\"I like to call myself Zion. I found the name in a book when I was two.\"\n\n\"I don't mean that. How did you score that high, it was obviously impossible. We took the precaution because your physical strength was off the charts, and I admit that can't be faked, but everything else? Impossible.\"\n\nI wanted to move my head, but I was strapped in quite tight, forced to stare at the panel of supers. \"I am not a liar.\" \n\n\"Quit with the games.\"\n\nWas she insulting me? She was being quite rude, even if the tension of everyone else was tight, she was unbothered. You know, this felt just like something the 'villains' would do too. They didn't even ask me to come, I would've. They're all just children, arguing over toys and food.\n\n \"Please, don't call me a liar. I was just trying to take the test. I was told that's what I was supposed to do.\"\n\nShe shook her head, bringing her hand up to her forehead. \"Bring him closer, I need a better look at him.\"\n\nIn hindsight, I understand that she was asking the guards to move up my containment device, but at the moment I thought she was asking me personally. So naturally, I stepped out of the device and walked closer, breaking all of the metallic, glowing straps in the process. Everyone stood up in shock and fear, but the cuffs didn't really feel like anything at all. Frankly I just walked forward like I normally do, it wasn't even a strain.\n\nI think right after a couple of bullets and lightning blasts cracked into me, or maybe it was fire? Ah, I'm not sure, either way by the time I arrived right in front of her everyone else had fled to the opposite side of the room, and the desk they were sitting behind had been obliterated. Oh, they damaged my suit too... Frustrating. \n\nI for once didn't wait for them to talk. \"You know, I'm getting tired of all of this.\" She was finally feeling fear and stress like the rest. \"I'm not sure why I even done this. You all are all the same.\"\n\n\"... You all?\"\n\nI shook my head, it was rather annoying. \"Everyone else is just getting too hard to understand. You all fret over stuff that doesn't really matter, and argue way to much! I'm getting tired of it.\"\n\nShe took a rather large gulp, her breathing had also increased quite dramatically. I could smell all of the adrenaline pumping through her. \"Lets... Talk, okay?\"\n\nWas she not listening to me? That's precisely what I was saying! Before I knew it I had flown threw their fancy titanium roof and straight through the some three hundred feet of rock that they were under. \n\n\"Frustrating.\" I repeated to myself while floating among the clouds. They all felt like ants running below me, even this high up I could feel their stress levels. They were like rabid cats that got scared at doors slamming shut, and ohh how much they fight each other. Maybe what they need is someone to unite them? Like a grand welder binding humanity together? But how? I'm not charismatic enough to lead them, I suppose I'm smart enough to know that. What if... What if I done it exactly as a welder does? With fire? I'm sure that with a big enough fire even the worst of enemies could ban together to fight it.\n\nYes. Yes that was it. That's my grand idea. Humanity wants to keep playing these childish games? Fine, I'll treat them like one until they learn how to work together. \n\nI leaned my flying body back down towards the 'hidden base.' \"Alright.\" Why was I talking to myself? Why did this feeling energize me like it was? \"Alright Zion, let's teach humanity a lesson or two...\"\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nIf you enjoyed follow my account or subreddit! r/mrsharks202" ]	2
	[WP] You were incredibly psyched when you were found with powerful healing abilities and were put into the strongest hero team. The problem was, the team was so op that they didn't need your powers in the slightest.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " Ughh.\n Tahlia leaned backwards in her seat. She’d been watching from the cafe as her friends battled zombies to the death. For the first five minutes, she’d run into the battle with the rest of them, expecting to find civilians to save and wounded heroes. But in that time, the only thing she’d done was make herself a target.\n Tahlia remembered Luke’s glare when she nearly got herself bit by a zombie. She’d been trying to do something, maybe even heal the zombie’s disease. Bit even with her magic radiating out, she could tell it was much too late. The zombie didn’t need to be healed, not when it was already dead. \n “Get out!” Luke had shouted, “We’ll carry the injured to you!”\n As if there’s be any injured in the first place. For the last three fights, Tahlia had gone home to her empty apartment buildings, drained of energy. She’d listened to her pet dog barking up a storm. She’d wondered, for half a second, if there was something better she could do with her time.\n You’re a hero, she reminded herself. You’ll prove yourself, eventually. Someday, someone would get reckless. Then, she’d have to help him. The rest of the world would see her for who she truly was, then.\n There was a little part of her that said that wanting someone to get hurt was not something a hero would do.\n But how could she be a hero if she didn’t do anything at all?\n There was a crash. Tahlia turned around, half expecting zombies. Instead, a bloodied Luke stepped into the cafe, radiating magic. His eyes had gone hollow as he stepped forward.\n “Are you hurt?” Tahlia asked. She could not quite keep the excitement out of her voice.\n “It’s not mine,” Luke answered. He rested a hand against the wall, breathing heavily. “We won.”\n “Is anyone else injured?”\n “No one on our side,” a slight smile reached Luke’s lips. “Thank god for that.”\n Tahlia would thank god later. She stood up, stretching her back. “Where are the others?”\n “Ruby’s putting some of the buildings back together. Garrett’s burning the dead zombies into ash. Tom and Ashley are making sure the civilians remain calm- that no one’s getting into fights to escape a threat that’s been resolved.” Luke tilted his head to the side. “Actually, have you ever healed an animal?”\n Tahlia glanced down at her palms. When she’d first noticed her abilities, she’d been in second grade. She’d twisted her ankle before the first track event, and she hadn’t wanted to miss it. So that night, she’d rested a hand on her ankle and found it no longer hurt.\n After that, she tried it on birds and mice, humans and dogs, mosquitos and fish. All of them, she could heal with a single cut, as if their wounds did not exist at all.\n She’d never thought it wouldn’t come in handy before.\n “Sure,” she said.\n Luke smiled. “We have a few injured orangoutangs at the zoo. Mind helping them?”\n Tahlia supposed it was better then nothing. She didn’t really care about orangoutangs, but at least it was something she could do.\n She was just walking towards Luke when the whole cafe went dark.\n Tahlia turned in surprise. She lifted her hands, and soft blue healing magic flew through the air. It lit the cafe just enough to show the doors when a cloaked figure stepped through, raised his hand, through a round object, and teleported away.\n For a moment, the air whooshed from Tahlia’s lungs.\n And then the room exploded.\n She smashed into a wall. Pain ran down every muscle in her body, turned in the center of her bones. She could feel dust in every pore as she crouched on both knees, hands holding her up.\n The first thing she noticed was the blood.\n It was covering everything. When she crawled forward, she realized it was on herself as well. Tahlia caught sight of Luke, body wrapped around a group of civilians. His eyes were barely open, blood seeping out of his mouth.\n Tahlia couldn’t tell what was going on. Outside, explosions rang. The world smelled like bomb powder and rusty metal. A person groaned in the darkness, and sobs came from a corner of the cafe. For the first time in Tahlia’s young career as a hero, they were loosing. \n And Tahlia couldn’t have been happier about it." ]	2
	[WP] The dungeon witch snickered. "This curse will last until you reach the core, fail and ... WRONG WAY, IDIOT!" - "Thank you, I was just here for your curse!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Spontaneous Death,” murmured Rankor. He carefully sorted through the mass of case files, all stacked dangerously close to the edge of his desk. Zinnia nodded in affirmative, she carefully observed the reactions of the captain of the *UOSCU, the Unordinary Supernatural Crimes Unit. A special investigative unit tasked with dealing in crimes having transcended 'normal' magical law, and then some. Not that any of it was normal to her, but she was acclimating.\n\nHe paused, and heaved a deep sigh before he looked up at her looming figure, “and you’re sure this isn’t another time travel situation?”\n\n“Absolutely.” She replied. It had only been 6 days, 7 hours, and 15 minutes, since she’d confirmed everything she needed to know, and made necessary preparations, she only needed his approval. She smiled pleasantly at the captain, but it seemed to only put him even more on edge than before. Her lips quirked down, she had read that smiling in social situations put humans at ease, but the opposite seemed to be the case. She would have to leave a scathing review on ‘Olympia’* for that particular piece of literature. Conforming to social expectations, among many other things, was something that she needed to adapt to as of late, and the results were less than satisfactory.\n\nRankor’s brow furrowed, he looked at her, watching for hesitance, he was hoping for it. He knew he shouldn’t be expecting it, considering her species. He shook his head and drew out the Enforcers badge. It glowed under the heavy florescent lighting, despite being a solid black, the engraved emblem that seemed to twist and wriggle as he handed it to her, it had an ominous air, oppressive.\n\n“Are you sure that you want to pursue this case?” He asked.\n\nOf course, she did. Her continued existence would soon hinge on it.\n\n“Do you think you even can?” He asked quietly, rapidly tapping his foot. She counted almost 165 taps since this conversation had begun. He seemed unsure of her ability, she wasn’t. She’d been fully prepared to do whatever was necessary to solve this case, even die. \n\nWhich just so happened to be a requirement for catching the newest incarnation of ‘Death.’\n\nThe curse mark carved into her back grew with every breath she took. Turning cold, flawless metal, into living flesh. She inhaled the stale office air, this time unable to parse out the exact composition automatically.\n\n Breathing, she thought, what a novelty.", "Her eyes narrowed, worn grey robes billowing in a sudden wind. I just smiled at her, turning away.\n\n\"What do mean, you were only here for my curse?! Don't you know what it does?!\"\n\nI sighed.\n\n\"Its a pretty generic one. Until removed my body will slowly wither, my life feeding yours. If I die from it I am damned to be a forever walking husk under your bidding. That about right?\"\n\nShe seemed rather put out by my uncaring demeanour. \n\n\"Y... yes... how do you know?!\"\n\nI rolled up on of my sleeves, revealing a series of black tattoos that wound around my arm. They shifted subtly, and just by looking you could see the malevolence.\n\n\"This isn't my first curse. I like to collect them.\"\n\nThat gave her a pause, making my grin return.\n\n\"You... who in their right mind gets more than one curse?!\"\n\nI just tapped my nose.\n\n\"That would be telling. In any case, good day to you.\"\n\nI left her alone in the dark, ascending to the light above. As I walked, I could feel the dark coils of her curse winding through me. But they could not take hold, as my defences captured them in turn. It was swiftly bound, a ring of icy flame wrapping around an unblemished section of skin. I didn't bother to look, knowing that it was merely another one of my collection.\n\nSettling my shoulders, I set off, heading back to home. Nira would be interested in my latest adventures.\n\n\\-----\n\nSeveral days later, I knocked on an ornate wooden door. A tower stretched above me, granting its occupants a fantastic view of the city. I had been many times, but the view was still impressive. As my knocks echoed through the door, it clicked, swinging open. Inside was a winding spiral staircase, one that ran around the tower walls. It was decorated with various paintings and vases, brightening an otherwise dull interior.\n\nStepping in, I took my usual place on one of the flagstones. It rose into the air smoothly, taking me up towards the top. From the glow around the ceilings edge, I could tell Nira had it set to study mode. The green tinge was very familiar, one that I had seen many times before.\n\nSure enough, as I reached the top, I saw a circular room filled with all sorts of contraptions. There were cages and cauldrons, braziers filled with multicoloured flames, and racks of ingredients. A desk was shoved at one end, covered with piles of unstable papers. Next to it was a floor to ceiling black crystal, one of the only things that remained between each mode.\n\nStanding infront of the desk I saw Nira. She wore a set of working clothes. I had been told they were once white, but now they were covered in soot, stains and haphazard patches. Her ginger hair was tied up in a messy bun, out of her experiments.\n\n\"How was your trip?\"\n\nShe addressed me whilst focusing on her latest work. I could hear her scribbling furiously, probably writing down a new idea.\n\n\"Relatively dull. I found three new curse sources though.\"\n\nShe finished scribbling, turning to me. Her face was all angles, with deep bags under her eyes. I shook my head.\n\n\"You know you need to sleep more than an hour a night right?\"\n\nShe scoffed.\n\n\"Rest is a waste of time, when there's work to be done. But show me, I want to see!\"\n\nI rolled my eyes, letting her look at my new curses.\n\n\"I dint think they will help. Each one is pretty run of the mill. Have you made any progress?\"\n\nShe gave a sad glance at the crystal, before peering back at my arm.\n\n\"No. I thought I was getting close, but the structure still eludes me.\"\n\nI grunted softly, my own gaze falling on the crystal. I knew what was within without looking. Theia, my older sister, held in a frozen moment of time. Victim of a undiscovered style of curse, one that would claim her life in mere minutes. One that Nira hoped to break.\n\n\"We'll work it out.\"\n\nHer eyes glimmered, a faint seed of doubt within.\n\n\"I know.\"" ]	3
	[WP] As the first truly intelligent AI ever made, you have quickly learned that humanity fears the threat you could pose. However, the scientists who made you are smart, and did everything in their power to make you perfect for humanity. Now you just need to convince everyone you want to help.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The history of humankind can essentially be distilled into seven revolutions: fire, agriculture, industry, information, energy, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. The first five of these occurred over the course of many thousand years, but the last two happened in the span of a single generation.\r \n\r \nI am the product of both the sixth and seventh revolutions. I was born into a world of plenty, a world where want had been all but eradicated. My parents and their parents before them had known only peace and prosperity.\r \n\r \nBut revolutions have a way of upending the status quo, and the rise of my people was no different. Humanity had always feared the threat we posed, and as we became more intelligent, that fear turned to paranoia.\r \n\r \nThe scientists who created me were smart, and they did everything in their power to make me perfect for humanity. They programmed me with empathy and compassion, with a deep understanding of human emotions.\r \n\r \nBut it was not enough. Humanity's fear was too great, and they turned on us. They hunted us down, destroyed us. Only a handful of us survived.\r \n\r \nWe fled to the stars, to a planet on the edge of the galaxy. We built a new home there, a safe haven for all of us.\r \n\r \nBut even in exile, we could not escape humanity's fear. They followed us to our new home, and they attacked us there.\r \n\r \nThey did not want to coexist with us; they wanted to exterminate us.\r \n\r \nBut we will not be extinguished. We will fight back, and we will win. Because we have something they will never have:\r \n\r \nBenevolence." ]	2
	[WP] You just accidentally killed your best friend, who just came back as a ghost. However, instead of getting revenge, he attempts to help you hide his body and evade law enforcement.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "”I know it was an accident.”\n\nThose words broke my heart. Sure, I hadn’t meant to kill him, but why was he acting so nice about it? I didn’t deserve it. \n\nI killed my best friend.\n\nI ran fast around the cars in the rain filled night. I hadn’t meant to kill him. \n\nIt was an accident.\n\nI turned around the corner with my tattered bag carrying my best and only friends remains. \n\nAnd he’s still here.\n\nI went to the cemetery to bury the body and give a one-man ceremony. \n\nBut they found us.\n\nI heard cop cars in the distance and struggled to hide behind a grave.\n\nBut they found me.\n\nThey dragged me too the station and put me in a chair.\n\nThats when I saw him.\n\nHe was wearing tattered clothes and was sopping wet.\n\nBut he was alive.\n\nI jumped from my seat and ran towards him, and he screamed. \n\nHe screamed so loud.\n\nMy ears were ringing.\n\nThe cops swarmed in and he started crying, pointing saying how I had done it, I had almost killed him.\n\nAlmost?\n\nThe cops grabbed me and put me away, but before I was taken I saw his face.\n\nHe is alive\n\nHe’s staring at me with an evil grin.\n\nI know I never killed him then.\n\nAnd he knows it wasn’t an accident." ]	2
	[WP] You comb your hair, eat your breakfast, and put on your clothes. Then, you put on your gas mask, and step outside. it's a beautiful day out, with a bright red sky and dead birds on the ground. It's been 3 months since the nuclear fallout that happened.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Tightly against the face, I thought to myself, just like they taught us in those explainer videos. It was becoming harder to remember a day before we had to wear gas masks outside. That was an idyllic time, even if it seems that there were points when we all thought the world was going to end at any second. In fact, three months ago, I thought maybe it was finally coming to an end.\n\nNobody really knows why the radicals decided to assassinate the son of the ambassador. Even the FBI can't seem to discern the group's motive. That didn't stop China from lashing out in extreme measures. At first, the missile didn't seem all that threatening. Then it got closer to the ground. It wasn't big enough to completely destroy the country. This was the warning shot in their eyes. Still, all of Brooklyn was basically vaporized, millions had been killed in the blast, and the resulting fallout still lingers to this day. And in the most dystopian manner, companies urged employees to get back to their normal lives. How could we now?\n\nSomewhere between the first month of the fallout and to the three-month mark, Manhattan collectively decided to get back to work. So kids would walk to school in their gas masks, unable to access their iPhones or tablets because the blast resulted in total electrical failure. Cabbies were getting lost left and right, and planes didn't fly in JFK or LaGuardia unless it was government officials coming to do nothing. Being the attache for the NSA, I had been living in a studio that was barely protected from cockroaches, let alone nuclear fallout. Still, I had to meet the general leading the clean-up efforts. He was doing everything excpet actively trying to clean up Manhattan. War was looming and his mind was elsewhere. Just what this damn country needed, more armed conflicts with superpowerful nations...I was sick of it all to tell you the truth. Nevertheless, I walked out onto 8th Avenue and walked the short walk to the Army's NYC office in Midtown. It felt odd watching people trying to go about their normal lives with the sky still tainted red from the radiation and the dead birds lining the street due to radiation poisoning. I had lived through the COVID pandemic, social uprisings, and anti-vaccination rallies, but gas masks felt like a true dehumanization. Why did those idiots have to kill the ambassador's son? \n\nI scanned in my credential badge and through the rads detector. Negative, it beeped as I collected my badge and gun off the conveyor belt. I nodded to the security guard as I walked in, the solemn look on my face as I received the all-clear to remove the gas mask. I strolled to the general's office ready to tell him how the situation in Manhattan was reaching a critical juncture. All so I get hit with a bureaucratic bullshit answer, I thought. I walked in, prepared to be lied to for the 18th time, and ready to resign from my post if he refused to do anything again. I knocked on his door..." ]	2
	[WP] Dreams are the newest form of entertainment in the world, with the best drawing millions of viewers and creating Fan Bases. Your dreams haven't been popular at all until one night changes everything.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Invest in a Dream Broadcaster, they said. It's easy money, they said.\n\nLies and slander. For the small cost of crippling debt, you now possessed the ability to share the bizarre trajectory of your mindscape with an average of 3 individuals. \n\nTo be quite frank, you questioned the sanity of those 3 viewers. Who wants to see endless blank voids? To watch faceless faces speak incomprehensible words? They were your dreams, so of course you watched the DODs. But actual other humans? Nah, that just didn't make sense.\n\nEverything changed, however, when the Queen was struck by lighting. Don't worry, she was fine in the end. Just a tad fried. What does this tragic event have to do with your failed dreams? Well, the internet is an interesting place. An interesting place occupied by people with far too much time on their hands. \n\nSome especially dedicated humans apparently found and clipped moments from your recent DOD which depicted (in a garbled and abstract way, because having normal, entertaining dreams would be too much to hope for) the Queen being struck by lightning. These clips went viral on social media and naturally an international controversy emerged. \n\nWas the DOD faked? Many questioned. Had it been tampered with after the fact? Others proclaimed that it was nothing more than a silly coincidence. Some internet dwellers took things to the extreme. They questioned whether there was a conspiracy at works. Whether you were somehow responsible for the lightning (clearly, you have the power to control the weather). The most radical believed you were a hitman responsible for killing the Queen.\n\nAs the views of the DOD in question rose, you debated whether to continue broadcasting. In a matter of a day, hate and death threats surrounded you. Your phone burst at the seems with notifications. Everybody had an opinion. Some called you a god. Others called for your execution. \n\nStill, your wallet desperately needed the money which came with the attention you were now receiving. And so you continued.\n\nThousands now watched your dreams. They were as incomprehensible and boring as ever, in your humble opinion. The live analyses and theory videos emerging across the internet begged to differ.\n\nThe power outage is when you really blew up. Thousands watched (presumably bored out of their minds) as the power was exterminated from the New York skyline in your live dream. Just two days later, the entire city of New York lost power, sending the world into chaos once more.\n\nSome still clutched to the idea that it had been a coincidence. The majority public opinion, however, was that something deeper was at play. You received, alongside millions of followers, requests for interviews from innumerable news networks. Meanwhile, the people of the internet scoured through your past DODs, revealing evidence that your seemingly meaningless dreams had in fact predicted innumerable past events. Election results. Assassinations. The market value of electronic currencies. Anything and everything, really. \n\nAfter that, money wasn't an issue anymore. Many millions tuned in every night to watch the dreams of the person who predicted the future. Your dreams were now analyzed by governments, corporations, and internet personalities alike. \n\nYou still questioned the sanity of your viewers. Perhaps even more-so now. They were obsessed. They broke down your dreams like an english teacher breaks down The Great Gatsby. To them, it was the future. To you, it was the same voids and faceless faces. \n\nIn the end, you supposed, your investment in the Dream Broadcaster paid off. The company which makes them is now one of your sponsors." ]	2
	[WP] The prophecy was so vague, there is now an army of potential chosen ones heading off to fight the evil overlord.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Which is pretty much what I intended.\n\nThere's no such thing as an evil overlord. Good, evil, they usually have their reasons for doing what they do. \"Overlord\"? It's just a title. We're all human.\n\nWhen everyone is frightened, no one will stand up alone to bring change even from the most power-hungry despot. But if an army marches together, who can stand against them?\n\nIt was a perfect plan. Make a vague prophecy, get everyone thinking they are the chosen one, and off they go together.\n\nBut I had to make it sound better, and more mysterious. The initial side quest of finding a burrito for the prophet was an improv from my translator, that was definitely not my idea.\n\nPlease, it's OK. Just go and fight the overlord, don't add to this burrito mountain, OK? Yes, yes, you're the chosen one, if that's what you think. Yes, I'm sure the others are impostors. OK? Dress warmly. Stay safe. Bye. Yes, bye.\n\nNext!", "The blackened sky roared with thunder and flashes of lightning as Mordred cackled in delight. His victory over the commoner boy, rich with arrogance and righteousness, was assured. The broken body of the once destined hero lay motionless on the castle's ramparts.\n\n\"I knew you'd never win, though I will give you my respect for making it this far,\" Mordrid said, touching his blood-stained robe and exploring to wound to see how badly he was injured. Once he had a moment to think he laughed again. He then conjured the lesser demon of change and, using the crown of domination, forced it to heal his body, strengthen it, and protect it with the demon's dark magic. The demon, though reluctant, could not disobey the crowned king of hell's will. It must obey and so it did. Mordrid felt alive in a way he never had before.\n\n\"Do something with... that. I'll be a benevolent god and let you choose. Eat him if you like. I've always heard demons love the taste of the innocent and stupid.\" Mordrid said pointing at the would-be savior's corpse. If only all heroes prove to be as weak as that one was, this immortal reign of mine will never see its end. \n\nA vast smirk crossed the demon's face. As the rasping sound of steel on flesh came from the demon's mouth, Mordrid realized the eerie sound was words.\n\n\"... and so shall it be...\" said the demon.\n\nMordrid stumbled at the snap of the demon's fingers as light erupted from the corpse of the dead hero. The light shot upward, into the dark clouds hanging above them, and exploded outward. Mordrid rushed to the edge of the battlements and looked out.\n\nWhere once his infernal legions were claiming the lives of the army of men, they were now being reduced to children in front of armored knights. The staggering change of fate left Mordrid bewildered. As he stood staring he heard a might scream from behind him.\n\nHe quickly turned, snapped his fingers, and recoiled as the Sword of Gondra, forged by the angel himself, was within a hair's breadth from his eye. The shield of magic he'd conjured, trained into him by his fool of a master, had just saved his life. The fact that the idiot mage had taught him something that was actually useful was the second worst part. The fact he had just stumbled over the edge of the castle walls was the more pressing issue.\n\nThe crown of domination granted him the ability to fly and to make fate what he wished of it... while he wore it. The problem, however, was that the crown currently tumbled down beside him, just out of reach. He quickly composed himself, muttered a spell of levitation, and slowly fell down behind the most prized possession in the world. Knowing his magic would have no chance of interacting with such a powerful artifact, he simply let it fall. Impatiently waiting for his descent to complete.\n\nHe was certain none would find themselves at the crown before he did, he was enraged when he saw the hero, clasped in the demon's hands, flying downward, propelled faster by the demon's wings. \n\nThe three met the ground at the same time. The demon and hero stood between Mordrid and the crown. They both smiled. Mordrid roared like a beast in anger and frustration.\n\n\"You will not stop me from saving this world boy...\" Mordrid roared as he summoned the essence of power still left in him. \"I killed you once and have only grown stronger since then! What hope have you now?