Fantasy
A gift from nowhere
A gift from nowhere A day when everything changed. I came home from a visit to the supermarket alcohol isle. As I walked down the path, I could hear a very odd whirring noise and got a shock when a drone suddenly shot up from my front doorstep and flew over my head and away out of sight. Left behind was a box. I was not expecting delivery of anything, and unsolicited goods do not arrive by drone, not in my experience anyway. Mysteries belong in fictional films and books, not on my doorstep. I walked round the offending object and unlocked the door, carefully placed my purchases into the hall then went back for the package. It was not very heavy, but I guessed that by the fact that a drone had delivered it, a common or garden battery operated propeller drone, not a bit of military kit. There was nothing written or printed on the outside of the box, not even my name or address. No return address, no makers name, no courier reference number, or bar code. It was clean and blank, devoid of information. How had, whoever controlled the drone, get it to land on my step, and rather more to the point why? Was it meant for someone else, and the GPS navigation had glitched a post code? I carried it to my kitchen, my mind racing through ever more fanciful and farfetched possibilities, including was it meant to blow up when I opened it, or did it contain anthrax laden dust? There was no reason why anyone should want me dead, may be an ex-wife or two but they would like to witness my ending not use remote gadgets, so I started to open it, then a further thought came; maybe not meant for me and I would be accidental, collateral, damage in someone else’s vendetta. I considered calling the police, but they are not particularly friendly to me and anyway what do I report? I have an unsolicited gift; I do not know what it is or where it came from. I did not see this making top of the urgent list. I decided to be really scientific about this mystery and set my phone video recorder going while I opened the box, it would probably have been better if I had not then got between the phone and the box, but I opened it. Inside was a lot of soft tissue paper then some Styrofoam which was in two moulded halves, which held a strange looking gadget about the same overall size, shape, and weight of a smart phone. It did not appear to have a screen, so if a new type of cell phone it was a strange one. Nothing ventured nothing gained, so I picked up the gadget, searched the rest of the box for instruction or anything that may help. Nothing. I was turning the gadget over in my hands when suddenly it started to emit a faint buzz, being the hero that I am, I promptly dropped it and backed away. The buzz stopped; everything went silent. I picked it up again and waited. The warmth from my hands must have triggered something because the buzz started again, reassured by the fact that dropping it would turn it off, I became bolder and kept turning it over while I searched for any sort of opening, switch, anything. Actually, I had no idea what to look for, but I was looking. I was holding the gadget in my left hand while I tried to think of something that might open it. I thought of looking up on the web. As this thought came into my mind the computer in the corner several feet away came to life and the browser started to search. I dropped the gadget in surprise and the computer promptly shut down again. This was way out of my comfort zone but since nothing had caused me pain, yet. I bravely picked up the gadget and thought about turning my TV on, it came on! I thought about a change of channel and the channel changed. The ultimate remote, not even have to press a button. I thought about turning the overhead light on, it came on. The sense of strangeness was overcome by the flood of possibilities. I sat and explored the distance this thing gave my thoughts. I turned lights on and off upstairs without leaving my kitchen, I turned the garden lights on and off and they were thirty feet away. I tried placing the gadget on the table then thinking to activate light, nothing worked I had to be holding this thing. I looked to see if it had a charging port, although later I realised without a charger that fitted this, it would not have done me any good. The outer surface felt like an egg not slippery and shiny but smooth and comfortable. I slipped it into my jacket pocket and found the connection only worked if I had skin contact with it.
By Peter Rose4 years ago in Fiction
Seeing Red
Alex O’Reilly heard the buzzing sound of a drone outside his Dublin flat, and a gentle thud as something landed on his doorstep. He was in the middle of an email, a steaming cup of black coffee by him. He grumbled and got to his feet. With the rash of robberies in the neighborhood, he knew he should get the package in. He cursed silently. It was a good size package and a bit heavy. He looked it over, looking for shipping information. He cursed softly. Idiots! The package wasn’t even addressed to him. It was for a house a block away. He put the box on the kitchen counter, and slowly finished his coffee and his email. As he finished his last sip, Alex heard something.
