agrypnia: Every Dream Is A Nightmare - The Pilot Program 2021

Sleeping is dangerous, you never know what psychopath awaits you on the other side... There are no good dreams, there are only lucky ones. And once your mind can dream, the only one you can rely on, is not your friends, not your family, but only on yourself.

Hello, I hear in the darkness. How’s life over there? The voice asked.

It’s horrible. I can’t find my parents. I can’t find any of my friends. Food is getting scarce since no one can really work well. And I have no idea where I live. I’m sleeping under a bridge right now!

Oh how pitiful. But, you know, I know that you are lying to me. How? I can hear it in your voice. Yes. That’s right.

I hate my own voice.

By the way. Have we met before?

I don’t know? How could I know? I can’t see you. It’s pitch black right now. I hear him start laughing.

Oh no. How did you survive all this time, Theo? He continues to laugh.

What do you mean? Why are you laughing?

We are not that stupid, now are we? This is a dream, isn’t it. You are conscious within a dream, aren’t we?

Yes, I shout loudly.

Around my neck I feel two hands tightening and squeezing hard. It’s suffocating.

You see... You can feel everything, it’s like magic, he says whilst squeezing even harder on my neck. Yes, and you get to make those horrible noises and suffer at your own stupid hands.

I try to scratch my way out of his hands as I start to flail trying to kick him. But, he starts to punch me in my sides, in my stomach, in my ribs, over and over again with his hands still around my neck.

Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I’m just curious. He says while he keeps punching me. I have to wonder, dear Theo. How did you get to have such a nice life, he says as he drops me. So, why don’t you stop lying to me and get to the truth. There’s no way you were lucky enough for 26 years. There’s no way you didn’t run into some atrocious monster in this vast pool of infinite infinities and have not lost to at least one of them. So, what’s your secret? What do you bargain with? How did you beat the rest? I ask, because I don’t know about you… But, I use this time more for unloading all my anger issues at myself and at this cursed world we live in. It simply keeps me happy and motivated while awake. You can call this some form of therapy. Why? Because like you, I barely got to know my parents. Who knows how lost they are and in which hellhole they are. So sometimes, like now, I meet someone interesting. Which means, I got to know how you survived and why are you so calm about this?

Because there’s nothing I can do about it, can I? I can’t help but fall asleep. I can’t help but be dragged into these nightmares. And there is nothing I can do about it. So, if I’m lose and am beaten or even killed. Who cares? All the friends I make change, disappear and die. I don’t have a family. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know where to even find them. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, I don’t know shit about fuck all. So, I try to live wherever.

Well, that’s boring. You’d think someone that grasps the general pieces of this would understand the concept behind it all. Guess I was wrong. Now, I have to wonder if you are even worth left living, he says as he cracks his knuckles. So, I’m going to do you a favor. And trust me when I say this, it is going to be a favor to kill you. I’ve seen nightmares which you can’t even comprehend. I’ve heard stories which haunt me to this days. So, if you think your place in this universe doesn’t matter. If you take whatever life you have for granted. If you reduce yourself to something less than a roach. It is going to be my pleasure to reduce you to atoms. That way, at least, you’ll have a purpose again. You’ll literally matter, he says as I hear him walk towards me.

Wait! I shout at him. You said you wanted to know how I survived all these 26 years, right?

Yes, he says as he stops.

Kill me, try to take my place. Do anything to pull me out of the place I am in right now. And you will die.

He starts laughing.

What do you think I am? Fucking stupid? That’s clearly a bluff, he says whilst getting even closer.

No. No, I am not. There is a timer and an alarm. If I don’t wake up within 8 hours and 15 minutes after I have fallen asleep, a stake will pierce my heart. If you’ll take my place, you will die. Why? Because there is a fine way to getting out of the bed without setting off the contraption. Tempt me, and I will take you down with me. I might not be as strong as you. But, what I do have, is no fear of dying. You wanted to know how I survived. This is how. Like a coward, even if I have to kill myself over twice.

You fucker… Fine… But, don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. You might’ve survived tonight, but, you never know what’s waiting for you next time you’ll fall asleep…

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. This is the last of the eight yearly short story pilots, which means, one of the eight will become the short story for 2022. And you choose which. And if you want to keep the short stories free, you can always donate at https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO

Prokaryote: Scum Sold Out For Money - The Pilot Program 2021

Yesterday, I wanted to kill myself. Today they’re trying to kill me. And for some reason… I ran.

- Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Where even am I?

- I swear, if I catch him I’ll stretch his innards like bubblegum, says one of the men.

- What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you say something like that? Asks another one as his puts his hands on his hips.

What’s wrong with these guys?

- You have to be more menacing than that… I’ll split open his fucking head… Something like that.

- Like it matters. He’s vermin. Worthless. He doesn’t deserve such quality threats. So, if I want to say that I’ll chew him up and spit him out like the trash and tasteless chewing gum that he is, that’s what I’ll do.

Worthless? Why would he say that?

- Fine. Let’s just kill the useless piece of shit before the boss finds out he escaped.

What? Useless?

- Come out! They scream as they point their guns upwards and shoot a few rounds into the air.

I look around me trying to find some way out. Surrounded by wooden boxes, small carton boxes, large carton boxes, a few weird metal boxes and as I look up, I realize I’m in a giant metal box. A weird warehouse that is cold, sterile yet feels damp at the same time and on one of the walls has a big green sheet on it. A few bright lamps hang off the ceiling and illuminate the place as the men keep looking for me. My eyes try to wonder and find a way out. A way past the men and into freedom.

- Yo! Aren’t you guys done yet? What are you doing diddling around like that?

- We’re searching for the fucker.

