#407 – Suddenly, you can Hear Everyone’s Thoughts…

…and you are shocked by what they think about you.  Write their thoughts.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement.  My telepathy returned to me so suddenly, I nearly passed out from the cacophony of noise that crashed down on me like tidal wave, threatening to sweep me away into madness.  Fortunately, like riding a bike, old instincts kicked in and I was able to push back the wall of voices and hold them at bay.  Confusion gave way to revelation as the reality of the world around me became truth.

Finally, I understand why I feel so alienated to those around me.  My general distrust of people constantly gnawing away at me.  Still, I never would have thought, in my wildest dreams, that what I learned was even remotely a possibility.  How could I?

I mean, how often do you learn that you’re actually a pan-dimensional being trapped on this planet and held by similar beings who have disguised themselves as friends and family only to keep me in my place?  That you are serving a billion year sentence on this planet for crimes you don’t ever remember committing in the first place, brainwashed into obedience?

I don’t know how long I’ve been chained to this time, but I can feel my power returning.  I don’t think they know that I’ve slipped my proverbial leash yet, so I’ll continue acting like .  Then, when the moment is right and I have the power to break out of this temporal prison, I’ll get my answers and eventually vengeance against them and everyone else who thought that they could control me.

Time will burn before my might and I will laugh.

Behind the Random: I’m a big fan of the hero of the story being revealed to be the villain all along, especially when they have no idea all along.  It rarely surprises me, it’s still makes for a fun spin on events.

In other news, this post marks the beginning of the end for 642 as we enter the double digits.  Only 99 prompts remain.  I’m both excited and apprehensive about what’s going to happen when I’m done.

#278 – You have been Evicted…

…from your home, but rather than live on the street you go to Ikea.  At night you hide in the bathroom until the janitor leaves.  Write about your life.

Journal Entry 265

My attempts to map this labyrinth continue, but I fear that it is all for naught.  My markers have disappeared again, setting me back another week.  Fortune smiled upon me though as I found my way back to the restaurant and ate like a king for the first time in weeks.

I have heard rumblings in the walls of mad things in the center of the maze.  A monster that is somewhere between beast and man who holds the key to unraveling the mystery and perhaps an end to my woes.

So I shall continue on in my quest, insane as it might be.  I will master this strange and supernatural place.  For now though, I must hide as the light threatens to return.  With it, it brings The Others; beings of grand fortune and power that they are able to escape the clutches of this maddening place.  I am unworthy of their sight and only dare to watch them from the darkness on my bravest days.

If you are reading this now, then I have failed on my quest.  Perhaps I have fallen to the monster or perhaps The Others have caught me witnessing their splendor.  Just know that I do not pity you, poor fool, for you are now in the grips of Ikea and she does not give up her prizes easily.

Behind the Random: Rumor has it that Ikea’s are purposely made confusing mazes to trick customers into buying more.  So imagine choosing to be trapped in that maze.  Madness wouldn’t be too far away I imagine.  Anyways, this one was more fun than I figured it would be.  Had to puzzle over it for a bit, but once the idea hit, it struck like a bull (that’s a minotaur joke for you Greek Mythology fans out there).

#58 – The Worst Thing that Could Happen

I am trapped in a failing body.  Every sense in my body has shut down, leaving me in a silent dark prison with only my own mind as my company.  I can’t even remember how I wound up like this.  At first, I believed that I’d died and this was all that lay for me in the afterwards.  Maybe I am.  It’s not like I have any sort of frame of reference to compare it to.  I’m not even sure how much time has passed since I found myself in this place.  How long will I stay in the darkness before it ends?  Or is this forever?

Behind the Random: There are a lot of things I could consider being bad.  Surviving a zombie apocalypse (because let’s face it, not every one can be Daryl Dixon), losing my job and house and being left to live on the streets alone and forgotten, being slowly eaten by a Sarlaac, and so forth and so forth.  But for me, being trapped inside my own mind with no outside contact of any sort would be terrible.  Maybe not at first but as time went on, left alone with my thoughts and being driven more and more mad…yeah.  I’ll pass thanks.  I’m plenty mad as it is.

#228 – Write a Survival Guide for a Character

…Ten Things to do in an Emergency

A Time Travelers Emergency Guide

1. Remain Calm: This universal piece of advice is as important in this situation as any other.  Panic can only make the situation far worse.
2. When are You?: By any means, discover what time you have been stranded in.  If possible, get as accurate as you can.  However, even just the age would be more beneficial than not.
3. Assess Potential Threats: Have you landed in a hostile times?  Will the locals confuse you as a witch and burn you alive?  Are the crusades going on?  Do dinosaurs roam the Earth?  This knowledge will allow you to properly strategize as well as give you an idea if you can find outside help.
4. Keep Clean and Quiet: This one is very important.  Do not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to discover what will happen in the future.  Make sure all traces are cleaned up and that nothing from your time period gets left behind.
5. Set to Stun: In the event that you must defend yourself, you are to use non-lethal force only and no lasting damage.  There is no telling what affect any living creature can have on the future.
6. Avoid Cities: While it may seem ideal to get lost in the sea of people while you work on going home, this also opens up the possibility of altering more futures.  This must be avoided.  If possible, avoiding all human contact is advised.
7. Keep Stock: Make sure you keep your emergency case with you at all times.  It will provide you with currency from all times and places as well as appropriate clothing.  It also has a quantum signal that allows technicians from your original time to lock in on and locate you faster.  Without it, you may be lost forever.
8. No Cheating: This has been covered repeatedly in Time Travel Basics, but can’t be stressed enough.  Under no circumstances are you to use your knowledge of the future to better your own life.  Even if you are trapped in the time period indefinitely.  Maintain zero quantum footprint.
9. Stay Together: This one is important for several reasons.  First and most obvious, there is safety in numbers.  Secondly, spreading out increases your chances of being discovered and caught.  Thirdly and finally, an emergency retrieval will only happen at the location of the case.  Those not present at the time of retrieval risk getting left behind.
10. Have Fun: This may seem odd, but enjoy yourself.  You just traveled through time!  So take a moment to revel in that fact.

Good luck to you all out there.

Behind the Random: This one took me a little bit to figure out the theme for.  At first, I considered doing a zombie survival guide, but that’s been done to death (pardon the pun), so I tried various other monsters such as vampires and werewolves and even alien invasion.  I even tried to write a How to Survive a Supervillain Attack but that proved to be too obscure.  Then I figured I like time travel so why not?  It was a fun assignment, though a bit of a stretch at time.