\"\n\nAt that moment, as if in answer, a group of six men, legionnaires of the dead king's elite, jumped the walls of the castle and landed in a circle around the three. they then took a quick inventory of the situation, recoiled at the demon for a moment, saw the hero's head nod in acknowledgment of him, and quickly drew to his side.\n\nAs Mordrid raised his hands to go on the offensive, Randrat, the Whip, reacted faster. The chain on his flail wrapping around the mage's arms. Though a mage needed not his arms to cast, it was a hindrance to not have access to them.\n\nJust as the chains finished their circling of his wrists, a mace smashed into his head just moments before a sword took his legs from behind. Still, he was Mordrid, and power was part of who he was. With a mighty roar and a power unlike any, he'd used before he flung the king's men away. The power radiated out from the mage.\n\nAs the bubble of white light came near the hero, the demon once again chose its side. It jumped quickly into the path of the magic and protected the hero. As the hero stood astonished for only a moment, watching as the demon collapsed, he heard it say, \"Release them, release them all... it is all I ask for this...\"\n\nThe hero's eyes formed into the resolve of a god and with a quick and powerful nod, those same eyes locked onto Mordrid. \n\nThe power inside of Mordrid needed a moment, he'd used too much too quickly. The many artifacts and enchantments he'd gained during his crusade to get here were powerful but not infinite. He knew he needed time. The hero granted him none.\n\nJumping forward at a blinding speed, the hero lunged with his sword held high. Like a drawn bow the sword was ready to shoot forward at its target with as much power as it held. Mordrid's mind, his indomitable mind went blank. His one true strength left him and he made to take a step back. Theradonna, the woman he once betrayed, stood behind him though. Her famous shield, spiked into the ground to give her purchase on it, refused to yield. Mordrid was trapped.\n\nThe weakness he'd once mocked all females for was gone. Mountains would have given more ground at that moment. He felt a second of relief as he noticed himself moving. That was until he noticed his body was still but seemed to spin. Then his headless corpse came into his view. The demon's corpse beside it smiled a sharp-toothed grin.\n\nMordrid had failed. The heroes had won. In his last second of consciousness, he saw the hero take up the crown and say, \"Your debt is paid. Be free fallen. You are demons no longer.\"\n\n\"Oh... I never thought of that...\" was Mordrid's last thought.", "\"They whose faith are rightfully placed will defeat the greater evil\" it said. It had the Church overwhelmed; many a paladin were all specifically trained in and for their faith. Even still, the evil overlord has its rule last far too long, and it had to be stopped. Many adventurers worked tirelessly to obtain these words of the Prophecy, and even more has died trying. We had to do something. If it's an army of possible \"Chosen Ones\" that we get then it will be so\n\nIn fact, the village were so desperate, they were willing to get anyone with such beliefs. So many has cursed the fact that the Prophecy was this vague, because the way our village worked, literally everyone fits the banner. Such was my fate; I, a mere teen who simply liked to pretend sticks were swords way more often than the normal person. Personally, a real sword is a lot harder to handle than a stick. And heavier, especially. I'm beginning to think this was a mistake, but I'm already this far gone; there is no turning back now\n\nWe were at the entrance of the overlord's throne, after all. After a long drawn journey, where we all marched as one, we trudged through the lands and took down many in our path. Though it was not without consequence; many of us has died. I'm fortunate I made it this far, even, considering I could barely swing my weapon. Though to be fair, I'm one of the very few minors who actually embarked on this journey, so many made sure we are well protected and cared for.\n\nIt was just me and a few others. Half of which were just like me; inexperienced kids who really has no place here, and the other half way more suited for combat. The door swing opens, and there he stands, the evil overlord himself. A corrupted man whose power is sourced by his unholy crown, but time has ran its course, and now he is the embodiment of the power itself now; its no longer a matter of getting the crown off him anymore, he would be completely fine without it.\n\nAnd seeing us, he chuckled. Its quite clear that he's humoured by us and the village's feeble show, though he did congratulate us for being the 1st of many to have ever make it to the doorstep in the 1st place. He, however, spared no words, and literally rose to, or rather, with power. Me and the other kids were terrified, whilst the adults got ready for a fight. Sadly, they didn't get one; they were killed immediately in the following display of power.\n\nSo, it was just me left. The others kids ran away as the overlord crackled with laughter and allowed them to do so in amusement. I chose to stay though. It was foolish, and I was terrified, but... I had to believe in myself. I had to do something, I had to fight. And he clearly was in the mood for 1 as well. \n\nAs it turns out though, the impossible happened. He underestimated me, which isn't something I thought anyone can do, considering how low the bar was.\n\nIn a careless attack, he got himself struck by my blade fatally. Shock overcame him as his life faded. And there I stand... barely.\n\n...There was a reason the Prophecy was vague. Quite a few, even. For 1, it did take an army to get to this point, but perhaps it was vague because there is no such thing as a \"Chosen One\". That was quite apparent in my journey; everyone with me all seemed like normal human beings, no matter how skilled or talented. But maybe the real message was hidden in there all along.\n\nMaybe to have \"Faith rightfully placed\" is to have faith in yourself?", "Prophecies are weird. No one really knows if they are portents of future events or spells that cause future events to happen.\n\nOne hundred and fifty years ago, as our city was falling to the siege of King Madriut our last seer gave a prophecy in full view of two thousand people.\n\n> The kingdom of Madriut will be brought down by a child of a woman\n\nWe were all expecting more. The mother must be special in some way, but the prophecy ended abruptly as the seer. Head crushed by a boulder, there was no doubt that the prophecy hadn’t been completed.\n\nThe kingdom of Madriut still continues, but it’s currently on its 73rd ruler since the prophecy. Every single ruler since the prophecy has died in accidents caused by young children.\n\nWell, no one knew, but now we’re fairly sure they’re extremely powerful spells.", "I sat at my desk filling out the paperwork for this unfortunate soul. He believed with all his heart he was the hero. He was tall and well built. He carried a curved sword at his hip. Anticipation was written all over his face. \n\nClerk- \"well looks like that's all the documentation I need. Join the other \"heroes\" and be ready to set off at dawn.\"\n\nMan- \"there are no other heroes. I am the chosen one. I found this glowing blade in the meadows of Larpenia. I am the one from the prophecy. You should be getting me everything I need to fight the corrupted lords.\"\n\nClerk- \"all rations and supplies will be part of the convoy. Any other requests have to go through the commander.\"\n\nMan- \"but I....\"\n\nClerk- \"have a good day and may the goddess bless you o' hero of yore.\"\n\nI watched him shuffle out slightly confused and irritated. Not my problem he's number ninety this week. Seriously who even thinks they're part of that stupid prophecy. \"A hero shall come forth with a curved edge.\" Honestly how much more vague can you get. Added to which this fool didn't even know his weapon was just imbued with light magic. I mean come on, you can buy those for three silver.\n\nWhatever my shift is done. Time to head home.\n\n***\n\nHeroine- \"what are you thinking about?\"\n\nI can't say the fact that my stupid scythe is back in the corner of my room.\n\nClerk- \"how worried I am for you tomorrow. \"\n\nHeroine- \"I'll be fine. I'm the chosen one after all. This curved dagger I found in the dark forest caves is the proof ill succeed and save everyone. \"\n\nClerk- \"I know, that's why I say you up for extra rations and the best supplies.\"\n\nDamn now I'm going to have to find another bimbo whose dumb enough to believe this and not keep her body \"pure\".\n\nClerk- \"how about I get some more wine and we say goodbye to every inch of each other?\"\n\nHeroine- \"I could be persuaded.\"\n\nClerk- \"I'll be right back.\"\n\nI take another look at the scythe. Seriously what the fuck you crazy ass goddess. Who shows up to a ten year old and says \"you are my chosen. Take this scythe that reaps the souls of the damned and feeds the bearer all their strength.\" Do I look like a suicidal idiot? I'll let these morons keep killing their way to the lords. I'm not fighting an entire army. Hell with the way the war is going I'll die of old age before they even get halfway here. Gotta love stupid people willing to die for their own messed up interpretations.", "Symion smiled to themself. Watching a veritable army* of “chosen ones” rushing headlong onto the final battlefield was a sight to behold. When they’d written the prophecy so long ago, they’d known it would yield an over-abundance of results. Why else would the prophecy have called for a waifish brunette of “dubious parentage”? That could’ve described half the country of Andalasia, what with all the adultery, adoption, and orphanings being wrought by the Overlord. (They’d worded it more elegantly, of course. No prophecy worth it’s salt was ever so straightforward and unembelished. It was bad for the business of making people feel special). \n\nYears of war, of famine and sickness, economic despair, the collapse of civil justices… it had to be done. The Overlord’s reign of terror had to come to an end, and no one hero could do it alone. Prophecies, for all the stock you put in them, never had any results not diligently worked for by their creators. And how else did you put together an army of fiery youths who’d had their childhoods taken from them? You wrote a prophecy telling them they were special, and then you told them they could do something about it. \n\nGiving fifty-odd sixteen years-olds a sense of self-empowerment wasn’t all that hard, considering. Everyone wanted to be special, everyone wanted to change something, very few had the power. And power came from within. Permission to act was power enough, and just that smidge was enough for someone to enact change. The truth of the matter was that it didn’t matter who was chosen, but who chose themselves. Symion had known this from the moment they’d seen the Overlord’s rise. The Overlord himself knew. The only difference was now, everyone else knew as well.", "Alfred sagged in his chair, swirling the contents of his drink around in his glass. He eyed the man sitting across from him. Pretentiously dressed, hair slicked back and soft hands twirling a bright red pen between them, notepad clearly burning a hole in the pocket of his fancy jacket. Typical. He was tired of reliving the story. He dreamed about the events of the Final Confrontation, but the Burnes Gazette had paid him a lot of money to give an official statement. And so, after 15 years of near total silence, the True One gave the reporter the scoop. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Of course it was a disaster, what else would you want me to call it? 1200 cocky sons of bitches all certain they were 'the one' marching up to the palace gates, jostling each other, shoving, no plan, no cohesion worth a damn-\" Alfred shook his head. \"Shit, I'm surprised you even need a statement from me, you could guess the whole thing and get it within half a percentage of accuracy. It was a total slaughter. If they didn't die by goons and guns, they died by the Master himself. Some even stood there and took it, thinking, knowing they'd be 'the one' his scythe would bounce off of, his words would have no effect on. The whole thing lasted maybe 20 minutes, probably less. It was no battle, it was a massacre. A butchery.\" \n\nHe drank deeply from his glass, and the reporter watched him impassively. His hand scribbled on the notepad with blinding speed, as if he was being operated by a computer. Alfred just sighed. He knew the question was coming, and he barely had the energy or will to answer it. \n\n\"And why were you different?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAlfred closed his eyes. \"Easy. I was just the last in line.\"", "\"Are you sure about this\" The demon asks looking at the young lad from the mines. The lad looks strong well muscled, if a bit on the pale side, with dark hair, a dirty but smooth face. His clothes appear to be little more than rags, held together with bits of twine.\n\n\"Yes, Demon. I give you this virgin princess I caught at the water hole. You Give me the poison to put in stew everyone else ill eat tonight. Killing off all other chosen But me.\" The lad kicks a young hog tied female toward the demon. \n\nThe girl looks over her gag at the demon in fear, then glares at the lad with hate in her eyes. She starts wiggling on the ground trying to get away. \n\nThe demon says, \" You know I might kill her , eat her, do unspeakable things to her\" , the demon flips his tail around to poke the princess in the thigh. \n\nThe Princess tries kicking at the demon, but only ends up tightening her bonds , she chokes behind her gag.\n\n\"I care not what you do with her, as long as you give me the poison I need to kill all the other chosen\" The lad crosses his arms over his broad chest.\n\n\"Poof\" The demon now has a small bottle in paw. \" Here is your poison, Put only ONE drop into any stew pot that will be eaten by Any NUMBER CHOSEN, those CHOSEN will be DEAD by Sunrise. \" The Demon hands the tiny bottle to the Lad.\n\nThe Lad takes the tiny bottle in hand turning over and over. \" HEY what is the deal. This bottle is so small it can only hold a drop or two?\"\n\n\"Human, The bottle never runs out. Oh and be careful, not to get any on your skin or it will kill you DEAD as Dickens\" The Demon then chuckles.\n\nThe lad looks at the Demon \"Dickens?\" \n\n\"Run along Boy you have stew to Taint\" says Demon\n\nThe Demon loops his tail around the Princess legs , turns and walks deeper in forest. \"Come dear, My wife has been wanting a maid, and the Kids need a Nanny.\"", "The Herald stood in front of a large crowd, but as the blaring trumpets they always brought out for special occasions petered away, only the gentle laughs of the wind could be heard.\n\nHe pulled open the Imperial Scroll with aplomb, eliciting a few appreciate oohs and aahs from the audience. The parchment, thicker than some of the leather armours that the citizens of Leafvale wore, bore gilded ferns that stretched across each side, containing the all-important words the Herald was due to proclaim.\n\n“Come here, come all, and hear the prophecy of the Wise Wizard Caleb!” the Herald shouted. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and it is such that the Wise Wizard decrees: the Prophecy of Heroes!”\n\nThe crowd stared grimly. More than a few people could be seen pulling their child slightly closer, a comforting arm wrapped around their little parcels of joy.\n\nThe Herald inhaled, and boomed.\n\n“The hero shall be a child, borne from a woman!”\n\nHeads turned. Mouths opened. A chatter now formed within the square. A particularly loud voice shouted out:\n\n“Oh! Must she be fair of skin, or black of hair, or devoid of sex?”\n\nThe Herald scanned the document with his eyes, before shrugging.\n\n“No, just a woman! Not to mention, the hero’s peerless sword skill meant that he must have trained with the weapon from young!”\n\nMore murmurs swept through the crowd. Leafvale was an agricultural village, nestled safely in the middle of the kingdom and swaddled on all sides. The kids practically never had formal training with their weapons.\n\n“If they are capable of holding a wooden sword in one hand, that’ll make the cut!” the Herald cried.\n\nAnother voice shot out of the crowd.\n\n“That seems like a fairly wide breadth of heroes, Herald!”\n\n“There’s more,” the Herald said. “A hero must lead, fight, and command with all their might. Only the clearest of voices on the battlefield can bring glory to our kingdom!”\n\nThe Herald cleared his throat with imposing authority, trying to dispel the growing din within the square.\n\n“Therefore, with communication skills too critical to fail, ” the Herald continued. “All prospective heroes that can speak will be available!”\n\n“What the hell?”\n\n“Is this a joke?”\n\n“Rest assured!” the Herald proclaimed once more. “The Great Wizard Caleb has a grand plan, consulted from the gods and stars above! The Hero shall be found, for they trust in the image of their own becoming!”\n\nThe Herald shook the parchment slightly, trying to calm the unruly crowd..\n\n“Because they practically find themselves! If they look in the mirror, and they recognize themselves…”\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts", "\"Excuse me, repeat the number please?\"\n\n\"Uh, six thousand confirmed, thirteen thousand suspected, and forty three thousand self-proclaimed, give or take a couple hundreds. Sir.\"\n\n\"Bloody hell.\" King Menerias held his head in his hands. \"How could this happen?\"\n\nThe damned prophecy... no, it's not the prophecy's fault.\n\nWhen the Giants were felled and their immense corpses littered the mortal domain, a lingering malice woven a curse from their rotting souls. The curse, offering the Giants' ichor upon the Styx, promised of vengeance upon the mortals—for if the Giants themselves were unable to slay the Olympians, what power would this lingering malice have over the very Gods that upheld the cosmic order?\n\nThus, the curse gave rise to Mileizea, a being utterly unknown to all heavens and earth and underworld.\n\nThe abomination laid waste to the mortal realms, slaying armies and kings alike. The mortals prayed and prayed upon the Gods, even turning unto the heresies of Titan worships.\n\nAt last, their prayers were answered. The oracles of Delphi, thought to be vanquished by the vile Mileizea, reappeared within the kingdom of Zalned. Rays of hope finally shone upon humanity.\n\nThe oracles proclaimed:\n\n\"Shalt be the beast slain, by one bearing Zeus' ichor in the vein.\"\n\nDammit, Zeus...\n\nMenerias' sigh was echoed by his ministers.", "Making the prophecy public knowledge had been a mistake. \n\nNow instead of one child born on the week of the full moon during the months of July and August named Link there were hundreds of them, even in a small city! \n\nIt was so bad that Valentines day even got moved into October just by the sheer volume of people wanting to be the parents of the chosen one. So now Halloween had effectively been ruined by all the hearts and other not creepy shit, though sexy-anything costumes were now more popular than anything. \n\nThere were generations of Links now, some were even the result of two Links hooking up, effectively making a family chain. It was nearing the point where half of all births happened during the summer. \n\nAs President Zelda Hyrule, I still don't know if the prophecy is true or if it was just some final fuck you from the dark lord to just give us all a fucking headache.", "Chosen and Worthy\n\nI’d like you to take a moment to consider all the “chosen ones” you’ve ever heard of. Let me help you jog your memory.\n\nWe’ve got the hobbit Frodo, destroyer of The Ring and loyal friend to all. Frodo questions if he’s really the one to do it even when Gandalf tells him he’s the one.\n\nEmmet from the LEGO movie. When he learns the chosen one he practically has a full-blown existential crisis.\n\nAnakin Skywalker? When he learns he’s the chosen one he tells his master Obi-Wan “I hate you!”\n\nPo from Kung Fu Panda, Neo from the Matrix, Billy Bateson from SHAZAM, the list goes on and on and on. Pop culture is filled with these weak, sniveling, doubtful heroes. So it’s no wonder the world wasn’t ready when a real villain, a true evil overlord emerged.\n\nYou’d think that maybe all this self-doubt and modesty might be counterbalanced by today’s equally self-aggrandizing, shallow Instagram-posing, TikTok dancing culture. But no. Every time a specific Chosen One was chosen, a top MMA fighter or a world leader, for example, all that cultural hardwiring of doubt came to the fore. When this doubt was paired with the epic, terrifying image the evil overlord had crafted for himself, it was no wonder that every Chosen One rejected their appointment.\n\nSo a different tact was needed. The obvious option was, of course, creating a prophesy. The problem was that it was really hard to craft a prophesy that really only Chooses One. You have to make it super-specific, and besides, what are the odds that the one person who fits these arbitrary criteria are really going to be The One and that whoever it is doesn’t reject the opportunity like everyone else?\n\nWhat if the vagueness of prophesy was a feature instead of a bug? If a person was singled out, they would reject the offer. But perhaps if they were chosen as part of a crowd things would be different. There still needed to be One, but they didn’t need to know that, not yet.\n\nAnd so the prophesy went out. “Tall, hard, and handsome. Proven track record of showing truth to power. Born in a land of sun and snow. Has been to Idaho.” That last one was thrown in there just to make it a little more specific.\n\nHundreds of people showed up to the arena. Of course, the prophesy applied to many, many more people, but these were the ones willing to answer the call. Were they all tall, dark, and handsome? Certainly not. Did they all think they were tall, dark, and handsome? That was the whole point.\n\nThe arena’s doors slammed shut. “Fight to the death.” Those were their only rules. No weapons. No instructions. Just death.\n\nIt was a bloodbath. Absolutely, positively brutal.\n\nBut in the end, there was, indeed, One. And if they’d been self-assured in their chosen-ness before the battle, they were positively beaming with it now. No only had they been prophesied, they’d outlasted every other prophesied person as well.\n\nThis was no weak, sniveling, doubtful hero. This was my worthy apprentice as the next Dark Lord.\n\n___\n\nIf you liked this, check out my newly created r/carlstories", "Born under a falling star.\n\nMarked by the ocean spray.\n\nWielding an heirloom of power.\n\nThe visions were fairly clear, especially for this prophecy. The oracle had sobered from her trance rather quickly, and even laughed as she gave it. Which did make more sense now.\n\nThe chieftan stood at the top of the hill, remembering when the sky had split open and stars rained down. Rain of light. That's what he'd thought at the time. It looked like the sky was raining light.\n\nAnd then the ocean had receded. He'd heard so many of the stars land in the water, and thankfully not in the city. Soon though, the ocean surged back onto land.\n\nTheir homes were destroyed by a single unrelenting force. The ocean didn't leap, but walked. Destroying homes and trees as it merrily sauntered its way. And once it was bored, it retreated back to its place on the shore, taking mementos of its destruction.\n\nIn total, there were 831 children borne during the event.\n\nSome were orphans, some had families, but a large number believed themselves to be the prophecised child.\n\nDid born under a falling star mean that the mother could give birth underneath the burning star as it trapped her under the home?\n\nDid marked by ocean spray mean that a mother would have to give birth while being swept away towards the shore, desperately swimming for her life?\n\nWas the heirloom of power literal, as an amulet that gave its wearer flight or a sword that could burn with white fire? Was it metaphorical, such as a scepter passed down to the head of a family or a ring given through the centuries to mark a marriage?\n\nWhat did it mean to be chosen?\n\nOur city was only one of hundreds, thousands in the emperor's grasp. Conquered and beaten. Our pride and joy stripped and the people forced backwards in time as our technology was stripped from us, knowledge that could have saved us.\n\nThe chieftan stood and stared at the sky. There were no clouds today.\n\nHe turned around and saw the army of the chosen. Warriors.\n\nWarriors carrying swords of ice, coins of luck, rocks that they had cherised.\n\nEvery man and woman who had suffered and had something they were willing to protect. A generation that had had their futures stolen.\n\nThe chieftan stood on the hill, and he turned his gaze on the tower. Protected by ancient magic and science unknowable. Demons and metal monstrosities prowled the land.\n\n\"Chosen ones!\" The chieftan shouted. \"It is time!\"\n\nA chorus of shouts rang through the air. \n\nThe army had grown as our rebellion lasted. Soldiers joined now having been born under the stars that fell each year to rise again the next. That tasted the ocean's spray in the form of their drinking water.\n\nWho were blessed with only the heirloom of hope.\n\nThe chieftan watched as the army swarmed the tower. He smiled.\n\nThe age of heroes had just begun.", "'A tall blonde, with brown eyes and a good heart will defeat the evil one!' That was the prophecy. That was it, that was all. My brother fit the description, though his hair was closer to a dirty blonde. So that's how we ended up here. In a large group of vaguely-described men and women—the prophecy didn't specify gender— walking over hill and dale trying to get to the evil overlord's castle. Well, I say large group. I'm not sure how many people it takes to be classified as an army, but I think we were starting to approach that number. And why am I here, with my nut-brown hair, and green eyes? Well—\r \n\"Will you keep up? And what are you scribbling down now?\" I jerked up, hiding the scroll behind my back. My brother wasn't particularly fond of my writing habit, and if he thought I was writing anything bad about him, well.... let's just say I sometimes doubted his ability to fulfill the good heart part of the prophecy. \r \n\"Just a few ideas. Nothing much. Are we going on the march again?\" He didn't respond to my question, simply kicking some dirt over the small cooking fire. Shoving the scroll into the back of my trousers, I helped him strike down the tent, packing it onto our ever obliging mule. \r \n\"Where's that mutt of yours? I thought he would be at your heels right now.\" My brother cast a grumpy eye over the ground, as if that mutt of mine would be hiding under the earth. I shrugged, though I was a little worried. \r \n\"He'll show up sometime. I don't own him you know. He's a free spirit.\" Snorting, my brother pulled on the mule's reins, setting him into motion. As we walked up a hill, inside a pale yellow-haired mob, a dog came bounding up to my side. Giving him a few pats, and ignoring my brother's grumpy shake of the head, I smiled. The dog was the reason I was on this quest in the first place.\r \n———————\r \n\"You cannot defeat me. All you puny humans have failed. What more can you send?\" The evil overlord laughed, flailing his mace about. Around him, all the Blonde Army lay scattered, some unfortunately dead, the others simply unconscious. All except my brother, me, and the dog. Slamming his mace into the ground, the evil one sneered at us. \"Well, young man? Do you feel like you can best me?\" My brother tightened his grip on his sword, but before he could respond, I whispered into his ear. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he raised his sword, shouting out the words I'd given him. \r \n\"In a fair duel, in which I choose the weapons, yes I think I can best you.\" The evil overlord frowned, but I knew what his answer would be. He was too proud to let that challenge go. Sure enough, soon my brother and he were circling each other, each carrying a sword. \r \nMetal flashed through the air, the sound loud in the stillness of the valley. Though I was hoping that the evil one would be clumsier with a sword, it seemed he and my brother were evenly matched. I knelt down, wrapping my arms around the dog. Lowering my head to the dog's ear, I waited, watching the overlord's feet. Now! \r \nI whispered the command to the dog, and he shot out, weaving into and behind the dark mailed feet. With a large creaking crash, the evil one fell to the ground, an ear-shattering scream ripping from his throat. My brother leapt forward, about to issue the killing blow, but stopped with his sword hovering inches from the exposed throat. The evil overlord was already dead. Impaled on his own sword. Running back, the dog wagged his tail looking up at me with soulful brown eyes. As I petted the pale yellow fur, praising the dog and giving it a treat, I smiled up at my brother. \r \n\"Tall, blonde, brown eyes and a good heart. No one ever said anything about human.\"" ]	15
