She promised to return to me, at the end.
It was clear that the end wasn’t that far off, now.

Tap tap tap on the windowsill.

It startles me awake, just like every night.

Tap tap tap.

Years go by. You lose track. They disappear one by one, some as if they had never been. You lose connections and memories. Friends dear as life become passing thoughts. Then even those vanish and you’re left alone with only yourself and your dreams.

HUNGER

There was nothing but cold.

That and being tired, of course. And hungry. And lonely. And probably some sort of sniffle building up.

In essence, it really sucked.

“And, that, my friends, is how you paint a universe into being,” Kalela said. She set her brush down with finality, letting the last drabs of primal essence dissipate into the solvent. “Any questions? Yes, you there in the front.”

“So... what you're looking at here is, essentially, the source code of the universe.” Devon paused a few moments to let that sink in with appropriate gravitas.

Hand reached up from the earth as Nikraal walked by. He was careful to stop at each one, shake it firmly, and give some perfunctory compliment before moving on. It never hurt to keep the minions happy, even the gravelings.

I'm going to reveal a truth that you may find very surprising. Being cramped into a 4 foot cell for the better part of a week for an interplanetary trip is not good for your mental health.

“I have to admit, Fenru,” Aka said. “When you said it was a ‘baptism by fire’...” Aka looked out at the brilliant light flickering over the audience. "I didn't think it would be quite so literal.”

“I don't really believe in God,” William said. He braced for the inevitable reaction and was not disappointed. Ursula stopped her digging. The bewildered gaze she gave him was a familiar one.

“What?” she asked. "Have you not actually met the guy? Or the girl? I mean, there are at least three of them on record.”

It's all up to me, they said. They knew they could count on me, they said. You're the best we have, they said.

No pressure, they said. Right.

Do you know how many universes have the USSR winning the Cold War? A lot. I've literally lost count.

I hate people sometimes. No, wait. Let me modify that. I hate people all of the time.

If it weren't necessary to interact with them for required basics like food, shelter, and internet I would happily never interact with another human being ever again. Go off the grid and live in the woods? I've thought about it. But then there's the whole internet thing.

“Break it,” Smithy said. His arms were crossed across his chest. Never a good sign. Art looked up at him with wide eyes. “Break it, I said.”

“Stop! Right there!” Shannon shouted. “That's perfect. Set it down.” The goblins gently laid the stone pillar to the ground, coordinating the six of them as if they were telepathic. Which maybe they were. Who knew? They were just goblins.

“Break it,” Smithy said. His arms were crossed across his chest. Never a good sign. Art looked up at him with wide eyes. “Break it, I said.”

There is a time for forgiveness.