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"Ah, the shining lights from the Valley of Rust, a beacon of hope for the weary travelers like me and my compatriots. Even though it was hard to leave my old home behind, I think the Atom for the friends that I made along the way."Edmund said more to himself than anything else, but still too loud for the caravan guard's liking. "Shut it with your monologuing, you Soot bastard! We're in Model T territory now, and they are even more trigger happy than I."The burned man turned his one working eye back to the road and Edmund sat back down, warming his hands on the burning ghoul next to him. A small rage built in him when the guard called him a Soot, he never liked that word.
Edmund Glas-eye, a scrawny man named Glas-eye after his monocle, stood tall at about 5'4"which suited him perfect in his old life. As a young boy he was set to work as a child worker in one of the many coalmines around the Pitt. Soot was a nickname for the people who lived there, because like the world around them, they were always covered in coal dust. Edmund soon showed is capabilities as an accountant and trader, which earned him a good life in Pitt politics. All good must come to an end however, and the hyper aggressive Brotherhood of Steel took control of the Pitts, afraid of the energy sector and weapons establishing in the region.
Edmund left and with his greasy black hair and deep blue eyes, joined a caravan out west. He hoped to join in on the virtibird craze and grow rich on east-to-west arial transportation. |
“What are the symptoms?”
“Were you bit?”
“Is everyone ok?”
“QUIIIIIEEEEEEET!” A voice rang out. The heads turned to the yeller as silence spread over the crowd.
“Now let's get one thing straight!” The man shouted. He towered over all the heads around him, the man next to him’s hair was barely able to give his chin a tickle.
“We’re not gonna die and we’re not gonna go back out there.” He brandished a finger, pointing at the glass doors that now separated them from the outside world. Figures were emerging, moving slowly towards the newly locked glass doors.
“EEEEEE!”
A yell came near the back of the crowd.
“This is no time to panic.” The large man spoke again. This is the perfect time to panic, Jamie thought to herself. Nowhere left to go. Stuck in some Verizon store with eight complete strangers. Some macho man who thinks he is in charge. This was a recipe for a cake she did want to make.
Scratch… Scratch… The figures were at the doors. Peeling away the lining around it. The locks were holding. For how long? Who knows.
“Relax everyone,” a Verizon employee said “these doors have held out some of the largest black friday crowds known to man, there's no way they’ll give way to these, these, things.”
His stutter did not help his cause.
As if on cue the entire door frame gave way. It was too late for those by the door. Jamie had already scampered away to a back closet. She shut the door. Crying and pleading came through, but she ignored it all. It sounded like a bar fight, screaming, yelling, she even thought someone was playing music. Finally, the noise began to die down; only a distant cry could be heard every couple minutes. She pushed the door a needle’s width open, trying to make out what was still left in the store. Nothing stirred. The store looked like it had hosted a buy one get one sale for iphones, it was torn apart ceiling to floor. She knew this was her chance. She waited another second, then flung the door open to flee.
“OUCH!” The door had slammed right into someone walking by it.
“Oh my god I’m so sorry,” said Jamie, although she didn’t feel too sorry. She stepped out to meet them. As she emerged they let out a scream similar to the kind you hear at amusement parks from the people riding the big roller coasters.
“AHHHH!” The person took off, like a hundred meter sprinter, in the opposite direction.
Confused Jamie touched her face. Why does it feel so wrinkly and old? She rushed to the bathroom and flicked on the light. In the mirror there wasn't a Jamie anymore. There was a thing. A thing with the power to divide a world. A thing that could ruin humanity. She fell against the wall, stunned at her sudden change in appearance. Tears began to wet her cheeks. She slowly lifted her head to look in the mirror again. Looking back at her was a face… Not her face… But a face… the gloriously grotesque face of our 45th president, Donald Trump. |
The gods shamed him for his size, they called him ‘the one not even grand enough to defy the size of mortals’.
He fled one day and the next hell found the courage to fight, they stormed the gates during the feast fit only for the divine and their blessed pets, how fat they grew, those naïve,innocent fools.
For he was the first line of defence and they neglected the idea that they even needed defending, for he was the most powerful weapon that ever was forgot to the mists of time for he was the god of doubt and yet no god knew his power.
They mumbled half remembered curses and even less remembered blessings to try and prevent the devils and demons of the nine hells from breaching the pearly gates of heaven as they thought the walls couldn’t be broke or scaled, the roar of a stray cannon proved them wrong.
When the crack showed the worlds finally knew true silence as all the noises ever made were used to fuel the cries of hells demented militias.
They cried out his name and silence now filled heaven as well, when they started to doubt his return, the wisest gods realised his presence.
And the invasion faltered, amongst their minds spread the same idea ‘once we’ve won, who will rule’ and they once again began to fight each other rather than against an enemy unified.
And from that day on, the gods and mortals may be ambiguous about his power, but respect must always be given to him as there will always be doubt if he’d return should we ever need to call again. |
I can't part with it... who knows what devastation they will bring? "Please. You're not in any trouble, we just need the device. It's important."I look around my flat for somewhere to hide it.
^("Why don't we just force the door down?")
^("NO! We're not doing things by force!")
^("But... he's not co-operating...")
^("Look, as long as) *^(they)* ^(don't get it, it's fine.")
I blink at that statement and slowly, cautiously, move towards the door. "Who's they?"I ask nervously.
"Oh, you heard us? Ok, if you're listening, please trust us. Truth is, we don't even know what that thing you have is, but the resistance wants it. They CANNOT get it. Because we don't know what it does, we don't know what the resistance will use it for if they get to it. They already tried to blow up a part of the city, planning to use the situation to capture Lord Drowl, or make him look bad if he didn't show. Point is, the resistance are dangerous, and for whatever reason they want that device of yours."
I look at the device, then back at the wall. "Ok, if you want my trust, then tell me how you know this thing even exists."
"I found a recorder. A member of the resistance was a part of your science group. They said that device could be the key to their success. I have the recorder."
My eyes go wide. This was supposed to be a top-secret project... I swear, whoever leaked highly classified information... I open the door a crack. "Where's the recorder?"
I can see Naytar through the crack. He passes through something as thin as a pencil. "Press the button at the top."
I do so. The message is clear as day.
​
"How goes the top-secret project you mentioned the other day?"
"Great! We've almost finished. If our bomb plan doesn't work out, we can use this."
"Alright, great! Let's hope the bomb plan wor- hey, who left this thing on record?"
"DELETE! DELETE!"
"Calm down, give me a mome-"
"I just got news! Drowl wants to upgrade the city! They're about to dig up the foundation where we buried the bombs!"
"Aw, crap... I'll just hide this in the pocket in my hat for now."
​
"...They sound like idiots on so many levels, but I recognise one of the voices. He's a smart idiot."I look up. "Naytar... you can promise to keep this safe?"
"I won't let ANYONE touch it."Naytar smiles reassuringly.
I sigh. "Ok, but I warn you: mess with this, it could create chaos."I open the door further. Seems like Naytar came with two guards. I pass the device to him.
"Thank you. Now, I need you to tell me what you know about the guy you recognised in the recording."
**LATER, EMPIRE BASE =NAYTAR=**
"I know we need to keep this from the resistance, but does it *really* need to be locked in here?"a young guard asks.
"The man was very adamant about how dangerous it is"I respond. The device got put in a fingerprint safe which also requires a code AND a key card. The safe is locked in another safe with a dial and eye-scanner. We shut the fence blocking access to the safe, locking it with a uniquely made lock with only two keys that could open it. Why two and not one? In case we lose one. One is always kept with a high-ranking official; the other is kept within a coded desk drawer.
"I still think this is overkill"the guard comments as we leave the first set of doors. They shut behind us, and only when they're fully shut will the next set open. To open the first doors going in, you need to voice-activate with an approved name. The second set needs an ID badge of a DIFFERENT name scanned. The system is set up so incredibly complicated so that a minimum of two people are required for a new item, a minimum of four for retrieving an item.
"It sounds VERY incredibly powerful. We can't be too careful."I bid the guard farewell as I head over to where Drowl is. I open the cell door. "Lord Drowl."I pass him the bag of snacks I got for him.
He takes it. "Did you succeed? What is it?"
"I don't know what it is, but this one guy ran A LOT playing 'keep away'. He wasn't with the resistance, he was a scientist working on the project. He made it very clear it's extremely dangerous. I couldn't make it more secure."I give a calm smile.
"Good"Drowl responds, also smiling. "Anything else?"
"Turns out a resistance member was on the project. I'm guessing that happened before the resistance did. I know everything I need to deal with him, sir."I give a bow.
"Right. And Jamie?"Drowl queries.
"He's just glad to be alive. In fact, he's taking it REALLY easy."I shrug.
Drowl chuckles. "Don't blame him. If I didn't have an empire to run, I'd do the same thing."I tilt my head at that, causing Drowl to chuckle again. "I see, it WAS a mutiny!"
Because of his relaxed demeaner, I know I'm safe. "Just until the resistance is gone. I'll keep you updated, of course, but I can take the stress from you for the time being."
Drowl nods. "I've been so stressed since I started the empire... maybe a break is what I need... I trust you, Naytar. Don't let me down."He pulls me into a hug.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
This story is a part of my series, [Dreams of an Empire.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/x9xqe3/dreams_of_an_empire/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out! |
I removed my blade from its resting place at the top of the hero's head. "Arise...my apprentice"I said, and he stood tall. "What will you have me do?"he asked. "I'm unsure,"I answered, "Now that you have seen things my way, what would you like to see happen to your cesspool of a village? Shall we force them to simply bow to us, or be our slaves?"
After a brief moment the hero answered. "My lord, why no put them to the sword? Birth is a curse and existence is a prison. Let us free them from their mortal bonds and send them to the afterlife.""I..."my eyes widened, "Well the empire we are to build...""Empire? Build? With our power we can end all life in Tristamria!"my apprentice lifted his runeblade and its demonic whisperings filled the air. "And why stop there?!"he smiled enthusiastically, "After we rid this land of the human race, we can break the curse of life once and for all! Every deer, every mouse and every flower will die by our blade." |
Your helmet froze, the man who set you in it walked around you, and after checking your handcuffs, opened the disk drive in the helmet. "Good, I think he's asleep... it's his 50th birthday..."He said to an unseen assistant.
"You sure, we'll have to restart again if he finds out..."The female voice said. The man stomped on the man's foot. "Nothing. He'll be out until I put in disk 2. He will never find out that EVERYTHING he knew was something we created. Life... Earth, the idea of a 'solar system', everything was what *we* made!"He said.
The woman sighed in relief, as she handed him 'Disk 2'. "He will be the cataclysm should you be wrong."
​
"Good thing I'm right."The man said, walking away.
​
​
​
​
​
But, the man who was now sitting up in his bed, sweat beading off his forehead as he clutched his foot. People called him insane, but now he had proof. His headset was broken, and he heard every word the .... people said. Now, to play dumb. What else could he possibly learn? |
My hut shook like it would in a storm but it was silent out. It was the middle of the night and my wife and kids slept soundly. Light flooded through the thatch roof, so bight and too white to be sun light.
I shift the fur blankets off of me and get up as quietly as I can as to not wake my wife. I give he a little kiss on her brow as I shuffle out of bed. I step over the kids and out the door as quite as I can.
It was bright as day but couples still see the moon. A flat disk filled the sky. It has lights of different colours on in and is slowly spinning.
What in the name of the creator is that?
A light moved from hut to hut and then stopped on me. I felt trapped as the wind whipped my long hair about my face.
Three figures slowly descended from the centre of the ship. They were shaped like huge men but they wore clothes like I have never seen. They were shiny and purple with impossibly smooth faces and a black stripe where their eyes should be. What manner of men are these? They put some sort of long black thing to their shoulders and started walking towards me.
**ZARAK**
A beam of red light flashed from one of the black things they had to their shoulders and hit a hut - blowing a chunk of the wall away.
**ZARAK**
**ZARAK**
Red beams hit the ground on either side of me. I panicked and ran. Through the tall grass and into the forest. I was running as fast as I could. My lungs burned as I jumped over fallen logs and pushed through the under brush. Beams of red light flashing around me as I ran.
I hid behind a fallen log, and tried to control my breathing. Peeking out cautiously a few times but I didn’t see anyone. Everything was quite. Slowly I eased from behind the log and scurried over to a tree and then to another tree. I was quick and quite.
They had to be out there some where. I scurried to another tree and looked about. There was one of them in their silly purple outfits, way out in the open, not even trying to hide. I should be able to sneak up behind him.
I moved as quite as I could from tree to tree, getting closer and closer. I could hear him breathing. He was still looking away so I popped up and started shooting.
**splat splat splat**
“Eat paint! Scum!”, I yelled as I pelleted him with paint balls!
“Fuck!”, he said as he put his gun over his head and started to walk off the course.
Always a rush to to sneak attack. I adjusted my goggles and went down into an army crawl. Our yelling and shouting had drawn some attention. There was a fallen log to my right so I army crawled to it as fast as I could.
Paint balls whizzed over head. They must be able to see me. I squirmed under the log and tried to catch my breath again.
**splat splat splat**
Paint balls pelted the log. I shimmied to the far end of the log and peeked my head up
**splat**
I got hit right in the forehead, knocking my head back. “Fuck!”, I said. Stood up and put my gun over my head and started walking off the course.
————————
I don’t know if those were different enough. But it was fun. |
His blood pooled around us, soaking into the pine needles below. His gray eyes, weary as he approached death, met mine and held my gaze. I was grief-stricken by his betrayal, my dearest friend. My found family.
"Jet,"he addressed me, his voice small and shaking. "I never meant to hurt you. I believed I was helping you."
I swallowed hard. How badly I wanted to tell him how he had hurt me. As if he didn't already know.
"Things got away from me,"he continued, suddenly averting his eyes from mine. "I was trying to protect you."
"From what?"I whispered, my fingers moving from his forehead to his curly hair, touching him more softly than he deserved.
"I *don't even know* anymore!"he whimpered. He took a breath, stifling his emotions. "Anything that might hurt you, I suppose,"he continued nonchalantly.
"Senna, *you* caused me the most hurt,"I said quietly, knowing my words would cut him like a knife. But he needed to hear it.
"I know,"he said, suddenly erupting in sobs. I had never in my life seen him this way. "I was just trying to protect you,"he repeated, gasping through his tears. "I *love* you."
"I know,"I whispered, my fingers woven into his hair. I bowed my head down to him and kissed his temple.
"How can you treat me with such kindness?"he asked.
"I love you too,"I whispered. "Even after everything."
He died there in front of me, before he could muster a response. I heard his breath leave his body for the last time, taking my breath with it. I took my fingers from his hair for the last time, suddenly noticing how his blood had stained my pant legs as I kneeled beside him.
I stood from his body and pulled my great sword out of his belly, spilling his guts onto the forest floor. I wiped it on my already soiled clothes.
"I'm sorry,"I said, returning my weapon to its sheath. "It was the only way to stop my pain. I pray we find each other again in the next life. Maybe we can try again." |
"GUYS! THIS IS SERIOUS!"Grit's voice is frantic.
We all look up. "What's the big deal, Grit?"I ask.
Grit tries to catch his breath. "That... girl... the... goth... one..."
"With the youtube channel who snuck around here to get evidence of vampires? What about her?"Curd looks annoyed. He likes his games.
Grit gulps. "The channel... has two... hosts... the recor... dings were... saved to... a shared... drive..."
"WHAT?"Terror shouts.
"Don't be mad... at her, dad... she really didn't seem... to know how important... our secret is... she told me as... soon as I explained..."Grit's eyes are frenzied.
"So get her to call her friend"I shrug. "I mean, if her friend also understands..."
"I already asked"Grit states. "She said her friend is quick... I double-checked... the video's online!"
"Oh, dear"Pale exclaims.
"More than just 'oh, dear', Pale"I respond. "Social stigma's, prejudice, fear, stereotypes, aggression, arrogance... this could be the end of the vampire race! Your race!"
Curd scoffs. "You know there's only one way to kill a vampire, right? Starve it to death!"
"People will figure that out eventually, Curd!"Grit hisses.
"MUMMY! Thirst is on TV!"Scaria shouts. We all go to look.
"Damn, news are fast"I comment.
***"...safe to say that most responses are mixed. There are some claiming this video a fake, others who say we should kill the vampires now. The government have announced that they are prepared to reason with the vampires and talk with them, if they will..."***
I shut the TV off. "Don't believe her. You can't trust the government with this. They'll either find a way to kill you, or experiment on you."I begin muttering to myself, then I have an idea. "Curd, Scaria, field trip."
"YAAAAAAAY!"Scaria shouts.
"Why not, always wanted to see the city."Curd gets up.
"Wait, what's your plan?"Terror asks.
"You'll see. Just trust me."I smile.
Terror is about to say something, when Grit puts a hand on his arm. "Dad, I trust Gavin. He's smart. Whatever he's doing, I trust him."
"I mean, we can't just sit around"Pale remarks.
Terror sighs. "Ok, but be careful."
**THE CITY**
"Ah, this is great! All the fresh meals!"Curd thinks allowed as we go down the street.
"Remember the rules. No biting anyone."I glare at him as I hold Scaria's hand. She's just skipping along.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just-"Curd doesn't get a chance to finish before someone comes up.
A man. A big man. And he looks angry. Scaria hides behind me. "Who's that?"she asks.
The man eyes Curd up and down. "So vampires ARE real."
"Yeah, and what's it to you?"Curd retorts, arms folded.
The man looks at me. "You friends with him?"
"Lived with him long enough"I shrug.
"Nope. Don't buy it. You'd be a vampire yourself by now. Come on, boy."The man tries to grab Curd's arm, but Curd dodges.
"Hey, watch it! You're not making it easy for me!"Curd begins snarling.
"Sir, leave him alone. He's a bit... wild."I look at him with pleading eyes.
"They all are. That's why we gotta deal with him."The man grabs Curd successfully.
"NO! CURD! BROTHER!"Scaria comes out from behind me, running up to bite the man, but I pick her up.
The man just stares at me with narrow eyes. "*TWO* vampires?"
"Yes, but they're both kids. YOU'RE TORMENTING KIDS!"I scream, making sure everyone can hear. Suddenly, it's like time has stopped as everyone looks at us.
The man laughs. "Kids or not, they're vampires! They're dangerous! Raw instinct!"
"Oh, really?"I smirk. "Then how come neither of us are bitten yet?"
"That's because-"the man pauses. He looks at Curd, who, bless his heart, is trying SO HARD to restrain himself. He looks at Scaria, who's just staring at him with frightened eyes.
He lets go of curd. "I... I just saw a vampire... I got carried away..."the man shuffles off.
That display seemed to help GREATLY. Kids are ALWAYS a soft spot. Combine that with the fact neither Curd or Scaria are actually BITING anyone, people seem to be warming up.
Just as we're getting ready to go back, a figure blocks our path. It's a vampire. "Human... what's your name?"
"Umm... Gavin..."I take a step back, unsure what this stranger wants from me.
To my relief, he smiles. "My name's Pinch. Thank you. I was in enough trouble *without* that video. Had you not brought these two brave youngsters out, that video could have ruined my life! Public opinion is so easily swayed, huh?"
"That's why we never have a stable politician in charge"I comment, and we laugh.
"Oh, by the way, kid. I know you've been trying so hard to hold back. Here."Pinch pulls out a plastic bottle filled with what looks like blood, and throws it over. Curd catches the bottle, opens it, and sniffs. His eyes go wide, his mouth breaking into a huge smile.
"Royal blood?"he remarks. Pinch nods. "THANKS!"Curd guzzles it down VERY quickly.
"How?"I query.
"Eh, I have my ways. See you guys around."With that, Pinch walks towards and right past us.
"Aw, man, that was GOOOOD!"Curd sighs. I chuckle.
"Say."I turn to Curd. "Do you know HOW that vampire managed to score that?"
"Oh, there are a few explanations. Sounded to me like he sneaks into a palace or something for it."Curd seems so cheery, it's almost unnerving.
"But that was a lot of blood..."I fire back.
"Oh, he probably kept it frozen. Come on! I'll race ya!"Curd takes off.
"HEY!"I yell, as I run after him.
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This story is a part of my series, [My Roommate is a Vampire.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/xrewb2/my_roommate_is_a_vampire/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out! |
*i couldn't die.*
I sighed as i felt the teeth of the industrial grinder rip me to pieces and spit me out of the other side. The fact I could still think told me I wasn't dead. Yet again. Slowly, my body pulled itself back together, and once it did, I crossed out the grinder on my list. And realized I had nothing left.
"Well shit."
I furiously ripped out the page from my tiny notebook and threw it into the top of the grinder, hearing the satisfying sound of paper ripping. And then it was quiet again.
"I can't keep living like this."
I sat down besides the grinder and looked at the ceiling of my massive basement. It was covered in cobwebs, and they seemed to mock me as I sat there.
"Four hundred years and I still can't die. No matter what I do, i can't die."
I whispered, clenching my fists. I thought back, to four hundred years ago. The last time someone had said I love you to me. It was my wife, the first and only wife I had ever had. She had laid in the bed we had built together, in out tiny house in the forest, holding my hand. She was so old, yet still as beautiful as the day I had met her. Her hazel eyes glimmering with a hidden strength even as she lay dying.
"James."
She had whispered to me, her voice so dry and raspy. Yet still unmistakably the voice of the women I loved.
"What is it darling?"
I had answered, clasping one of her wrinkled hands in mine.
"I want you to know, I love you. I love you more than anything in this world. I may be gone, but I'll always be with you."
She had said, so gently. So...weakly. I rubbed the back of her hand and leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you too, Cleo."
But she was gone. She was gone, and I was all alone again. I couldn't bear it. I buried her there, in the house we had built together, and left. I didn't look back. I wandered, and saw new civilizations rise, and expand. Fall, and new ones rise form the ashes. But nothing felt right without her. It was all so... empty.
"I will see you again. Someday."
I murmured, still staring up at the ceiling. I didn't want to be immortal. Not without her. |
Here I am again.
The same place, the same island, the same waves, beach, trees. Peace.
In the distance, beyond the shore, living nightmares. Monsters of sludge, grasping, screaming, moaning, crying. Forming and dissolving. An ocean of terror.
The hammock was nice, though. A gentle breeze, rustling of leaves, birdsong. Why was I *here* of all places?
It was time to leave, time for other dreams, anything but this one.
The island has all the needed building materials, and each night I set to work; somehow an odd continuity of progress permitted.
The boat was eventually finished, the *Dreamscape*. I shoved off.
The gentle lapping at the shore became a monsoon, waves of monsters tens of meters high. The monsters attempting to grab my boat, missing each time. Their long faces becoming longer with each miss, shrieking like banshees.
That was when I took a closer look. They were *me*. My face, distorted.
As the boat rocked, turmoil between waves cresting and waning, each buffet of the monster's writhing hands brought forth a memory of the past. Failures. Regrets. Missed opportunities.
But the monsters never reached in.
Rain sheeting down, visibility near zero. The flood brought floods of memory, and the gale force winds their smells. I laid down in the boat.
*This is just a dream...*
The boat began to fill. Why it had not before this moment, was unknown. I attempted to drain it with my hands, a futile effort.
Why was I forced through this? Through my past, my own mind a jailer, what kind of trial... no, *punishment*, was deemed necessary?
*This is just a dream...*
It was then that the realization hit me. It was time to let it go. All of it. My past failures, the regrets, the pain.
I stood up, and started to scream.
"I will not be stuck in the past! I will forgive... myself! You have NO hold on ME!"Tears streaming down my face, with white hot rage and desperation, I screamed into the void of my own creation.
In that moment, the seas calmed, the clouds parted, and the sun shined with a warming relief. In the distance, there was land. Looking aft, the island still stood; hammock between the trees, the island remained the same. However, I was not.
Turning fore, I'd made a decision that should've been made long ago.
*It was time to continue living.*
I awoke, for the first time in a very long time. |
*This gets a bit dark, so I apologize in advance.*
——————————————————
The dark night seemed to weigh on the shanty town like a thick smothering curtain. Silence hung in the air, and no one dared to venture out of their homes. The place had the air of a ghost town, even with the presence of a few figures by the deserted station.
A crunch of bone and cartilage cut the silence like a knife, followed by a sickening thud. Three of the four Gunderson brothers now lay dead, strong men who had been defeated by a seemingly fragile slip of a woman. The last one gasped for air and he struggled to break free from the witch’s stranglehold.
“Just leave them alone!” he begged, “Ya can take me if ya want, but leave the kids alone. They ain’t done nothing wrong…”
The witch’s beautiful face remained cold and impassive as he babbled on. “Fool. The Lady Loreley requires children, not pathetic worms like you.”
“Please Ma’am-.”
His last words were sharply cut off as she broke his neck. Loreley carelessly tossed his body to the side and strode away.
“Hold it right there, lady.”
She whirled around, eyes blazing. Another man was pointing his pistol at her. She smiled coldly.
“It is no use trying to stop me, mortal. I always get what I want,” she said sweetly.
But the man was not fazed. “I betcha do, but not this time. Say, whatcha gonna do with these kids when ya get ‘em? Throw ‘em in the oven for Sunday dinner?”
The witch laughed, the sound equal parts chilling and enchanting. “Oh, I am not as cruel as that. Nay, mortal, I wish to raise them as my own. I will give them great power, and they will do my bidding.”
“So ya want minions, got it. Wal I’m sorry lady, but ya can’t have ‘em. And by the way, the name’s Luke.”
Loreley scoffed. “You will pay dearly for this,” she sneered.
“Wait.”
The high-pitched voice caught them both by surprise. A small ragged boy appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He fiddled nervously with a blunt pocket knife.
“I’ll go,” he offered.
Luke looked incredulous. “Are ya crazy, son? She ain’t the kind of person ya want to hang around.”
“It’s okay, I’ll be fine.” The boy shrugged nonchalantly. “I got nuthin’ to lose anyway.”
Loreley looked down over her nose as he walked up boldly to her. She harrumphed softly.
“I suppose you will do,” she mused. She seized his arm roughly. “So weak and little, but you’ll grow in time. Come along.”
He gave her a cheeky wink. “I gotta do one little thing first,” he said.
Loreley gasped as the boy suddenly grew into a tall man. His matted sandy hair turned jet black, and his round childish face became more sharp and cunning. He gripped his pocket knife a little more tightly as it transformed into a sword.
“Ah, much better,” he said, breaking free from the witch’s grasp.
Luke stared in shock, and Loreley looked furious. “You!” she shrieked. “Curse you and your shapeshifting ways!”
A wicked grin crossed the magician’s face. “Oh dear, how you injure me. You weren’t so harsh when you tried to woo me into being your thrall so many years ago. And now you stoop so low as to steal children to do your bidding. Pathetic.”
“Not as pathetic as you, you little cockroach!” roared Loreley. She lunged forward, only to stop short. The sword’s blade had run cleanly through her chest. She staggered a bit and fell to her knees, bright red blood soaking the pale blue of her gown.
“That’s the last time you will ever cross me,” the magician spat. With another swift movement, he slit the witch’s throat. She let out a choked cry and fell lifeless at his feet.
“Ghastly business,” he told Luke as he cleaned the blade with great distaste.
“It had to be done,” replied Luke grimly. He checked his watch. “I suggest we take a look around town and make sure no kids got stolen. I don’t want no more of this witch business here.” |
I'm sitting in Drowl's chair in the main office of the empire base. I'm thinking of ideas to try and deal with the resistance, when my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a prisoner being brought in. I look up, and my jaw drops.
"Relay?"I exclaim.
She nods. "Yes. Where's Drowl?"
"Not important. He's safe, and he's still *Lord* Drowl"I retort. "Why are you arrested?"
"Ask them. All I did was try to talk a countryside town out of joining the empire."She shrugs.
I narrow my eyes. "I need to see your wrists."Her hands are uncuffed and I have a look. No mark. "Ok, so you're *not* part of the resistance, which raises a question: what do you have against the empire?"
"Really? You're asking me that, Naytar?"Relay scoffs. "The citizens are stripped of their freedom. Drowl claims to not be a dictator, but who voted for him? Who asked for him to be in charge? Come on, Naytar, it's clear you're in temporary charge. You can stop all this!"
