FOWC~ Tainted Stats #Fandago #FOWC

Dr. Gabriel Rockwell’s experiments in behavioral science had always been considered odd. Some of his fellow scientists at the institute, (despite their respect for him) would secretly question the validity of Dr. Rockwell’s stats from his research. Still, the board members running the institute were satisfied with the results and continued to approve funding for all of Dr. Rockwell’s experiments. The latest one that recently concluded discovered yet even more significant understandings of the human mind with unfortunate consequences.

“Project- Colorblind” was simple in its theory. Dr. Rockwell hypothesized that, if a person suffering from a psychotic disorder were to be exposed to an environment comprised completely of one color over an extended time period- the result would be that their behavior would drastically change for the better. Miss Arlene Woodard had been the first subject chosen to undergo the test. Miss Woodward had was serving a life sentence in prison for the brutal murder of her entire family. On March 1st, Dr. Rockwell had Miss Woodward moved into a special house that was constructed just for the experiment. The entirety of the house was fabricated completely in one primary color. Every piece of furniture within the four room house, including walls and floors, were decorated in a bright sunny yellow. The subject would have no contact with the outside world or any other colors for a period of ninety days. She would be videotaped throughout the entire process and closely monitored by Dr. Rockwell’s team under secrecy. Miss Woodward was provided with substantial supplies to cook her own meals and take care of personal hygiene. All the food and toiletries were previously dyed or made out of yellow materials, made by a seperate division of the institute.

At the end of ninety days, Dr. Rockwell would conclude the experiment and inform Miss. Woodward that the test was over. What Dr. Rockwell was greeted by upon entering the house was a very different Miss Woodward than the one who entered the structure ninety days before. She displayed no more violent tendencies or thoughts towards others. Miss Woodward was now a polite and approachable woman with a radiant smile. She was quite docile and expressed how happy she was to have company over to “her home”.  All memories of her past life (before the experiment) had apparently vanished, with her not remembering any of it. Dr. Rockwell had even jokingly compared her to a “50’s sitcom wife” to one of his colleagues about Miss Woodward’s behavior and look.

Dr. Rockwell was initially pleased with the results. Then, something went horribly wrong.  Miss Woodward insisted that Dr.Rockwell and the two accompanying scientists stay for some home baked refreshments and a hot beverage.  The invitation was accepted and a few minutes later, Arlene returned from her kitchen holding a serving tray.  According to Dr. Rockwell in his statement to the police after the incident, Arlene suddenly became agitated by the complete lack of interest in what she had served.  She proceeded then to grab a fork off the serving tray and plunged it directly into the neck of one of the scientists. She was erratic in her movements, screaming out obscenities about “her cooking always being hated”. Institute security soon arrived and subdued Miss Woodward in a straitjacket.  It was only later discovered after a closer look into Miss Woodward’s background that a possible reason was uncovered for the accident.  The original motive behind the murders of Miss Woodward’s family, was the constant criticism she would receive from her family about her cooking skills. Over an eleven year period, every single meal that Miss Woodward prepared for them was ridiculed and sometimes either ignored or thrown out in disgust. This apparently was still a deeply rooted trigger for Miss Woodward and how the scientists reacted to her current culinary offerings, caused her to have a complete psychotic breakdown.

In his exit interview from the institute, Dr.Rockwell stated, “I still feel the experiment was a success. Being surrounded by the existence of one color in an individual’s world does indeed alter even the most violent personalities. My error was in its initial effects to a perfectly normal person. Miss Woodward became quite a decent cook in the ninety days of the experiment. However, the appearance of yellowed tea served with yellow brownies was simply a ghastly site to myself, Dr. Renow and the late Dr. Corrigan, God rest his soul. Ironically, Arlene’s brownies were quite tasty, once you closed your eyes and took a bite”.

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Written for the Haunted Wordsmith’s daily prompt for April, 30 (Long overdue!) and Fandago’s FOWC prompt – “Stats’.

