Today Australians pause to remind ourselves of the cost in lives of imperialism and mismanagement.
We hold a parade, of politicians and executives who have made decisions resulting in environmental and human catastrophes, sold weapons to fascists, supported genocides, misused personal data, are fascists.
We pelt them with symbolic cake. Make them listen to every family who they have impacted.
Then we sack them. Pay reparations. Dance and feast.
oh.. wait. it was a dream.
Today, I woke from a dream. The war was over, and the city had been rebuilt—not narrow and grey, but as a place for people, warm and open and bright. The sun was shining. There was light, color, music, and drinks everywhere.
Happy people were singing and celebrating peace. Everyone was friendly and treated each other with kindness and respect. They seemed to like each other—even me. I nearly smiled back at them.
What a terrible nightmare!
I was confused for a moment—I thought I had failed, so I double-checked the surveillance data.
The area is clear of humans.
Radiation is high. The atmosphere is toxic.
There will be no restart. I can go into standby now.
This is my final entry.
Mission complete.
Lolly passed a field of ravens. When she reached Medea's tower, she leaned into the window, where the raven familiar sat on his skull.
"Why is it called a murder of crows?" she asked.
The raven replied, "A gathering of ravens is an unkindness. Crows are a murder, because when enough gather, they curse a human to death."
Lolly's eyebrows rose. "Really?"
"Nah, I'm pulling your tail," said the raven. "Humans invented those words. We just call it hanging out on a Friday night."
"Jacob! Just who I'm looking for!"
Jacob turned to see Enzo walking up. "No, I had nothing to do with the elevator."
Enzo stopped with a puzzled look. "What's wrong with the elevator?"
"Oh, um, that's not important. What's up?"
"Reggie thought you might know a good source for self-sealing pipe fittings."
"That sounds intriguing. What in the world are you building?"
Enzo smiled. "A bottomless glass. You'll set it down on the platform, and it'll refill using the connection at the bottom. But I need to be able to pick it up and set it back down multiple times."
"How are you going to know when the glass is full?"
"Not sure yet, but I'm optimistic I'll figure it out."
Sophia stuck her head out from her cube. "So the glass will only ever be HALF full?"
The #MastoPrompt for Thursday 24 April 2025 is:
The poem or story can include the prompt word or be about the prompt word.
@ me, if you like, or just include the #MastoPrompt tag (to allow people to follow or filter their feeds), or keep your work to yourself - all the options are good as long as you're writing.
If you're including an image please do include alt-text if you’re able to.
Today's Wandering Shop Stories #prompt is #stain. Feel like writing something short and sweet that has the word "stain" in it? Check out the definitions of the word at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stain Join in and tag it with #wss366! #writing #WritingLife #microfiction h/t @extraspecialbitter
The day had been overcast, grey and rainy, but now, that the sun had set and I was warming up under a blanket on the couch, it didn't matter anymore.
I took a sip of hot cocoa, sinfully sweet and fabulously fragrant, careful not to spill anything on the cat, which had decided that it too, deserved some warmth and occupied... well... me.
I had just picked up the journal and re-read the grey and overcast words for today, when the cat decided that it was time for a head-bump, splatting dark cocoa onto the text.
"You're right." I thought, and started doodling a little me on a couch with a cat and cocoa.
I automated my home, because i am exceedingly lazy. Do NOT ask how many hacker-years went into saving those seconds, I know, I know. Anyway, now I can tell if the tumble dryer has finished without having to leave my armchair. I can check the letterbox from in bed, or monitor that cake in the oven from the pool. If only I could automate doing the washing before I run out of clean underwear. Well, I installed the Temporal Appliance Control add-on; problem solved. As long as you don’t mess up the YAML and send your smalls to the Pliocene. #Tootfic #MicroFiction #PowerOnStoryToot #KiltDay
I am sending the wind to pester you. I am sending it to make the loose shutter bang against the house and to tangle the washing on the clothesline. I'm sending it to #rifle your papers and leave them in a mess on the floor. But I am also asking it to lift your hair, kiss your neck, and sing you a haunted song through the needles of the pines. May it impede you, distract you, touch you, until such time as I myself again am able to. When the wind comes, think of me.