- Searching? You let him escape?

- It’s not me. It’s Jack.

- Don’t use my name, you moron!

- Oh, I’m am sorry JACK… ASS… For you letting him go. You should’ve tied him up.

- But, he was unconscious and we had to unload the van. You asked me to, DICK!

Where did the third guy come from? Is there a door around them? Or do the doors blend into this warehouse? Why though? What do I remember? Two of them took me here, put me down and went out to the car. I woke up and instinctively ran and hid. But, I can’t for the love of me remember how I got here in the first place. I’d reach into my pockets to find something, but I’m afraid to make any noise.

- You guys sure he didn’t leave this place?

- Yeah, we sure, man. We were at that door, unloading the damn van. We would’ve seen him or heart him, at least, says Richard.

- But, you two know that this place has at least two more exists, right? Richard and Jack look dumbfounded at the third man. One’s there, in that corner. And one’s that big thing. How do you think they move these big and expensive things in and out of here?

Right. But that means we’re in an industrial park. Somewhere with many warehouses, probably. I can’t run faster than bullets, so trying to make a dash for it is irresponsible, probably. Wait… What am I saying? I was ready to shoot myself in the head yesterday.

- What’s this guy’s deal?

- Well, from what I’ve heard he’s scum. Pushed all his friends and family away. Everyone at his job despises him to the point that everyone only talks through emails with him. He hasn’t had a girlfriend in over ten years and spends all his time at home after work, doing jack all. And apparently his best friend sold him out to our boss, says Richard.

- Damn… Imagine your best friend selling you out like that. Must hurt, man.

I remember now. I was out with that fucking traitor, Alex. He sold me to the fucking mob? What the fuck?

- I wonder what the fuck must be wrong with guys like that to get here. How fucking bad must you be as a person for someone to fucking sell you like you’re just a bag with organs.

Fuckers. How dare you talk about me like you know me. Like you know what I’ve been through. The things I’ve suffered through.

- No wonder he wanted to kill himself, damn, says Jack.

I’ll show you motherfu… I push a stack of boxes towards them and start running towards one of the exists!

- There he is!

- Shoot him! Screams Richard.

I’ll show that fucker! I’ll show them all! You can’t fuck like that with DRAKE like that!

- Catch him! Screams Jack.

I’ve never felt more ALIVE!

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

Killing Hitler - The Pilot Program 2020

Welcome to The Pilot Program 2020. And this month we have another short story for you, aptly named Killing Hitler. So, remember, if you like this short story then like it, comment, share it, and read it. That way, you can choose what I write as a short story series for the next year. With that said, hope you enjoy it.

I did it! I killed Hitler! I DID IT! That’s how it all started, yet before all that…

Time to change history and the world as we know it. Electricity is coursing through my body, as it turns into heat. The smell of my flesh burning is nauseating as I can barely stand on my feet. The pain of my flesh being torn apart into light is terrifying me. My body elongating and being dragged of the surface of the Earth, thrown into space as I lose my sight and become pure burning energy. I can’t breath. I can’t move. The only thing I feel is a pulse, all throughout my body going TADUM TADUM. After what felt like a few minutes everything seemed to have stopped. Then I started to move again. Faster and faster. It felt so easy to simply fall and fall. Yet all the freedom of falling, started to turn once more into a torturous ride. As the darkness and it all started to burn again. My senses started to come back to me. It is all pain. Every fiber of my being hurts. It is all excruciating, as I touch the ground once more…

I fall on my hands ready to throw up all over my boots. I quickly catch myself, cover my face with my hands, pull down my gas mask and throw myself on my back. I hold my breath for one moment, look around. The my left, dirt, dead or wounded men. To my right, men shooting one shot at a time with their rifles towards the enemy tranches. My legs are shaky as I try to get up. One man shouts in French, telling me to lay low. Once he notices that I am unarmed, asks me where my rifle is. Seeing that I don’t answer, he drags me next to a dead soldier and gives me the rifle of that dead man. Allons-y, Allons-y, he shouts at me pointing me towards the rest of the troops. Did you eat? Asks me the same man. I tell him no, since the whole journey left me on an empty stomach. He hands me a stale piece of bread and a piece of bitter dark chocolate. Telling me to eat, as he turns and goes to help some other soldiers. I quickly down them both, as an explosive hits close to the trench.

I have a few chances of doing this, but I don’t want to spend more time than necessary here, especially not years, I say to myself. A soldier next to me heard what I said and starts laughing. Yes, my friend. That’s what I told myself too when I first got drafted. That I don’t want to spend too much time here, especially not if I want to get home by Christmas, as they promised. I was 15 back then, he laughs nervously. Don’t worry I am sure, we are not going to catch Christmas here, this year, I tell him. Hell, I don’t want to even catch Halloween here, I say while laughing. Planes fly above us, explosions from all sides throws dirt on us, as we take cover. One single voice screams to attack. Finally, the boy says. As everyone around gets up on their feet with a smile starts climbing out, rifle raised in one hand, they start screaming and running towards the enemy line. Time to kill Hitler and change the world for the better. Time to live the fantasy we all had when we were asked what we’d do with a time machine…

Hope you liked this short story. If you did, don’t forget that you can choose which of the short stories from The Pilot Program 2020 can become the short story series of 2021 with your likes, shares, comments and views.

Don’t forget to also check out the rest of The Pilot Program 2020 short stories:

January: The Horrorscope, February: Tomorrow Never Comes, March: Hereditary Epidemic, April: Don’t Sleep, May: The Falling Tower: The Bloody Anthologies of London, June: Men Eaters

And if you’d like to donate, you can always do so to keep these short stories free at: https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO