##Modern Liszt

"Are you going to go out there?" His voice doesn't conceal the demanding nature of the question.

"I will. I just need a few moments." I take several deep breaths before opening the door.

The screams increase until they are all I can hear. The team of body guards can barely keep them away from me. I take two steps backwards out of fear of getting trampled. My manager pushes me.

"Don't be scared, go!" he says. I walk forward through the crowd; the arena entrance is thirty feet away. My head is yanked to the side. Feeling my head, pieces of hair fall out.

"I got it! I got it!" Someone screams. A few people dive at the ground to grab follicles. Multiple hands reach through my bodyguards and feel my body. I begin to weep, and fans hold out their hands to collect my tears. They don't see me as a person; they see me as a receptacle for their love and desire. I am a canvas to project their dreams of a perfect romantic partner.

One scratches my face. When I turn, I see the rage on his face. That's how it always ends with them. Reality is disappointing compared to fantasy. Rather than accept this fact, they grow angry and abuse the disappointment before them. It's strange how I cannot tell the difference between their love and hatred.

When I reach the door, I feel relief. The bodyguards push it shut behind me as a few try to shove their face in for one last look. I am guided to my make-up where I collapse. Closing my eyes, I wish for it all to be over as I enjoy the few moments of solitude.

There's a loud crash behind me. When I turn around, a fan is crawling through the broken glass. Blood spills from her whole body. When she sees me, she flashes a disturbingly large smile. Pushing off the ground, she runs towards me at an inhumane speed.

A bodyguard tackles her before she can get me. Two wrestle to get a hold of her while another two stand in front of the broken window. She shakes her arm at me in attempt to touch me, but all she does fling her blood onto me. When I look back to the mirror, my body takes over. If I am going to survive, I can no longer be present. My only hiding place is inside of me, and I will stay there for the rest of my life.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Skeletal Casus Belli

"Come fair people." Deitre held my right arm gently in his hand. After he pulled it too hard before, it popped out, and I didn't want that to happen again. A group of humans gathered around us. "I have been able to get this foul creature."

I didn't think I was that foul.

"To renounce."

Who told him that I had that problem? Was it my wife?

"His wicked ways."

What? I didn't believe what I was hearing. I pulled my arm away from him and backed up. He held out a hand.

"No, it's alright. I'm here. Don't be afraid," Deitre said.

"I have good reason to be afraid. You're always coming down and attacking us," I replied.

"What is it saying?" a person in the crowd asked.

"Nothing threatening. It's scared."

"I have a name. I told you my name. It's John. I thought you could understand me," I said.

"It's snarls are quite threatening," someone else said.

"I agree. It only knows how to snarl from it's animal like instincts," Deitre said.

"But you understood me earlier. Why are you lying?" I asked.

"It seems angry."

"Calm down." Deitre held out his arms. He bent down and whispered. "It's all part of the plan."

"Plan what plan? You told me that we were going to work out a peace deal." I pointed my hand in rage. Deitre drew his sword.

"I'm warning you," he said.

"What is going on?" Those were my last words. Deitre swung his sword and destroyed me. He chanted over me to ensure that I was never revived.

A woman walked next to Deitre.

"I told you that you were being too naive," she said.

"I thought they were animals. I didn't know they were this evil," Deitre said, "He was going to betray me."

"Exactly, the skeletons will always attack us. They want our life force."

"We must strike first so they can't do it to us."

"Agreed. Let's prepare to strike at dawn."

##Just Desserts

The storm raged at the docks of Henryville (name to be changed later). The fishermen were crafting a statue of the Commander of Commanders Joseph who was supervising from an enclosed cabin on the beach. He sat at a desk underneath a portrait of himself standing triumphantly in the battlefield. Grant was standing to his right. Helga opened the door to the cabin, and the wind and rain burst into the cabin.

“Where were you!” Joseph yelled.

“I was giving the workers some almond cake.”

“Did you use the kitchen supposed to be for my meals?” he asked.

“Of course, you make them work through the night while you stay here in the warmth. The contrast was sickening.” She returned to the kitchen. “I also monitored the progress of your statue. It’s a dollop of concrete that is being destroyed by the rain.”

“I don’t care about the weather. The most important thing is to build more, and your distractions are delaying its completion.” Joseph sat at his desk and growled. There was a knock at the door. Grant ran to open and close it. A fisherman came into the room with crumbs on his lips.

“Sir, may I have a word,” he said.

