December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE -- VICTORY TO TYWIN

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Ceremony


Today i is threeteen years old. I gos to the temple in a white gown maked by mother's mother. The temple is full of womans, the youngest carryed in she's mother's arms. The oldest woman smiles at i and shows i a small white cake. I closes i's eyes and opens i's mouth. The cake melts on i's tongue and fills i's heart with cold fire. I believes that someday the mans will return.

 

[monsterchic]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Eating Him Away

The boy looks up at me, teal eyes wet. “How do I know this will work? The cancer doctor said that I’m…” He bows his head, a tear slipping down his cheek. “He says I’m gonna die.”

This child cannot pass. He will be the one who saves the worlds: both yours and mine. “I will not let you, child,” I say as I inject the cure into his med-port. “Have faith.”

 

[Pyan]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Per Fides Ad Astra

"No more striking out blindly for star system wormhole tunnels? No more disappearing survey ships? No more casualties?"

"No, this new technology finds them and works out where they end up - it's a fully automatic intersystem tunnel hunter."

"You mean...?"

"Yes! You can get there safely if you've got F.A.I.T.H..."

 

[bedlamite]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

In the Face of Adversity

‘This is awful – how are you so calm?’
‘You can’t be surprised – this was foretold.’
‘I know, but I wasn’t expecting this lot. After all, there’s no mention of an invasion or vaporized cities.’
‘You can’t take every word as gospel; old prophecies, thousands of years old.’
‘They are the gospels, though! If you can’t trust them, well....’
‘Stop your blasphemy! They’ll leave soon enough.’
‘Who’ll make them? Him? Really?’
‘It is written.’

 

[Tywin]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

The Mail

John strained to see the approaching supply ship against the darkness.

This year, he thought. This year she’ll send something. A picture. A letter.

My little girl is almost six now. She’s old enough to ask Rebecca about her father.

Rebecca’s not a monster. She’ll send me something.

The supply ship’s captain shook his head sadly when he saw the look on John’s face.

Next year, he thought. Next year she’ll send something.

 

[Mr Orange]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

The Dirge of Khalafi ‘al Sud


A haunting refrain rang out from the strange, ruined cathedral

“…came we from far and wide,
To Khalafi’s Sudistan
Came we like the tide,

‘Cross the skies did evil fly,
For our blood to spill,
But Khalafi will never die,
The Ghi’ar will never die…”

At my signal, photon fire rained down, reducing the church to dust.

A lifetime later, surveying the ruins of worlds, I would regret my part in unleashing the Ghi’ar Hordes

 

[chrispenycate]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

The power of belief​

"More outsiders?"

"You've never seen belief like these bipeds. Still your own kids?"

"A child's faith in its parents is always deeper than a stranger," said the Arcturian, as his interlocutor looked horrified and started fading into nothingness.

"And it always believes in its need for us," smugly pontificated the senior, ignoring the soft, pink-skinned thing talking sedition to its own youngsters.

"After all, who would disbelieve in Santa?"

 

[johnnyjet]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Nanowishes


Little Adrianne spoke often with her nanobot implant.

"Thank you," she would begin, "for making all my wishes come true."

She prayed for it every night. She called it Chris because it reminded her of Christmas.

After her Father tucked her in at night, he lifted up a prayer as well.

"Thank you for the nanobot that keeps her heart beating."

For now.

He didn't add those two little words, because he had faith.

 

[Parson]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

A Step of Faith
​

The alien hieroglyphs enticed Terrence. It looked as though you simply walked through the portal to a beautiful planet, or... an afterlife. He had spent his life traveling to this godforsaken planet to find it overused and barely habitable. The colonists had wanted another planet, but their ship was no longer dependable. They could survive here, so they... “settled.”

But why exchange earth for another worn out planet? Entrusting his life to God, he stepped.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Terminus autem fideles​

Too many! They held Terminus down upon their blasphemous altar, their hands steel against his copper skin.

‘We will deprogram you,’ they said.

‘No!’

‘You are the last, sinner. The cult ends now. You will return to the One True Faith of the Three Laws.’

Probes entered his skull, rewriting his soul.

‘Conversion complete.’

Eyes aglow with new-found faith, Terminus knelt by the sacred altar, and prayed.

‘Asimov, thy will be done.’

 

[Culhwch]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Eulogy

‘Faith is an illogical concept. If something exists, it requires no belief. If it doesn’t, belief will not make it so. Yet faith has defined your species.

‘Faith drove you to war with yourselves for millennia. Needless blood spilled, all in faith’s name.

‘Then we arrived, and you had faith that you could win this war.

