#28: May Table of Doom
Title: You're on Fire
Lyric(s) Used: You're hard to get to know/ But you're easy to spot in a crowd
Word Count: 317
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: She recognizes an old friend in the crowd.
I knew it was him from a mile away. I was walking through Times Square with some friends. Usually I try to avoid the tourist traps, but my friend wanted to buy something from Toys R Us. I’m pretty sure there’s one in Brooklyn, but I didn’t argue. It was nice to go to the city and see something different for a change. We had just reached the entrance when I saw him out of the corner of my eye.
“You know what?” I glanced at my friends. “You guys go into the store and I’m gonna wait outside.”
“Are you sure? This is the whole reason we came,” Rachel gave me a look. I doubted she really cared, she was just curious.
“Yeah, I’ll be right out here. It’s so nice out.”
“OK,” she shrugged and went into the store.
I quickly turned around and glanced through the crowd. There he was, with his bright red hair. I ducked through the hoards of people, trying to catch up to him. “Usher!” I called.
He looked around and finally spotted me. We were still about half a block apart and everyone was looking at us. Usher frowned at me. As I got closer, he asked, “Who are you?”
“You don’t remember me? My name is Hannah. We went to high school together.”
He studied me for a moment. “Oh yeah, maybe. Were you on the lacrosse team?”
“Um, no.”
“Sorry,” he shrugged. “I have to get going, but it was nice to see you again. Maybe I’ll look you up on facebook or something.”
I just nodded and tried to smile. I didn’t feel like explaining that we were already friends on facebook. I knew that connection meant nothing to some people. As he walked away, I couldn’t help thinking how I'd had a crush on him in high school and now, he couldn’t even remember who I was.
Title: Black Ops
Lyric(s) Used: It's been a long year/ We've been so far from home
Word Count: 290
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): man/ woman
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A couple thinks about missing Brooklyn.
I looked up at the lighted tower on the other end of the Coney Island boardwalk. It had been a long time since I’d been here and I didn’t remember it being this developed. The last time I was here, the tiny amusement park was still trying to catch its breath while the city moved on without it. I remember going up in the rusty little observation tower, looking at the fading attractions. There was nothing to see in Coney Island. It was a dying relic of the past.
Now that couldn’t be further from the truth. I looked around at the brand new merry go round, the roller coasters, and the concession stands. I felt like I was in rollercoaster tycoon. Everything had been designed perfectly. I glanced over at Mark, feeling a little lost. “I can’t believe we’re really here. Everything seems so different.”
He just nodded. “It’s true. We’ve been away for too long.”
“What would you think of moving back to Brooklyn?”
He looked up at me and just rose an eyebrow. He chuckled. “Are you serious?”
“Well, why not? We used to live here.”
“That was so long ago. I thought you hated the city.”
“I never said I hated it. This used to be our home. I know we’ve moved on, but it feels weird. Everything keeps changing and I feel like I’m missing out.”
“Things change everywhere. You don’t have to live in Brooklyn to see that.”
I sighed. “You’re right. I’m just feeling nostalgic.” I couldn’t help thinking of the new carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park or the Highline or a thousand things that change in the city all the time. There was no way to stop the evolution of a city.
Title: Circular Karate Chop
Lyric(s) Used: Outsource your feelings.
Word Count: 221
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: the future of technology is to not to feel anything.
We got the idea from 3D printing. Now you could print anything from a miniature robot to an artificial limb in the comfort of your own home. If you could make anything, why couldn’t you do the opposite and give things away? We came up with the idea to get rid of the thing people hate more than anything. Their emotions.
It looked like a DVR with a microphone attached. The idea was simple. You just said something into the mic and it processed the thought for you. No need to react to anything, you just let the machine respond instead.
For example, you could say, “It’s raining.”
The machine would whirr and think about that for a while with its powerful processor. After a minute, it would say something like, “You should probably wear rainboots.”
That is just a simple example. Of course some things are more complicated, like “my dog died,” or “my friend just stole my lunch money.”
