November 2016 75-word writing challenge -- VICTORY TO HEX!

[Hugh]

“Once you go through this door there are no maps, no points of reference.

Every form of consciousness that you will encounter has the potential to mislead you, and worse, trap you within its own fragmented perspective on reality.

All that you will have to guide you is your Ear for Truth.

One day, perhaps aeons from now, you may find your way home.”


He woke up. His head hurt. He was late for work.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Ariadne takes another path out of the maze​

He was strong and handsome. He smothered me with sweet words and solemn promises.

But I am no silly infatuated girl. He just wanted a map of the labyrinth. He called father an evil tyrant!

I followed as far as I dared then severed the taut thread with his sword. Gathering the wool I returned to the entrance. Let’s see him try and defeat Minotaur with blunt sword and no path out.

Athens remains ours.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Mappa Cutis

Malc shivers against Hal, scratching at his calf. They’re all at it; Hal can’t reach where he wants to, so he’s just walkin’ the line, walkin’ and chillin’.

‘Hal, I’m scared…’ Scratch, scratch.
‘At least you’ll only lose ya leg.’

***

Latex fingers tap between Hal’s shoulder blades. The last thing he hears is the skinsaw whirring; the last thing he sees, the rest of The Resistance’s map jigsawed on The Ministry’s lab wall.

 

[Coast]

Lost

I used his map and now we’re lost. It’s gotta be someone’s fault, I'm making the case that it's his.

On hands and knees, he blubbers about kids as his stubby fingers search frantically for an excuse. He turns the map, and again.

“It was upside down.”
He looks to the boss, clutching that paper like he’ll never give it up.
“Maybe if I was navigating…”

I click my safety off. I got kids too.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Glimmer

Gargoyles gurgle acid rain, the cities bedrock rots. Corruption reeks, in the sewers, alleyways, City Hall, even the souls of men.

Escape?

Was it even possible? From encroaching decay, stagnation, pandemic ridden tenements?

There was a map held by an ancient man.

When I found him I saw a glimmer. No paper scroll or route to salvation, but enlightenment in his brilliant blue eyes.

It was written in the very lines of his face.

Hope.

 

[Ihe]

Backup

The Underslums were all rust, rubble, and acid rain—the usual. Slavers strolled with their latest acquisitions on leashes. Two of them neared my tent.

Mother had sold me, of course. I unscrewed my eye, reached into the socket, and plucked out my very soul, microchip-sized. Slipped it into Sparky’s collar and shooed the mutt away. They would map my neurodrive, but never find me. Even after being dismantled, my other selves would live.

 

[Tricanthos]

Palm Reader

“Let me see your hand.” She said, then reached out and gently turned his hand over.

“The river wraps around the city like this.” Her finger lightly traced the life line of his palm.

“When you get to the confluence pay close attention to the line the polluted water makes with the fresh and follow it. But remember if my past self finds you, you’ll both be ‘Corrected’ and our son will cease to exist.

 

[Cory Swanson]

"...with each note we will honor the spirit..."

“More vibrato. And crescendo to the high point of the phrase in the third bar.”

She tried again as her grandfather adjusted the filters on her gas mask.

“No, not enough. Again, from the top.”

“But I just don't get it peepaw."

“Let the music be your map.”

“But why, of all times, do we need to work on this now?”

“If they take you, child, they can't kill your soul if it is singing.”

 

[hopewrites]

Apocalyptic World
(To the tune of Winter Wonderland)

​

Toxic fog, and gunfire.
Now we run, though we're tired.
Completely afraid,
Tossing grenades,
Escaping from Apocalyptic World.


From the rubble we can build defences,
And pretend that we are all OK.
Hanging on to all of our pretences,
While dissolving into nuclear decay.


O're the hills, and the river
Howling wolves induce shivers.
Then from outer space,
They blasted this place,
Goodbye to our Apocalyptic Wold.
~
Goodbye to our Apocalyptic World.

 

[Hex]

Goodnight Kiss

Your breathing softens into sleep. I smooth your hair.

Not even the cameras watch me here. Maternal love is my biological destiny, after all. Inescapable, thus sacrosanct.

So this is where I commit my sins. Thought. Word. And--

If found, the map's a death sentence. Public hanging in Traitors' Square.

I press my lips to your warm cheek, slip the map beneath your mattress. They won't look here, my darling.

They won't. I'm almost sure.

 

[Ashleyne]

Scratched

The glass dome around our city is splattered with the blood of people trying to claw their way out.

