Tuesday, September 29, 2015

100 Words a Day 709

They pulled up outside the wall surrounding the factory, composed of cinderblocks that had been scavenged from the ruins of the nearby city. The gate was a tall, long vehicle they had cobbled together. The outward-facing side was armored with large pieces of steel. Two men looked down at them from above. They each stood behind a high caliber gun mounted on the wall. They could hear shouting from the other side of the wall. A few moments later, a woman appeared.

“Why have you come to Cinder Bullet?” she shouted down.


“We’ve come to trade for ammo,” they replied.

Monday, September 28, 2015

100 Words a Day 708

“For the king’s son, the rightful king!” the army shouted, banging weapons on black shields. They dropped their chant for rabid cheering when a man in black armor with a winged helm and flowing blond locks rode before them, sword brandished overhead. When he reached the middle of the line he was joined by a woman who wore strange robes festooned with charms and fetishes. The army fell silent when she raised her arms and began shrieking in a tongue unknown to them and gesticulating wildly. She concluded her strange ritual by casting the bones of animals into their ranks.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

100 Words a Day 707

The bike had been singed by the fire, but looked like it might still work. They discovered the tires were unsalvageable when they hauled it from the ruined heap.

“Do you think you can get it started again?” Klag asked.

Hazarad made a face, “Maybe. Won’t know until we start working on it.”

They walked it over to their truck and pulled out the toolkit. Klag kept watch while Hazarad got to work. Dusk was falling by the time the engine stuttered to life.

“Yes!” Klag shouted.


“We aren’t out of the quicksand yet; we still need some new tires.”

100 Words a Day 706

Grumsh sprinted down the hail while the klaxon wailed overhead. The smoke and flickering lights made it hard to see, causing him to trip several times. When he arrived, the engine room looked like an anthill that someone had poured boiling water on; the crew were running helter skelter trying to repair the damage. Not seeing the Chief, he grabbed Laconia as she rushed by and asked her where he was, shouting over the noise. She pointed towards the back of the engine room before hurrying off. He went in the direction she had indicated as fast as he could.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

100 Words a Day 705

“Damn it!” James shouted, standing up and flipping the board. “This game is bullshit!”

“Dude, calm down,” Chris said, hands extended, fingers spread.

Joe meanwhile was doubled laughing. When he finally stopped, he wiped his eyes: “That was the best! I can’t believe you fell for that!”

Matt nodded vigorously, tears in his eyes, as James stalked out of the room.

The laughter was dying when the doorbell rang.


“Yes!” Matt exclaimed, leaping from the couch and sprinting towards the door. After a moment, he rushed back into the room, grabbed his wallet, and charged back to the front room.

100 Words a Day 704

I hit the brakes and sighed and waited as another asshole blew through a stop sign. Once the offending car was clear of the intersection, I resumed driving. I checked the address one more time at the next light. I was on the correct block, so I slowed down and squinted into the dark until I found the correct house.

I parked, grabbed the pizza, and rang the bell. “Who is it?” range out from the house.

“I’ve got your pizza,” I responded.

“One second.”


I waited a few moments before the door opened. Behind it was an older woman.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

100 Words a Day 704

Jeff groaned and rolled over. He then proceeded to deposit the reminder of his dinner in the large bucket he had placed next to his bed for that purpose. Guts aching, he fell back onto his bed. It was several moments before he mustered the gumption to wipe the flecks of vomit lingering on his chin. The tissue he used joined the pile in his trash can, which had been positioned next to the bucket. The taste in his mouth screwed up his face. He took a swig from his water bottle, swishing it around before spitting into the bucket.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

100 Words a Day 702

“Hello?”

“Yes, hello. Is this Acme Grinders?”

“Yes, how can I help you today?”

“I’m calling because I bought a grinder from you guys and it’s stopped working. I want a replacement?”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Yeah. I bought it a day ago and it was working fine. Then this morning when I tried to use it, it wouldn’t turn on.”

“Well, did anything happen to it while you were using it yesterday?”

“No. I was just grinding some stuff.”

“Did it get wet or did someone use it during the night?”


“Nope.”

Monday, September 21, 2015

100 Words a Day 701

I caught the curb with my foot and had enough time to be embarrassed before hitting the pavement. My nose hit first, crunching as a wave of pain shot through my head, bringing tears to my eyes. I was stunned for a moment, only vaguely aware of the inquiries from the people around me as to whether or not I was alright. After a few moments I was able to push myself up to a kneeling position. My nose was already swollen and I could feel blood dripping down my face. Someone gave me a tissue and I stood up.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

100 Words a Day 700

The guard leveled his gun and began firing short bursts at the car. Kyla dove to the ground behind it. She pulled her handgun and shot the man in the foot. He went down cursing and the staccato of fire ceased. She advanced towards guard, who went for his weapon when he noticed her. He was not fast enough unfortunately, and she shot him several times in the chest. He ceased moving. She holstered her gun and picked up the guard’s. Sufficiently armed, she kicked the door open and entered the building. The foyer was empty. No one was home.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

100 Words a Day 699

The idol was set upon a beat up foldout table, the sort you find at basement potlucks of poor community organizations. The legs were stiff, and squeaked when they were unfolded. The wood was stained and splintered from years of abuse.


