story stringlengths 1.07k 9.52k | comment_score int64 16 4.1k | prompt stringlengths 25 295 | post_score int64 20 10.9k |
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I had just finished suturing a nasty wound when I leaned against the wall to take a breather. Tonight had been a tough one, I hadn't even gotten the chance to rest in hours. I wiped my brow and took what felt like the first deep breath since I got up this morning, when a cacophony of bloodcurdling screams sounded off f... | 437 | "I was hurt badly and stumbled into the emergency room...I had transformed into my true form...the humans fled in terror...except one. True to his training...he tended my wounds and saved my life. And that's how I met your father." | 1,032 |
He stepped into the room and the dark figure lifted a hand towards the padded gray chair. He last remembered being in a car but this was a cubicle of some kind. He lifting himself up on his toes and glanced around to see dozens, even hundreds of similar cubicles stretching down an endless hall.
"Please sit."
He did. ... | 130 | Death is a highly complicated and bureaucratic process | 261 |
Another family had left the community, so Bishop Abraham Yoder called a town meeting in the one-room schoolhouse. Samuel, the newest member, sat in the back next to Jacob, one of the oldest members of the town. As the meeting droned-on, Samuel noticed that Jacob's gray and grizzled beard didn't seem right.
"Brother Ja... | 98 | A fugitive hides from the law in an old Amish community with no phones, no camera, no IDs. Gradually he realizes that everyone there came to hide, some more than 50 years back, and the original group died out or left. Just a community of fugitives now, pretending to be Amish... | 354 |
The invasion went as planned - until it didn't. The Dro'xos' warships had entered Perynn's atmosphere without trouble, and on the first day, they had managed to identify and surround three large cities on the continent known as Draphis among the primitive locals.
​
But as the next morning came, the so-cal... | 200 | aliens invade a high fantasy world. Neither side understand each other’s abilities. Aliens are terrified because they think wizards have strange undiscovered technology. Wizards are terrified because they think aliens have some kind of dark magic. | 1,232 |
“Don’t go outside,” I said, a tone of question to the comment. I didn’t quite understand what I was seeing. Outside was just… red.
“Alice, what are you talking about?” Jeffery asked. He slowed his gait but still approached the door. It was our lunch period, and we often ate outside.
“Stop! Don’t go outside!” I r... | 18 | You were born with the superpower to be able to see gas as colors in the sky. The lethality of the gas is determined by its color. Usually, all you see are farts which are dull white or grey, but today, you go outside in the morning and the entire street is filled with a crimson red substance. | 35 |
"I know he's smart. He just won't apply himself, he's always been this lazy." My mom said, a worried look in her eyes.
I sat next to my parents in the conference room, as they and my teachers once again tried to get me to do my work.
I was in my sophomore year, summer was just around the corner. All I wanted to do wa... | 39 | you are failing school with grades in 30s and everyone thinks your stupid. One day your parents force you to take a IQ test to see if how low it is only to be surprised to see that it’s the highest ever recorded. Now you have to explain why you just can’t be bothered. | 79 |
I ignore her for the moment. The TV is silent, but my face is on it loud. Side by side pictures of me are displayed on the news: one of them the mugshot of me in prison before I broke out of jail; the other a 'mug' shot of me at senior prom before she broke up with me.
Even though she was the one who cheated.
I alway... | 57 | "You know what? I'm actually not even here to take you back. I just want to know how the hell does someone like you escape a maximum security prison with nothing but a rope and a seam ripper." | 175 |
The High Priest and ecclesiastical master of the Kua-dro peoples of the Northern Reaches stood before a rapt audience. The announcement of the High Priest's pending pronouncement came one day earlier. Heralds of the Priesthood were sent across the eco-dome, from business to business and home to home, yelling at the top... | 25 | A theocratic tribe of extraterrestrials living on the moon worship the planet Earth. On July 16, 1969, panic ensues when the tribe learns that an object from Earth is approaching and will reach them in four days. | 101 |
“Here's Charles' paperwork, do that for him so I have a reason not to send you on another damned field mission, Murray.”
