Writing Prompt

Mara has this crazy look on her face and is ranting on about the end of the world; and how we need to make sure we are saved. I inquire “What’s gotten into you, why do you care?”. With this she rolls her eyes in frustration and tells me that I just don’t understand. I just shrug and head out to the garage to escape the discussion, “Don’t turn your back on me.” she yells at me. I decide to to ignore her, I don’t want to have this argument again.

When I get out into the garage I hear her talking to someone on the phone and mentions my name, “He isn’t getting it, how do I make him understand?”. I think to myself, what the hell am I suppose to understand and burst back into the house. When she sees me she quickly hangs up the phone and heads up the stairs. I shake my head and stalk back out into the garage to clear my head of this nonsense and pointless conversation.

My time out in the garage provides a great way to be able to think things through. Why would she start acting like this, it is so out of character for her. We aren’t even religous, why is she worried about the end of the world or God. I decide I need to figure out what’s going and call my buddy Jeff to ask for a favor. Jeff answers on the first ring, “What’s up man?”, “I need to ask you a favor. My wife has been going out the last couple of night somewhere and I want to know where. Can you follow her for me?”, “I can do that buddy. Why though?”, “I think she is having an affair and I just need to know where she is going.” I told him that I would let him know when she leaves so he can follow her and finally get a clear picture of what is going on with her. I also need to know where she is going.

The day finally comes where she is heading out again to hang out with her friends so I call Jeff as soon as she leaves. I wait at home and begin doing something I didn’t think I would ever do, I went through her diary. She didn’t know I knew where it was and was it enlightening. The pages were covered in statements like ‘The end is coming, we must be prepared’, ‘The mesiah is here and knows what we need to do’ and ‘I must convince him to join or he will be left behind’. These statements throw me for a loop and I’m beginning to wait for Jeff to get back with me to confirm my suspicions. The the call comes.

“Jack you aren’t going to believe this. Do you know that weird as ranch on the outside of town?” I confirm that I know the place and Jeff informs me that she is going there and that he can hear what sounds like a sermon from the outside and what sounds like singing. “Jack, I think she has joined a cult.” I know he is right and she has been trying to recruit me to join along, but I have to figure out how to get her out.

KATYLID

Katylid stood in a dark corner in the Underground council meeting, eyes searching as the members sat down, chatting with each other until the Sector Leader, General, came. No one cast her any glances. They were used to her avoiding behavior.

Quick Lips, Hare, and Queen were sitting in a the left corner of the large steel table. Quick Lips and Hare were playing some kind of card game, probably Kingdom. Queen was glaring at Katylid, her gaze flaring and her face fuming.

She was obviously still angry about the events yesterday.

Katylid ignored her. She had meant what she said. The Dark One was real, powerful, and good. Katylid had seen it with her own eyes.

And still saw it.

And she had no intention of letting go of the deity and Thomas. Sweet, sweet Thomas.

LULL

Through his closed eyes, Lull could know everything spoken and unspoken. Yes, he couldn’t see characteristics of them, but their emotional aura was all that he really needed.

His eyes reacted horribly with lights anyway.

The council meeting started off alright, though he could tell that something was going on. The emotions around Queen were a pulsing mass of red thorns and crackling fire. Anger. And the thorns of anger were angling themselves to Katylid.

Lull didn’t like Katylid; something was wrong with her emotionally. Her aura was a wispy thing, all flat and limp. It hardly ever moved or shifted; it just lay there, broken.

He returned his attention to the matter at hand: Chief was trying to convince General to allow some units to go and search for some more Empowereds—people like us with strange abilities—before the Dark One took them and their powers.

The council was quite, their overall aura a soft blue light waiting in anticipation. It was still a bit red on Queen’s side, but her’s was softening, distracted by what would happen next.

General’s aura flared at the idea, turning a greenish-red. Jealously and anger. Lull didn’t exactly know why that combination was there.

“No. We already have risked enough people, and the Dark One and his followers are waiting for any breach on our side. It’s too dangerous,” a thud sounded, probably General’s fist punching the table, “We can’t let it happen now, we have to wait.”

Chief’s aura was a quiet thing, he knew how to control his emotions—inside and outside. It annoyed Lull just a tiny bit; the man couldn’t know what the other was feeling, chipping his pride in what he did best.