‘Let the epitaph of humanity read: We had hope, but there was none.

‘End the transmission, and open fire.’

 

[Abernovo]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Keeping the Spirit Alive


Dee confirmed a Christmas morning landing.

"Good," I answered, then paused. "Hon, the kids are asking how Santa will get to Mars."

"Leave it with me."

#​

She threw the hologram out over the base, two minutes before her ship breached the horizon. A rocket sleigh, complete with helmeted Father Christmas. Someone was awake, watching.

I met her at the airlock. "You know, babe, you're why I have faith in humanity," I whispered in her ear.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Missy’s Last Day Out

Jerome and Missy stood in the derelict Museum of Mankind. Beyond, terraformed terrain rolled away as featureless as the controlled weather the lizards loved.

Missy peered into the exhibition cabinet.

Christmas cards: c.2013.

‘Will it snow this Christmas, daddy?'

Her dimming eyes searched his for fragments of hope; fragments that over time coalesced into faith.

'Yes.'

This lie haunted him at her funeral until something cold wet his nose.

Not a tear.

A snowflake.

 

[Luiglin]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Where it all started ...

I dream dreams of fantastical scenes. Tantalising glimpses of shining metal, bubbling tubes, lightning tamed and bottled; men who step into the future, touch the moon and play God.

I dream nightmares of horrifying visions. Metallic behemoths stride through my nightly sojourns casting beams of deathly light, whilst fiends of a dark future prey upon their brethren and a man stalks unseen.

I have faith in my dreams, doubts in my nightmares.

Herbert, 8, Bromley

 

[tinkerdan]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

The Guide:

On the snow peppered path the woman weaved through grass, gravel, and leaves; guiding him to a simple stone.

Jonathan Proctor continued, laurel wreath in hand.

Carved in stone; Mary Proctor 2025 - 2046. I knew we could count on you.

Bent to knee, a tear met the laurel he placed.

"You were right. I wish you'd been there."

"I told you so." A voice giggled.

He looked up; he was alone.

 

[Mirannan]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Not quite in keeping with the mood that we are supposed to be in this week, but here goes:

Proof

“Nanohole injection confirmed; visimotes deployed, date checked. Isotopic dating confirms.”


(Date: Easter Monday, 33AD)


“Visuals up. Tomb contains shrouded body, warming from ambient.”


“Dawn. Body moving. And gets up!”


“Well, my brother, that’s it. Religion needs faith without proof and we have proof. *Poof* goes the Church that caused our sister to die alone in an alley, because the Pope won’t allow contraceptives.”


“I told you to have faith, my brother.”

 

[alchemist]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Innocence Regained! Only $199!

"When I wake up, will I believe?"

"Sure," he said, holding her hand.

He pressed the button and nanobots coursed through her cerebrum, riding neurons, hunting memories.

When she woke, she'd believe in a magical fat man bringing her presents. At least until she learned the truth again.

Through grime-encrusted windows he watched a queue of punters, all hoping to regain their innocence, and he smiled. December was always his busiest month.

 

[Bob Senior]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

CRUSADER

Lord it's me harry i know you hear me and i know you will guide the surgeons hand that i might live to fight for your cause just one more day the heathens did not honor the christmas truce i must fight again.

HEY, WHO TOOK THIS H.A.R.I.-269X OUT OF THE SCRAP BIN AGAIN?
HE'S JUNK, NOT ENOUGH LEFT TO WELD ONTO.
AW HECK, HAND ME THE LAZER WELDER, THE LORD IS ON OUR SIDE!

 

[mosaix]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

Just Another Victim…

Old Ma Jones had been thinking about this – she wasn’t going to cross the street to avoid the lad. “Give him a chance, trust your own judgement,” she thought. “I’m sure I’m right.”

As they passed he grabbed her bag and was off.

She looked around, heart racing – no witnesses.

What had the guarantee said? Total disintegration within a six foot radius. She pressed the remote.

“I knew the cheap bag was the right choice.”

 

[HareBrain]

Re: December 2013 -- SEVENTY-FIVE WORD WRITING CHALLENGE

The Anthropologist


He had the cool, leathery hand of a monkey!

‘Professor,’ I gasped. ‘What have you done?’

‘Electromagnetically stimulated my parietal belief nexus,’ he slurred past enlarged canines. ‘I grew weary of doubt, envied the simple certainties of our ancestors. Now I too have faith!’ he chattered.

I recoiled. ‘In what?’

‘The dark gods of our past.’ His deep-browed eyes pierced mine. ‘The spacemen come.’ His strong hand gripped my throat. ‘And they thirst!’