A short story thread. Compete to see whose short story is the best! I'm the judge. He,he. See if you can write a short story that's better than mine! Let's start: Long and longer Still Some time ago, a strange thing happened. No one knows where it occurred, nor when it transpired, nor how it came down. All they know is that it happened at all. A man of unknown age, unknown lineage, and unknown background went and stood in a large, mowed field. He was tall and slender, or more accurately, thin. His eyes were large and deep, haunted. His lips were pale and stiffly put in a rigid line. He seemed ill taken by his experiences. He stared straight ahead at a tall dying tree in the distance. His eyes never blinked. He never moved a muscle. The man stood longer still. No one knew how he got there, nor how long heâµd been there. No one had seen him get there. All they knew was that heâµd gotten there at all. The man stood there through night and day, rain and sun. He spoke to no one and looked at no one. About sometime after the people noticed him standing still, everyone became interested in him. They came up to him and tried to talk to him. " Who are You?" " What are You doing?" " How long have You been here?" " How long will You be here?" He ignored them all. But one person asked him, " Why do You stand longer still?" At that, he let out a deafening cry, as of great pain. Then, he fell on his face and never stood again. Some say that he passed on. Others say he stood longer still. I say, even to this day, somewhere, somehow, he is still standing. He never fell. He stands long and longer still.
It was a quiet summer evening. A goblin was walking through the forest. He'd been to the lake and caught some fish, and he was walking back home. It was a large catch, as tomorrow was the village's annual summer festival. He was thinking about how delicious these fish were going to taste when he thought he heard a sound. The sound of crying, to be precise. He decided to investigate, and hid behind a bush close to the where it came from. It was a human child.
The goblin knew that humans were dangerous, but this child seemed so harmless... It was probably lost. The goblin stepped out from his hiding place and waved at the child. It looked at him, with fear in its eyes. Thinking that this child might be hungry, the goblin decided to give it one of his fish, but as the goblin stretched out the hand holding the fish, the child screamed. The goblin was startled, and slipped on some mud as he was trying to get away, and dropped his fish. He picked them up again, but as he reached for the last fish, an arrow pierced his shoulder, and he fell to the ground.
The goblin was lying on his back in the mud. A man stood in front of him, with a sword in his hand. "You will never hurt anyone again, you evil fiend!" it said, as it raised its sword. This is how and where the goblin's story ends. Amongst humans, however, that story is told differently. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ooh, I like that, iMogwai! Since I started this thread at the end of the week, I should really give people like a week to submit if they wish. This week is technically over. The new week starts on Sunday. Actually, this week ends tomorrow. So, everyone, keep that in mind!
"It will be better." He promised, reaching out his fleshless arm, exposing only his fingers. "Come now, take my hand. I promise you will see." She hesitated, staring at the extended limb of this beautiful monstrosity. All of her thoughts escaping her mind. As he moved, one inch closer, she closed her eyes and reached out her arm. His cold bone-fingertips gently moved across her palm and wrapped to her pale wrist. "It will all be okay." He breathed. "I promise." His fingertips felt cold, pressed against her skin. Her calused palm folded onto his wrist as she gently gripped into bone. She gasped as the cloth scratched her fingers through his arm. "Do not be afraid." He reassured her. "It becomes natural." Her heavy breathing wasn't going well with the constant silence around her. His words were nothing but wind to her as she tried to grasp this unreal concept. "It will be better." She repeated in her mind, and slowly exhaled. Her fingers gripped around the bone of his arm, decaying flesh adding to her already disturbing mental images. Her eyes were glues shut by denied fear as she walked with his pull. "Do not worry so much. You can loosen your grip, I will not let go just yet." And with that, black spots appeared and formed on her hand, spreading with red and grey colours. She felt it. "It's starting..." She worredly informed him. "Good." "Is that it?" She thought, expectantly waiting for another reply. "Do not expect any response from me for everytime you speak. We will be there soon. Just calm yourself." She stumbled on rocks, and holes in the dirt, Shadows raced across her vision the more she looked around. It was foggy once, between the trees; but now it's simply dark and clear. The spots on her hand like acid, eating away at the flesh and muscle as they grew; but she hadn't even noticed. More and more shadows came, some darker than most, others light and filled with blurry detail. "What are they?" she asked, searching around like a curious toddler. "Your new people." His tone like a warning. She stayed silent after that, finally noticing a change in her hand... One she hadn't expected. Her pale skin was gone as only bone was left.
