Soulless Society - The Pilot Program 2021

In this world, we are born without a soul. For centuries they tried to artificially create souls and imbue them into people. Baptizing doesn’t work, prayer doesn’t work, science doesn’t work. Those with souls are said to become something more, as they are special. Which is why no one knows of their existence anymore. Sometime after the second world war, those that were special slowly disappeared from the public eye. Conspiracists still think they’re hidden somewhere inside the Pentagon, controlling the world. Yet, from what I understand, they were supposed to find themselves free after the war. Yet, with the Cold War they found themselves used again. Finding themselves in this situation, they fled. One by one escaped and were deemed the enemy of the public by both, the Soviets and the US. I don’t even understand how this whole thing works, in all honesty. From records it is said that some got a soul when they were born, some when they were teenagers and some only later in life. And that the one thing they all had in common was that they were exceptional people. Yet, we drove them all away into obscurity. We only discover them after their deaths. And only then we celebrate them.

Have you heard? I turn around to see a colleague looking at me with a big grin. He leans down to whisper. Your best friend might actually be special. I push him off and get up quickly looking for Adam. Yeah, he’s not here today, Dean. Supposedly he was almost hired as chairman and you know what that means, when one of us takes such a big leap forwards. I pick up my phone and get out to the stairs. I’m just telling you the truth, you don’t have to be such an asshole about it. I quickly call him. Straight to the voicemail. Damn. What is even happening? People usually exaggerate this stuff. So many were falsely accused of being soulful and had their lives ruined. Only to what then? Do nothing. They can’t even determine who has a soul or who doesn’t. They keep promoting less than stellar people to lead us because if he is capable, he might just have a soul and we don’t want that. These unremarkable, hateful, envious pieces of shit, I start kicking the wall in frustration. I need to go find Adam, I think to myself as I quickly make my way back to my desk to get my things. Where are you going? They’re looking for you, says the same colleague. In a panic, I pickup my things and run out.

Fuck this wicked world. Fuck these people. Fuck not putting any effort or being any good at something or you just might get lynched. These thoughts keep repeating in my head as I drive towards Adam’s place. I hope that moron was wrong and Adam is just out with a cold or something. Who was looking for me? Why would they want to have anything to do with me? I’m just a glorified secretary. Just as I arrive at Adam’s place I see police and a crowd gathered at his door. As I make my way towards the entrance to his apartment I hear people whisper that he is special and that they never knew they were so close to someone so dangerous. They bring Adam out and I can’t help but reach out. Is it true? Adam! He raises his head and turns around. Dean, no! I don’t know what’s happening. I haven’t done anything, I swear! Before I can say another word, I am hit over the head and fall down. I wake up later to a foul stench. Good, you are up. We have some questions about your friend. And, if you are good enough, you just might get to live and tell the tale of what happens with those that protect the soulful…

If you liked this short story and want more of it, like, share, comment and re-read it. That way, you can make sure to cast your vote for it to become the short story series for 2022. And if you want to keep the short stories free, you can always donate at https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO

Society is EVIL - The Pilot Program 2021

Village, a one man or family endeavor. After years of plight, wars, depressions, famine and other disasters at the hand of society and its rules. Humanity chose to spread out and spread thin. Any memory of old was razed from the face of the earth. Skyscrapers, casinos, stadiums, houses, all gone, recycled for materials. This was with one goal in mind, help rebuild mother nature by carrying the burden of our sins. People left places to go find their own little places to call homes. The rich were left stranded with their worthless paper and numbers, as people were fed up with the old style of living. Yet in this world without any rules, there were some unspoken agreements between people. You could not settle and build a home, if you can see another house. You could not directly talk or help someone. If people married, they had to leave their home and find a new place to stay, unless one side of their family would leave to live somewhere else. Why? Because society is evil! A good society has no poor or homeless. A good society educates those that need education. A good society does not burden others, but let’s them help themselves and grow. This was meant to give us all that and more, as nature bloomed again.

