Samuel Bowen

“Neverborn” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #258

Shuddering metal whispered into the night and the forest lit up with neon white light. The searing light left no burnt smell in the air and in a blink everything faded to darkness. Yet the humming of nocturnal bugs never ceased. Linda let out a held breath as she stared at the picture piercing the night from her camera's screen. With a smile, she took in the details of the landscape. Some said photography was a simple thing. Just point and click. Linda hated the disregard people had for her art. This proved them wrong! The dim lighting melde...

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“Til Dusk Do Us Part (Revisited)” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #252

Caul appeared ageless like a painting of nobility, yet his eyes betrayed his flawlessness. For beyond the carved complexion, an ancient weight sunk below his brows. Blood tinted irises separated the void of his pupil from the darkness in the blacks of his eyes. His graceful gaze fell on the smatter of gore at his feet.  The remnants of the grey flesh shuddered in the wind, clinging limply to ashen bones. The discordant array of sinew in the field of crimson could not be recognized as having once been human. Bile polished Caul’s shoes as...

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“Desperate Remedies” by Samuel Bowen

Death swept path Kyl like a morning breeze. Or rather, it was the morning breeze that swept death away from Kyl. His eyes flew open as his lungs gasped for air. Darkness rimmed his vision as he stared at a starred sky. Aches and pains rattled his body, but nothing extreme. Testing his muscles, he stretched and flexed his limbs. All in relative good health. Bruises can heal, aches would fade. Kyl rolled and sat up from the ground. Memory flickered like a dying flame and he scanned his surroundings. Nothing but stone and mud. The edges of a cl...

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“Within the Wind” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #240

At the brink of the world, thunderbolts lit up the horizon as they struck the dark waves. An eternal maelstrom racked the sea, churning currents into a monstrous tide. The star riddled sky watched the waters dash themselves upon islands of black stone. Jagged edges turned to polished smoothness as the water spilled further onto solid ground. It pooled at the base of a marble tower as a moat of raindrops. The tower stood in defiance of the chaos. A simple beacon of light amidst the vengeance of the sea. White light shone like a star from the ...

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“The Survivalist’s Guide to an Idle Mind” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #234

“We have all the time in the world now!” Megan said, brushing her hands off on her apron. Somehow in meeting that twinkle in her brown eyes, I couldn’t be honest. I gave the best grin I could, but it was strained at best. Good enough I suppose, Meg hardly noticed as she darted past to clock out of work. Can’t really blame her. It'd been a long busy season, and today we got the first go ahead to close the bloody shop. She all but threw the apron on the hook before grabbing her jacket and heading out.  “I’ll lock the place up,” I said. “...

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“Project Un: The Unamoly” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #218

“Humanity must survive.”  - Captain’s log, R. Gunson, Paradigm Prime [Subject: J. Polaris] [Bio: Head Engineer, Rank 01] [Status: Unknown: Last seen aboard The Commission before event 06] [Archive LT: Error] [Designation: Deceased] Jess could not scream. Air fled her lungs desperate to find vocal cords. But no sound escaped. Heat traced her veins in a silent engulfing of her very being. Chemicals filled her nostrils as blue flames leapt across her skin. The starship blurred out of sight and only the fire remained. Scorching, choki...

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“Project Un: Maker” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #217

“Time and time again we have surpassed our limitations. We sail the stars. What horizon lies beyond us that we cannot grasp with patience hands?” - Captain’s log, R. Gunson, Paradigm Prime [Subject: Dr. L. Maker] [Bio: Doctor of genetic sciences, clearance level 4] [Location: Lab 09] [Archive LT: Live] [Designation: Protocol 1507_Restricted Observation] “We are what we make,” Dr. Lawrence Maker muttered at the monstrosity before him. The shrapnel covered, multi limbed, beast of a man howled at the two way mirror. Spittle splattered the...

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“Project Un: Margaret” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #217

“To achieve the greatness we pursue, we must have unwavering devotion to the most vile of tasks. Else, we will not survive the horrors that await us.” - Captain’s log, R. Gunson, Paradigm Prime [Subject: Dr. J. Manson] [Bio: Doctor of genetic sciences, clearance level 5] [Vital Status: Sustainable] [Location: Living Quarters 155] [Archive LT: Live] [Designation: Protocol 2108_Survailence for Review] James held his wife’s hand as he knelt beside her chair. Her dull eyes wide in horror. Her body trembled, yet her fragile muscles refused t...

