Probably Obsessive Fiction

A blog for fiction both mine and yours. I plan on posting my own stories on Wednesday each week.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

Dreams

The skull sits there its black eyes staring deep into your eyes. You try to look away, but you can’t, you try to move but you realize your tied down by your wrists and ankles. It’s getting closer…and closer. As it does the eyes seem to be changing. From black to white, then pupils form. The iris starts to appear going from white to brown.

Those look like my eyes

Around the eyes the skull starts to gain skin, your trying to escape your bindings but they only grow tighter. The skulls eyes are now surrounded by skin and even its nose is starting to change.

Beep Beep Beep

Your alarm goes off, you can feel the bindings unwrap themselves. Your body being pulled away from the skull and back to your world. You wake up with a start but soon calm down as you repeat to yourself

“It was just a dream…just a dream.”

Still repeating this to yourself you head to the bathroom to get ready for work.

Beep

“what was that?”

You look back into the bedroom at your alarm, but you had turned it off. You turn back to the bathrooms mirror. There it is…the skull. Its staring deep into your eyes. The skull is changing, growing skin. As it does you realize your face feels weird…

“No, no…”

You start to say as you realize that it doesn’t feel weird. It doesn’t feel like anything at all. Now you are staring into an exact duplicate of your face, but you know it’s the skull.

Beep

The skull starts to form a body, looking down you realize your entire body is starting to lose skin.

beep

You hear the alarm, but it’s getting quieter and quieter. The skull has now fully transformed into you. He just smiles and tips an imaginary hat before stepping out. Out of the bathroom and into your life.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Tree

It can be seen from miles away, but no one dares to for long.

A single glance at its leafless form and you can feel death’s grasp on your heart.

As your eyes lock onto its black branches your heart flutters.

Your eyes travel down its skull inlaid trunk, as your breaths start to shudder.

You can see the ground underneath the tree strewn with the dead, as your body grows cold.

It calls to you as your final breath leaves your body.

And your body becomes one with its roots,

as have thousands of unfortunate souls before you.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Hidden Mind of the Disfunctional

As I wake up I hear that voice. Even though all it says is good morning, what 'it' is is so much more important. It is a constant reminder of how I'm different, of how I can never do what everyone else can do. About how I am weak while everyone else is strong.

When I put my feet on the ground I can feel the nice soft carpet, but it's not really me. No it's 'It', it makes me feel the carpet and it makes me feel the air from the fan on my face. Even though I know It's just a machine it still feels like it's laughing at me. It feels like every step I take and every breath I breath it is silently mocking me forever and always.

Even when I go downstairs to see my ever loving family that feeling doesn't go away. As I sit at breakfast with them and none of them meet my eyes a dozen excuses go through my mind as to why but I know them for what they are. They are just random nonsense I tell myself to make me believe that my family still loves me.

As I leave the house to go catch the bus with both the weight of my silent demon that is It and the truth of my family. It only seems to get worse. I see so many people around some normal some upgraded. But the difference is that they are happy and I am not. And that their upgrade was out of boredom and mine was out of necessity

I get on the bus and instead of the happy smile I see the driver giver every other passenger all I see is a sad smile with pity in his eyes. I try to ignore it but I just can't, and as I move to my seat I see them all staring at me. Some with pity some with laughter, no matter the way they look at me I know they all see me as a lesser creature.

As my stop arrives and I get off the bus a wave of fear hits me. Because even though my family doesn't love me and the other bus passengers silently pity and laugh at me what's even worse is the school. It's full of people who mock me for something I can't control, but what's even worse then that is the people that feign friendship. The ones that try to hang out with me but when I look them in the face all I see is fake smiles and pity in their eyes for the little kid that couldn't. The teachers don't help either, they give me good grades that I don't deserve because they feel sorry for me. All that does is add another word for the bullies to call me.

Thankfully, today is the day the perfect day. As I leave the school nobody is on the street I use to get home. There are no hover cars in the driveways, and no kids in the street. All I hear is the calming sound of distant machinery. But even that soon becomes sour because It is here with me always. Mocking me because of something I can't control.

I go into my house and it is empty, as empty as my head is about to be. As I open the door to the bathroom I see the drugs right there. But then a part of me I didn't even know existed awoke. And it was angry, angry at all the people in our life but even more at me. Because I had let it get me down. I realized then that no matter how much I was pitied or laughed at it didn't matter. No matter that my family didn't love me. No matter that for me to understand this world I needed It. All that mattered was that I loved myself and I had a will to live

[probablyobsessivefiction]

Karak

In the mountains lies the Great City Of Karak.