“What?”

“We are happy to serve you. It’s just-”

“The weather is no excuse.” Joseph preemptively shouted.

“I agree with you. There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. That being said, we could use better clothes beyond the rags we have.” The fisherman shook his head. “Which we will be happy to pay for ourselves.”

“Spit out your question.”

“I wonder if.” The fisherman shook in fear and cold. “It would be better to have trained sculptors on this job. We’re working hard, but we aren’t experts.”

“Sculptors. Why would I want that? They are useless.” Joseph said in a low voice.

“Uh, I don’t understand.”

“It was an accismus. God-King Austin murdered every artist in the country after one made a bad painting of him.” He pointed to the portrait behind him. “I had to travel internationally to get this one done.”

“And it’s magnificent.” The fisherman took a deep breath. “I sympathize with your position. You are clearly in a tough spot, but could we at least go home for the night?”

“What a horrible request.” He pressed a button on the table. Two armed men entered the room. “Take this man outside and execute him. Make him an example to the other workers.”

The two men looked at each other first. They both took an arm and marched him outside. Grant shook his head.

“Sir, what is your goal?” Grant asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? My legacy. That grandiose statue represents my connection to the maritime economy which represents our great country. When it’s complete, the people will remember my glory.”

“You are correct in that the sea is a large part of our culture, but that also creates sympathy for fishermen. Executing and angering them could have dire consequences,” Grant said.

“What is this insubordination?” Joseph asked.

“You’re my fifth dictator, and Helga’s twenty-second. We’ve learned to recognize the signs before a downfall.” Grant walked into the kitchen. “We also know how to cover our asses.”

“What insolence.” Joseph slammed his fists on the table and pulled out his gun. He was ready to attack his servant when the doors opened. The fisherman from earlier walked inside with his back straight. The guards who were supposed to execute him stood on either side. The fishermen stopped working on the statue to form a small crowd with the rest of the armed forces.

“What is the meaning of this?” Joseph asked. The two guards ran forward and disarmed him. They quickly restrained his arms.

“You have been a horrible leader.” The fisherman sat in Joseph’s chair. “Consider this a necessary change.”

Joseph was dragged outside where the entire village was gathered. Old women spat on him. The army who supported him joined the hateful chants. He was brought before his statue which was now a mess of concrete and shot. His body was tossed into the waves. The fisherman from earlier walked to the place where he was shot.

“For far too long we’ve been oppressed.” He shouted, and the thunder emphasized his words. “Consider me a just and righteous ruler, President of the Seas Christopher.”

Grant and Helga were hiding in the kitchen and quickly drafted into the new regime. The President of the Seas lasted for a year before being deposed. In that timeframe, Commander of Commanders Joseph was forgotten except for his hideous statue that he died trying to build. In a way, it did secure his legacy.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Hesa's Children

The people of Bromt watched as the statues of Hesa the first Queen were toppled in every town square. The Grahns spat at them as they did it. Spirits and families were broken. A nation had been broken when Grahnt conquered Ricadlia, and Bromtians were meant to fend for themselves.

The weak-willed ones accepted their fate. Grahns were fair and generous people. Ricadlia had never been good to them, and Bromtians were always slightly different from the rest of the kingdom. To most, these excuses fell on deaf ears.

Others refused to accept their situation. In their homes, they kept figurines of Hesa hidden in their homes. Every day, they stared at it in silent reflection. Hesa was the mother of them all. Though she failed to protect them, she continued to watch and weep.

Children of Hesa formed throughout Bromt. The smallest chapters had five members, but combined, they were a force that couldn't be ignored. Grahns may be enjoying their temporary victory, but the Bromtians will triumph in the end.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for the critique. I've made the changes to improve the phrasing and flow of the piece. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you. Some riddles shall remain unanswered.

Thank you for the high praise, but I don't tend to write part twos for writing prompts.

One might say the sphinx's well-being is...a riddle.

Thank you.

##Puzzling Illness

Iatro washed his hands in the sink as he prepared for the challenge. His assistant told him that this would be his most challenging patient yet. Locking eyes with her, he acquired her respect. The beast flapped its wings and raised a right paw. He grabbed a clipboard and began.

"So when did you start having problems?" Iatro asked.

"When the moon was full, I was happy. When the moon was gone, I was sad. My emotions changed with the night," the Sphinx responded.

"You've given me a two week period. Can you be more specific?"

