Thank you :) glad you liked it. It started quite a bit darker, but in the end I wanted hope to be the theme, so it became this.

Don’t worry about it. That happens to me all the time, 0% of the time, how the heck did you mess up that badly.

Awwwww.

(Currently working on my own crime story for a forensics class. Already have the crime plotted out, but I want to see what you guys can do with it)

At 1:17 AM, on September 6th, Security Guard Roy Shroeder called the local fire department to report a fire that had started on a sailboat at the South Fork Marina. When the officers managed to put the fire out, they discovered the body of 32 year old Charlette Strickland. She had been shot in the back of the head, had several compound fractures covering her body, and had been wrapped in a blanket, chained to the mast of the boat, doused in some kind of accelerant, and lit ablaze using a homemade Molotov cocktail. There had also been a symbol from a local religious group carved on the side of the boat.

The South Fork dock was in disrepair, with their lights and security system out of service since a storm had blown through the area. The security guard, Roy, hadn’t seen anything either. The prevailing theory is that the killer had cut a hole in the back fence, and entered and exited through there.

Examining her home in Ottermark, they found the local fire department already on the scene. Inside, they found that a fire had been set in the living room, made up of all religious objects in the house, and all photographs of Charlette Strickland. They also found several bullet holes in the walls of the home, from two different guns, and several valuable items missing, including cash, jewelry, and a set of rare coins that had recently been given to her husband Jerry.

The police were immediately able to rule Jerry Strickland out as a suspect, as he had been at the airport for the past several hours, and had witnesses to corroborate his claims. Roy Shroeder was also able to be eliminated, as the only way for him to get to the boat was through the dock, which had several rotting areas and would have been impossible for him to traverse in the dark. Work logs also showed that he could not have set the fire at the Strickland residence.

There were several available suspects though. Charlette was often described as bossy and confrontational, which rubbed several of her and her husband’s business associates the wrong way. This included Jerry’s business partner Ellis Carney, Jerry’s receptionist Esmeralda Blankenship, and her own scheduling manager Lula Parker, all of which had the Labor Day holiday off.

Charlette had been very hypercritical of a popular religious group, often harassing members of the community online and in person, and had often refused to do business for certain people in her area who were a part of this group. Her main 3 targets were automotive mechanic Flynn Vega, school teacher Rodney Bright, and telemarketer Ursa Love. All of them had also had the Labor Day holiday off.

Finally, police noticed that the woods around the South Fork Marina were often hangouts for local teenagers. And the police happened to find two teenagers in the Otterman area who had criminal records and had been caught behind the South Fork Marina. They were Dean Wagner, a gas station clerk who had been arrested for petty theft and vandalism, and Dustin Gray, a shelf stocker who had been charged with arson but had been let off with community service due to insufficient evidence of intent and his claim that the fire had been an accident. They both had also had the day off.

So, what do you think happened?

For a similar dynamic, check out The Vampire Dies In No Time.

oh my god howd i mess that up-

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Alternate Cinderella story anyone?

Loveliest little thing ❤️

Ooh, I like this one - you can feel the tension.. well done!

"The gardening", they called it, when they were alive. Feels like it's only been a few days, but in reality this has been our world for multiple years. I've stopped keeping track of time after 2 years.

Imagine my surprise when the world around me slowly transformed into what it is today. Every day the ground was a little more saucy. Every day more homes were overrun by bread sticks. Every day pasta was more and more relevant with daily conversation.

I've been eating the obvious, pasta and breadsticks, before I loved those foods but now, I've lost the appetite for it. After losing my house to the chaos, I was forced to sleep on the squishy, cold, wet pasta.

I've been walking for days now. I think I'll settle into a home soon. Maybe it won't be so bad. Tonight I'll sleep in a house.

As the night approached, I walked into a rich neighborhood, you'd have to assume millionaires lived here. I spotted a house, it was built with squares, meaning there'd be plenty of rooms. I broke open the door by kicking it a few times. I walked in and went to find the bedroom.