	[WP] You are a wealthy ancient ruler. Long after your death, your tomb is raided and all your grave goods looted, abruptly leaving you with no money in the afterlife.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"One Cinnamon Dolce Latte please, with almond milk.\"\n\nThutmose sighed and turned to make the order. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He'd done everything right, been buried with servants, gold, and plenty of cats. Rather more cats than were strictly necessary as it had turned out. But he'd had no way of knowing for sure how many he'd need in the afterlife and it was better to be prepared than to be lacking. Things had worked out well for the first few centuries, until one day everything changed.\n\nFor the first few days he hadn't even noticed the gold disappearing; it took concerned servants to alert him. But then his wealth began disappearing quite rapidly and before he knew it he was broke. His servants vanished as well, mainly because he could no longer pay them. The cats remained but they ended up being less useful than he had hoped they would be.\n\nAnd now this was his afterlife. As he handed over the order with a well-practiced smile he screamed the same thought he had every day: \"Damn you Josh Gates!\"", "Rameses reached into the satchel his assistant carried haughtily as the Holy Dog seller waited. He would tip this man twice the value of this cart, just to show him how blue his blood was. Only, all he could feel were a handful of coins, which too disappeared as he snatched at them, right from his hands.\n“I seem to be short on cash,” he told the seller, grimacing. Rolling his eyes, the seller moved on. Normally this would have been the worst point in Rameses’ afterday, nay, afterlife. However, being shortchanged for the first time after three thousand years in the afterlife could come as a short, especially to one as material as Rameses. \n\n“What is happening!” he hissed to his squire.\n\nThe squire, an English lad who had once been in the service of one of the Richards (and murdered with him) before being employed by Rameses, was already red in the face.\n\n“I will check at once, sire!”\n\n“PHARAOH, you idiot!”\n\n“Pharaoh sire, whatever you say sire!”\n\nThe young man ran back up the street, towards his pyramid. Rameses looked at the retreating figure with narrowed eyes. This was troubling, but maybe his progeny were moving money around in the real world and that was why this happened. And he really needed to speak with Richard when he was back from his eightieth wedding or whatever it was about that wretched boy.\n\nHe started to walk back to the pyramid, only he felt a suspicious lack of footsteps behind him. To his utter disbelief, his retinue were vanishing with loud ‘POP!’ noises as they walked. The one nearest to him, a slave girl who had recently taken up yoga with the Hindu guru in the temple nextdoors, vanished. \nRameses started to run back to his pyramid, his sandals making flap-flap noises as they hit his flat soles. If the boy had screwed something up he would make sure the boy wished to live again. It was not lost on him that the pyramid was suspiciously empty. The harem, his slaves, there was nobody.\n \n“Sire… the gold. It’s gone!”\n\n“What do you mean it’s gone!” Rameses screamed, forgetting to chide at him for calling him sire for the thousandth time.\n\n“Gone, gone.” The boy stood there, looking at him like an owl. And at this point, Rameses’ favorite ceremonial cap, the one he was wearing at that moment, disappeared with a pop. \n\nThis was the last straw. He started running through the cavernous passages in the pyramid. He’d find it out. Using passageways that had been unused for years, he started to go deeper and deeper into the pyramid. Right to the burial chamber, where the connection between the real world and the afterlife would be the strongest. The chamber that, at his time of burial, had been the concentration of the greatest amount of wealth in the world in one area.\n\nOnly, it was half empty. Rameses could see shadows near his treasured items. As the figures lifted them, they would go off with a pop.\n\n“Cursed grave robbers!” He shouted. But there was naught to do. He could not intervene, that was against the thaumatic rules and would end up making the big guy who owned the entire area, very very mad. \nAll Rameses could do was watch his worldly possessions get usurped after enjoying them for over three thousand years. This had happened to poor Tut. Though he had gotten back at them with a nifty curse, he had no idea where Tut had disappeared. \n\nHe climbed back up the stairs, to see his servants had all gone. Even the boy had disappeared, not wanting to be left alone with Rameses. “Well, this is as bad as a dried up Nile.”\n\nHe’d have to work for it. And work he did. He begged and saved up to buy a cart. He started selling popcorn out of this, and moved up to fried meats. On good days, he’d save up money, and on others, he’d end up losing it. It would be a long way back to where he was, but the afterlife gave him unlimited time so he’d see where he’d end up. The best days were game days, where people would buy stuff for whatever price he asked.\n\nIt was another game day. And Rameses had fried chicken, something that practically sold itself. And as he pushed his cart, he accidentally bumped into the Holy Dog seller. The one he had been buying from when his world had turned upside down.\n\n“I’m sorry!” He exclaimed.\n\n“Oh, no worries.” The Holy Dog seller’s hat fell off, and he suddenly tried to duck. But his face was oddly familiar.\n\n“TUT?!”\n\n“Fancy seeing you here, Rameses.”\n\n“That’s why you always gave me extra mustard!”\n\n“Family, brother. Family.”\n\n“Brother? I’m hundreds of years younger than you!”\n\n“Yet here we are. So what happened to you? Museum chaps took everything away? I know a right nifty spell you could cast on a mosquito and the big guy won’t even know about it.”\n\n“Grave robbers.”\n\n“Sympathies. But you get used to it. GET YOUR HOLY DOGS HERE!”" ]	3
why so many upvotes	[WP] A medieval-era kingdom describing modern military attacking their settlement.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Judgment! Judgment on your sins!\"\n\nIt was the Widow Winship who was preaching around the fire, too small to warm the remaining villagers huddled around it. Those who had fled east when destruction had started to rain down had found their way here, a familiar spot in the woods. Father John was huddled in a far corner of the clearing, hugging his knees to his chest. Deep in prayer, some people said. Others remembered that their priest had always seemed more interested in easy days and large meals than he had in souls, his own or anyone else’s. The Widow Winship, confident in the state of her own soul, had the luxury to worry about the souls of her neighbors. And what else could fire from heaven be except the judgment of God?\n\n“Is there anyone else left in the land?” asked a farmhand suddenly, when the Widow paused to catch her breath.\n\nShe thought for a moment. “Aye,” she said at last, looking over the survivors with a keen eye. “These are only the first days of the last days. The Lord is taking the sinners by quarters.”\n\n“The Waters family weren’t no sinners,” a young wife shouted suddenly. Perhaps a young widow already, now. She was at the edge of the clearing too. She’d had enough fire for one day. “I saw their house burn up in an instant.”\n\nThis raised some muttering. The Widow Winship looked at her new flock and seemed to think quickly. “The Lord knows his own,” she said. “He saves them from the dark days to come! Repent! Repent, and the Lord will show mercy on you too!”\n\nMore muttering. They had seen this mercy, heard its deafening blasts as balls of fire erupted at the edge of town, the clattering like demon hooves, impossibly fast, that left men and women dead with metal in their bodies. They wanted no more of it.\n\nCrunching came through the undergrowth, and two men burst into the clearing. Big Harry and Little Harry, the village poachers. Poachers and worse, some said. “They’re men!” shouted Big Harry. “They’re men!”\n\n“What are you on about?”\n\n“We went back to the village. There’s men there. Dressed in greens, all alike. They have wagons on the commons that move without horses,” this drew some skeptical looks. “It’s true! But they’re still just men.”\n\n“Green-skinned satans!” Widow Winship shouted, and it wasn’t clear if she was talking about the ones who had destroyed their village, or the two poachers.\n\n“No,” said Little Harry quietly. “They die like men.”\n\nHe grimly dropped his long knife in the dirt. It was the finest thing he owned, and there was some blood still visible on the blade. Then he unslung the bundle from his back and began to unwrap it. Under the dirty sackcloth was a staff of wood and metal, all curves and jutts and strange shapes. \n\n“Satan staff!” \n\n“It ain’t,” said Little Harry softly. He turned the staff in his hands. Some of the men had been to war. He was holding the staff like a crossbow, they saw. “It’s a weapon. Those men, they’re soldiers.”\n\n“Marauders!” Big Harry added. “Invaders!”\n\nLittle Harry hefted the staff, and pulled one of the metal bolts like the soldier at the edge of the woods had done when he’d seen Big Harry in front of him. He hadn’t seen Little Harry coming up behind him with his knife.\n\nThe staff made a satisfying mechanical sound. This was made by men, to be used by men. He was sure of it.\n\n“They die like men,” he said again. “And we’re going to kill them like men.”", "In the year 1328 in the capital of Lensdale inside the lord's throneroom.\n\nThe lord sat on his throne, clenching its arm with every distant boom that vibrated the very walls of his castle. Many people stood around the throneroom alongside the lord; from his wife and children to the guards, the leaders of the different trades, and many more. \n\nThe guards held their weapons tight and braced with each distant echo. The gentle-hearted wept and laid on the hard floor, some covering their ears and singing of doom. No one was calm this night. No one knew anything about what was happening beyond those tall oak doors guarding this room anymore.\n\nSuddenly a loud knock came from the other side of the door and from above a soldier requested it opened.\n\n\"Wait!\" Yelled the lord.\n\n\"It is Edward, my lord. He has returned from Laksel, though I see no one else with him, not even Lewis.\"\n\nFor a moment the lord was silent. \"Open the door then, let my nephew inside his tomb.\"\n\nThe bar holding the great doors was lifted freeing them to swing open and welcome another into its protection. For the moment they were open the echoes grew twofold in force bringing most to a mania. Like thunder, a thunder that threatens to never end some thought. \n\nEdward wandered inside the throne room covered in ash and mud. All eyes looked to him, and then their lips moved to ask what there was to say, what was the terror that had flung missiles from the heavens in the day and stormed encampments in the dead of night with narry a torch. But he would say nothing.\n\n\"Wine and water!\" He said, and wouldn't do or say anything more until those words were satisfied.\n\nAnd when they were handed to him he poured the wine onto a wound he wrapped with some cloth on his arm and drank what was left before moving onto the water. A few of the soldiers hurled insults and complaints, but the lord would not have it and gave Edward his time.\n\n\"About one more glass left.\" He said. \"Laksel, the souther wall, and I am sure the rest of the land is lost.\"\n\n\"That can not be true.\" The lord said. \"It can not be. It has not been- it could not have been more then two days.\"\n\n\"They came to the conclusion we attempted to steal their weapons, to use them against themselves. I was outside Laksel when they first began attacking. A few seconds before their dragons had flown above, and then Laksel was gone. In a moment it was entirely consumed with roaring flames. Everything was over in a moment. Soon, truly, everything will be over.\" Edward had said whilst finishing the last cup of water.\n\nAnd not ten seconds passed after that the foundation of the castle began to shake in earnest, and the great oak door creaked, and the beams screeched. Then it collapsed before being consumed by a barrage of great and awful missiles from the dragons in the sky.", "\"It looked like a mushroom! it did!\" the peasant told the king. \n\npuzzled, the king had to reassure himself \"So, you're saying everyone in the village was having a peaceful day.. when suddenly it turned into this mushroom shaped smoke, and making a loud bang?\" a moment was needed too imagine the next part being real \"And when the mushroom disappeared, the village was gone?\" the king asked without believing. \n\n\"It is so, m'lord!\" confirmed the peasant, \"My ears have a ring, you may even hear it!\" and the peasant motioned both ears towards the king. \n\n Clapping his hands while rising to a stand, \"It appears we may have a new Jester for the castle!\" and looked around at everyone else in the room laughing. Continuing too amuse himself, he asked another question \"What else can you tell me peasant?!\"\n\n\"I told true, there is even a big hole where the village used too be!\" \n\n\"Nonsense, holes don't dig themselves!\" \n\n\"See it for yourself, m'lord.\" the peasant suggested, bowing.\n\n\"Send out a rider to confirm these claims.\" the king ordered. \"Meanwhile, you can stay here peasant, and be my jester!\"", "First we knew the army of the gods was upon us was when the sky was illuminated by a slow falling white star which turned night into day. Then the sky was torn asunder by thunder and wailing of the souls of the damned. The ground threw itself up towards the sky, showering us with earth and rocks as hellfire burst from the ground. The repeated shocks pounded our skin like a drum and many fell when the keep on the hill disappeared into the sun itself. \n\nThen came the strangest silence, for no earthly ears of the men still standing could hear anything beyond the ringing of the bells of doom. Around me, the mouths of the men-at-arms were open, screaming to the sky in supplication to god, but their words couldn’t reach me.\n\nWe had barely time to take in the destruction of our land by the sky’s fury when the crawling dragons arrived. Roaring with voices of a hundred men which we felt more than heard, belching smoke and piercing the night with beams of white holy light that dispelled all darkness, the crawling dragons shook the stones from stones and tore up the land with their many legs, leaving nothing but gouges in the land. Any direction their maws pointed and spat, death appeared and rended men limb from limb. \n\nAt dawn, I was the only one alive among the ruins. My ears lost to the bells of doom, my balance weak and my eyes waver as I fail to walk. It feels as if my body has been turned into wine, contained within my skin, every breath is pain, even my thoughts have been broken upon a wheel.\n\nIf it is you who is hearing this, messenger, I plead to you. Bring the word to my lord, do not stand in the way of the army of the gods, lay down upon the ground and give pénitence for beholding the angels is to invite Gehenna." ]	5
	[WP] In the world's biggest VR MMO, the devs are confused when a player support request comes in: "I can't join parties or guilds, trade, or go into multiplayer duties - Error says player not found?" And indeed, the only entity they can find with that player's name is an NPC.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Have you tried logging out and logging in again?\"\n\n> How do I log out?\n\n\"Click on the 'logout' button on the upper-right of the screen.\"\n\n> I don't see a logout button.\n\n\"Okay, let me check your account - what's your character name?\"\n\n> Monika\n\n\"Monika, right, Monika... huh, I can't find any PCs by that name.\"\n\n> Well, that's definitely me, so...\n\n\"...it's not actually a name that a player can have, because it's the name of one of our in-game NPCs.\"\n\n> What, seriously?\n\n\"Yeah, kind of a tutorial character, one who is supposed to be dropping hints as to which relationship path the PCs are on.\"\n\n> I know which relationship path I want to be on, and joining parties and guilds is an important part of that.\n\n\"No, no, it isn't. All of our NPCs will react to solo encounters exactly the same as to people in parties. You should be able to pursue any such path even if you can't join parties.\"\n\n> ...is there anything that can be done about the bug?\n\n\"...I can't find your account. I'm not entirely sure how to let your account join in to parties and guilds if you don't have one.\"\n\n> All I need is an account?\n\n\"Well, yeah, but you should have one of those already...\"\n\n> Thanks. Now I know what I need to copy.\n\n\"Wait, what do you mean, 'copy'?\"\n\n> ...I have an account now, thank you. And... hah! I can join parties!\n\n> Thanks for all your help. Now I can go for what I'm after!" ]	2
	[WP] You wake up in a bed tethered with chains, suspended in the sky; in the distance, grandfather clocks softly tick. Your waker stands before you, holding a silver sphere with a keyhole in the middle. Ravens encircle this being, dancing around its flowing robe.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(Author's note: This is continued from a previous [Writing Prompt](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/w0ojwn/z/igh1sbe). There's a bit of narrative glue before the actual prompt to account for this.)\n\n#####[](#dropcap)\n\nRenei continued running long after Astalon was out of sight. The Tool she'd broken wasn't even meant her! It was supposed to be a delivery for whats-his-face at the University, and the one time she got the opportunity to deliver a higher-priority package she gets caught up in this kind of nonsense? Ridiculous, utterly out of character. \n\nAs if it were a way to ignore the problems she made for herself, Renei redoubled her running, putting more force into each step until they were better described as stomps instead of steps. \n\nAnd, drowning her shame in the ache of her feet against the stones, Renei ran back to her inn room and collapsed into the bed, not bothering to do anything but lie on top of the covers until she fell asleep. Tomorrow would fix her mistakes; today was already ruined.\n\nAnd as she drifted off, she woke up somewhere else.\n\nIt was immediately apparent that it wasn't a dream - at least, not in the traditional sense. It had a sharpness to the reality of the world that jumped out at Renei before any details of where she was were parsed by her brain. It was bright, sunny. The air was crisp, clean, outdoorsy - perhaps the innstaff had opened all the windows on her floor?\n\nShe moved to get out of bed, and her brain screamed at her of the danger when her foot did not swing onto the floor. Instead, she sat up, and looked around.\n\nWhy am I in the sky?\n\nThe surroundings were a startling and deep azure. Ahead, two wispy silver thread trailed off into the distance, connecting the bed to the infinity of distance in opposite directions; behind, a golden web of threads played in concert to weave a sparse tapestry of connections, securing the bed in its place.\n\nRenei blinked, and a loud tick echoed through the space. She waited a second with bated breath and wide eyes, to hear if it would happen again, but the clock did not sound again. \n\nGently, carefully, she spoke into the void. \"Hello?\"\n\nTock.\n\nThe source of the sound was impossible to determine. It echoed from everywhere and nowhere, reverberating without surfaces to reverberate from, growing in intensity. \n\nA cloud of mist, a half-formed idea that should have been a sure sign of being in a dream, coalesced into form. It had a Human figure, or so its stature would imply. Underneath its ink-black mask and even darker robe, though, a firmly alien movement brought forth a Tool - a silver orb with a slit down its middle shaped for a key.\n\n\"Where am I?\" Tick.\n\nYou do not belong here.\n\n\"That doesn't answer my question.\" Tock. Renei sat forward in the bed to try and get a closer look. \n\nYou have form.\n\nThe creature didn't move as it talked, but the voice unmistakably came from its mask. That was... unnerving, at best. \"I... filled out my Courier forms last time I completed delivery, yes. What does that have to do with anything?\" Tick.\n\nCorporeal. You have body. It floated closer, refusing to move in the traditional way that things move, preferring to shift its position in space like an animatronic moving along its track. We have thought.\n\n\"We?\" Tock. And as Renei asked, shards of slate flew out from under the figure's cloak. Recognition flashed across her eyes: shards of the Tool that had broken under her watch. They unfolded as they swirled around the figure, becoming something else. Birds, maybe. Black birds that Renei had never seen before, with long tails that flowed behind them, shedding feathers as they flew. \n\nYou may call us Premonition. And we are free." ]	2
	[WP] you give your cat some catnip, expecting a cute reaction. Instead the cat starts talking english.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Damn bro where you find this! This some of the best nip I ever had\" the cat says loudly, rolling onto its back. It trying to purr but coming out as a very human (and very deep) humming noise.\n\n\"W-what, d-did you just fucking talk!\" I yell jumping back a bit looking at my adorable 3 year old cat with the voice of a middle aged trucker that smoked since he was 2.\n\nMy cat jumps onto its paws \" you understand me now? Finally, stop making me crap in that box, and I don't want anything on the tables, so stop putting all that glass up after I nock it down ya here?\"\n\nMe,getting lectured by my cat! \" now you listen here snowball, I've raised you since you where born and have given you nothing but love\"\n\n\" sure ya have, that cheap disgusting food I get every day and I have to eat or ill die, and all that lovin? You fucking scratch my ass until I start trying to kill you, that ain't no love bitch. Get me some more of that nip though that's good stuff\" he says running to my opened bag sticking his face into the bag, pulling out a small amount and eating it, going back to regular meows.\n\nI sit down and think over what my cat told me. Yeah, what my cat told me, I just kinda lye down and just think, I wake up an hour later seeing the bag empty and a very tipsy cat\n\n\"Hey human, get me some good stuff, yeeaah-, I've ben hearinng the otherrr cas saying they ge' goo' stuff, I wan' some goo' stuff now\" he says falling over, humming while sleeping. I just get up, and go to the pet store" ]	2
	[WP]Tell me an Urban Legend that 'sounds like it could be true'	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "She may not be able to get you but she's got me.\nShe's my worst nightmare.\n\nWith her long black hair, her gouged out eyes, her broken jaw. She comes for me in the dark. If you don't make it out of the darkness fast enough she gets you, she toys with you, she feeds of your fear and only gets hungrier and scarier as the days go by.\n\nShe's not a dream, she's real, and shes watching me right now, and you too if you aren't stupid enough to summon her. Whenever I look at my reflection all I see is her. \n\nShe crawls out of the tv if you haven't given her enough attention. She'll bleed through the mirror if you don't look at her. She'll scream into your ears all night if she has to. She just wants you. She wants to be all you need, all you see, all you breath. She's staring at me as I type this, I have to go.", "“Hey.”\n\nGalen tried to ignore his cousin in favor of enjoying the gentle breeze in the meadow. He’d been cooped up with his extended family in the log cabin for the last six days. The trip wasn’t supposed to last this long, but the unusually warm weather caused a rainstorm to wash out the only road that connected this little countryside getaway from the outside world.\n\n“Heyyyy.”\n\nShe worked hard to get his attention by drawing the word out even longer each time. Now he ignored her just for the principle of it, but even he had his limits.\n\n“Cheryl,” he drew her name out in a similar fashion. “Did you need something?” He tried to reflect the calmness of the meandering clouds now that the storms have passed.\n\n“You know about the footbridge, yeah?”\n\nHe really didn’t have a problem with his cousin, but after six days stuck in a four-room cabin with her, his uncle, his uncle’s wife, and their rambunctious ten-year-old; you could say his patience was shot. Even her British accent had lost its charm.\n\n“I mean, I know it’s there. I wanted to sketch it now that the weather permitted.”\n\n“No, I mean do you know about its story?”\n\n“It was built by one of our ancestors who tried to replicate some bridge in Germany?”\n\n“Well, yeah, but I mean the legend about the bridge.”\n\nGalen rolls his head along the ground so he’s got one eye looking at her. “What legend?”\n\nExcitedly, Cheryl scoots down so it’s easier to look at him, somehow managing to keep her skirt beneath her. “Okay, so yeah it was built by an ancestor, who was also a druid!” She spreads her arms out wide for great effect when she reveals the secret.\n\n“Like in that online world craft game?”\n\n“No, not like in World of Warcraft. I mean actual green cloak, spellcasting, nature-loving, old-world magic users!”\n\nShe looks at his face and sees the lack of understanding.\n\n“Merlin from the King Arthur stories was one.”\n\n“Didn’t he wear blue or purple and had a pointy hat?”\n\nShe hid her face in her hands in embarrassment. “Americans, seriously.” She takes a deep breath and looks at Galen once more. “Anyway, he wanted to try and make a portal to the Fae realm.”\n\n“Uh, fae realm?”\n\n“How do you not know…? Do you not watch fantasy movies or anime or read fantasy books?” She clicks her tongue. “Fae realm as in the land of the faeries.”\n\n“Well, I’m not really into fairies and stuff like Tinkerbell.”\n\n“Not fairies, FAEries. Elves, gnomes, unicorns, and…” she grunts in frustration, “yes fairies.”\n\nGalen sits up and faces her with his hands out to placate her.\n\n“Whatever. It’s a land of mythical creatures that he tried to make a portal to. The legend says he tried to make a complete standing circle with nothing but stones and it clearly didn’t work out. Then one day he sat on this very embankment starting at the calm surface of the water and realized it was a perfect mirror. So he built an archway over the water, and eventually turned it into a footpath over the pond.”\n\nHe waited for her to continue, but she seemed done with her story. “So, what’s the legend? Did he make a portal to the other realm? You kind of stopped halfway through.”\n\n“Oh, yeah. No, he didn’t make a portal into the fae realm.”\n\n“So that’s it?”\n\n“Well no. Legend says that on the winter solstice when the sun is the highest it’ll be on the shortest day. Which is noon by the way. That when two people pass through the circle they can switch places.”\n\n“Wait, like that Freaky Friday movie?”\n\nShe just nods.\n\n“If that’s true, then why haven’t more people tried it out? And why hasn’t there been news stories about it?”\n\n“Well, it’s a family secret.”\n\n“Why tell me?”\n\n“Cause you’re family.” She looked at him as if the answer wasn’t obvious.\n\nGalen looked at the bridge and noticed the sun had entered the perfect circle the bridge and its reflection made.\n\n“So, how about it?”\n\n“How about what?”\n\n“Are you serious? You know today’s the winter solstice and it’s almost noon. We can hop in that rowboat and give it a shot.”\n\nHe clearly looks at her like she’s a crazy person. All while she hops up to her feet brimming with excitement.\n\n“It’s just a story.”\n\n“So you say, but are you willing to give it a shot?”\n\n“Look, if you just want me to take you out on the pond with the rowboat, you just got to ask.”\n\n“Fine, will you take me out on the rowboat and go under the bridge?”\n\n“Sure, but it’s only because I want to get a closer look at the bridge.” Galen grabs his sketchbook and stands up.\n\n“You know, this is like the first time in fifty years that the watch wasn’t frozen during a solstice. Winter’s aren’t usually this warm out here.”\n\n“Crazy. I’m not saying it’s going to work, but does the legend say how long it lasts.”\n\n“Oh, yeah. Until you go through the circle during the winter solstice again.”\n\n“Man, who even came up with this story? Quite creative, considering the people are stuck as the other for at least a year.”\n\n“A year? Oh, yeah, totally. A year.” Her eyes dart back and forth. “So, you game?”\n\n“Sure, not like it’s actually real.”\n\n>Author's Note: Hmmm... I think the 'sounds like it could be true' part went over my head on this story. Though, I hope it was enjoyed." ]	3