I'm sorry CalvinDultrey, I forgot to tell you what I thought about your story. I thought it was very creative. And Paarfam is right, you could go somewhere with it. I didn't say that because you wrote The End when you'd finished.
He felt the flesh of her hand slide off shortly before, and was simply waiting for her scream when she realized. But the only sounds she made were grunts from stumbling and the simple question of her new visions. Her gentle bone against his sent a wave of dizziness. It had been a while since a target was so calm and cooperative, even willing. He almost enjoyed it, admiring the memory of her beauty, afraid to look at her face now. This was the painful part. Watching the flawless skin of those, cursed with this horrid task, fall to never be seen again; all their beauty diminshed within hours to be nothing less than himself. He lied to them, always. They knew a change was to come, increasing the farther they crossed the lands, but nothing as gruesome as this. His targets weren't just targets, they were tickets of guilt; but he couldn't turn around now... This had to be done, no matter the consequences. Her hand. It was gone. At least everything she needed besides bone. This wasn't the change she had expected. This was so much worse. All the shadows were coming closer to her now. None dark, just light and filled with such intricate detail. They reminded her of sketches; moving, faded sketches. It seemed as if they were staring at her arms and neck and scurrying off in fear. "Wha-" There was a loud hiss and branches breaking, nothing was still. The shadows raced and flew like wild around her and the creature she so depended on, the branches of towering trees shook and the roots rattled the earth.Run... Echoes of the word ran through her head. But frozen in fear of the creature's possible reactions, she stole a glance to see what to do. Breathless. Her lungs felt like metal, her throat burned as if she swallowed bleach, her eyes watered and were forced shut. Her hands immediately reached up to grab her face and scream, but something grabbed onto her wrists. "Don't move." His gentle voice whispered in her ear. She obeyed. His swiftness was impecible. Her wrists wrapped in his hands as the world around them span wildly around them. She had fallen to the ground when the change was complete, just like every other one had. But this time it was different. They were only half way to their destination and she was complete. She was different. She was his replacement. Her hair spun and slapped her neck, but she hardly noticed. Her vision was blurry and red and a few shadows had settled around her. Her vision was struggling to focus, but it was practically impossible; the only thing that was clear were the figures and the one trying to save her. She couldn't breathe, but the need for air was gone. Her throat stopped burning, her body had relaxed, and her clothes hung heavily and limply to her tiny body. "What... What's happened to me?" She asked, looking up at the hooded face in front of her. The cloak covered everything about him except for his fingers. His bone fingers. Which were wrapped around her wrists. Her dry, thin, bone wrists. "I never thought this would happen." His voice soft, almost hurt. He raised his head, and let go of her. The world had calmed. "But... What has happened?" She tried to see through the dark shadow covering his face, but her eyes kept turning to her own mutations. She couldn't scream. She almost tried, but the feeling in her throat told her she couldn't. He sighed heavily, almost feeling a tear fall and a smile appear on the ghost formation of his flesh. "Here..." He extended his arm and unfolded his fingers. There, a thin, silver handle was placed. As her fingertips gracefully touched the surface, a silver blade appeared out. She tried to let out a small gasp, but not even air was taken in. She looked at him confusedly and slowly reached to his hood. He thought of nothing but her previous beauty, refusing to replace it with her appearance now. "Good luck..." He whispered as she pulled the cloak back over his head, and fell limp in her hands. Nothing but dust was carried gently through the air, the thick, black robe falling through at the absense of a body inside. She understood. As she slowly stood, blade in hand, she placed to cloak on herself. Her body thin, nothing but bone and pieces of decaying skin clinging to. She looked forward, seeing the shadows still and stare at her new form.