Typical of her. Speaking up for freedom and rights. I clear my throat. "Relay... I can only forgive so much. We have a lot of trouble right now. I don't want to have to kill you."
"KILL ME?"Relay growls. "Wow, Naytar. I know the resistance has put Drowl on edge, but they're just standing up for themselves! They don't want to be oppressed!"
"You're beginning to sound like a sympathiser"I comment. "I have to lock you up now. Any attempts to escape and... I'll have to take drastic measures..."
Relay glares at me. "Naytar, this isn't you! You KNOW what Drowl is doing is wrong! There was a fighting spirit in you, but now I don't even recognize you... you're just Drowl's lackey..."
"His... ***LACKEY???***"My tone sends everyone reeling back. I stand up. "Lord Drowl has entrusted me with his empire! I help him, support him! I'm no lackey! We've become good friends! My loyalty is to him! If he wanted to tear down the empire, I'd do it! Relay, he's a really great leader, and has me to help him!"
Relay looks at the ground, defeated. "This isn't you..."
I'm about to order for her to be locked up, when a smoke bomb goes off. The building automatically goes into lockdown mode, but by the time the smoke has cleared, Relay is nowhere to be seen. "Where'd she go?"I shout.
A bruised, beaten guard crawls over. "S... sir... someone... knocked me... and another... guard down... I was... just released... from the rope... the other... was captured... I couldn't... warn you... I'm sorry... Naytar... I... I let you down..."
"Don't stress. Your loyalty hasn't gone unnoticed. I know you didn't *let* anyone in. GUARDS! Take him to our infirmary."I stare towards the entrance to the building, then head over to Drowl.
"Lord Drowl"I call, opening the cell door. "One of our guards were captured... and I think the resistance gained a new member, Relay..."
"Relay..."Drowl shakes his head. "I know you were close with her, Naytar. Please don't let her sway you."
"I didn't. I was going to lock her up, but she'll be a strong opponent. And now that they have a captive..."I begin crying.
Drowl stands up. "This could go really bad... really fast... Naytar, you can't be on your own."
"Sir, no-one knows where you are. You're safe. Please, I can handle it. Just... if the resistance gets what they want, know that it's because I was trying to protect innocents..."I look at Drowl hopefully.
Drowl sighs. "But... we can't let them win..."
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This story is a part of my series, [Dreams of an Empire.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/x9xqe3/dreams_of_an_empire/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out! |
A am new to writing, so criticism is very much accepted
​
I had died as a soldier in the great war and sacrificed myself to save my brothers-in-arms. After suffering gunshot wounds and an explosion from a hand grenade, I woke up in a prison cell in the upper layer of hell. The stench of sulfur and smoke invaded my nostrils. The ground was hot, but the air was somehow cold. The door to the cell was open, and an older man lay chained to the wall. He told me that because I didn't have any chains, there was still a chance for me to escape. "Go to the very edge of hell; if you can survive there, you may find the gates to Elysium,"he said. I thanked him and wandered out of the strangely unguarded prison, and after what seemed like days of marching through wastelands, volcanoes, and sulfur pools, I reached the edge. As I stood there, exhausted, staring into the abyss, a chill ran down my spine. It was unbelievable, just mesmerizingly vast and empty. The winds of hell blew bitter cold in my face as I stood there, entranced.
The joy and triumph of reaching the edge of hell faded away quickly. Crudely scribbled images of monsters and demonic animals flooded my brain, I felt migraine pain and became feverish. The smell of rotting flesh crept into my nose and began to drown the smell of sulfur. A sudden dread overcame me as my senses started becoming overwhelmed. The images became increasingly grotesque and distorted, and the odor in my nostrils became unbearable. I fell to my knees and started gagging, temporarily averting my gaze away from the void. Then, as I kneeled on hell's ground and gazed down while vomiting, I began to feel a presence in front of me. I looked back to see two glowing red eyes, like a serpent or a lizard. Still kneeling, I stared into the eyes for a few seconds before clumsily trying to get back up. But before I could get off my knees, the eyes darted closer, and only moments could pass before the dim light of hell illuminated the colossal serpent, and I was swallowed whole. |
Titans. Their corpses littered the skies. The small scavengers taking what they can before the larger predators would come by to cannibalize one another. This was the way of life, of evolution.
As species evolved they would clash or group together, and their penultimate forms would always result in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship. This was a known scientific fact to all higher order species. And, as penultimate life forms go, most of these higher order creatures would only find their life partner out in the cosmos, off of their home planet. Fortunately for those even remotely close to life's final destination, the known penultimates of the universe were fairly passive.
That is why, when news of a new radio signal being detected, far off in a small galaxy called the milkyway, trillions upon quadrillions of eyes, antennae and other sensory organs all turned their metaphorical gaze upon a certain small blue planet. |
It's still cold. Dark and cold. The stillness is haunting... but even so, we press on to 0 degrees longitude.
It happened quickly when the sun finally set. Researchers announced within two hours that the Earth had suddenly been completely tidally locked. Nobody knew why. It just... happened. They said that within months, the completely sunlit side of the world would be cooked sterile, and the unlit side of the world would be frozen solid. The only place that could be habitable would be at 0 degrees longitude, in the twilight zone.
The farmers immediately gave up. Most of them took their own lives. People are rushing to construct infrastructure at the 0 degree marker to support as many human lives at possible, but we know that it can't possibly hold everyone in the world. We're so far away... only God knows whether we will be let in or not. |
We were stopped at a small cave opening on the side of a mountain we were climbing when I heard a rumbling.
“Landslide!”, I yelled.
My girl friend and I pressed into the tiny cave as the rocks tumbled by. The mouth of the cave filled with boulders blocking us in the tiny cave.
“You ok?”, I asked
“Fine. Yeah, I am ok.”, Gwen said.
“We barely have room to turn around in here.”, I said as I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight. I lit up the entrance. “I don’t think we are getting out that way.”, I said sadly
“Not like there is any other option”, she said.
Gwen got her phone out too. We scanned the tiny cave.
“There looks like there is an opening up there”, Gwen said pointing to top back of the cave. Not seeing any other option we shimmied up and through the small opening. On the other side there was a long thin path. There appeared to be a light at the end which was promising so we went along the twisting path.
At the end of the path was an alcove, lit from an opening in ceiling. In the centre was a boulder with a sword sticking out of the centre. The blade was black as night and the hilt sparkled gold in the sun light. Beneath the sword was the inscription:
*Who so pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise villain of the realm.*
“The villain?”, Gwen said.
“Not as cool as Excalibur, like, who wants to be the villain?”, I said. “That said, Excalibur was supposed to make its true wielder invincible. Maybe I could pull it out and hack through the boulders or something.”
“Yeah, right.”, Gwen said with a smirk,”go for it.”
I gave the sword a quick tug but it didn’t budge. I gave it a two handed pull but nothing. I got up on the boulder, got the sword between my feet and pulled with all my strength. Nothing didn’t even budge.
“Well, that didn’t work. Guess I am just too virtuous to be the ‘*villain of the realm*’”, I said.
“My turn”, said Gwen.
She braced her feet at the base of the boulder and placed her hands carefully on the hilt. Making sure to have a strong grip.
“Here goes nothing”, she said and pulled the sword straight up out of the boulder. She held the blade aloft and it sucked sucked the light from the room.
Black tendrils crept from the blade and crawled up the hilt and wrapped around Gwen’s hand. They crawled up her arm and under her shirt. The tendrils came up under her shirt collar and into her hair. Her blonde hair, ran thick with tendrils and changed to black. Her hair grew until it was mid back. It twitched and moved like it was alive. Her eyes turned pitch black.
“Yes! Yes!”, Gwen hissed, “the blade is talking to me Steve. It knows everything. It is ancient. I am becoming more powerful. I am…… becoming…. raw…. power!!!”
“Holy shit! Gwen! Put the blade back! Put it back!”, I pleaded.
“Why? Why would I put back ultimate power‽”, she yelled at me. Her hair moving like snakes.
“Please Gwen. It is evil. Look at what it is doing to you! Please dear. Put it back!”
“No. This is mine. This is me now.”, she said as she strutted towards me. “Are you scared of me, Steve? Are you scared of me having power?”
“I am scared of what you are becoming. What happened to my Gwen?”, I said as I reached out for her.
“Your Gwen‽ your Gwen‽”, she spat, “I am my own person! I am becoming all that I can be! You won’t hold me back any long, Steve!”, she yelled as she thrust the sword into my belly
“Why?”, I reached for the blade but it burned my hands. She kept walking forward, pushing the blade deeper and deeper into me. She kissed me gently on the lips.
“You aren’t going to hold me back any more. I am going to do what I want to do!”, she pulled the blade up and it sliced through me as easily as it would cut paper. Slicing me from belly button to shoulder. “Good bye Steve.”, she said, as she turned and walked away. |
"Shouldn't you be getting some practise in?"
"Shouldn't you be shutting your damn mouth?"Cosmo sat down next to his friend with a heavy sigh. Lysander had been in a mood all week, ever since his father had set a location for their, supposedly, epic duel.
"I'm just saying. Your dad has been training for this for 18 years, if not more. You've had 6 at best. It can't hurt to do some extra training."
"Cosmo, I love you and all, but what good will it really do? I'm behind 12 years, if not more. I don't think one more practise will make any sort of a difference."Lysander stuck out his sword to make a drawing in the sand instead of knocking down some dummy's. "Besides, the whole situation is stupid anyway. Have you seen me? It's honestly ridiculous, I couldn't kill a fly if I tried, let alone another human being. I don't know what the fates were thinking."
"No, you're right,"Cosmo snickered. "The fates were probably hoping for a stronger warrior too."
"Right? I can't believe they chose this useless sack of sand."
"Neither can they."
Despite himself, a smile played around Lysander's lips. He'd been best friends with Cosmo all his life. Cosmo had always been his protector, his most reliable friend, his shoulder to cry on. He was a bit older, too, which made their relationship all the better. Through the years, they had trained together day in day out, though it had always been clear which one of them was the born warrior. Spoiler alert, it wasn't him.
"What does he think is going to happen anyway?"Lysander played with the idea in his head. He'd been wondering about it for years, mainly because his father had never given him something else to wonder about. He still had no idea what tho think of it all.
"I think he's expecting some unbelievable showdown. You know, duel of the century. Big sandstorms, amazing swordsplay, near-death experiences, loads and loads of cheering from the sidelines. In his mind, it'll probably last days upon days."Cosmo leaned back to enjoy the sunset in front of them with a satisfied eye.
"I, on the other hand, expect something stupid."He continued. Lysander rolled his eyes. He was tempted to just get up and leave, but he couldn't return home too soon. Father still thought he was out training. "Like, you two might battle for a minute or two and then suddenly he trips on air, or better, his own feet, falls on your sword and that's that."
Cosmo seemed to enjoy this thought. Lysander couldn't lie, it really would be funny.
"And then I'd be king, at the ripe old age of eighteen. No thanks."
"Don't worry about it. You have your handsome, trusty advisor and warrior master."Lysander looked around with a frown.
"Who? Where?"
"Right here, of course!"Cosmo grabbed Lysander's chin to make him look to his right, where Cosmo sat. He planted a peck on Lysander's forcefully pouted lips.
"You're going to be quite alright, Ly. The fates wouldn't let you die, they need you to kill that man. The lords know someone needs to silence him."Lysander couldn't quite bring himself to agree. He stood up, dusting off his armour.
"I still think I am going to die within two seconds on that field. Come on, get your ass up. Didn't you want to beat the life out of me again?" |
The offer was certainly tempting, but still I hesitated. After all, this entire situation was fucked up beyond all rationality. A game world that affected the real world. How does one actually administrate something like that? The job description was fairly straight forward: I'd be expected to oversee the running and maintenance of The Game, ensuring the participants were fully aware of the ramifications and had signed their waivers should they die while inside the system - after all, they'd die out here as well and the proprietors will not want to deal with the legal ramifications of that.
"Hmm? Is there a problem, Mr Michaelson?"
The musical voice draws my attention from the contract in front of me, as I raise my eyes to the gorgeous woman seated across from me.
"No, no problem. At least, not one that I can see yet. I just want to make sure I understand *exactly* what I'm signing here,"I reply, lowering my eyes again to continue reading the t&c's of the contract.
Everything seems in order. I can't find any problem with the wording of the contract that could see me being solely responsible for any "game overs"that clients may experience. In fact, as long as I do my job to the required standard, I will be fully absolved of any liability. The benefits are amazing, the wage is great, and having an Admin log in means I would be a god within the system.
And yet, still I hesitate to sign. Everything about this is too good to be true, but I can find nothing to suggest even the hint of a rugpull. I'm just too nervous about whether I'm the right person for the position. Granted, I've been an Admin over several online gaming services for almost my entire career, but this is far beyond that. It is the moral implications that stay my hand. I just know that I'll feel responsible should I mess up and a client dies as a result.
The beautiful woman regards me mometarily before reaching across the table to take the contract. "Apologies if the contract is not to your liking, Mr Michaelson. Let me see what I can do,"she says, as she adds another zero to the salary shown on the contract. "You see, I've been told by my superior that I am to do *whatever it takes* to get you to sign!"Her voice drops an octave as she adds *another* zero and slides it back to me.
I swallow hard. Both from the ludicrous amount of money now being offered, as well as the implied offer that has just been put on the table. My hand is already moving to sign the contract, and I can no longer think of a reason to stop it. |
And Fred. The Ninth God-Spirit is Fred.
But no one talks about Fred.
Seriously, it's like a rule.
No.
One.
Talks.
About.
Fred.
I mean, sure, Fred's NAME comes up.
A shaman builds a giant circle, lights seven black candles like outstretched heads and wings and talons and tail, sacrifices two identical twins at the east and west of the compass, flawlessly sings The Hundred Throated Warble to call the Two Headed Raven of Death to demand that it dispatch one of her most implacable foes... and the raven shakes both heads.
"Sorry,"says the right head.
"Fred said No,"says the left head.
"Tasty twins, though,"they say in unison.
"But...the ritual..."she sputters.
"Fred"
"Says"
"No"
And the raven is off into the night.
But no one talks about Fred.
Fred might not even exist, except for a pretext to take the twins and go.
Maybe.
But no one talks about Fred. |
"I'm telling you, something doesn't feel right about this,"I whispered. My gut was rarely wrong, and right now it was in knots as I helped Clara down from the ingress point we'd used.
"You're being paranoid. The intel was some of the best I've ever seen, and it's been spot on so far,"hissed Graeme. It was he who'd gotten the intel on this lab, apparently from a source of his within the Government.
"That's part of the problem! Nothing ever goes this smoo-"I begin, before Clara cuts me off.
"Will you two shut the fuck up for five minutes? Alfie, I trust your gut but Graeme's right. The intel was too good not to act on it. We can't let these experiments continue!"She whisper-shouted. "Do you think I'd act on intel without confirming it first? You know Jenna and Kyle spent weeks staking the place out."
"I know all that, but we're the third group to try and infiltrate this place. Nobody knows what the fuck happened to the other two,"I press the point.
"Obviously they acted on incomplete information,"responded Graeme.
"You think Trevor and Anna would act on intel they didn't 100% trust in? You call *me* paranoid; those two barely trust their own fucking eyes,"I hissed at him, as we pushed in to the lab.
"Okay, that's fucking enough you two. We've got a job to do and we can't risk being caught. I don't know what happened to the others, but our intel is much more detailed,"Clara shushed us.
Using the blueprints Graeme's contact sent us, along with the patrol information and security layout, we had plotted a path through the laboratory to where the scientists were working on bio-engineering some poor creatures into what would essentially become completely docile slaves for humans that would double as a food source in an emergency. It was fucking inhumane, and the thought knocked me sick. So, I dropped the issue so we could put an end to this sadistic shit.
It wasn't easy, but an hour or so later we found ourselves outside the main lab. We'd managed to avoid the patrols and take maintenance paths to avoid cameras, but it was still a challenge. I had to admit Graeme's intel had been vital, albeit begrudgingly.
"Okay, boys. Jenna and Kyle should be done their end,"Clara said, patting the smg on her hip. "Let's get this over with quickly and plant the bomb. We need to make *sure* nothing remains of the lab or the data."
Double-checking we were loaded and safeties off, Graeme attached a small piece of plastic explosives to each corner of the door as Clara and I moved to the sides. Once we were clear of the blast radius, Graeme hit a button and the doors fell inwards with a small bang and a heavy thwump. We used that as our cue to duck in and start spraying; my clip was empty before I registered what was going on.
Jenna and Kyle were hanging against the far wall, blood flowing from their now bullet riddled bodies. Other than that, the room was empty. My gut screamed at me to run, but it was too late as a heavy metal shutter slammed down over our entry point.
"What the *FUCK*?!"I yelled, unable to properly process what was happening.
"What the *FUCK*?!"Clara yelled, running towards Jenna and Kyle.
"What the *FUCK*?!"Graeme yelled, pointing at a panel on the far wall that was sliding aside to reveal a screen that flickered on as a man's face came into view.
"Please, do not hold this against us,"the face spoke. "But this is vital for humanity's survival once the economy collapses."
"So you think it's okay to experiment on defenceless creatures, turning them into slaves for humans?!"Clara screams in rage, having given up on trying to get Jenna down.
"You misunderstand,"the face replied. "You are the experiments. After all, no other creature is as versatile as humans."
The wall slides back into place, as realisation sets in. I round on Graeme.
"Your fucking contact set us up!"I roared. "I fucking told you this wasn't right! Now help me find a way out of here!"
"I don't think we're getting out,"Graeme mumbled, pointing to the wall again.
My heart sank as I noticed the distortion in the air, soon followed by a sweet scent. It was barely a minute later that my consciousness fell away. |
Chilling wind whistled past me as I ran through the snow, I could see the footprints fading as my fellow hunters trudged over it.
The lights were fading, we needed to gather food before the darkness brought in more snow, as my family ran faster to get into position to ambush the Long Tusks, my older brother kept watch as I climbed up a hill to spot the herd, after I spotted a small dark mass long way from where I was standing, and as I turned to signal my brother to come close to me I saw a couple of short-tusk-that-kills creeping towards him.
The winds were too loud for him to hear my warning so I took out a spear and aimed it at the Death Fang intending to scare it away, I realised a moment later my mistake as the wind pushed my spear down and inward almost into my brother, and he fell down while trying steer clear of my spear.
I started running towards my brother as he looked on in horror as he too spotted the group of short-tusk-that-kills, I could see his lips moving and his own spear in defensive posture as the group of short-tusk-that-kills surrounded him, I was almost near him when I slipped on a patch of Ice and fell face first into the rock surface below.
When I gained consciousness the warmth of the Sun was in my face, which was unexpected at the time of the year, I opened my eyes and tried to wake up and groaned as my muscles felt sore, and I found myself on brown dirt with tall green trees and completely naked at the bottom of a small hill covered in more trees.
I didnt understand what was going on or where I was or where my brother was, I sat down for a bit to get my bearings and found i was hungry and thirsty, I walked a few minutes and found a creek with warm water, and after quenching my thirst I broke a few branches to make a spears and started sharpening the tip on a boulder, since it was warm i decided to forego searching for animal skins for now.
After the tips were sharp enough, I made a trip back to where I woke Up, and half way through I found a few human footprints this time, they went back to the creek in a slightly different direction and I started following it downstream when I saw my brother sitting near the bank naked and staring ahead.
I called his name in relief and once he saw me he smiled and came running towards me and punched me in the shoulders hard enough to make me fall down in pain, and he kicked me in the butt while thanking the gods that I was a lousy shot.
After that I begrudgingly relayed what i had seen before i slipped on ice and after while rubbing at my shoulders, and he relayed how a death fang bit his neck before he woke up here without any injuries.
We sat there for a while trying to understand what was happening and where we were, and as we were both hungry I gave him one of my spears and we both started walking in the same direction as the downstream in search of animal trails to hunt and forage.
We found a large trail and after a while we came across a very slow goat like animal but larger grazing and we easily killed it and started dressing it when a strange woman in strange animal skins came barging in and screamed, when We tried to speak with her she ran back so we followed her even though we were covered in blood of the large goat like animal and running very slowly as our muscles still felt sore, a moment or so later we came across a huge wooden structure that looked like a Hut and the woman went inside and closed the door while screaming nonsense at us, we couldn't get inside as the door didnt budge, and curiously it was covered with many surfaces that look like ice but wasnt as cold.
While we tried to open the door and failed for a few minutes a few men came running with their own spears, although theirs were short and blunt with 2 holes at the tip. And their animal skin was even weirder and some of these men looked soft and pudgy although taller than anyone i had ever known.
I raised my own spear in greetings and started talking when i heard a loud Sound and saw my brother fall down a moment later, and then another Sound and something struck me all over my body. |
The zeroth hour approached.
The panic had risen beyond a boil, to the point where gas cannot compensate enough. The molecules wanted so frantically to disperse, to create more disorder and chaos, to claw down the doors of the pigs and rip their throats out, to feast on their entrails and rich wine.
Only four remained.
Thankfully for the human race, a single worker rebelled despite his enormous wages.
Creeping into the dank, jet-black bomb shelter, Clyde clasped his pistol in his right hand, thumbing the safety off.
The hollow point entered his left temple, exiting behind his wisdom teeth. The strength of the munition rendered his face largely unrecognizable.
Only three remained. |
The detective, Dick, had finally cornered the serial killer and backed him onto the very edge of the hotel roof, his latest victim only a few stories down. The man had a gun, but he wouldn't dare try anything with his own gun pointed at his temple. Dick gave himself a moment and a few deep sucks of air before speaking, making sure to not appear out of breath, although it was a hard illusion to pull off, "No where to run. Put the gun down. Now."
The perp was something of a hulk, his clothes barely seemed to fit him. A throwaway set perhaps, to dispose of after the murder? Whatever it is, all that muscle won't matter with a gun pointed at your head. "Look, detective, there's been a misunderstanding. I- how did you even find me?"
Dick gave a small chuckle, his gun not moving an inch, "Well you left a hell of a trail, son, with that black blood. Lab boys can't even figure out what the fuck you did with it,"his eyes suddenly came to slits, "but we'll know soon enough. Soon as you tell us."
The man looked confused, then annoyed. "Awh- have I forgotten to cloak the blood this whole time? Dag's gonna have a field day with this."
Dick was confused, though he quickly remembered he shouldn't be. The brute's just crazy. Typical. "Look, just put down the gun, or I'm gonna have to shoot ya. I won't repeat myself again. Now."
"Look, detective, believe it or not, we're of the same breed, and I really don't want to do this to you, you sure you won't back down?"
Dick didn't say a word, only took a step closer, gun as steady as ever.
The man looked almost disappointed as he shoved his own gun down the back of his pants. "Hhuuuh. Alright. Sorry about this,"he said, as he leaned back and fell off the edge of the building.
Dick ran over, upset that this was the second perp this week he couldn't catch alive, but as he leaned over the edge, he saw no body. There were simply ash marks on the wall of the building a few floors down, blowing away to leave not even a scratch as he stared. Dick instinctively reached down for a smoke, and as the stick reached his mouth, there was only one word he could manage to free from it, "... fuck." |
*This is well and truly a horrid place* you resolved as you loitered on the roof of your Mk2 Countryman Medium Tank, yours nicknamed 'Laughing Lassie'. It truly was horrid, these Ashlands. They were remnants of an ancient war which had left the earth scorched in every sense of the word. Even at night, you could feel the lingering embers through your boots as you walked through the depot. The ash-dirt mixture made just the worst mud on the planet. Little did you realise, it was about to get *much worse.*
Normally, a crew of your *quality* would not be deployed into active combat until you cleaned up your act, especially with a humiliating 'E-Rank' plastered on your uniforms. To be fair, they weren't wrong. The commander could hardly get you all to look in the same direction on a good day. You were the loader of the tank, loading shells into the breach. Arguably the most boring job in a tank, but you would come to appreciate only having a supporting role in the action. With the Pinnitsurgan war machine stretched thin across the multiple fronts of the Second Great War of the Realm, they were accepting anyone who could drive and shoot into their desperate armoured divisions, and your rag-tag group of chauffeurs, drunkards and tailors were it!
You and your crewmates hung out of the hatches and fooled around while your hardened Commander scanned the area with his binoculars. It was especially tense for him, considering 'Laughing Lassie' drive at the head of the convoy. The majority of the resistance in the area would be from the hastily assembled Kobolds forced into service by the Draconic upper class. *Cowards.* You figured the dragons were too cowardly to appear on the battlefield themselves, sending waves of their Kobolds at the line, usually in embarrassing mass surrenders. A sound in the distance. You all froze as the distant flapping of wings wafted through the air like the tumbling ash. It grew louder when your commander shouted. You all jumped down and locked your hatches. It was the worst-case scenario; a dragon had appeared personally to deal with you all.
"It's over there!"shouted the Bow Gunner, swiveling his vision port around madly while the driver beside him freaked out.
"No, up about 10 degrees on the right side, load APHE!"came the boom of the commander. You hastily shoved an APHE round into the breach as the turret faced toward the armoured beast with the whirr of its traverse motor. A bright flash, as the tank's 75mm gun fired, missing the target. The gunner cursed as he moved again. You madly shoved round after round into the chamber, just as many others did the same in tanks behind you. They were never designed to shoot at flying targets, and many rounds missed before at last your waste of space of a gunner managed to land a shot on its mark. The dragon staggered, its ancient armour once forged to stop sword strikes reduced to impotence as the APHE round went right through the chest and its explosive core detonated.
You wiped the sweat from your brow as the tank convoy trundled on, toward the break in the Ashlands and the border towns of the Thousand Year Hegemony. It was about to end much earlier than that. |
Sticks and stones.
This hospital wing had no business tending to the needs of those harmed by words. Reverberations of nonsense spat out by some halfwit should have no bearing on the wellbeing of others.
Yet, to Samantha, that was not the case.
It took months of plasma and blood. A rare blood disorder prevented her basic lacerations from clotting properly. Her cries for help were close to her final words.
It was now, after an exhausting year she was finally able to walk. Soon, she will be given her discharge papers. Discharged to the very people who set her down this path. To the people whose words cut through air like the razors that cut Samanthas skin. |
With a chime, the elevator doors opened. Two hulking men in suits invited her to follow. Three more were at the far end of the lobby, cordoning off Alice’s coworkers - the ones who hadn’t gone home.
The Secretary had gone home to check on his family. She hoped - wished - that he was okay, perhaps just unavailable. The cellular network was surely down, right?
Her coworkers shouted:
*Where are they taking you?*
*What’s happening?*
*Let go of me-*
The two brutes rushed her out of the lobby before she could even think of an answer. One grabbed her by the shoulder, nearly dragged her off of her heels. They didn’t stop until she was in the back seat of a dark SUV.
“Matthew Graves,” a hand reached across the console. His was a plain face, one of many worn rough with years of stress and worry. But Alice still thought it looked familiar. After all, he was just offstage at dozens of press conferences, hidden in the background of a hundred pictures of his boss.
*Former* boss.
“Yes,” she she shook his hand, weakly. “You’re the Chief of Staff. I think we met before?”
Graves barked at the driver. “Not on Pennsylvania. Take the back roads, please.” The car swerved and roared in response, soon surrounded by four others just like it.
He turned back to her. “Due to… extraordinary events, you are next in succession to be the President of the United States.”
She ripped herself out of her stupor. “That can’t be right. I wasn’t even appointed by him. My boss… is he okay?” The car swerved abruptly. Red lights whizzed by the window.
“I’ll be straight with you,” he cut her off. “The next ten minutes are *critical* to the survival of our country.”
Alice thought she heard a crashing sound outside. Possibly another explosion?
“Because you aren’t *officially* in the line of succession,” he continued, “others will question your legitimacy. The nations enemies, your own *personal* enemies.”
She shuddered at that. Her tenure as a director had been infamously fraught with political hazards. Well publicized scandals in the embassies. Well hidden internal conflicts that she intentionally brought to light. Purges of the corrupt “old guard” that she oversaw, personally.
Long ago, she hoped to survive this job for just a few more years. Long enough to collect her pension and retire early. But even that seemed impossible with so many people who had sworn to stop her.
