Instant Story

Challenge #01591-D130: A Drain on Evil

"I mean, I mostly just want to have fun and help people in the process. And if sometimes that means I have to open a literal portal to Hell and drag its powers shrieking into the light of day, well, that's just how the cookie crumbles, y'know? That doesn't make me scary." -- RecklessPrudence

"You see," said Francine. "When I invented the empathetic energy extractor, the prototype ran on what I thought was an infinite resource. Love. It turned out that human emotions are limited and I was indirectly responsible for a few divorces in the vicinity of the lab. I shut that down as soon as I figured that out. The second prototype drained hate. It seemed more self-perpetuating and less likely to run out very soon."

"So... you indirectly caused world peace?"

"Yeah. Sort of. It's not a direct change, more a gradual reduction in hatred until something or someone is no longer worthy of hate. The whole peace initiative that happened was more to do with people not really hating each other enough to go to war, any more. What I am proud of is that organisations like the KKK and the extreme-cruelty right wing are no longer in existence."

Prompts remaining: 13 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!

Challenge #01590-D129: Concerned Citizens

This is like watching a train-wreck and the 1812 Overture happening simultaneously. -- RecklessPrudence

The Good Gastronomy Association had been trying to ban Unsuitable Food for decades. They protested that too many people were indulging too often in imbalanced, improper, and unscientific nutrition. The people opposing them protested that that was kind of the point. While it was possible to live forever on Nutri-Food, with all its variations in taste, flavour, and presentation, it was also a very dull life.

There is

Challenge #01589-D128: Hazardous Playthings

Yo Yo See what you can do with this prompt. it would have been just yo yo but they wanted a longer sentence. -- Anon Guest

There is a uniquely human term, 'toy'. Though the concept of play is nothing new to many species in the Galactic Alliance, the Terran concept of things designed for play alone is strange to many. The fact that many of these objects used to be used as weapons just goes to show that Deathworlders are creatures

Challenge #01588-D127: Culture Clash

how to be a good (Insert name here) Citizen. Let's hear it from one of the Lizard cultures. --Knitnan

"And who's your daddy, little one?"

Preek didn't understand the human's question. She had never known the word before this moment. "I have a Pripa and a Seppa[1]."

"I have trouble with all these new words," confessed the human. "It's so confusing. What's wrong with 'he' and 'she' and 'mommy' and 'daddy'?"

Prompts remaining: 13 Submit a Prompt! Ask

Challenge #01587-D126: Care Worn

it's made by hand, piece by piece, often with the recipient in mind, and often prayed over. -- Knitnan

Rael took some cumulative Standard months to realise that Shayde was winding him up. Apparently, in her version of reality, true friendship meant that there was a certain volume of light-hearted teasing between... alleged allies. Humans still did this. Hostile speech in a friendly manner between allies that knew that it was friendly. Slurs used freely between those who used to be slurred.

Challenge #01586-D125: Not the Best Intentions

The "nanny" in "nanny state" isn't for you. They're to keep the oligarchs from trashing every toy in the nursery and peeing on the ceiling. -- RecklessPrudence

"What this new world needs is the elimination of this Nanny State!"

Those who the government selected to start this world in their own image... reacted exactly as they should. They cheered and hooted and eventually overthrew the people who stood for reason and regulation. Those who stood to gain the most did indeed gain.

Challenge #01585-D124: What if--?

:Upon being told the superhero they're looking at is at some point going to go on a rampage and destroy the world:

"Well, what's your reasoning then? Because I'm having a hard time reconciling the guy currently pulling a kitten out of a tree with the Death Star." -- RecklessPrudence

He'd just extinguished the fire in a burning high-rise, prevented a multi-car pile-up, and was now making cootchie-coo noises at a small kitten that was stuck up a tree. He could have

Challenge #01584-D123: Ancient Wisdom?