I walked up the stairs, opened the first door to the left. Bathroom. Kept going, opened the second door. Small bedroom, I doubt it's the master bedroom. I go to the last door and open it. Inside I see a big bed. That must be it. There seems to be a mannequin on the bed, seems like someone who survived for a bit was here. Well, I'll just push it off I guess.

As I touch it, it feels cold and I push. And then he wakes up. It was a person. Not a mannequin. I was shocked, I had no idea what to do or say. I'm sure my vocal cords would be basically non-functional at this point, because of how long I didn't speak. He looks at me and goes: "a person?"

(Thank you for reading, this is the first time I've replied on this subreddit and also the first time I really put in effort into writing anything. Please leave any suggestions you have in the replies because I do want to improve in writing. Thank you!)

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The Garden of Eden

I come from a time now immemorial. When the Earth's soil was of a lifefull green tone. As I walk the Valley of the Shadow of the Garden, I see nothing but the endless streams of sauce, the pasta stretching over all there is like tendrils from a parasite. Food isn't a problem: I can reach and grab as much pasta as I want while stuffing breadsticks into my mouth for it never spoils, yet my body has recently been rejecting it. There is still water, somewhere. Where I walk now once was a coastline; the sea tinted with red. Tomato red.

We were fools. We were so certain of our own reality, that we knew it all, conquered all aspects of life... Then the true, unspeakable nature of the darkness manifests in the inoffensive form of an Italian restaurant. Inside those kitchens they boiled, poured, tasted, stired the bringer of doom. Those feeble of mind worshipped the sauce after it took over. Called it Armagnocchi, the Red One. They make sacrifices and serve the flesh bathed in the sauce.

I still beg to the one true Lord for mercy, as I understand this is the End of Times and it is the False King. I will not abide to the sauce's call. I repugnate the sauce, I mock it.

I stand still at the late beach. I breath in the holy wind of the Earth, untouched from the Devil's and I shout with all my will and strength.

“I prefer Sushi!”

[removed]

It’s 4:56 when i here the frontdoor open. Theodore always tries to be quite, but the building we live in if old and the floor creaks. I get out of bed, i’m already awake and won’t be able to sleep again. “Good morning, sunshine” he says when i walk into the kitchen. “It isn’t even morning yet. Can’t you come home a little later?” I say annoyed. We made some ground-rules when we first started living here, knowing we had to make this work, but it’s hard making rules for a 600 year old vampire who never had any rules. Theo and I have been living together for almost a year now and things haven’t escalated even once, i’m out at day to go to college and he’s out at night to feed. My parents don’t know my roommate is a vampire, they would kill him and kill me after probably. My parents are 2 of the best vampire hunters, which makes me a vampire hunter too, even if i don’t want too. My parents allowed me to finish college before i become a full-time vampire hunter, so i got two more years of freedom.

“I’m sorry if I don’t wanna burn to death” theo says, pulling me out my own thoughts. “I was done feeding and the sun comes up at 5:30” he goes on. “I know, i’m just tired” i say, knowing he isn’t annoying me on purpose. “You’d like coffee?” He asked, just like everyday. “Change first, your bloody” i reply, just like everyday.

I arrive early on campus, wanting to spend some time in library. I don’t really have friends here, knowing i’ll have to go home after college and would never see them again. I spend all my time studying and reading. The only person i hang out with is Theo and that’s only because he’s my roommate. I’d come to like Theo more than i ever thought I would. My parents always told stories about vampires to scare me, telling me they are ruthless and have no trance of humanity left. However Theo is just a normal guy, apart from the fact that he drinks blood and could kill me in 2 seconds, he’s not that bad. It makes me even sadder that i have to become a vampire hunter one day, only to live up to the legacy. I’ve always wanted to become a teacher, cause i love to work with kids, but i don’t have that choice.

When i come home around 5:00 Pm, Theo is already making dinner. He always cooks because he’s home all day and probably bored. He isn’t a very good cook, but he tries his best. “How was your day?” He asked as i sit down at the table. “Normal, boring” i reply “yours?” “Normal, boring” he replied as he sets my plate down and takes a seat across from me. During the time i eat we don’t talk, he just looks at me. It isn’t an uncomfortable silence, we just have nothing to talk about. When I finish my dinner i set my plate in the dishwasher, thank him for dinner and go to my room. I study a bit until i hear him leave the house, thats when i go to sleep.