“I understand, that is why I want to gather a small group of trusted Undergrounders to complete this task,” Chief’s voice was calm, steady.

That seemed to anger General even more. His aura turned a blotchy, bumpy bloody red. It took an almost three-dimensional shape as it grew and spread, causing everyone’s aura, everyone expect Chief and Katylid, to shrink back and turn a pale shade of blue.

Lull sighed and decided to intervene between what was about to be an awful display of the anger of men.

He reached out a mental hand and stroked the delicate sides of the auras, peace, calm on his mind.

It took a moment, a quiet moment where Lull felt Chief’s hot gaze on him, but the auras turned back to a gentle pale gray.

“Thank you for that, Lull,” Chief said, before continuing the conversation at hand, “I understand where you are coming from, General, but I do ask you to think about it. Overnight, maybe?”

General’s anger came back, furious than ever. It branched out to Lull, but then curled in on itself and turning into a flushed pink. It went full on force for Chief, though, clawing at Chief’s aura as if it could kill him.

“Ah,” Lull muttered, “that’s why.”

A chair scraped against the floor. “Meeting dismissed!”

(Maybe make a part 3. Bleh. Schoool __ Thanks for reading and have an amazing day!)

My partner and I had relationship problems in our marriage like all marriages they all have their ups and downs, but this one was more serious as she wasn’t an alcoholic

She always felt the touch from the parents as they both divorced. One of them died and felt miserable all our life.

Then decided to join alcohol self-help group house in alocal place place

One day, I noticed that she was withdrawn she was spending more time at that meeting self-help group

I thought this was a symptom of the treatment as I noticed that she was not drinking too much alcohol as before

Later I felt that maybe she was busy. She met somebody there and was having an affair.

Said that the group was full of like-minded people with similar experiences and problems and she enjoyed the group a lot

One day when we asked for romantic meal and she said she had to join the group that was the last rule at this point not a self-help group or self-help group that was masquerading as a cult

This self-help group was really a cult

She described how self-help group had released her from her sins and that she had told everything about our relationship that she was abusive. She was beating up her parents and the only way she could release herself and find her inner welbeing was to remove herself from the source which was a family and friends and me. She was living to other people’s expectations.

She said that the group said that the criticism that she received from a parents made her weak and that she was treated like a doormat people pleaser and that is why she said alcoholism to better be able to assert her self.

I replied that’s not true she was the assertive even when she was not an alcoholic. Yes she threw plates and things and when she got angry but she already had the assertive personality type that why I loved her and married her . I was the weak one.

Criticism, she said made people weak willed It created a generation of people who behaved not themselves but like an abusive needy child.

I agree that criticism was bad but without criticism you can’t really improve

She said over criticism turns people into abusive needy people who don’t act naturally and that makes them losers in life? They do things to compensate for it.

If nobody pushed criticise, you couldn’t be a bit of person. I said you wouldn’t have gone to university or college or achieve thinks that she’s achieved in life and she would not have met me.

Eventually, I said I will go to have my little romantic meal by myself.

Criticism, nobody likes it’s horrible but it doesn’t make people weak. Constructive criticism can make people better.

Nobody likes to hear that we are wrong in life, but sometimes we have to told what we are doing is not wrong in life

People can sometimes be critical and get that wrong maybe what the criticising doesn’t matter but we can choose to take it seriously seriously or leave it

