Tale Translator - Stories, RPGs & Games

"This week’s prompt: The key she had in her hand didn't fit the lock, it did yesterday, but now something had changed.... But what?" The key she had in her hand didn't fit the lock, it did yesterday, but now something had changed.... But what? A hand reached forward from beside her, the palm was open and expectant. "Let me try!" her little brother said excitedly. With a little hesitation, she passed him the dull bronze key. He grasped it tightly with delight. To his hand the key felt cool. Its engraved patterns bit into his hand as he held it. He pushed the key into the lock and it turned with a click. The old mechanism squeaked as the tumblers rotated into position. Around the edges of the key a warm wind filtered through, which felt comforting to his hand. She watched agape as the key turned for him, wondering what it meant. Her curiosity outweighed her annoyance that the key had not turned for her. Stacey, had told him about the fairy garden last...

I need a story title he said. It can literally be 'anything', he said to the boy. And so it was. An idea filled space where words could be conjured, inspired by the world around or something not so visible. An elephant with six legs, four tusks and two trunks. A metaphysical anomaly that comes from the formation of words sprouting from an innocuous thought. The elephant's name was Billy, and he liked eating cheese. A fact that has no relevance in this story about spaceships. Outer space freight trains that took the bodies of senile pachyderms from one side of the galaxy to another. Elephtonin was extracted from the elephants' brains to be used in advanced AI. A substance prized for its ability to remember information and instructions, the process determined by the industrialists for the most effective results required the extract to be fresh, hence the need to transport the elephants rather than extract it first. Their senility was a sign that the elephant's br...

Blinking, blinking, blinking. A hazard light is a fairly standard feature on a car, van, or lorry. People activate them when their vehicle could present a danger to other road users, have you heard about the one that got bored?   On a chilly winter night, the snowflake symbol appeared on the dashboard as the driver and passengers of the little grey car headed down the motorway. The steady thrum of tyres on asphalt filled the cabin as frozen flakes dusted the windscreen, swirling in the weak glow of the headlights.   There was a clunk, a whirring sound, and finally a rattle from the front of the car. After the noise came a gentle shudder as the car began to slow. The driver muttered angrily under their breath, turning the wheel to guide the vehicle to the roadside to bring it to a stop, but couldn't make it all the way there so it was half-on half-off the hard shoulder. A click was followed by the occupants hurrying themselves out, as the hazard light came alive....