The machine would take a little longer, but it would always have a clever response. For example, if your friend stole your lunch money, it would reply, “You should probably get a new friend.”
Using this method, you never had to think. Just press a button and the machine would come up with a solution. It was almost too easy.
Title: Tesla
Lyric(s) Used: Maybe that knowledge would drive one insane/ How can that knowledge be tamed?
Word Count: 203
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: Contemplating common core math.
I stared at the paper in front of me. The numbers were all very familiar, but together, they told a story that I couldn’t interpret. “This makes no sense.”
John just chuckled, “It’s not that hard. Actually, it makes perfect sense to me.”
“Please explain it to me.” I never thought I would ask my second grader to explain his math homework, but these common core questions made no sense.
John pointed to the first problem. “OK, just try to follow along. I thought you were the mathematician.”
“I am!” I had to smile, math is basically all I did all day as an accountant. Some people might find it boring, but it gives me a certain satisfaction when I solve a particularly difficult question.
“So you should understand.” He started trying to explain the problem to me, but the logic behind it made no sense. Something about adding by 5s and 10s because that’s what you do in real life. I just add and subtract things in my head.
I kept studying the problem, wondering if I was missing some angle or something. I couldn’t understand it and it was driving me crazy. I wasn’t used to being stumped by basic math.
Title: Hive Mind
Lyric(s) Used: hive mind/ hive mind
Word Count: 202
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A different race must stick together.
We go everywhere together. We are in the same classes, wear the same outfits, practically even breath together. That is how it’s been since we were born. We’ve been taught to stay together ever since I can remember. Think and act as one. It’s the safest way.
Maybe it’s because we live among strangers. They can be the nicest people, but the truth is, they are not like us. We look just like them, but everything else is different. They could never understand our history and our differences.
We came from our planet hundreds of years ago. It is not a secret among the earthlings, but most of them think it is just a myth. They might think we are weird or different, but they do not think we are actually aliens. Of course only our race knows the truth.
We have taken refuge on this planet because it is the only safe place left. And to remain safe, we must remain separate from the natives of earth. We must remain together. That is how it was on our home planet and that’s how it will always be until we can return. We remain united, hoping one day we can be free.
Title: There
Lyric(s) Used: There/ near the borderline/ right between two countries
Word Count: 253
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): Lawrence/ Lily
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: They get lost on the way to Niagara Falls.
“We’re looking for Niagara Falls.” Lily actually blushed.
“You see, we’re not from around here.” Lawrence leaned over Lily towards the toll booth. “I tried to put it into my smart phone and it won’t connect. I don’t know what’s wrong. Do you not believe in cell phone service in Canada or something?”
“He’s just being silly,” Lily chuckled, slightly embarrassed at how abrasive Lawrence was being.
“No, it’s OK,” The toll booth operator shook her head. “Sometimes people can only get roaming signals up here. It messes up the GPS. Anyway, all you wanna do is turn right at the fork up ahead and follow the signs to the parking lot. You can’t miss it.”
Lily just nodded, “Thanks so much.” She started to follow the directions and she glanced at Lawrence. “You didn’t have to be so mean to her. She just collects money.”
“Well, I want to get to Niagara Falls. How am I gonna get there if my phone doesn’t even work?”
Lily sighed and followed the signs to the parking lot. She easily pulled into an empty spot. “It doesn’t matter. We made it anyway.”
Lawrence was still upset as they got out of the car and headed towards the falls. He needed to be able to check his phone and there was still no service. Reluctantly, he looked over the ledge and down at the water falling majestically into the river below. It was unbelievable. “Yeah, I guess this is worth coming to another country,” he smirked.
Title: Replicant
Lyric(s) Used: You’ve got his eyes/ same exact smile
Word Count: 226
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A wife and mother is reminded of what she lost.
It was terrible, but there came a point when I couldn’t even look at him.
He would tell me a joke, give a little smile and I had to just look away.