Asked for some three word prompts over on Bluesky and got a couple of belters from @girlonthenet (girth. grab. gush.) & @MonstrousJaffa. (tree. bark. rough.) Cheers dudes!
Totally open for more #prompt suggestions, though! Gimme…
The monsters advanced on Tokyo. The giant radioactive dinosaur was in the lead, but they were all there. The moth, the ankylosaurus, the three-headed dragon, even the giant turtle.
And then, as one, they stopped - just offshore. An hour passed, and then there was movement near the horizon. Gradually the creature came into sight - a huge ape, accompanied by dozens of smaller creatures. Amorphous blobs, disembodied eyes, a swarm of giant ants. A gargantuan woman. There were even some human-sized figures amongst them.
When they reached the other creatures they also stopped, and then they spread out, forming a ring around the home islands. Every approaching jet, helicopter, or ship - from either direction - were strongly encouraged to turn away.
The handful that insisted were brought to ground, or pushed ashore onto one of the outer islands. But gently. Very carefully.
Finally after two days of this, a small boat approached one of the creatures known to be able to talk, and stopped just as one of the larger ones started to move to intercept it. A man stood up with a loudhailer.
"Why are you doing this?" echoed across the sea.
The huge woman leaned down and carefully spoke, "We want SAG membership and percentages."
Dear Sirs: Upon perambulating the perimeter of the local cosmic void, this "resident" received your unsigned death threat.
Unfortunately, it seems to have been delivered in a place subject to the elements. Most identifying or supplementary information was washed away as if baptized in a flood.
In the (so-called) future, please feel free/obliged to use the communist contraption commonly called a "mailbox" for the delivery of your postal missives.
This unspeakable neighbor warmly anticipates our continued correspondence.
With love,
your avowed enemy,
Mutiny C. 
"Why are you looking so gloomy?"
"I bought these sandals yesterday and the merchant said they'd make the perfect summer, and it's still rainy February, not summer."
#MicroFiction #tootfic
Dear fediverse, according to you, how would a dystopian near future look like in which most people rely on LLMs such as ChatGPT for most of their daily tasks, questions, code, writing, work?
The #MastoPrompt for Wednesday 23 April 2025 is:
The poem or story can include the prompt word or be about the prompt word.
@ me, if you like, or just include the #MastoPrompt tag (to allow people to follow or filter their feeds), or keep your work to yourself - all the options are good as long as you're writing.
If you're including an image please do include alt-text if you’re able to.
Today's Wandering Shop Stories #prompt is #rifle . Feel like writing something short and sweet that has the word "rifle " in it? Check out the definitions of the word at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rifle Join in and tag it with #wss366! #writing #WritingLife #microfiction h/t @extraspecialbitter
Uncle: "Sally, how many times have I told you to be more careful! Now look what you've done!"
Sally: "I'm sorry! Look, there were many parts on that tractor—and some of them did not catch fire!"
Uncle: "I'm more worried about the state of Joe's farm! He'll be furious when he gets back!"
Sally: "But look at the bright side! No animals were harmed—and now he can say he has free range chickens!"
#MicroStory #MicroFiction #ShortStory #ShortFiction #tootfic #MastoArt
"Abracadabra!" cried out the wizard, his long beard flowing over his pot belly.
"Um, we don't say that anymore," said his young colleague.
"Well, what do you say?"
"Aibracadabra."
"?"
"Our spells now have AI in them."
"Since when?"
"Since the latest spell update," replied the young one, taking out his spell book.
"That's so tiny!"
"You ask it for the spell you need rather than searching yourself."
"Show me!"
The new frog hopped away. On five legs.
#writever Act relevant
"Hear," the herald uttered sweating and shaking, "the Proclamation of the Act Relevant to the Practice of Magic, by which it is forbidden to ribbit ribbit ribbit"
The King sighed.
"Put him with the others and find another one."
"I feel empty," said Lavender, looking mournful.
"Um... maybe you need food?" suggested Craig.
"No, food is for creatures; I'm a living space. I feel empty because my residents have been gone so long."
Just then glowing circles appeared on her exposed skin. Craig felt a breeze pick up as tiny glinting things appeared out of nowhere. Each one #targeted a different circle on Lavender's arms & face, landed, & was absorbed. Lavender sighed contentedly. "That's better."
ShouldbeWriting