“Fine, chief, paperwork it is.” I replied, slouching back in my chair and frowning at him. He knew I was competent with paperwork, despite the rest of my abilities. Everyone in the department hated ... | 39 | You're considered the worst spy in the agency. Which is funny because your doing what a soy should do, and you're pretty damn good at it | 53 |
The garden view was most splendid this Friday afternoon. Such order, such *providence.* The sight pleased George of Westingham in the secluded environs of his living room, with Elizabeth reading quietly from her chair.
It was a most pleasant, *orderly* afternoon in the estate.
Was.
"Dear wife, the neighbor's dog ... | 35 | A gentleman will never advance in society without a wife to host parties, learn the gossip, and assassinate his enemies. | 109 |
There were twenty of us when we first started training. And there were ten of us when we finished training, which was where the 50% success rate statistic documented in the *Top Secret* labeled government folders originated. Technically, I suppose there were still twenty of us *alive*, but the other ten were differen... | 1,213 | A drug has been outlawed decades ago that has a fifty-fifty shot at making you incredibly intelligent, or completely insane. You hold the last pill in existence. | 2,459 |
“By the creator it’s only a child...” Iris, leader of the ragtag band of demon hunters, cursed as his own hands shook. “I didn’t sign up for this...”
“None of us did....”
The party of three had travelled together for decades, Iris a brave knight, Genesis, a Mage of great renown, and Lin, a bard there for the tales h... | 180 | the party finally arrived at the dark lord's palace. Entering the throne room they expected to face a terrifying demon king, but instead they found a small child wearing a crown holding a sword with shaking hands. | 354 |
Since life had started, the war had been raging. An eternal constant of religious belief. Some are meant to see, others meant to hear. The God of Sight bestows the quiet wonder of color. The God of Hearing composes the symphony of sound, of ambiance and speech. To them, the other is blasphemy, an insult to how the worl... | 41 | Everyone is born either blind or deaf. You were raised as a deaf, as you have vision, but just found that you aren't supposed to hear sounds. | 65 |
"Hey, Johnson. Are you sure you are ready for this?"
"Yes sir," Johnson whispered to hide his trembling voice. "But are you sure this isn't just a joke?"
"You're lucky you're the only one willing to do this, or I would fire you like I fired the other folks who asked. We have a reputation to uphold. Now buckle up, ... | 2,021 | You, an astronaut in orbit, submit an Amazon Prime order (free two day shipping) as a joke, with the address set to the ISS. Amazon does not think this is a joke. | 3,460 |
"Is Daddy mean to the sharks?"
I was beginning to regret this whole "bring-your-kids-to-work-day". Or maybe I was regretting not having kids of my own, and getting stuck with The Boss's precocious eight year-old daughter. Actually, no. I think, ultimately, I was regretting explaining to her what her loving daddy did f... | 18 | An evil henchman is assigned the task of giving the villain's eight year-old a kid-friendly tour around the headquarters. | 83 |
I awoke to the sounds of whispering outside my door. Through the stream of nearly indistinct murmuring, I managed to pick out a few words:
"...getting stronger....doses wearing off....fallen gods..."
Their voices ended and I could sense them about to act. I closed my eyes just as the door opened. My head echoed with ... | 37 | You are a patient in an asylum. One night you overhear two nurses talking, and you discover the truth. The asylum is a place out of time and space, where fallen Gods, (you and the other patients), must exist for eternity... | 165 |
The judge spoke.
"As the supreme court is unable to come to a decision on whether or not to enforce the death penalty on Richard Willows in Willows vs. The state of New New Hampshire, a member of the P.O.O.L (people often "offed" languishingly) will be randomly selected."
Reaching for an ornate P.O.O.L key that had ... | 29 | To prove the merits of every controversial law or court decision, the U.S. government develops "The Pool", an underclass of people who are sacrificed in order to codify every law. | 94 |
I always made it a point not to read anything I've written in my diary. Mom always said a diary is like a person and it'd be like reading somebody's mind, which was rude in my opinion. I smile despite myself. I was such a silly child full of imagination.