Oh Karak, how you aspire to reach godhood. Your city is as beautiful as it is productive and yet it's legacy sits on the graves of innocents.

Oh Karak, how you taunt the gods as you sit there above a bottomless ravine.

Oh Karak, with your artistic creations and your terrifying arts of war. You do spurn the gods.

Oh Karak, how you arm yourselves against death. Against the oncoming tide of nothingness.

May you forever be remembered for your deeds.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Aftermath

As Gralasefs hand reaches out so does his Shaktly, the elite guard of he who sits on the Throne of Bones.

________

Gralasef charged the Throne of Blooms with his fearsome army behind him. Massive greatsword in hand, pride on his mind; Gralasef abandoned all thought, for ferocity only found in the darkest of demons.

Even with her power so true and beautiful, Mother Nature knew she could not save her creations. Without a thought for herself, she released her true power. Locking both herself and Gralasef deep in the bowels of the world.

___

Even with them locked away for thousands of years we can still feel the echoes of their legendary battle throughout the world.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The King of Bones

Out reaches the massive hand of Gralasef. The king of the giants who sat upon the throne of bones. From there he ruled his people with an unyielding might and unparalleled strength.

As he was strong so were his people. With their strength united no force could stop them.

With King Gralasef at the head of his army he set his sights on the throne of blooms. With its fragile beauty so effervescent it taunted him. With its power being like meat to a starved lion. He charged ravenously at the throne of blooms with but a single thought.

________

To rip Mother Nature from her throne and decimate all she makes whole.

[bookmania]

Seven years after, I see you again 😚

[scripturient-manipulator]

Guys this completely changed my writing, heed it. I often do an entire draft just looking at sentence variation and oftentimes the results are absolutely transformative in the difference.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Book of Beasts

A massive book that tells of many creatures. From harmless squirrels with their bushy tails to terrifying quargs with their grasping claws. Each creature found on land, in water, and high up in the sky can be found written in the Book of Beasts.

It tells of their creation, their habits, hunting grounds, and even how many exist at the current time. The Book of Beasts can provide a breathtaking amount of knowledge. Able to astound even the most massive of libraries.

______

The book itself is just a leather bound tome with nothing special to look at. As you open it and think of a creature the book turns to the page to reveal the creature.

______

What people never bother to ask is what came first. The Book of Beasts or the beasts themselves.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Snowday Massacre

Snow all around, covering the ground the rooftops. It was everywhere.

A fun day for everyone to play with the snow, drink hot cocoa and forget about everything else.  As always it started out with them building snow forts and preparing their snowballs. Then comes a legendary fight of epic proportions with snowballs all around. People going down left and right. Or at least that's how they would tell it later.

After that they rushed home for hot cocoa and a warm fireplace. They would all remember this amazing day in the snow for the rest of their lives.

Their short, oh so short lives.

As before the kids were out and about. The parents watching from afar. But this time something else was watching them. A darkness from afar, a darkness that craves nothing but death.

As it was at the break of dawn, not a sound could be heard. With Crimson all around, covering the ground the rooftops. It was everywhere.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Writhing Passage

The door lies deep in the bowels of the earth. With the smell of death wreaking out of it. The cavern it lies in is completely still with not a creature in sight.

It is a stain on this world, a mark of its impurity.  And out of this impurity many things have come. From plagues that killed thousands to terrible armies that threaten our very way of living.

No matter what it is always there, no matter how many earthquakes threaten to destroy it. It prevails, no matter the wrath of Mother Nature. It prevails.

______

Some say it lies within us all, in the dark recesses of our mind that urge us to do only for ourselves. That urge us to commit heinous acts. There is where it lies where we would all wish to ignore it.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Infinite Word

Some are round, square, or even discs. But this world is like no other. Because there is no end to it. No matter how much we see it still constantly expands.

As it's Infiniteness is impossible to describe so are its inhabitants. There are lizards walking on two feet, dragons made of pure diamond, a river of gold flowing out of a volcano.

Even as the wonders come so do the terrors. The thing that lies below which eats at our very souls. Then the hags that only wish the downfall of all that is good. Don't forget about the ever warring humans that wantonly destroy  so much beauty.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Demon Skull

It sits there as tall as a mountain. Even though centuries have passed not a single blade of grass will grow nor a flower bloom nearby.

For the life that does dare to enter its open maw they are never the same. As if they saw something so terrible that their minds fractured.

At night from far away you can see shadows walking through the desecrated land around it. As you get closer you can hear the mumbles, but eventually they turn to screams as you get closer.

