6th decade of storytelling! - Tale of the Week 60

[molls]

[user]stefaneke[/user]'s cute submission for the PotW 132 contest.

IMPORTANT FOR ALL CONTESTANTS

It has come to my attention that some of you still have problems with the word limits that where set up for this competition. I will check all entries personally to see that no one violates this rule. Contestants who violate this simple rule will be disqualified.

1. Post a short text about this picture, with min. 200 max. 500 words, in a spoiler.

Learn rule one by heart guys. No more violation will be tolerated.

RULES :

1. Post a short text about this picture, with min. 200 max. 500 words, in a spoiler.

2. If you are a contestant you are honour bound to not read other contestants' writings until you have submitted yours.


3. The winner gets 1 point on the Leaderboard, if there are at least 4 contestants.

4. Deadline: last day of each week (Sunday).

[Nazgûl Killer]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hero

As the sounds and sirens of the fire truck screamed in my ear, I suited up.
God this suit was heavy... I had to put it on... Got lives to save.
I heard the guys at the back prepping the hose and ladder, we were good to go.
"We're here!" The driver yelled and we all jumped out and into action.
The ladder extended to the third floor as two of my comrades quickly climbed it, I grabbed the hose and started spraying at the second floor, watching the flames steam and some even put out, I felt overjoyed...
I've been waiting for this moment for so long, I was a hero! I fought in the front lines... Oh god, what does she want now?
"MICHAEL!"
My mother screamed at me.
"What!?" I yelled back.
"Get up! Time to go to school!"
I sighed and looked at the time, 7 AM. Another day at my boring school. Great.
I looked at the toy knight on my desk, right next to my computer, mocking me;
"Kid, you stinkin' loser! How could you just stand there? You're supposed to be a hero!" The knight spoke.
"I know, I know. Just shut it... It wasn't my fault!"
"Hell yeah it was your fault! You dumb kid! You screwed up, it's your fault!" He said, so rudely.
"I won't screw up again. Don't worry, I'll make you proud!" I said, begging.
"I know you will, jackass. Now go to school"

"Don't worry hun. It'll be okay" Mom said as I left the car; "It was the fire... It wasn't your fault she--" I closed the door, waving goodbye to my mom. Preoccupied with my own thoughts.
I entered the classroom, followed by dozens of looks of grief, pity and sadness as I entered, I couldn't look at them, I just sat down.

My thoughts wandered as I head home, the long 3-mile walk... I couldn't help but thinking if there are going to be girls watching the game... Damn, one thing I didn't want is to make an ass of myself in front of them...
"Holy..." I said, coming to a halt.
"Stop right there kid, you can't go through here" A police officer said, setting a perimeter around a burning house.
Here they were... Dozens of firemen trying to take down the blaze... But there's a kid up there, in the second floor... Where's the ladder, damnit!?
That kid couldn't have been more than four years old... I had to do something...
"Screw it" I thought, and I dropped my bag as I ran towards the door.
"No! KID DON'T!" Yelled one of the firemen, I couldn't help but wonder; Why didn't they open the door? What the hell is wrong with these idiots, don't they know what they're doing?

I opened the door.
As an orange-yellow light engulfed me, I felt so good...
I felt like I could do everything... I redeemed myself... I'm a fireman now...
Screw that...
I'm a hero now.

[molls]

Just tell me if you find the picture too hard this time, I admit it isn't the easiest .
For this week you can pretty much invent everything that comes to your mind to write a "tale" about stefanekes screen.

Also I will write a mass PM to all active AAR Forum writers now to make some people join here.

[Nazgûl Killer]

Nah, it's fine. It will be difficult, no doubt, but it will force the creative side out of us

[SonOfAlexander]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A Plastic Paradise

"What the f ** k you doing that for?"
"The archers can't..."
"Yeah they can, you dumb s ** t. Just outflank the b***ards, and you're home and dry."
"Ach, my phalanx is routing! Bloody Romans..."

BOYS! Dinnerrrrrrrr!

"S ** t... Pause it, and I'm going on after."
"Nah, you've been on the computer for 2 hours today."
"Yeah right."
"Yeah."
"Half an hour?"

BOYS!

"Done!" shouted Sam, who sprinted downstairs. His sedate brother followed him, always the mature one.
"Two whole bloody hours..."

The screen was frozen with a large 'PAUSED' banner hanging ominously over it.

Something stirred beneath the desk.
"They gone...?"

A small toy soldier moved out from under the desk. He was a dirty yellow khaki colour, and held some gun that looked like an old fashioned Lee Enfield. He waddled from side to side on the base his legs were monuted on. His expression never changed... well, it couldn't.

"All clear SARGEANT!"

A large group of toy soldiers, slowly edged out from under the table. On the other side of the room, a small die-cast model of Thomas the Tank Engine moved forward, and remote control dalek steadily advanced. Another voice:

"Get up there and take a look!"

