Written for r/WP‘s Smash ’em Up Sunday. Smash ’em Up Sunday stories are up to 800 words and are written to a set of constraints. This round’s set of constraints are Word List: Dusty, Horse, Gunslinger, Firewater Sentences: The untamed wilderness held endless possibility And A shot rang out.. Genre: Western Final requirement: A […]
Category: Writing Prompts
In the Shadow of Heroes
For his actions during the Pact Coup, Natian Shipstrong inspired a generation of sons named for him, including his own. If his parents were still alive they would have been horrified– their son, a symbol of their desire to abandon the establishment, now the ultimate symbol of an ever-expanding regime.
The General and the Gamble
Command Sergeant Jonathan Dixon took a deep breath as he stared down the cell door at the end of the hall. He cursed his terminally sweaty palms staining the otherwise perfect manila folder in his hands, and forced down a wave of nausea. It’s just like any other asset interview. […]
Now, SHIFT!
I’ve seen him before. But I can’t think about that right now. Hot drips of sweat trickled down my forehead, threatening to leak into my eyes. The fire was coming closer. Fighting the aching in my back and legs, I sank into my ready position. Ready. I have to be […]
Weapons of Engagement
“Here you go miss,” the silversmith beamed as he passed his handiwork to her. Gwenyth marveled at the engraved heartwood staff. With spiked metal cuffs at each end, cast in steel with silver filigree scrolls, it was nothing short of a masterpiece. Dannil would love it. “Thank you, Frank!” Her […]
Paladins on Patrol
“Checking for an available unit for a code 3 response at 44 Fraternity Drive, Unit 954 is requesting a second for an Oracle Disturbance.” It took effort to not finish the transmission with a grumble of “damn kids!”, but she managed not to. 44 Fraternity Drive was the Divinity Fraternity house for the undergrad mage academy, and one that should have been shut down years ago if police visits were any indication.
The New Bakery
The woman stood in front of the glass case, thumbing the folded up five dollar bill in her hand. At last the line had moved forward enough for her to see half-gone trays of pastry delights, all neatly labeled with colorful cards and cheerful designs. So many options to choose […]
Full Moon Responders
“Hey Gnash,” I said as I passed my supervisor. “How’s shift?”
He harumphed a giant sized harumph my direction. I might have felt the whole of the comm center building tremble a little.
“That bad, huh?”
“It’s a full moon. What more is there to say?” The center trembled a little more from his grousing as he keyed up his crystal. “Units 956 and 947, copy a transfiguration with injuries.”
The Vacation To Die For
I’d been pacing for hours, it felt like. If no one looked too hard I probably looked distraught. My bright red hands were evidence of all the hand wringing I’d been doing in the dingy ER waiting room. I would be distraught, anyway, if my luck turned…
The Power of Dal’struna
The hike had been hard, more difficult than I could have imagined. The cuts and gashes that covered me stung with a vengeance as I slipped under the surface. My aching joints protested. Why could there not have been a hot spring, instead of a pool of glacial runoff? Despite how it’s icy grip enveloped me, it still gave some degree of relief to scrub off the dust and sweat. Silver moonlight slid over my skin as my bruises deepened into purple with every moment. Exhaustion would have overtaken me, save for the shooting agony from every muscle and cut.