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“Project Un: Jeffery” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #216

TW: Violence and gore. Disturbing imagery “Many have left religion to the wayside, claiming intellect is all one needs. But without religion, where is the solace for the damned?” - Captain’s log, R. Gunson, Paradigm Prime [Subject: A.T.A.03] [Bio: Test Subject 03 of the Aexian Trials] [Vital Status: Stable] [Chamber status: Sufficient] [Archive LT: Live] [Designation: Protocol 03_Solitary Confinement] Jeffery woke to a gust of cold air. It was always cold in his room. His feet stuck out over the edge of the bed and his bed sheet was...

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“Project Un: R. Gunson - Paradigm Prime” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #215

Humanity must survive. The thought passed into the mind of Captain R. Gunson of the Paradigm Prime sitting in the remnants of his ship. The scraps that remained of the 5th generation Starship had been repurposed entirely as base camp for the crew. Laboratories, medbays, and sleeping quarters. Gunson scratched his chin with the metallic prosthetic of an arm. The tablet holding his log book lay on top of his locked trunk. It had been 3 years searching for D.A.W.N. and yet nothing had been found. His crew had scoured Dathanem from Landing Point...

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“The Lady of Blood” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #213

Drek spat blood. Shikes didn’t have blood. His ragged wings pulsed with his heart beat.  His thin flesh trembled and bulged. Drek’s face swelled to obscure his vision. “Master,” Drek pleaded. “Mercy!” The creature stumbled to his knees. Difficult to do for the shike, for as his bloated legs met the stone floor they burst into pools of crimson. The blood trailed to the dark steel steps that stood before the throne. The twisted ashen throne seemed to emanate light as it was the only bright color in the entire room. Atop the throne, sat ...

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“Project Un: The Fall of Abal” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #213

Abal could feel darkness. It was not an emotion nor was it truly a sensation. The lack of touch blinded Abal as his callus hands gripped the Aexian blade. He missed the cool smoothness of the grey steel. He longed for the subtlety of texture in the leather grip. Yet the darkness of his nerve calluses gave only the indication of pressure. Abal stared at his knuckles watching them go white with tension. Pressure. That was all he could feel; that feeling like the building tension in his aging bones.  Abal grunted. This was the curse of Po...

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“Project Un: Blood Runner” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #212

“Early to rise, early to die.” Wynian muttered as he rolled out of bed. The glow of morning light reflected off spear tips, somehow always shining on his pillow. His calloused hands rubbed gunk from his eyelids. The snoring of his tent mates could still be heard. Some men muttered in their sleep, others rolled over like deadmen in graves. Lancers didn’t have to be ready until Mid-day. Unfortunately for Wynian, he was a runner. News had to get around somehow, and that meant some poor fellows had to make sure letters, packages, and orders were...

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“Life of Devilry” by Samuel Bowen

 Aether, of the Angels of Eldenar, awoke beside a corpse as a failure of a heretic. His torn once white robes were marred with blood and dirt. The sandals that had withheld his feet’s blessing lay broken below the cliff’s shadow. His hands once clean of impurity, now bulged with necrotic disease. His dark hair drifted in the pooling water around his head. The rocky shore pierced his bones that ached. Where now was the.strength of the faithful? Where now was the flame that had burned within him?  His eyes blinked darkness away, yet ...

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“Project Un: Expendable” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #210

“I began my search across the stars to find natural wonders beyond beauty, to find anomalies beyond comprehension, and find life beyond humanity. Yet all I have seen is mankind alone in an hostile empty universe.”  - Captain’s log, R. Gunson, Paradigm Prime “Just say it as it is Jax,” Mannis said, clicking his helmet into place. “I’m expendable.” “It’s not like that!” Jax protested. Mannis gave a cold stare that silenced Jax even through the visor. Fluorescent light flickered glares off Mannis’s suit giving him a foreboding look. Jax lo...

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