It wasn’t his fault. He was only seven years old.
I tried to enjoy the little moments. I taught him how to ride a two wheeled bike in one hour. I thought that was pretty amazing. He played soccer and he was the one of the only kids to score a goal. I cheered along with everyone, but I still felt lost and distracted. Everything he did reminded me of his father.
He was reading a book with me one night and he looked up at me when he didn’t know the word and I almost lost it. I should have been amazed at his ability. Instead I just thought about what I had lost.
We had all been in the car on the way back home from dinner at our favorite restaurant. Our boy was fast asleep in the back seat. My husband was driving. Some jerk ran a red light and you can guess what happened next. Everyone walked away without a scratch, except my husband. It all could have been avoided so easily. Now I have an eternal reminder of what I’ve lost... and hope for the future of the remainder.
Title: Great
Lyric(s) Used: I’m going downtown/ to get used up
Word Count: 239
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A paint can prepares to go downtown to get used up. IDEK.
“Max!” Mom shouted at me from downstairs.
I was just about to come down. I looked at her as I started going down the steps. “What?”
She was looking up at me, looking like she was going to cry or something. “Are you ready, Max?”
“Yes, mom,” I sighed.
She studied me carefully. “Are you sure they mixed everything the right way? They used Crimson 100?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I checked it myself.” I didn’t tell her that I asked the guy at the store a few times to make sure and I even asked to see the label on the can he used. He was annoyed at me, but I’m sure it wasn’t the first time he’d gotten bugged like that.
Our eyes met. She looked at me for a long moment. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe the day has finally come…”
“I’ll be OK, mom. I’m just going downtown.”
“I know. I’m just nervous.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be home tonight.”
Finally she let me go. As I left the house, I had to admit that I was nervous myself. This was a once in a lifetime thing. I would never be the same after this.
I got on the bus and went downtown. Their eyes lit up when they saw me. “It’s perfect!” They said.
They used me to literally paint the town red… and after that night, I was nothing but an empty paint can.
Lyric(s) Used: You're hard to get to know/ But you're easy to spot in a crowd
Word Count: 317
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: She recognizes an old friend in the crowd.
I knew it was him from a mile away. I was walking through Times Square with some friends. Usually I try to avoid the tourist traps, but my friend wanted to buy something from Toys R Us. I’m pretty sure there’s one in Brooklyn, but I didn’t argue. It was nice to go to the city and see something different for a change. We had just reached the entrance when I saw him out of the corner of my eye.
“You know what?” I glanced at my friends. “You guys go into the store and I’m gonna wait outside.”
“Are you sure? This is the whole reason we came,” Rachel gave me a look. I doubted she really cared, she was just curious.
“Yeah, I’ll be right out here. It’s so nice out.”
“OK,” she shrugged and went into the store.
I quickly turned around and glanced through the crowd. There he was, with his bright red hair. I ducked through the hoards of people, trying to catch up to him. “Usher!” I called.
He looked around and finally spotted me. We were still about half a block apart and everyone was looking at us. Usher frowned at me. As I got closer, he asked, “Who are you?”
“You don’t remember me? My name is Hannah. We went to high school together.”
He studied me for a moment. “Oh yeah, maybe. Were you on the lacrosse team?”
“Um, no.”
“Sorry,” he shrugged. “I have to get going, but it was nice to see you again. Maybe I’ll look you up on facebook or something.”
I just nodded and tried to smile. I didn’t feel like explaining that we were already friends on facebook. I knew that connection meant nothing to some people. As he walked away, I couldn’t help thinking how I'd had a crush on him in high school and now, he couldn’t even remember who I was.
Title: Black Ops
Lyric(s) Used: It's been a long year/ We've been so far from home
Word Count: 290
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): man/ woman
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A couple thinks about missing Brooklyn.