I open the first book and begin reading about my imaginary frie... | 32 | When rereading her diary, she found strange entries she didn't remember writing, interspersed with her normal entries. | 86 |
PS: Sorry I didn't read the prompt correctly
The execution was at noon and dinner was at 5.
These are the only thoughts that passed through the great magicians head as he walked to the executioners block. He was not even slightly worried about the tiny fact that the person being executed was in fact himself because h... | 54 | Nine times now the Sultan has tried to execute a powerful magician, and each time it has backfired spectacularly. The magician has warned him that he'll regret it if they try to execute him a tenth. You're standing in the crowd when the magician teaches him the meaning of regret. | 125 |
Their marriage was quaint. Under the lazy white lights of a courthouse waiting room, Marcus and Vanessa sat together, hands clasped, fingers interweaved, hearts pounding. Alongside them were four or five of their closest friends, but in the lovers' world all they could see were each other. She was wearing the same wedd... | 1,032 | You were a billionaire pretending to be an average Joe in order to find someone who loves you for who you are and not what you have, now in your honeymoon you confess the truth to your spouse who was apparently doing the same thing | 2,629 |
I sat in the medibay, waiting for the last of the cryodelirium to wear off. It takes a few hours for the mind to thaw out, so to speak, and I wouldn't be much good to the others if I rush into my duties in a fugue. There was a small alert symbol in the bottom corner of the screen. Had it been red I would've pushed thro... | 142 | A group of astronauts travel abroad a FTL spaceship in a cryogenic state. As they near their destination all 6 of them wake up. The only problem is that the Ship Log mentions only 5 people started the journey. | 335 |
"Look, they're not mere beasts like the textbooks say. Those things are just propaganda to excuse our actions towards any species that doesn't bend to the Imperial yoke. If you don't submit it's because you're just a stupid animal, etc etc."
Tajret stopped by a heavily armoured door, and waved at the equipment hanging... | 50 | An alien freelancer manages to land a job at a human zoo. At first they are excited to start their new career. However, the exhausted previous keeper they're replacing explains that humans aren't so easy to care for. | 60 |
Everyone has a superpower. Not everyone has a useful one. Some have something so pointless and useless that they never bother to even try it out. No good reason for them to use it if the power is something like telekinetic powers that only works on ice cream, or the ability to detect people who has visited a theme park... | 54 | Everyone has a super power but each time they use it they fade just a little bit from everyone else's mind and awareness. You have just reached the point where your parents no longer remember who you are. | 195 |
It was just a little chemistry, babe. I had no way of knowing it was going to spread like this. Okay, I guess that's kind of disingenuous, but the catalyst is basically harmless, doesn't touch human biochemistry directly. Doesn't touch any biochemistry directly, I mean, except for that one molecule but it's not like it... | 40 | It’s April 4th and your April Fool’s joke is starting to spread. It hit the national headlines yesterday. You meant it as a joke, but now it’s too late. You are on the run. The government considers you a threat. The world economy is collapsing. This is not what you expected. | 76 |
When we opened the second set of doors was when we figured that whatever was behind the third, it wasn't built for creatures our size.
The first doors were massive: 22,540 kilograms each and they rolled on a breath of pressure. Less exertion was required to open them than was necessary to put on particularly troubles... | 1,546 | A massive underground cathedral-like temple is discovered. You are one of the people sent to study it. As soon as you enter, the sheer size of everything inside tells you it was never ment for human worshipers. | 6,573 |
"I've worked out your puzzle. It's the nightingale."
"Go on, then, little one. Entertain me!"
This was Rich's favourite refrain. He always said it like exactly like that: "Entertain me!". Then he sank back into his corner, awaiting my response, collapsed into the folds of his old, creamy-red suit, so that all he b... | 36 | All animals can talk to each other, except one creature who speaks an ancient language no one knows | 40 |
“Where do you obtain your product, merchant?”
