Stories tagged “challenge”
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Cultural Phenomenon
" Humans, the council has decided your fate." The deep voice boomed, sound waves echoing throughout the city. People stopped what they were doing immediatley and craned their necks upward towards the gigantic screen in the sky. Voorg’s ...
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Paper
We stand outside in the pouring rain, I can feel the frigid water pouring down my shaved head and I have to supress the urge to shiver. I watch the floating sentries out of the corner of my eye, their floating, vaguely birdlike shapes give me the creep...
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The Exile
A thick bored looking guard stood with his prisoner, waiting to send another criminal into exile. If this one was the infamous Bondar, what of it? “This isn’t right. You know it’s not.” The condemned pleaded. Guard 6601 yawned a...
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All Stop (Almost)
D. Evil tapped his foot in irritation as he waited for Peter to fetch the Big Guy. In his home palace, his mood would have been conveyed by a loud TAP TAP echoing against the black and red tile. Up here, all his foot tapping accomplished was tiny splas...
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Despite Everything
Today was a special “treat” day. I carefully unwrapped the last Hershey’s kiss and slid it into the hollow of my cheek, letting body heat melt it without chewing. Then I moved on to my meager entertainment supplies. I tapped my finger...
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The things that keep us human.
She wipes the dirt from his face with a damp cloth. Then she removes his unkempt clothing and brushes his hair. If she had water, she’d bathe and shave him; but water was a precious commodity now. At least she’d managed to scavenge a tube o...
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Unspoken Threats
The early morning air was cool which did nothing to lessen the sweat that ran down Theodore’s face and chest as he rhythmically shoveled mounds of coal into his cart. Such was the lot of a jouneyman glass blower. The clop of hooves, creak of plat...
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Zen Garden
It was 3am and I lay awake, too many thoughts circling my mind. I needed focus. Slipping on a robe, not for modesty, but to save anyone else who might still be up, I wandered aimlessly, ending at an unfamiliar sliding door. Several rakes of differing s...
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The Pharmacy Raids
I looked up to see the sky turning a dark gray. Not a moment later the rain began to fall, burning my skin with each acidic drop. I ducked down and sprinted towards home. The smell of mold and dust hit me as I ran through the door. I climbed the ricket...
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No Man is an Island (of Hate)
Business concluded, the stranger bowed his thanks, took the case and left. Bree waited until the door slid shut before rounding on her partner. “I thought you hated outlanders.” Leon was still hunched over, punching costs into the computer....