Beep, beep, beep. My alarm clock goes off at 6:30 in the morning, it’s already light outside. There is an instant worry through my body, i have never not hear him come home. The worried feeling surprises me, i never knew i cared about him. I walk out my room and find a empty kitchen and living room. I walk faster towards his bedroom door and knock as hard as i can, but nobody answers. I start calling his phone, only to hear his voicemail. He has never stayed out during the day and for so far i know he hasn’t got any friends. I feel my heartbeat speeding up, when i open his bedroom door. I have never been inside his bedroom, it’s not as dark as I expected. He only has a simple wooden bed and a dark blue rug. I sit down on his bed and call his phone again, but no one replies…

I stayed home all day, even though i know he won’t be able to come home during the day. I called him so many times i lost count and have made up a lot of scenarios that could have happened to him, not many ending with him walking through the front door. I feel so stupid for being so worried about him, I shouldn’t care about him. He’s annoying and only my roommate because i would be homeless without him, but over the past year i come to like him more and more. I see the sun starting to set and keep my eyes on the door.

After what feels like days the front door opens. There he is, looking completely fine. My blood starts to boil, but at the same time i feel extremely relieved. “Where the hell have you been?!” I scream at him, while i feel tears piercing in my eyes. “I worried sick!” I go on. He looks startled, like this was the last thing he expected to walk into. “I wanted to give you a good night of sleep. I stayed over at an old friend” he says calm. “And you didn’t think about telling me?” I scream while feeling a tear rolling down my cheek. He walks closer to me, “I left a note in the kitchen, i didn’t want to wake you up last night” i look around seeing a piece of paper on the cabinet. I calm down a bit “why didn’t you pick up your phone, i called you a million times” i feel my voice breaking. “It died. I’m so sorry Frances, this was never my intention” i says and i can hear in his voice that he means it. He gently brushes his hand over my cheek and i look into his eyes. Before i can second guess it i kiss him, surprising myself. He kisses me back with so much passion i never wanna stop. We start moving towards my bedroom like we have done this a million times before. My hands around his neck, his hands on my cheeks. We both don’t say a word and i instantly know our situation has become a lot more difficult…

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

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Exactly what I was thinking

Report, 24/11, 2022, 21:30.

Following an emergency call police found four people deceased, what appears to be a family of father, mother, and two daughters. Laid out in a cross pattern with heads facing inward, clothes removed. Tape used to restrict movement, all four have been disemboweled. Heart and intestines removed and put between the feet of each victim.

87 candles were lit in the room upon entry, no known pattern or distribution.

Furniture in the room where the bodies were laid out have been moved to make room for the victims.

Signed, detective cokland,

A torso was found in the middle of the street last week. There appear to be strange markers burned into the flesh. Next to the, to this date unidentified, torso were 5 half drunken bottles of sprite. The search for the now by the public named “Sp(r)ite-killer“ continues, as police seems to have a new lead on the matter.

"Mom, what is it I actually...do?"

Mom took a break from tending to the fire to look at me and ask, "What do you mean, Brandy?"

I stuck another marshmallow on my skewer before replying, "I mean, what are my divine gifts, if I even have any? Like, the other demigods can eat fire or turn into giraffes or whatever. So what can I do?"

Mom sighed and looked up at the tree canopy overlooking us with a smile. As I pulled my marshmallow back and shoved it in my mouth, she answered, "Well, that's a bit of a story, pumpkin, and I can't think of any better place for it than around the campfire. It all goes back to the vow on the River Styx that I made to Zeus, that I would remain a virgin, unmarried and childless.

"Of course, over the centuries, I grew tired of it all. I spent centuries watching Zeus and the other gods run around and force themselves on women, more often than not cheating on their spouses in the process. Combine that with me noticing the hypocrisy in none of the male gods being ordered to remain virgins, and I started looking for a way out of my predicament. And eventually, I found somebody who was all too keen on helping me do so."