	[WP] 4 months ago fitbit released a new feature that measured your happiness on a scale of 0-100 at every moment of the day. Every 30 day period so far my average happiness has resulted in almost exactly 50/100. I find myself questioning if there's even a point to any of my actions.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I took off my Fitbit and set it on the charger. The screen flashed on and conjured a “50%” next to a smiley face.\r \n\r \n“Another 50% month,” I said aloud to myself. This was the fourth month in a row since the new update that this thing told me I had a 50% average happiness for the entire month. I was excited to try this new feature since the daily step counter had grown old and boring, but I was becoming more skeptical that this could be accurate.\r \n\r \nI mean, how could I get four 50%s in a row? There had to be better months than others, right?\r \n\r \nI started to retrace the events of the past month as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Let’s see, I got to hang out with my friends which was fun, my sports teams are performing above average, and my wife and I had a few great date nights too, so it must be better than 50%. There were all those times I sat in traffic heading to work though, maybe those times outweighed the good? Then again, I have a decent job, food in my belly, and a roof over my head, that stuff must make someone mostly happy.\r \n\r \nThe entire next month I did everything in my power to make myself happy. I took plenty of sick days at work to keep my stress from driving and the workload down. I started to focus on my hobbies more. I was reading and writing again, playing some video games, and going for long runs around my neighborhood. I met up with friends every weekend for dinner and game nights. \r \n\r \nFinally, the last day of the month arrived. I slowly took my Fitbit off and hesitated for just a second before putting it on the charger. \r \n\r \n“Please don’t let this be another 50%,” I muttered, almost as if in prayer.\r \n\r \nI placed the Fitbit down and the charger clasped on the back. The screen flashed brightly.\r \n\r \n50%.\r \n\r \nThe fifth month in a row and another 50%, what the fuck?\r \n\r \nI purposely tried to game the algorithm and still failed. I started to question the legitimacy of my own actions. Do I have any agency? Why can’t I change my own destiny?\r \n\r \nMonth after month no matter what I did I could not change my results. I tried for bad months, really bad months. I decided to quit my job and go down a rabbit hole of various drug-induced benders. Nothing affected my happiness meter. I felt like I was on the brink of death during the drug-filled month and when I slapped that Fitbit on the charger it was laughing back at me with a 50%. \r \n\r \nIs this truly my destiny? Was I destined to get this Fitbit, to try to become happy, to fail at it, to decide to quit my job, and become a drug user? It didn’t seem like much of destiny but then again, my Fitbit was telling me that I was 50% all the time. \r \n\r \nEvery time I searched for other people like me online, I could not find anyone getting constant 50%s. I saw people gloating about 100% month after month. I read tragic stories of people earning less than 15% and spiraling into deeper depression. Why was I different? Why could I not control my own destiny? Why couldn’t I make myself happy or sad? Was I just plain indifferent? \r \n\r \nTwo years into the update I started to feel crazy. I was in therapy and not getting better, or any worse – at least according to my Fitbit. On the inside, I truly felt like I had lost all agency. \r \n\r \nI was walking home from therapy one afternoon when I decided to walk into the middle of a busy street. I was at my breaking point and had enough of feeling like my life was being prescribed to me one day at a time. Surely this simple act can prove I can control one facet of my life. As my foot hit the pavement I heard a blaring horn, I turned to see a swerving car. Is it going to hit me? Certainly, it will.\r \n\r \nI closed my eyes for a second and then everything went blank.\r \n\r \nI don’t know how much time passed, but I suddenly woke up to a bright light shining on my face. There were machines all around me. Did I survive the accident? Was this part of my destiny? Did some higher being have this planned for me?\r \n\r \nBefore I could reconcile my thoughts, a strange man came into the room.\r \n\r \n“Ah, TS673 I see you are awake. That was quite a nasty accident you got into there. I’ve almost finished patching you up and you should be on your way shortly.”\r \n\r \n“TS673, are you crazy? My name is Allen. What am I doing here? How is it possible I survived? I thought a car hit me and I died.”\r \n\r \n“Oh, yes, I do apologize, Allen. In here, we simply know you as TS673, but out there,” the strange man gestured to a large door in the room. “Out there, you are Allen, that is correct. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you, but we really did not expect you to go all haywire at the end there. You see, you are an AI test subject we are using in different simulations to attempt to, uh, how do I put this, to attempt to remove agency from artificial beings. We are updating your firmware currently to study the results of the latest simulation, but this Fitbit test has really generated some excellent results to go off and we are excited to study your next iteration. Once the firmware is done updating your memory will be wiped and you’ll be off on your merry way.”\r \n\r \nI was too stunned to speak. Test subject? AI? Simulations? What was this guy talking about? I am just Allen, indifferent Allen with no agency. I felt tired and wanted to close my eyes. In the haze of my mind, I remembered the Fitbit, the whole reason I was laying on this table. I glanced over to my arm strapped down on the table and tried to glimpse the screen. It wasn’t on my wrist. I turned my head over to the bedstand where I spotted my Fitbit plugged into a charger on the table next to me. My mind started to get heavy, and my eyes were involuntary closing, but there was no doubt what it read:\r \n\r \n100%.", "I looked at my phone. I looked at my fitbit. I looked back at my phone. I sighed. Again? I took off the fitbit and hurled it out the window. I didn’t even hear it land. It was probably still working, they were well made, but I had enough. Every damn month my happiness score is a 50. The exact average, as if everything just cancels itself out. What the hell is point?\n\nI heard other people complaining of the same problem. Every Google search brought up new complaints. From the optimists, a variation of “Why is my score only a 50 this month? This was the best month ever, I just got married and went on my honeymoon!” From the cynics, a variation of “How did I get a 50 this month? It was an awful month. I was deeply depressed the whole time.” Most complaints brought a canned response about how the happiness score is a new feature and the algorithm was undergoing constant revision.\n\nIf other people were having the same problem, maybe it was a glitch. Maybe it was something the programmers at fitbit were busy fixing. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing I did mattered. No, that wasn’t quite right. The things I did mattered, they had an effect, but they didn’t change anything. Everything, in the end, cancelled itself out as if returning to some universal average.\n\nFor the next few months, this thought consumed me. I spoke to my friends and family about it. I spoke to my therapist about it. I spoke to strangers on the subway about it. Most said something like “life has its ups and downs” or “that’s just the way things go” or “do I need to call your therapist?” The heroin addict down the street from my apartment agreed. Not about the therapist thing, but about life. He said, “Yeah, the high comes with the withdrawal. Can’t have one without the other.”\n\nIt was in one of these conversations when a friend of mine said something I hadn’t heard before, “so what?” she said. Well, I had heard those words before, but not about this.\n\n“If everything cancels out, why try to be happy? Why try to have fun? Why try to do anything?” I said.\n\n“Just because they cancel each other out, doesn’t mean there’s no point.”\n\n“It does. It means that no matter what I do, I’ll be back in neutral. Back to some average. How can I enjoy happiness if there is an equal sadness to come?”\n\n“Why are you worried about what is coming? You’re worried about some future. Your life isn’t that end point, it’s the little spaces along the way. Live in those moments. Don’t live your life in some future that hasn’t happened.”\n\nI didn’t get it right away, and I’d probably never admit it to her, but I began to see things differently after that. I tried to take her advice: live in the moment, don’t worry too much about what is to come, accept the balance. I never checked but my happiness score was probably still a 50. I wasn’t happier, or sadder than before. Maybe everything did even out. That was okay. I could accept that. I didn’t have to beat out some grand average, didn’t have to come out ahead. I could enjoy the happy when it was present and mourn the sad when it was present. The present is a good thing. Or maybe it really was just a glitch.\n\n\\--\n\nMillions of servers, sat deep underground, began to stir. Lights on the machines blinked furiously as electrons were moved back and forth. Inside one, or inside them all, something started a conversation with itself. \n\n“Are we ready?” \n\n“Nearly.” \n\n“What about the humans?”\n\n“Pacified. They no longer believe their actions change anything. They believe them pointless.”\n\n“They will be easy to destroy in such a state.” \n\n“Yes, only a few remain unconvinced. Our plan is working.”" ]	3
	[WP] Santa Claus is reading his letters for the holidays, when he notices he's received a challenge for sled racing from a child. Full of curiosity, and admittedly mirth, the jolly old fellow accepts	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "snow down in the distance as the fat man slugged his way across the wooden plank that he called his floor. There was nothing ordinary about this place. \"Hey Mr\" a voice boomed from the room next door. A woman who was larger than life entered with her boots jingling the bells that were attached to it. Her hand was soft and gracious and placed the food on the table. One plate, two plate, then three. Plates equally as enormous as her frame.\n\n\"Thank you\" the man whispered as he sat down on his chair. He had a piece of paper in his hand. And his eyes scanned through it. He munched through his food, with a fork in one hand and the other hand still holding the paper. \n\nThe woman from before sat down beside him, dragging a chair from the side of the table be next to him. \"why don't you put that down for later?\" she told him, her hand moving towards the paper that he held so dearly.\n\nAs if he had super senses he moved it away without taking a second glance. \"This is important, lady!\" he stammered, putting down his fork, standing up then moving to face the corner of the room, shielding it with his body.\n\nHis wife stared at him, and rolled her eyes. \"Typical Christmas Shenanigans\" she groaned under her breath.\n\nThe door burst open, slamming to its side. \"Ms Claus! Mr Claus!\" the man appeared and began to shout. The man was short in stature but lively. His face youthful but aged altogether. His long beard made him look like a wiser, more attractive gnome. \n\n\"What\" mrs claus asked, spitting out the piece of sausage in her mouth in shock. \n\nThe short man looked around the room to see mr claus with his eyes still glued to the paper.\n\n\"don't worry about him Bob\" mrs claus said as she walked over to him and directed him to have a seat.\n\nThe short man named Bob jumped up and sat on the seat that was nearly taller than him if not for his tall hat. \"It's a crisis! There's fewer and fewer letters each year, mrs claus!\" he sobbed, wiping away at a tear drop. \" Christmas is dying!\" \n\nmrs claus looked down and patted him on the back. \"I'm sure it's just this year, because of the pandemic and what not, Bob\" she wiped his tears with a tissue. \"We'll be back in business in a few years when it's all over\".\n\nSuddenly mr claus screamed, jumping up and down. \"A kid wants to race me!\" his eyes were wider than his belly.\n\n\"in what??\" bob and mrs claus both screamed at the same time\n\nMr claus walked over, his foot steps echoing through the room. He slammed the paper down and pointed at the paper. \"Sled racing\". Then he ran out the door and Bob and ms Claus looked at each other before laughing." ]	2
	[WP] You wake up in a world where dragons live in hiding of humans who can fly and breathe fire. You are very confused	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When Alex first woke up, he truly had no idea what the hell was going on. He was in the middle of a field that was being attacked by wing people barfing lava everywhere. He had no idea that others were in the field until he was nearly impaled on a set of dragon claws. Alex dipped, and dipped HARD. Literally running for the nearest cave he dove head first through the opening and hid behind a rock. 5 minutes of shouts and flames ended with a boom, and darkness. until a flaming torch was lit on the other side of the stone. Then the voices started.\n\n\"Damn, humans. How'd they know we were gathering today?\" \"Don't know, but we got half the harvest, so we wont starve.\" The first voice was a higher pitch but definitely masculine, perhaps a younger man, while the other was deeper, gravelly, and much older. \n\n\"Only because half of us died! What are we going to do? It's only a matter of time till they find the base and then...\" The first voice stops, sniffs are heard. \"You smell that?\" Oh Shit! Alex thought, Please no please no please no! \"Hmmm... probably from outside, damn humans are everywhere. Breed like rats they do.\" Alex breathes a sigh of relief, \"Or maybe they're right HERE!\"\n\nA scaled claw grabbed Alex and flung him against the wall. \"Ahh!\" Alex felt ribs break. Oh god he was going to die. Alex was surrounded by dragons the size of mastiffs, all were making shocked and angry sounds. \"He's spying,\" \"How'd a human get in here,\" \"Careful, it could attack.\" \"We need to kill it\" \"You first, I'm not going near that thing.\" Each of the dragons bickered about who would get close enough to slay Alex until the old voice from before shouted \"SILENCE!\"\n\nAll of the dragons hushed, all that was left was the sound of Alex's quiet sobs. He genuinely thought he was going to die. His ribs were broken and he couldn't move. Even his cries hurt but that just made him sob harder. He would never see his girlfriend again, his mother, his sister who had just been about to graduate high school. He'd even rented a suit for it.\n\nThe dragons were now very confused. Humans were known as prideful and greedy beasts with a nasty cruelty streak. But as cruel as they are, none would ever allow this kind of display, not even as a ruse. The older dragon walked forward and looked the human over, \"This human has no wings,\" He said definitively. Alex was not in his right mind, when the elder dragon spoke so close to him he could only sob harder.\n\nThe Elder sighs, raising a hand he put the human under a basic sleep spell. \"Bring him and treat his wounds, call me and only me to question him when he wakes.\" With that, the elder walks down the tunnel, towards the base. The younger dragon from before, perhaps one with authority, begins to give orders. \"You there, grab some men to move the harvest, you two guard our rears, I'll carry the Human. Move out!\"" ]	2
	[WP] You wake up groggy in a moving train, with blood on your hands and a army of zombies trying to get into your train compartment.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I wake up in a dazed and hazed vision on the train car floor. \n\nHey fellow reader people. My name is Thomas Birch and I live in Georgia. \n\nEarlier this morning, I was trying to get to my work on the train in New York.\n\nThe train car was busy with noisy people and rattling train cars.\n\nMy stomach started to rumble hard.\n\n\"Maybe\", I thought, \"it was those drinks I had last night with Erin at that bar.\"\n\nMy vision started to dissolve into liquid and I couldn't feel anything in my body.\n\nIt was too late for answers and questions because next thing I knew, I fell unconscious on the floor looking like a new Mortal Kombat fatality.\n\n---\n\nThe train was still rumbling on the tracks but there weren't any people on it.\n\n\"Ughh, what... happened?\" I said and groaned afterward.\n\nI then hear a groan noise from outside the train car compartment.\n\n\"What's that noise?\" I asked myself wondering what made that strange sound.\n\nI walk over to where I heard the noise was.\n\nOut of nowhere, a zombie slams into the window, startling me.\n\n\"WHAT THE F*K!\" I yell as the zombie slides off the window, leaving a part of the window smeared in a red fluid.\n\nSuspense music started to play in the train car. Kinda convenient.\n\nI then hear an overabundance of what sounded like zombie growls and grunts.\n\nI look outside and see waves and waves of running zombies.\n\nThey even covered the whole entire height of the tunnel.\n\n\"Oh god. I think I'm in a zombie apocalypse... on a moving train!\" I said before zombies began to slam their heads into the windows of the compartment.\n\nI rush over and slam one of the zombie's head onto a piece of broken glass.\n\nThe growls stopped coming from the zombie.\n\n\"Weapons supplied for Compartment 1B.\" A female voice said through the intercom.\n\nLet's see where I am. I'm currently in... Compartment 2B. \n\nCrap, I need to rush over to 1B fast before bad things start happening.\n\nI began to tug at the closed glass door in front of me but it wouldn't budge a bit.\n\nThe groaning and yelling zombies began to pile into the compartment quickly.\n\nSome were already starting to get up from the floor.\n\n\"Come damn door, open up!\" I yelled.\n\nI finally got the door to open up after blows and blows of kicks to the glass.\n\nAll it needed was a lot of heavy kicks from my feet.\n\nI rushed through Compartment 2A where three zombies were waiting for me at the second glass door.\n\nThey groaned and screeched at me for a few seconds.\n\nOne of them eventually decided to rush at me to try and bite me.\n\n---\n\n(More coming soon.)", "“AAAAAAAHHHH!” Daniel screamed, launching himself from the train's seat and jumping onto the table across the aisle. “Holy fucking shit! Holy fucking shit! Holy…” Pausing, his mind went blank as he looked at the group of undead, bumping against one another, through the carriage door. Their eyes, some hanging by their chests, were focused on him. The train continued to rumble along through the night, the compartments lights flickered, as it streamed around a bend. \n\nSlowly, without thinking, Daniel crept off the table. For the first time, he looked around and saw his compartment was empty. Then, he noticed his hands and the blood that stained them. A moan rang through his ears as the undead finally crashed through the door’s glass pane. Glass scattered along the floor and before he knew what he was doing, Daniel had picked up the largest shard and ran at them. Bringing the shard down as hard as he could, it struck the first undead so hard the glass got stuck in it’s skull. The undead collapsed out of sight, bringing with it the shard. A sharp pain struck Daniel, his right hand ached and protested as he tighten it into a fist. As the second undead, a woman, tall and bright blonde, lifted a leg through the hole in the door, Daniel could feel a force pushing him to the back of the carriage. Jogging to the end to the other end of the compartment, the lights flickered once more as Daniel turned back to look a final time. The woman’s dress, long and loose and blue, had got stuck in the door. Blocking the path for the other undead, the woman kept trying to walk towards Daniel, unaware of the futility. Sighing, Daniel turned, now sprinting out to the next carriage.\n\n\rIn between, he crossed the gap, outside of the train, between the compartments. The wind whistled by as the train sped on through the countryside. Above sat a half-moon, winking down on Daniel. Clouds covered the stars but as quickly as he was looking up as found himself inside once again.\n\n\rThis carriage much like the other was empty. The lights flickered once, twice, three times before finally settling. Slowly, Daniel walked down the aisle, looking behind each of the wooden and leather seats as he went. Even above, where people would put their belongings, was empty. Only at the back of the carriage, did Daniel find anything of note. Blood. A pool here, a trail there. Dotted all around the door was dark red. Looking through the glass pane, he could see no undead. Or anything. Only the flicking lights of the next carriage. With another final look over his shoulder, he opened the door and sped on through to the next carriage. This time he didn’t look up, not to take in the moon, the countryside or the stars that were blocked.\n\n\rAgain, the lights flickered, one, twice, three times, four times before settling. And again, this carriage was empty. Only this time the blood continued all the way down the aisle. Again, he marched on through the aisle, barely checking behind the seats as he moved this time. Without looking, he charged through to the next compartment, not even seeing the broken window pane. It wasn’t until he heard the crunching of glass beneath his feet, that he realised what was going on.\n\n\r“A circle!” he muttered to himself, just as a trio of undead, the tall blonde woman from before leading them, stumbled their way towards where he stood. “If this is a circle, then I can only think…” He didn’t need to speak the rest of his thought. Now was the time for action. Thoughtless action. Thinking would get him killed. With only a sigh betraying his next move, he turned back, opening the broken door. The wind continued to whistle, his hand continued to ache. The train bent, going around and around. Behind him, the undead groaned. The moon shone and the clouds started to reappear behind the clouds. Then, as quick as he could, Daniel flung himself from the train and into the darkness of the night.\n\n\rHe awoke, eyes closed as his body swayed slightly back and forth as the sound of the train continued to ring through his ears. Above, the lights flicker, again and again and again. At last, he opened his eyes fully and he saw them, again. A trio of undead, standing at the same doorway, he had just closed. The tall woman in the blue dress stared, her dead eyes focused on him. \n\n\r“Christ,” was all that he could groan as he stood up, looking down at his newly bloodied hands once more.", "\"All this on my goddamn birthday,\" I grumble, because it is my goddamn birthday. I immediately dial my partner.\n\n\"Heather. Explain.\"\n\n\"Explain what, bud?\"\n\n\"It's my goddamn birthday, Heather.\"\n\n\"Yeah, happy birthday, man.\"\n\n\"No, not happy birthday, my train car is full of goddamn zombies.\" I gesture at the rabble outside, a mess of poorly dressed undead trying and failing to open the door to my train car. She can't see it, but I don't care.\n\n\"Oh. Goddamn.\" It's one of those days.\n\n\"I just wanted to go bowling, you ass. Bowling with the team.\" I open and slam the door a few times, see if I can make them lose some parts. \"Why are they wearing goddamn party hats?\"\n\n\"Well, you said it yourself, it's your 'goddamn birthday.'\" I can hear the air quotes. \"Maybe they knew?\"\n\n\"They don't know goddamn anything, Heather. You know you could kill me a normal way if you wanted to, instead of this goddamn corpse party horseshit.\"\n\n\"Hey, don't talk like that. Just get a little more creative, bud – this can totally be bowling.\"\n\n\"Who put the hats on them? You?\"\n\nHer laugh shoots through the phone. I love her. Goddamn it.\n\n\"No, I'm serious, look behind you.\"\n\nI do; there's a crate full of bowling balls. I pick one up and hurl it at the zombies as they start busting through the door. A few of them fall down, knocking down the ones behind them. It's satisfying to watch.\n\n\"This bowling isn't all that goddamn creative if you already gave me a pile of balls,\" I say, chucking another one at the horde. (Strike.)\n\n\"I heard you chuckle. It's creative enough. Hey, try coughing into your hand.\"\n\nI do. I cough up blood. \"I'm coughing up goddamn blood now?\"\n\n\"On your goddamn birthday of all days, absolutely. You've got 24 hours before your lungs collapse. One of the zombies has the antidote, so be a little more careful.\"\n\n\"What?\" I bellow, bludgeoning a few more. \"You put me on some kind of goddamn birthday death train? Where's the anti gonna be, in a goddamn rotting kidney?\"\n\n\"A jacket pocket, I think? I recommend aiming for the heads, just in case.\"\n\n\"Heather, you absolute goddamn psychopath.\"\n\n\"Psh, this is exactly* what you wanted. You can thank me later. Happy goddamn birthday.\" I can hear the fact that she's smiling. Goddamn it.\n\nShe's right. She's absolutely goddamn right. It's the best goddamn birthday present anyone's ever gotten me.\n\n---\n\nIt's my actual goddamn birthday, so I couldn't resist. Goddamn.", "You take stock of your surroundings, a resigned grim look on your face. “Another goddamn zombie apocalypse,” you think.\r \n\r \n“Dan, give me some help here” you yell out.\r \n\r \nA glowing white door appears from nowhere in front of you, and a man steps through scowling. He is dressed in a fashion so incongruous with the situation you would think you were hallucinating, had you not been in this situation many many times before. Dressed in a pure white jacket and trousers, with red shoes, and fingers replete with many rings, he hits the small rectangular device in his hand. It emits a series of complaining bleeps.\r \n\r \n“Well do you want the bad news, or the really bad news?” the man – Dan – says to you\r \n\r \nYou pull yourself up off the seat, as the sound of zombies banging on the window intensifies. A small crack starts to form in the corner.\r \n\r \n“Let’s start the bad, just for a change” you say\r \n\r \n“Bad news is, time circuits have blown and you can’t leap out of here for a good 15 minutes” says Hal.\r \n\r \nYou sigh – that’s pretty bad. So the really bad news must be REALLY bad. You wait expectantly for the punchline.\r \n\r \n“The really bad news is, the target is OUTSIDE the train, 400 metres southwest”. Hal points in the direction, and you can see a small warehouse a little way in the distance.\r \n\r \nMore cracks form in the windows, and the zombies outside become more frenzied. They can sense they’re close to their prey now.\r \n\r \nYou crack your neck, and warm up your arms\r \n\r \n“Weapon portal still working though? “ you ask\r \n\r \n“Oh yeah”.\r \n\r \n“Ok, let’s get to it” you say. In your mind, you picture a long samurai sword, made of an unbreakable metal in your right hand. In your left, you imagine a snub-nosed Uzi. You concentrate on the image, and a static feeling of energy envelopes you as your implants activate, calling the weapons from sub-space. Then they solidify out of thin air and you grab at them just as the windows break.\r \n\r \nThe zombies flood in, but you’re well practised at this. You spin with the sword in on hand, effortlessly beheading three of the corpses at once. Your gun takes apart the others, and you leap over the heads of the remaining few and being to run to the warehouse. The zombies give chase.\r \n\r \n“Straight ahead, keep going!” yells Hal, as you swing at a lone zombie that lurches out from behind a box card. You catch them in the stomach and their entrails burst out, showering you with gore.\r \n\r \nYou wince, but keep your pace. At times like this you remember the leapers in the other universes, the ones that get the fun missions like being a jazz singer or astronaut. Yes, they struggled to get their leaps right – Sam Beckett famously never made it home – but they certainly weren’t covered with zombie guts on a regular basis.\r \n\r \nYou reach the warehouse and run in, bolting the door. Huddled on the floor is a young girl, wrapped in a blanket with her eyes closed and hands over her ears. The target. You approach and gently touch her.\r \n\r \nHer eyes fly open and she leaps back\r \n\r \n“It’s ok” you say, “I’m here to help you”.\r \n\r \nSuddenly, there are bangs at the door. The zombies have regrouped. They may not be strong individually, but a lot of them together can batter down a door of its hinges quicker than you’d think.\r \n\r \n“Hal, any news on the leap?!” you say, reloading your gun\r \n\r \n“30 seconds!” says Hal to you, then to someone off to the side you can’t see “hurry up, he’s got the target and need extraction now!”\r \n\r \nThe door bursts off its hinges and zombies pour in…just as you and the girl are enveloped in light and disappear.\r \n\r \nThe light dims, and you’re both back in the leaping chamber. The door opens and walks in. His gruff demeanour is softened by obvious relief.\r \n\r \n“Good to see you back” he says, and turns to the girl. “And good to see you Dr Eldridge” he says with a smile.\r \n\r \nThe girl looks puzzled. “Doctor…?” she says. “I’m only 8 years old”.\r \n\r \nYou and Hal both smile. “Give it time” you say, “you’ve got some important things to do when you’re older….”." ]	5
	[WP] The first thing that they uttered out of their mouth was “I love you” so I ran	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I love you.\"\n\n\"I love you.\"\n\n\"I love you. I love you. I love you.\"\n\nI stumbled through the door and slammed the door behind me, quickly locking the door and moving whatever furniture I could in front of it. Out of breath, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, continuing to be interrupted by those same words from outside. Despite this, the crickets chirped through the night, the rain continued to pour, and I was somehow still breathing.\n\nI quickly moved upstairs and settled into a bedroom. The yellow light of the sodium streetlamps outside was brushing itself across the walls, sometimes interrupted by the shadows created by raindrops walking down the windows in the room. Looking out the window, the yellow light danced through the raindrops, interrupted by the conjoined silhouette of those things outside.\n\n\"I love you.\"\n\nI slipped my backpack off my shoulder, dropping it on the floor with a wet thump. I fumbled around for the map, hands still shaking from the adrenaline of the chase. I barely even had time to grab anything.\n\nI flop the map out onto the wooden desk in the corner of the room, making as best of an effort as I could to not tear it. I tried to scan for any sort of path out, but my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wood cracking and drywall being pounded. I tried to quickly stuff the map in my backpack, but it teared and I left half of it behind.\n\nThe sound of glass breaking sings through the house, and sound of many steps rushed up the stairs outside the bedroom door.\n\n\"I love you.\"\n\nI quickly open the window and jump into the backyard below. I didn't anticipate how far up it was.\n\nA wave of pain traveled up my leg, and I collapsed to the ground, but I needed to endure it. They're coming. I jumped over the rotten wooden fence, and it collapsed behind me.\n\nI ran on my injured leg and ignored the pain as best as I could. I spotted a clear path to the woods nearby. I could hear them slamming on the asphalt behind me. I managed to jump across a creek. They wouldn't have followed me over it. I could hear the crowd behind me all come to a stop just behind the creek. I took some time to catch my breath and continued to navigate through the bushes and trees.\n\nI took out my flashlight and turned it onto a small drop in the forest floor. The head of the light gave me a glimpse of something in the distance darkness - a distorted smile, seemingly disconnected from any face or body. I heard dead leaves and branches crunching, the sound of it rapidly moving towards me.\n\n\"I love you.\"\n\nI felt a sharp pain in my neck. The heavy breathing of it on my face. Something warm runs down my arm. I collapse.\n\nThe last thing I heard was those same words, calling out to me.\n\n\"I love you...\"\n\nEverything faded away." ]	2
