51 comments

Contemporary

THIS...is the END...of the UNIVERSE







Endless nothingness


Utter silence


Complete, all-encompassing blackness


Eons pass. They are mere moments to the cosmos


A dazzling flash


Atoms vibrate in time to the rhythm of the universe


Molecules form, linked by unbreakable bonds


Stars blaze, sending rays outward, illuminating the vacuum


Arranged together, the stars shine within their galaxies, forming the teeth in broken smiles


Innumerable galaxies, each with their own precious planetary systems


YOU ARE HERE


The Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy within the Virgo Supercluster


Oort Cloud, Sol System. Planet: Earth


Photosynthesis devours Carbon Dioxide and exudes Oxygen


Climates change, rising and falling like the ocean tides


Epochs pass, seen by man as entire tomes, but mere paragraphs to the universe


New lives begin. Life endures, marking the planet as its own


Some species die out while others thrive


Humans dominate, continuing their reign for thousands of years


They take pride in their cities and towns. Extol their infrastructure


Men and women applaud their advancements and sing the praises of their ingenuity


Babies are born while the elderly pass on


Children play in the streets


Friends gather in bars


Families grow together, sharing meals, memories, and experiences


Laughter, rage, and sorrow permeate the air in equal measure


You are content and consider yourself lucky


You try not to dwell on the bad times, but they ring through your mind as you try to fall asleep


In daylight, negative thoughts disappear like forgotten dreams


Life is good but it could be better. You pray it does not become worse


You focus on your relationships. Your home. Your job


You set goals for yourself


You strive to improve


You follow your passions


You write until your hand cramps


Read until your eyes blur


Sing until your voice falters


Run until you are breathless


You revel in the challenge


Bathe in your sense of accomplishment


You continue to chase fulfillment


Times are tough but you forge ahead


Gratitude is fleeting but its vitalness is never completely lost


Failures, though inevitable, slow you down


You push past your failings, lest they drag you under


Success, no matter how minor, nourishes you


You press on


You watch clouds pass overhead


You track shooting stars as they streak across the heavens


You stop to smell the roses


You feel the raindrops on your skin


You fall asleep to the sound of the storm


You wake to the Sun's warm light


Cool air caresses your skin


You wish. You wonder. You worry


You dream. You dare. You dance


You forget, only to remember days later in an anxious flash


You make time for the things that matter


You make room for that which brings you joy


You push past those things that hold you back


You try not to dwell on the past


The future holds potential, but you linger in the present


You reach for possibilities and hold on dearly to what you already possess


Life goes on


There are busy days and lazy nights


There are tranquil mornings and hectic evenings


Weeks and months stretch out before you


Seasons pass in their cycles


Time is short but love is everlasting


THIS...IS EARTH...AS YOU KNOW IT


Time is short but love is everlasting


Seasons pass in their cycles


Weeks and months stretch out before you


There are tranquil mornings and hectic evenings


There are busy days and lazy nights


Life goes on


You reach for possibilities and hold on dearly to what you already possess


The future holds potential, but you linger in the present


You try not to dwell on the past


You push past those things that hold you back


You make room for that which brings you joy


You make time for the things that matter


You forget, only to remember days later in an anxious flash


You dream. You dare. You dance


You wish. You wonder. You worry


Cool air caresses your skin


You wake to the Sun's warm light


You fall asleep to the sound of the storm


You feel the raindrops on your skin


You stop to smell the roses


You track shooting stars as they streak across the heavens


You watch clouds pass overhead


You press on


Success, no matter how minor, nourishes you


You push past your failings, lest they drag you under


Failures, though inevitable, slow you down


Gratitude is fleeting but its vitalness is never completely lost


Times are tough but you forge ahead


You continue to chase fulfillment


Bathe in your sense of accomplishment


You revel in the challenge


Run until you are breathless


Sing until your voice falters


Read until your eyes blur


You write until your hand cramps


You follow your passions


You strive to improve


You set goals for yourself


You focus on your relationships. Your home. Your job


Life is good but it could be better. You pray it does not become worse


In daylight, negative thoughts disappear like forgotten dreams


You try not to dwell on the bad times, but they ring through your mind as you try to fall asleep