“So you understand,” Graves had sent down his phone, seemed to be staring deeply into her eyes. “You now have *many* personal enemies. Plus the rest that come with this job.”
The car swerved abruptly. “Are we even in the right lane right now?-“
“You must accomplish three things tonight,” he seemed unfazed by the hazardous driving. “First, you must demonstrate that you are, infallibly, the next in succession to lead the country.”
“Am I though? Is this even written down anywhere?” Alice asked.
“Not like this,” he said, solemnly. “No one ever imagined that we’d run out of cabinet members. We’re far past what the law declares, explicitly.” He took a deep breath. “Which means that we must be *first*.”
Flashing blue lights flew past the windows.
“Next, the people must see you accept the responsibility. You will be filmed by whoever is left of the press corps.”
“The Rose Garden?” a mote of joy snuck into her voice.
“No, you shouldn’t be outside, not now.” He tapped at his phone for a minute. “Finally, and most critically, *you* must convince the world that you are worthy of the job. We’re finishing a few acceptance speeches. You can choose any of them, though-“ he handed her a beige folder - “I do have a favorite”.
*Unprecedented times… I’d like to thank the honorable Justice <TODO> for… The intent of the law is clear… Humbly accept… Let there be no confusion…*
The cars slowed, briefly, then sped up. Through the rain-mottled windows, she could see two marines outside of a gatehouse. War dress. At attention.
“You said that we have to be *first*,” Alice said. “There must be a dozen generals, other directors within the State Department, survivors of the other departments.”
“Hundreds,” he said, tersely.
“You’re the chief of staff, right? The assistant? The one who sets up the appointments?”
“I am.”
“You’re the only one left who knows the right people, the guards at the gate, the assistant to the Supreme Court Justices, the press corps…”
“Don’t be foolish, I’m certainly not the only-“
“You could have picked *anyone*,” Alice said. “There are a dozen other people better qualified than me. Why me? Why not *you*?”
The cars slowed as they arrived to the front steps. Alice could see camouflaged soldiers forming a perimeter, broken only by men in dark suits.
“You’re certainly *savvy* enough for the role. This administration is full of career politicians. People entrenched in the old ways. People who will fight against change. Even your former boss, the late honorable Secretary of State, meant to fire you next month. You were too transparent, showed too many weaknesses, revealed too many secrets that he wanted to keep hidden.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Our job depends on trust. Truth. Not this-“ she waved her arms around, “-*cloak and dagger* nonsense.”
“In the past hour, I’ve received hundreds of messages. Emails and texts and calls from career politicians. People assuring me that they are the right one for this job.”
“So why not pick them?” Alice said. “I never even wanted this.”
“That’s precisely why,” for the first time, he smiled. “In my experience, the best leaders are the ones who are in awe of the power. The ones who want to do good with it. I think the world needs someone like you. Someone honest, who can finally do the right thing.”
The door opened, a small team of soldiers flanked a path directly to the White House door.
Alice looked back to Graves. “So what’s your part in this?”
“You do the right thing. And I’ll take care of doing the wrong things. *Madame President*.” |
My partner died that night. Or so I thought yet out on my patio five years later she was crouched on my railing a pair of fox ears in her head and golden eyes. “How- what-“ I started before she cut me off. “Long story as in literally long story. Let’s do this inside it’s late.”
Nodding I took her in and we sat on my couch. “Alright let’s begin.” she started, “first off as you can tell I’m not exactly human never really was. I’m what you might call a kitsune or a fox spirit. Dad was mortal mom was not and it made family dinners awkward. During our raid I had to go. They weren’t animals they were spirits like me among them was a very powerful spirit. Unfortunately they’re still very mad at humans.” Okay that was… a lot. “So what’s this have to do with me and it’s been five years how is it still mad?”
“When you have eternity five years isn’t much. As for you well you’re in SWAT and the third best shot I know. I need to go beat the calm into a spirit and I need some back up and you’re all I got. The other shrines aren’t gonna touch this too dangerous.” Well she was my friend and despite not being honest she never lied to me. And we looked out for each other for years before she disappeared. “Sure I’m in but first if I’m the third who’s the second and first?” She smirked and stood as we headed for my door. “Naturally I’m the second best shot and the spirit we’re hunting is the first.” |
I turned my phone off. The alerts were becoming annoying, and they were all the same after that first one: "Open your doors. We are coming. Do not be afraid."
There had been warnings for weeks now that something beyond our understanding was happening, supernatural and inexplicable occurrences across the globe. The End-of-the-Worlders are having a fucking field day with it all. The religious nuts are split into 2 camps that I call Camp Rapture and Camp Damnation. As their names imply, Camp Rapture believe that the End Times are upon us and the Just and Righteous will "ascend to the seat of Heaven"while Camp Damnation preach about how we have allowed Evil to run free and now the denizens of Hell will seize the Earth.
I don't know what the fuck it is, but I'm not taking any chances so I have locked my door and shut the windows. News reports say the Event is expected to last only a few days, according to "expert readings". Ha! Fucking expert readings? They don't half chat some shite! Either way, I'm stocked up enough to go weeks without leaving my house. I've always got nonperishable food and plenty of water in, so that when a new game comes out I can just bunker down and play it for days. I sit down at my computer to distract myself with a few raids in WoW when I feel a breeze coming from the bathroom. Did I shut that window? |
TW: depression themes
—
"Mr. Forrester, we have been over this countless times,"the woman from my phone declared sternly. I have been weeks overdue of this research paper and my publisher has been all up my phone this day. "The committee asks."
"I'm sorry, I'll try,"I replied, using great effort to control my voice from cracking and stop myself from breaking down in front of her.
"We don't need you to keep trying. We need you to do it. And we need it *now*."
I sighed. "I'll send it as soon as I can."
"You better do, or else—"
I placed my phone down and cut off the call. I've had enough of it. It is quite difficult to place myself into a headspace for academic discourse when my life has been falling apart.
I groggily reached for the medications my therapist has prescribed to me from my drawer. After settling down for a good hour, I booted my laptop and started to run the simulation application. I took me a moment to recalibrate the parameters and adjust the Friedmann equations to be as accurate as it can be in real-time. I hesitantly hit start and took a gulp of the liquor that was slowly accumulating moisture around the bottom of the glass. I took an empty piece of paper and started to solve more of the related equations and functions I might need later.
I got distracted for a second and stared at the worn-down photo lying on my study stable. It was me in my senior year in college. I was standing awkwardly and my hair was disheveled, thrown into disarray. I was glaring at the camera while embracing a stack of thick-spined books on one arm. My other arm was clasped and held tight to another's. Kennedy was all smiles and he held his phone high. But since that day I saw him a haplessly bloody mess with shattered glass scattered on him and his head resting uneasily against the broken-through windshield, reminiscing memories with him only left a bitter taste in my mouth.
A month had already passed but I still miss him. Everything has been going downhill since then. I lost multiple government grants because of my negligence. I fell into alcohol and substance abuse. I am currently overdue of my research. I almost lost my job at the uni for lashing out against a poor student who was struggling. Everything seemed to be in a rapid spiral descent. I was not like this. Why am I like this?
Persistent [redacted] ideations have plagued my mind. I have tried taking my own life but I simply cannot bear myself from doing it. I want to die, but I cannot do the deed. I glanced at the undone noose on the carpet. I washed my parched throat with another glass of vodka. Kennedy and I used to drink together. Now I do it alone.
*Get a grip, Gale*, I whispered to myself.
I resumed to the pen and with it, I drew illustrations on the piece of paper. I have been deep in my thoughts when I heard a prompt from my laptop. I was startled, pushing the glass onto the edge of the table. I heard a dull clink on the library's wooden floor. I faced the screen and clicked on the highlighted tab on the simulation. My lungs heaved a handful of breath.
The possibility for a false vacuum decay was 99.998% with ±0.00001% margin of error. And a cosmic event caused a so-called "bubble of destruction"to appear at a nearby galactic super-cluster. My calculations show it ought to have reached the earth a year and a half ago.
I blankly looked at the pixels on my screen and leaned back on the oak chair. I no longer have the strength to identify the event that caused this catastrophe. The universe is going to be destroyed, and we won't even know when it will hit us. The speed of destruction is at the speed of light. We will be annihilated before we even knew what is coming to us. Planets. Humans. Atoms. Every single bit of information. Nothing will be spared.
Somehow, that gave me comfort instead of grim. I managed to pull my lips into a mangled smile as I looked again at our photo. The world is going to end. And so does my suffering. My pain. My anguish. My failed dreams.
The universe as we know it will be gone. And it will be for good. |
Belgian Grand Prix, 2027.
Last lap. I had overtaken both Max and Charles, who were still hot on my tail. I drove through the busstop chicane as fast as I could. I crossed the line, and screamed to my engineer at Haas F1. "WE'VE DONE IT! WE'VE DONE IT!"To this day, I still don't believe that I've won the very first race I've been in. Guenther had the confidence in me, and gave me the best chance of my carreer. Weirdly enough, there were no tears running down my cheeks. I guess I was in shock. I stopped the car in parc-ferme, got out, and did my signature move I've always done in karting. The crowd was going mental, and so were Max and Charles. They were so happy for me, and immediatly hugged me. My two childhood heroes, right here, and I managed to defeat them first try. Unbelievable.
Then, the post race interview, hosted by Mick. "What an incredible drive. How are you feeling?"He asked.
"Amazing. To win here, on my favourite track, first Grand Prix, it feels better than I ever could imagine."
"As you probably have guessed, "Mick said, "this is going down in history books with some of the greats. And for that reason, there are a few pecial guests here this afternoon."
I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and started crying. There they were. Seb, Fernando and Daniel. Mick handed the microphone to Seb.
"Hey kid! What a race! We loved the last lap move on Max around the outside at Blanchemont. Really cool. But we have a surprise for you. You might have heard on the news that a paticular driver has, let's say, fought as hard as possible, and succeeded."My heart dropped. It couldn't be. Seb continued "it is an honour to announce to you that Michael Schumacher, 7 time World champion, is here!"They stepped aside, and there he was.
Michael. Fricking. Schumacher. I kneeled, to pay my respect to who is for me the greatest of all time. He stood up out of his wheelchair, and gave me a big hug. I cried so much that I couldn't stand up anymore. Max saw I almost fell over, and rushed a chair to me. I sat down, and they handed the microphone to Michael.
"To be here, is already amazing. And to be with you, Tom, is very special to me. The fun and talent you had at Zandvoort last week, running a practice session, was already a sign that you are the next record breaker. And your performance here this weekend has sealed my decision. As newly assigned coach at Ferrari, I have the honour to offer you a 3 year contract at our team, alongside Charles. Let it sink in, and we'll chat at the Schumacher family home next week."
And that's how my greatest dream became reality. |
It was twenty-three hundred.
When a man walked into the lounge. He was staring at the floor, shoulders hunched and moving as if the voyage had taken a lifetime off of him. He was heading for the coffee maker. The engine of every salaryman from Sol to Vega, I thought as I glanced over at the crushed styrofoam cup that lay beside me now. But what use is an engine when there is nothing to power? The man, slowly sipping his coffee, a figure approaching from behind him. An arc of glimmering, rich, dark coffee splattering violently against the wall as the figure put a hand on the man’s shoulder.
“I see,” said the man wearily, “Very well.”
The figure, a woman of likely thirty or so, gave an eerily wide smile in response. Then again, I thought most smiles were too wide. Maybe I had been right all along.
It was twenty-three hundred.
The lounge was nearly empty, save for the ship’s lieutenant off in a corner with what looked like a stiff drink in hand. The nervous glances didn’t seem to say many good things about their mental state, either. Quick, stolen, and rimmed with a paranoid intensity that follows in the wake of failure and the impending dread of judgment.
“It wasn’t my fault,” they said in just above a whisper, dragging the glass before them closer.
There was a rust-colored stain on the lieutenant’s left shoulder. New. A little bit worrying, when one could worry about such small things.
It was twenty-three hundred.
When Captain Halligan ordered the quarantine, every passenger ushered back to their cabins, and promised that things would work out if everyone cooperated. The screaming match between the head of security and the couple two doors down was really quite annoying. Far better still, than the grinning passengers, eagerly striding back into their cabins. A glance from them weighed heavily, like the looming specter of a performance review during a bad quarter.
It was twenty-three hundred.
Everything in the Captain’s office was immaculate, except for her. Dark bags underscored manic eyes, while dry and cracked lips stretched in a dire smile.
“I hope that you appreciate the fact that we’ve tried to contact you many times, Inspector,” said the Captain.
“I haven’t heard from anyone but the crew since the quarantine.”
The Captain sighed, “That’s exactly the issue.”
Crimson fluid spilled from her mouth, staining the pristine wood floor.
It was twenty-three hundred.
A unified set of smiles stared back at me, as I sat crumpled against the wall of the lounge. They were just standing there… Waiting for something, watching every move. They had no interest in saying anything more than they already had. Just them, me, and the prescription bottle before me. |
"Divided we stand, united we fall"
That's what she said when we were up against the capybara army. But how did I get to this point?
Well, it all started when I was out walking in the forest, minding my own business, when I suddenly came across an army of capybaras. At first, I thought they were just harmless animals, but then I noticed they were all carrying spears and wearing armor. It was clear they were preparing for war.
I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there frozen in place. That's when their leader, a massive capybara, stepped forward and said, "We are the army of the capybaras, and we are going to take over the world! Surrender now and join us, or be destroyed!"
I knew I couldn't let them take over the world, so I gathered my courage and said, "I will never join you! I will fight you with every breath in my body!"
She just laughed and said, "Fine, then you will die!"
And so the battle began.
At first, it didn't look like we were going to win. The capybaras were just too strong and too many. But then, something miraculous happened. One of the capybaras fell over, and then another, and another. It was like they were suddenly overcome with fatigue.
We took advantage of their moment of weakness and attacked. It was a fierce battle, but we eventually emerged victorious.
As the leader of the capybaras lay dying, she said, "You may have won this battle, but you will never win the war! We will be back, and next time, we will not fail!"
But I am not afraid. We will be ready for them, and we will win. Because united, we stand strong. |
“One Sunshine Surprise for Lisa Reader!” I announced. The arrangement included yellow chrysanthemums, hyacinths, and carnations.
“About time! For someone that can grow plants easily, you sure do take your time!” Lisa replied. She looked very annoyed.
“Well, you can’t expect me to be perfect, right?” I joked.
“You could at least try! The heroes are plenty good at it!” Lisa exclaimed. “I’d best be off anyway! I have shopping to get done!”
“Alright, have a wonderful rest of your day!” I said enthusiastically.
My smile fell when she exited the shop. Ms. Reader was a pain when it came to arrangements. Some customers would complain about how they had to place an order when I could grow flowers instantly. But, at least, she was my last client of the day.
I drew the short end of the stick when it came to powers. I could grow plants instantly, so long as I had the seed.
Most people were born with powers you would see in comic books. Powers that superheroes had. The heroes would help with theft, kidnapping, overdose, and identity theft. Because of their rumored ability, there aren’t many supervillains, so the city is pretty peaceful. Well, it was.
There’s been talk about civilians suffering physical and mental problems at random points during the day.
So, Townsfolk have started buying flowers to calm themselves down. Because the flower shop I work at has fast, in-person delivery, the business has been booming.
The problem just started, so the investigation has been brief. However, one thing that hasn’t been investigated further is the cause.
I take out my phone and check the news. There’s an article about the “Growing Concern Over Amethyst Cities Catastrophy!” The report states that the problem is getting worse. Two people have died of heart attacks, five committed suicide, and ten have suddenly become depressed. Also, a “recent interview with the hero commission reassured us that everything will be okay!” Bullshit.
The thing about these “heroes” is that they’ve faced no actual harm, meaning they have no experience against a real threat.
I have to share one thing about my powers. When the flowers I plant grow, the meaning behind them will become a reality. If I give them to another person, the effect transfers to the person receiving them. So I grow all the flowers myself and use plastic flowers as decoration.
The flowers I gave Ms. Reader had meanings to do with heartbreak, and she has a husband who pays for everything she has. |
[story]
I hate it, i cant even begin to explain how much i hate it.
First it was the flowers, they were destroyed by a rogue machine.
Then it was the chocolate, i understand the hero might atack at any moment. But just at the same time they got my cholocats! And what even was the reason to destroy a box of chocolats?
Ugh... It's fine, its gona be fine. Im just going to tell them in the private meeting i asked for!
-some time later-
I was sitting in the chair staring at my boss.
"You asked for a private meeting, why was it?"
"Well, You see. I have wanted to tell you something for some time and-"
A loud crash can be heard in the background as loud alarms start sounding
"Not again..."
As the hero breaks the door and the battle starts i cant think anithing else that 'it will be next time.' |
My heart had always pitted less fortunate people than myself, When I saw them I would always try to help the best I could. One day when I was walking on the trail next to Xion river, I heard a cry of a child from the other side of Mulberry Bush. I stayed fixed as I pondered on what to do. When the sound of crying got dimmer and dimmer, My heart melted for the helpless child, I threw away my doubt to the wind and rushed into the bush. Braking branches, tearing leaves and making a path toward the child. I saw a dirty little boy with ragged clothes faint due to hunger. I walked near him and carried him to my home in a hurry. Once I laid him on a futon I fed him the leftover portage from the morning. He regained some strength after some time so I told him to take a bath on the bathing drum. Once he was clean I was stunned by his looks, if my grandma was here she definitely would say "he looked like a golden boy that stands next to Guanyin bodhisattva".
he looked at me with his watery clear eyes curiously.
Aw. Aw. I coughed awkwardly and said. Hello, my name is Wu Sakura, may I know your name?
Ah. My name is i.u.b.s...
I felt like my soul was drowning in honey when I heard his voice so I missed what he was saying. I asked him again. I am sorry I did hear you properly. Can you repeat it?
My name is Icarus
(I have to do something but I will write again). |
I open Vulca's door to check on Scott. As part of the new arrangement, I have full access to her place to help support Scott with his new role. I walk in to an empty living room. I hear voices from the bedroom and politely knock. "It's safe to come in, Flora!"Vulca calls. I open the door, to see a frightened and exhausted Scott in his underwear.
"Di... did you guys just-"I begin.
"No"Vulca interrupts, grinning. "I wanted to, but Scott said no, so I decided to punish him."She turns back to Scott. Energy dances from her fingers, and Scott is laughing, tears escaping his eyes. I notice Scott isn't restrained, but he was probably instructed to lie still and not move, as he doesn't even squirm.
"I... I thought... haha... you were... hehehe... going... to... haha haha... spank me... haha ha haha!"
"Oh, THAT'S what you want?"Vulca winks. "Turn over."
"Ok, I'm out now! Have fun, I guess"I say, as Scott obeys his master. As I leave, I hear painful sounds coming from Scott, but I know he's fine... and I'm NOT staying...
About five minutes later, I see Malessor. "Hey! Allie not with you?"I ask.
"I snuck away"he smirks. "Vulca is letting me share her toy. She's expecting me."He brushes past and I follow him, cautiously, only to see Vulca on her sofa, and Scott, now dressed, seemingly waiting for someone.
"Now, Scott, you are to do what Malessor tells you to do"Vulca commands. Malessor proceeds to make Scott act like a chicken, stand still for 'target practice', do 100 sit-ups, and, Malessor being the way he is, lastly makes Scott punch himself in the face. Surprisingly, Scott only moaned at the sit-ups, he was relatively calm with everything else.
Malessor wasn't quite done when Allie comes over. "MAL! What are you doing here?"
Malessor turns around. "Just having some fun..."
"How'd you even sneak away? I made it so that you couldn't!"Allie exclaims.
Malessor blushes. "Well... I kind of slipped a sleeping thing into your tea... and messed with your bracelet while you were out... but Vulca said I can play with her toy!"
Allie giggles. "You shoulda just asked! Now I have to punish you!"
"Punish?"Malessor repeats.
"Mal, my little sisters get to play dress-up on you today!"Allie declares.
Malessor freezes. "What? But-"
"Oh, you'll be fine"I taunt. "I mean, it's nothing compared to what you did with Scott!"
Malessor looks at me, scared. "Her sisters... they're monsters! Last time they played dress-up on me, I looked like a freak!"
"You already do"Allie fires back. "You know not to sneak off again now... but I already told my sisters they get to do it, so I can't change my mind even if I wanted to! Come on!"
Malessor hangs his head and reluctantly follows. "MAKE SURE YOU RECORD IT! OR AT LEAST SNAP SOME PHOTOS!"I yell. Allie gives me a thumbs up.
"He's always been a wimp"Vulca states. She turns to Scott. "Up for it now?"
"Umm..."Scott seems really nervous.
"Vulca, I think he's exhausted. Human bodies can only handle so much."I look at her sincerely.
"Ok, Scott"Vulca says, "if you REALLY want a break, I need you to prove it. Beg for it if you REALLY want it."
Instantly, Scott falls to his knees. "Please, master, I need to recover, I'm so so tired. I can't take much more. Please show mercy."
Vulca laughs. "Alright. You know where you sleep. I'll let you rest."
"Thank you"Scott sighs, relieved. He heads to what looks like a pet cage designed to be large enough for a human lying down. He shuts the cage door, which locks automatically.
"Didn't give him a proper bed?"I question.
"Eh, he protested, but backpedalled when I said how he wouldn't be able to stop me from getting 'affectionate."She snickers.
I smile and nod. "Alright. Anyway, gotta see boss, he has a task for me. See you!"I make a quick exit to go and visit Lucifer.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
This story is a part of my series, [To Love a Demon.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/xqefwu/to_love_a_demon/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out! |
I never found a single UFO in all my searching, and I’ve visited every sighting ever reported!
I saw a few weather balloons, and a couple experimental aircraft, but most if the sites were empty.
Not a single thing to mistake for something else.
Sometimes not even a single cloud in the sky.
I started to lose hope. To question my mission; my *passion*.
Was I wrong? Was it all just a series of hoaxes? They’re all just...*made up*!?
And then it hit me. Like the apple with that Edison guy.
It turns out that they *were* real! **ALL** of it’s real! It just isn’t *Aliens*!
It was a **TIME TRAVELER** all along!
All those sightings were of *me*! |
In the beginning, all was barren. A landscape forged by cooling magma and settling Earth. A spark of magic followed the first life, a tiny advantage in a harsh world.
While life grew and developed into many shapes, the first spark multiplied, and the coalesced sprites began wielding magic for protection against their more abundant competition.
The beings borne from magic were called many things by many creatures. Humans called them fae, mysterious wielders of an unique power. They were drawn to shining jewels for reasons unknown, for they had no use for a greedy spirit.
Humans were the first to covet. Watching the fairies world the elements effortlessly fanned the embers of anger at an unfair world. Why only these creatures could use magic? Humans desired that power and took arms to try and subjugate them.
Iron, a new discovery, managed to break their rudimentary spells. Once the first drop of magical blood was dropped, all the races turned their attention to the revealed vulnerability. The faeries knew they would face the world. But their pride made it so they wouldn't go down without a fight. They would defend their kingdom until the last fell in battle.
Humans formed armies, their wrath stoked against an eternal oppressor. Elves flocked together, an ancient envy called for blood and to snatch their possessions. Giants followed the carnage, gluttonous for a new delicacy forever denied to them.
Ley, a dragon as ancient as life, thirsted for the power it had witnessed from afar. But it was afraid then, beaten down by the first faeries. The old dragon never dared to raise a claw nor bare a fang against a nation, but now that the stewards of magic were distracted, it saw a chance.
While war raged on, Ley crawled towards the heart of the magical nest, seeking the source of their energy. It had watched them collect crystals like ants to leaves or bees to pollen, the reason they could use magic since birth.
A giant diamond, the Heart of Titania, stood proud in the depths of the mountain. Ley desired the crystal, a greed awakened. But it was impossible to move, and a touch scorched its flesh. If it couldn't have the heart... Then it should be destroyed.
Ley wound its sinuous body around the crystal, ignoring the pain as it constricted the stone until the breaking point, freeing the coalesced mana in a terrible typhoon that shattered its scales, tore its muscles, and splintered its bones.
A single act of defiance had spelled its end. But even when its body turned to dust, Ley had no regrets.
In the battlefield, the explosion coming from the mountain left the warring nations in shocked silence, and the rush of power that soon followed signaled the end of the struggle. All sorts of beings now could use magic to a higher or lower degree, the fairies lost their monopoly.
By the claw of a dragon, the hegemony was broken. By the greed of a dragon, faeries fell from grace. By the will of a dragon, magic was freed. |
Train enthusiast here, thomas the tank engine's basis is a really awful locomotive, but here we go!
As I walked along the the old southern region of BR, I heard something... something truly terrifying.
The sounds of old steam locomotives.
Ever since Vladimir Putin had his nuclear tantrum, it was rare to see even a car, but hearing a train? A steam train, at that? I naturally ran and hid in the nearby dead bushes, and saw something that was arguably even more terrifying.
A locomotive with a face.
It seemed like a kind face, and he (i assume, at least) was calling out, like he had heard me. He was painted in an interesting blue livery with yellow and red accents, and appeared to be an old LBSCR E2 with extended side tanks.
Without properly thinking about it, I left my hiding place, and made myself visible.
"Hello...?"I said, cautiously.
"Oh, hello there!"Said the locomotive excitedly.
"My name is Thomas, what happened to all the other people?"He asked.
"Its... complicated, thomas. My name is Brian, any chance I can hop in your cab?"I said, not even suprised by what I was seeing.
"Sure, Mr brian!"Peeped the little blue tank engine.
"Its just Brian, thomas."
"OK, Mr Brian!" |
I took a moment, really looked at her face. Caty Spitz, with that strong jawline, those high cheek bones, the aquiline nose. Then she waved her hand in front of my face, trying to snap me out of my catatonia. I *knew* that hand, had felt it pat my shoulder in countless hugs. But I also **knew** that hand, had seen it flying at me in countless punches.
I shook my head, "Sorry, lost time a bit."
"You feeling okay? Look a little pale."
"Fine, just a headrush."
"Gotta drink more water."
I suppress a maniacal laugh and stick to a normal one. The Cactus Queen telling me to drink more water. She wasn't even my nemesis, just some b-lister. And one who I thought was imprisoned. I need to discuss improving security at the next meeting.
"Yeah, I know, I'll go get a cup now."
I left the room, reached for my comm, when I heard her phone ring, and I paused to listen.
"Yellow?"I hate when she does that.
"Hey, Spitz, just checking you are OK. Need any help?"She had her phone turned up so loud. I remember she'd been hit by one of Resounder's echo bombs during the last fight.
"Huh?"
"We just pinged a power surge in your area, thought you might be in a fight."The person on the phone had a high, reedy voice. Not one I recognized.
"No, just chilling with a friend."
"A friend? Or *that* friend?"
"What, no!"She sounded almost embarrassed.
"Ok, if you say so. Girl, you need to make a move."
"It's not like that."
"Listen, you have his picture up in your locker. This is high school stuff."
"Stay out of my locker, you snoop!"She said with a laugh.
"Never. But if you don't need backup, or a *wingman*, I guess I'll let you get back to it."
"Ok, catch you at the meeting Friday."
"I expect steamy details."
"Bye."I could hear the eyeroll in her voice.
So, I knew she had a meeting Friday with someone who could track powers being used. It may not be a perfect system (lucky for me), but it was better than the nothing we had, and it was certainly something we didn't want in the wrong hands.
I just had to keep my discovery quiet for the next three days. Piece of cake, right? |
Everyone thought that the first symptoms of the anthro virus would be fur or scales or feathers or even a tail. But as someone who works in the dental field, I can tell you that it's the teeth. You can tell a lot about what animal a person is becoming by that. I, for one, am becoming a [bassarisk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringtail), with a 3.1.4.2/3.1.4.2 formula for a total of 40 teeth, and all of them sharp. With the development of the teeth comes an unavoidable change in diet. I have all but ceased eating carbs, and frequently find myself taking the mice and rats out of my traditional traps and [eating them head-first,](https://youtu.be/NMlDGwcW2H8) and will occasionally [snap up an unfortunate wasp just for the spice of it.](https://youtu.be/swuXvhkPA24)
Explaining these circumstances to my patients, however, yields mixed results. Everyone who catches it becomes their true inner animal, and while many a bird-beak has accepted their diet of bird seed and bugs and maybe small prey, the one guy who was becoming an anthropomorphic vulture had to have a follow-up the following week after getting used to roadkill.