By M.W. Whitaker4 years ago in Fiction
Eli's Project
The shadows of a building are helpful when you are trying to hide, and tonight, the moving shadow of the young woman was very concerned about sticking to the darkness. Sarha slunk along, carefully avoiding the large circles of light underneath the parking lot poles. Moving as fast as she dared through the damp puddles, with the outer wall of the building at her back, her golden eyes were darting to and fro, scanning in front, behind, and all around her. Where WAS he?? She HAD to get off this Dock and away from the Port. She had to find the Greyhound station to get her to Vegas. But she had no idea where she was concerning the gate, entrance, or any other way out. She should never have come here. She should have just saved up the extra money and flown into Vegas Airport like any other normal person. But she had thought it might be fun to travel a bit. To see Los Angeles before going north to Nevada. LOTS of college-age people, all over the world, backpack, hike, travel by bus, or hitchhike. And when she found out that passage on the ship was ½ the price of airfare, well, it made the decision very simple. But, "Hindsight is 20/20" and all that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. That was a Fomorian at the Ship. She knew it. As soon as they made eye contact, she SAW him and she was certain that he SAW her. He had screwed up everything. But why and how could a Fomorian be in this place, escorting the passengers off the ship, in the transport van? This was supposed to be a secure place of safe passage. What was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime had just become way too adventurous.
By Angela Mabry4 years ago in Fiction
Something Out of the Water
Thunk!! Alan James sat up in bed, startled by the loud noise. "What the hell was that?" Alan had finally been able to get away from work for a week to spend time on his sailboat on the lake. No deadlines, no nagging, insufferable bosses, no traffic. It had been far too long since he had been able to relax like this.
By jason grace4 years ago in Fiction
Ancient Punishment That Still Exists Today
A man, blood dripping from his nose, pleads with his captors not to be subjected to their notorious welcoming. He breathes heavily as he gets down on his knees. His heart pounds; tears stream down his cheeks. In this case, the welcome will end in his death. That is a true story and it happened not too long ago, so don’t go thinking the torture we have for you today is dead and gone like many forms of brutality we have talked about in the past. The Welcome Parade from time to time still leaves its mark on this world, but first, we should look at where it came from.
By Jayveer Vala4 years ago in Fiction
Open Up, Let the Light In
Had a nation existed within the entire world who was not hostile and oppressive to his people, Elliot would have walked there by now. He imagined that such a place could never exist in the world because of the tension they caused. Everywhere they went, someone was there to oppress them. For the past century their plight had been the worst it ever had been. From a kingdom that, although small, had influence over the entire world, to desolation and rubble. The Luxan people were miserable, enslaved in the land they once ruled. Their history was disappearing but some still kept hope that everything would return to normal like a prophecy said. Few still lived who remembered it other than his family. Not even grandchildren of those who lived in the age of peace still live now.
By Mason Walters4 years ago in Fiction
Twin Souls
Chapter One: A Thorny Truth The enormous ruby dragon peered down at the altar, seeing to his surprise a human child, no older than two or three of their years, sitting by a crude fire. The child was staring into the flames as if in a trance, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was strangely alone on this old afternoon, with neither care nor caretaker in sight. The boy suddenly hiccupped and the dragon gave a nervous start, adjusting his weight slightly on the cliff overlooking the forest as he considered his options.
By Insinq Datum4 years ago in Fiction
A Dragon's Promise
Chapter 1: A King’s Downfall The light, though forceful beat against my eyelids to be met with no answer. My heavy skin offered no entrance to the sun's rays, persuasive though they were. I patiently rested and dreamed those wakeful dreams one often lulls into before sleep. Humans pay no mind to this state, but for I, a Dragon, it was here where I could truly rest.
By DreamSeeker4 years ago in Fiction