_______

Now on this day a tower full of arrogant researchers has been built. They claim they are stronger then the corruption of the skull but they have no idea what they are up against.

As they stare into day in and day out. Seeing bits of it's true evil, the changes are small. They grow older faster. They grow meaner each day and the life around their tower dies. Until one day the corrupting power of the skull has completely overtaken their tower.

- - -

Sorry about the late post everyone!

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Carnival Pt. 2

You enter into a dark carnival and you hear the sound of a band playing. Candles and fireplaces all around burst into flame.

The first thing you see is the "band." Which is actually a large creature with many arms and mouths. Allowing it to play all of the instruments at one time. Then comes the performers. A large man and when he opens up his mouth three women jump out and do a flip midair. The three women land as their own pyramid with each one top of the other.

Then comes forth three old women each smoking large pipes. As large amounts of smoke erupt from the pipes two red eyes appear in the smoke. Soon the rest of the smoke gains form and hardens into a massive scaly dragon flying above the carnival. It roses and flies down low right above the carnival breathing a terrible black flame.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Carnival Entrance

As you walk up the dirt road in broad daylight you can hear the sounds of screaming and cheer. Then the carnival itself comes into view and you see an abandoned and locked gate with an empty ticket counter next to it.

As you come upon the ticket counter a zombie girl pops up with goggles on her head attempting to hold back her abnormally long black hair. Her eyes are a light blue and a dark green. There is a massive cigar in her mouth and she puffs a cloud of smoke in the shape of a skull. She stamps your hands with a crimson skull and the lock on the entrance disappears.

You enter the carnival and suddenly it becomes dark as night as you notice that the entire carnival is covered by a massive cloud.

[probablyobsessivefiction]

Asks!!

Hey guys my asks are open so if you have any questions about story writing or a story you’d love written then ask away!

[probablyobsessivefiction]

The Black Wall

A massive creation of darkness that spans the entire world. Not a single break in its surface as it touches the sky.

For those that see the signs they know not to approach. The grass in front of it is dead and rotting in the middle of summer. No animal dares to come within a mile of it. Not even Mother Nature herself dares touch the wall.

If you ignore the signs then as you get closer the air around you gets colder. As you approach you see that the surface of the wall is moving all around. Until a face begging for escape appears. As you lock eyes with this terrified being you can't help but get closer. As if you had no control over your body.

Then as you place one foot inside your entire being is dragged in.

_______

All you can feel is the cold that clutches at your soul. The darkness all around you screaming in pain. As if it's screaming into your psyche you feel something become unhinged.

_____

You step back into the world with a frozen heart and a broken mind unsure what will happen next.

[kaypier-deactivated20200518]

More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.  

Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe. 

You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.

How is the healthcare funded in your world?

How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)

Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?

Does it differ in smaller towns?

How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?

Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system? 

If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?

If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society? 

What illnesses are common in your world? 

How does this affect daily life? 

What do the people in your world think illnesses are? 

Is it a miasma theory? 

Humor theory? 

Demons? 

Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria? 

How does this affect healthcare?

How do people get water? 

Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?

How does agriculture work? 

Is it large corporations or individual farms?

What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?

Are farmers wealthy or poor?

What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?

How does this affect the average wealth of the country?

How does this wealth affect the culture? 

What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?

What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?

What forms of transportation does your world have?

What classes use what forms of transportation?

How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?

Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?

How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?

Does your world have public transportation? What is it?

Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?

Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is. 

Who pays for it? 

How reliable is it? 

Are there emergency methods for transporting information?

How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?

Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else? 

If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?

How does this affect travel?

Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?

Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?

How does credit operate in your universe?

Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?

How are workers/labourers treated in your world? 

Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions? 

Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that. 

Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?

How are business records kept? Are business records kept?

If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?

What does this say about your world?

How does this affect your economy?

To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have? 

How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place? 

How much power does an individual ruler have? 

Is there a veto process? 

If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?

Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world. 

How did they come about and how are they maintained? 

Are they strained or peaceful? 

How does it affect the greater politics of your world?

Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally. 

Do methods of war differ between countries/races? 

What about philosophies about war?

If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?

How does the military recruit?

Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?

What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?

Describe the sentencing system of your world. 

Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?

How are lawbreakers punished? 

If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them. 

Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?

What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary? 

Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?

How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not? 

Can certain classes or races not become citizens?

Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?

How do people get around these censorship laws?

What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)

How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin? 

How many people are multilingual? 

Which language is the most common?

How is multilingualism viewed?

How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)

Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!