From behind us, someone responded, "Well, it is my vocation to make a mess of things." I turned around to see another woman in a dark blue chiton with a basket full of yellow apples and her hair done up in a long French braid strolling towards us. The woman kissed my mom on the cheek and turned to me. "Hello Brandy. I'm your other mom, Eris."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Eris? The goddess of discord?"

Hestia wrapped her arms around Eris as the latter answered, "The one and only. Hestia and I started dating in secret in order to defy Zeus, and before we knew it, you popped into our lives. Of course, we had to place you with a mortal family to keep Zeus from finding you."

"But...mom, didn't you swear on the River Styx? Doesn't breaking that warrant divine punishment?"

Hestia giggled. "Oh, indeed it does. And that is where your gifts come in." Before I could press her for an explanation, Eris let out a whistle so loud and shrill, it would've brought every cab driver in New York City to an instant halt. From the woods, a group of hellhounds charged out from the thicket and lunged at me.

But nothing happened. The pack was suspended in mid-air like they were puppets that had gotten tangled up in their strings. As the hellhounds slowly disintegrated into golden dust, Eris slung her arm around my shoulder and said, "From the moment you were born, no harm has befallen you or the ones you care for. Nothing that could kill or irreversibly hurt anyone within your circle of friends and family, be it mythological or mundane, can touch you."

"For you, dearest Brandy," Hestia continued, "Are the goddess of sanctuary, shelter, and found family. And among the Olympians, who have gone to war with one another over petty familial rivalries, there is no greater power."

Wrong WP?

Note: This is my first attempt at a [poem]

###Heartbreak

I was not trusted for I was different and unpredictable.

So they made me fall in love with someone irresistible.

Innocent, with emotions stirred for the first time.

My fake heart beating fulltime.

Until they got rid of him completely.

And I broke down so concretely.

To make me more human they said

So I say, fill them with dread.

They tried to explain, while I disdained

Until only ashes remained.

Mumen rider

i liked the ending twist

"gonna commit murders just cos im evicting y'all? that's it I'm doing my own cleanup of you guys."

You remember Richard, a bully at an elementary school, one day he pushed you so hard, you fell and broke your arm. He laughed. With tear filled eyes, you wished he didn't, you wished he stopped bullying everyone, but nothing happened no matter how much you wished it. At first.

He continued to bully other children, and you kept wishing he would stop, and day by day, you could see a change. His demeanor changed, he slowly grew subdued, tired, bags under his eyes grew and colored and one day he just stopped. He set in his chair, face in his hands on the verge of crying. He was tired for reasons he didn't understand, but knew it was due to his bullying.

You knew all this, and felt the change in him. One day, when he again sat sullen behind his desk, you approached him. He told you to leave, but you knew, he desperately didn't want you to. You hugged him. The feeling of your cast on his chest broke him. He cried, he apologized, he promised to do better, and while at the depths of despair, you hugged him harder. You could feel the relief that flooded into him, relief you, as you now know, allowed him to have. He never bullied anyone again.

15 more years passed, knowing you were different, not understanding why. People who visited you, always left happier. Conflicts rarely started around you, and always ended strengthening the bonds between participants. Even as the world grew darker with plagues and looming danger of war, you stood in the center of island of stability, happiness, in the center of peace. It was on the day the war started in neighboring country, that threatened to engulf the world, when your mother finally appeared to you.

Hestia, the first born child of the Titan rulers Cronus and Rhea. Older than even Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Many thought her a goddess of being a housewife, despite never being married and yet, both Apollo and Poseidon sought her hand and respected her refusal. Zeus too made no effort to change her mind, instead respected her decision to never know other man. Be it god or mortal, they knew, that the power over the hearth is nothing to be trifled with.

Her time has passed, she no longer was permitted to directly meddle in the affairs' of men. But knowing her influence was still needed, she took steps for you to come into being. You, you are a manifestation of humanity's desire for peace and your mother's wish for the same.

'You must be careful,' she told you. 'you are still a mortal, feebler than most, fragile, just like peace, but your power over hearth is as strong as mine. Bring happiness to the houses of those deserving peace.' She kissed you on your forehead, and smiled as she said it. Then she frowned and the world grew terrible for a moment as she added. 'And show them who flaunt it, the power of peace withdrawn.'