It seems we have some settlers again, trying to settle next to us. These damn parasites. She tugs at his shirt. Will we be okay, dear? He pats her on the head. Don’t worry, dear. A family is stronger than than some dirty leeches, he says as he loads up his trebuchet and lights the projectile before firing it at the bushes and trees. I didn’t think it was necessary, but it seems like we need to order a fence. She smiles looking at him. I am so glad you said that. I order it the week we moved here, when we started building the house. He looks shocked at her. And why didn’t you tell me? She chuckles. Well, you were doing your own thing and I didn’t want to step over your toes. He goes to take her head into his big hands. I love you. He takes a look at the fence and its instructions. This fence can stretch up to the maximum allowed distance of half a kilometer from the house. Simply stick the wooden rod where you want and it will plant itself steadily into the ground. Well… This seems easy. This way they should know not to poke their heads around here anymore, greedy bastards.

As the night falls, the couple sits out on their porch, looking at their new fence with a big smile and hope in their hearts that the settlers won’t disturb them anymore, before going inside. Gruesome stories are told by nomadic families about parasitic killers that wait for villages to pop up, before they kill the host and take their place. Some speak of nomadic heroes that roam the planet in search of these parasites to exterminate them. Others call those heroes deranged vigilantes that hunt humans for sport. And even now, it shows that word travels even when people barely see each other. I am sorry. I should have put this fence the moment you became pregnant, says Etnad. She leans on him as she grips his hand tightly. All that matters is that we’re fine, says Alia. We were so lucky to find this place, says Alia. It feels like this was fate. You, this place, your pregnancy, it all feels like destiny for me, says Etnad. A knock on the door. Etnad turns around to look through the viewfinder. I need your help, please! Alia pulls on his hand and starts shaking her head. Don’t. He winks at her and takes her hand slowly off. What do you want? He shouts with the door closed and hand on a knife. I need your help, man, please. I’m dying. Etnad opens the door quickly and plunges with the knife in his heart. Serves him right, god damn parasite.

If you liked this short story and want more of it, like, share, comment and re-read it. That way, you can make sure to cast your vote for it to become the short story series for 2022. And if you want to keep the short stories free, you can always donate at https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO

Don't Sleep - The Pilot Program 2020

Welcome to The Pilot Program 2020 for the month of April.

If you don’t know how The Pilot Program Works, it’s quite simple. You read, like, comment and share the short story you like and thus casting your vote on which short story you want me to turn into a 52 long short story series for the next year. And this month we have a twisted short story about what lies beyond sleep. Enjoy.

If I sleep now, I’ll lose everything I have. That was my first thought every morning I woke up in this world after surviving another night. I can’t remember the last time I was glad to fall asleep without any worry of what might wait for me on the other side. I can still feel the eyes of that creature on the back of my neck, ugh, maybe I need another cup of coffee. Three days, fourteen hours and roughly twenty two minutes, I need to do better. I have to figure out a way to prolong the waking hours without hurting myself. If the record from what I gathered was somewhere around eleven days of not sleeping, I should be able to at least push four days without any sleep. But with only sleeping for five hours, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I don’t want to leave…

The warm coffee in my hands brings a nice soothing smell, as the thoughts that I will need to go back to work creep behind me. Looking around, I notice that the drugs are almost all gone. I’ll need to go and get some more, if I want to survive another week here. Pants, shirt, jacket, boots, wallet, phones and then house keys in my hand as I set foot outside the house I grew up in. The sun is blinding today, but the most irritating thing is the overwhelming noise everyone makes in the first hours of every single day. With people screaming as they don’t know where they are, who they are with. Hey, neighbor, says a voice from my right. I turn I see a new face I don’t recognize. Hey, new neighbor. He starts to laugh nervously. Listen, since you seem to be a bright young man, can you help me? Already knowing what he is going to ask I simply give up and nod.

Where do I work? He asked with a puzzled expression. What’s my name here? He asked with the same expression. Do you know me? He asked exasperated. The fucker left me nothing to go off. No ID, no journal, no nothing. Please. He says as others get into the street looking around, trying to find some information on who they are. Since they too, had the same fate, losing their fights and getting forced to now live here by some assholes that couldn’t handle it anymore. I don’t know, sorry. He rarely left home, so I didn’t interact with him. Hearing this the man goes into a panic and runs back towards his house. I can’t afford to make him my enemy, I can’t afford to waste any energy on anyone. I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to sleep. I want to live in this world, not another, I’ve seen much worse. So when I fall from exhaustion, from whichever parallel earth or dimension a new me comes to fight me and take my place, I’ll beat him, like I beat the one from last night.

Hope you enjoy this free short story. Don’t forget, if you liked it, leave a like down below, comment, share it, and it might just turn into the short story of 2021.

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