Our city centre appears peaceful. No riots. No looting. After all, what would be the point?

It's all my fault. The city voted for me to sing for them. I missed the high note, and the robots voted me last place. As punishment, our city's scheduled to be wiped of the map.

It's all my fault.

 

[Heijan Xavier]

Swampson Containment Log: Final Entry

I have always scoffed at the absurd rumours that Fedge is descended from Swampsons.

Containment has been achieved and eradication is possible thanks to Fedge, a loyal lieutenant and exceptional cartographer.

Our excursions range deeper into the swamp.

How did he miss this though? A mud and timber fortress relegated to “undulations” on his map?

No time to ponder though. I’m surrounded.

I never thought to question Fedge’s loyalty,

until now,

when it’s too late.

 

[johnnyjet]

"... and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back"

A484 monitored the wall of maps. Since incidents were rare, his job was tedious.

A light blipped in sector 928819; he leaped from his seat. He scanned the location and tapped CALL. A monitor popped up.

A driverless rolled into view. Two youth were scooped, but a third got away. Following a chase, he was vaporized. Foolish youth!

The driverless returned the captured youth to the labor camps.

A484 returned to the maps.

 

[Old_Man_Steve2016]

Pleasure in Dystopia
​

I sit here, at the maglev station, waiting for the train to arrive. Our space colony, Asgardia, crashed here because 4 'HEROIC TEENAGERS' didn't want to work in waste recycling! They started a revolt that led to the colony crashing here on broken New Mars.

I hope they're now being eaten by superworm lords.

The train arrives and I give the postman my letter. I smile, because the postal service still works.

 

[HazelRah]

The Pride of the Proud



"These scent markings appear in a trail." The professor ran his fingers across the map. "Leading... to here."

"Is that his cave?"

"That's my current theory. I believe, if we approach this with enough weaponry, then he may finally surrender his crown."

"We'll need some help, sir. He has got a lot of teeth."

"Scared, are you?" He scoffed. "Well, if it helps, just think of him as an oversized cat."

"It... doesn't help, sir."

 

[Droflet]

CHOICES

Jeff lay in bed staring at the cracked ceiling.

“What’s the point,” he whispered. “A slave has no rights.”

In the beginning people laughed, then got angry, then got scared. Too late we discovered our folly. Seemingly overnight, the Republic fell and the Empire rose.

A politician dangled a carrot and the imperceptive majority bit.

With the map of the human heart torn and bleeding, how would we find our way out of the darkness?

 

[Justin Swanton]

DISCOVERY

“You sure?”

“Yes. This is the place,” said Tillingar.

Torchlight shadows danced on the subterranean concrete walls.

“Through that archway.”

Ergoban followed him uneasily. “Why has no-one else found the marvel?”

Tillingar held the torch up. “The map is in the ancient tongue.”

On the wall was a button with words written below. “I cannot make them out.”

“What now?”

“….we press it.”

The words were faint in the flickering light: SELF-DESTRUCT IN TEN MINUTES.

 

[Parson]

The road map to the end of humanity​

Brian, “Reader for the Hord,” cradled the last Book of Directions. He followed Khan's Pale Horse which led the “Hord of Death” to massacre after massacre as predicted.


Khan lifted binoculars, scanned the horizon, and called Brian.

“Are not four great horses foretold?”

“Yes, my Lord”

“The Pale Horse brings death. What does the White Horse bring?”

“Conquest.”

“Brian, Go negotiate an alliance.”

So Death joined Conquest. The Apocalypse began. All was lost.

 

[VinceK]

The Black Chart

Grog coated stomachs heave, gritty sea spray whips grim faces, masts groan in pain – forced beyond their limit by rigid sails. On we plough.

'Captain!' – over the howling wind.

'Get back to your post!'

'Sir! The black chart is your punishment not ours!'

Wild eyes turn on me, spittle mixed with spray. 'We are all sinners, Lieutenant!'


The bow dives one last time. We are falling.

Glorious silence. No wind, no water – only stars.

 

[Bowler1]

Here be Monsters

Old salty sailors refused to sail with us, making superstitious signs as they turned away. Not that we cared, ours was an expedition of exploration to the edge of the world, where maps gave way to fanciful imaginations of sea beasts and monsters.


I’m the last left now and I know the truth. My world was a lie, an enclosed enclave for an endangered species, surrounded by machines that walk the earth in our place.