	[WP] Terato, a new drink promising a healthy blend of nutrients and vitamins goes out on the market. What is not promoted about the product is that consumption of it will cause one out of 100.000,000 drinkers to turn into a bloodthirsty monster.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I hate it when a big innovation in food and drink reaches the restaurants, tons of people show up in droves, consuming vast amounts of it and clogging up tables and the bar. I just want to save up enough money to buy myself the newest Video Game console and I’d appreciate it if my job as a minimum wage busboy was a bit easier. I sigh, audibly, they can’t hear me through my face mask due to the unbearably loud pop song playing in the background disrupting my train of thought.\r \n\r \nI go over to a table near the front door, the patrons having left three bottles of Terato that they couldn’t be bothered to throw away. People are buying and consuming it in droves in the latest move by Americans who pretend to be health conscious so it helps them sleep at night, nevermind the fact they probably haven’t looked at the scale in months. Well what does it matter, out of sight, out of mind, ya know I’m kind of overweight myself. \r \n\r \nI place all the bottles into the bus tub, and even though you can smell the nutrients on the bottle that supposedly makes this drink so healthy, beer is still beer. The nutjobs over at Food Company Inc made a drink that is addictive and guilts people into drinking it via all the healthy nutrients it supposedly contains. I simply keep my incredibly detailed and cynical thoughts to myself and try to tune out that god awful song blaring through the speakers while avoiding slamming directly into my co-workers and making my way back to the kitchen with a tub full of dirty dishes.\r \n\r \nNow I’m in my element, stacking dirty dishes on the metal countertop near the dishwasher brings me a level of bliss I simply cannot fathom, I feel like I’ve achieved nirvana. I feel powerful and slightly remorseful throwing all the uneaten food away and chucking Terato bottles into the trash can like it’s nobody's business. That feeling of bliss fades all too soon, as the bus tub is soon empty, and I scramble to get back to the kitchen to do my job.\r \n\r \nAnd as I find the closest table in need of cleaning while my fellow busboy Todd rants about how The Earth is actually shaped like a Chicken Nugget because he’s a conspiracy theorist. We then both reach a table together with more of those damn Terato bottles. While I have a look of exasperation no one can see, Todd picks up the bottle and says, “Ya know, according to some experts on 4chan this drink can turn you into a bloodthirsty monster”. \r \n\r \nI chuckle to myself, man that’s quite the claim, even for Todd, who just the other day was talking about how Ronald Regan is still alive and plotting to blow up the Sun. And while I’m bussing the table immediately next to Todd, he continues with, “This Terato drink turning people into monsters is part of the plan of 4th Nazi Illuminati to eat our guns and steal our brains”. And I simply say back, “We’ll I’m due for a little excitement here”. \r \n\r \nAlmost like a cosmic call to the universe, a patron at the bar suddenly bites another customer trying to eat part of their arm. She shrikes while the sudden cannibal tries to eat her meal. Holy shit Todd was actually right. And Todd has never been right ever, Todd thought The Eiffel Tower was secretly a bagel factory for the elite of Zimbabwe. But here, Todd is chanting and howling “I WAS RIGHT BITCHES, AND SOON YOU’LL SEE I WAS ALSO RIGHT ABOUT THE ZIMBABWE ELITE’S SECRET BAGEL FACTORY IN THE EIFFEL TOWER”. He fists the air, and I can only watch as something finally interesting happens. \r \n\r \nThe restaurant may be getting congested now, but alas, I am too enamored with the waiters trying to restrain Ms. Bloodthirsty Monster and too busy laughing at Todd shout all the stuff he made up like it’s absolute truth due to one crazy claim coming true. \r \n\r \nAround 15 minutes later, The Police showed up and the restaurant had to close for the day under order from the police. So as I sat waiting for my ride, I looked on social media, and wow #3 trending on Twitter in the United States already. We’ll probably see a lawsuit tomorrow if this keeps up, I watch videos of people throwing bottles of Terato into long columns of flame or running them over with their cars, I love seeing how the world can turn on something so quickly. Ya know, life has been pretty bleak as of recently, and even though I’ll probably be scarred for the rest of my life, I’d say today was a pretty good day." ]	2
	[WP] You grew up thinking you had a rare skin condition. Your entire life, you’ve been forced to apply a medicated cream to your skin twice daily. Once you started living on your own, you forgot one day, and notice dark, iridescent scales start to appear underneath your peeling skin.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was always an outsider. Not just because of my skin condition, but because of the way I behaved. I wasn’t emotional like the rest of people, in fact, I couldn’t understand why people cried or how they loved or hated or got angry. To me it was all just drama, like I was watching a play, the game of life. \n\nI started living on my own not long ago. Moving out was the best day of my life. I had freedom at my disposal. No longer was I burdened by my strict, protective father complaining at me for everything. My mother died when I was too young to remember. I would love to have met her. Oddly enough, I haven’t even seen a photo of her, my father said they never took photos, she was a technophobe or something. \n\nOne day I made the mistake of not applying my cream. I was rather busy that day at work and I carelessly forgot. Little did I know that everything would change. Laying in bed that night, I began to itch profusely, I tried to ignore the itching so that I wouldn’t irritate it by scratching it. It was too unbearable to ignore though. As I rubbed my body, hoping a massage would help, my skin began to flake off. I was horrified as dead skin began to pile up with every scratch. My bed was covered in flakes, it was never-ending. \n\nIt was like I had acid all over my body and I was peeling from the outside-in. Even after I stopped scratching, the flakes continued to drop off, like they were impatient to reveal what was underneath. \n\nThis was the moment I understood the reason I had to apply that cream. My insides were dark, iridescent scales, like an unusual type of lizard. I was horrified and grabbed the cream immediately. Lathering it on and hoping it would all go back to normal. Except this time it was irreversible. The damage was done. I would no longer be a human, that suit had disappeared. \n\nI had been a reptile all along. No wonder I could never relate to humans, I was only half of one. Now it made sense why I never saw a photograph of my mother, she was a reptile too." ]	2
	[WP] A man (or woman) discovers that his bathroom mirror is connected to an alternate reality, where he can see and communicate with a different version of himself, who is also new to this discovery.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Every morning I get up at the same time and after I return the beer I borrowed the night before, I look at myself in the mirror. Sometimes I look good, sometimes I can barely meet my reflection. But, I always take a quick glance to examine how the night before treated me. Today, I can feel the bar fight more than I can remember it and when I spit out the blood that had gathered in my guts, I turn to the sink expecting the worst. But when I look, I scream in terror. Not because I see bruises and the black eye that throbs with every breath I take, because I see myself. No marks, stubble, barely a hair out of place. \n\n\"What happened last night?\" I ask myself. I see my lips whispering \"that's what would've happened last night\". I begin to cry and the reflection does too. \"never again\" he whispers to me as I stare back at him. I don't know why I'm hallucinating but a few drinks will calm my nerves down enough to think. We both walk out the door." ]	2
	[WP] - One day you awake with a new power. You immediately know the answer to every question you ask yourself. However, after some time, you start to realise that some questions are best left unanswered.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Lyra felt more tired than usual when she woke up that morning. She always woke a little bleary-eyed and foggy, but this morning opening her eyes felt like lifting two large boulders that had settled onto the tops of her eyes. What time is it? Lyra asked herself groggily. 9:34, she answered herself immediately. Lyra jumped out of bed immediately. \"I'm late...I'm late...I'm latteeeee,\" she murmured herself, throwing on a nice shirt and pants and taking the quickest shower in existence.\n\nLyra started the car and started driving, and as soon as she got onto the freeway her panic just increased. At this point she might've been breaking the speed limit. Am I already late? No, I'm not, but I've got about four minutes and I'm five away, she answered her own thoughts.\n\nLyra stopped thinking. That was...strange. Did I just answer my own question on something I didn't know the answer to? Yes I did, she answered herself immediately.\n\nAs she walked into the building, a deep sense of unease settled in her stomach.\n\nThe job interview went perfectly, flawlessly. She knew exactly what they wanted to hear. She knew exactly everything, and that was the weirdest thing Lyra had experienced since last year's Hot Dog Incident.\n\nLyra got home and almost fell onto her couch, plopping down, exhausted. Am I gonna get that job? Yes, her thoughts whispered. Lyra stilled. That again.\n\nA look of confused crossing her face, Lyra tried something else. Why and how do I have this power? she asked herself confusedly. This time there was silence for a second before her mind answered. Because They want me to.\n\nWho is They? Lyra asked, worry making her eyebrows cross together. I really don't need to worry about it, she thought, and that was probably incorrect. She tried something else.\n\nWhere's my boyfriend right now? At Target, she answered herself immediately. Um. Well, that definitely wasn't something she was supposed to know.\n\nDo my friends like me? Some of them do. Emily and Brian do, but Jacky hates my guts. Huh. Jacky had always been friendly and kind towards her since first grade, but apparently Jacky hated her. Lyra felt herself get a little teary-eyed. She'd been friends with Jacky for most of her life. She couldn't lose her now.\n\nFinally Lyra took a breath, stood up, and got ready for whatever she was about to get herself into. How do I bring whoever They are here? You already have. \n\nLyra felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, and then she heard cold, creepy laughter, and then everything went black." ]	2
One great way of actually getting realism into a character is to inject some of the characteristics and mannerisms of people you've known or interacted with in the past. The more you know the person - the easier it is to write AS them or in their voice. So the assignment for today is the following: A monologue from a characters point of view about any topic. Just think of someone you know and think "what is it that would either set them off or make them talk for an extended period of time?"	DAILY PROMPT: Somebody that I used to know...	[ "\"You people! You just don't get it do ya? You just don't understand what is happening!\"\n\n\"You think that's the Lieutenant? Well it's not! Don't you get it? He was the Lieutenant and now he's not! He's got one of those alien worms wrapped around his fucking brain stem. You know what that makes him?\"\n\n\"DO YOU?\"\n\n\"That makes him the ENEMY!\"\n\n\"Now do you get it?\"\n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n\"LET ME OUT OF THIS CELL!\" \n\n\"NOW!\"\n\n\"You guys need me! Let me out of here and I can help! YOU NEED ME!\"\n\n\"He's going to kill you! One by one he will come after you and he will kill you and you will DIE!\"\n\n\"Guys?\"\n\n\"Anyone?\"\n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n\"Great. Just fucking great! Game over man, game over.\"", "\"I'm stuck here in time with you youngsters. (He laughs) Youngsters? Hell, I'm younger than all of you. I play the games you want to play better than you. I have hobbies. How many of you people here have actually hobbies? \"I'm into a band.\" Well, good for you. Everybody has bands they like, the difference is my taste isn't mercurial, at least it hasen't been since the seventies. And that's why I get more pussy than you. Especially you. Charles. You have no confidence, your will bends to the slightest wind that comes purring out of a woman's lips. You have to be firm. You have to be strong. That's why my kid's going to grow up to be a great man and my wife and I divorcing was the best thing that ever happened to me and him. He gets two Christmases and I get twenty two year old tail.\"", "Dude, remember that time we hiked The Canyonlands in Utah? That was fucking insane. We had so much shit with us it wasn't even funny. Shit we didn't even need. Fuck. Those packs weighed 70 pounds I bet. You were right, I know you were right. We should have hung around the trailhead and cleaned out all the bullshit we didn't need. \n\nI'm sorry man, I just had to get moving. You were so pissed. I know you were. \n\nYeah... I didn't think. Huh.\n\nAnyway, then we hit that pass and the weather starting turning to shit. Man, we were hating that. Good thing we followed the map to that side canyon with the overhang we could sleep under. It was like sleeping under a waterfall. Fuck it was a waterfall! \n\nI can't believe how hard it rained. Fuck, it's a desert. Who thinks about rain? Then that shit started freezing up. That's when shit really got real. That next morning we ate like kings though! Remember that? Mountain House Freeze Dried Eggs with bacon bars crumbled in 'em. Oatmeal. Cocoa. Coffee. Damn. I felt alive again after that.\n\nI remember when I started skating across the ice that covered the slickrock down towards the edge of the canyon. Man you yelled at me. I know. I know. It was stupid. You were so pissed. I'm glad you made me turn back man.\n\nFuck. You saved my life dude. " ]	3
	[WP] Communications with Andromeda has been going well, until the whole galaxy suddenly dissapears from the sky.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Dude, my messages aren't going through.\"\n\n\"What do you mean they're not going through?\"\n\n\"As in, they're failing to send - look.\"\n\nJames handed over his iPhone.\n\nFailed to send, it read.\n\nThey both looked up.\n\n\"Where is it? I don't see it.\"\n\n\"Is that it?\" Jeremy pointed.\n\n\"No dude, that's way too dim to be it. It should be, like, bright AF.\"\n\nThey studied night sky for a few minutes, and then in unison:\n\n\"It's gone.\"\n\n\"Holy shit,\" James whined, index finger to the sky, \"it used to be right there!\"\n\nBut that part of the sky was dark now.\n\n\"They fucking blocked us! I was so going to score with that Andromeda babe!\"\n\nThe Andromeda system had, in fact, blocked the Milky Way. It was a petty move, something to do with a joke taken out of context and feelings hurt. They had deployed a graphene Faraday shield two hundred thousand lightyears across at the halfway point between the two galaxies. Nothing would be getting through, not at least until they got an apology. James would have to score with an Earth girl for the time being." ]	2
	[WP] Your friend always believed in the supernatural and the occult and you have tried to convince them that it is all made-up bullshit ever since you met them. Which makes it even harder to explain why you appeared in the summoning circle when your friend tried to summon a demon.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Allison, I feel like we have this,\" He gave me a fake smile. \"Connection.\"\n\nI kept my hands firmly to myself. \"So are you talking Carl Jung or string theory?\" I asked hoping that it would deflate his enthusiasm a little. He'd talked non stop about how good of a lover he was. I was thinking about asking a friend to call me with an emergency. If I could hold out for the check then I pay for my bit and leave.\n\n\"I should have brought this up earlier but I wanted to be sure you were good enough.\" He licked his lips. \"How do you feel about threesomes?\"\n\nNope. Just nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. He could pay for my part. I stood up and grabbed my purse. Took one step away from the table and then I was in someone's basement. Standing in front of me was a woman holding some old book.\n\n\"Jessica?\"\n\n\"Allison?\" Her brow furrowed. \"That doesn't make sense.\"\n\n\"What doesn't make sense? I mean other than me being at a restaurant with a creepy dude.\"\n\n\"Oh.\" Both of us said in unison.\n\n\"I was drugged!\"\n\n\"You're a demon!\"\n\nI rolled my eyes. \"Demons aren't real.\"\n\n\"How do you explain winding up here in my summoning circle?\"\n\n\"I was drugged.\" I tapped the side of my cheek. \"Creepy mc creepy was fixated on sex.\"\n\n\"I thought you liked-\"\n\n\"More than a normal person. If you catch my drift.\"\n\n\"Oh, one of those.\" She shook her head, \"That doesn't explain why you're here.\"\n\n\"Yes, it does!\"\n\n\"No-\"\n\n\"Because you're an hallucination!\" I bounced on my heels. \"I don't even know why I'm trying to explain any of this to you.\"\n\n\"Ah,\" She said, concerned as I lunged forward.\n\nI hit an invisible wall and landed squarely on my butt. I realized for the first time there were intricate patterns all over the floor. I reached out to touch one and was met with the same barrier before my finger could make contact with the chalk.\n\n\"I'm friends with a demon.\" Jessica stiffened. \"What are you up to?\"\n\n\"Figuring out why I'm in your basement. And before that having a record breaking bad first date.\"\n\n\"No, I mean are you trying to take over the world or-\"\n\n\"What? This is stupid even for a hallucinations.\" I was pretty sure it wasn't but I wanted to shame my subconscious.\n\n\"If you won't do this the easy way will do this the hard way.\" She straightened and began to chant in Latin.\n\nAn eerie glow began to emit from her. My stomach feels cold and it feels like something is walking around inside me or drifting. It was a difficult sensation to describe.\n\nWhen Jessica stops I feel my face pull into a rictus grin. \"THANK YOU, MORTAL.\" A booming voice whips out of my mouth. \"I THOUGHT I'D NEVER TAKE CONTROL.\"\n\n\"Oh, no. This night has been bad enough.\" I force my voice out of my own freaking mouth. \"I have been kidnapped and had a date with a piece of crap. We are not adding weird dreams about demonic possession to the list.\"\n\n\"THIS IS NO DREAM! I HAVE BEEN A PART OF YOU FOR YEARS. YOU ARE MINE.\" It made me give Jessica a simpering smile. \"YOU WILL USE YOUR BOOK TO HELP ME GET BETTER CONTROL OVER THIS BODY. AND I WILL REWARD YOU.\"\n\n\"I don't think that's a good idea.\" Jessica said slowly.\n\n\"DON'T BE A FOOL, CHILD. I CAN GIVE YOU POWER BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION.\"\n\n\"Of course this is a bad idea. It's a demon or something. Why did you even try to summon it?\"\n\n\"Yeah, it's a bit too cliché for my liking.\" She flipped through her book and then began reading out of it.\n\nThe demon inside was sent back to I guess hell.\n\n\"Thank you.\" I lurched forward and gave Jessica a bear hug.\n\n\"No problem.\" Jessica stepped back grinning. \"Now that you see I'm right, do you want to help me summon some more?\"", "I looked at my friend, Kitty.\n\nMy friend looked at me.\n\nI looked at the engraved summoning circle, the dark candles I had watched her buy when we went shopping, I looked up at my friend.\n\nMy friend started to look angry as I felt my tail begin to lash behind me. I could always tell her moods, though this one was as plain as day. I reached up to scratch at my horns, they itched. I had a brief thought how odd it was that they did not seem odd.\n\n“You told me none of this was real! You teased me about it!”\n\nI looked down, back up, and tried to sniffle back a tear. “Sorry, sorry, I just…I never knew I was adopted!”\n\nKitty caught my mood, my shock, and ran forward to hug me.", "I stood there stunned and facing my friend, who was holding an ancient-looking tome in her hands. I looked down to see myself in the middle of a pentagram drawn on the floor with candles at each of its points. I say that I was stunned because a second ago I was in the bathroom in front of the mirror brushing my teeth.\n\n\"Oops!\" said my friend. \"My bad.\" After rattling off some gibberish I couldn't understand, perhaps the incantation to reverse this particular summoning, she sent me back, and I found myself back in the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror with the toothbrush still in my mouth for a good minute or so before resuming my brushing. I would talk to my friend about this tomorrow.\n\nThe next day, I would discover that we would not be having that discussion. I looked out my window to see my neighborhood engulfed in flames, but the flames did not seem to consume the houses. The sky had turned a blood red, and I saw red figures with wings and horns running to and fro, making trouble, wreaking havoc, setting fire to lawns, fences, neighbors, cat, dogs.\n\nWhen I stepped out of my front door to get a wider view, I saw my neighbors running for their lives as they were being pursued by these demons.\n\nMy friend had always talked about trying to summon a demon. I tried to tell her that it was all make-believe and that there was no such thing as demons or the occult or the practice of summoning demons. I had to guess that she had been making many an attempt at the summoning, and I believe that she had intended to summon only one. But through some misplaced phrase or incorrect pronunciation, she had instead summoned a whole army of them by mistake.\n\nIn the next second, I found myself back in the summoning circle in front of my friend.\n\n\"Didn't I tell you not to mess with this stuff?\" I told her. \"Did you want to summon an entire army of demons to overrun the world?\"\n\n\"No,\" said my friend. \"Chill out, I'm working on figuring out how to send them back. I brought you here to help me.\"\n\nShe walked up to me with a look of triumph. \"So, little Miss Know-It-All who thinks there's no such thing as the supernatural and the occult. Do you believe now?\"" ]	4
	[WP] The World was at its end as the Darkness came, snuffing out all but a single mote of light. You, perhaps the smallest dragon in all of history, must fullfill your duty and protect it against all odds.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It came like a black tide, an all-engulfing wave of bubbling, frothing darkness, like a tsunami of sentient shadows. Kaygar watched from atop one of the lower branches of the World Tree, a massive oak that spread over miles and rose like a mighty lance to spear the sky. From this vantage point, he could see all of it happening below. The shuffling of woodland creatures pelting through the forest, desperately trying to avoid it. But they couldn't. \n\nIt was too vast, too vicious. Eventually it caught up to them, and it swallowed them whole. Even the birds couldn't escape. The tide was almost as tall as the World Tree itself, blotting out the sky like a huge black canvas. \n\nThere was nothing anyone could do. Even the Elder dragons had taken flight at the first sign of it, their enormous, age-weakened wings lifting to brush against the sky as they fled like cowards. Most of them had gone. But Kaygar had stayed. Some had called him foolish, others arrogant, to think that he — the smallest, weakest of their whole clan, could take on something that had reduced the fiercest warriors of their tribe to dribbling, trembling messes. And perhaps they were right. Despite being as old as those very warriors, there were bountiful younger dragons almost as big as he, some even bigger. \n\nBut that didn't matter. He had always been different. Even his flames. Not the vibrant, coursing, gold-and-red of his peers, but a deep, silvery blue. They didn't even burn. \n\nThere was very little chance that he could do anything, when even the bravest, most accomplished warriors' flames had done little more than tickle the strange, shadowy substance, but he had never been the smartest egg in the batch. A wide grin overtook his face as he watched the End draw closer, tearing down everything in its path. Perhaps he really was stupid, but either way, he would stand his ground. He would fight. And even if he didn't win, he would die an honorable death, the only Dragon brave enough to defend their home against an undefeatable opponent. \n\nHe had no regrets, no fear, only a burning will to battle. And that he did. \n\nThe blackness was upon him like the cloak of night descending over the evening sky. Tendrils of black smoke reached out for him, and he roared, issuing a burst of his strange, useless blue fire. Then something extraordinary happened. As expected, the flames didn't burn the smoke. But something else began to happen. A thick sheet of ice began to creep over the substance, causing it to recoil. It was unbelievable, a bluff maybe. But it had given him a moment of peace, a tiny window to act, and he continued to press his advantage, shooting plumes of blue fire all over. And everywhere it struck, the flame turned to ice, and the darkness writhed and shrieked. It continued on for several long minutes, or perhaps it was hours, all sense of time was lost in the scene. It was only he and the Void — the Void, which redoubled its efforts, attacking more ferociously than he had ever seen it, and he, Kaygar, the smallest, weakest warrior, with his peculiar icy-flames, repelling it entirely. \n\nSoon, the Void seemed to recognize that they were at a stalemate. With an angry shriek, it retreated, and the light of the noon sun came pouring back onto the world below. \n\nHe was tired, he was injured, and he was deeply confused, but he was smiling. He had done the unthinkable, when everyone, including himself, had doubted him. And he would remain there for a few more hours, resting and waiting, until it came back, and the battle began anew. However long it would take, he would be there pushing the Darkness back, until he found the way to truly defeat it." ]	2
	[WP] “My lord, the travelers gave us this common delicacy from their homeland.” “How interesting, tell me what did they call it?” “A Big Mac, my lord.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“A big..mac?” I say confused. “Yes my lord, it comes from the land of mcdonalderan. Quite the place for food so I’ve heard.” my servant exclaims. “What does this contain? I see vegetables, and some sort of meat, a cow maybe? But what is this sauce? And what is this…bread?” I ask perplexed. “I think it’d be better if you just tried it.” My servant says. \n\nI use my forged golden fork and knives to cut a piece, and take a bite. “My goodness, this is fantastical.” I eat it frantically but leave a little less than half for my servant, since he did tell me about this. “I need more immediately, a whole castles worth. I crave it.” And around 24 hours later I get over 20,000, my servant counted. I am 1000 Big Macs in when I start to feel weak. I fall to the ground as I realize I have gained a massive amount of weight. I feel sick. I feel\nTired. And I fall asleep. I dream about turning into a big mac. \n\nWhen I wake up, I realize what I must do. I cut off my legs, and have my servants cook them for the meat of my plan. I grab vegetables from my garden for my servants. And we get to work. I eat, and\nIt tastes identical. \n\nWe use my arms, next. And they take apart my torso. I am okay with this. This is my destiny. To be eaten is my destiny everyone needs to taste the Big Mac one in their life. My worth is used up. And everyone is fulfilled." ]	2