The toy in question nodded. He was a toy knight, with a large red cross on his white shield. He snapped down his visor and clambered onto the table. A box stood waiting...

"Identify yourself, toy!"

The harsh command was slightly muffled by the knight's armour. The clear plastic window on the box faced upwards, and no-one had seen inside. A few moments of nothing. Then...
the plastic rattled, as something pushed on it from underneath. The beating hands became stronger and more frequent, and the whole box shuddered. The knight lifted his shield.

The box end burst open and a small horse walked out. The same scale as the knight himself, the horse was covered in a large embroidered cloth, with merely two small holes for the eyes. Then the rider, a man clad both in armour and similar cloth, slowly emerged from the box.

"Ahoy there!" called the knight at the other end of the table.
Although the face of the rider was invisible behind his visor, the knight could tell that he was looking straight at him, and it was a look of pure hatred.

The man saddled up.

The knight had no idea what would happen, but was extremely nervous. He lifted his shield and braced himself.
"Who are you?"

The mounted man hefted his lance and reared on his horse, before galloping towards the Knight, his lance slowly drooping downwards until it reached the other toy. It bounced off and landed on the floor. The knight got up and walked over to the toy soldiers.

New bloody toys.

[Legio]

reserved fo sho

[Feragorn]

Reserved.

[Spartan262]

Cool! I think I might be able to write a story About this, I'm not the best storyteller, but what the heck it's worth a shot.

[Yumaseven]

Reserved.

[Spartan262]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Virtual Knight
As Frank sat there on his PC, little did he know what would happen latter that Evening. Frank was playing Vanilla Medival II Total War, he sent a Small army of English Knights to Assault a Huge army of Scots in an open field. Before the battle, Chatter amoung the English Knights Increased. The leader (His name is little in importance) said aloud to his men "Not again, this fool, he always sends Us Into an utter slaughter every single Bloody time. We have got to do something men!" The English Knights charged En Masse against the Computer Screen, Eventually Breaking through. Frank sat and wondered what was going on. The English Leader said to Frank , "I have come to put ye in your place you scum". Frank wondered why, When Suddenly The Leader Charged Towards Frank with his lance lowered. Frank had Terror Stricken across his face, and before he had time to react Frank was on the Floor, not Because He was Strucken by the Lance, but beacause he fainted. The Knights Realizing their Job Was done Went back into the game and Retreated before the Scots Got To their Position. To this day Frank has not Played Medival II Total War, or any Total War Game Scince.

I hope Everyone Likes my first attempt.

[Juvenal]

A bit literal maybe, but I was caught up by the magic of the picture, and anyway, I couldn't resist the closing line.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

When Wishes Come True

I run down the stairs two at a time and wrench the front-door open, breaking a nail in my haste.

DAMNATION! Even though the door-chimes still echo faintly at the edge of my hearing, there is nobody here again.

This is the fifth time today, I'm now certain someone who knows about the delivery I was expecting is teasing me. Fuming with rage I am just about to go back in when I happen to glance down and see the package.

I run back up the stairs almost as fast as I had come down, bursting into my bedroom and ripping the packaging away with hysterical strength to reveal... a videocard.

Yes! This is it! The latest leap of graphics technology in a (barely) affordable package, at last I am going to actually be able to look at the lovely buildings in a siege game without the frame-rate dropping down to picture-postcard speed.

Oddly, the card doesn't bear the logo I was expecting. Have I been cheated by a dodgy online retailer? Well, it's here now, so I might as well give a try.

Card installed, I fire up the PC, start the game, cross my fingers and turn the viewpoint around to face the city I am assaulting... YEHAAAAR!!! It works! Everything is smooth and the city is indescribably beautiful. I see every brick, every tile. Water drips from gutters, there is even mist rolling across a mill-pond. I am utterly entranced, so much so that I've forgotten to give my army any orders. Hey! Why is that gate opening? WOW! Would you believe it... the defenders are actually sallying!

The enemy general comes straight at me leading his bodyguard, every last detail of his armour crystal clear. I can even see the heaving of his horse's flanks as it breathes. He gets closer and closer and, just as I expect to see him clipped in half by the renderer, there is a soft popping noise. I blink and there he is standing on my desk, horse's hooves scrabbling for purchase on the smooth wood!

A silly grin spreads unbidden across my face. Out of the corner of my eye I see a glimpse of bows on the battlements and a cloud of arrows launches into the sky and I involuntarily put up my hands. Ouch! A dozen pin-pricks burn my palms.

Right, this has gone far enough, I stab the abort keys with my throbbing fingers and the game disappears. But the general remains, his horse snorts and I feel a tiny globule of spittle land on my cheek. I'm really scared now.

The General's cold blue eyes stare through his visor into mine. He lowers his lance, I think he's going to charge me! This is ridiculous! How can a game hurt anyone? Paralysed with terror, all I can do is raise my ballpoint and brace it with both hands and hope against hope that the Pen really is mightier than the Sword.