A question that never comes up. Few care where it comes from, so long as it turns them into what they want to be. But this skinny lad standing here, simple dagger attached to his belt, his armor mere leather, the mark of a starter. But whereas most starts had more dollars ... | 44 | XP. It’s a performance enhancement for those wealthy enough to not have to earn it themselves. A potential client eyes you suspiciously. “Where do you obtain your product, merchant?” | 58 |
She came home in a panic. Burst through the door with tears streaming down her face. She had called the day-care centre and they didn't have Ben. I held her as she sobbed and promised her that we would look for him together. Something inside me told me that I shouldn't have said that, but I just wanted to make her happ... | 28 | A man's baby son dies. His wife continues to act like he exists... | 24 |
It was this day two years ago that I was first handed the McAllister file. Some of his earlier crimes, when he was just a kid, had a kind of whimsy to them – setting off a firework in a teacher’s car, rigging a locker with gum to explode in a bully’s face. Okay, yeah, it was illegal but it wasn’t the end of the world. ... | 216 | His childhood trauma had made him truly sinister. His crimes had grown more and more severe as he grew older. The FBI has his house surrounded. The negotiations had ended poorly and SWAT teams were primed to breach and clear, but Kevin McAllister just smiled. This was to be his masterpiece. | 698 |
I finally found Waldo. Keeled over drooling on the polished walnut bar with a half-finished drink sweating in his hand. His glasses were slightly askew and he smelled of the whiskey and sour mix.
I passed through dust motes swimming in the angled sun rays peeking through the only window. My footsteps caught the atten... | 28 | As a joke, a man goes out to find Waldo in real life. Not only does he find him, but he discovers why Waldo does not want to be located. | 116 |
The aliens were seated around a semi-circular knee-high table around my semi-spherical chair.
The stares were a bit... unnerving.
They were humanoid-ish. Extra fingers, extra toes, purple skin, no clothes to speak of, extra eyes... a tremble ran through me as I stared back at them. To their credit, they smelled reall... | 17 | aliens have been studying humanity for a decade, but have only had access to our social media as their source of information. You’re the first human they meet and have to explain to them why everyone isn’t as perfect and happy as they look in their selfies. | 67 |
The room was cavernous and dank, smelling of iron and sweat. The spotlight was the only light in the room and made it impossible to look away from the vicious fighting within its beam. The floor of the fighting area was sand and sawdust laid over stone because it was best for absorbing blood to keep the area from getti... | 161 | You sit in a crossroad of your life, unsure what to do with the rest of it. Meanwhile you watch as multiple versions of your potential future selves battle to the death in order to have you follow their path. Another sits besides you and offers popcorn. | 661 |
I'll never forget my driver's license test--the first one, that is. I was performing perfectly; my test proctor was all smiles, happily checking-off each and every box on his clipboard. In between executing a three-point turn and parallel parking, the proctor even said to me, "Seems you've got this one in the bag, kid!... | 20 | While taking a walk a mugger attempts to rob you. Before you can react, the mugger is swarmed by squirrels and one turns to you and says “The debt is paid”. | 89 |
Love and Loss
What do I love more?
"My wonderful friends,"
They are not my friends. They're an indulgence - drunkenly, I let this blur drive me to my end.
"In time we will ascend to the passing star. Our corporeal form is but a housing for what needs to be released,"
Her eyes are bright blue, she has dark beauti... | 28 | It is ascension time for a 30-person cult who are gathered for a mass suicide. The leader secretly wishes it hadn't gone this far, especially since his daughter is a devout member. Write the timeframe around his ascension speech. | 69 |
It was just another day with Jello. Yup that's my dog name a Labrador retriever my only soul mate that was always there with me.
We were jogging like usual and soon I got tired and sat on the park bench with all my tensions and thoughts about life. Jello was licking my feet with his eyes saying "one more round Fred ... | 36 | One day your dog randomly says "Nobody is going to believe you" and never speaks again | 127 |
Another boring performance. More 'art' for the aristocracy. More events to stroke the ego's of the elite. What I wouldn't give to watch a baseball game?