"Flies danced in the night air, but I couldn't dance. A few days later, the humans celebrated, but I couldn't join them." Iatro wrote on his paper a random date.

"So it looks like you've been in pain for about three weeks. Why did you choose to see me now?"

"I come with the rising of the sun. My smell disturbs all. What am I? Iatro paused for several moments.

"You're vomit. So you're throwing up in the mornings, are you pregnant?" he asked. The Sphinx blinked at him in return. It struggled to think of a response in a riddle form. If it wasn't talking in riddles, it was truly ill.

"My body doesn't have the ability to care for what once was. Joy had been a part of my life in the past but not now."

"Okay, not pregnant and post-menopause." Iatro wrote down the response. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"What do humans have two of, but I have four. What is something that is not right, but is not wrong? A person cannot go backwards, but this does."

"Okay, so you feel pain in your back left paw. Let me see?" Iatro moved to the back. Her paw was slightly red and swollen. He tapped it gently. "Does it hurt when I do that?"

"What do enthused bride-to-be's say?"

"So you had pain in your back left foot, originally wrote it off. Now, it spread to your stomach." Iatro moved around the fur and found a small gash with green coloring. "It looks like you got a cut, and now, it's infected."

Iatro walked to the cabinet and wrote a script. "You should've come in earlier. Take this script to the mage of your choice. Come back in two weeks. If this doesn't work, we may have to amputate it."

"What do children feel when left alone in the dark," the Sphinx said.

"I don't want to do it either, but it's the best we got." He handed the piece of paper to the Sphinx who grabbed it and walked out.

He held still for several moments until he got a call from reception.

"Uh, when do you want to see the Sphinx again?" the woman asked.

"Two weeks."

"Oh, that makes sense. She kept telling riddles referencing a battle royale game. Should've thought of that. Thanks."

"No problem." He hung up and moved onto his next patient, a hydra who couldn't grow back its heads. His life was hard, but it provided value to the world.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Experimental Medicine

Mary sat on the park bench as the sun set behind her, eating a bag of seasoned oyster crackers. A figure wearing a long trench coat and a fedora sat next to her. The figure looked away.

"Did you come alone?" They had a deep raspy voice. Mary nodded her head. "Good. Did you see the story on Dr. Tyler in the City Times?"

"I wrote it."

"You need to issue a correction. Dr. Tyler doesn't just run a clinic for low-income people. He's a sick twisted man who runs experiments on the most desperate."

"How come I've never heard of it?" Mary asked.

"Because we're too ashamed to show ourselves." The figure lifted their head. The face was a woman's with multiple patches of skin sewn to it. Her left eyelid was held shut by a metal rod. Her neck was covered in slash marks. "My whole body is like this."

"Oh my god."

One week later, Mary hid in the bushes by Dr. Tyler's office. He locked the office door behind him as he left none the wiser. She persuaded the building supervisor to give her a master key in exchange for favorable reviews of his other properties. After waiting several minutes, she entered his clinic.

She tried to find a room that she hadn't seen on her previous visit where he tortured people. The first door she checked was a janitor's closet. When she opened it, she discovered a mop and cleaning supplies. The backwall was cracked and pushing it revealed a staircase.

At the bottom of the staircase was a laboratory with a table in the middle of the room. She turned on the light and screamed at the sight of his handiwork. A human body was on the table with its torso cut open. She moved closer to inspect it, and she found it completely hollow. Looking around the room, she saw jaws with internal organs inside of them. In the corner of the room, bones hung on a rack with liquid draining off of them. The scene was too much for her, and she vomited on the floor.

After taking several photos of the gruesome scene, she left in a hurry. In the alley, she collided with Dr. Tyler. He laughed as he helped her up.

"Sorry about that." He tilted his head at her. "Mary, what are you doing here?"

"Monster." She slapped him in the face and ran. Dr. Tyler looked at where she came from and realized she knew his secret. He chased her for several seconds but quickly gave up.

The next morning, Dr. Tyler's sadistic activities were on the front page of the City Times. The police went to his clinic to arrest him, but he disappeared. He left the unfortunate results of his experiments.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Mercy

The four cult members chant with fervor in Koine Greek around their victim. I’m not fluent in it, but I understand one phrase.

“Feed the fire!”

The ritual is on a freight train which makes my job easier. I open the door to the car and shoot them. After tossing them off the rails, they land in the snow leaving flounder shaped blood patterns.