I looked up at the lighted tower on the other end of the Coney Island boardwalk. It had been a long time since I’d been here and I didn’t remember it being this developed. The last time I was here, the tiny amusement park was still trying to catch its breath while the city moved on without it. I remember going up in the rusty little observation tower, looking at the fading attractions. There was nothing to see in Coney Island. It was a dying relic of the past.
Now that couldn’t be further from the truth. I looked around at the brand new merry go round, the roller coasters, and the concession stands. I felt like I was in rollercoaster tycoon. Everything had been designed perfectly. I glanced over at Mark, feeling a little lost. “I can’t believe we’re really here. Everything seems so different.”
He just nodded. “It’s true. We’ve been away for too long.”
“What would you think of moving back to Brooklyn?”
He looked up at me and just rose an eyebrow. He chuckled. “Are you serious?”
“Well, why not? We used to live here.”
“That was so long ago. I thought you hated the city.”
“I never said I hated it. This used to be our home. I know we’ve moved on, but it feels weird. Everything keeps changing and I feel like I’m missing out.”
“Things change everywhere. You don’t have to live in Brooklyn to see that.”
I sighed. “You’re right. I’m just feeling nostalgic.” I couldn’t help thinking of the new carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park or the Highline or a thousand things that change in the city all the time. There was no way to stop the evolution of a city.
Title: Circular Karate Chop
Lyric(s) Used: Outsource your feelings.
Word Count: 221
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: the future of technology is to not to feel anything.
We got the idea from 3D printing. Now you could print anything from a miniature robot to an artificial limb in the comfort of your own home. If you could make anything, why couldn’t you do the opposite and give things away? We came up with the idea to get rid of the thing people hate more than anything. Their emotions.
It looked like a DVR with a microphone attached. The idea was simple. You just said something into the mic and it processed the thought for you. No need to react to anything, you just let the machine respond instead.
For example, you could say, “It’s raining.”
The machine would whirr and think about that for a while with its powerful processor. After a minute, it would say something like, “You should probably wear rainboots.”
That is just a simple example. Of course some things are more complicated, like “my dog died,” or “my friend just stole my lunch money.”
The machine would take a little longer, but it would always have a clever response. For example, if your friend stole your lunch money, it would reply, “You should probably get a new friend.”
Using this method, you never had to think. Just press a button and the machine would come up with a solution. It was almost too easy.
Title: Tesla
Lyric(s) Used: Maybe that knowledge would drive one insane/ How can that knowledge be tamed?
Word Count: 203
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: Contemplating common core math.
I stared at the paper in front of me. The numbers were all very familiar, but together, they told a story that I couldn’t interpret. “This makes no sense.”
John just chuckled, “It’s not that hard. Actually, it makes perfect sense to me.”
“Please explain it to me.” I never thought I would ask my second grader to explain his math homework, but these common core questions made no sense.
John pointed to the first problem. “OK, just try to follow along. I thought you were the mathematician.”
“I am!” I had to smile, math is basically all I did all day as an accountant. Some people might find it boring, but it gives me a certain satisfaction when I solve a particularly difficult question.
“So you should understand.” He started trying to explain the problem to me, but the logic behind it made no sense. Something about adding by 5s and 10s because that’s what you do in real life. I just add and subtract things in my head.
I kept studying the problem, wondering if I was missing some angle or something. I couldn’t understand it and it was driving me crazy. I wasn’t used to being stumped by basic math.
Title: Hive Mind
Lyric(s) Used: hive mind/ hive mind
Word Count: 202
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A different race must stick together.
We go everywhere together. We are in the same classes, wear the same outfits, practically even breath together. That is how it’s been since we were born. We’ve been taught to stay together ever since I can remember. Think and act as one. It’s the safest way.
Maybe it’s because we live among strangers. They can be the nicest people, but the truth is, they are not like us. We look just like them, but everything else is different. They could never understand our history and our differences.
We came from our planet hundreds of years ago. It is not a secret among the earthlings, but most of them think it is just a myth. They might think we are weird or different, but they do not think we are actually aliens. Of course only our race knows the truth.
