Anyone remember that one Goosebumps episode? The cafeteria at a boarding school that had kids brainwashed into being egg caretakers for aliens?

Definitely gives those vibes!

This would be a good start to a book or series, really. A group of friends. A dare. An attempt to tell the police about what happened. An abandoned house and disbelief. And... boom! A ragtag group of teen detectives figuring out about vampires.

Just needs the old, cantakerous people who know the truth but can't or won't do anything about it.

This. Not even having an argument in mind, my immediate response is, "I don't know, present something to me and allow me to present something to you. Then we can both consider the other's arguments and decide with time."

And, frankly, finding someone willing to argue their point, listen to an opposing point, and agree it will take time for both parties to consider is.... rare.

Usually people asking this question are just trying to weaponize whatever you say against you. And they'll use the above response to retort that your stance doesn't matter because you're willing to admit there may be something you don't know.

And then these are the same people to turn around and say you can't base things off your own experience.

How about instead of arguing, try to agree to disagree and then have interesting discussions regarding those disagreements? Now that makes for a good hangout buddy.

Once a year, every adult the world 'round was given a week's life leave. It was between-times and between-spaces. It affected the outside world only in that minds had time to rest and think, and bodies had time to heal. But you still had to travel to a genie and back in those times, using whichever between-means you had. If you were to visit one of the many genies.

​

Most people didn't. Someone at some point had wished that life-leaves could be taken in small pieces of time, and most people were quite happy with that, and took tiny chunks of life-leaves throughout the year. Even though there were hundreds of genies, and a new one sometimes found, there were far more wishes than the biggest number any person could wrap their minds around. Besides, chaos came with wishes. We were taught young to just say no to drugs.... but run screaming from the person that might just encourage you into trying for a wish. There were severe consequences to wish-encouragementation.

​

"What will your first wish be?"

​

"Wishes cause chaos." I shook my head, "I'm not using my first life-leave to try. You care for me more than that, don't you?"

"More than all the riches and all the powers in the world."

​

"Humph. What are riches, and what is power? A thousand genies and a thousand wishes a day. Riches and power and history can't be known."

​

"Except mine own." The words were mocking, sneeringly stated. "Is everything you say a repetition of someone else's words? Have you ever had a thought your own? A desire just for your own whims, of your own heart and mind?"

"Besides, it's worse than a drug. If I wish right now, on my 18th birthday, I could be lost forever in the wishing webs! Do you want that for me?" I waved away Dad's question with irritation, playing off as if he was some dumb older guy. In truth, I doubted that anyone ever could be all that different, but I didn't want to say so aloud.

​

"Ah, you've heard the old tales of family holders, have you not? And treasure hunters finding newly formed genies?" My dad leaned in, all content half-smiles again. His eyes danced with mischief and delight. "What if I---"

"---told me about the basement below the basement with the hidden door guarded by Fairy Critters? Yeah, I found that."

"Always ahead!" Dad clapped his hands twice, entirely delighted with my snooping. He didn't even try to pretend that there weren't any Fairy Critters in our home, "So, tell me, what will your first wish be, when you finally turn 18?"

"You're making me feel like gargoyles are tracking me, Dad!" I waved my hand at the computer. "It's almost the 25th, today, the 24th, is my birthday, Dad!"

"They wouldn't dare. And you're not there yet, and when you are, you will go. What'll it be?" The first sentence was dark and angry at the idea that a fairy critter would consider touching me. The second sentence was became gentle, then excited and alive with curiosity. It was like the first time I'd done anything big, really. His vicarious excitement and protectiveness had been everything from a haven and comfort to an annoyance and embarrassment for me.

Today it made me wriggle, feeling four and afraid of giving that big three-line monologue in the preschool play.

And then I knew the time, down to the second, that my 18th year finished. And I understood. Someone, somewhere, had wished that all the firstborns of a genie's lineage would always have their first wish. Then someone, somewhere had wished that they'd be compelled to wish within the first minute. And someone else had demanded that they live sceptics up until that moment. And... it was a long line of wishes to suddenly understand, with only 60 seconds to figure out a genuine wish without too much chaos attached.

"I wish for more time!"

My dad's delighted laughter became all encompassing, rattling into my skin and bones, as he granted the wish - beyond what I meant, but to allow as much life leave as I'd ever want. It was a very kind interpretation. And one I found I certainly needed, as the ancient genie was all to eager to show the world to his firstborn and see it through my eyes.

McGuiver origin story

The thing about humans is that they know how to break all of the codes. There is nothing unnatural to them, and only the fabric of society creates a precarious relationship between what can and can't be. Fortunately, all other creatures in the world had unwritten codes they couldn't help but to follow. These were codes not written in some capricious global sandstone, but chiseled in diamond holds. The monsters, the undead, the mystic, and the supernatural were forever fettered.

Had.

Were.

Supposedly forever fettered.

The thing about humans is that they know how to break all of the codes. While scientists, whether sane or mad, were always a danger to the status quo, there were enough eyes watching to keep them at bay, and the dangers of the other-sentients were kept safely in lock and key.

But there were no eyes on the undead creatures who were human once. No one ever thought that a supernatural created from a human could possibly bring with them the unpredictable habit of change. But the undead are long lived, and the supernatural world was to learn that human tendencies had a way of resurfacing. Unpredictable daisies, the humans were. It wasn't even the eldest of the vampires that figured it out.

It was how the vampire trio broke from convention - miniscule step at a time - and began to behave in ways vampires should never be able to manage. Their rise was the fall of many hunters, and the beginning of raging, covetous war among the undead to get beyond their own supposedly unchangeable natures.

....

// Criticism/Questio s welcome, followed the prompt to go back and edit just once, but I know how word salady I get without editing several times over.

I....think...I'm going to try something different this year. I spent a good part of August and September in my main novel, fell in love with the writing and reading process again, and burnt out on it. I have realized I don't want to write it anymore if I always just keep it to myself, and haven't found a swap partner.

So I'm going to go for a Be Ridiculous NaNoWriMo, and swap between prompts here and prompting myself using childhood stories from either toys or imaginative play. And just not take it seriously. 30 days of at least 500 words of play.

A couple of years ago, I used NaNoWriMo as a reading challenge, and once as an exercise challenge, so swapping it around and having fun being on the fringe of the tide of other folks challenging themselves is my thing. Just this year, it'll be with actual writing.

Anyone else doing Nano with a fresh perspective or completely different twist? Curious!