The idol was made of sticks bound together with rubber bands and formed into an effigy. It had six limbs, presumably four of which were arms, though it was difficult to tell because whatever inhuman entity it depicted was hunched over, as though it used its lower and middle limbs to lope along, like something between man and beast.  

Friday, September 18, 2015

100 Words a Day 698

I bent down until the cold marsh water soaked the front of my shirt. The reeds blew in the soft wind and the beeping drew nearer. This is the closest the robots had come to catching me since they started chasing me several days ago. They weren’t as slowed by the swamp as I had expected, and had actually made up a lot of ground on me since I entered the fetid place.


The beeping kept coming closer. I was sure they had discovered my hiding place. I slowly slid my knife from my belt. Then the beeping went silent.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

100 Words a Day 697

“I know it’s cliché to say Doc, but it was so easy. I didn’t even think of them as a person. I just pushed, not even that hard, and then walked away. I don’t even remember hearing them fall down the stairs.”

“I see. And what did you do after you pushed Mr. Johnson down the stairs?”


“After I pushed the guy, I left the stairwell and went back to my desk. I had to pack up to leave, as it was already 4:45 pm. And I was sure I would be getting the promotion he had stolen from me.”

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

100 Words a Day 696

Once the car was on the lift, the damage to the underside was easy to see. The spike had punched a hole through the plating protecting the engine. Fluid dripped from the hole.

“Well, shit,” Zugzug said.

“Yeah,” agreed Bashuk. “We could have limped home without the armor, but how are we going to fix the leak?”

Zugzug rubbed his chin, tilted his chin, and scrunched his brow in thought.

“We could push it,” suggested Runty.

“Not now Runts,” said The Fox.

“Sorry Fox.”

Zugzug released his chin. “I’ve got an idea. But you won’t like it.”


The Fox sighed.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

100 Words a Day 695

“So what traits do you have that would make you a fit for the position?”

“I don’t care much what others think. Because of that, I consider and implement solutions without worrying about the social impact.”

“Oh, wow. Um, why do you think that is an important trait for someone in this position to have?”


“Absolutely. I’ll be making decisions that impact the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. If I stopped to consider the lives of our workers or the impact our product has on the environment, do you think I could ethically engage in this job?”

Monday, September 14, 2015

100 Words a Day 694

The car sailed over the dune and began tumbling end over end. It was mid-flip when it slammed back into the sand. It bounced once before coming to rest right side up. The dust settled, showing the bits and pieces of car that had been shaken off by the impact. The occupants were dazed or dead, she couldn’t tell which. The driver’s head lolled out the window, her face was covered with blood from where her nose impacted the windshield. Her black helmet was cracked and blood was beginning to mat her brown hair. The passenger was slumped forward, unmoving.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

100 Words a Day 693

Kaz and Hazaf crawled up the shifting dune, ignoring the sand seeping into their clothing. By the time they reached the top, the whole fronts of their bodies were stinging from the hot particles. When they reached the top, Kaz pulled her battered binoculars from their case on her belt. Putting them to her eyes, she was able to see the defenses of the camp below. The wall around it was festooned with spikes, likely poisoned, just like a stinghog. Behind the wall was a large tower with four men standing atop it. One had a rifle with a scope.

Friday, September 11, 2015

100 Words a Day 692

They heard their new ride before they saw it. It had a throaty growl, like Zubar plains cat. As it crested the hill behind the workshop it gave a mighty roar and seemed to leap into the air. The landing sent the frame bouncing. The driver recovered quickly and pushed the accelerator, sending the metal machine shooting down the road. As the vehicle neared, more details became apparent. There was a ram mounted on the front and spikes under the windows, to prevent anyone from climbing through them. The open bed in the back was mounted with a harpoon launcher.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

100 Words a Day 691

A massive hand thrust out from behind the curtain and pushed the leather hanging to the side. It revealed a large orc who was forced to stoop as he exited the hut. He took in the camp with his single eye before stretching his massive limbs. Ugly scars ran riot over his large frame, where it wasn’t covered by looted bits of ill-fitting armor. In his other, equally massive, hand, he gripped a large club. It was composed of a strange metal that the orcs were unable to work; the original owner scavenged it from the ancient ruins that abounded.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

100 Words a Day 690

I tilted my head and saw our pursuers out of the corner of my eye. I jerked the wheel, sending our nose smashing into the side of their ride and pushing them off the road. The rattling of their tires across the stony incline mixed with the screams of the occupants before ending in a thunderous crash, out of sight.


I drew my hand across my forehead and then wiped the sweat on my pants before returning my focus to the asphalt. There was still one more rattling road machine behind me, and this one had a front mounted ram.