after that I shut the door

Oh no The snow Not me Gotta flee

Come with me Please let’s leave Open your eyes I’ve got to try

In the end Must defend Your own soul I must go

I shiver as I draw my sweater closer around my shoulders. It’s a warm night, but is it really? All these months I thought I knew him. I thought I knew myself. It turns out to be an illusion of what I wanted. I find myself walking faster down the sidewalk. The nighttime sprinklers kick on and part of the access water finds its way into the cracks of the concrete. Kind of like how Tommy filled in the loneliness of my sophomore year in college. He didn’t ask me out because he was attracted to me, but because I was the easiest target; the lowest among our peers. He rushed toward me because I was on a downward slope. He flooded me with all of these ideas and I never even thought to question him. He was the love of my life. My soulmate. My master. My manipulator. How could I have been such a fool? “Kitten! Wait!” I can hear his sneakers pounding behind me. “That is not my name,” I say in a voice that quivers with weakness. “Aww Kitten, don’t be this way…” He’s right behind me now. I can smell the ax body spray. “That is not my name.” This time there’s a little grit in my answer. “You never liked your name, remember? You chose to be called Kitten. I’m only trying to help you find your true self. You’re letting yourself get worked up over nothing. I never thought you were dramatic…” “Stop! Just stop with the mind games!” Now my tone verges of the brink of begging. I want him to just leave me alone. Let me sort though this with a clear mind…a mind that is no longer clouded by passion and longing. An awake mind, aware of the gaslighting and manipulation techniques that have held me captive for so long. “You’re making a mistake.” His friendliness is gone, replaced by the cold and calculating devil that has been hiding under the surface all along. “You are throwing away your life and breaking apart our union. Oaths are not to be broken so easily.” I shiver again, “You are not allowed to be intimate with an unbeliever…consider me one now…good bye, Tommy.”

Hey Babe, it’s me. Please, please come home soon… I miss you so much. Love you forever and always, Jhos

Hey… sorry it’s been so long. My boss had to keep me longer than I thought to get the big project done. I know, I know, the curiosity is killing you. I wish I could tell you, but they’re all but sworn us to secrecy. It’s huge, and I know you’ll understand in time. Love you back, Heli

Wow, it sounds like you certainly have your hands full! You know me too well. I have been dying to know. Just… tell me someday, ok? Love you past the moon, Jhos

So this might sound totally crazy to you, but I can’t not tell you anymore. I really need you to believe me. Love you solar systems, Heli

I can handle it. Promise. And I have a bit of a surprise for you when you get back, too! Love you galaxies, Jhos

You don’t know how much of a relief it is to get this off my chest. Ok… here goes. So the big project I’ve been working on is called the Celes Initiative. We believe we have the technology necessary to harvest stars. This is why I couldn’t tell you. If this got out, we could be in serious danger. There are many who would want to weaponize such an ability. We can’t let that happen. This could be world ending. Love you like a supernova, Heli

Wow… I am at a loss for words. This is HUGE. I’m so happy for you Hel! How did you guys figure this out? Actually nevermind, that’s probably top secret too. What does the company want to use it to do? And I want you safe… I can’t imagine harvesting a star comes without danger. Be careful. I need you. Love you more than a black hole could drown out, Jhos

Hey, so the Initiative actually approved my request for you to come visit. I sent your info through background checks, and you’re all clear to come. I attached your train ticket to the envelope. I can’t wait to see you and show you around! I wish I could tell you more… maybe when you get here. Love you light years, Heli

That was fast! I wish you’d talked to me first… I was supposed to babysit your niece on Friday, but I suppose I’ll make it work. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to hug you. We’ve spent far too much time apart. The ticket says a location, but it’s nowhere on the maps… what’s going on? Don’t bother writing back, I won’t get it until after I’m supposed to go. Love you like a supercluster, Jhos

“I thought you loved grapes?”

“What? I’ve never liked grapes or said I liked grapes.”

“You used to eat grapes all the time when we first met. Look at this photo.”

He slid over his phone, and it showed a picture of her relaxing in the beach next to a bowl of grapes. She was even eating a grape in the photo.

“What? That’s so weird. I remember that trip and photo distinctly, but I have zero memory of grapes being consumed.”

She began to doubt herself. This was the fifth time in the last week he had said or showed her something that made her question her sense of reality.

(I wanted to switch the prompt around a little)

I had been hiding it for six years. I had been hiding since I was eleven, but it was even harder to hide something from the man you love. I had faked a job as a surgeon, and I did work at a hospital. It was the excuse for the long nights away, the constant flow of money, and the blood under my fingernails. I just had to keep hiding.

Darryl came in to the living room, the clock hit 3 AM the exact momento Alissa turned around on her chair. "Well?" - She said looking into Darryl with a fierce look in her eyes. "Darling," - Darryl said with a huge smile, "you won't believe the day I had, you remember my new boss? Ramy?" "What about him?" - She coldly replied. "We went out for a few drinks and he is like, amazing, he has such an interesting way of thinking, you really should meet him!" "And no calls to your wife? No messages, not a fax or a rock at the window? Just a 'hey I might have died, good luck waiting worried'?" - She would've shouted, but kept her voice down to a snarl. "I'm sorry, really, it was just... you had to be there." - he replied shyly. "I am going to bed, you can have the couch." - Alissa turned and went to the bed, slamming the door.