You are content and consider yourself lucky


Laughter, rage, and sorrow permeate the air in equal measure


Families grow together, sharing meals, memories, and experiences


Friends gather in bars


Children play in the streets


Babies are born while the elderly pass on


Men and women applaud their advancements and sing the praises of their ingenuity


They take pride in their cities and towns. Extol their infrastructure


Humans dominate, continuing their reign for thousands of years


Some species die out while others thrive


New lives begin. Life endures, marking the planet as its own


Epochs pass, seen by man as entire tomes, but mere paragraphs to the universe


Climates change, rising and falling like the ocean tides


Photosynthesis devours Carbon Dioxide and exudes Oxygen


Oort Cloud, Sol System. Planet: Earth


Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy within the Virgo Supercluster


YOU ARE HERE


Innumerable galaxies, each with their own precious planetary systems


Arranged together, the stars shine within their galaxies, forming the teeth in broken smiles


Stars blaze, sending rays outward, illuminating the vacuum


Molecules form, linked by unbreakable bonds


Atoms vibrate in time to the rhythm of the universe


A dazzling flash


Eons pass. They are mere moments to the cosmos


Complete, all-encompassing blackness


Utter silence


Endless nothingness







THIS...is the BEGINNING...of the UNIVERSE

April 14, 2021 19:09

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51 comments

Nora Friesen
03:16 Apr 23, 2021

I have one word and one emoji: HOW :0

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Michael Boquet
03:40 Apr 23, 2021

Lol. <3

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Monica June
02:10 Apr 22, 2021

I absolutely loved this!! The repetition in the beginning and end, the short lines giving it a poetic feel... Coming full circle, the beginning being the same as the end, gave me chills. the palindrome concept is one that I saw a lot with this prompt, and I simply don't know how people do it; it would just confuse me! Amazing job!

Reply

Michael Boquet
12:05 Apr 22, 2021

Thanks so much! I've seen others that are told backwards, but you've seen others for this prompt that are the same forward or backward like mine? I'd love to see how other people did it.

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03:24 Apr 21, 2021

This is amazing. I am speechless.

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Michael Boquet
13:57 Apr 21, 2021

Thanks so much

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Cookie Carla🍪
19:02 Apr 20, 2021

Heyo!! Can you read my story "Sign of a Haunt"? It was the first story last week that I threw out because I had HORRIBLE Writer's Block😭. I think it turned out pretty great and I'd love to get feedback :DD

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Cassandra Durnin
14:58 Apr 20, 2021

I really love this. The feeling of quiet, determined optimism throughout the piece was astounding, like you were demanding I realize that I exist. Not only a wonderful feat, but a beautifully written piece that left me with a soft sort of contentment afterwards. Anyway, great work! And sorry for reading it so late.

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Michael Boquet
15:13 Apr 20, 2021

No worries. Thanks so much for the awesome comment.

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JASON PARKER
04:36 Apr 19, 2021

Wow, Michael. This is epic storytelling. The biggest short story of them all. It's metaphysical, profound, and mind blowing in its scope. You never fail to deliver. Superb work. : )

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Michael Boquet
11:36 Apr 19, 2021

Thanks so much

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Nainika Gupta
12:59 Apr 15, 2021

Oh I LOVE this so, so much. I personally love this kind of writing - the one sentence a line style that just...encompasses everything you want to say yet still keeps the reader engaged! Wonderful job Michael, just simply wonderful!

Reply

Michael Boquet
13:23 Apr 15, 2021

Thank you. I plan to check out your stories for this week later today, FYI

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Nainika Gupta
14:39 Apr 15, 2021

Aw thanks! And of course! It was an amazing story to read :)

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H L McQuaid
08:16 Apr 15, 2021

I was like, how on earth did you manage that? I read it backward after I finished, trying to figure our your clever magic. Love that you're continuing the push the boundaries of the short story, perhaps you'll start an avant garde movement within Reedsy. Beautifully written, and technically dazzling. well done, well done.

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Michael Boquet
11:37 Apr 15, 2021

Thanks so much. Funnily enough, 'avant garde' is exactly what I was thinking to describe this piece as I was writing it

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