June 2018 100 Word Anonymous Challenge - Story Thread

[D3athw4lker]

** PLEASE DO NOT POST STORIES DIRECTLY TO THIS THREAD **

This is the story thread for the June 100 Anon Challenge.

PM your stories to me and I will post them here.


Theme: Growth
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror


Please PM (Private Message) all entries to me (D3athw4lker) and I'll post the entries into this thread. Entries can be sent from now until June 27th.

Once the challenge thread closes, a voting poll will be created where you can vote for your ONE favorite entry. Voting will close the end of the day on June 30th.

There will also be a guessing portion where you can try to match the Anonymous stories with their creators!

To PM me, click my profile and select 'Start a Conversation'. Good luck and have fun.

 

[D3athw4lker]

The curse

I'm still here, watching from the field above her house.

Smoke from chimneys, steam from the train, mist from the river fold about like cold, soft arms. Water runs, air sweeps and the sun brushes forward from behind the white mantle.

Everything travels but me.

She has gone. A gentle touch – so! A quiet word, whispered with intent – 'bark.'

Weeks followed in stiffness and scratching until slowed to root.

Her dog lifts a back leg. She watches on, impassive – has she forgotten?

One day they will regret that. One day we'll break this spell and walk.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Green Summer

Nathan stood on his front porch, listening to the frogs and crickets sing. The night was hot and humid. Moonlight pierced the clouds and painted the hills silver. He wiped sweat off his forehead and swatted away mosquitoes.

The invader rustled under the porch. It had already conquered the spindly pine trees near the fields and was ready to launch its next attack. The crops were poisoned by the human, but it had failed to protect its home.

Nathan felt the first tendril crawl up his leg. He tried to escape, but the enemy was too swift. Kudzu consumed him.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Dr Windows in "Hollis P. Wood's Bloated Cyst"

"You should've visited me sooner. Don't worry, Hollis. I'll remove that carbuncle."

"Thanks, Doctor Wi...hey man, watch that knife."

"Relax." POP! "What the..?" SPLURPT!

RRRRAAARRH!

"Kill it!" SMASH!

"Ceiling vent. Don't get under it!"

"We're going after it."

"We?"

"You brought it here."

"But..."

"If you practiced good hygiene, your growth wouldn't have become dangerously septic."

#

"You take the motion tracker, I'll use the shotgun."

"I want the shotgun."

"No."

"I.." clunk! "Take it doc."

#

"It went this way. There it is! Windows, blast'em!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"You got'em."

#

"Here's your bill."

"RRRRRAARH!" clunk! "Charge, OK?"

"Certainly."

 

[D3athw4lker]

The Carcinoma Cult

The crowd was much larger than I expected. This was madness!

I was here as an observer, an undercover reporter for a world wide Internet news organization. I pretended to be a devoted follower. It wasn't easy. It made me sick.

But I've been in hell holes worse than this. I've been in far more dangerous situations. I could do this.

I waited my turn in the holy queue. As I approached, I kept my eyes averted. I contritely bowed and kissed the giant tumor, their leader.

Later I washed my mouth with antiseptic hoping it was enough.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Home To the Wife



Jeff Miller takes off his tie, enters his bedroom.

A woman screams. Gunfire! A pain in his gut. Miller falls to the floor.

The detective tells his Captain, “Miller faked his own death. Wife didn’t know, heard an intruder, took her dead husband’s revolver from the nightstand and fired in the dark – killing him.”


*
In a graveyard, a pod grows quickly. It takes an odd form – that of a man. Flesh grows, hair. Toes. Hands.

Jeff Miller stands, feeling confused, naked. He’ll find clothes, dress, get home to his wife. All he needs is a good night’s sleep.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Big Bad Barney



When Barney was 2 he was 6 feet and weighed 1 ton.

When Barney was 10 he was 40 feet and 17 tons.

When Barney was 21 he occupied Devon, they tried army assaults and bombers but, as he was the size of Mount Everest, he shrugged them away.

When Barney was 35 the aliens invaded and conquered all, until they arrived in Devon.

A furious behemoth appeared and smashed through their fleet, then bounded around Earth smashing more.

As the survivors fled a final laser missile fatally wounded him.

A double rejoicing was held worldwide.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Parkinson's Lore​

Every time I attended a committee meeting, there were new faces, while established members might well have been replaced with statues.

Always more faces taking more time to make fewer decisions. Never "this is clearly bad and needs changing".

Members of our team had spread to other committees.

The infection had become metastatic, spreading across the body social. Surgery was the only solution. Don't attempt to open the door - the nerve agent has only spared me this long because I took atropine before releasing it - I won't last much longer. Others are dealing with secondary infection hubs.

Finally, a decision.

 

[D3athw4lker]

Such Is Life…

Simmons and his crew are nothing if not cautious. In the three Earth years since Explorer landed on New Eden they’ve run every single test imaginable.

The plant is nothing if not patient. In the three thousand New Eden years since aliens last landed it’s waited for this moment.

Simmons steps out, opens his helmet and breathes the atmosphere of New Eden.

The plant releases a swarm of spores. Simmons inhales just one. It lodges in a lung and divides - again and again. Within minutes Simmons is dead and a new plant is born. Such is life on New Eden.

 

[D3athw4lker]

.A Snake In The Grass.​

Lister “Snakeskin” was not a man people enjoyed the company of.
Was it his scarred, silvery tight flesh that repelled? His sly, black ink eyes? Or that many suspected him to be the Governor’s spy and assassin?

A bit of everything, I suppose. He thought. A sickly smile on his twisted mouth.
However, it suits my purpose.

Greedy eyes peering through the brush, he watched the Governor’s pretty, young wife steal a passionate kiss with the Captain of the guard.

There is always leverage to be found in the acts of men…
And, oh, how business is booming!

 

[D3athw4lker]

The Height of Power​

"First claiming dominion of the earth were Humans, with cunning, intellect and strength. Their many disparate tribes grew into burgeoning empires; borders entwining, armies colliding, as each sought further expansion and power.
"Naively, they fought among themselves for centuries, convinced no greater threat to their claim existed.
"Then came the Giants.
"Taller, stronger and more cunning by far, their invasion ushered in a new era. Sweeping the humans aside, they cultivated new empires from the ashes of the old."

The Titan listened closely to his tribal Elder. The Giants not long vanquished, their fledgling Empire was surely safe, for now…

 

[D3athw4lker]

Stealing Beauty​

Hayley giggles, dancing around the room with her teddy, Fluffy. "I'm so excited. Months of planning..."

Chardonney struggles against her bindings. "Please. I won't tell anyone. It's not too late."

Hayley looks Fluffy square in the eyes. "It's gonna hurt, but you'll comfort me, won't you, Fluffy?"

"Why do you hate me?"

Hayley turns to glare at Chardonney's chest. "I don't. I admire you. I want what you have."

"Everyone'll know."

"Obviously. A few years in prison... it's worth it."

"I'll sell my car; I'll buy you some implants. Please-"

"Implants are fake." She plunges the scalpel. "I want yours."