Before leaving I check the sacrificial victim. Still alive, but no doubt going to die soon. I snap the neck. It’s the only mercy I know how to give.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for the compliment.

Lol that's true.

##Blessed Knight

"Alright, I'm ready." Sir Graham sits in the middle of the clearing with his legs and arms tied together. His sword lies in his teeth. Maddox stands over him with new armor, a new shield, and a new spear.

"Are you sure?" Maddox asks.

"Oh, shall I give you time to acquire more friends?" Graham asks.

"No, you already made me get ten people from the pub. I don't even know them," Maddox replies. The rest of the group nods in agreement.

"Nonsense, one against eleven is still weighted in my favor. Why don't you get ten more?" Graham says.

"Excuse me." A man holding a crossbow raises a hand. "I don't even know what's going on here. I'm just a simple farmer. Can I go?"

"Would you be able to live with the dishonor?" Graham asks.

"Yes." The farmer drops the crossbow and runs.

"Looks like you need one more," Graham says.

"This was supposed to be a simple raid." Maddox rubs his eyes. "I was going to startle you with my knife. Then, you scream and hand over your money. If I knew it would be this much work, I wouldn't have attacked."

"Nonsense. I'm going to go fight Yawed, and I need a warmup," Graham says.

"You're going to fight Yawed?" Maddox blinks a few times. "Alone."

"Yes."

"Screw it. We'll be doing you a favor. Let's get him."

The men swarm the incapacitated knight. Graham reacts by spinning in a circle on the ground. A tornado of dust surrounds him blinding his foes. When they can see, they observe a spinning ball with a blade at the end.

"What the hell?" one man asks.

"I should've gone with the farmer." Another man lays down his armor and fleas. As he runs, a stone hits him in the back.

"You missed your chance to surrender," Graham says. Graham continues his spin and strikes at the rest of the opponents' kneecaps with his sword in quick secession leaving Maddox alone. Maddox's legs shake, and he unfortunately wets himself. Graham stops spinning and stands up straight with the ropes that once bound him on the ground.

"Do you yield?" Graham points his sword. Maddox fires a bolt with his crossbow. Graham waves his sword back and forth turning it in sawdust.

"What magic is this?" Maddox asks.

"The magic of training every day for twenty hard years," Graham laughs and throws a small dart. The dart goes over Maddox's shoulder, hits a tree, hits a rock, hits a branch, hits the dirt, and finally strikes Maddox in the neck. Maddox collapses before Graham.

"That must be one hell of a training regiment." Maddox sputters and squirms. "I think I'm paralyzed."

"A fitting end to an opportunistic raider. I hope Yawed is more challenging." As Graham says this, a dragon flies over head with his possessions in a large sack over his shoulder. "Hmm, looks like he's a coward too. No problem." Graham picks up a spear and tosses it in the air. Yawed quickly descends and crashes into the ground. "I hope whatever town he lands in uses his riches wisely."

"Are you even human?" Maddox asks.

"Yes, but I was blessed by the wizard Talor at birth," Graham says.

"That's nonsense," Maddox spits, "If I had known that, I wouldn't have bothered you."

"Too late. Off to my next challenge," Graham walks away. Maddox screams profanities at him while the recruits wail in agony.

r/AstroRideWrites

##Moonlight on the Gun Barrel

I sit next to Brandon on the porch of his farm. The rocking chairs are faulty, and pieces of wood are missing from the floor. There was a roof, but all that remains are pillars. The next owner will have to fully furbish it, but its decayed fashion fits our conversation.

“You don’t have to do this. I’m eighty-two; I could go any day now.” He smiles at me. “Failure isn’t fatal; they just want you to think that.”

“It was for you,” I reply.

“Only after I lived a long life of freedom.” The sun sets over the crops before us. “The hardest part was forgetting. Forgetting is painful when your conscious is heavy.”

“So I’ve heard,” I say.

“May I make a request on the method? Consider a favor to a brother in arms,” he says. I have no fraternal feelings for him, but I nod anyway. “When the moon rises, I want you to shoot me in the head. Get it over.”

“I can do that.” Within a half hour, the moon rises. I pull out my handgun and complete the job. I get in my car and drive off.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for catching my mistakes. Glad you enjoyed the story.

##Promise to Change

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, but what did you do when the mundane was boring?