100 Word Wednesday ~Harry the Hat #100ww

”

“Look baby, just introduce me” snapped gangster Harry “the hat” Silvanto as he stripped off his clothes revealing empty air underneath. “I feel stupid” Ginger cried back. But, Harry knew better. Once he saw Prof. Stein’s invisibility formula work, Harry knew he could take over the cartel. He killed the professor and drank his concoction. At today’s underworld meeting, Ginger would soon introduce a super-powered ‘GHOST HARRY’ as their new boss, in one of his many signature hats. It was similar to another hat he owned, one that was inadvertently left behind at the professor’s lab, complete with Harry’s fingerprints.

(100 words)

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Written for Bikurgirl’s 100 Word Wednesday: Week 126 prompt

#May Writing ~The Plunger Games

The world that you know will no longer be yours
This alternate reality has people’s status now blurred

No longer revered are social media whores
Destinies now controlled by those doing manual chores

Your icons in power are now blue-collar beings
The ones who slaved hard for your life’s simple things

Ditch-diggers, waitresses and local electricians
Bricklayers and maids now make the world’s decisions

But, there’s  one occupation that rules over all the rest
A job where they’re actions have been labeled the best

The nominated president from this particular career
Is chosen to lead everyone for the next four to ten years

No democracy allowed voting for this leader’s rise to fame 
They were merely a plumber who survived the dreaded plunger games

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May Writing Prompts – The Plunger games – Day 

The Time Controller~Pt.2 #FOWC #Fandago

 

Life continued throughout the city. The daily demands on the average citizen kept them moving endlessly without hesitation. From morning to midnight, the surge of the public flowed from employment to entertainment. The intensity of motion was so relevant to all, that the simplicity of basic feelings had been overlooked. It was a constant race from “what was”  to “what needs to be” with as little emotion in between being used.

Hailey witnessed all of this in an instant, within a blink of her eyes. This was her gift. She lived with the events of a nanosecond to a century, opened up to her as a constant show with no secrets.

Yet, their were those who could keep themselves hidden from her gaze. They were whispered about only in the darkest of places and once they revealed themselves, your destiny belonged to them. They were known simply as ‘The Stoppers’ and they were about to visit the city once again, completely hidden from the eyes of Hailey-the time controller.

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This piece was written for Fandago’s FFC

My thanks to The Haunted Wordsmith for letting me continue Hailey’s story.

 

 

Pause~#Happynewyear #Sci-fi #shortfiction

11:57 PM

I’m typing as fast as I can now. Trying to get the word out before it happens, if it happens. I’ve told the story over a dozen times, posted it to Facebook, Tweeted it…and it all still sounds totally ridiculous. Yet, here am I telling it again in an abridged version. According to my laptop, I’ve only got about five minutes left to get this story out again maybe for one last time. I’m a reporter, named Stephen Willis. My background has been in paranormal research, odd people and the study of all things well, “funky”. I was given an assignment to interview noted astrophysicist Dr. Franklin Lee in his lab about the possibility of time travel. Don’t ask me, I just write about crazy stuff-I didn’t say I believed it. When I met him, Dr. Lee had a genuine concern about an event he felt would be happening very soon. He had a theory that time itself has a beginning and an ending. Life in the cosmos wasn’t about the constant ticking of a clock. Instead, it was the rapid ticks of stopwatch. Time was coming to a stop and all of us within that stopped time, would just be on this..“never-ending Pause”. He came up with this whole theory-

Look, who cares? It doesn’t matter. If you’re hearing this for the first time, you must I’m insane or just some “amateur fantasy blogger” trying to gain readers. I thought Dr. Lee was crackers after first hearing him spew out his nonsense. I continued to listen to him for hours, detailing his concept with detailed diagrams and multiple layers of tangible evidence. The man is simply brilliant and unfortunately, as accurate about as our sky is blue. Yep, that’s right folks, I’m talking doomsday for all of us. Before, you delete this or leave the page, PLEASE just do one thing. Professor Lee felt that by preventing the famous lighted ball from dropping in New York’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight, TONIGHT…He could avert this disaster from happening. I can’t go into the significance of that particular ball in that location, believe me that was the one aspect of his plan that was the hardest part for me to swallow. The ball will drop and time will stop. Everyone and everything within the flow of time will stop with it.