/A few days later/

The earlier event was nearly forgotten in the Koperfan home, Alissa and Darryl had made peace, except, in the strangest of happenings, Darryl who was a 'eat the rich' type, was always speaking well of his boss, he had even been invited to his house for a barbecue, Alissa included. "Do I really have to meet your boss?" "Of course! You will love him, he is a really cool guy." - He said with a fascination in his eyes. "And the collar?" - She pointed at him. "A gift from him, almost everyone is wearing at the office, he's great." - A thumb sized gem was at the end of the collar, with a few markings all around. Getting at his boss house, Alissa noticed something really off about it, well, the fact that it was huge was one thing, but that it had so many people wearing the same clothes, a mix of a robe with a suit, and the same collar, was weirder. "Are they... Servants? Employees? Was this a costume party?" - Alissa asked worriedly "No darling, this is another of his gifts, actually, I got one too! But I decided to receive it with you." - Darryl said with open eyes. Grey eyes. Alissa laughed awkwardly, following with the eyes the people leaving and coming in the house. She them remembered something, a weird message she received last Friday, a withdraw from the bank of 100 dollars, she was told to wait for a response. She looked at Darryl. "Would you... give me a second? I want to reapply makeup." "Sure dear, I will say to the M-... Boss, you arrived!" He quickly paused. "We are waiting!" And left the car. Alissa waited for him to leave and picked up her cellphone, dialed the number of the company. "Hi Janet, hey listen, what is the name of Darryl's new boss?" "New boss? Ali, Darryl was fired Friday." "... What?" "Yeah he said he found something better to 'serve', right after a happy hour." "... Thanks Janet." Alissa looked at the huge blue house, two triangles entangled by a S like shape. "Boiling frogs huh." Alissa paused, thought and left. All Darryl found at his house was a letter. "I tolerated the drinking, religion, the selling of the car and the betting, a cult is too much, last straw, you're a lost cause, goodbye."

My husband had been in a rut and made redundant after the company he worked for liquidated. He was desperate for work and whilst dining at a bakery was approached by one of the staff and offered him a job. When he told me, I was delighted that he was delighted. He was on the brink of giving up hope but this bakery gave him that glimmer back.

When he told me that his colleagues met every Sunday to talk about life and purpose. I thought it would be good for him. To talk to others and get different perspectives of life. It sacrificed our Sunday walk in the park but we all have to make compromises here and there.

Several weeks pass and I can see him move with purpose and meaning and I appreciated that. I let him know one day and he stopped what he was doing. I thought I broke him like a malfunctioning toy. Then he turned his head to face me. What if I joined him? I laughed at his joke but his face didn’t relay to him the funny peculiarities of his question as it was stone-cold seriousness. I said I would think about it, only to escape the scrutinising stare he gave me for the ever-ticking delay in my response.

One day after work, he returned with a leaflet and a bag containing an assortment of bread. He put them on the table and said they were for me. Gifts from Forever Bread. That was the bakery’s name. It always struck me strange why they would name themselves that. Bread doesn’t last forever. I grabbed a baguette out of the bad and began to rip it apart. He scolded me. He said I should appreciate the bread life gives us and to treat the bread with respect. To treat it with the wisdom it has gained and to cherish it when eaten. I just gawped. I decided at that moment, the bread was not for me. I picked up the leaflet and read it expecting some kind of advertisement for the bakery but instead it was giving me the creeps. He was watching me read it and that disturbed me. I excused myself saying I needed to go to the loo, taking the leaflet with me.

I locked the bathroom door behind me and sat on the toilet lid. I examined the leaflet more.

“The Forever Bread believe in truly nourishing the body. The lord gave his disciples bread and wine that represented the body and blood of his holiness. We believe in that symbolism and whilst bread is what we sell, bread is what we are willing to give back to our family. When our time comes to give our bread, the family will eat our bread and pass on the wisdom of those who came before us…”

The leaflet continues on but I could not. This felt so wrong, something in the words was digging its claws into my nerves and I couldn’t shake the thoughts off. This has got to be a cult, surely.

Knock knock. He’s asking if I’m alright as he can’t hear water or anything. I flush the toilet and unlock the door.

I turn the handle and take a deep breath.