:Said in a tone of imparting great wisdom, to someone who does not speak Norwegian:

Aldri skal gi deg opp. Aldri skal la deg ned, gonna aldri løpe rundt og svikte deg. Aldri skal gjøre deg gråte. ĺ aldri si farvel. Aldri skal fortelle en løgn og skade deg

(https://translate.google.com.au/) -- RecklessPrudence

"Please?" they said. "Give us some words of wisdom from Ancient Earth?" They had a handful of Hours as an offering.

Maybe it was their adoring

Challenge #01583-D122: The Word Escapes

English is also a loose cannon cop-on-the-edge who doesn't play by the rules and will do horrible, horrible things if it solves the short-term problem in front of him. -- RecklessPrudence

There are moments when words escape the speaker. Rational thought, too, takes a temporary holiday and necessity mothers a great deal of illogical invention.

"I need a new..." the next word fled to the furthest reaches of Kathmandu. "...um..." What was the dang word for it? People were staring. She needed

Challenge #01582-D121: A Very Bad Idea

Never judge a Baby Show. One, only one mother likes you. The rest are deeply offended. -- Knitnan

London's East End, 1950-something.

The nurses of Nonnatus House were run off their feet with their work. As were most of the nuns. Babies and anxious parents were flocking the hall, and the resultant rabble was almost deafening.

"And whose idea was it to use a baby show as a fund-raiser?" complained Trixie.

Prompts remaining: 12 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question

Challenge #01581-D120: Something For Everyone

There are some entertainments that have a guaranteed audience. If you can find the cast you will have an audience. Which explains why Swan Lake is such a regular item in ballet companies and why people dress up for Tristan and Isolde when they stage Wagner's ring cycle. -- Anon Guest

The more things change, they say, the more they remain the same. In five hundred years, one thing had stayed true. Soap opera. Some were so popular that one episode ran

Challenge #01580-D119: Alto-nate Talent

Alto. Never to sing those high intricate vocal solos beloved of Opera fans. Altos get stuck in the choir. -- Knitnan

Keep the tune. Keep the rhythm. Let the sopranos, the tenors and the basso profundos drown you out. That's all the Altos are good for, they say. That and pop music, which is famously lacking in melody[1], and famously full of atonal yelling down the microphones. Which was all too bad, because Gail loved to sing, and she was an

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail

Something made for the buyer/giftee only, made to fit Them. -- Anon Guest

Getting used to a new Anywhere was an emotional task. Different customs. Different standards. Different ways of making clothing. Different standards of decency. And very different ways to treat people. This place... this new home of hers, was so very different from the home she still sickened for.

It started with the medical treatment. Waking up inside a medical coffin is no great for a claustrophobe. But... for

Challenge #01578-D117: What if Dog Was One of Us?

:A god is in the shape of a doggo, to travel the mortal realm: Using godly powers for pets FTW -- RecklessPrudence

People often wonder what it would be like if the Almighty came to earth to see the hatred and strife that humanity perpetuates on itself. What people forget is that God is love. And there is only one mortal form that holds only pure and unconditional love. It has four legs, and a waggy tail.

Grace was not thinking any

Challenge #01577-D116: Famous Fortune

Imagine a time when 3D technology can create actors and actresses from the past or now. Actors age, 3D images do not. already existing are those from the past whose Images are saleable items, and "Body of Work" could mean something else. And I'm not just thinking "The Elvis Experience" here - although I suspect it might be one of the first. -- Knitnan

Janice sashayed up to the bar after her set had finished. "Gimme a tall SoCo on the rocks,

Menu

Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #01591-D130: A Drain on Evil

Challenge #01590-D129: Concerned Citizens

Challenge #01589-D128: Hazardous Playthings

Challenge #01588-D127: Culture Clash

Challenge #01587-D126: Care Worn

Challenge #01586-D125: Not the Best Intentions

Challenge #01585-D124: What if--?

Challenge #01584-D123: Ancient Wisdom?

Challenge #01583-D122: The Word Escapes

Challenge #01582-D121: A Very Bad Idea

Challenge #01581-D120: Something For Everyone

Challenge #01580-D119: Alto-nate Talent

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail

Challenge #01578-D117: What if Dog Was One of Us?

Challenge #01577-D116: Famous Fortune