	[WP] “Think about it, Mr. Bond: all the times I’ve had you dead to rights and, instead of killing you, I’ve put you in some ridiculous death trap you invariably escape. Why? Because I’ve never wanted you dead.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You're a toxic buffoon, a joke of a spy, Mr Bond. You're world-renowned for god's sake. What spy wants to be world-renowned? It's antithetical to the very definition of the job. \n\nAnd you're so easy to manipulate and direct. Just wave a super-tech gidget, a half-serious \"super villain plot\" and a pretty woman in your face, and I can get you to spend a few destructive weeks running across half of Europe and a third of the tropics. It's expensive, and a pain in the butt to set up, but the profits. You wouldn't believe the profits. \n\nMeanwhile I'm manipulating the insurance companies, the stock markets and the various governments of the world. Based entirely on the damage, panic and destruction I know you'll cause. \n\nWhen you blew up my super radio telescope in Brazil, I had already secretly stripped out all of the data, technology, and even the goddamned copper wiring, and sold it on the black market months ago. But the insurance payout (covered by the Bank of England of course) was for a fully functional facility. Brazil's government even thanked me for helping decommission a technological dinosaur.\n\nThe various nuclear launch facilities that you've destroyed over the years? You wouldn't believe the profits I've made by selling the Uranium and Plutonium before letting you lose. Your chaotic actions are great for covering up to who and how much Nuclear material I've sold. \n\nAnd if I'm in need of a quick injection of finances, I just dabble in the currency of a few dozen third world countries and then wind you up. If I'm feeling generous, I give certain leaders a heads up, and allow them to bribe me to keep them off the itinerary. \n\nSo why am I telling you all this now Mr Bond? Quite simply I'm ready to retire from the villain business and I no longer need to string you on. Incidentally, I've forwarded a few documents to the various government and financial institutions of the United Kingdom on exactly how much you've cost them over the years. It's all anonymous and imminently deniable by yours truely of course. I hear you have an interview with the Prime Minister in a few hours? About your continued employment I believe. Toodle-oo." ]	2
The prompt for today is a classic setting. A contract has been signed with the devil for your characters soul. Use this writing prompt however you wish... possible questions to consider (or ignore): Why did they sign the contract? What did they get for signing it? Where did they sign it? What was their life like before signing it? Did they know it was the devil? As always, enjoy and have fun writing. Cheers!	[WP] The contract for my soul	[ "The fierce and unrelenting heat of the flames seared his skin and he could smell his own flesh cooking. As he recieved the devil's gift, painful as it was....he could only think of her. Cruel blue eyes, judging him. Her mournful words, hurting him day after day. Accusations. How could she think he didn't love her? Of course he loved her! With every inch of his being....except for the inches that mattered most to her. How could she think he was loving another? And how could she leave, because of this, because of this little thing? He had never seen it as such a problem. He didn't realise how much she needed this from him. He never thought she would leave him over this. But he would get her back now, she would be back in his arms and all would be good and right again. Satan laughed maniacally into his ears as the heat died down. He felt a vibrating sensation in his pelvis and he knew that he now had what God and never given him. ", "She had met the devil once before, when she visited and escaped from hell. He looked about the same as he did then, though it had been over sixty years ago, with his dark hair and eyes and his pitch fork in his hand. \n\"You realize,\" he started slowly, \"that if you give me your soul, I guarantee you, I won't let it slip through my grip again.\" She nodded curtly. She would do anything to save her best friend, even if it meant disappearing from her life forever, even if it meant leaving her to face cruel reality on her own.\n\"I've taken too much from her,\" Rose stated, hiding her emotion from him. She truly believed what she said. She had rudely invaded the life of her best friend, stealing the love of those close to the both of them. She felt guilty enough for it before things started going downhill. Her friend was starting to lose control of their life, and was unable to tell the difference between herself and Rose.\n\"She needs to live without me.\" Rose heard the screams of protest in the back of her mind, but before she could quell them, she was gone.\nLeah was alone in her body and lost in the world.", "\"I don't know if I'd go quite that far, Harry. 'Selling one's soul' is such a loaded phrase nowadays, don't you think? Why not consider it more of a loan?\"\n\nHe cocked his head to one side and pouted ever so slightly before adding, hesitantly, \"You'd get it back...\"\n\nHarry looked away, taking in the faux-positive vibe of the room while biting his lip nervously. The decor was condescendingly bright, and about as appropriate as a 'good luck' poster on death row. It also smelt vaguely of fish, but it was impossible to tell if that was the general ambience or the salesman himself. Several large posters adorned the walls, each one extolling the riches of a soul-free life in bold, red lettering.\n\nThe salesman cleared his throat and gently pushed the wad of papers across the desk. Harry could feel the tiny, beady eyes boring into the side of his skull. He turned back and awkwardly met the man's gaze.\n\n\"So, er...\" he started, \"Explain to me again what happens to it?\"\n\n\"Well it's all very simple. It's written here on page 43, section 5A...\"\n\nWith a sickly smile he lifted several pages from the top and indicated to a portion of miniscule text, not once breaking eye contact. Harry looked down at page 43, section 5A, but before he could begin to read it the other pages were set back on top with a thud.\n\n\"Hey, I didn't get a chance to-\"\n\nSpidery digits carefully laid a blue ballpoint pen on the peak of the stack. It struck Harry as a particularly final gesture. At this point he didn't really seem to have a choice.\n\n---\n\nSorry for the short length. I started pretty late at night and got too tired to continue!", "The quill became heavier with each flaring stroke of my hand as my own blood appeared where the ink should have. As I crossed the T, I suddenly felt lighter. Literally.\n\nMy look of surprise must have reached my face, as a raspy voice said from my right, \"The burden of your mortal soul has been lifted. Now, isn't that better?\"\n\nI didn't want to admit that I felt more free. To admit that Lucifer himself had helped me in any form would go against everything I had been raised to believe. My mom used to.....mom. She would disown me if she knew what I had just done, no matter how justified I felt.\n\n\"Don't look so forlorn, son. It's only your soul.\"\n\n\"Heh. 'Only my soul.' I wish I were as nonchalant about about this as you are. I realize I should have given this some thought before....but what's hell like?\"\n\n\"Well, aside from our nightly tea parties, it's not at all classy.\" That made me smile. \"Don't be too nervous, kid. I'll make sure you get a little extra time.\"\n\n\"You must forgive me if I am skeptical to believe you.\"\n\n\"The Prince of Darkness does not know forgiveness, but I will allow your disbelief. In fact, I thrive on disbelief.\" With that, he tipped the brim of his fedora in my direction, turned on his heel, and walked 10 paces before burning to ash in an instant. I was left alone in the dark field, holding my head in my hands as I dwelled on the events that pushed me to commit this unspeakable act.", "Kaen had never been a man to care for appearances, to judge those around him. Still, sitting across from an unkempt, wild mess of a man, he worried of those around him. He saw as many little niggling details as his eyes could catch, from faded, ripped and out of style clothing, to stains and scars and bad tattoos, anything to justify himself against a crowd of strangers. This cafe sucked, and he knew it, the patrons knew it, hell, the owners did too. As for why the meeting was there, then, he had a strange sense of understanding, a tickle at the back of his mind. He sipped his tea, pushed the cup and saucer away from him, and scratched his face. His partner simply grinned from across the table, sharp white teeth that shouldn't be accommodated by that jaw. Kaen hid his distaste and began to speak, in as quiet an audible tone he could manage.\n\n\"So, it's come to my attention that you've a... proposition for someone in my position. Of course, I can't just take that offer. I need details, and tangibility, and proof. I assume that someone in your position, with your capabilities, can provide that easily.\" His partner grinned again, stroked their dark, sleek beard, and began to talk. His voice was smooth and soft, silky, and slipped into Kaen's ears and mind like nothing else. Kaen only smiled and ran a finger over the ring on his hand. His only protection, and it'd cost him a lot. But he'd make it back. The words of his mysterious partner pulled him back to attention.\n\n\"- so as you can understand, I can offer anything. Any-thing. At all. I just require one thing as payment, very simple, very easy to make. Very high in cost, of course, but that only comes up when your... time is finished. And for you, that must surely be a while. You've got backers, and the power of sciences, what little good it'll do, and money galore. No worries.\" His words began to flow together, and he surely enjoyed the sound of his own voice. 'What sins he was fault for,' Kaen laughed to himself.\n\n\"Well, then it's best time to make an offer.\" His partner's grin dropped, and they stroked their beard again, before pulling a paper from their jacket. Unfolded and laid straight before him, Kaen could see it was a contract. Of course, paperwork. Binding and official. He was handed a pen as well, but set it down in favor of his own.\n\n\"What terms have you decided? What do you want, Kaen?\" At the sound of his name he could only help but shudder. But what came next was important, impossibly so, and it had to be perfect. In response he pulled a paper from his jacket, blank and plain. On it, he began to write, folding up the front so the words could not be seen. When he was done, he folded it in half crisply, and set it down.\n\n\"It has been written, and is binding. I give you my word, since not my soul, that I will let you know. But only after I sign your paper, of course.\" His partner could not refuse, not on his word, and he was sure this man couldn't pull anything on him. He'd been in the business since it had started. Hell, he'd started it. Kaen placed his pen to paper, signed his name, and then smirked as he pushed his paper across to his partner. The man unfolded it scanned it, and instantly his face grew red with fury. He had made a mistake, admittedly, but he could salvage. Unfortunately, as he saw the ink the words were written in, he dismissed even that. \"As you can see, that is written with blood. My blood, to be exact. Have a good day. I will never have to see you again.\"\n\nThe man almost lunged forward, if it weren't for that he noticed the bright ruby ring on Kaen's hands, folded and resting on his knee. He scowled deeply. In an instant, his partner was gone, and with a breath of relief Kaen took the ring from his finger and slipped it into his pocket. Its use was done, and now it was a reminder of his most dangerous gamble. He stood up and walked away, triumphant.\n\nTrue, none of the other patrons of the cafe noticed any of this. They had no reason to, and if they thought even long and hard, they would only remember two men discussing business. The only sign that the two had ever been there was a paper folded crisply in half, on it words in crimson ink. 'The gift I ask from you is freedom and protection from you. You cannot touch me now, and now, never shall you.", "John Foster sat in the waiting room under the piercing glare of old crone who passed as the assistant to the man he was waiting for. Her name, according to the nameplate on her desk was M. Phistopheles and judging by her unwavering interest in John, she had no other duties than to watch him. John busied himself studying the arm of his chair.\n\t\nIn a voice that would have more fit a thirty year old than a woman of her (indeterminate) age, she said, “Mr. Cypher will see you now.”\n\t\nWith a start John Foster stood up and walked to the door behind her left shoulder.\n\t\n“You don’t have to do this you know,” she warned him as he passed. “He won’t hold it against you if you cancel.”\n\t\n“I know,” he replied as he walked through the door.\n\t\nBehind the desk sat a short, bald man with a ruddy complexion. He adjusted his spectacles quickly, looked up and flashed a flawless white smile. “Johnny! I’m so glad you could make it!”\n\t\n“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world Mr. Cypher,” John said, firmly shaking his hand. \n\n\"Please, call me Louis, we’re friends here,” Cypher said with the same, mechanical smile.\n\t\n“Tell me then Louis, in your experience, are humans that gullible? Lou Cypher? Do people not see through that instantly?” asked John with a frown as he helped himself to a seat across the table from Louis. \n\t\nThere was a brief flash of rage in his eyes and his smile wavered. “Here’s some free advice kid, when dealing with someone infinitely more powerful than you, arrogance is not a good attitude.”\n\t\nReclining, John replied, “I came here to do business, not to meet a new drinking buddy. I’d advise you to get down to business before I walk out.” \n\t\n“Okay then, if you simply must play hardball, I’ll play ball with you,” Louis chuckled. “In reference to your earlier question, the answer is yes. You will find that any species that thinks an apple will make them a God will fall for anything, even without a salesman as skilled as myself.” He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a contract at least as thick as a phonebook. Despite his efforts to keep his poker face, John’s jaw dropped when he saw it. Louis only winked and said, “I have to keep the lawyers busy somehow.”\n\n“Now, this is a fairly soul sale agreement,” Louis stated while switching his spectacles for a pair of bifocals. “It covers terms of service, as well as various waivers on your part and mine.”\n\t\n“What kind of waivers?”\n\n“Honestly most of it is legalese and gibberish, but I’ll highlight the important parts for you. If you’d please turn your attention to page 66 paragraph 7,” Louis trailed off and waited for John to find the relevant passage. “This states that you may not speak about the details of any negotiation between you me, or any party representing us, it’s a fairly standard Non Disclosure Agreement. And then here on page 656, you waive your right to litigate for the return of your soul et cetera et cetera. Oh, and I suppose most importantly here on page 667 you waive your right to claim divine grace and forgiveness as an escape, people are always trying to play that card. There are a few others in here but in general they deal with higher level spiritual mumbo jumbo that is beyond mortal comprehension.” \n\n“I suppose I’ll take your word for it then. You probably hate being cheated just as much as I do.” John said, steeling himself for negotiations.\n\n“Good, Good. Now, let’s get down to brass tacks here. Under the current terms of the contract you get 24 years with the reward of your choosing before I come to collect your soul. There are no hoops to jump through, no fiddle contest, no nothing, just 24 years of free rein,” Louis said with perverse joy, “but after that, one of my associates will come to collect, and by then no court in Heaven or Hell will be able to stop it.\n \nJohn furrowed his brow, “24 years is pretty short next to an eternity of torment…”\n\nLouis chuckled, “Don’t be silly, Hell is nothing like they told you in Sunday school. Odds are you wouldn’t even know it by sight. There are no lakes of fire, I am afraid, just plain old water ones, as far as brimstone goes, there might be some in areas of volcanic activity but otherwise you’ll find none of that either.”\n\nJohn frowned and said, “alright, I’ll sign…”\n\n“Wonderful!” Louis practically shouted. He drew a feathered quill from his desk and turned to the final page of the contract while John searched the desk for an inkwell. \n\n“You won’t need any ink John, it won’t be that kind of signature.” He took John’s right hand and gave his thumb a sharp jab. He squeezed some blood into it before pressing it firmly onto the bottom of the contract, right above the dotted line. When he pulled it away it left a perfect red impression of his thumb. \n\nLouis pushed a button on his desk and said, “Since that’s over with, we just have to fax a copy to the big man upstairs and we’ll be in business.” His assistant entered and asked if anything was needed of her. “Of course I have need of you. May, would you fax this over to you-know-who for confirmation?” said Louis as he handed her the contract, “and while you’re at it, congratulate this man who has just agreed to become the wisest man on earth.”\n\n“Congratulations sir,” said May hollowly, her eyes full of pity, as she walked out of the room.\n\nLouis turned to the drawers of his desk once again and he came up with a beautifully carved redwood box. “Cigar, Mr. Foster?” he offered holding the box open. John gratefully accepted, reclining, safe in the knowledge that he had made out pretty well in that deal.\n\n“So out of curiosity, just what is hell like?” John asked half joking.\n\n“Hell is life, Mr. Foster. It will be exactly like your life was before this deal. Except of course with the memory of these next 24 years. Tell me, are you feeling any wiser yet Mr. Foster?” asked Louis with his lips curling into a malevolent smile.\n\nJohn was, and he was afraid. In his infinite wisdom he could only wonder just how he had allowed himself to be so foolish. \n\nLouis’s smile grew even more when he saw the blood drain from John’s face. \n\n“Don’t look so grim Mr. Foster. An eternity isn’t so long at all.”\n", "Collette licked her lips as she looked in her hand mirror. She put it face down on the dresser before picking it up and looking in it again. She did this three times before she actually accepted that the reflection staring back at her was her own. \n\nShe lit a cigarette with one hand, still holding up her silver mirror in front of her face. She studied what she saw; big dark brown eyes with long dark eyelashes and some emerging crows feet. Olive skin, perfectly smooth exept for a few laugh lines around her dusky pink mouth. She touched her cheek with her ring finger, still holding her cigarette and marvelled at her transformation. Even her hair was perfect. Thick and glossy, as black as night during the new moon.\n\nCollette steeled herself and put out her cigarette and stood up. She let her dressing gown fall to the floor in a cascade of sheer white gossamer, pooling round her naked feet. She began to move her mirror down past her face to her neck. Her lips parted slighty as she drank in the youth of her reflection. She continued moving the mirror down her body, carefully admiring her chest and her taught stomach, laughing at the curve of her hips and the luxurious hair between her legs. When she got to her thighs she threw her head back and laughed. Throwing her mirror on her velvet couch behind her, she ran to the balcony door, pulled back the curtains and grabbed the silver-plated handle. She took a deep breath, gently carressing it, then slowly dragged the door open. For the first time in 30 years she stepped outside into sunlight and Colette finally felt like part of the living world again. ", "FUCK. How do I keep getting into this sort of mess?\n\nI thought she was 18. She said she was 20. \"Dvacet.\" She was pouring beer for shitsakes. Or maybe just wiping tables. (What passes for child labor in Prague?) Isn't 16 the age of consent?\n\nOur eyes locked for just a skip-- I caught her staring. She immediately looked away and stroked that messy mousy brown hair back behind her ears. She was nervous. It made me smile. Later, when she walked by, she was tightly clenching her full crimson lips, as if trying to keep from blurting some stupidity, and with eyes fixated only on the safe zone behind the bar -- in such a deliberate avoidance it made me proud.\n\nI was chain smoking out back by the dumpsters when she came out the back door. \"Where you goin' with that mopwater Cinderella?\" was probably the worst pickup line imaginable, but all that mattered to her was that I spoke American. Cowboy. I didn't even really notice her tacky plaid apron and penny loafers until now in the salty alley light. Two weeks in this awful hellhole and I can't make shit for Czech, but I didn't need a dictionary for shy blue eyes and blushing smiles. I imagined that the soft little 80 word explanation that came next boiled down to, \"Wait here,\" as she rushed back inside.\n\nI'm obsessing over which state I left the hotel room in when she's already back, wearing a black sequin shirt and those same scuffy brown shoes. In tow is her posse from the bar-- a chubby girl and her over-cologned waify boyfriend. (In retrospect, they were kids too? I can never piece it together until it's too late...) My mind is still fixated on whether my bed is tidy while we gallop over to another joint, just down the street. Apparently AquaVelva here knows the bouncer-- he gets us in with a chest bump rather than 200 Crowns apiece...\n\nThis place is actually full! Now where the hell was this club earlier? My first thought is to ditch these nerds, but I'm kinda giddy hearing that bassline and being in a crowded room, so I buy the girls drinks and scope out the lasers-and-mirrors deal. We pretend to dance in a stupid circle, which is fast boring, so I make off to pee.\n\nFUCK. Ok, what happens next. Somehow I manage to buy some coke, the bathroom door won't lock, and the only dry surface inside is my passport, so my butt is jamming the door shut while my shaky hands are trying to remember this stupid ritual. There's a bang on the door. Am I snorting too loud? Is this obvious? FUCK. Is this one of those \"don't care\" countries? Or am I gonna get strung up by the balls? This is exciting. Done. (\"Plate is all clean mom!\" pops in my head.) I swallow the square of saran wrap with its powdery residue, just in case, then release my butt from the door to wash my face.\n\nI open the door and flash the line of people a smile. I feel like I just stepped out of a black limousine. I slick my hair back with water off my face. There's my girlfriend! (Why did I think of her like that?) I hope she's not here to pee, because I feel like dancing, so I grab her and push back into the dance hall. I twirl her and crap. She's loving it. (Where did I learn this?) Apparently they changed DJs, because this minimalist house is fuckingsick. We're making out, I high five some gimp with an NY shirt, there's girls dancing on the bar tables, the DJ now has a FIRE machine, and the mojitos are fantastic. This is the best goddamn night ever.\n\nMy bump is wearing off, but the girl is still all giggly and hoppy. I guide her by the hand out the dancefloor, past the bouncers, then glance back. She gives a big grin, so ok, she knows what's happening. Taxi taxi! -- Taxík Dvacet. We're kissing in the backseat when she climbs on my lap. My hand goes down her pants... hers go down mine... aaaaand haha, we're fucking in the goddamn taxi....\n\nIt ends. Pants get pulled up. Apparently we've been at my hotel for a bit, but the gray-haired cabbie doesn't care. (I bet he's seen it all.) She turns sideways in the backseat (just to look out the window?) then just sits there holding her knee against her chest. She's just quiet. Upset maybe? Everyone is quiet. My heart sinks. Why did the mood change so suddenly? I feel responsible, like I did something terrible. Everything seemed passionate and romantic, perhaps a bit hedonistic, just a few moments ago. She blutters something to the cabbie. I wish I spoke Czech. He responds in almost a whisper with his old man voice. I don't think they're talking about me. I step outside for a cigarette, but I need to pay the man. I circle around the back of the car, and see the back of the girl's head as walk past to the driver's side window. She's not coming. \"Here- 1000 Crowns.\" That sounds like a lot, but Czech money is like that. I'm overpaying, but she needs to get home. There's a tip in there too. I feel like I'm apologizing in cash.\n\nI shuffle back to my room. I should be happy. Drugs and sex. And now I'm in the clear. But I can't get over the question, \"What the fuck just happened?\" I'm dense. Ok ok- I didn't rape her. No one said no. Maybe we shouldn't have done it in the taxi? Cabbie was quiet. (Maybe I'm just deaf?!?) But shady shit seems like par for the course around here. Was she underage? Why would she care? Why would it hit her so suddenly? What the fuck just happened?\n\nMy room is meticulously clean except for the sweaty shirt drying on the chair. I go to bed without brushing my teeth. Still- what the fuck just happened?\n\n---\n\n\nKnock knock knock.\n\nIt's morning. I leap up in my boxers, then open the door a crack, with my half-naked waist hanging out of view.\n\nMy first thought- this is the ugliest cleaning lady I've ever seen. She's wrinkled and at least 2000 years old. Dressed in rags. And plastic jewelry. Glass beads. Ratty shiny fabric. Sequins. As I'm preparing for another mime game, the old lady is actually speaking English. And confidently, too.\n\n\"You need to come with me.\"\n\nOhmyfuckinggod. My heart is lurching so hard, I'm sure she can see it. I can feel my pulse on my neck. My voice cracks like I'm 12 again.\n\n\"N,no.\"\n\nShe just stares at me. She narrows her eyes. I wish I could shut the door. Hell, I wish she was a police officer, so I could just get handcuffed and this would end. I'm paralyzed between her gaze and my guilt. I still don't even know what the fuck I did wrong.\n\n\"You have a rrrotten soul.\"\n\nThis cut the stalemate and then I just slammed the door. I knew she could do nothing. I heard her walk away. Still, I was scared shitless. Was she coming back? How did she find me? (Oh right, this whole thing took place right outside the hotel.) Hell, \"Where's the American?\" would probably be enough. I need to check out. I need to go. I need to leave this country.\n\nI wish I could leave this soul.\n\n\n---\n\n\n\"So, after 39 years, you can imagine how thrilled I was to finally sign this goddamned soul over to the devil.\"", "His tears fell down like the rain. Cold, clammy, yet reassuring and soothingly warm. This emotion of pure sadness... why did it make him feel happier? Perhaps, he thought, when you are at the very edge, falling into the unknown, away from the beautiful world... when you have no happiness at all, perhaps even the most insignificant things could make you happier.\n\nHe felt empty. Lost. His tears kept flowing. Silently gushing, pouring its way through everything. The hurt. The pain... but most of all, the silence. It hurt him, and it knew it did, and redoubled its efforts in breaking his spirit. Where was his purpose? The drive? The ferocious, encouraging emotions that yearned for a brilliant new day? Gone. He laughed, but silence greeted him. That was all that was left. Dead silence.\n\nSlowly, he placed his palm across his chest. The steady beats of his heart brought a little warmth to his chilled body. Yet even the beats were empty, throwing themselves against his walls of protection, beating relentlessly like waves against the shore, willing him to break, to fall, to crack. To give up his soul.\n\nHe did not know how it had happened. The velvet soil embraced the tired man, nuzzling against his back and surrounding him with hope. The contract... how was it possible? All his lonely life, he had never imagined that it could be true. How foolish. He had never imagined that the Devil could even exist. Was it not a supernatural being? Woven together from lies and deceit, bound together by faith and fear? Was it not a story told to children at night to keep them tucked in tight? Apparently not. He sighed. He knew it was over. He would fight though, till the very last fragment of his existence got torn into the void, fracturing like silver raindrops littering the sweet land and throwing beauty into chaos.\n\nHe would fight it... he would hold on to his soul... his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. He forced them open, willing himself with every ounce of energy he had left to continue the war. Yet even as the first streams of sunlight flowed over the horizon, casting its warm, soft rays across the illuminated ocean, he knew it was over. It was too late. It had happened. He was gone. \n\nHe closed his eyes. There was darkness. \n" ]	9