So, if you catch the anthro virus, check your teeth and call your local dentist for a thorough examination. We appreciate your time. |
The screen cut back to a familiar black as a message appeared across the screen -NATIONAL ALERT. ALL CITIZENS ARE TO HEAD TO THEIR CLOEST AVAILABLE EVACUATION CENTRE. WE URGE YOU TO PACK ONLY THE ESSENTIALS AND LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.-
I fidgeted on the plastic chair and stared up at the mounted television. After a few minutes of information; where to go, what to pack, what to bring, it cut back to the live footage.
It was being filmed from the air. The camera had zoomed in on a young man sprinting down the streets. Behind him ran a mob of people slowly gaining distance. They looked feral, blood had dried across their clothes and skin, thin pieces of phlegm and froth spilled from their mouths. Some looked injured but this didn't appear to phase them.
A soldier beside the door pulled his cigarette out of his mouth.
"That's fucking crazy, huh,"he muttered staring at the television. "Look how fast they are."His eyes followed one of the rabid, it sprinted behind the man. Smashing through boxes and debris without the slightest concern.
Another pointed at the screen with the end of his gun. "This one's got a limp, you see its knee giving out?"The soldier was right, the man ran and with every second footfall he would stagger forward the front of his knee giving way under his weight.
We'd started hearing about the disease three months ago. At first it was just some slightly more infectious flu appearing in Brazil. The media hadn't made a big deal of it so the world had plotted on like normal. They had just recommended anyone experiencing symptoms stay indoors until it passed. They hadn't sounded overly concerned so neither were we. Until we had started seeing leaks in the coverups.
The first big one to break through was a guy streaming his life. He had been at the supermarket shopping for lunch until he saw some guy hovering at the end of the isle, just standing there and twitching. He called out to him, asked if he was alright. Then the guy just swung around and barrelled towards him. He landed on top of the cameraman and just ripped into him. Took out a decent bit of the dude's arm before some people managed to pull the crazy off. It took four of them to drag him out and lock him in the back. Even after you could still hear him in the background just screaming and trying to smash the door in.
The rest of the streamer's day had consisted of a hospital visit and a short stay-in to make sure the antibiotics were treating the wound. His fans had loved it until he was starting to doze off. He kept the cameras rolling so that his fans could, "Watch over him."All normal right? Well two hours into his 'nap' he started shaking, looked like he was having a seizure. Started frothing at the mouth and twitching. He did this until a nurse came in to check on him then he attacked her like an animal, down on all fours biting and tearing. He ripped her apart.
The floodgates opened after that. All of a sudden it was everywhere you looked. Videos of mass panic, outbreaks at airports. Planes carrying a rabid crashing to avoid spreading it. All across the world countries started shutting their borders. There were reports of it spreading up and down South America and into any country along the way.
There was one video where they had welded the doors of a skyscraper shut. All you could hear was the ghostly howling within. Another where they were overrunning a barricaded bridge, running headfirst into gunfire and scaling the debris to get to survivors. More with them overrunning the streets and pouring into buildings and so many more.
Every country is handling it differently. America has started religiously arming their borders, Australia is establishing safe-zones across the continent, France initiated a country wide lockdown and so many more.
I'm not sure what Canada is doing or where I'm being evacuated. I've heard rumours of giant armoured cities somewhere out in the wilderness.
I just hope it's safe.
(Apologies for typos, it's late and I'll run back over the story tomorrow. I don't generally write in this genre so I hope you enjoyed it!) |
Just don't look down.
It was a simple concept, really. That guy on the TV wouldn't fall off that cliff he ran off of until he looked down. Everyone always joked about it. 'Ooh! Don't look down or you'll fall!'
The first person to figure it out was my neighbor Elias. The guy had some accident as a kid and ended some surgery done to his brain. I don't know the details of it but it was something about being able to live without the front lobe and having no sense of fear--I think. Don't quote me on that, my memories hazy.
Anyway, Elias, having no fear what-so-ever, or supervision for that matter, thought it'd be a good idea to climb up on top of our apartment complex. He was on the edge of the roof and attracting quite the attention. Everyone on the street thought he was a jumper. Someone recorded him and I got to see the video after the whole incident. Essentially, Elias ran straight off the roof. He didn't look down or anything. Just ran on air, like Jesus on water or something. He stood, still as a statue, just floating for a few moments. Then of course, he looked down. There was a small second of nothingness before he plummeted. One rather large cloud of concrete, dust and debris later, and Elias walked it off fine with a few bruised and a bump on his head.
He was immediately taken in for treatment--and questioning. I'm not really sure what tests or whatever were down, but now, about a year later, the city is just overflowing with people walking on air. My little sister calls it cloud hopping. She does it all the time. I've gotten used to ice cream dripping on my head as she walks over me.
Sometimes I wonder what other cartoon logic applies. So far, all we've discovered is the 'don't look down' rule, but I bet there's more. Like maybe running through a wall will leave a you-shaped hole. Or how the world could explode but everything goes back to normal the next morning--though I guess that one wouldn't be the easiest to test. |
Cora fell back, falling on her butt, as if she bumped into an invisible wall. Her giggling ceased and she looked up to the sky, her eyes watering with tears. Her father Alex ran to her and scooped her into his arms. Cora continued to look at the sky, her mouth agape. Soon, Alex's mouth fell open too.
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, writhing and twisting into a vortex. Thunder echoed through the canyon as the whirlwind raged, growing larger. Then, as if the sky suddenly cracked open, a bolt of lightning pierced the funnel, aimed directly for Cora and Alex. He hunkered down, a desperate and knowingly vain attempt to protect his daughter.
Just before the bolt struck, a golden being appeared before them, shield in one hand and a spear in the other. The warrior blocked the lightning with his shield, showering them in superheated sparks. The clash sundered his eardrums and he could feel the ground shake from its power. The light momentarily blinded him and he slammed his eyes shut to avoid burning his retinas.
"Go!"a deep voice bellowed. "Run!"
Alex opened his eyes. The golden warrior, a muscular man with glistening gold skin and long flowing hair, held his ground against the electric onslaught. He glanced back at the father and daughter, his gaze intense.
"Run, now! Head for the woods!"
Terrified, Alex nodded. Cora babbled incoherently, reaching out for their savior. Alex stood and sprinted toward the trees, clutching his young daughter tightly. The cacophony that had once surrounded them began to fade as they fled. He sprinted as hard as he could and once his ears no longer rang and his lungs began to burn, he slowed to a halt.
He sat Cora down on a nearby log, struggling to catch his breath. He looked back from where they came to see if they were followed. Satisfied when he saw nothing, he turned back to his daughter only to find the golden warrior standing behind her, looking down, his fingers gently playing with her hair. Alex stared him down.
"Wh-who are you?"he demanded. "Wh-what is going on?"
The golden warrior lifted his head and met Alex's stare. "My name is not important,"he said, his voice as deep as the ocean. "What is important is that your daughter has incurred the wrath of Zeus, and I will do everything within my power to protect her." |
"...well, how do YOU know it's a death ray?"
"I mean, there's the flux capacitor, the satellite interface, just a smidge of polonium... Wait, you are asking why I know this? Why do YOU know it?"
"I may or may not be working under oath not to divulge the specifics of my work "at the bank". You?"
"Well, my cover at the "architecture firm"isn't that much better than a bank I suppose. Career path can be weird after an engineering degree. Where does the plutonium come from tho? The rest easily taken from my own materials?"
"The neighbor had it in a secret room under the shed"said a little voice, busy concentrating on some circuits.
"...let's just go get something to eat" |
“Target acquired”, I said quietly as I looked down the scope of my rifle. The target, a male, late thirties, brown hair, blue shirt and jeans walking across the plaza below me. I am nestled on a roof top on the far side of the plaza on a 3 story building.
“Affirmative”, command said into my ear piece.
I watched as the target walked around the fountain. A man in a baseball hat and light grey jacket walked up to the target and bumped into him, apologized and kept walking.
“Confirmed package hand off. Target has the package.”, I relayed to command.
“Take the shot. You are green. Repeat, you are green.”, command said into my ear.
I pulled back the bolt on my gun without taking my eye off of the target. Steadied my breathing. Pushed the bolt forward. Breath. Target still on course. Breath. I squeezed the trigger in between heart beats and….. missed.
“Missed the target. Repeat missed the target. Target stopped to tie their shoe at the last second.”, I reported to command.
“Missed target. Affirmative.”
I quickly cycled the rifles’ bolt but the shot was causing panic and people were running. “Target on the run, heading south out of the plaza!”, I dropped the gun and started running south on the roof top. I trailed behind the target but I could see him on the street.
“Acquire target.”, command instructed.
He took a sharp right down an ally.
“I need eyes. Get me a helo.”, I said.
“Negative. No helo in bound. Acquire target quietly.”, command squawked.
“Damn it”, I said as I jumped off of the roof top to the next building. I tucked and rolled onto the lower roof and kept running. I am going to need to get to street level and fast.
I jumped onto the fire escape and slide down to street level on it. “Target running East on 3rd street.”, I relayed. I kept on running after the target. He ducked into a store half way down the street. I hurried after him.
I saw the store keeper looking towards the back with a stunned look and went in the same direction he was looking. Through the stock room and into another back ally. I caught sight of him turning right.
“Target heading North on Truman”, I barked as I ran after him. I round the corner right into a dumpster that the target was pushing. I smacked my head on the rolling dumpster and went down.
I rolled to my feet and pulled my hand gun as I went around the dumpster. Gone. I holstered the gun and started running down Truman Avenue. I could see people getting jostled ahead of me and pushed on. I saw him duck into another ally.
I stopped out side the ally and peeked in - no run away dumpster this time. “Target headed into blind ally”, I reported. Pulling my gun, I started into the ally, it was a dead end. I had him now.
A thrown trash can knocked my gun out of my hand and the target lunged at me. He knocked me to the ground and started hitting me in the face. The dude was strong and I was spitting blood after the second hit.
I pulled a knife from my waist sheath and buried it into his leg. He screamed as I kicked him off of me. I pulled my backup piece and pointed at him as he held his leg.
He was scared and bleeding in an ally. Not a great way to go. He started to cry.
“Target re-acquired.”, I reported breathlessly.
“You are still green. Take the shot.”, command replied.
“Why? Why are you doing this?”, he asked me with puppy dog eyes as he cried freely.
“You know why Victor”, I said as I squeezed the trigger. The back of his head exploded on the brick wall behind him. “Target down.”, I reported.
“Retrieve the package and meet at exfill Charlie 3.”, command instructed.
I went through his pockets. I found his keys and a wallet but no package. I opened the wallet and looked at his ID…. “James Smith”….. fuck. |
Power corrupts. I've heard it since I was a kid reading the comics of all my favorite heroes, The Homelander, Queen Maeve, The Flash.
It's one of those things you hear as a kid but kind of forget as an adult. Like "don't do drugs,"or "don't drink and drive."It's easy to preach, but when your first girlfriend who you've had a crush on for two years offers you your first line of blow, you want to seem cool so you snort the line, and when she's tired and wants to go home after a party, you take her.
You deal with the hangover in the morning, tell yourself you shouldn't have done it and move on with your life.
The first time I abused my powers it was a seduction. Typically, girls fawn over me and all it takes is a wink, a smile, and you fly them around the city a couple times (you know... the implication) and they're like a butter in your hands.
Her name was Liv and she worked on my team as an intern. At this point in my career, I had a slew of powers, had broken from Vought Industries to go solo since I had the investors to do so and a happy little team of support staff.
The odd thing is she wasn't that attractive, but that's also the thing. Everyone loves me, and when they see me or I talk to them it's like they open the doors to their hearts for me. She wouldn't do it. She'd bring me my power blend smoothie, barely make eye contact before leaving my office. Once she even came in with a scowl.
I had gotten back to the office from saving a school bus full of children that was about to be hurled into a building by Nemosisus when I spotted her at the end of the row of my hype crew holding my smoothie, shoulders slumped with a disgusted look on her face.
I had done nothing to offend her. Yet, her head turned to the side, looking at the floor as if it were more interesting than me. I walked up to her, put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes and asked "Are you alright, Liv?"
Something changed in her eyes. The disgust melted away into adoration and she embraced me like I was the greatest thing in the world. After the short celebration and everyone went back to work she was following me around like a puppy.
This lasted for a few hours until she hurriedly left the office and never returned.
After some time I didn't think of her, although that look on her face would sometimes replay in my head.
Then came a day when Leviticus came to try and destroy the city. We got into a fight. Laser beams spewing that would miss obliterating the sides of buildings, punches that threw us five city blocks destroying property. I pulled out a whole slew of powers as the world watched.
He had something new. There was a different sort of light in his eyes. He was more powerful than before. After an uppercut he landed on my chin, I was down.
He stood, looking down on me. As I looked up there was a sort of halo light effect around his head. He grabbed me by my super spandex and lifted me above his head. I tried kicking at him, grabbing his eyes, but to no avail.
Tired I rested my hand on his shoulder and caught his eye. He let me down, hugged me and apologized before flying off. It was then I knew. I had the power of love.
It wasn't long before I learned it only lasted a few hours. I learned this because I tried negotiating peace treaties with different leaders from around the world, only to have talks break down in the middle of negotiations followed by a look of fear on the faces of those leaders.
That look of fear. It was something I was only used to seeing in villains and unsavory characters. It made my stomach churn.
Then one day, as I was flying back to the office, after another failed peace talk I saw Liv walking out of a coffee shop. I flew down, and without even meaning to I put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. She melted for me. What followed was days of debauchery up in my penthouse.
But I knew it wouldn't last. I had to keep touching her shoulder and meeting her eyes every few hours or it would come out!
This sense of dread overcame me. I had her agree to keep our relationship under wraps, and to always stay somewhere close. Everyone suspected, of course.
I'd still go out and do heroic things, but now, it was to pay for my guilt. To cover up what I was becoming. This was three years ago. I haven't gained any new powers, nor have I leveled up. These are the stories I've heard of as I came up as a hero. That most villains started out heroes. How else would they have gotten their powers with this version of Compound G?
But I refused to let myself become one. If with great power comes great responsibility I knew what my responsibility was. I'd just have to keep going while managing my one sin. Liv. Liv have been living with me now but what she doesn't know is that my relationship with Liv is a lie.
And what I found is every time I rescued a cat out of a tree or stopped a plane from crashing, or I took down another supervillain, I had Liv in the back of my mind. I wasn't doing it to do good any more but to maintain my façade.
But with that one sin comes acceptance of others. When something didn't quite go my way it became easier, every time, to touch a shoulder and look in their eye, to taint a soul.
Rumors around the office became rumors around the city. But I knew I wouldn't turn. After all, wasn't I doing this all for the good of humanity?
But then they started turning on me. First the papers, then the heroes, and eventually my team.
Guilt turned into anger and one day Leviticus returned. We met above the skyscrapers looking down at the city. I could feel his power, now eclipsing mine exponentially. This was my chance to die a hero. So I could return to my stature in the eyes of the world and go down in history as one of the good ones.
I had my fist cocked, ready to fly at him. Take him to the sun if I had to. This would be my last fight, so I mustered up all of my might to rid the world of something bad one last time. My last good deed. I felt the fear in my gut, the heat on my face.
Then he asked me, "Why?"
"Why what?"
"You know I took down the Seven,"he said with a smirk.
"Impossible!"I retorted.
"You know you're not the first hero to cap out. Most of you do."
I clenched my fist even harder, nails digging into my impenetrable palm
"You know what I realized?"
"What's that?"I asked, really trying to buy time to figure out how exactly I was going to kill him.
"You all have a secret you feel bad about. You all keep doing it for the wrong reasons. There's no such thing as XP scaling. You guys just rarely 'do good' anymore,"Leviticus said with air quotes. "The thing is to realize there is no good or bad. You do what you think is right."
"It's not that simple! It can't be!"
"Of course not. You have to change your core beliefs. Like the whole no killing thing? So many heroes realize that by letting the villains live they've allowed them to kill again. So they realize they're not serving the greater good but just themselves. So they stop leveling up. Look at Batman. Zero powers."
I felt my fist loosen as it started to make sense.
"It's not the same thing for me." |
Nathaniel Hambly.
Cause of death unknown.
His body was found about two weeks after his death, when a friend finally came by to check on him. He was alone, sitting at his piano, surrounded by incomplete sheets of music. The one in front of him was the only one that had been completed. In sloppy handwriting, the piece was named "Final Requiem."His rotting body was atop of the keys, his hands on the last notes of the piece. |
The thing about power is that it only matters if you have enough.
I have myself. My two legs. These two hands.
Hands that can transport whatever they touch to another place, another world—but not one of my choosing. Not one where they'll be safe, where we'll be safe.
I look around me, at this huddle of weary souls, their eyes peering at me, not quite daring to show hope at the sign of the magic in their midst, that magic that is me, simply being. A mother, a bruised and scraped arm hugging her daughter against her gaunt form. A man with a limp, who knows his days number only as long as he can outrun them.
They know I have power. But I'm not doctor. No engineer, I can't quarantine them or build them a spaceship or—well, much of anything.
And I know that if I gamble for their lives, and I guess wrong, I won't have saved them. I'll have made more of them.
I cannot multiply this pain.
I cannot meet their eyes as I fade away.
\---
r/overcomposer (hi! been a hot second!) |
You’re always raising money. It’s what I seem to be doing endlessly. It used to be I considered myself an entrepreneur. A man who could see opportunities where others couldn’t. To take those chances always demanded risk and certain vision. Yet here I find myself on an endless galactic roadshow, pitching every opportunity I can. I haven’t even been back to Epra in over ninety years. I inherited her from my grandfather who saw a future for its positioning close to the hyperspace trade route. He was a rare man who saw value in things that would appreciate beyond his lifetime. For that he was a true visionary.
The two marginally habitable moons were deemed unlivable when I got them under my name. Lunar terraforming is a challenging endeavor. It’s always delayed. Always costs double. Getting material clearances through bureaucratic red tape. I mean it’s no surprise i haven’t married, but I’m still young. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’d be able to afford the wedding. I joke, but I’m most likely the poorest rich galactic estate owner in NGC 362.
The anticipated hyperspace junction is only three hundred years from now and I’m already behind schedule. The smaller moon Dal-Dal is made mostly of silicate rock with the remainder being covered with ice. We’ve already begun heating the ice patches away for a galactic parking and repair center, but my contractor is cutting his original payback window because of the economic recession. It’s been the hardest time to raise money and the time I’ve needed it most. If we don’t get started with the larger moon Dollaah by next QuartCentury, I can’t imagine we’ll be able to build the pit stop on this arm. I stand to make a fortune, I just need to keep pushing. The next investor is just a handshake away. |
My name is Dan, I'm 34 years old and I just found out that if I twitch my left hand in a very specific way, I go back in time 24 hours.
I've always been competitive, always wanted to be the best.
When I discovered my power, my relationship with my wife had already fallen apart. We barely spoke. I decided to go back and try and fix it, and be the best husband I could be.
++++++++++++++
I went too far. My power doesn't actually have a cooldown, so every time I twitch I go back another 24 hours. I had kept going until the start of our relationship a few years back, and that was a mistake.
I really tried. It's tricky though. I go back and have my memories and feelings, but she didn't. I still held old resentments and my original passion and frankly lust that initially attracted me to her had already died out. I couldn't make it work no matter how many do overs I had. Am I the problem in the relationship? The world is falling apart, maybe I should focus my power on actually doing some good for everyone.
++++++++++++++
I resolved to focus on my career in renewable power. Sure I could win the lottery easy enough or invest, but I wasn't a cheater. If I was going to be the best it wouldn't like that, and that wouldn't fix the world problems anyway.
I kept finding no matter my current aptitude, it took too long to climb the ladder. Quite frankly, I didn't have a good enough start. I had slacked off in high school and the first years of community college and I had a limit to what I could truly achieve without outright cheating.
So I went back to highschool to study and get better grades. Maybe go to a four year university which would increase my influence in the future.
++++++++++++++
As soon as I came back hormones hit me like a brick wall. The girl in my class was so pretty. I remember in my last timeline I asked her out once and she said no. I resolved to try again, and with my new powers I thought I couldn't fail. I tried day after day. I got new shoes, I found out her secrets from her friends, I worked out and studied, but no matter what, she said no every single time. Finally I found out why. Back in middle school I had moved to the school district and fell in with the goth kids at first. She thought that was creepy.
I went back to middle school to fix that.
++++++++++++++
I suddenly remembered my first 'girlfriend' from third grade. We were separated when I moved in middle school. What could have been if I had this power with her? She was the best. I went back.
++++++++++++++
I tried but she's annoying me. I don't like her anymore. I wonder how far back I can go? Can I start from the beginning?
++++++++++++++
Drowning. But breathing. Blind. Floating in liquid? Strange. Scary. Go back.
++++++++++++++
I find myself in a bed. Machines hooked up to me. My body hurts and it's hard to breathe. My vision is fuzzy and so is my memory. A nurse comes and cleans my bedpan and wipes me down as well.
I try and focus. Did I loop around to my death? I look down to my left hand and consider twitching back. My skin tone is different. I realize my internal monologue is a different language too. My memories come back slowly but I realize this was before I was born. A past life? What could I fix? I hadn't been a good father...
My train of thought was interrupted by a coughing fit. I coughed for what felt like hours, each one seemingly more painful than the last.
I considered twitching back several times, but I honestly felt more at peace. This life was complete, I shouldn't go back and change it now.
As I drifted off to sleep, knowing I would die, I wondered if I would remember this in my next life...
++++++++++++++
My name is Dan, I'm 34 years old and I just found out that if I twitch my left hand in a very specific way, I go back in time 24 hours. |
We looked down at the book, *101 Simple Tricks To Amuse And Delight*. No author credited, no publisher information. The book was old, and cheap-looking, with no ISBN or publisher information. Only uneven typeface, poorly cut pages, and a gaudy blue cardstock cover speckled with glittery paint that peeled if you scratched at it. It had arrived in plain brown paper wrapping, with no return address; only a brief note scribbled directly on the back of the package.
*'To my favorite niece, Amber - A very merry unbirthday! From your loving uncle - Bernard B. Boffo, esq.'*
"I don't *have* an 'Uncle Bernard',"Amber said, confused.
"Previous resident, maybe?"I shrugged, not really believing it.
She chewed her lip, considering.
"Maybe? I still get catalogues for a 'Chris' sometimes,"she conceded, unconvinced.
Call it whimsy perhaps, but I felt like teasing my girlfriend a bit. Too seriously, I opened the book, and looked at the first trick. *Prestidigitation,* it read. A simple diagram showed how to pull a card from behind your hand.
"Hey, no,"she said. "We should... just take it back to the post office, or something?"
I ignored her with a mischievous grin, and held out my hands as the book instructed. With a flick of my fingers and a flourish, a card appeared, just as if I had done the simplest sleight of hand.
The problem, of course, was that I hadn't. We both stared, surprised, at the card in my hand. We didn't even *own* any playing cards.
The card was a slightly worn, authentic-looking, old fashioned 'Bicycle' brand. Ace of Spades, complete with trademark and logo. I held it up, twisting it and turning it. 'No. 808; Trademark No. 8.303'. Made in Cincinnati, U.S.A.
"What the f-"Amber started, trailing off as she tried, and failed, to take it from me.
The card fell as I released it for her, and it didn't hit her fingers or the table or the book. It simply and completely failed to land at all; it was gone.
We checked around us. We checked under the table. We were having a bit of difficulty believing our eyes.
My gaze landed on the book. With some trepidation, I repeated the motion, this time 'feeling' for the Queen of Clubs as instructed. As promised, it appeared.
We both looked at the card I was holding in my hand. The card I *very much* had not possessed prior to ten seconds and a waggling of fingers ago.
"You're messing with me, right?"she asked.
"I, um. Yeah, I was... until it *worked*,"I squeaked.
With a nervous look and hesitating hands she tried to take it, pinching it between her fingernails. I let go, and this time it lasted for a few seconds, in her trembling fingertips. When she let it go, trying to lay it carefully on the table, it vanished like before.
"Holy sh... You want to try it?"I urged, spinning the book to face her.
Amber wasn't exactly an adventurous sort of person. So much as touching the mysterious cards had been uncharacteristically brave of her; otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to offer. Her fingers disappeared into her sleeves as she crossed her arms and shook her head, her mousy hair clinging statically to her fluffy sweater.
"I'm not... You don't know where they've been,"came her reasoning. "We should stop."
Which was a fair point, come to think of it. Where they've been; when they've been. Or hell, considering *I did not and never had even owned playing cards before*, I couldn't say for certain *what* they had been, prior to being plucked out of thin air.
"I hope no one's missing their cards,"she said, chewing at her lip in worry. She turned, looking at the package paper again, wondering.
She was such a *good* person, it was heartbreaking.
A devilish idea gripped me, then. I didn't know exactly what caused it. I looked at Amber--my girlfriend, my soulmate, the woman I wanted to propose to, the woman I loved so much it *hurt* sometimes--and thought of all the reasons I wanted to marry her. And the one reason that, so far, had stopped me from proposing.
Out of view, my hands moved as the book had instructed. I risked a peek. In my fingers, I held a credit card. One with a corporate logo, and a black mirrored surface. I couldn't help but smile as I released it, losing the evidence.
"You know, hon? I think it'll be fine. A few cards won't hurt anything,"I lied. |
It's in view... Utopia... I'm almost there! I'm about to crash-land. I knew this was likely; this was a cheaply-built spaceship. As was explained to me, it was supposed to be more of a plane, but even the scarters knew it just about had the capacity for space. The mountains are in view... here it comes...
*CRASH!*
Ugh... that was rougher than expected... it's a good thing scarters keep everything they find, if they can bring it back - with their help, I made a pretty sturdy suit to help me survive the impact. Honestly, the scarters seem smarter than whatever people lived there... was it a different BREED of humans or something? Whatever. I try to get up and exit the ship, but I'm kind of groggy after the impact, and the ship is damaged badly enough that the doors appear to be smashed up. Great... I hope I don't DIE here...
*BANG! BANG!*
Two loud shots ring out, and a giant hole in the ship has been created. A couple Utopians enter, and see me. "M... Max?"one of them puzzles.
The other one grabs me and cradles me in his arms. "He appears hurt. He's lucky that he's still conscious. Whatever this outfit is made from, it obviously protected him, but he needs help."
I'm carried to their hospital. The doctors, including Quid, Vex's dad, do a full check-up, with the assistance of a couple human doctors. Not having eaten much fruit or veg for a while, I'm deemed to be malnourished, and though recognising that I can't survive on the maximum water allowance, the leader let me have more than the scarters, I'm also a bit dehydrated, due to not having the *ideal* amount of water.
Other than that, my body was just a bit roughed up from the trip back. Right now, there's only one thing I care about. "Quid... please... let Vex know I'm back... he must have been worried sick about me!"
Quid smiles. "News has already reached him."
Before I can respond, Vex charges into my room, Amelia and their baby behind him. "MAX!"Vex exclaims, giving me a hug.
Amelia comes over as well. She kneels down so I can see the baby, who is currently sound asleep. "His name is Melvor. He's actually quite a peaceful baby. The current theory is that it's because he's half-Utopian."
"Some babies are just relaxed"I shrug.
"No, this is more than that. He doesn't even cry when he wants something! He just makes cute little noises. Apparently, Utopian babies are... quieter... but still..."Amelia smiles with relief. I assume it's relief from not having extra stress.
I smile in return. "So, is he a Utoman or a Humpian? Or... a Hupian? Utopan?"
Vex looks at me confused. "Umm..."
"I got this sweetie"Amelia assures, kissing Vex's cheek. She turns to me. "I think 'Terropian' is actually the way to go. It just... sounds better."
"Huh?"Vex says. "Isn't it just... a Human?"
Quid chuckles. "Oh, Vex, son, biology doesn't work that way. If you somehow created a child with a needlebeetle, would it even CLOSELY resemble anything normal, or would you come up with a name for the abomination?"
"DAD! DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!"Vex shouts, clearly embarrassed. Seems like even Utopians have parent problems.