We have taken refuge on this planet because it is the only safe place left. And to remain safe, we must remain separate from the natives of earth. We must remain together. That is how it was on our home planet and that’s how it will always be until we can return. We remain united, hoping one day we can be free.
Title: There
Lyric(s) Used: There/ near the borderline/ right between two countries
Word Count: 253
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): Lawrence/ Lily
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: They get lost on the way to Niagara Falls.
“We’re looking for Niagara Falls.” Lily actually blushed.
“You see, we’re not from around here.” Lawrence leaned over Lily towards the toll booth. “I tried to put it into my smart phone and it won’t connect. I don’t know what’s wrong. Do you not believe in cell phone service in Canada or something?”
“He’s just being silly,” Lily chuckled, slightly embarrassed at how abrasive Lawrence was being.
“No, it’s OK,” The toll booth operator shook her head. “Sometimes people can only get roaming signals up here. It messes up the GPS. Anyway, all you wanna do is turn right at the fork up ahead and follow the signs to the parking lot. You can’t miss it.”
Lily just nodded, “Thanks so much.” She started to follow the directions and she glanced at Lawrence. “You didn’t have to be so mean to her. She just collects money.”
“Well, I want to get to Niagara Falls. How am I gonna get there if my phone doesn’t even work?”
Lily sighed and followed the signs to the parking lot. She easily pulled into an empty spot. “It doesn’t matter. We made it anyway.”
Lawrence was still upset as they got out of the car and headed towards the falls. He needed to be able to check his phone and there was still no service. Reluctantly, he looked over the ledge and down at the water falling majestically into the river below. It was unbelievable. “Yeah, I guess this is worth coming to another country,” he smirked.
Title: Replicant
Lyric(s) Used: You’ve got his eyes/ same exact smile
Word Count: 226
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A wife and mother is reminded of what she lost.
It was terrible, but there came a point when I couldn’t even look at him.
He would tell me a joke, give a little smile and I had to just look away.
It wasn’t his fault. He was only seven years old.
I tried to enjoy the little moments. I taught him how to ride a two wheeled bike in one hour. I thought that was pretty amazing. He played soccer and he was the one of the only kids to score a goal. I cheered along with everyone, but I still felt lost and distracted. Everything he did reminded me of his father.
He was reading a book with me one night and he looked up at me when he didn’t know the word and I almost lost it. I should have been amazed at his ability. Instead I just thought about what I had lost.
We had all been in the car on the way back home from dinner at our favorite restaurant. Our boy was fast asleep in the back seat. My husband was driving. Some jerk ran a red light and you can guess what happened next. Everyone walked away without a scratch, except my husband. It all could have been avoided so easily. Now I have an eternal reminder of what I’ve lost... and hope for the future of the remainder.
Title: Great
Lyric(s) Used: I’m going downtown/ to get used up
Word Count: 239
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: A paint can prepares to go downtown to get used up. IDEK.
“Max!” Mom shouted at me from downstairs.
I was just about to come down. I looked at her as I started going down the steps. “What?”
She was looking up at me, looking like she was going to cry or something. “Are you ready, Max?”
“Yes, mom,” I sighed.
She studied me carefully. “Are you sure they mixed everything the right way? They used Crimson 100?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I checked it myself.” I didn’t tell her that I asked the guy at the store a few times to make sure and I even asked to see the label on the can he used. He was annoyed at me, but I’m sure it wasn’t the first time he’d gotten bugged like that.
Our eyes met. She looked at me for a long moment. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe the day has finally come…”
“I’ll be OK, mom. I’m just going downtown.”
“I know. I’m just nervous.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be home tonight.”
Finally she let me go. As I left the house, I had to admit that I was nervous myself. This was a once in a lifetime thing. I would never be the same after this.
I got on the bus and went downtown. Their eyes lit up when they saw me. “It’s perfect!” They said.
They used me to literally paint the town red… and after that night, I was nothing but an empty paint can.