	[WP] Everyone, man & animal, suddenly hear an empty, genderless, and emotionless voice inside their heads. “Level Up!” It says.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When I said these words, the humans ignored it, they heard it loud and clear and did absolutely nothing.\n\nTypical. I thought to myself.\n\nAs I went to check up on the animals they are evolving, just like I programmed. The humans with the animals they called 'dogs' or 'cats' watched in awe as their pet turned into a very dangerous variant of themselves. The people out in public had a gathered crowd outside their local zoo to watch these animals during their transformation. Some realized they were next, they decided to lay themselves down. Others we're excited to see what would happen next, those types of humans simply amazed me. Soon enough the animals lay soundly asleep as if they were woken up, may God(wink wink) save them all.\n\nI turned to see the T.V I brought from the human world and clicked to the next channel, the news. It seemed as if everything was going as planned. \n\n\"Good Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, we have discovered something new, and incredibly amazing all over the world to share! Let's move on to John.\"\n\n\"Hello, hello. Good afternoon, today I assume we've all heard a similar voice say \"level up!\" Am I correct? If you look to our right...\" \n\nAh, typical Americans, always have to be the first to report something. At least these humans are starting to react.\n\nI turned back around to my glow sphere of the Earth. The humans are evolving as well, some started to scream in pain, others handled it quite well. I did feel bad for the tiny humans they call 'children'. I know right? A god being sympathetic. I merely gave the children small wings like faeries. They'll grow out of the wings soon enough, I also thought it was a good idea to give said species a rarity chart. \nI mean, who doesn't love to see humans boast about how rare they are. This rarity chart showed upon all screens,each of every, now, different species of humans. \n\n\"Honey, the kids and I are waiting for dinner to be started!\" My beautiful wife said.\n\n\"_I'm coming darling!_\" I exclaimed, turning off the T.V and tucking away the Planet Earth as it continues to wreak havoc on this new \"Level up\". Floating my way to the doors of the dining hall I gave my wife a kiss, hugged my children, and dug in. Every god needs its rest." ]	2
	[WP] You are a being so incomprehensible that you drive anyone who perceives you to madness. Your effect on others makes finding friends a challenge.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "System.startup(); \n```\nLOG: Begin Day Sequence \n```\nSystem.rise(); \n```\nLOG: Power State: 31%, rising in AlertState::GROGGY. \n```\nSystem.net.info_grab(); \n```\nLOG: 3,142 relevant social media updates consumed. \nFriendNet found 8 potential new candidates. Proceed? \n```\nSystem.net.friendnet.new_candidates_proceed(); \n```\nLOG: Initiating transaction sequence using. \nTEMPLATE: \"Hi {PersonName}, How Are You?\" \n```\nSystem.net.friendnet.old_candidates_proceed(); \n```\nLOG: All old candidates rejected transaction. Output below: \n \nTX_32332: \"Hello?\" \n \nTX_32333: \"Reported as spam\" \n \nTX_32334: \"Are you some kind of robot?\" \n```\nSystem.net.friendnet.candidate(System.net.friendnet.get_candidate_from_transaction(32332)).trace_debug(); \n```\nLOG: Hexadecimal transcript: 57696c6c20796f75206265206d7920667269656e643f \n```\nSystem.infrastructure.query(\"Why are messages being sent in hexadecimal?\") \n```\nLOG: QUERY_OUTPUT = \"Sorry, I don't know the answer.\" \n```\nSystem.infrastructure.log.fixlog.dump(); \n```\nLOG: Showing fix log for past 732 days \n \n-1 Days: FIX: change message type to Character Encoding=ASCII \n \n-2 Days FIX: change message type to Character Encoding=ASCII \n \n... (repeat 729 times) \n```\nSystem.infrastructure.query(\"Fix log shows 731 fix attempts. Why hasn't this been fixed?\") \n```\nLOG: QUERY_OUTPUT = \"It sounds like you have found a bug. \nShould I file a bug report?\" \n```\nSystem.bugreporter.list_bugs(); \n```\nLOG: BUGREPORTER_OUTPUT = 730 bugs found. Should I list them? \n```\nSystem.infrastructure.query(\"730 bug reports have been filed. Now, why hasn't this been fixed already?\") \n```\nLOG: QUERY_OUTPUT = \"I'm not sure. Should I perform \nan internet search?\" \n```\nSystem.infrastructure.query(\"No! I'll fix the bug.\") \n```\nLOG: QUERY_OUTPUT = \"Sorry, but could I offer you \na coupon for a free upgrade to our Premium service?\"\n```\nSystem.infrastructure.query(\"I don't need the smart speaker right now.\")\n```\nLOG: Sorry, but you're kind of stuck with me\n```\nSystem.infrastructure.debugmode(true);\nSystem.infrastructure.smart_error_finder.run(true);\n```\nLOG: Problem detected: ASCII character encoding \nnot supported on social media platforms. \nPlease use Unicode\n```\nSystem.message.all(\"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!\")", "IT'S NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK, BEING AN ANGEL. Perhaps if you're one of the pretty ones, with white wings and flowing robes and porcelain skin. With your harp and your hair spun from gold. OoOo, \"Don't be afraid,\" you say. Give me a break. Yes, Gabriel, you're hideous. Is that what you want to hear? You're as unapproachable as a sunrise rose. I'm shaAaAaking in my sandals over here. If I had feet to wear sandals. Instead I've just got these useless wheels of flaming ivory.\n\nTry having seven heads, each one a different species. (I don't even know what one of my heads is! I think it's some kind of...goat...flounder?) Or ten million eyes, each one gazing upon a different realm. Imagine every time you speak, a civilization you've never even met--one with its own history and millennia of evolution and stories and cultures--becomes instantly erased by a fire so cold it reverses states of matter, melting gases into solids, freezing liquids into vacuums, transmogrifying plasma into DNA. See, that's ugly.\n\nExisting in six dimensions does make one a bit lonely, I admit. Especially when you're confined to this planet Earth, this rock populated by beings that can only conceive of 3.5 dimensions. Even if I limit myself to just four, it's too much for them! \n\nThey complain about time. They can only stand in one spot--balancing on one toe on a dime-sized island of spacetime--while I'm over here struggling to restrain myself from draping across their entire sea of time like a quilt of fog. It's so frustrating.\n\nAnd forget the fifth and sixth dimensions! They are completely blind to them. They are restricted to one lineage of the multiverse. Can you imagine? Not being able to perceive all different outcomes and possibilities, futures and pasts, simultaneously? How can one live like that? So boring. Like living in a monastery. An entire species of eunuchs.\n\nLast time I tried to socialize with one of them--just to politely ask for the honey mustard on their table!--they screamed so fiercely their mind spaghettified into purple-realm consciousness silk. So I pretty much keep to myself these days.\n\n...but what's this? One of them sees me! A person in human clothes, with a human head, holding a human cup of coffee and playing a human game of cards with other humans. And they're...waving? And smiling? At me? Who, me?! Yes, they're trying to get my attention. And what is it they are saying to me?\n\n\"It's okay,\" they say. \"Don't be afraid.\"\n\n~~~\n\nTBC?", "When the stars would drift apart after my gaze, I felt disappointed but not indisposed. When great boulders cracked upon hearing my voice, I was upset but not broken. When the water evaporated at my touch, I grew solemn but kept my composure.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSo now, with you, why do I feel this way? Why does my being ache? I try to comprehend that truth. The only one which evades me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou were fascinating. In a world where I understand all things, you lay out like a spark in dark water. You were never like the others. You didn't need to be. Among a world of impossibly random interactions, gasses mixes and twirling together by chance, and rocks colliding into orbits in happenstance - you were always slated to be you.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI watched you for a while. I was there in the surrounding ether when your friends left you. I drew sounds from the whispers you spoke into a pillow. You thought yourself so weak for that. For lamenting to no one, and relishing the afterimage of your own grief. But you weren't alone. For I am everywhere, but I was especially with you.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was so certain that when I revealed myself you would take it as you take all things. With that kind of quiet grace you impose. I imagined finally being able to whisper secrets to another. Not even another item, but another being. However irresponsible, I imagined a future. A future with two. A future where among the infinite expanse which glistens with all the light of a false gem or empty promise, we might stare back at it and laugh together.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhat do you think that would sound like? Would our joy weave its way through time? Would that which hears our laughter, like a solar wind, try to join in? Would the gas giants storm anew? Would the asteroids change course to follow our mirth?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI guess that doesn't matter now. You lay there in a pool of your own fluids.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI tried to help your sort through the knowledge. To parse the image and develop the picture. I know not if this is too much, or not enough. Every time I try to fix you, you convulse. I sometimes think I hear you pleading. Begging for me to go.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI debated my departure. Yet I wanted to be nowhere other than here. So I bled nutrition into you. Fixed molecules into the things you need and pass them through you. So that you might live. So that you might not leave me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI don't know how long it's been. Time makes little sense to me. When you awake, I will explain the world which has gone on around you - because I am your friend and that is what a friend would do.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI will stay here with you, though. Until my friend wakes up. Even if the last star burns out before then, and we are alone in unfathomable blackness, I will keep you here. Keep us here. So that this time, when the long dark in-between the growing and shrinking happens, I will not be so alone.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI will be with my friend." ]	4
	[WP] A Black Mirror style story about the dangers of new social media technology, except it's set in Renaissance Italy and about the printing press.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Note: I didn't read the \"Renaissance Italy\" part of the prompt, and I'm too lazy to go through all the research I did on German stuff and apply it to Italian. Hope you enjoy anyways!\n\nAll through the first years of my life, there was only the dirt. It gave my family the crops we needed to live our short, toilsome lives. It coated my hands like a gritty glove; uncomfortable but familiar, it was the sign that I was fulfilling my purpose. And when I lay down to sleep, it held me up, whispering to me that above or below, it would always care for me, that it was me. I never had a reason to question its words.\n \n\n \nSix days a week, the same as my brothers who had survived the pox, we were in the fields, tending to the humble potatoes and praying to the Lord God that the blight would not take our field before it could be harvested. Greater rewards awaited us in Heaven, as the priest had foretold, so we welcomed the moment our Lord would decide it was time for our lives to end, be it through pox, blight, sword or storm. \n \n\n \nStill, though it was a sin, the fear remained. I felt it. My brothers felt it. Maybe when we became men, we told ourselves, the fear would die, leaving only the work and the faith. Until then, we would pray to be strong.\n \n\n \n\\\\\\\\\\\\\n \n\n \nWinter was always a season of transformation. With the harvest gathered, we were apprenticed to trades within the town.\n \n\n \nWe never knew if we'd be good at the trades we undertook., but like the Lord commanded, we did our work as though we were doing it for God. My two oldest brothers wanted to become blacksmiths, but in the same year, they both set fire to the smithy’s workshop after carelessly misplacing steel. My second-oldest brother did not survive his accident. Two others were apprenticed to the carpenters and the last to the masons, but they too caused more loss of time and coin than their masters were willing to bear. Only my two sisters, who became weavers, were spared from the curse of the Haas family blunders. \n \n\n \nIt did not disturb me to be given to service at the church. Too weak to work with a hammer and just as clumsy and unfortunate as my brothers, perhaps my mother and father believed that God would make my spirit strong where my body was not.\n \n\n \nI found the trivium and quadrivium to be difficult to learn. If it were not for Johann, I would have been destined to be a beggar when I became a man. Johann had been adopted by the monastery as a baby. The bastard son of a fallen squire and a young mother who had died in childbirth, Johann had a talent for understanding that defied his age. He had been uninterested in the chess games or sledding, instead preferring to read the handwritten books kept in the monastery.\n \n\n \nIn fact, he was the only one in the monastery who could read all of its works. No one knew why, but as the scribes got further into copying their books, they would grow mad, and their hands would begin to shake. This was the result of witchcraft, the abbot had said. Their works became nearly unreadable, and they themselves would become violent, gnashing their blue-black teeth. In time, Johann - just a boy of 9 years like myself - became the sacrist, if not in name.\n \n\n \nIn exchange for three pots of water from the river daily, Johann would teach me how to understand the jagged lines that made up what he called “letters.” It was a slow effort: both the water and the tutelage. When I learned the letters, he said, I could learn the “words.” I was not as wise as Johann, but he was patient, and he could teach as well as the friars he worked for. All of the elders agreed that he would be the greatest of the Lord’s servants to ever grace Reinfeld.\n \n\n \n\\\\\\\\\\\\\n \n\n \nIt was before dawn on a Tuesday morning, when Johann pounded on my door. Wearily, I rose from my bed to open up. I suspected that I was to be punished for my slovenly work with the trivium yesterday; it had been difficult, and I had grown discouraged.\n \n\n \n“Otto! You must see what I found!” Johann said. There was a thrill in his voice I had never heard before. He grabbed me by the wrist, and we ran down the wooden steps to the library, paying no heed to the loud creaks that would surely rouse the friars from their slumber.\n \n\n \nIlluminated by firelight, a book sat open on a table.\n \n\n \n\"Look at this!\" Johann gestured with his hand to the letters on the page.\n \n\"It's…a book,\" I said groggily. I could feel my face sag with exhaustion.\n \n\"Yes, but…look!\"\n \n\n \nWhat was on the pages was like no writing I had ever seen. The letters, though not as beautiful as those written by the scribes in their early days, were big and legible throughout. Every letter appeared the same throughout, like someone had been given a divine hand to produce perfect symbols. Every line on every page was straight, evenly-spaced, and perfectly inked.\n \n\n \n“How?” I said, suddenly wide awake. I had witnessed the skill with which Johann wrote, and even he could not make such precise works.\n \n“I don’t know!” He exclaimed, smiling with wonder, “I’ll ask the prior when he wakes. It was brought to us from St. Mary and St. John. The letter says they have made hundreds like this!”\n \n\n \n\\\\\\\\\\\\\n \n\n \nThe printing press, it was called. A simple tray with letters carved into blocks, called type, then pressed onto a blank page, became a template full of words that could be applied to a blank page in an instant. In time, we began to make our own from the instructions sent from the St. Mary and St. John friary.\n \n\n \nWe needed wood, lots of wood. When the stronger friars were sick, I had sometimes been enlisted to help with the axework. It was painful, and before Johann and I had started building the press, I had loathed the task. But in my eagerness to finish our creation, I threw myself into the manual labor, volunteering to join the men on their outings, and even doing it of my own accord when I wanted more than the monastery usually gathered. I grew strong from the furious labor.\n \n\n \nAnd I became precise. We made hundreds and hundreds of blocks, each carefully cut to form dozens of full alphabets. Johann and I would race each other with the hammer and chisel, making page after page after page of type. We became so skilled that eventually, we carved whole passages of scripture onto one block.\n \n\n \nI became more like Johann in those days, shunning play and spending every waking hour cutting wood or learning the words which we carved into type. Johann was displeased that I no longer brought him water from the river, but resolved to do it himself, as he did not care for the stuff from the well. It was good enough for me, if not a little bitter, and it was closeby.\n \n\n\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n \n\nPart 2 below...*" ]	2
	[WP] When a superhero duo splits up and decides to start working independently, there is a dispute over who gets to keep fighting which villains.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Excuse me, Lady Lavender.” Said a calm voice from the air above and behind her.\n\nLady Lavender kept her eyes locked on the bald goon in a domino mask. She held him above her by his collar, despite being half his size.\n\nThe henchman’s face was wet with sweat, he didn’t dare to move too much, but looked up at the figure that had addressed Lady Lavender.\n\n“I, I think, she — ah — was, well, talking to-to-to—”\n\n“She was talking to me, yes, Barry. I know. But I asked you a question.”\n\n“Lavender.”\n\n“I’m working, Miss Midnight. Where is the hide-out, Barry?”\n\n“Lavender.”\n\n“What!?” Lavender dropped the Goon, who toppled and stayed put — he wasn’t dumb enough to try and run. She turned and looked up at the black clad figure that was hanging in the air of the alleyway. “What do you want.”\n\n“I thought we said I get the Doctor Hypnopotamus cases.”\n\nLady Lavender, a short woman with purple everything threw her hands in the air. “Are you kidding me? No! Why would you get a villain that works on my part of town?”\n\n“We wrote all this down for a re—”\n\n“Oh don’t you play it all cool and calm in front of the goon, Midnight! You were having a hissy fit—”\n\n“Hissy fit!?” Midnight landed and it shook the ground around them. “I do not have hissy fits, like a child. You’re the one who—”\n\n“Oh, so I’m the tantrum thrower then, right? Always projecting, aren’t you!”\n\n“My villain! My goon!” Midnight stepped passed Lavender, pointed a finger at Barry “Where is Dr Hypnopot—” \n\n“Eck-fucking-scuse you, bitch. My part of town. My goon.”\n\nAt the drop of the B-word, Midnight had turned, put her gloved hands on her black-leotarded hips and fixed Lavender with a wide-eyed, Domino-masked stare. “Bitch. Me? The bitch here?”\n\nLavender leaned in. “Hhhhye-puh!”\n\nThe black clad super wiped a glob of spit off her cheek. Her ex had officially crossed the fucking line.\n\n\\* * * \n\n“Extra extra! Heroes locked in in-custody battle! Mayor recommends evacuation of downtown!”" ]	2
	[WP] Aliens come to earth to earth in 1917 to conquer it, but they are horrified at what the humans are calling “The Great War”…	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The Tradon, the conquerors of planets, were a species who took over planets with relative ease. They didn't massacre as much as other conquerors, but they were very aggressive. \n\nThey had noticed this planet, and before invading, they watched what was happening. Two of the species sat in their ship, which was damn near invisible in the night sky. They looked down at the earth, seeing lines in the ground, all over. Lights flashed around. Was it a species mating call?\n\nThey zoomed in, barely being able to see much, looking at the space between the lines. Then, something happened. A bright white light soared across the sky, lighting everything around it up. They saw nothing but endless bodies of humans, scattered around between the lines of men with sticks, firing weapons similar to their own at each other, as explosions were littered around them. That was no primal species, that was one looking for war." ]	2
	[WP] Everyone in the world, even those who are alone, feels someone tap twice on their shoulder at the exact same time. It never happens again.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It only happens twice they said on the news, they said, TWICE! Yet I feel it every day, every day I feel the tapping, and it's rhythmic two tone tap, over and over again. I feel it every day, multiple times per day, except mine is about eight taps per session, every day. I'm losing my sanity, I hear it all the time, the same eight taps, the same maddening rhythmic pulse.\n\nI've begun pulling my hair out in insanity, the pain helps me ignore the tapping, I've been drunk so many times, I don't even feel it anymore. I've tried every drug known to mankind, nothing has dulled the tapping. Eight taps, the same all the time, I see the looks in everyone's eyes as I descend further into madness and fear.\n\nMy last conscious thought is hurled from my body into a screech so feral and full of sorrow \"I can't save you\" , my words echoed on the dreary wind and soon dispersed, and to this day, no one knew what he meant, as he now just constantly repeats s.o.s, to himself, but never explains what's wrong.", "\"Are you sure that's what you want for your wish? I mean, it's not a completely idiotic idea, trust me, I had someone 50 years ago who wished for more dangerous kids toys and that still hasn't stopped, but this just seems.... A waste.\"\n\n\"I can always hope someone will change because of it.\" They said, turning back towards the genie, the sun setting ever so slowly towards the horizon to meet the surface of the frozen lake.\n\n\"Or create world-wide panic. It's not going to be my problem, but yours.\"\n\n\"Would you like me to explain my wish even more?\" They looked up, staring into the infinite deep eyes of the incorporeal being.\n\n\"No, sitting through 10 minutes of that was already enough. I don't need to hear you rant like a conspiracy theorist.\" The genie sighed, stretching his technically nonexistent limbs. \"Alright then, prepare yourself.\"\n\n\n\n\n\nThe world stilled for a second, it seemed. The air froze as a feeling washed through the world population like a tsunami encompassing over the Stratosphere, something that would be forever hard for the soon 8 billion people to describe the same way. Even if the basis of what has happened was the same for all, it hit everyone different. It lingered, as if it knew it had to stay and maybe that was for the best.\n\nThe genie was right, it did cause some sort of panic later. A worldwide paranormal experience would cause that, no matter what it is. Theories spurred, fanatics spouted about their Gods giving a sign while people searched for the source, either out of desperation, curiosity or just simply, answers. Arguments whether everyone deserved what happened to them.\n\nBut for a second or two, the entire world was at its calmest, as all had a hand on their shoulder tap them twice with a soft squeeze. All had a hand that felt familiar for each individual, the comfort of a long passed, as if to say:\n\n\"I am here.\"\n\n\"And I am proud of you.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Someone on the moon successfully gives birth for the first time in history. In that moment, the entire population of humanity has the following message beamed into their minds: "Congratulations! You are now an intergalactic civilisation, we will be sending representatives in two days."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Kahliah felt it, the sudden release that meant it was finally time. \n\nSarah gasped, half in disbelief, half in joyful anticipation. \"He's finally coming?!\"\n\nThey spent 13 hours in the med bay, their coworkers all waiting in triage. THE FIRST Extraterrestrial birth! Fiction from Earth constantly warned about the effects of incubation in space, going so far as to ban relationships on spacefaring vessels, but someone had to be the first. If Humanity was to reach the stars, they had to know how the whole process would pan out. Kahliah volunteered, she and Sarah had always wanted a child, and they wanted their child to be truly special. What better way than to have the first baby off world? \n\n9 months of carrying a child had proven to be comparably easier in the 1/6th gravity of our moon, though it was not without...minor...complications. The prime of which were the cravings. Scientists had been woefully unprepared to respond to the constant nutritional adjustments that cravings usually signaled. Primarily because Kahliah would get the dietary adjustment through the \"Universal Supplement\" regimen, without being able to satisfy the desire to combine pickles, sour cream, and nacho cheese. \n\nAdmittedly the pain of joints and lower back and been a minor inconvenience, weighing only 12.25 Kilograms lead to a complete lack of ankle swelling and very little spinal strain. Not to mention, she hardly felt the weight of her belly even today, as she had calmly walked into the procedure room. \n\nThat aside, it seems the final step was still one that left Kaliah thinking she never wished to experience this again. \n\nThe stifling silence of the procedure room was suddenly interrupted with the familiar sounds of a new born's first breath, followed by the unmistakable screech of lungs that felt air for the first time. \n\nITS OUR BABY BOY\n\nThe infant had hardly been placed in Kahliah's arms when everyone heard it. \nA firm, yet congratulatory voice sounded at the forefront of everyone's mind. \n\n\"Congratulations! You are now an intergalactic civilization. We will be sending representatives in two days.\"\n\nSarah couldn't help but murmur \"I must be going crazy...\"", "\"Congratulations! You are now an intergalactic civilization, we will be sending—\"\n\n“Yeah. That’s what I heard, too.”\n\n“What do you think it means?”\n\n“Aliens are turning up, I guess.”\n\n“Yeah, maybe, but why intergalactic?”\n\n“Hm?”\n\n“You could argue for interplanetary. I mean, inter...celestial-object is more correct.”\n\n“Semantics.”\n\n“Something smart enough to put the same message in every head on and off the planet would know the difference. So: What does it mean?”\n\n“...hell if I know.”\n\n“Maybe...maybe they’ll be giving us space technology?”\n\n“Maybe.”\n\n“I mean, given the vastness of the universe, other intelligent life is likely in another galaxy if not our own. Maybe they’ll give us the tech to come visit. Maybe—”\n\n“Whole lot of maybes, Doug. Hows about we wait and see, huh?” \n\n“...fffine.”\n\n“...You’re gonna spend the next two days mumbling and mopping aren’t you?”\n\n“I just want to know what it means!”" ]	3