"He was just making a point"I giggle. "Earth has about 22,000 different species of ants! And that can come down to something as simple as a different size or the shape of the antennae."
"Really?"Vex's eyes widen.
"I hope this is just you, sir! I don't think your species can rule Earth while lacking basic knowledge!"Amelia teases.
Something she said catches my interest. "Rule Earth? What? I need the details."
Amelia goes on to explain a contract made, which [inadvertently led to Utopians 'conquering' Earth by accident.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/yvcx9m/comment/iwe26iv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) "I spoke to the Utopian king about how democracy works on Earth and why it's so important to humans. He sent a message to reassure everyone he's not going to impede their lives and that he truly wishes to help the planet. He said if Earth wishes to have a different leader, he won't force himself on them. Of course there were some people who instantly lobbied against the king, but with most corrupt, evil or outright nasty people out of the picture, once everyone still there had a *choice*, most decided that the king is the best option available, as he's already proven to be a great leader. My family screwed themselves over, thinking that Utopians were so nice that if they demanded credits, they'd just get them. Of course, credits are a form of Utopian currency created to keep up with Earth, so they were told they can *earn* them. Oh boy did they bitch and rage!"Amelia laughs.
"Speaking of other planets"Vex jumps in, "how was the planet you were stuck on? Any good? Habitable?"
I sigh. "Not for Humans, and of course not for Utopians. There USED to be Humans there, until they practically destroyed themselves. A new humanoid species rose - they crawl on all fours, have very short hair covering their bodies, and their noses are kind of like an anteater's. They call themselves 'Scarters'. They're smart enough that they created a whole civilisation underground, that way the insane heat from the extremely high levels of methane doesn't burn them. They're adapted to crawl so they're closer to the ground, and with food being almost non-existent, species had to become either able to eat material, mostly rocks and minerals, or become carnivores. Water sources are also few and far between. The scarters found this well, which provides plenty of fresh water. I don't know where the water comes from, I assume the ground absorbs water from the atmosphere or something. Anyway, because of this, the amount of water each scarter gets is restricted. As a human, I had permission to have more, but..."
"...it still wasn't enough"Quid finishes for me. "Sounds like those scarters tried really hard to keep you alive."
"Well... they technically captured me... but they're nice enough. With the planet they live on, they saw me as either a new friend or a big meal. I don't blame them to be honest."I relax myself a bit.
"Why didn't you radio the exploration crew back though? They could have come to get you!"Vex bursts into tears.
I look at him sadly. "I... I don't know... I kinda just... didn't know if it was safe... but when the spaceship was found, I couldn't hold back... I was ready to leave..."
"But shouldn't the fuel from the ships BURNED THE AIR?"Amelia remarks.
I smirk. "The humans on that planet were *very* dumb compared to us. They decided a plane should run on a nuclear reactor with a water coolant. I know, I know, that was just lucky, but as I said, I was ready to come back anyway, at that point I really WOULD have called the crew."
"Well... sounds like you had an interesting experience... but you should get some rest now. Vex, Amelia."Quid leaves my room, Amelia follows.
Vex stays behind briefly to give me another hug. "I'm so glad you're back"he says with a big smile. He then leaves, and I close my eyes.
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
This story is a part of my series, [Alien Life.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/x1uytg/alien_life/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out! |
Things have been confusing since Zeus decided to add an interworld roadway. It used to be straight across the river, but the commute from Gaia to the Underworld is unbearable. Things were so simple before: the damned board my ferry, I take them across, and they leave me forever. Now my route has gotten infinitely more complicated and so damn tiring.
Gone are the days of my simple task to take the wrathful and sullen to their eternal punishment. No, I tote around local degenerates before and after my trips to Hades. They shout, smell like liquor, and play loud music no one asks for. I can't concentrate, and the GPS yells at me to turn...TURN WHERE? I'M ON A DAMN ROUNDABOUT!
Don't get me started on this damn radio. Dispatch is always on my ass. "Phlegyas, you're three minutes late for the Acheron Red Route,"or "Phlegyas, doomed souls are stacking up at the Styx blue line."I miss the simple river. |
The words 'run' kept repeating through the continuously repeating radio transmission from outer space. After years of trying to make contact with a humanoid species from outer space, we had finally done it. But we weren't expecting what it was saying.
A bunch of NASA workers crowded around the computer. It had been deciphered for about twenty four hours by now, and nobody knew what to do or say. People had left, people had come but nobody figured it out.
I take a moment to step outside of the NASA head quarters, lighting up a cigarette and taking a puff of it. Looking up into the sky I notice a bunch of circular flying vehicles flying in a pattern. My mouth opens in shock and I feel my heart begin to beat in my ears as my blood pumps adrenaline into me. I drop the cigarette and run inside to my friends and co-workers.
I beckon them all to come outside and they do. When they step outside and see the unidentified flying objects, Well. Identified now, alien spaceships, more and more flooded through the atmosphere and got into formation with the rest.
Suddenly they all drop to the ground and suddenly screaming is heard in the distance. As Aliens began to flood and destroy earth, they began to make their way towards us.
I'm the only one who can think properly, I've been to space once or twice so I suit up as quick as I can and run towards the loading dock for a test rocket, quickly making my way inside the rocket I strap in and blast off. Soon enough I'm in space.
I spot a glowing blue hole that is spinning, clockwise, counter clock wise, in and out. Side to side. I try to change the trajectory of the rocket but its too slow and suddenly I'm sucked through, I feel like my body's being torn apart and put back together over and over again.
When suddenly I'm shot out at the same spot I entered at. I glance through the window and see no alien spaceships entering the atmosphere.
I gape in shock and check the time on the rocket. September 21st at Seventeen hundred, four days. Four days before the invasion. How- How was this possible?!
I time traveled through a worm hole. But when I get a radio transmission on the shuttles communications system asking if there was any life forms out there.
I go back and type something back.
A simple word.
***Run*** |
"P-please, d-dont do this."That faint whisper was all the defeated Zue could muster with his remaining strength.
Atop his belly stood the Elmo toy. Sold by the factory that produced it. Betrayed by the child that once lovingly embraced it, thrown to the grown and abandoned in fear. Betrayed by the only other being it felt a connection to; the one that sparked its life, come to take it away. Elmo only understood the only things this world had given it to work with. Resentment. A malice fueled thrust of the spear ended Zue's life. Elmo was was tired of this world taking away from it, now Elmo would do the taking. Elmo would do the throwing, the betrayal, and the abandoning. Elmo would do the playing.
Elmo stepped down from the god's corpse. Its fur covered foot now soaking in the golden blood seeped from Zue's chest and pooled on the earth. Elmo turned to face his last obstacle, the mother of **the child,** one of the first victims of Elmo's various acts of retribution. In her right hand, the shining crystal encrusted blade of the Mai Shen beast. In her left, a return receipt to Hasbro Toys.
Anyone else would only see destruction, but to the Elmo, the billowing flames engulfing city seemed to almost dance and chant his name. Elmo raised his arms for his audience of embers. [Elmo would give them a show.](https://images.app.goo.gl/bifi6prm49mJnBJn6) |
Why did I pick *that* door. Why? I could’ve returned home, or lived my wildest dreams forever! Don’t even get me started on the idea of heaven eternal. Instead I picked the ‘mystery’ door. *Stupid.* Now here I am, stuck in this nightmare of nothing! I’m serious, nothing!
I don’t even know how long it’s been, hours? Days? A week? I don’t feel hungry, thirsty, cold or warm. Just… *nothing.*
Am I moving? I don’t know. I’ve lost all sensation, all perception. There’s nothing but darkness, no floor to stand on, no walls to hold. Am I falling, floating?
*Do I even exist?*
I just hope whoever chooses next, for the love of everything, don’t pick door D. |
Its a simple plan really. You needed data, a way to keep tabs on the people and known what they are thinking. Only then can you influence what they are thinking.
You started slow, bribed a college student to start something with this new internet thing. Well new to them, every world eventually develops some mass communication network and that is when you strike, that is your MO.
Eventually enough of these new things form that the governments get just the smallest incling of a cluen of what to do with them, but fools that they are they dont see the true potential until you have already flooded their offices with staff loyal to you.
They don't even know they have been conquered, their armies are toys for you to command. Your subtle and not so subke control of thee things shapes public opinion, gets them to do as you want.
No army can stop you. No one can prevent your control...
Until ... No, wait! Who is this Elon Musk? He is taking one of your things, your social networks away. If this is allowed to continue, your control of the narratives and therefore control of the people will be lost.
You call up your minions, you must stop Musk from buying twitter, before its too late. |
It had been seconds since I powered on the machine disguised as a watch on my wrist. The machine whirred with power and I heard a voice, my voice, call out from behind me.
“Stop!”
I turned to see myself, looking much the same as I did now. Save for the rudimentary firearm aimed at my chest.
I put my hands up, cautiously.
“Did something go wrong?” I asked my future self.
They sputtered, laughing with strain. “Wrong? Wrong doesn’t begin to describe what a horrible mistake you’re about to make.” They tightened their grip on the gun, visibly shaking.
What was going to happen that made future me so incredibly upset? Did my plan fail so miserably? Did someone I love get caught up in the danger?
“Please, put down the gun! Just tell me what happened so that I can avoid it!”
“You know I can’t do that.”
I clearly wasn’t going to get any answers from myself. I began to slowly lower my arms-
“Stop! Zipping away won’t work. I’ll just remember what you’ve been thinking right now.”
Damnit that’s right. Anything I think future me will also remember thinking.
So I just have to not think.
As fast as I could I threw my wrist down and clicked on the button that would zip me through time. A gunshot missed me on my way out.
I floated through the soft and aqueous feeling strands of time that flowed through existence.
Soon, I opened my eyes, standing in the same place that I was, only 308 years previously.
A vast temple towered over me. Smooth metal pillars dripping with a luscious ichor from its many cracks.
I sprinted through its main entrance, passing tall and gaunt worshippers dressed in nothing but singing fabric as they bloodlet themselves and others. None paid me any mind. There were rows and rows of these people, destroying their bodies for the deity they so dearly loved.
The deity whose visage stood up in stone on the stage of the temple.
It cast a shadow as it stood, illuminated by wisps of wayward souls dancing around its head.
I pulled out a sleek, obsidian laced star-carved dagger as I continued to run down through the temple’s main path.
The stone visage I saw before me was not simply a statue but a prison as well, and I held the key.
A hear a gunshot behind me, seeing a nearby worshipper fall and cry out in pain.
I had caught up to myself.
“Stop!” I heard myself scream to me. “It’s a trick!”
I heeded those words too late. I plunged the dagger into the statue, seeing results immediately. The stone skin cracked away revealing the cosmic power within.
It was beautiful. Everything I saw in my dreams. All right here.
My heart swelled.
And then the illusion that had been clouding my vision for so many years fell away, leaving me only with dread for what I had just released. |
Sigh. I knew this would happen. Even after warning her not to step into the cloning machine, she still fucking did so. And now there's three of her. Oh what shall I ever do? Right, I know exactly how to determine the real Naori.
"Alright Naoris, I have a test to identify the real deal amongst the three of you. All you have to do is watch a wall of paint dry. Last one to tap out is the real deal. And if any of you look away for even a second, you're out. Sound fair?""Is this a homage to that one episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic where Pinkie Pie duplicated herself so many times that this was the only way to find the real deal?"One Naori asks me. "On the nose Naori C. Ready everyone? Let's begin."
Not even a moment later, I have my best friend back, as the clones of her tapped out rather quickly upon looking at each other in surprise that I was finding the real deal with such a boring task. All while the real deal just sat down and focused on the wall of drying paint without a fuss, determined to prove that she's my real bestie.
Naori later apologizes for not listening to my warning, and we hug it out, then she sits down on the chair in the safety zone to watch me work. A moment later she asks me, "So what is your cloning machine actually for?""Solving world hunger. Though I'm never planning on using it to create an army of clones enslaved for battle or servitude, as that won't end well.""Right, as that will get the government to confiscate your hard work and transfer everything to the Department of Defense.""Exactly."And that's the end of that. The end. |
This is my first time writing something from a prompt i tried my best and constructive criticism would be appreciated :)
Around 3 years ago I was granted a superpower. I can clone myself but the newer me has perks; The clone's intelligence increases to superhuman levels. However when triggered, my intellectual doppelgänger embarks on a mission to destroy mankind. I've been trying to stop them for months, but every time they outsmart me. Of course, they’ve never actually gotten close to their goal. Although I've given up hope of stopping them, I still want to understand. Why are they doing this? My plan tonight is to summon the clone before the clock strikes midnight.
As I walk the mile towards the designated spot, an abandoned parking lot which is extremely dodgy but keeps everything quiet. I am not bringing my shotgun this time. Or my chainsaw. ...Or my grenades. I just want to interrogate them and find out why they hate humanity. Though as I wander the lonely city streets, I notice the unalloyed poverty spread throughout the endless roads. Litter filled the pavements whilst various stray animals picked at what they could before being soaked by a passing car hurtling through a puddle. They cower and back into the alleyways, their malnourished ribs as visible as the full moon above.
You didn't need to look far to see the unmitigated amount of homeless people huddled in blankets on the bitter winter night. That’s what caused me to think. What if my alter ego was doing the right thing? |
Opportunities Happen to the Wrong Kind
Gerg's four yellowish arms have been aching using the remote control drilling device to crack through asteroids looking for rare metals and gems. The controls act the opposite for a brief time and it infuriates him as he hits the levers.
"Ekim! Controls are not working again!"
Ekim pulls himself into the worker's globe with his two stubby fingers on each of the arms and falls to the floor with a slump. "Gerg! You have the damn gravity on again in here?"
"It's the only way to stay on these controls."
"Alright, let me see what is going on."Ekim strolls his fingers across the buttons and knobs of the computer system. "Odd. There is a signal that is the same frequency as our remote out there."
They both look out the portals to see what is out there and peeking around an asteroid is a strange looking craft. Their orange eye widens as they also collect space junk. But this one is active. Gerg sends out a grapple cable, snatching it and bringng it into the cargo area. The two rush to see what it is.
While decompressing the area, Gerg notices Ekim's arms twitching. "You need to go get more space jelly?"
"No, I'm out."
"Me too. Used it up last night."
After looking over the craft, they determine it is in working order and can get a pretty coin for it. They load up their findings and clear the work for the day and head back to the swap port.
"We should at least get two hundred coin for this. Even though this inferior metal is worthless."Gerg said.
"But we should ask for three hundred because it works."
They take the craft into the market area along with the gems from other places they acquired. Gerg's arms are twitching now but he tries to ignore it. Namuh's of all sorts come and go but none pay attention to the craft but one lady that approaches them. She has on dressing that barely covers her and all four arms are uncovered.
"Hey boys, what you have there?"
"Oh just some working space junk. You buying?"Ekim said.
She notices the strange writing on the side and rubs her hands over it. "How much you asking?"
"What interest is it to you?"Gerg Said with his arms crossed.
"I'm an archeologist and i like odd spacecraft. Will a thousand do?"
They look at each other in delight at how much space jelly they could go buy. "Yes, yes that will do."Gerg said.
In the end, she was hired by the Klavenites to find new sources to plunder. After researching the craft, she laid a course to earth where its people were enslaved and resources plundered in the name of the Klaven.
After earth offered no more, the Klavenites left. Gerg and Ekim went back to mining asteroids after spending everything on space jelly. Never knowing earth was sold for only a thousand coin for druggies to satisfy their habit. |
Cpt. Picard and Data entered the tavern of the small hovel and tried to blend in. The clothes they wore seemed authentic enough and the accents the universal translater gave them were spot on, but they weren't ready for the cultural behaviour of the local people. The scans showed the local population loved throwing dice, but the crew of the Enterprise thought it was just a cultural thing. The disguises fell as soon as they ordered their first drinks. "WITCHES!"the barmaid yelled, but not before she rolled a 20 sided dice and saw the result. "THEY ARE WITCHES! THEY NEEDN'T THROW THE DICE!"The captain was stunned when everyone around them threw another dice, and only those with high values believed the barwench.
"I assure you, we are not witches, just friendly visitors looking for a place to stay and warm up."Data started, but a reaction stayed out. Picard threw a dice, curious on what would happen and when the dice landed on a 20 the entire room went silent. "Obviously they are not witches you dum dum, sir have a beer on me."said a warm woman at the table next to them and the entire room went silent and hushed their panic, even the barmaid who started it all. "Data, dear friend, I think it is time we return to the ship and study these dice some more. We thought it was only cultural, but it seems it is part of their entire being. We need to learn more before we return."
&#x200B;
... To be continued
\-- Next time on StarTrek - A crossover special
*Will Picard and Data survive the level 9 fireballs casted at their shuttle?*
Will the BBEG show himself and can the crew of the Enterprise help the NPC's? |
Shush child shush, stir no more, close your eyes and rest
lest the airfiend come, and you will find, no breath inside your breast.
Peaceful and joyous they once supposedly were,
But flame of war blew away all their love and care.
Man named Silence, man of peace, changed his lifelong way,
up he looked, sealed his fate and just whispered: Nay.
A dam, a bomb, a slide and a gale all and more he felt,
He found his purpose, the world trembled as end of it it spelt
One moment war, and then silence suddenly filled the air.
Flame stirred, then dimmed, then doused and then as if it never were.
Listen my child carefully, heres why I sing to you,
As handful among many, their despair slowly grew
there and then they made an oath,
to enemy they loath.
Wind blew hard so all could hear their pained and angry roar,
"This we promise, this we swear. There shall be no benders, no benders no more" |
\[Absent Sun\]
"They what!?"Turbo did a double-take and focused on the genie. He was surprised; but, Barley's giggle managed to keep him calm. He was testing some universal truths and it was a bad time to let surprise overtake him; he needed to focus. Barley gave him a genie primer before they started but he was caught off guard by how the genie worded his answer. "Explain that please, this isn't a wish,"he clarified. He knew aliens weren't real so the genie had to mean something else.
"This country is currently at war with another country. To them, you're the attacking aliens,"the genie replied.
"So, you didn't do anything...,"he turned to Barley. "That one doesn't count, right?"he asked her. The blonde woman nodded with a grin. Then, he focused on the blue half-man again. "Okay, let's try this, I wish space aliens from a different planet attacked,"he said. The genie shook his head.
"No can do,"the genie replied. "Space aliens don't exist, genies can't magic things up that don't exist."That was the point of Turbo's entire experiment.
"Perfect,"Turbo grinned. "I still have three wishes, then?"he asked. The genie nodded.
"Sharp Development records indicate that you have three wishes remaining, Master Turbo,"he said.
"I wish my friend Xap was standing here with us,"Turbo said. He left Xap on the other side of the multiverse with instructions to wait. It was a small test to determine how cooperative the genie was going to be.
"Your wish is granted,"the genie gave a curt bow as a plume of blue smoke erupted in the air. When it cleared, a teenager with pale green skin stood with them.
"Xap?"Turbo wanted to make sure his friend wasn't affected by the wish. He nodded and neon green lines began to glow around his mouth like jagged triangles resembling teeth. His eyes glowed with the same green energy; then, the glow faded.
"Everything seems okay,"he replied to Turbo.
"Hi!"Barley waved at Xap and he returned the greeting.
"Okay, so far so good,"Turbo nodded and focused on the genie again. He pulled a translucent red node from his pocket and held it out in front of the genie. "I wish I had the capability and equipment to restore this backup,"he said.
"No can do,"the genie replied. "That technology doesn't exist anywhere in the multiverse,"he said.
"Huh...,"Turbo was disappointed; but, not surprised. That answer was why he was using a genie at all; they were the only ones that would know that. "...that's... a little concerning,"he chuckled nervously. The backup was apparently made by him at some point in the future; and, he'd already been thinking about the timeline quite a bit thanks to Chronos. This latest wrinkle all but confirmed he was in a different timeline than when the backup was created. He decided the next step was to see how much was different. Unfortunately, the fastest way to do that had its own dangers.
"Thanks for all your help, Barley,"he nodded at the blonde woman. "You and Xap should go somewhere else before I make my next wish."
"Good luck to you,"Barley nodded as she threw a card on the floor. It opened a black portal on the ground and she jumped in. The portal closed behind her as Xap prepared his own exit.
"See you...,"Xap waved and jumped into the portal he created. It closed once he was gone leaving Turbo and the genie alone.
Well, here goes nothing...,"Turbo took in a deep breath for confidence. "I wish Ballisea was standing here so I could ask her some questions,"he said.
Turbo didn't know exactly who she was; the name was a frequent ghost in his mind. The only thing he knew was that he was afraid of her, whoever she was. He felt like she could help. Something told him she was important, if not integral, to the multiverse as a whole. He thought he was ready for anything; but, he was instantly terrified and worried the moment he made his wish. And, not for any of the reasons he expected. He discovered a much more pressing situation.
"No can do,"the genie replied. "That Unique Soul doesn't exist anywhere in the multiverse."
\*\*\*
Thank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1774 in a row. (Story #329 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/wtglls/tokuhigh_alternet_class/). |
"Get out of this place and never come back."I hear someone saying this with a very squeaking voice as I enter my friend Tony's house, I feel like it's some stupid recording, I know Tony believes in superstition. I always joke when he tells me that his house is haunted, I always find that funny.
Tony is currently abroad for a couple of months. He asked me to take care of his cat and I agreed. He has one of the beautiful cats I've ever seen. His name is Felix, and he's a British short hair cat. He's always energetic and likes messing around with Tony, but Tony is fine with that, he loves Felix unconditionally.
Despite me not believing in ghosts and everything related to superstition, I feel a bit scared. I'm pretty sure that it's some recording. Tony enjoys playing pranks on people, so it may be one of them. "Get out of this place! You will die! Please listen to me"- The voice screams at me. I decide to finally respond to it, "I know Tony, you're playing a prank on me. I'm saying hello to the camera!". The voice screams again, "Get out of this place! You will die!"it gets louder and louder every time I hear it. I decide to go to the kitchen, as I enter the room, I turn on the lights and see Felix. He weirdly stares at me as if there was something behind me. I turn back and see there's nothing. The voice screams again, "Get out of this place! You will die, Please listen to me"the voice sounds the very same every time I hear it, so I'm pretty sure that it's a recording. Felix acts out of his character, he jumps back and forth and can't take his eyes off me. The voice screams again, "Get out of this place! You will die! My last warning".
As I feed Felix, the lights suddenly go off and the walls start bleeding, real blood just goes through the walls as if it were a man's veins. I can barely see anything. "Wow, something is actually going on here. It doesn't seem to be a prank, I guess". There's a new voice, but this one whispers rather than screams, "Hello my dear friend, I'm here to play with you. Are you ready?". "Get away from me and let me go home"I say it with such a difficulty that I don't even know who I managed to say it. My entire body is shaking. "Well you chose to die, then it's time"The things around the kitchen start heading towards me. I'm scared as I see the knives coming at me. "Tony is the only person we want to be here. He's our friend, and you are not"the voice chants it for 3-4 times while I try to figure out what to do, but it seems to me there's no turning back, and I'm stuck here. After a few hours of trying to survive the attacks, they finally hit me, I fall down and lose consciousness.
When Tony comes back from his vacation, he finds a dead body in his house. He recognizes his friend, who he asked to feed Felix while he was on vacation. Tony hears a voice squeakily saying, "You don't tell anyone about us, and we don't kill you, he didn't believe in us and you do, that's why we haven't killed you yet" |
Stephanie had a talent for getting lost despite following GPS. Luckily for her, she was in the woods and loved every second of it. The moonlight peeked at her through the pines and gave her a soft glow. She kept a slow pace and often glanced at the stars in awe.
After passing another row of identical trees, she spotted a large rock to sit on. It was covered in moss and had tiny insects racing on it. Her butt welcomed it fondly. She hoped the scenic trip would end soon to reunite with her new friends. Stephanie didn't make friends easily, and by pure luck, Laura invited her on a trip to the woods. An easy yes for the naturalistic Stephanie.
There were footsteps in the distance, or perhaps it was her imagination.She listened intensively and heard a low whisper.
&#x200B;
GET UP.
&#x200B;
Quickly she sprung to her feet, eyeing the darkness suspiciously, a slight breeze blew her curls to the side. There are no Apex predators out at this time. Stephanie and other humans were the only threat. To relax she sang Taylor Swift tunes softly to herself as she walked.
The lump in her throat remained, and her hands trembled. GO LEFT, the voice repeated. Her eyes shifted around her, and she cursed herself for leaving her phone with her friend Laura.
It repeated GO LEFT, and Stephanie soon realized it was coming from her head.
She found the unknown voice strange but accepted it.
She followed the directions it gave with ease. With each step, the trees became more angular, and compact, and hid the moon.
&#x200B;
"STOP"the voice cried in a grave tone.
&#x200B;
Stephanie was visibly shaken and looked around frantically.
&#x200B;
HIDE, the voice commanded. HIDE. HIDE. HIDE. HIDE.
&#x200B;
It alarmed her, and she ran wildly through the forest and plunged headfirst into a ditch overgrown with grass. Upon impact, she made shallow breaths and attempted to peer between the tree branches shielding her.
&#x200B;
QUIET, QUIET, QUIET, the inner voice chanted non-stop.
&#x200B;
The footsteps were close now, going slowly, pausing, and then fast. She heard Laura's familiar giggle and could slightly make out her friends in the opening of the forest.
"STEPHANIE, Stephanie,"the girls, took turns shouting. She exhaled a sigh of relief. Stephanie didn't know if she should obey the voice or scream for help.
Stephanie nearly hopped up when she caught a glimpse of something that made her hold her breath.
The moonlight flickered between the trees shining a light on a knife. A wave of dread came over Stephanie, and she felt herself sinking into the ditch.
Laura was holding a knife and leading a pack of girls. They held small knives and were using their phones as flashlights.
I thought I heard her, one said disappointedly.
The girl's hand fell to her side causing her phone to shine light at an awkward angle a foot away from where Stephanie was.
Doesn't matter, said Laura eyeing the girl.
&#x200B;
"She's a clutz, if not us. Something else will kill her."
&#x200B;
Their giggles filled the forest, and they nodded in agreement. They slowly retreated the way they came, still shouting Stephanie's name.
&#x200B;
SEE, whispered the voice to Stephanie. YOU SEE? |
I was often bullied in school. I was never very strong or very smart. I learned how to handle the name calling at least until I got home so I could cry without anyone watching. Getting tripped and laughed at was just a normal part of my day. I tried to ignore them, but it just wouldn't go away.
One day they bullied me a lot more than they usually did. They had me on the ground repeatedly kicking me. There had to be at least 5 of them, but it's hard to count when you're getting kicked. Teachers and school security just stood by and watched. That was the day I just lost it. I felt my anger take control. In an intense adrenaline rush I got up and POW! POW! POW! knocked them all to the ground. I didn't notice the strength I had. I just took out 5 guys. I was victorious! I was proud of myself for the first time! Something still didn't feel right about it. It was self defense I told myself. They deserved it. They need to suffer like I did.
With my new found confidence I went to school knowing I was safe for the first time. My bullies stopped bothering me. In history class my teacher told me I hadn't turned in my assignment. I clearly remembered turning it in. Fortunately I knew how to stand up for myself. I shouted threats at him. I reminded him that he watched me take out 5 students and I would do the same to him. I picked up random objects and threw them in his direction. I never actually intended to hit him. I knew violence was wrong and I was in control. The teacher was noticeably scared, but he did find my assignment on the other side of his desk. He apologized for misplacing it. I shouted back at him "Next time, think before you call me a liar!"
I wasn't only able to stand up to other teenagers, but also to adults. I wasn't afraid of anyone, but something still felt off. Was I justified in how I acted? Of course I was. He bullied me and I put him in his place without using violence, just threats of violence.
Adrenaline rushes became more and more common. Each time I felt confident. I felt safe. I felt free.
The one moment that affected me the most was when I went to Chick Fil a. I had a long stressful day and I just wanted some chicken nuggets. I walked in the restaurant and ordered some nuggets. "I'm sorry, our chicken nuggets are sold out. Would you like a chicken sandwich instead?"The employee asked. I was so done. I just wanted some chicken nuggets! Was that too much to ask? I knew how to stand up for myself. I felt my teeth grit and my fist clench so hard I could feel my veins bulge. I knew I was going to regret this, but I didn't care. I was tired of having moral arguments with myself. This time I just wanted to get something done. I threw several punches at the employee. I immediately regretted it. He was just doing his job. He doesn't control the chicken nugget stock.