That was John's affliction. His reality was remarkably dull. The average observer would be fascinated by his mediocrity. He worked as an accountant for a mid-sized company where his performance reviews were neither exceptional nor abysmal. His cooking skills were enough to ensure he was never ravenous, but he didn't enjoy what he ate. He had a small circle of friends, and he had no trouble getting dates with men and women. Though, everyone he dated walked away wanting more excitement.

And John accepted this reality. Life would never provide him with excitement and joy. Apathy was all he could muster. He couldn't hope that it would get better because hope would lead to disappointment. Disappointment was common in his youth when he strived for greatness and fell short so often.

A large part of him wished that the origin of his aloofness wasn't so mundane. In his youth, he imagined that he would suffer a tragic accident on his way home from school. Everyone would cry and support him. His recovery would capture their hearts. Minor setbacks would be large obstacles, and small victories would be grand triumphs. Alas, he was cursed with normalcy, and that was existence.

Until he sat next to that old woman on the bus.

"You have lovely eyes," she said to him. John raised an eyebrow at her.

"Thank you," he replied.

"They remind me of my husband's." The woman began to weep.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

"He died last week, and memories are coming back." She wiped her tears as John patted her on the back.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. When I see you, I can't help but be reminded of the good times I shared with him." She hit herself on the head. "I'm sorry. That was extremely inappropriate."

"No, it's fine. I understand." John moved closer and looked at her. In his heart, emotions began to stir. "I'm sure he was a good man."

"He was a great man. He made every day special. Even when I woke up with the worst moods, a few seconds with him made the world seem okay," she said.

"That sounds amazing." John smiled as emotions stirred within him.

"He was a bit naïve, but in a cynical world, joy is a rare necessity. Would you say you're the same way?" she asked.

"Yes." John lied without hesitation.

"That's good." The bus stopped, and the woman stood up. "This is my start. Thank you for brightening my day."

As she left, John felt his world shift. His lie became a promise. A promise to support others. A promise to see the good in life. A promise to be happy. It was a promise that he would keep.

r/AstroRideWrites

##The Accordion's Corpse

Tyler lies on the ground with a bullet in his chest. His blood leaks onto the carpet. A few feet away from him, an accordion lies broken on the ground. Two inspectors stand over it.

“I’ve never seen an accordion abused this badly before,” Detective O’Bryan says.

“It’s truly a tragedy. How can someone do this to such a beautiful thing? Music makes magnificent melodies. Those melodies brighten people’s lives,” Detective Kozak replies.

“Excuse me. Could one of you call the ambulance?” Tyler lifts his head up.

“We’ll get to you in a second, sir,” Detective O’Bryan says.

“I think I might be able to make it,” Tyler replies.

“Can’t you see we’re in the middle of an investigation. Please give us a moment,” Detective Kozak says.

“Oh my god, I came as soon as I heard.” Mary enters the apartment.

“Mary, it’s so nice to see you,” Tyler says. Mary walks to the officers and steps on Tyler’s chest. “Damnit.”

“Who could’ve done such a thing?” Mary stands over the accordion.

“We don’t know. Cruel criminals create cheerful chaos. I expect whoever did this was a monster,” Detective Kozak says.

“I know who did it. It was Bob from downstairs,” Tyler says.

“Sir, this is a crime scene. Please be quiet,” Detective O’Bryan says.

“Really honey, you must stop being so impetuous,” Mary says.

“Should we bring it to the lab for testing?” Detective Kuzak asks.

“I don’t know. Movement might destroy it further,” Detective O’Bryan says.

“It was made in France in 1920 from caoutchouc. Truly a loss for the world,” Mary says.

“Wow, you’re a lucky woman for being in the presence of such an artifact,” Detective Kuzak says.

“I was the one who bought it.” Tyler yells and begins to choke as blood fills his mouth.

“Be quiet. Stop being so needy.” Detective Kuzak screams and slams his fist on the accordion, breaking it further. Detective Kuzak gasps when he realizes what he has done. “Oh no.” He crouches on the flood and holds up the remains.

“Nooooo.” Mary breaks down in tears.

“The wind cried again today as heaven lost an angel,” Detective O’Bryan says.

“I’m a monster.” Detective Kuzak’s hands shake.

“Screw every single one of you.” Tyler spits out blood for the last time as he dies on the floor. Detective O’Bryan, Detective Kuzak, and Mary all look at his corpse for several seconds before shrugging and continuing to weep over the destroyed accordion.

r/AstroRideWrites

Thank you for the prompt. Glad you enjoyed it.

Yep, you're right.

Thanks. I tried to avoid being too obvious.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.