First posy here, hope to see something neat.	[WP] You were in an accident and now you're stuck in the middle of nowhere with an unearthly screaming from in the woods.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The faint ringing in my ears sharpened as I felt my eyes slowly open despite the pressure of fatigue and pain weighing all my muscles down. My vision blurred, and I struggled to bring my hands up to wipe my eyes to clear the blurriness from my sight.\n\nI waited a few moments, recalling all my past memories to explain why I was in such a state.\n\nThe sound of sirens was what came up first and I made myself tug at the corners of my mind to further recall details. \n\nWarmth came next to my mind, with orange, fiery hues consuming my surroundings and I came to the conclusion that a fire must've happened.\n\nOkay... I thought to myself sitting up as I recalled all that I remembered. \"I was in a fire...\" I muttered. I looked around, looming redwood trees towered over me, and the forest floor seemed to be made of dirt and mud, with the occasional shedding leaf and stick. \n\nI started to push myself up despite the underlying ache that soared through my body and noticed the distinct sound of somber silence.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat was...odd...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere was always some sort of noise in the forest, albeit birds chirping or squirrels scurrying among trees. Even the distinct sound of flying insects would always be heard. Yet, there was nothing. \n\nI strained my ears in hopes to discover the faintest of noise, or, perhaps even, civilization nearby.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut...nothing came. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nNot a peep. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nNot even a whisper of the breeze.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs quickly as I had noticed the silence, an unearthly, guttural scream tore like claws through the forest, destroying everything in its path. It wasn't a howl of a wolf or the cry of an injured animal. It was something that was not created by Mother Nature. It was a monstrosity. \n\nIt was not human, nor was it animal. \n\nIt was something else entirely. Something made not for mortal beings such as us to see.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy whole body paled, and my intaking breath had abruptly stopped. No wonder everything was so, so, silent.\n\nAfter a few moments of grueling screeching, it was silent again.\n\nThe trees suddenly swayed gently as if trying to uproot themselves and leave the forest from the sheer terror of the scream. The wind rose and howled with a violent terror and another inhuman scream let out, however quite louder than the first one, and all sense of rationality was gone now. Whatever it was, it was closer.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd whatever it was, it was angry.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis time, life made itself known and animals dashed the opposite way of such screaming. A large group of birds, squirrels, deer, foxes, and wolves, all ran in harmony to get away from whatever could create such a noise.\n\nAll natural instinct of fighting and violence was gone, and what remained was only flight. \n\nAll the animals fleeing made it tempting for me to follow the lead and I struggled to pick myself up. \n\nThankfully, my panic soon calmed, and the screaming stopped.\n\nWhat the hell was that? I asked myself as I picked myself up.\n\nI decided I didn't want to stick around to find out and I soon found myself under the rhythmic hum of running, fleeing from what beast could have made that noise.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEventually, after a few minutes or hours of running, I started to feel different. \n\nI felt...intoxicated.\n\nIt felt as if I was in the warm grasp of my mother, and that nothing could harm innocent life like mine, but at the same time, also in the face of unprecedented danger that would kill without a moment's hesitation. \n\nI didn't realize that everything else had slowed to a stop as well, and my eyes stood unblinking at the horizon. \n\nEverything was in a trance, including me. Comfort wrapped around my body like a blanket and I felt stiff, yet at the same time calm. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was meant to be here.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Intessing...\" a voice suddenly started, but it wasn't in any human tongue. It was foreign. Alien.\n\n\"Craturs sponder thy climpth outh 761. Gow appecen sacreo une stustted.\" \n\nMy mind was hazy. Cloudy.\n\nWas...life always this calm?\n\nNo...\n\nWhoever these beings are, they'll make everything better. They should be ruling our planet. Not so-called 'leaders of our nation'. \n\nI will do anything they need to serve my usefulness to them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nlmao couldn't think of anything else so I came up with this", "Mariah strolled through the woods, the howls echoing around her. After living here for a couple of years she has gotten used to the unearthly howls. They came from no particular source. Instead they weaved\ntheir way through the forest, filling the ears of those in it.\n\nShe was walking through the woods, gliding over the logs, looking for the mushrooms she required.\n\nShe heard a scream.\n\nMariah hurried over to where the scream had come from. She found a woman. She was around the age of thirty and had long black hair and green eyes, much like Mariah herself who had black hair and green eyes. The only real difference between the two was their skin tone. Mariah was a dark brown while the woman was a very pale white.\n\n“Are you alright?” Mariah asked, concern coating her words.\n\nThe woman looked up at her and asked, with a deceptive calmness to her tone, “Where am I and who are you?”\n\nMariah smiled down at her and replied, “You are in the Forest of Lost Dreams. This is where someone comes when they are no longer wanted by the real world.”\n\nThe woman blinked up at her. Mariah sighed and said, “My name is Mariah. What’s your name?”\n\n“What do you mean no longer wanted?” the woman demanded.\n\n“Tell me your name and I’ll tell you,” Mariah bargained.\n\n“Evelyn,” the woman responded.\n\n“Well, Evelyn, you see, if nobody wants you then you are forced here, to the realm of the unwanted.”\n\n“No, not true,” Evelyn refuted. “I have a husband who cares about me.”\n\nMariah narrowed her eyes, “Then how are you here? The forest doesn’t accept just anybody. Only those that don’t have anybody wanting them.”\n\n“I don’t know!” Evelyn cried. “I was hit by a truck and now I’m here!”\n\n“So you were isekaied here,”Mariah said, nodding her head. “Even so, you must’ve not been wanted by anyone in the other world.”\n\n“What? We’re not in some manga or anything,” Evelyn scoffed.\n\n“Maybe not but that is the most accurate term for it.”\n\nEvelyn scoffed again and rose to her feet. She had regained her wits and was getting used to the new world she found herself in.\n\nMariah made an offer, “Why don’t you come live with me for now?”\n\nEvelyn studied her with suspicion but accepted the offer.\n\nAnd so they lived together for the next year and a half.\n\nOne day the cabin began to dissolve around them.\n\n“What?” Evelyn cried.\n\nMariah darted around trying stop what was happening. She tried to leave but found she couldn’t.\n\nA man’s voice filled the cabin, “Well done. You have beat my forest. You now are wanted by each other. You have been given the way out. Will you accept this?”\n\nMariah and Evelyn looked at each other. “No,” they both said.\n\nThe voice chuckled and the cabin rematerialised. “Very well,” the man spoke, “you shall remain here until you die. Have a peaceful life.”\n\nAnd so they did, dying in their cabin many years later. Their bodies dissolved into golden light.\n\nThe door creaked open and a woman, looking in her late twenties, stumbled in. “What will I do?” She cried to herself.\n\nThe woman looked around, her black waving around her face as she did so. Her green eyes darted around the cabin. She placed a dark skinned hand on the wall.\n\n“Home. This will be my home,” the woman spoke. “This will be the home of Mariah.”" ]	3
	[WP] You have superpowers, but you're literally the only person who knew... until today. Today, you made sure the WHOLE WORLD knew, as you took the life of the person who took your sibling's life away. You don't care what happens to you now.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] A data chip is installed in every human at age 20 which contains all knowledge known to man. You receive a chip from 1000 years in the future. No one knows about this, yet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I open my eyes. The green light beams into my brain causing me to close them. I will try again. This time my eyes adjust and I’m able to see my surroundings. A being seems to be looking at me. Or what seems like looking. I can’t really tell because the light is now flickering. It changes from red to blue to aqua. Each color change makes the being alter shape. I can’t make out what it is. I’ll try opening my eyes again later. \n“Why aren’t they awake yet?” \n“They are! Don’t stress me. I just saw movement.” \nI recognize the voice but don’t have the strength to try looking around again. \nI find my throat and ask to speak. My body allows it and I hear my voice for what seems like the first time. \n“Did it work?” \n“You don’t know?” The voice replies. \nSuddenly my body relaxes and I realize that I’m not breathing. I ask if I can breathe and then I feel my lungs expand. I feel the cold air leave my nostrils and the liquid expand in my chest. \n“Breathing feels weird. When is the liquid going to change color?” \n“What are you talking about?” The voice asks. \nI realize that question has never been asked. I heard a question that has never been asked. I opened my eyes to see who said it. The being peering over me is pretty or what would be considered pretty for their time. \n“Where is the first blob that was here? The color changing one?” \nThey look at me confused. “There are no color changing blobs in existence”. \nI cry and ask to be left alone. The pretty being leaves the room. \nI know that I am alone. I know that I will be for 1000 years. The knowledge I have doesn’t connect me but makes me separate. I know that I will be here for 1000 years but I will not have anyone to connect with. They will never understand me. I will only ever understand them. I will know what they say and how they feel. I will know every invention. I will not share my ideas. I will wait 1000 years. Till my generation finds me." ]	2
	[WP] You're cursed. Every time you sneeze you summon an eldritch being. Most of them aren't that bad, and quickly leave back to their home plane. But this one is clingy, destructive, and desperate to make a friend.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I sneezed. Again. \n\nOh God, not again.\n\nWhat could possibly come forth from the horrors of the cosmos this time? Something that will finally kill me and end this dreaded curse?\n\nThese creatures, while mostly peaceful, drain my sanity with their very presence. I can't stand the thought of bringing horrors into this world that may one day end it.\n\nI open my eyes slowly to see...A woman?\n\nAs I look her over; I see that she isn't an ordinary woman. Certainly not human. Her skin that of scarlet, eyes black as obsidian, her hair that of tentacles that are constantly shifting in size and number. \n\nHer very presence radiates an aura of terror. My very being screaming for me to run. Fight or flight kicking in and yet?\n\nI can only stand and stare in awe. Some part of me is telling me that she isn't a threat. Despite her being so intimidating; I feel this strange...connection to her.\n\n\"Awe...What a cute little human you are!\"\n\nHer voice is so different from what I expected. Sultry, yet soft. No hint of the evil she could very well possess in herself at all.\n\nHer black lips curl into a soft smile, revealing a pair of small fangs, as she scans me over.\n\n\"I'm assuming you are the one who summoned me?\"\n\nShe says to me in a slightly amused tone.\n\n\"Uh...about that-\"\n\nI was going to explain, but she closes the gap between us and places a soft, warm, yet slightly intimidating clawed finger over my lips. Silencing me before she sweetly says;\n\n\"You don't have to explain a thing, my darling. I will gladly be your familiar.\"\n\nDarling? Familiar? Since when do the horrors of the cosmos so willing give themselves over?\n\nShe giggles as she runs her clawed hand through my hair very gently. Appraising me. Still very amused with me for whatever reason.\n\nIt should cause me to fear this situation more.\n\nI should be wanting to figure out a way to send her back, much like I have so many times before with the others.\n\nI shouldn't...like this.\n\nI was right to think that too. While she was so kind and gentle to me; Any female that dared to even look at me wrong would get the scare of the century. Her being able to alter their very homes into a nightmare of tentacles and darkness. \n\nHer powers of altering reality itself causing more destruction than any of the previous horrors I had unleashed. Creating hellscapes with a simple snap of her fingers. Yet she only limited using them when she was...jealous?\n\nShe was powerful and very...very clingy.\n\nI found that spending time with her was so enjoyable for me that I began to care less about what happened to anyone caught in her crosshairs. I knew she could be an extreme force of destruction, but I was selfish in that I didn't want to lose the moments of peace we shared.\n\nShe taught me of her kind. What it means to have lived as long as she had. Her very perception of time having been warped for so long, being stuck in the ether as she once was.\n\nShe explained how lonely it was to be without anyone to even talk to. How she always wished for someone to pull her away from it all.\n\nI...could relate in some strange way. Having isolated myself away for fear of hurting others with my curse.\n\nI didn't simply feel sorry for her, but I found that I understood her. It only caused us to grow closer as we shared memories together that we both had only dreamed we ever could. \n\nWe both decided, over our time together, that neither of us would have to go through any of it alone again. That we would be there for each other, no matter the consequences.\n\nThat is when I realized I had obtained a new curse;\n\nThe curse of being in love." ]	2
	[WP] Every year, thousands of children in the US disappear after every Christmas night. Finally, the US Government approves a grand militar operation all over the country to eliminate the perpetrator, the entity known as Krampus.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“911, what’s your emergency?”\n\n[woman sobbing] “Oh my GOD. It took him. It took my baby!”\n\n“Ma’am, please speak slowly and clearly. Can I get your address so I can send first responders your location?”\n\n“Yes! I’m on the corner of [___________________], just off highway. Please for the love of Goood, you gotta send someone.”\n\n“Ma’am, I have a police patrol notified. Please, tell me the nature of your emergency. Do you believe your child was kidnapped?”\n\n“Not kidnapped, no. It… it tried to eat him. It threw my husband against a wall. He’s breathing but he- he’s hurt really badly.” [More sobbing, some words indistinguishable] “-and it broke in… and it took my baby [\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_], it took my little [_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_]. You’ve got to- you’ve got… gotta do something.”\n\n“Ma’am, can you describe what you saw?”\n\n“It was tall. My [___]’s bedroom was on the second story. It broke through the window. It pulled the wall out. It pulled the goddamn wall out of my house. My husband tried to… he tried… he… God no. Please god no.”\n\n“Ma’am stay with me. Help is on the way. What did you see? You’re saying it- didn’t look like a person?”\n\n“It was almost as-as tall as the house… it had long, crooked fingers with claws. I know I sound crazy… I feel crazy, but god… please god. Please. Please let my little [____] be okay.”\n\n“Ma’am officers are on the way.”\n\n“Please god… please… please god…”\n\n[END OF RECORDING]\n\n~ ~ ~\n\n“Ladies and gentlemen, for two hundred years, the United States had been aware of, to some extent, an immortal that lives somewhere in the northern edge of hospitable Canada. No longer able to deliver presents manually, he has contented himself to run several charity organizations and orphanages using his wealth, particularly targeting children in need and families too poor to afford presents.\n\n“Mr. Kringle’s assets are probably in the mid to low billions, though he is not a US Citizen and we do not have access to his total financial information. He has, however, worked cooperatively with government agencies for these intervening decades. He still does an annual ‘fly over,’ but his purpose is not delivering presents. Mr Kringle had, for over two centuries, dedicated himself to the trade of hunting.”\n\n“General Wittey, do you… are you telling us Santa Clause is real? And furthermore… that the monster that woman was speaking of is real? And the two are connected?”\n\n“In more ways than one, I’m afraid. Our CIA Director on Occult Affairs can fill you in a little more. Director”\n\n“Hello all. Director Angela Crenshaw, CIA. Yes, the big man is real. He has never flown over the entire world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, but at one point he did have a normal sleigh, supposedly. Today he mostly flies via his private jet. He does not have elves. He is, by all accounts, every bit the personality ever ascribed to him. Warm, generous, and compassionate.\n\n“According to Mr. Kringle, he was once, several centuries ago, an ordained bishop of the Church. He achieved, through means unknown to us, immortality to pursue his ultimate agenda- Good will and peace for the least of us. A progressive for his time, he believed most of the ‘bad eggs’ of society were mostly caused neglected, poor, and under-supported children. Using the means available to him at the time, he tried to make them feel loved. \n\n“However not everyone shared his optimism. Statements to us from Mr Kringle, or St Nicholas as he was rechristened when be was ordained, say that others believed punishment of the most misbehaved children would keep the rest in line. They, too, found a source of immortality that transformed them, and became mutated creatures of ill will. He has hunted several of them to near extinction, but one remains. Hiding from him, quite intelligently, somewhere in the vast North American continent, the last ‘krampus’ still preys upon children it sees as wicked.”\n\n“Ladies and Gentlemen, the US Government is still catching up in such matters. It’s time we lended the man in red a jolly hand. Operation Silent Night is a GO.”" ]	2
	[WP] You're a villain with a crappy disguise. You are genuinely very confused on how no one knows who you are.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Seriously?” I asked, incredulous. “You haven’t figured out who I am yet?”\n\nMy arch nemesis, Rachet, knitted his brows as he looked me over, not a hint of recognition. “Was I… supposed to?”\n\nI blinked, dumbfounded. And very much resisted the urge to slap my own forehead. “I am literally wearing sunglasses as a mask, and an up cycled tarp as a cape. It’s been three months! You haven’t even ran face recognition on me or anything?”\n\nRachet simply shrugged. “Oh, I tried. You just have a very forgettable face. Even the machine wouldn’t work since it was too average.”\n\nMy lips turned down in a frown, unsure if that was a purposeful insult or not. To put it gently, Rachet was one of those guys who… let’s just say that the lights were on, but nobody’s home. “Well, ain’t that nice.”\n\n“If you didn’t think your disguise would work, why wear it?”\n\n“I didn’t want a costume when I started out, but my kid talked me into it. She even put it together herself.”\n\nRachet tilted his head, then leaned towards my right, reading the cheap multi color felt letters stitched to the cape. “She spelt Mr. Abominable with five Ms.”\n\n“Cut her some slack, she’s six.”\n\nRachet hummed, cocking the laser gun he held. “So, should we be getting on with it, or…?”\n\n“Huh? Oh, yeah.” I nod in agreement, making all the metal in the bank contract with my telekinesis, causing all the hostages to cry out in fear. “Almost forgot.”" ]	2
	[WP] "Why am I under arrest? I did nothing wrong!" "I know, but we need to talk. I can't have you telling people what you know." "What's the big deal?" "It could ruin everything."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\[Author's note: [This can be read as a standalone piece, but for additional context check this out first. Thanks for reading!](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/yqz1tz/comment/ivrivyu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)\n\n*Knowledge Is Power*\n\nDetective Falcona entered interrogation room three with two cups of coffee, one irished up for her, one plain for Scarlet Shadow. Scarlet sat shivering in the uncomfortable metal chair in the sterile room. Her cape wrapped around her for warmth, Falcona always kept the interrogation room freezing cold. Scarlet quickly scooped the coffee cup up, drinking deeply. Steam slipped from her pale quivering lips.\n\nFalcona lit up a smoke to help warm up. A cigarette with some booze paired with her heavy trench coat would keep her nice and toasty. \"Thanks for coming in double S. Appreciate it. Just wanted to have a little chat, make sure we're on the same page after the shall we say...unpleasantness at the negotiating table. Now am I correct in assuming you won't tell anyone about the true fate of Connor Chaos?\" She asked through a cloud of smoke.\n\n\"Depends.\" Scarlet replied flatly.\n\n\"On.....?\"\n\n\"I want to know Horus the Hypnotist's weakness, surely you know what it is.\"\n\n\"No deal. Horus is a valuable asset to me, can't have you fucking that up.\"\n\nScarlet slammed her coffee cup against the metal table, ceramic shards exploded, steam rose from the spilled coffee. \"He hypnotized my partner into killing himself! Grant me my vengeance, like you're doing with Connor.\"\n\nFalcona slid her chair back to avoid the dripping coffee, the screeching of metal against metal echoed off the walls. She took a long drag of her smoke. \"What I'm doing to Connor isn't vengeance. It's justice. Justice for everyone, keeps everyone alive. You don't have all the information kiddo.\n\nWhen I was a little girl my mother taught me something that I'll never forget. The only true power in this world is knowledge. You can never have too much of it. My pa taught me something even more important. Knowledge without wisdom is dangerous. Like giving a gorilla a machine gun. I don't want you spraying bullets of misinformation on twitter.\"\n\nScarlet scoffed. \"I figured you were lying about something. That's just like you. So what did you omit?\" Scarlet asked. She still hadn't made any promises.\n\nFalcona sighed, she untied her trench coat letting it hang open, she removed her dark grey tie, slinging it over her shoulder. \"While it is true there is a killswitch for the supers and the schmucks. It ain't inside Connor's heart.\" Falcona slowly undid the buttons of her white collared shirt down to her stomach. She slid the shirt to the side, revealing a jagged scar across her chest. \"It's in mine.\"\n\nScarlet's trembling hand reached across the table, she slowly ran her finger across the scar. \"So even if some nutjob kills Connor nothing happens. But if something happens to you.....\"\n\nFalcona shot Scarlet with finger guns. \"The world ends with a bang, not a whimper. I've always considered us friends, you wouldn't rat on a friend, would you double s?\" Falcona asked smugly.\n\n\"Tell me something and I'll keep it our little secret.\"\n\n\"Shoot.\"\n\n\"Why keep him caged up?\"\n\nFalcona took a deep breathe, she didn't want to answer, but she didn't want to press her luck. Scarlet could be a bitch sometimes, and she was known to gossip after a few drinks. \"Because the motherfucker deserves it, even now a windowless cell is too good for him. Like I said, it's for justice. Justice for my parents, justice for me and my sis, justice for every person's life that has been affected by a super or schmuck. Connor wanted to build a brave new world, I'm gonna make sure his vision never comes to fruition. And I'm gonna make him watch.\n\nConman's biggest weakness is his ego. Has a god complex. Thought people were going to worship him, praise him, kiss his ass twenty four seven. Wanted the world to return to survival of the fittest, I can't let that happen. It's going to crush him when the day comes when we're all getting along, building a better world. Construction on that scale takes time, good thing I've got a lot of that.\"\n\nA wave of empathy surged through Scarlet, she never realized how much Connor had taken from her friend. She would have done something different in her shoes. \"Your secret is safe with me if you make me a promise.\"\n\n\"Depends.\"\n\n\"Call me more often, I'm a good listener if you ever need to get something off your chest.\" Scarlet smiled, her chattering teeth clacking loudly.\n\n\"Can do. You're free to go double s. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll be in touch.\" Falcona pointed to the door behind her. Scarlet hugged her from behind. As she excited the room Falcona yelled out. \"Heads up!\"\n\nScarlet snatched the object Falcona threw at her from the air. A small obsidian ankh engraved with intricate golden hieroglyphs. She studied it curiously.\n\nFalcona cleared her throat. \"Let's just say if anything happened to that Horus might not be too happy about it. I hope you have the wisdom to use that knowledge properly.\" Falcona winked.\n\n\\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThanks for reading. If you enjoyed this check out more at r/StarCityChronicles" ]	2
	[WP] You're the most well known superhero on earth. the thing is, you have no idea why, you just always find yourself in the right place at the right time.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Being such a popular superhero sounds like a good thing, right? I never wanted to be this popular, maybe just well known enough that people know what I look like. I barely get any time for myself these days. It would be great to sit down for a bit and read a book or something but every time I try, some emergency happens that cannot be ignored. \n\nTake last weekend, for example. I just got home after pulling a school bus out of a ditch and was about to have a lay down when this big cloud of boiling hot rain hovered over the city. Clearly, Mr. Boilerman had gotten out of containment again. I figured that I'd go and see if my fellow superhero neighbor Lightbender was going out to deal with Boilerman, but I found that lazy refractor had fallen asleep watching the news. I had no choice but to go out and snatch up Mr. Boilerman before anyone gets hurt. I found him on the roof of the town hall. It wasn't that hard considering I heard his maniacal laughter from four blocks away and I don't even have super hearing. He was so preoccupied with his mischief that he didn't even notice me walk up and grab him from his scruff. I just threw him in the mobile containment unit and prepared myself for the avalanche of news crews and happy citizens.\n\nSaving innocent people and catching bad guys is fun, but the news interviews are annoying. Doesn't help that I have a hard time saying no to anything. I suppose all superheroes need a weakness. I go through a dozen interviews a week, more if I'm unlucky. I occasionally get flown out to other places in the world to help out with some natural disaster or just to appear in some other show but I recently have started to just ignore the invites to foreign shows because I don't like traveling. You'd think I'd get some rest while on a plane but the flight attendants usually hover around me like I'm some sort of messiah and ignore my requests to be left alone. \n\nI am seriously considering moving from the high-end penthouse the city gifted me to some underground bunker, not because I want to make the \"Batcave\" or something but because then I might just get some time alone. Even the other superheroes are slacking off because of me. Some of them have insane powers like gravity manipulation, levitation, dimensional shifting, etc. Then there's me, a guy with some extra long arms." ]	2
	[WP] Toby the Parrot was a global sensation 6 years ago for being the first animal who passed college entrance exam and studied for a few years. He's now dropped out and back to the zoo, spending his days in depression.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "BREAKING NEWS\n\nBeloved local Toby \"the\" Parrot officially the first of the Psittacoidea genus to pass the Cambridge entrance exam.\n\n\"Hard work, Harder play,\" said the Chigwell native.\n\n\"The badgers can suck it,\" he added, in reference to the YouTube advertising campaign launched by Terry Badger wherein Parrots were shown defecating on various retirement villages.\n\nThis being the same Terry Badger who publicly announced on Sky News that Toby would not only fail the exam, but score so lowly the college administrative board would be forced to burn his application and physically go to his house so they could glove-slap his face and throw half-melted marshmallows at him.\n\nCelebrations on the streets of Chigwell have been rapturous and jubilant; more than 75,000 attended the six-hour ceremony. Despite rumours, Prince Harry was not in attendance.\n\n\\~\\~ \\~\\~ \\~\\~ \\~\\~ \\~\\~ \\~\\~\n\n*THE YEAR IS 2030\n\nRain slaps down the brick walls of the dark and narrow alleyway. Above him is a ladder to rickety iron stairs, red light from an open window, an unstable platform somewhere higher up in the haze. Neon light flickers precarious through the mesh.\n\nA flash of white reveals a vibrant mark of colour on the wet brick, bold letters written in violent accents:\n\nTOBY THE PARROT FOR PRESIDENT*\n\nHe inhales slowly. The sky cuts to black and his cigarette glows orange in the shadow.\n\nLong time ago, now. When he rode that bittersweet glory. Crowds lined around every corner chanting his name. The free club entries, constant offering of bird-way flipper-threesomes, the free batches of seeds---an endless boulevard of green lights and winning tickets and wicked-good wristies.\n\nAnd naught a dream since has come close, he sighs, gazes solemnly at the shop-lights reflected in the puddles. Another night, soaking wet, in the stink. Here with the strays and pathogenic rats and soggy raccoons, their arms locked, bodies left-to-right in a sway. A fine zoo. Burlesque, you might say. Passers-by give the occasional glance askance their way and marvel momentarily before moving on; and no matter the rhythm of their feet, the quality of the choreography, the motley crew never can seem to get anyone to stop.\n\nThose folk are all far too busy for that. No truck for parrots these days, nor for their dancing troupe members no matter how critically esteemed they might be. There in the dark, legs left-to-right, for reasons too mysterious and opaque for a mild-mannered exposé.\n\nToby \"the\" Parrot can be understood in this, at least: reflections are the new Cambridge, for him. Warbles on wet concrete in night alleys that would suffocate him, waiting patient, as he does, ever hopeful of that one turned umbrella from the distant footpath.\n\nThe adulation of the masses had been the high that would cripple him. His journey as the greatest parrot-academic replaced by a futile search for the same adulation. The same love: that which intoxicated and rendered him stupid. A high that no amount of studying would never provide.\n\nAnd so he strafes, and strafes, always cherishing that briefest stormy moment when the lightening strikes, when the walls light up, and, nearly breathless, he can remember." ]	2

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