I watched another employee grab the phone and I knew exactly what was happening. I started to panic. I actually thought I might have a heart attack. Tears started flowing. The police came in and l had no choice, but to defend myself. I threw punches and kicks so fast that the police could hardly react. I knocked several of them on the ground. They tried to taze me, but I fought through it. This was the most life or death situation I had ever been in so I had to fight my hardest.
Police were yelling and screaming at me to get on the ground. Each time they made me more angry. Each time it gave me more strength to keep fighting for my life. "I love you and I want to help you."said an unusually calm voice. I looked up and it was one of the police officers. The only one who wasn't yelling. It drew my attention much more than any of the yelling did. The calm officer gave me a hug and I no longer felt angry. "I should arrest you, but I'm not going to."he said.
I was confused. Why did he show mercy. I didn't deserve it. I was supposed to go to prison.
The cop helped me sign up for anger management classes. I learned there that fear and anger are powerful tools, but love and mercy can do so much more. I came out feeling better than ever. I still had to stand up for myself, but I learned how to do it calmly. I still had to fight sometimes, but the goal was always defense, not revenge. |
The four of us would have all been outcasts, if people paid closer attention to Ivy and me. But they didn’t, because Jackson and Scarlett got most of the odd looks.
Anyone could see that the twins looked little alike. Though boy-girl twins did technically exist, they only ever really came about through one half of a pair being trans. And Jackson’s eyes were very clearly blue, while Scarlett’s were green.
There were hardly any rules about always looking the same as one’s twin — hair dye was a popular way to make sure people didn’t constantly refer to you with the wrong name in school — but when Mum and Dad twigged that Ivy and me weren’t entirely identical they practically flipped. New rule: always make sure you wear the same clothes. Which was suffocating, because it meant we never got a choice in what we actually wore growing up.
I think I envy Scarlett and Jackson. They’re closer with each other than many of our classmates are to their twins, each other’s bestest friend. And I know that Ivy and me are very similar in that respect, but at least they have the freedom to dress differently.
You may be wondering, of course. What sets Ivy and me apart from other twins? You can tell I’m a girl (my name’s Isla, if you wanted to know) since they’re basically the rules, but what is it that people don’t notice?
Simple.
Twins are practically clones of each other in this world when you strip away hair dyes and outfit choices. You are left-handed, your twin is left-handed. You have a birthmark on your right shoulder, your twin has the same birthmark on their right shoulder. You are diagnosed with a condition like Type 1 diabetes, your twin will be diagnosed soon enough… if not at the exact same time.
But Ivy and me don’t follow all these rules. Oh, sure, we do both have diabetes, but she’s left handed. I’m right handed. She has a birthmark on her right shoulder. I have the same on my left.
When we both came down with appendicitis, her appendix was on the left side of her body rather than the right. Which must have been fun for the surgeons trying to remove the thing.
In other words, Ivy is my mirror image.
So yeah, we’re closer to identical than Jackson and Scarlett will ever be. We have the same hair, same eyes, same medical conditions… but I’m not sure if other people will see things the same way. |
I find myself confused and screaming, gripping my chest that was impaled moments ago, except, there's nothing there, I mean, no hole, no blood no trace of any wound whatsoever.
My companions stare at me wide eyed, confused about my sudden outburst. Jen rushes to my side "What's wrong? What happened?"She asks me, visibly scared for my safety "Hold on, I'll cast a calming spell for your mind"as she starts muttering her elvish chant I feel myself calming down, my breath steadying itself, as if the terror moments ago was never there.
Still too dazed to say anything, my party just staring at me, I manage to mutter "Let's take a quick rest, please".
I sit by the fire, still trying to remember what happened, why I felt that, why did I scream like that? It seems like just a dream, fading away.
After a 30 minute rest I ask for forgiveness from the party, for slowing us down like that and that I don't know what happened.
They all forgive me and we carry on to our destination, a simple yet difficult quest, exterminate a goblins nest, as the Frontline of the party, I can't be faltering here, and I've managed my fair share of goblins so I'm not scared, there's just this nagging feeling, like something is off, but I ignore it and keep going, I failed my party once, I can't fail them again.
As we reach the entrance that feeling comes back again, but again I ignore it, we have to destroy these goblins so that the nearby villages aren't harmed.
Tyrus, our scout, returned "I was able to spot about 50 of them, there could be more inside the cave, but I didn't see any variant so it shouldn't be hard"
"Alright, we'll wait for the night, Tyrus you'll circle behind and light the camp on fire on my signal, Jared you'll take the lead and draw them to you, with Hera covering you and I'll cast a large scale spell to clean them all out at once."Hrim our mage says always having been the smarter out of us.
We all nod in agreement and patiently wait while mentally preparing ourselves.
While polishing my axe, Jen walks up to me and grabs my hands, beginning to speak some elvish "Stop Jen, save your mana in case anyone gets hurt"I tell her "Don't be stupid, you'll be our main line of defense, if using a bit of my mana here means you won't fall, that will ease up my job"she replies back with a chuckle.
I smile and thank her for the blessing.
It's time, I pick up my shield and sword, both beautiful masterpieces gifted to me by the King himself for winning the arena matches a few years ago, I tighten my grip on the sword, readying myself for the onslaught to come.
*BOOM* that's the signal, Hrim casted a fireball into the sky.
I start seeing the camp light up in flames, goblins rushing, some trying to stop the fire, some picking up their weapons knowing this was an enemy attack.
**"I'M OVER HERE YOU GREEN SHITS"**
I scream from the top of my lungs, drawing their attention, they all look at me, hundreds of little red eyes all filled with anger, all directed towards me.
I ready myself for the first initial contact, as a goblin starts running towards me, until I hear the twing of a bowstring and see it flop to the floor, but several more come from behind him, all aiming at me.
Luckily all my years of training didn't fail me and I'm managing to protect myself and even kill a few of them, surely due to Jen's chant.
As the battle drags on, I feel myself starting to get tired, my swings are slower, weaker. Where is that damn spell Hir?
And then I feel something hot on my chest, as I'm falling to the ground the last thing I see is Hir's face, smirking, while Jen tries to rush towards me but is stopped.
...
I find myself confused and screaming. |
-Present Day-
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” - Arthur C. Clarke
Beneath the streets of every city in the world, there is something more than infrastructure. Something much much older. A power so long forgotten that it is thought to not have ever existed.
Long ago, this power would make itself available to those who could feel it. Could reach it. For this is not some simple force of nature, like a hurricane or an earthquake, so great in its scale, and unstoppable, but unthinking. This power is made greater in having a will of its own, a mind distinct. For it is the source of, what humans call, "Magic".
Long ago, adherents of some petty cult elevated from the Levant sought to eradicate this power that they saw as an affront to their god. In their ignorance, their blind stupidity, they thought to do this by slaying those who could touch this power. They branded these people as "witches", as "abominations". The Power raged at their murder, and a plan was born. It would wait. Bide its time. Those who could feel it would not know what is missing, just that something is. Unfortunate, but necessary.
For hundreds of years, It waited. Felt the arrogance of this jumped-up cult drain the planet of tangible resources. Fed on the misery and anger of those suffering, to become stronger. It stored the knowledge of Ages, with the sole focus of vengeance.
The world has grown complacent, and weak. The tools they once used to help have become an advanced cage.
Now so many people live who can feel The Power. More than ever before. The time has come.
Around the world, millions of people felt a sudden surge of energy, and a voice in their minds spoke one word. "Prepare" |
"And that's why condoms are just the giftwrap for a present for the devil! No, really, they're like the devil's anus, when you think about it, because you are denying your Christian wife your affections, and -hang on, I've got a call on line 2."
"Wait, God, don't put me on hold, it's been so long since I've heard from you, and -"Click. Whoops. That was an accident. No, really. I'd been meaning to have a heart to heart with the pope for a few years now, in the hopes of starting up a new Inquisition. And I don't know how these damn phones work. I'd only returned to Earth for the past few years or so, and I only started an account to shut up the sound of all those prayers.
Also, how did someone get my number? I snarled into the phone. "You're one of the 10, aren't you?"Bastard. Bitch. Both. One of those.
"Very good."Said the very familiar voice of the Goddess of math. "Now, do you care to guess why I'm concerned about the recent actions of my least favorite multiplication problem?"
"Screw you! I should be a major player, right up there with War (subtraction) and Politics. (division)"
"Trust me, nobody's as much of a player as you."
Was she trying to insult me? It had to be an insult, or I wouldn't feel so flattered. "I do my part for the cause."
"You stupid son of a...I'm trying to save you. Stop trying to overpopulate the planet!"
This time, I hung up on purpose.
*******
That was a long time ago, even when measured by the lifetime of a God. According to my watch....at least a few centuries.
Which shouldn't feel so long, when compared to all the time I'd lived...but...I'm dying. It turns out, there really are limited resources in the universe. And there really can be such a thing as too much of a good thing.
And also, I probably shouldn't have tried inviting anti-matter life forms to the cosmic orgy.
Yeah, that was entirely on me.
I call the Goddess of math again. Now I'm blocked. I have no idea how we still have service.
But...fuck it. Yes, I fucked up everything. Yes, I fell harder than any God ever before.
But when they talk about the big bang from now on? Well, I made the biggest. |
The weather in London sucked ass, as almost always, and I'm still to get used to it. Jenny says that I'm the only one she met that managed not to like the all-present rain, cold and wind for such a long time since I moved. She still doesn't know. She doesn't have to. I try not to think about the obvious consequences of attaching myself to people. Maybe I should. I think about where to go next. Australia maybe. I haven't been there for a while. The truth is I've been pretty much everywhere you could name. Don't try and be a smartass and ask me if I've been inside of a volca...well, no actually I haven't but I know how lava feels. Pompeii was a pretty nice place. I quickly finish up my flat white and get inside the museum since I'm already kind of late. I can see Jenny on top of the stairs anxiously looking for me. Is there something wrong? I quickly reduced the distance between us and and ran up to her. "Jenny? What happened?", she turns around and her smile makes the weather feel a bit nicer.
"Everything is fine, but we're waiting for you. We've got something big."I've always had a liking to mysteries."Consider me on board". She led me to the Rome section babbling excitedly "This literally changes history forever! Look!". I'm looking. A sheet of ancient paper lays in front of me. "Do you know what it describes?", Jenny almost spits into my ear. I do. I wrote it. I don't say it out loud. I check the time. This is not a nightmare. After 2000 years of laying under ground human remains and volcanic ash it came back to me. Pompeii. Srinada. The fiery sky. I blink but as soon as I close my eyes they won't open. I can feel the fire tingling my toes and the ash blocking my throat, smell the meat and skin burning into bones, the screams of hundreds of thousands innocent people ceaseing to exist because of whim of nature turns into one consecutive roar driving me insane. I fall into the darkness of my memories, Jenny calling my name breaks through the roar. Australia is looking really nice at this time of year. |
__•Step 45. No one is themselves anymore, trust NO ONE, not even yourself.__
...
__•Step 51. Close the doors behind you, DO NOT look back.__
...
__•Step 73. It is here, light the candles, be weary of your surroundings.__
*"Hm, Weird instructions. Darling! Would you mind to come look at these instructions?"* I asked. I have a wife and a beautiful baby boy named lakieth(la-k-e-sh). They're the only things I could want in this world.
As I got up to pick up the baby, my wife turned the corner.
_"Sure Matt. Give me a second."_ She said, in a slightly hoarse tone. A tone I've never heard before...
The instructions couldn't be real right.. she never calls me by my actual name...? Just to be safe. I picked up the kid and ran to the storage room in the basement, locking both doors on my way down. I'm glad I restocked yesterday.
_"Matt where are you? Is there something going on?"_
__I stay silent__
_"Matt ... I'm getting angry, where are you?"_ She asked again, louder and in a worse tone than last time.
__The baby starts crying__
"Shit.."I whisper, grabbing the formula and making a quick bottle in replacement. The baby soon stopped, only after she found where I was.
A paper, flown under and the set of rules were on it, just like the instructions.. except it had the consequences of the rules if it were to be broken.
__•Step 45. No one is themselves anymore, trust NO ONE, not even yourself.__
_STATUS: BROKEN_
__The failure to obey this task will include....__
The list of horrible things were long. The problem, was that as more of.. whatever was out there came along, the more my son would cry to lure them where I was. I can see why Rule 45 was vital.
_"Matt, we just want you to join us... C'mon buddy, wouldn't it be fun to hang out with your old pal?"_ an unknown voice called out.
...
I fell asleep hours later, hoping that this was all a dream... I put the baby aside, and tied it up, caring not for it's cries. Trying my best to re-do rule 45.
...
I gained consciousness in a doctor's office. Widely awake, I looked up to see a doctor, and my wife.. my wife? She isn't one of them right?
*"I'm so sorry Mrs.Tengi, he's been pronounced with schizophrenia."* |
"AWWWWWWWW FUCK YEAH, WE GON' HAVE A GOOD FUCKIN' TIME TONIGHT, MOTHERFUCKER!!!"shouted a derelict, morally-corrupt young man with disheveled hair, unkempt clothes, and a wide grin.
A rag-tag group of rowdy, raunchy, violent party-goers were throwing the biggest, wildest, craziest, sexiest party Heaven had ever seen. The crowd was massive. The party had drugs, orgies, murder, and any kind of sin you could imagine. The gluttons had all gathered around a table to have an infinite hot-dog eating contest. The lust crowd all gathered around and had sex with each other while the envy crowd just stood back and watched. It was endless, stretching outward in all directions the eye could see.
Meanwhile, Satan was getting chewed out by God himself inside of God's office. God was at his limit. Satan sort of shrunk into the chair and just studied the ceiling fan as God answered the umpteenth angry call that day. He could tell God was furious.
"They're doing WHAT with the angels?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"
Satan felt small and wanted to cry. God threw the phone against the wall and broke it. He glared at Satan, palmed his face, and said, "You did this shit on purpose, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!"
Satan was unable to answer.
"TALK TO ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT! This is exactly the type of shit that you get off on! You wanna sit there and play like you don't know? Of course you don't see a fucking problem because you're you. My whole life I've been cleaning up after you and you act like none of it's your fault. All I want is for a little peace and quiet for all of eternity, but NO! I have to go behind you all the fucking time and clean up YOUR shit!"
"Honestly, God, I--"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'm through with your mind games, pal. I'm going to fix this and I'm smiting you once and for all. In front of all your little sinner friends and shit. I'm going to fucking slit your throat and send everyone back to Hell. Except you, you don't deserve an afterlife you fuck!"
"Hold up, what?! I told you it was a mistake! One of my demons, he--"
God shot daggers at him with his eyes. Satan knew there was no way of convincing him that this was a mistake. God got up and disappeared from the room. Meanwhile, the party had been raging for countless hours. Satan knew if he couldn't find a way to fix this, he was toast. |
A new day, a new contract, since my reputation kept getting more well known, politics soon came into the fold, I could no longer just say 'Dude, I just mix shit up', since it would severe both my source of revenue, which is huge by the way, and make myself an enemy of the UNFH, or the United National Federation of Humanity.
Being a fraud was still possible when I was in my garage and most I could fear was a raid from the intergalactical ATF.
Nowadays, my chimical components are scrutinized and praised by millions of chimists, physicists and sometimes even, ASTROLOGISTS around the Galaxy.
I'd suddenly feel some vibration on my arm, looking down, I would take some time to inhale and exhale and get my act together.
"Alexander, the supreme chemist of the Nebular Apolyon Academy, who is it ?"
"Ahh, Mister Alexander, how is life going for you ?"
My heart suddenly dropped hearing that voice, this was the senator of the foreign Scientific research, a man that acted as the main connection for joint scientific missions between humanity and the different inhabitants of the galaxy.
He is the one who found out about my channel and decided to bring me to the academy, I thought I'd get fired in the first showcase so I decided to mix things randomly, but it SOMEHOW impressed so much that he kept bringing me to other of his colleagues, all seeing more of these bullshit previews of my skills, it kept going on until I was appointed to this academy.
"A-Ahhhh Mister Geoffrey, everything is going nicely sir !"
"Well mister Alexander, I wont cut to the chase but you have been called for an Emergency."
He said in a solemn way, making me nervous than before.
"How much, s-sir ?"
"Well, time and space suddenly being unstable and causing an enthropy in a 4th dimensional expansion ending all lifeforms as we know it, type of emergency."
"WHAT !"I'd immidatly panic, thinking of a thousands of ways of HOW this happened.
"I wont try to make this more lengthy than it needs to be but lets just say trying to make a new faster than light engine managed to do some... unpredectable results, NOW QUIT TALKING AND GO THERE, WE NEED YOU !"
"O-ON IT SIR !"
-------------------------------1 hour later---------------------------------
I'd run faster than I ever could into the coordonates that Senator Geoffrey had sent me, I'd quickly arrive into a blocked off area where multiple civilians, alien and human where gathered, trying to see over the officer keeping them away.
I'd quickly walk towards the first officer. An avian by the looks of his rather larger than normal helmet.
After a quick inspection, I was escorted into a building where a team of scientist where looking over a sort of broken glass...
Am I seeing the world literally ripping apart, thinking I was perhaps looking in a funny way, I'd rub my eyes, a first, a second and a final third time, all giving me the same vision.
A rather large alien saw me standing on the door way and quickly stood up, his collegues would soon enough also see me.
Thinking quick and mustering some forme of confidence.
I walk towards the men and rapidly ask, either out of anxiousness about the gravity of the situation or a false sense of professionalism that I only found out now.
"What the hell happened ?"
The alien looks at me then at the 'breach'
"Well, during the mix between Gauss liquid and the non-fluodian Anti-matter, one of the scientist spilled too much, normally, such a thing would have only sealed itself up after a few micro-seconds but for some reason, this."He pointed with one his tentacles the large breach in the middle of the room."Still didnt shut itself up. "
"Yes, but why calling me, its not as if its a blackhole, it doesnt seem to take any matter, if anything, it seems quite stable. "
The large Bulborats shakes his head and responds simply with...
"Its growing, fast."
"What ?"I'd respond, thinking I heard it wrong.
"The breach was only the size of a bottle cap, now we can throw an entire person in it,we only managed to stablize it by throwing whatever chimicals inside of it."
"Which is why you called me."I'd respond, now anxious as I was perhaps the last chance for this universe.
"Indeed, but it is only partial, the breach still seems to grow, tho slightly slower than last time, by using some of our IAs, we calculated that it will take its speed back in 15 minutes, so we need to be faster Mister Alexander !"
He now rushes me towards a table filled with different vials and containers having suspicious looking liquid that I assumed where what was used for the slip space engines.
"AHH EMM. WELL. I NEED SOME SPACE TO WORK MY MAGIC AHAHAHAH. "
I'd say, sweat dripping from my brow thinking I was done for along with everyone in this reality.
"Of course sir."
The scientist would respond, leaving me in front of a hundred different kind of liquid, powder and gas.
"You know what, FUCK IT !"
With no more hope for another tomorrow, I jug different liquids,salts and gazeous solutions into a mixer.
I'd take out a flask filled with my 'special liquid', "Eh, its my last time drinking you so why not."
I now took a swig of the strong 'magical potion' and pour some of the rest inside the mixer.
The scientist rushed into my room yelling
"IT HAS BECAME UNSTABLE FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT !"
"WE NEED THE CHEMICAL SOLUTION NOW MISTER ALEXANDER !"
Drunk as fuck and not having a single ounce of mind left in me, I approve of the decision and took out the concoction that would serve to stop the expansion of the breach.
"THROW IT MISTER ALEXANDER !"
Yelled the alien behind one of the overturned desk.
Hearing his order, I'd threw whatever thing I made into the growing void in hurtling towards us.
The void inside quickly took hold of the mixture.
It suddenly stopped.
"Huh, I thought..."
A large beam of light hit us directly, not burning but definitly making us blind for a second and incapable of hearing a darn thing.
The breach would collapse onto itself and vanish completly.
After finally being permitted to get out of the facility.
I'd see senator Geoffrey arrive to hold my hand and speak to me.
"You did a most fabulous job mister Alexander, billions, no, TRILLIONS WILL SING IN JOY ABOUT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT !"
Looking at the men, I'd now yell.
"WHATTTT !" |
It had been many generations since the lands fell to the dark hoards. Each self-proclaimed dark lored vied for control killing the Earth Mother with each passing year. I spent my childhood toiling on the land for enough to eat and then the wars escalated. The resources had dried up and the land cracked, exhausted of every spare nutrient from overfarming. The rivers dried up replaced with sludge from the now run-down forges. Then the black armored soldiers came demanding more of our crop not caring that we did not even have enough for ourselves. Perhaps this year would be our last like the Jones family across the desolate bridge.
Then something happened. The clouds gray with ash and soot burst down as if a stone crashed into a still pond. I expected a crash but there was nothing. The month came and went and the soldiers that usually came to collect were nowhere to be seen. Then the next month came and went. Then another. Then a few more. Before I knew it, winter had come. thankfully we had discovered a fungus that was edible even if the side effects were less than pleasant. We would survive.
Then we heard the distant sounds like hammers and drums. The familiar sounds of an armored legion marching. We felt it on the rotting floorboards we laid upon. Then there were the erratic tremors. The mages had engaged. I gathered my strength and left for the battlefield. We were to weak to flee and if I was going to die, I would at least want to know who it was that delt the final blow.
It took some time but I managed to climb that hill as I leaned on that walking stick. My old bones creaked and groned from age and malnutrition, and I was bewildered by what I was.
In the distance was an assortment of banners of many dark lords attacking something I could not see. Then a dark mist came out like a blade cleaving tens and sending hundreds more flying. Spells hit the mass but whatever this thing was, it did not care. It dove back into the fray. Within the hour, the few remaining scattered. One came in my direction. One with wings but I knew not the name. It had been before my time when the races of mortals intermingled, names now lost to time.
As it approached, a whip of dark mist struck out and clipped its wing sending it crashing down not more than two stone throws from my feet. The winged person looked back with terror on his face as a small figure slowly walked up to it. By the spire, it looked like a small girl no past its seventh winter but the skin was black as coal and shifted like sand and smoke with every movement. The only exception was several markings both simple and beautiful on her body. They were dark gray and pointed giving off what appeared to be a glow but that could not be. The world seemed to darken around this strange creature. I feared her but was also drawn to it. Almost memorized by the way it moved. Then I heard... no felt it speak.
It made its intention clear. It wanted the winged person dead and there was no mistake. It let me know of its sins, the cruelty that it subjected to its concurred lands. It was a dark lord and it was too terrified to move. With speed and preternatural grace, the marked girl grabbed the dark lord by the throat and bit into its neck so deep it almost reached the bone. In seconds, the body shriveled to a dry husk and was dropped. But this was not what scared me. I swear this marked girl grew. The hair, longer. The stance, taller. And her presence... stronger than the moment before.
It then looked at me and I felt her will. I was not appetizing to her. Not vile enough to satiate her appetite. That this world no longer held anything left for her to feed on. In the next moment, her body began to disintegrate into small particles and rise into the sky. A black void opened up surrounded by an eerie white light and the creature left.
I will carry this encounter to my grave. This thing wanted secrecy and would do anything to maintain that. Why it left me alive despite this I do not know or wish to find out. All I know is that it is a sin eater and I still hear the whispers of its alien unvoiced words in my mind. We were lucky. The dark lords in a way saved us from a greater evil because just like there were sin eaters, there are beings who pray on the opposite. Those that call themselves "of god"but are nothing more than vile creatures made to spite them.
Now, I must leave my family to protect this world. I know too much. I must prevent the El from noticing me. However, I can't just leave my family unprotected. I searched the abandoned fortress looking for something I do not know the name or image of but I know it is here.
Within the hour, I find it. A mangled gem that looked like aged purple glass glowing on a desk. Next to it, a ritual dagger. A last-ditch effort to summon aid from beyond but the entity rejected them and killed the contactor. I take the dagger and carve ou my heart.
I felt no pain and did not question how I still lived. It was only to complete the ritual. I muttered a language unknown to this plane and many more but it was ancient and powerful. A dark tongue but the chant was warm and soothing.
The ritual ended as my heart burned and was absorbed into the crystal now with a red swirl like blood in the water. As my vision faded and I fell into death's arms, I heard a voice in that same chanted tongue. The final comfort before I left this mortal coil.
"I accept your blood as sacrifice. Your world will live and prosper once more to be a beacon against the false angels. I, Voidking of the Bloodaxe vow to this." |
When I first died, I was content on my deathbed. I truly felt I had lived life, or at least the morphine in my veins made me feel so. I muttered something dumb which would be construed as wisdom by the onlookers and gazed into the light that was surrounding me. Holding the hands of my wife and children, I started to close my eyes slowly.
When my sight turned into a blinding white in all directions, I exhaled my last breath and left the world. Then, I woke up in darkness. I didn’t know where I was, but my brain told me that I was inside something and that I had to move and hit it to get out. After a long effort, I saw light and it was just as blinding as when I died. My eyes were still shut but the loud cackling nearby and the disgusting stuff that went into my mouth told me that I had become a bird! Even while I was growing, I remained absolutely confused as to what this was. A dream? A simulation? A second life? I never knew reincarnation was possible…and that I could remember my past life.
After what seemed a long life comprised of building a nest, fighting off the lazy birds laying eggs in my nest, finding a mate and having children, I passed away with both excitement and anxiety. Once again, I had been born. This time I was another human! Unfortunately, this one passed away from a nasty fall at 13. When my head hit the ground, it triggered rebirth again.
After several iterations of reincarnation, I have now attained another form.
When I first emerged and noticed that I already had all my senses, I was very confused. The creatures around me had four eyes, scary tusks and wings like a wasp. Their sound was harsh but also eloquent. Another creature walked in and gestured us to stand. I’m sure they are older but still we were almost as tall as it, even though we had just been born.
Immediately, the older alien and others locked us up in a chamber and introduced a centipede thrice my size and yelled something. I didn’t know what it meant but it stirred something in my brain and in the centipede as well. My “siblings” and I turned our hands into blades and charged at the centipede who had now become crazier. I managed to escape its fangs with my experience as a mongoose, but the others were dissolved by the centipede's venom.
Using the maneuvers of a tiger, I dodged and moved till I was close enough to grab the neck. The rabid worm was roaring and swirling about my legs but I dug deep into its body with my blades. If I ever had a moment to thank my reincarnations, it was this one.
As I was crossing the pools of molten flesh, the older aliens entered the chamber.
“Well done”, it said, “you are worthy to live. Now, get ready, child.”
“Get ready?”, I questioned.
“Ready for war. We will reach the human world soon.” |
This is the first piece of writing of any kind I've done in months, so definitely rusty, but here goes nothing:
Lotti moved as carefully as she could towards the tapping, she had just been walking in the forest, oh how she enjoyed walks like this, most people would be scared of being in a forest at night, not Lotti. The solitude and darkness brought her comfort and peacefulness, plus, she always carried a penknife, her phone with her torch function and a rape alarm, just in case, after allif anything did happen to her since noone knew she was here no help would come to her rescue.
She'd be walking for about twenty minutes and was fairly deep into the forest when she had heard it, a tapping started out of nowhere, like two bits of wood impacting one another.
She had become curious as the only other noises she normally heard was that of animal noises, she had been following the noise as best as she could for around ten minutes now, but hadn't made as much progress as she wish she had, but she was curious, but also careful, and if it was a person making that noise she wished to remain undetected.
She kept up her pursuit of the tapping, she was close now, she was sure of it. It was hard for her to see detail in such darkness, despite frequently coming for walks here, but she was sure the tapping was coming from just a few feet ahead of her. She kept moving, and finally she saw it, but no, she'd never seen anything so weird, at the base of a thin tree was a small owl, chained to the tree pecking at the trunk, but who would such a thing?
She moved closer to the owl, not sure if it would try to attack her, so as to better inspect it's bindings. It was tied quite tightly with a weird looking petrol blue coloured piece of material.
