[Advertisements are everywhere, aren’t they? Write using the slogan or line from an ad.]

Lol, there’s literally an advertisement directly to the right of the prompt on the site I’m pulling these from. It seems to be for a movie and reads, “A story takes flight”. Guess I’ll use that.

Also: FUUUUCK! I hurt my wrist, like, a minute before starting to write this! HOW?!?!? I seriously might not be able to write because of this…but I will soldier on!

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It all happened so quickly, in a flash.

A flash so crimson from blood and brutal from violence that Municy could barely wrap his head around the event.

His little town in the outskirts of the Hoginsaw Empire hadn’t done anything wrong, anything to offend the Heavens. Yet, why were they being punished so?

Above Municy, planks creaked and moaned, dust falling from them as boots trampled overhead.

“…ake sure they’re all dead!”

The little boy crouched uncomfortably in one of his house’s hidden compartments beneath the floorboards. Originally intended to hide valuables within, then to keep secret stashes of booze or baked treats from guests so that they didn’t eat them all, the compartment built into the kitchen floor and hidden beneath a rug now hid Municy from the savage clutches of invaders.

First, screams of warning had sounded from the South. Then, fires billowed and raged, engulfing entire sections of housing.

At the start, Municy only blankly stared at the carnage from his patio, his adolescent mind unable to quickly grasp the dire situation. Then, from amidst the chaos, the boy’s mother ran into view, scooped him up, and roughly deposited him into the hidden compartment, reassuring him that everything would be alright the entire time.

“Stay very still and very quiet, sweetie.” She had urged him. “Don’t make any sounds or leave until all the noise is gone or someone you know comes to pick you up.”

Municy could tell that she had more to tell him, but she was rushed by something as she quickly closed the trapdoor and pulled the rug over it before leaving in a hurry.

It wasn’t until his mother’s footsteps disappeared into the distance did, the boy’s tears begin to fall.

“Mom?” He had hiccupped, before quickly placing a hand over his mouth, remembering her final warning to him.

It took all he had not to wail as people with bad intentions tore up his house as the suffering of his townsmen could be heard from their screams, shouts, and sobs.

When Municy awoke the next day, his face was dirtied by dried snot and tears, and his body ached all over from being cramped into such a tiny space.

The boy could hear nothing from the outside, so he tried to exit the hidden compartment, displacing bottles as he repositioned himself with care. Yet, the trapdoor and rug were too heavy for the young, exhausted boy to lift on his first try. The tears returned as he put his face to his knees and let everything out.

His little town had been attacked by bandits, and likely everything destroyed. He recalled the haunting cries of terror from his neighbors. What had the bandits done to them? He knew, but didn’t like the answer.

At the very least, his father and older brother had been out of town visiting their sick grandpapa, Municy remembered, giving himself a piece of good news amidst all the tragedy.

The little boy was about to attempt to lift the trapdoor again when a flutter of movement caught his attention. He couldn’t see anything, as the compartment had no light sources, but his hands felt the quivering of an object beneath him. Municy had assumed he was sitting on the floor of the hidden space, but as he examined the surface beneath him, he realized that it was something else.

The “floor’s” surface was smooth and surprisingly flexible…like tanned leather. Municy repositioned himself again and somehow made enough space to feel the object’s sides and move it out from under him.

“A book…” The boy whispered to himself.

It was a book like none other to Municy, because it was almost as large as himself! Although, thinner. He felt around it to discovered a kind of latch on the front—his touch causing the book to shake.

Without sight, it took him a minute to work out how to open the latch, and when he did…

“About time that he died! Truly unworthy of my grace, that man. Tut tut tut.”

A strange, melodic voice sounded from within the hidden compartment, startling Municy into dropping the book.

“Yeesh, treat me a bit better, will you? And where am I? I was locked up so long that I don’t know where I was placed. Seriously, did that guy fail to appreciate me so much that he threw me away?! What an ungrateful bloodline!”

The next instant, creaking resounded and light blinded Municy from above.

“The hell? I don’t remember this building! I really was thrown away!”

It took a few moments before the boy regained his sight and peered out from the compartment he was hidden within. Floating in the air above him, like magic, was what he assumed was the book he previously sat on. It was square in shape and wider than his body, while its cover appeared to be an unassuming leather color and texture.

Then, the book stopped turning in circles and faced him with its front side.

“Aw, shit. This little squirt is the next in line to be my master?”