My goal in writing this was simple. If this wacky theory is legitimate in any way whatsoever, I wanted people to live their lives, RIGHT NOW, to the absolute fullest. Enjoy every breath of air you take in. Take a second to stop and comfort the ones who need a hug. I’m saying all of this, in case Dr. Lee fails to convince the ones in charge of the ball to stop it from dropping at Midnight. Truthfully?..I think we’re all done. Who’s going to listen to him? I was paid to listen to him and I still didn’t to be there. He sounded like a complete lunatic. Yet, astonishingly he made a believer out of me. I just don’t think there’s enough time for him to convince anyone else. I’m watching the news feed from Times Square now. Not much longer. God, I hope he got up to that roof. I hope he’s wrong about all of this.

I love you Mom and Dad.

One minute, Yu stil here? Just rememember wht I sd live yor lif

to the ful……………………………………………………………………………

Eat with your Hands~#Humour #Sci-Fi #themagicshop

The world as we know it, came to an end six months ago.

No one could have predicted such a tragedy to be thrown on to the human race, but nevertheless it did happen.

Now, all we have left is ourselves and our wits to survive whats been left of society.

It was a clear spring day in April. Without warning, immense strange-looking ships appeared up in the skies over all major earth cities. The whole human race stood there, looking up in excitement and fear. The ships just floated up there not moving at all. Then, a wide, bright beam of yellow light came out of each ship and bathed the world in its glow.

The beam was on us for a mere few seconds before all the ships lifted up past the clouds and vanished into space.

Everyone just stood there for a moment, checking themselves and their loved ones for any wounds or to even see if they were still present. No one was “transported” away. In fact, nothing had come of the alien’s “attack” at all. All of us on earth were perfectly fine. No buildings destroyed or conquests of countries. It as if we were all illuminated with a large flashlight and then that light was turned off. Our lives went back to normalcy, the way they were right before the incident.

Then, slowly over a matter of minutes we all realized what had happened to us.

It almost seemed to ridiculous to imagine. The questions behind it ranged from total confusion to outright disbelief.

When the alien ships left earth’s atmosphere that April day, they had taken with them every single piece of eating utensil available to us. Their wasnt one single spoon, fork or knife to be found anywhere on the planet. The material of the items didn’t matter either. Be that they were made of sterling silver, carved wood or molded plastic all of them now gone. Even cookware that resembled spoons or forks had vanished. Soup ladels, Barbecue prongs and spatulas had all vanished. Even every single pair of chopsticks were also among the missing.

Hours after reports of missing cutlery were coming in from around the world, but also all the factories that produced all the implements had their machines removed without a trace. The buildings were all left totally vacant with employees completely unharmed.

Over a matter of weeks, society broke down into total chaos. The confusion behind what had happened was replaced by total panic. No longer could people find ways to eat a wide variety of cuisine. Soups, cereals, rice and ice cream became meals of pure anguish. Spaghetti and lasagna were now considered living Hell to consume. Any side portions of mashed potatoes, green vegetables or applesauce had been given the names “Torture foods”. There was no point in using large kitchen knives for some functions, the aliens had taken all those as well.

Granted, this was not a true “War of the worlds” type of annihilation. The world went on eating. Finger-foods and snacks became scarce and in high demand. The price gouging by vendors on cheese-doodles and donuts alone often caused violent backlash by consumers in the streets. Pizzeria owners were forced to arm themselves from the overwhelming crowds of people who would break in to steal slices of anything. Stores that sold candy and protein bars would stage lotteries or auctions for their inventory.

Then there was the newly established illegal black market of foods. Hamburgers, sandwiches and Hot dogs could only be purchased through dealers in back alleys for hundreds of dollars.

This is how we live in this new world now.  Civilized people now reduced to a race of hand-held savages.

Somehow, I can’t shake this feeling that-somewhere out in the universe, a highly advanced race of alien beings are actually laughing their asses off.