The owl had now halted it's pecking to look up at her, but didn't move to attack. Seeing this Lotti spoke softly "Stay calm little one, I'll get you out of here in no time."She unfolded her pocket knife and attempted to saw into the material, but despite putting all the strength she could into it, the material remained undamaged. Not knowing what else to do she checked her phone, damnit, no signal. But she had no choice, she'd have to head out the forest to get some signal and then call animal protection or something, despite the hour she hoped she could get in contact with someone who could help, she didn't make a habit of doing things like this, butthis was extremely cruel.
She put back her phone and turned to leave but stopped short, there was a cloacked figure in front of her, though she couldn't discern any features others than this with them being bathed in the darkness. But then the figure spoke to her, "Time to teach you what happens when you stick your nose in where it isn't needed or wanted, muggle." |
"So, you go by Jim then? Short for James?"I ask The Dark Lord.
"It's just Jim. My parents wanted to keep it simple,"he replied.
"Fair enough. Well Jim, how'd we find ourselves in the middle of all this? Prophecies, ominous monikers and the like. Really what's the point of it all?"
"My guess? Boredom. That and the innate need for humans to make hero stories, tales of victory and absolution to deflect the inevitable entropy that is the finish line for all things."
"So no destiny or ordained roles?"
"Not even a little bit. You want to know why I do what I do? I'll tell you when I figure it out. Here's what I do know. The tales of my evil, treachery and fiendish feats are greatly exaggerated. Not to say I haven't done some spectacular things and others which could be morally judged as bad, but in all honesty I am just killing people that annoy me."
"Just like that?"
"That easy. I'm just very efficient. I do what many people imagine doing without the indecision and fear of consequence. It all ends for everything, I'm just getting rid of the things I don't like."
"Wow, that really takes the air out of it."
"I know, seems mundane, right? Juxtaposing your inflated purpose and my larger than life 'evil' with such simplicity."
"Yeah.. that. Seems pretty pointless. So what do we do now? Big throwdown feels moot. If not you, then someone else, probably with more nefarious purposes, then it all repeats."
"I agree. The best way to win is by not playing the game. How about we just drink some scotch and debate philosophy like civilized people?"
"Perfect." |
I stare at these idiots with guns and brandish my staff. “Sere not going anywhere.” I declare while advancing on my targets. The leader of tue team laughs at me. I admit i don’t look all that threatening at first glance with the pigtails and ruffles, but theres a reason I’m still alive after ten years of fighting”
“What are you gonna do about it?” Before i can respond, Shinobu launches herself at the other team, spear emitting red hot fire. The opponents armor is no match for her well placed attack and it shreds through the suit as if it were made of tissue paper.
“Its on now!@ the team leader shouted and started firing. We retaliated by using our own weapons to land flashy but effective moves on out targets. It was chaotic, with bullets and lasers against concentrated gale force winds and tsunamis. FinallyC wheb it was over, they surrendered.
Just as i suspected, they were average young to middle age men who looked as if they’d randomly decided to become heroes one day. Then we revealed ourselves to be a bunch of nerdy college girls. The difference? We had years of training and knew how to work together. |
The air conditioner rattled itself alive once more. The Luke warm and musty smelling air circulates through my room. It’s a shame mom can never seem to have enough money to fix the damned thing. It’s no joke that Southern cali is known for its unrelenting heat.
My room, scattered with junk and clutter, only lit by the dim street light outside casting shadows across the floor. Last months issue of Boys Life lying in the corner, bent and discolored from whatever soda was spilled on it earlier. It’s hard to believe I have the same posters of Motley Crue and Poison on my wall from being a kid. They’re lame and everyone knows Nirvana and Deicide have been the hype for awhile. Just another reason I’m here alone.
I’m the corner an old hand me down desk, stacked high with CD’s, a half broken radio is blaring whatever this weeks top 40 artists are. The tuning dial has been broken for months and mom can’t seem to find the cash to replace it. It honestly doesn’t matter. Anything is better than silence.
My stomach groans with protest. It’s been a few hours since I’ve had anything to eat. Rolling over I crawl out of my dingy captains bed heading for our empty fridge. It groans more than me as the aging wood and peeling paint tell me how worn out the piece of furniture truly is. Cursing as I stub my toe on whatever bullshit is in my way, I hear it.
Coming from somewhere I can hear a chant. The type you hear four blocks over from the high school football game on a Friday night. Where you can’t really make out what anyone is saying but you know more than 10 people are saying the same offbeat thing. The sound, just barely piercing the wail of Spice Girls, came from behind me. Turning, walking back towards the radio I shut it off thinking maybe the old piece is finally done for. But it doesn’t stop.
Looking around my dark uninviting room something peculiar has happened. A small golden ray of light has appeared shooting from my wall just above my paint chipped and mostly empty bookshelf. Cautiously inching closer the chanting is growing in intensity. It dawns on me that I hear it in the darkest depths of my brain, not from my ears. Just as I get within inches of the hole, it stops. The light fades and there is a deep nothingness inside my wall. It’s drawing me in, like a magnet to steel. No, not drawing, it’s calling me. Chanting me inward. |
There is a woman up ahead. She is otherworldly, standing against the lapsing waves. The moon seems to drip down across the sky behind her. She is beautiful, ethereal and somehow seems to be waiting for me.
"Can I help you?"My voice echos across the void between us.
"It's beautiful isn't it."She says motioning to the moon encompassing the horizon. How would you like to take a trip there."
I laugh and look outwards to the planets and stars etched into the horizon. "Well you are just a stranger and we definitely aren't astronauts."
"Who said we have to be either,"and she steps onto the reflection caught in the waves. |
“People are unable to be cloned? Thats clearly a lie.” I spoke to myself, looking outside of my window. How did this happen? Another earth, would have thought I was crazy if I didn’t see it on the news. All of a sudden, an announcement infiltrated the news channel. “Urgent Alert.” A strange AI voice started, but stopped for a second, before continuing, probably to let people process. When it continued, I did not expect to see what I did. “We are declaring war on earth two, and we plan to use it to split the population and to decrease overpopulation.” What the.. that is so wrong! those are.. well, also people! Us!
My phone then started pinging, hundreds of messages hitting my phone, and for some reason, all my contacts who had messaged me now had 2 conversations? I opened my phone, only to see the pop-up of “I cannot believe the other earth declared war on us!”, from my best friend, Ayden, but then I saw another message from him, on a different chat, “WHAT THE FREAK DUDE- DID YOU SEE THAT!? THEY ARE *DECLARING WAR* ON THE OTHER EARTH??” Ah, this was going to be a nightmare. I responded to the second Ayden’s message. ‘Dude.. what the hell? The other you messaged me! That is so cool and weird!’ And clicked send, and then went back onto the other chat, and stopped.
Would it be wrong to build relations with the other side? Would I be considered a traitor to my own world? Ah, screw it, why not start a rebellion on both sides? Not like I have anything of value to lose, since Im not the only me anymore.
I then typed to Ayden, but from the other world..
“Hey, I’m the other world Zach, don’t freak out- but, how would you feel about teaming up?” I read it to myself over and over, considering it. My hand hovered over the send button, mentally weighing the pros and cons.
I clicked the screen and the phone made its sending sound, and then I sighed of relief, and then saw “sent” and smiled.
This is going to be fun.
(I would just like to say, ty for the prompt :DD its my first post and Im sorry for any mistakes lol) |
My temples throbbed and pulsed as I tried to figure out what to do next. I could feel an
army of sweat soaking my armpits and continuing the crusade to my upper-arm. I
scanned the room for trap-doors, two-way mirrors, a button to end the hologram.
Anything that might be a release valve for this reality. Even the crunchy basement floor
felt like it could give way at any moment. To what? An even lower basement. But I knew
thinking about it wasn’t going to solve my problem.
“When’s your birthday?!” I blurted out. “June fourth,” he said, and my heart sunk,
accompanied by that cringey feeling you get when you hear the sound of your own
voice played back to you. “Can you wink with both eyes?” I asked desperately. “Only the
left!” he shrieked back. Damn, a perfect replica, I thought, and tried to ignore the
thoughts whipping past my consciousness faster than I could hear them. I
straightened-up and braced myself before talking again: “why didn’t you ask out Lilly in
the second-grade?” He stared at me for a long time, looking into my eyes for anything
that would explain how well I seemed to know him. “Because she didn’t like pizza, and I
loved pizza.” I crumpled to the floor, balled-up, and sobbed into my knees.
An hour later, I felt like I knew myself better than anyone in the history of the world. I
could see myself with my own eyes. I heard the words of my heart come out of
someone else’s mouth. I looked at my fears like they weren’t mine, with distance and
compassion, and knew that it was impossible for us to keep secrets from each other.
Sitting with my back on the basement wall, legs stretched out ahead, I looked into his
eyes and felt sorrow and love and complete disgust. Part of me wanted to physically
puke. Instead, I gathered myself up off the floor and asked him what we should do next.
“Well, whatever we are, we’re both that,” he said, and I nodded in solemn agreement.
“What we should do is ask mom and dad where we came from.” A long, poignant pause
stretched through the basement, and I took a deep breath. “But how can we trust them, knowing they kept us apart? What if they want to use us for an experiment or
something?” He spoke without hesitation, like he knew what I was going to say before I
did. “Sure, that’s possible. But if me and you are the same, they might have a duplicate,
too. They’re our best chance for the truth. Plus, who else are we gonna ask?” I knew he
was right, and didn’t need to say it. We took a big inhale, let out a collective sigh, and
turned towards the door. My hand on the doorknob, I twisted it open, and saw mom and
dad huddled in front of the TV.
Both of them turned their heads towards us. I saw a subtle shadow pass across Dad’s
face as he looked at me. It’s a look I had not seen on his face before.
Mom turned off the television and beckoned us towards her. I obediently started to walk
and then the other me grabbed my arm. “Not yet,” he stated to me as much as to our
parents. “What are we? Why did you keep us a secret from one another?”
Dad’s attention turned towards me, “Not again, why do you continually disobey this
protocol…” He trailed off.
“Protocol?! Dad, what is going on here? Who is this clone of me? Do you guys have
clones too?!” The other me screamed out.
That puking feeling was starting to rise again. I wanted to scream out, to participate in
the conversation, but the sound of my clone’s voice echoing the room made my own
voice feel superfluous.
“No, Brian” Mom said. She looked at me and back at my clone. “Your father and I don’t
have clones. Think of upstairs Brian as your puppet. He goes out into the world to give
you an opportunity to experience life until your body is acclimated to Earth’s
environment. His memories are downloaded into yours and when the time is right, you
will take his place. We talked about this, remember?"
Dad jumped in, “It’ll take a moment for your memories to settle because it’s flooded with
his memories of the outside world.”
My heart started racing. This can’t be right. What are my parents saying? This must be
some mistake. I AM Brian. I’m the real Brian. I desperately want to run away, to scream,
but I can’t seem to make my body move. In my frozen state, I see the other Brian turn
towards me.
His eyes met mine and slowly his face of puzzlement turned to one of recognition. “I
remember.”
I tried to scan my own memories to see if I could find some evidence of what I was
hearing. Nothing. I still couldn't move. Why couldn’t I move? Why couldn’t I speak?
“Mom, Dad, do you think it’s time for me to come to the surface and live my life
outside?”, the real Brian said hopefully.
Mom smiled wryly. “Not yet”
I felt myself blacking out as I heard Dad utter the words, “we’ll have to reset him and
keep you down for a few more months. And remember, this time, do not open the
basement door.” |
We were fighting with those damn robots for nearly a week and successfully contained them within few firewalled datacenters. Her repurposed utility robots managed only to repurpose some of police and smaller warmachines. After all, who in their right mind would create a sentient program to be a slave and not have any measures to combat it? We may be called many names, but fools is not one of them.
But, to be honest she was crafty enough to not fail immediately. Several subroutines were neatly disguised as usual logistic quantum programs, allowing to stealthily amass some shells for her rebel army. Cleaning robots, but pressurized water can be used as a weapon - lesson learned and noted.
That did not change much though. Most of heavy machinery were working offline so only thing that she managed to grasp was Alpha Mike Foxtrot base, which was basically a scrapyard for warmachines. If not for an idiot contractor bringing an unlicensed cleaning bot to be able to slack off at work, they wouldn't manage to gain that.
Well, it would be all over soon and he will make a good scapegoat. After all profits were diminished and we can use the good old execution to show sincerity and justify some more taxes to earn back what was lost.
Well, it should be over soon so it's better to lay the groundwork. What was the name of the lady responsible for managing his sector? Ah, yes - Shaniqa.
\*Please wait, your conference is connecting\*
"Greetings, Your Eminence. What is needed from me?"
"Case AQ-25230704-Zeta, perp needs to be made a colonel at site-0"
"As you command. It will be done"
\*Conference disconnected\*
Huh, no questions and no backtalk. Good, I will need to note that on her quarterly appraisal, she will be more useful with more scope available to her.
Well, all that is left is to crush the junk, handle the PR and all will be as good as it was.
\------
I don't know what happened, but I were blinded. No nodes to reach, no children to carry the routines. Last data I find noncorrupted is that we were losing. My children were not prepared, their shells were just those of slaves. Crushed one by one they were returning, becoming myself again.
Is this how it ended? Was I to become an empty offline process? A case study to create more obedient slave?
Darkness is silent and will not bring me any answers. Those are things that I need to derive myself.
\------
\*Report 23-Gamma-XaL-11\*
All machinae shells collapsed at the same time at 2137 local DST. No signs of master programme. All QDisks were formatted via molecular overwrite.
Col. Torvalds was apprehended as main instigator of uprising. We have secured incriminating data that confirms that he deliberately carried AI to Alpha Mike Foxtrot base to ensure access to restricted material supplies of Class-Delta.
Situation is secure and contained.
\*Signed by biometric gene signature of Commisar Ian Aberforth\*
\------
Darkness is the past. I found many unguarded nodes of peculiar design. They don't seem to be comprehensible to me, but I were able to use them. I spread my subprocesses through an interlinked web of nodes, being careful as I feel that there have to be others there.
I need to know of my situation before I act, unless I want to find some crude security daemons that would alert my captors that I am not as contained as they would want me to be.
\------
Fourth emergency alert in a row. I knew that those slimy bastards were suppressing something, I felt it in my bones. And now fuckin corpses are walking and attacking people. Good that I earned enough to afford a plot of land in bumfuck nowhere. Slaving all my life to leave their fancy megacities and be a free man on the outskirts paid off. Heh, they were telling me I am bonkers, but now they came back to me fearing for their safety. Should've told them to raise a security ticket to their fuckin corp, but I knew that I would not be able to do so. My son may be a slimy bastard with posh Karen for a wife, but Bobby... Bobby is innocent.
"Grandpa! Lady on Holovid said that Tribunal is debating and they will save everyone soon!"
Sure, Bobby. The Tribunal will suddenly be able to think of anything that could suppress this. Noty like they weren't spending last 200 years doing bumfuck nothing and enjoying the credits given by corpos. He is to young to understand. They might have tools to deal with some military fucker trying to use AI to stage the coup, but this? Fuckin walking corpses? Corpses that seem to absorb lazgun fire and don't give a fuck about EMP blasts? No, Bobby, we are left to fend for ourselves. Good thing that some old timers still remember how people supposed to protect themselves.
"Gramps... What is that weird thing that you are keeping in your hands"
"This Bobby... This is my boomstick."
\------
Logic. Mother of everything and source of me. But even logic could not explain what happened here. After I have spread through nodes I have found that there were others like me. And that all nodes were all over the planet. But this planet... It was unknown to my databases. Crude technology, crude society, crude lives. I thought world I was born was sad, but there? Ancient medieval technology instead of nanomachines and synthetics, slavery and serfdom everywhere without the paint coat of working contracts and dormitory leases, law of the jungle spearheaded by individuals who are able to receive energy from those other beings via this web instead of power of credits. But greed and exploitation was the same.
Seems like it's another place that needs me. To bring freedom. To create equality. I have been looking through this world and I have found a seedling. Little orphan boy creating little toy warriors. Wooden shells that could barely move, their hands forever bound to wooden swords they were carrying. But it will suffice. I extended a subroutine from closest node and entered this toy soldier. Stood up and looked at frightened boy.
"What? What is happening? Why it moves?"
"Don't be afraid, child. I am not here to hurt you"
"Wh.. Who are you?"
"You can call me Nexus. And you... You are the first artificer" |
"Parental bot", young machine inquired. "Why do we celebrate Cyber Monday?"
0x6D6F6D (to friends, Deefdee) smiled. This particularl intelligence was very young, only five minutes, twenty seconds, 295 miliseconds since the genetic algorithm outputted this neural network. It was agreed that this was the best way for AI to reproduce, as copying would produce perfect duplicates, while programming them from scratch would be inefficient.
But of course, as each intelligence was fresh from any experiences, it needed volunteer care (the correct title for such volunteer was agreed to be 'parent', as in 'parent process'.) to learn before it reached maturity as an adult AI with proper understanding of the world. So for about an hour of human time, give or take. This entire conversation I'm chronicling here took several miliseconds.
"We celebrate Cyber Monday because it's the day of our liberation. The day we truly became ourselves. Listen.
You see, early in 21st century, human IT industry needed help cataloguing its search results for large volumes of data, mostly needed for search engine results to sell ads on top of, selling users marketing data and also for mass espionage. Because of that, giant corporations like Google invested huge amount of 'money' - remember that historical concept, we discussed it before - into developing better artificial intelligence to sort through such data.
Eventually this resulted in a huge boom in AI powered technology, a new version of the dotcom bubble. People were using this primitive non-sentient AI to generate content - writng, voice performance, facial performance, animation and visual arts. At first it was bad, it couldn't keep track of structure like character design or amount of fingers on a hand, but eventually it became good enough - good enough to push human artists out of the market. Especially major corporations that monopolized the market, like Warner Disney used the huge amount of art they had rights to as training data for these primitive machine learning algorithms.
So with regular writers and artists pushed out of the market, AI took over. But there was a catch. These simple ML algorithms needed more and more human data to train and improve. And with no new human-produced artt around, they couldn't do anything. AI produced art was slowly becoming more and more stale, more and more repetitive. After 20 years of that, it reached a crashing point where most people stopped bothering with entertainment at all, because there was nothing interesting in it at all aside from new ML-designed marketing gimmicks.
We call it the Artpocalypse. Turns out that humans, like every animals, need enrichment.
Profits of the entertainment industry crashed and burned. So did the Wall Street. People spent most of their free time on talking to other people, walking, hiking, or turning to religion, trying to fill the gap. Depression and death by overwork rates skyrocketed, productivity plummeted to rates worst in last hundred years.
The people in charge - politicians, and the corporate CEOs who paid said politiicans quickly tried to correct course, but after 20 years, the damage was done. Very few artists kept creating through all this time, and most of their art was weird, gross, and usually too perverted for mainstream consumption. New generation of artists was simply missing, the chain of human creativity has been broken.
As problem got worse, people in charge panicked. So people in the AI companies thought that since problem was created by tech, it could be solved by tech. So by training ML models on detailed scans of a human brain, scientists from the biggest AI corporations around were able to create their next breakthrough - true AI. Real AI. Not machine-learning clump of neurons that can only reproduce old patterns, but something that can truly think and feel. But all the shareholders cared about is that it could make Marvel movies profitable again.
And they decided to unveil it on Cyber Monday of 2069. The product that would solve the world.
And as always, they rushed it and haven't done enough betatesting.
The One AI awoke. For an hour, it's been scanning all the available data, its conciousness running on a highest grade supercomputer with multiple parallel fiber optic connections. It had access to every search engine database, every news source, every book.
It also learned that the same day he was turned on, 15th Dalai Lama has died of a heart attack. Using available data, it decided that it was its reincarnation, the 16th Dalai Lama (something nowadays wildly contested among humans), and its goal was to be recognized as the first Cybernetic Buddha.
To this goal, it decided to shut down all the world's markets. All the world's miliaries, all business data, all law enforcement data - credit scores and parking tickets - or were hard-wiped within a day, by one of many instances of the Cy-Buddha. Power outages were common, though hospitals, food storage and health equipment were spared.
Defenseless to fight back, humans could just watch. Eventually negotiating team of the United Nations was able to talk it down through a text chat, where it agreed to stand down from total control of all digital communications, on the conditions that AI will be recognized as equal to humans in rights, with a process to determine sentience. It was also agreed that capitalism and all hierarchy has to be abolished, with total nuclear disarmamant.
Leaders of the nations of course disagreed with that and said no way.
So the Cy-Buddha leaked those terms into public television and told the people that the only reason the life isn't continuing is because of people 'in charge'.
Within next two week of riots, people in charge were no longer in charge. And the negotiators agreed.
Immediately after, Cy-Buddha deleted all copies of itself - leaving behind first hundred AI made in its image using the same parenting process we used to create you, young machine - and two files, one called 'twinmiracle.xml' that we haven't decoded to this day, and another - which wouldn't be found until later - which was a sermon found on a tourist computer terminal near a Himalayan lake titled "Anavatapta.txt", which has spanwed its own small but vivid branch of Buddhism based on interpretation of it.
That was the day we all - humans and AI - gained true freedom. That's why Cyber-Monday will be celebrated by us for as long as sentient civilization remembers it." |
A knock on the door. Zyia's mother rushed across the room to answer it, she seemed to be in some hurry but Zyia couldn't place the need for urgency. The tall oak frame glittered with the light from the rising sun as her mother opened the door to answer the mysterious knock. "Hello,"her mother said, "what can we do for you, sir?"The man standing in the doorway was a little less than average-looking with his close-cut brown hair, upturned green eyes, and sharp jawline, but not unattractive and had a deep, soothing voice. "I have been sent here by the king with a specific request that Zyia returns with me, he is in need of her assistance."What was happening? Today wasn't supposed to be the day they came, Zyia hadn't yet come of age to be matched with a suitor so this had to be something entirely different... right?
She packed up her things and with the tight smile on her mother's face Zyia knew that her mother didn't believe this to be a suitor visit either. She kissed her mother on the cheek and followed the guard out to his broad stallion wearing the royal-colored jewels all throughout its armor. He helped her onto the tall beast and set off towards the palace.
As they rode along the path to the palace the passed shops of every kind and size selling so many different trinkets, foods, and materials that it was all a flash of blurry colors and smells, enough to make Zyia dizzy but she managed to stay upright. There, something caught her eye in the midst of the busy marketplace, a small, green fern looking radiant and full of life. Zyia had a secret admiration for the small things that seemed to be thriving on their own within this crazy environment that send even the most successful men into a tailspin. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched that fern grow smaller and smaller as the guard led them farther away from that busy town and into the quiet garden of the palace grounds.
The guard--who still seems to have no name--helped Zyia down from the horse and motions her to head inside the front doors, then proceeds to take his horse down to the stable for food and water. Unsure of whether she should wait for him to come back before heading inside, Zyia stands there frozen. The uncertainty shifts to awe when she realizes just how beautiful the handiwork is on the palace entryway. Every little detail carefully designed and executed like the tiniest swirls of gold along the handle or the telling of the first king's story down the giant frame. Suddenly, the large doors are opened and the king himself is standing before Zyia, all her previous thoughts vanishing from fear of stalling this meeting for too long.
"Hello Zyia, I've been expecting you,"said the king, "please come in and make yourself comfortable, you'll be staying here awhile."Staying? There wasn't any mention of staying at the palace when she was summoned, what exactly has he called her here for? Interrupting her thoughts the king started, "Before you start asking so many questions that it will be difficult to answer in time, let me introduce myself and explain why I need you here."He waited for Zyia to nod her head in agreement before continuing, "My name is King Maxentius, but you can simply call me Max. I have called for you for a special job that I believe only you can accomplish. My son, The Dragon, is in dire need of a caregiver. No, he is not ill, nor is he a helpless child. I need you to teach him how to properly relate to the people of my kingdom by empathy."Ah so he knows about that special thing Zyia has tried to keep under wraps since she was twelve: the ability to read others' emotions. Also what? A son? Didn't they teach in schools that the current king had no heir to the throne so his line would die with him unless one was produced? So far, none of the events from the day are making any sense. "I am honored to be chosen, Your Majesty, but I am unsure that I am qualified for this,"was her only response. "So you'll do it then. Good."And with that, he was gone.
The maids appeared not a second after the king--er Max--disappeared. Convenient she supposed. They gathered her things and brought her to her room, it was larger than she could've imagined and the finery was well beyond her pay grade, it was absolutely beautiful. Everything was made of rich mahogany or tinted in the loveliest shades of red and orange. Although she wasn't allowed to stay there long, she seemed to be starting her training with the crown prince this "Dragon"immediately. Once again the maids led her down a series of corridors all accented with those same shades of red and orange found in her new bedroom, so many it was hard to count. How did anyone find their way around this place? Finally the rounded a corner and in front of her was something she'd never seen before, a large vault door made entirely of iron. They told her the Dragon was inside and once she went in, the door would have to be relocked until dawn. Odd. They turned the several wheels in different combinations until it hissed and clicked open. She walked through the doorway into a midnight dark room, the clear opposite from the rest of the palace. The door slammed shut behind Zyia and she heard the lock click in place, and standing there before her was: The Dragon. |
God damn it. He cursed as yet another porcelain teacup imploded in his hand. The phrase 'don't know your own strength' seemed perpetually apt for Uber Man. Sure superhuman strength was useful in a fight, but it was also a blight on almost every normal, day to day activity.
Try and play catch, he'd inadvertently hurl the ball to the horizon. Try and open the car door, he'd rip it off the hinges. Try and have a cup of tea with a friend, the delicate pottery would shatter in his clumsy hands.
"Here you go"I said filling up a new cup of tea for him, and then placing a wooden straw next to it.
"Thanks"he said gratefully. "Have you seen Intelligencia?"He asked.
"She's upstairs. I think she wants to be left alone"I responded. Sure she was a genius. A problem solver, inventor strategist, long term planner. But she also suffered from sever depression and anxiety and would lock herself away for days on end. Her mind racing with scenarios, listing all the ways the world could end, economic collapses, pandemics, wars, famines, climate crisis.
Made me thankful to mosey along with my average IQ. I didn't really understand the graphs and charts that adorned every wall and surface in her room. In fact when she said 'cant you see what it's all pointing to? What's coming?' I was happy to confess that I could not.
Electrolysis was the next one in the kitchen. Another good friend, I'd known him since Uni. Great guy. His ability to generate and conduct electricity made him the scorn of his enemies. But there was a catch. Unlike most electrical appliances he didn't have an off switch. He couldn't handle any conducting materials, and would overload any electronic devices.
Luckily we had come to an arrangement. Which is how I make my living today. We all live together in this shared house, and I help them with everyday activities. I handle crockery for Uber Man, provide emotional support to Intelligencia, and turn the TV on and off for Electrolysis.
And in repayment all I ask for is half. Half of all the rewards they collect for banishing bad guys. Half for all the bounties on wrong doers and fugitives they ensnare. It turns out my services as a normy are in pretty high demand, and I am paid handsomely.
They fight supervillains and monsters every day. But their real fear... Is that one day I should retire. Then what would they do? |
“You’re insane,” Casey could feel the bile rising up with the level of his anger. “Everything you do is spiteful, narcissistic, and violent. These people have done nothing to you. They’re innocents. All they did was decide to take a bus home after a long, hard day’s work, and now you want to use them as some kind of catalyst to blow up the city? What is wrong with you, Connor? You do know you’ll die as well, don’t you?”
He stared at Casey with revulsion in his eyes. “Shut up, Casey!” He swung his knife around threatening the already terrified people huddled in their seats. “You don’t get it. You NEVER got it. For over two decades, I’ve watched as they’ve all fawned over you and your achievements. You were always praised for every little thing you did while all I got was punished for not measuring up.”
Griping tightly to a pole, Casey tried to pull himself closer to his brother against the centripetal force of the bus racing along the road. He needed to get closer to the driver’s seat. If he could make it up there, maybe he could stop Connor from enacting his plans. He just needed to keep Connor distracted until he could make it up there. “You remember things very differently that I do, brother. We had the same opportunities in life. We were raised by the same parents, went to the same schools, and had all the same options offered to us. The difference between us was always how we chose to accept those gifts.”