It's been years since anything noteworthy had happened. What a fool I was, in my giddy excitement, when I heard the Word of the Tribunal.
They went over my port... | 21 | A society where talented individuals are taken away at an early age by the government to become an ruling class | 34 |
FYI this story has been reposted on my subreddit with a new Part 2 of this story included, so if you'd like to read the most complete version of it, [here's a link.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ryter/comments/cctfks/the_save_scummer/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) I'm also working on Part 3 and beyond, hope to hav... | 2,497 | Everyone in the world suddenly got superpowers overnight. People started throwing fireballs and flying as more and more humans discovered what their power was. You just recently discovered yours. You can quicksave and quickload. | 8,158 |
It was three in the morning. He was supposed to be sleeping.Actually, scratch that. he had been sleeping.
And yet here he was, suit on, folder in one hand and a Styrofoam cup filled with black coffee, eyes open just enough to make out the shapes and obstacles of the precinct, heading towards the questioning room.
H... | 39 | You’re a detective who has the ability to read people’s minds, but only when they make eye contact with you. During an interrogation one day, you discover that a person caught on camera committing murder is actually innocent by reading their mind. | 304 |
Edit: I'd like to thank you all for your responses. I'll see if we can spin this into a greater story in the future. An outline is further down in the comments, I'll try to add it at the end of this prompt.
Thank you again & enjoy! (**Current chapters: 2 - in the comments**)
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The ceremony had always been a b... | 1,421 | When people turn 18, they gain the ability to summon one random thing in the world to their hand, as Thor does Mjolnir. As you summon yours it takes some time but people are horrified as it finally arrives... | 2,249 |
It took me a second to recognize the scream.
I shouldn’t have, of course. I’d watched thousands of history clips growing up, of human beings. Of the ultimate predator species.
“Mom, there’s a monster under my bed!”
A young one. Probably not that fast. Or did they get faster as they got older? I wracked my brains for... | 23 | You're just relaxing in a cool, dark place when you hear a human scream from above your hiding place. "Mom, there's a monster under my bed!" | 69 |
Silence.
I heard no ringing, no static, no whispers, no voices.
Just utter silence.
I pressed the headphones harder to my ears, mashing it so tightly it almost hurt. I wondered if I simply had to wait, long enough, for a clear voice to emerge. I wondered if she was in a dreamless slumber.
The shopkeeper watched me ... | 57 | “So, if I put these headphones on, I can hear my soulmate’s thoughts?” you asked. “Indeed,” replied the shopkeeper. “You can try it for free.” You put on the headphones, and heard something you wish you never heard. | 73 |
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. I was getting sick of the heart monitor. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
My first week here, the monitor was the bane of my dull existence. I couldn't tune it out, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. The beeping was constantly there, a constant reminder that yes, my tired old heart was still beati... | 25 | You are part of an elite band of soldiers tasked with killing enemies on "the other side". You enter battle by killing yourself. | 45 |
The trembling crucifix dug into Patrick's hand as he squeezed it tight, a bulwark against the insanity raging on the bed.
Mrs Jones -- the current possessed -- baked the best pasties in all of Saint Ives. At least, she'd used to before the demon had come upon her. The air of her house still echoed with sweetness of do... | 3,148 | A priest returns home after a successful exorcism. His demon daughter is waiting for him there, angry that he removed her from someone’s body again. | 10,947 |
“ID and credentials please,” a woman in her mid 30s with a nose ring demanded nasally. She rolled a pen back and forth on her desk realizing that today was going to be a long day.
The line in front of her stretched out with about 50 people. It was the same for her colleagues. Each and every person looked like they wer... | 17 | As an April Fools Day joke, your law firm posted an advertisement offering to hold messages or packages from precognitives and time travelers for future recipients. The amount of customers suddenly showing up for that exact purpose was utterly shocking. | 118 |
End of preview. Expand in Data Studio
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