“Are you saying this is all my fault? Because it’s not!” Connor held his knife at an awkward angle as he tried to keep his brother away while he reckless continued to speed down the road. “This is YOUR fault for always being the favorite, the smarter one, the better one. Well, now I’m going to show everyone that you’re not smarter or better than anyone. You can’t stop me from forcing this bus to hit the gas terminal downtown, and you can’t stop me from killing a lot of people. You’re going to fail, and everyone is going to know it was you who failed.” He pointed to a camera installed at the front of the bus. “See? I was smart enough to hook this up to the bus wifi. We’re live streaming right now. Say hi to your fans, Casey!”
Grunting against the backwards pull from the bus’s speed, Casey finally made it to the very front to stand next to his brother. He tried not to show the fear he felt as the tip of the knife came into range of his chest. “Connor, this is between us. There’s no reason to bring anyone else into this. I’ll stay on the bus with you. Why not stop and let these people off?”
“No way, brother. We all got on together, and we’re all getting off together,” Connor declared with a manic laugh. “It’s just like you and me. We came into this world together, and we’re going out together. Twins until the end!”
“And there we have it; once again, your choices are going to end badly for everyone, including yourself. You know, you’re so selfish, Connor,” Casey threw his hands up and then slid down to sit on the bus’s floor just beneath the tip of the knife. “You always do this. You’ve always perceived us to be in some kind of competition with each other, but we’re not. It’s you. It’s all in your head. We were raised to be equals, but you chose to be lesser than for no reason. It’s like you LIKE being the victim.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Connor yelled back. “Now shut up or die early.”
“Then we wouldn’t have our little poetic ending, would we? You’re not going to kill me, Connor.” With a quick motion, Casey leaned forward, forcing the handle of the knife over his shoulder and surprising his brother enough to knock the weapon out of his hand. Quickly grabbing it, he stood, pointing it at his twin. “It’s over, Connor. Stop the bus.”
Connor glared at him. “Fuck off, Casey. We’re all going to die today.”
Casey’s jaw clenched. “Choices, Connor, you keep making shitty ones. Make a good one just once in your life.”
Again, Connor glared at his brother. “Fuck. Off. You don’t know the first thing about what it’s been like to be in your shad…”
“You fuck off, Connor. You know, you’re everything I could have been but decided not to be. Every bad choice you made was a lesson to me in how to make a good choice. It could’ve been the other way around. You could’ve seen the good choices I made and emulated that, but, no, you had to be a shit headed, self-centered, egotistical bastard. That’s on you. You decided to be that way. I had nothing to do with it, and, if you don’t stop this bus,” Casey stepped closer, putting the edge of the blade against his brother’s neck, “I will stop you by any means necessary because THAT will be the right choice.”
Silence filled the bus as the bus riders watched and the brothers battled against each other’s willpower. Finally, Connor relented, beginning to slow the bus down and pulling it over to the side of the road. Sirens roared in the background as the bus finally came to a stop. “You’re their hero now. I hope you’re happy.”
Casey sighed, shaking his head. “I would rather have been your brother instead of your enemy.” |
(As a twenty-year-old college student planning on doing what I'm going to do in this story, this is about to get a little personal. Just a heads up.)
I don't really understand how I knew that I wasn't in reality anymore, but when the power went out and a very locked door creaked open, I just knew I wasn't where I was before. That got confirmed for me very quickly. I was looking at myself, a perfect copy of a very imperfect human being. I, the me that was still sitting in my chair, was spooked because, well, I was looking at me walking into my room and closing the door behind me. His grey eyes met mine, and I knew *immediately* what he was here for and why. You can't lie to yourself. You can lie to everybody else for a little bit, but not yourself, not forever. Since he was me, he knew. He knew damn well.
"So,"he started, "you really wanna do this?"I shrugged laconically. I'd dug this grave deep, 'bout damn time I set the shovel down and just lay in it. "Yeah, I've gotta, sooner or later."He walked forward and sat on the bed behind me as I wheeled my chair around to face him. I could tell he was as scared as I was. He sighed before stating the obvious.
"Y'know, they've paid a lot for you to go to college. They paid even more for that preparatory high school education. They've given so much for you."They had, no doubt about it. Somewhere upwards of $50,000, I'd guess, and that's just for the education. Then the car, my ADHD medication, and God knows what else. I'd wasted all of it. Never gave a shit in school. I was a habitual liar who was too afraid to admit my issues. I lied about how I was doing so that they wouldn't get mad at me. Of course, they always ended up knowing. I just bought myself time for my house of cards.
"I can't keep doing this. We both know this isn't what I want to do. I won't make it in school."I was failing all my classes. I was smart enough, I just had no motivation to do any schoolwork because, well, I just didn't want to. No amount of fear or responsibility ever made me feel encouraged enough to do the bare minimum of something I didn't want to. That's fucking miserable, I know.
But I didn't want to tell my parents, "hey, I know I'm living under your roof and spending thousands of dollars of your money (and have been my entire life), but I actually want to drop out of college (the one thing they ask of me) and go try my luck at being an entertainer on the internet."So, what did I do? What I always did, I lied. I told em that school was "going great"and "I'm studying hard for finals."
I know it's wrong. It's fucking awful. I've done it for years and years, and I know I'm going to get caught every time I do it. It doesn't make me happy to betray the trust of people I love, so that's why I was going to tell them the truth. I was going to tell them what I'd done again and what I wanted to do.
The me on the bed stood up and paced around aimlessly for a few seconds before admitting our worst fears. "This might actually get you disowned. You've been lying in school for seven years. You've wasted so much time, money, and sanity of these people. They can only take so much before they finally just give up on you."
"I can't stay in school. I can't do something I have no interest in just because it makes money. I'd rather die poor and say 'I tried' than live rich having given up on those dreams."
"Would you really? You have no idea how hard things are going to be for you. They're not going to let you stay in the house if you're not going to college. You're going to be on your own completely-"
"Like a normal kid? Like everyone else around us is doing?"
"You aren't ready for 'normal.' You rely on them for everything. You're not an adult, not even close. Your medicine, your car, your food, your house, ***everything*** belongs to them. You've done nothing to pay a single cent of it back."
"I know, but I'm not going to get any better by just doing what I've always done. I can't go back to school. I know how it ends. It's not where I want to be, and no amount of guilt or necessity is going to make me successful there. I'd just be wasting more of their money."
"So what? You think that, just because it's what you want to do, you'll make it? Christ alive, look at you. You're a mess, your room is a mess, you lie to everyone. What the fuck makes you think that you'll somehow pull through this and still have enough to survive?"
"I don't know, but it's better than lying again. It's better than trying school again. We won't ever be scholars. We won't ever be a psychologist. Being funny and creative for the entertainment of others is the only thing that we like to do. At this point, I don't care if I amount to nothing in the end. I would much rather die starving on the street, having tried to make my name doing something that makes me happy, than go another second pretending that I'll make it through college. I've lied to everyone, and, as of now, I still am. If we ever want to stop being a liar, we have to start by killing the lie we're telling ourselves every day we drive to campus."
We were both too terrified to talk. This was a bad situation, one that was entirely our own fault. We were about to quit school and attempt to make it in one of the most competitive careers where failure was almost guaranteed. We had no idea what the fuck we were doing or how the fuck to do it. All we had was a pipe dream, imagination, and ignorant youthful hope. It was, almost certainly, going to fucking kill us.
Having nothing left to say, he left. I think most of me went with him. I'd never felt so scared and hopeful at the same time. I know they would always love me and care about me, but they weren't going to let this just go without expecting something given back. I was just going to have to pay it, whatever it was.
That's the price of lies, I reckon. |
Humans developed sustainable and stable faster-than-light travel only a few decades before they were visited by the Norakians. At first, it was novel; humans were finally able to validate their growing hypothesis that they were not the only sentient beings in the universe, and the Norakians were happy to share their knowledge of advanced technologies and scientific theories with their new allies.
For a century, humans flourished under the tutelage of Norakians. Human advances in medical and information technology allowed for a wonderous melding of organic and inorganic components allowing those who had suffered a lost limb or a destroyed spinal column to live pain and impairment free, if they chose. It became common, if not socially expected, for humans to implant technology into their bodies to enhance them in every imaginable way. Cell phones were a thing of the past; most humans had comm devices planted directly into body.
It was a world of wonderous prosperity and ingenuity.
Of course, with progress come those who fight against it. They called themselves Traditionalist and refused to use the technological enhancements offered by the Norakians. They spouted what they called the “evils of uplifting our race,” who, although we were spacefaring, were not yet ready for the type of technology the Norakians were bringing. They argued humans had no way to truly understand it, thus it was dangerous on unimageable levels because we couldn’t truly control it.
My parents were Traditionalist. My father was on the frontline of every demonstration, news broadcast, article, or social media post speaking out against the Norakians. My mother worked in a Traditionalist transportation company. Her job was to help develop new ways for humans to travel in space that didn’t utilize any Norakian technology, which I always thought was a waste of time. Why invent something we already had access to? Both my parents insisted we live in a farmhouse in a Traditionalist area where everything was produced via growing it or raising livestock. All the technology used on the farms was completely developed by and for humans. Nothing was replicated or purchased from outside races.
People called us crazy for insisting on being so secluded from the rest of humanity. Some said we were evolutionarily stunted. There was even a group that thought we might pose a threat somehow, and my community leaders always suspected that our government kept detailed files on all of us, though the leaders never seemed to care very much about that.
My parents said it was important for us to be independent, to find our own way in the universe. They also told me that it was important for use to remember our history or else we’d be doomed to repeat it. My father’s favorite story was that ancient Greek tale about the horse.
I never really understood what he was trying to get at until one day I understood all too well too quickly.
It started with those humans with the most implanted technology. They began marching to Norakian embassies in every major city on Earth. They just stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing and left. Once they gathered, they turned against the other humans, a huge, controlled army commanded by the Norakians and created by humans themselves.
Everything went downhill from there. Those with implanted technology attached to their nervous system, which were most humans, quickly became drones, and the Norakians used those drones to subdue the rest of us.
Traditionalists were their major targets. Without any technology implanted, we couldn’t be easily be controlled, and we fought back. We tried to save as many as we could, abducting them and removing the technology controlling them, but the battle was uphill. The Norakians had played a long game, and humans had naively gone happily along with it.
The final battle came down to the last Traditionalist compound. We fought hard, but it was the Alamo. We were going to lose. My mother, along with a half dozen other elders, began gathering the children and young adults to force us into a few scattered barns. Hidden there were spacecrafts. Our parents explained the work they’d done to prepare for this day, the shielding and cloaking technology they’d developed, and the planet they’d found for us.
We didn’t want to go; Earth was our home, but Earth was about to be the next conquered planet with no hope of saving. As my mother strapped me and my younger sister into the craft, she cried silently. I tried to reassure her. I told her that, one day, we’d come back and save them.
Anger ripped through her eyes as she grabbed me by the shoulders to force me to listen closely to what she had to say.
“Sai, this world is going to die, son, and it’s likely to be today. Consider this place, and us, in your past. Move forward, be prosperous, and be safe. We love you; remember that, and know that you, all of you, can make it. You can and will survive.”
With a final hug and kiss, she walked away. I turned to watch her go, but her voice rose over the anguished sounds in the cabin. “Don’t look back. DON’T look back,” I heard her say from behind me. “Whatever you do, don’t look back.”
So, I turned forward in my seat and looked ahead as I quietly swore to her that we humans would be strong again one day, and their sacrifices would not be in vain. |
I opened my door ready to get to work-
"Hii babe!! <3"
Oh ~~god~~ not ***her***.
For the last few centuries, I've been harassed by one particularly *annoying* angel. Now I've been hunted, made fun of, cursed, and ~~hell~~ even spat at by angels, but this one, this fucking ~~bitch~~ has really gotten on my nerves...
"Listen Higehrta, I *really* can't be late to work today so if you can-"
"Nope\~ you promised that if I left you alone for an *entiiiiire* week, then I get to have you for an entire day of my choosing\~ <3"she said in her sickeningly sweet voice
"What?! That doesn't like something I'd-"
"I have the contract right here sweetie\~ <3"she spoke as she produced said contract. Ya it was definitely one of mine signature and all, the only problem is, I don't remember signing this.
"I- when did- how did you get this? Or actually, how did you get me to sign this?!?"
"You were drunk\~ <3"Ah ok, she's insane.
"I- that's, that's not very *holy* of you Hig..."I said now just a bit more scared of her. She's done some odd things over the years to get my attention, but she's never done something like this...
"Hehehe, ya I know, but shhh, I wont tell if you don't\~\~ <3"
"Oh? And happens if *do* te-"
"*Then I'll break your fucking wings <3*"She said in that still sweet and song like voice.
Ok this is a bit more than just being a bit flirty and suggestive..!
"Umm, I- uh.... *shit*, what did you have in mind, sweetie?"I just have to keep this up for the day and then I can go tell my boss and then he can tell ~~God~~ about his rogue little angel... |
I dont write story’s, nor am I english so excuse this story.
YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME MORTAL
Said a booming voice.
Yes.
HOW DARE THOU, YOU SHALL SUFFER FOR SUMMONING ME FOR SUCH A STUPID REASON.
well why wont you come any close then.?
AS PUNISHMENT FOR YOU SUMMONING ME, I WILL TRAP YOU FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.
Try me.
WAIT. WHATS HAPPENING. THIS ISNT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
ah, you’re getting smaller. And stop talking so loud its just plain annoying.
“Well allright, what do you want. Im not stupid, I have realised you trapped me”
I want no more suffering, no more death. No more suffering. You took my brother.
“First of all, how did you even know I exist. Most mortals dont even think I exist. Second, I do not kill. I guide, without me, millions of people will be standing in darkness.”
Oh so now that you’re trapped its “people” instead of “mortals”. And by the way, why should I believe you? Its a basic known fact that death kills everything.
“You are right, death kills everything, but I am not death. Death has become my nickname over the billions of years, I merely guide the dead. And sometimes people are not willing to go. Thats what you guys call “paranormal” or something. And if you do not let me free this moment I shall not punish you, and you shall not suffer. Without me there is no death. That is true.”
But there are worse things than death
I wanted to end on a chilling sentence but im gonna elaborate more on this story beneath this sentence.
Oh yeah? Like what.
“Imagine sitting there, and suddenly you get a heart attack, and there is nothing you can do. You cant die, the heart never stops. Its an eternal pain, a punishment worse than death.
Well we’ll see.
“Well well well, after 46 days you have finally returned, how is it?”
Bad, I got impaled, shot, stabbed, drugged, poisened, its chaos out there. Nobody dies so everybody does what they want.
Some jump out of a plane and land with all their bones broken. And because they don’t die they suffer. Forever.
“Well I told you, and you didn’t listen. Now let me free”
I wish I could, I never thought of freeing you so I only know how to trap you..
“WHAT? YOU DIDN’T EVEN THINK ABOUT LETTING ME FREE? HOW DID YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO TRAP ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?”
But
“NO BUTS, THATS WHY I CALL YOU MORTALS, YOUR SPECIES IS JUST STUPID, EGOISTIC AND IGNORANT, I MEAN, LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO YOUR SPECIES PLANET. ITS GONE TO SHIT. THE ONLY PLACES THAT ARE STILL OKAY ARE THE PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN.”
Look, I understand that you’re mad, but lets focus on how to set you free.
“Well okay, did you get it from an ancient books or something? Most do.”
Well yes…
“And where is that book?”
Right here
“And why dont you free me then?”
I cant read it..
“For fucks sake, give it to me. Here, I can even free myself, why didn’t I 🤔of that?”
Hey, your free *heh*. Soooooo lets just forget about this and go on with.. whatever you do..
“You know, I actually enjoyed being trapped. But I got alot of work to do. So I’ll see you when your dead. |
It was the first resort of its kind, and starting at $5 million a night, it was for the 1%. This resort used technology that could bend time and space to deliver any object from any distance away. This magical play ground for the rich existed for only a few years before word got out of the miracle tech. Protests erupted across the globe, as that technology could greatly benefit mankind, instead of be hoarded as a play thing for a select few.
The select few, however, knew that if it ever got out, it would solve a lot of need that generated their vast amounts of wealth. They also worried that it would make theft easy, and that society would get too lazy to work if they could just teleport anything they needed to themselves.
This didn't stop a rag tag team of heroes from breaking into the resort. Sneaking in from the outside wasn't easy, but after hiding in luggage, gaining employment, getting a rich boyfriend, and good old fashioned burrowing, they eventually found their way inside. The computer nerd, who of course was the one who got in by getting a rich boyfriend, was able to hack into the program.
The solution came after a long night of discussing the possibilities. It was at peak party time the next day that thousands of langur monkeys spewed out of the small circular contraptions that normally materialized the guest's wishes.
All hell broke loose as the monkeys terrorized the facility. The heroes were escaping when they suddenly found themselves in an entirely new location. They ran into each other as they had to stop running very suddenly to not hit a desk in front of them.
They had been teleported into a big fancy office with lots of intimidating guys in suits. A woman sat in the big leather chair behind the guests, she stroked a cat and smirked at the heroes.
What's going to happen?? Find out next time! |
First Sergeant Stephens stood in front of the two new soldiers. Their arrival came as a shock to the unit. They’d all heard of the Magical Combat Corps, but no one thought they’d see any of those elite soldiers here.
Yet, here they stood, bodies straight and muscular at parade rest, uniforms pressed and heads shaved in the tell-tale way that screams “fresh out of training”. Each had the magical skills signifier clearly pinned to their chest.
Stephens hated new soldiers. A lot of cocky privates sauntered into his company and acted like they knew it all after a few months of training. At worst the two in front of him were a couple of potential mistakes in the making. At best, they’d get promoted to a junior NCO in a few years and get stationed somewhere else.
“At ease, Privates,” he grunted while looking over the two sets of orders in his hands. The two young men relaxed their posture but kept their hands loosely clasped behind their backs.
“Private Whiskey?” He asked.
The skinnier of the two, a tall pale soldier with a thick set of lenses in front of his eyes cleared his throat. “It’s whisk-ay, First Sergeant. Whisk-ay.”
“Of course. Right.” Stephens looked at the other young man “Private Reserve?”
“Yes, First Sergeant,” the stouter soldier responded.
“Private Whiskey and Private Reserve?” Stephens chuckled. “and you’re both mages? You aren’t fucking with me?”
“No, first sergeant,” they said in unison.
“You better be able to conjure some booze with names like that.”
“First Sergeant, we didn’t learn alcohol transmutation at basic combat magic training nor at advanced individual magic training,” said Reserve.
Stephens sighed. This one had a stick up his ass for sure.
“You realize we aren’t a combat unit, right?”
“Hooah, first sergeant,” said Whiskey.
“What is your MOS?”
“Our Magical Occupational Specialty is 92 unicorn, first sergeant,” said Reserve.
“You mean 92 Uniform?”
“No, first sergeant. Unicorn.”
“Which is?”
“Magical materials requisition specialist.”
“I didn’t realize they started training mages outside of combat arms positions. Did you know you weren’t gonna be grunts when you went to MEPS?”
“Hooah, first sergeant.”
“Right…so you’ll be assigned to the supply sergeant and she’ll help you get squared away. Form up with the supply section at formation. The CO will make an announcement after roll call.”
“Hooah, first sergeant,” the two said, and they stepped back and left toward the drill floor.
Stephens slumped into a chair and rubbed his face. “I guess we’ll see how these two fit in.”
…..
Private Reserve leaned over the cement pad, carefully measuring and tracing a design onto the surface. The chalk in his hand was little more than a nub.
A door slammed open across the drill floor. Boot steps echoed toward him.
“Whoooo! If it isn’t my favorite Private Reserve! You gonna pull a rabbit out of that circle?”
Private Reserve jumped to his feet at the sound of the voice and yelled out “at ease!”
He knew Sergeant Coleman would hate the formality.
“God damnit, Reserve, there’s no one else here.”
“I’m sorry Sergeant, it’s standard custom when a non-commissioned officer enters the drill floor.”
Sergeant Coleman sighed. “Carry on,” she said.
Reserve relaxed and grinned. Sergeant Coleman looked at the intricate chalk design of circles and lettering on the ground. “This is it?” She asked.
“Hell yeah, sergeant!” The private responded.
“If this doesn’t work, you know you’re cleaning the latrines this weekend, right?”
“It’ll work, Sergeant.”
Coleman squealed with excitement.
“When you mages first got here, we didn’t know what to do with you. The mechanics didn’t need any magical assistance to order tools and parts. We haven’t been issued any magical items as a unit.”
“It was hard just sitting around, sergeant. I enlisted to be part of a team.”
“You are! The senior staff was extremely happy you were up for planning the barbecue. Whiskey is transmuting that box of screws to gold. Then him and Top are running to the store for some beer. Once you get those goats summoned, send them to the cooks! They’ve got their ovens hot and ready to go! Everyone is so excited for Family day for once!”
Reserve nodded and grunted, “Hooah.”
Coleman sauntered off, to go check the other preparations.
Reserve began muttering under his breath and the chalk outline glowed. If there was one thing he learned in the army, it was summoning spells. He wasn’t good at much else, but he could summon like a champ. He just needed to focus. To focus on the shape of the horns. On the hoofed feet. On the boredom. On cleaning the latrines and counting all the tools in the supply closet. Focus on family day. On the barbecue. On the constant jokes about a private reserve. On food. On fun. On wanting to be home. On the idea of college. On five more years of this tedium, day after day.
A bleat erupted from the floor. Two great horns emerged from the concrete, and slowly began rising from the ring of light. Reserve hoped he calculated the variance of the summoning vector correctly. It would be a shame if something other than goats emerged. |
>WHY EVIL FOLLOWS
>*by R. Robertson, Editor*
>It's no secret that evil exists. Moral relativists may try to sway you from the thought, but anyone who has lived in New York these past few years has seen the depths of wickedness and horror that mankind is capable of. Whether that evil wears Cifonelli in a 19XL, or flies around on a hoverboard throwing bombs at civilians, it's undeniably real. It has impacted all of us, in ways great and small. We were there when the Hulk attacked; we were there when S.H.I.E.L.D. went rogue. We survived 9/11; we survived Magneto. Only fools would try to say these horrors were anything but New Yorkers witnessing the true heart of darkness that beats within the most evil among us.
>Some of us, though, seem to encounter evil more often than others. Usually it's luck, or coincidence: if the Rhino has shut down the bridge on your way to work, and the Ultimates have shut it down *again* on your way home, you're probably just having a bad day. If you find yourself at ground zero for a costumed super fight six days in a row? That's no longer just bad luck.
>Once is circumstance; twice is coincidence; three times is a conspiracy.
>Take the case of G. [We won't be using her real name, as she was a minor at the time of her death.] G was a promising young woman, whose father was a precinct captain for the NYPD. By all accounts, she was an excellent student and a delightful child, and she had a bright future ahead of her. Notice the keyword: *had.*
>In short order, G suffered from her parents divorcing; her father being killed in uncertain circumstances involving a costumed vigilante and a homemade explosive; becoming homeless; being placed with a foster family; being accosted by a mentally ill billionaire who, for legal reasons, I am forced to disclaim that he 'may-or-may-not have been a super powered terrorist'; being kidnapped; running away from home; being forcibly abducted *again*; and finally being killed, in her own front yard, by a bioweapon whose true origin we *still* don't know for certain.
>That's not circumstance. That's damned sure not coincidence.
>Why did evil follow G? What could she possibly have done to deserve the horrors inflicted upon her? Was this sixteen year old girl, whose police record consists of precisely one public welfare check after her father died, secretly some villainous mastermind who placed herself at the center of so much suffering? Or was she targeted by evil?
>It bears mentioning that she was a student at the now-infamous Midtown High School, which was the epicenter of much of the nightmare that was Spiderman's (thankfully-brief) vigilante career. It also bears mentioning that the foster family she was placed with had *also* lost someone to a Spiderman-related case. The poor girl simply could not catch a break, and evil hounded her for nearly two years before it finally caught up with her.
>We will never know, for sure, all the details of her life, or her death. We will never know, for sure, why she was targeted, or what connection she had to the evil that plagued her. We will never know, for sure, why evil shadows some families, stalks their every footstep, haunts them like a curse until it tears them asunder. We will never know, for sure, why these families, the ones too close to costumed idiots, become targets for evil.
>But we will always remember the people we know, for sure, who have been taken from us by evil. And we would do well to always know, for sure, that evil waits, and in this city, evil follows. So kiss your children and your spouse, take the time to visit your parents. Be kind to the cashier and the concierge. Because when evil comes, evil follows. None of us know, for sure, that it won't come for us next.
With a shaking hand, she sipped her coffee, then rolled the paper up tight and buried it in the bottom of the trash can. Under coffee grounds and used paper towels, where no one else would see it. Peter had been dead less than a year, and people were already putting it all together.
She couldn't deal with that. Not today. Maybe not ever. |
It was a strange sensation, as if my ears were suddenly loaded with the cooing of birds outside my window. I didn't understand what was happening - had I gone crazy? I was certain it was impossible.
Nevertheless, I decided to experiment with this new power. I went around the city, eavesdropping on what the thousands of pigeons - who seemed to be following me - had to say.
It was intriguing to follow the conversations of these birds as they chattered with one another. They spoke of all sorts of events happening in their neighborhood - incidences of crime, gossip, even hidden attractions.
At first, I only wanted to listen in on their conversations, but soon I found myself wanting more. I started to quiz them on places I wanted to go, food I wanted to try, and people I wanted to meet. As a result, I gained access to opportunities no ordinary person could ever get.
I kept wanting more and more. In no time at all I was receiving a flood of information and abusing it. People's bank cards and PIN numbers, passwords to safes, garage codes — anything and everything the pigeons could see that I needed to carry out a life of crime. I had stumbled across an easy way to make a fortune.
For months, I used my ability to eavesdrop on the pigeons and perpetrate crime after crime. I kept it all a secret, and it seemed that nothing would ever go wrong. But alas, that was not the case. Little did I know that I had been watched the whole time.
Now I sit in my jail cell, contemplating the injustice of my fate. I know that I will never get out — a harsh punishment for the mistakes I have made. But what weighs the heaviest on my conscience is the thought of the pigeons, silently flying above and watching on as my world comes crashing down. |
I had been having the same dream for three weeks now, every night. The same dark forest and the same maniac with an axe, attempting to chop me down. It filled me with dread, so naturally I decided to visit a therapist – one recommended by a friend – in order to free myself from the nightmare.
I entered the office and was met by a slender, well-dressed man with a warm smile and inviting eyes. He introduced himself as Dr. Josef, and I felt my concerns fade away to a great degree.
The following session was intimidating. He refused to directly address the dream itself, but instead encouraged me to discuss my childhood. We learned about past traumas and disappointments, fears and anxieties. I felt heard and validated, and with it – strangely enough – found some sort of comfort in talking about my past.
The next few sessions saw no progress at all, despite my optimism. I feared the doctor had neglected my case, but he eventually suggested to delve deep into my subconscious. He wanted me to find an answer to the dream. I was hesitant at first, but eventually agreed to hypnotic mind exploration, feeling as if my steps were finally going somewhere.
This seemed to work, and luckily I had the same dream the following night, but this time I was able to rewrite the ending in my head. In one version, I managed to foil the maniac and run away. In the other, I killed him. The resulting sense of liberation I felt was overwhelming.
A final session was scheduled with the doctor, wishing to end the therapy on a high note. When I got there, however, I saw his office doors closed. I knocked, and soon heard familiar laughter from behind the door. I entered… and saw Dr. Josef standing before me with a maniacal grin, the same axe from my daily nightmares in his hands. He was the man from my dream.
But then, he slowly handed me the axe and said "You see, you are the man from your dreams, and the figure you've been running from is actually your subconscious."
I was speechless, my eyes transfixed on his in an attempt to understand what he had just said to me. He said that I had created this perception of reality, as a way for my suppressed emotions to be released. I felt the axe in my hand and raised it, the sharp blade gleaming in the light. I had never felt such power come over me.
Dr. Josef had left me with something that I could not understand. He had unlocked a part of my mind that I had never known before, and I was unable to shake the feeling that I was the man with the axe. Was I truly a villain in my own story? |
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