HAROLD
10. Atomic Robo
9. Allen the Alien (Invincible)
8. Dale (Walking Dead)
7. Super Patriot (Image)
6. Tug (Crossgen)
5. Obregon Kaine (Crossgen)
4. Qubit (Irredeemable)
3. Rose (From Bone)
2. Groo (Dark Horse)
1. Confessor (Astro City)

KEITH
10. Knives Chau (from Scott Pilgrim)
9. Hellboy
8. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
7. Allen the Alien (from Invincible)
6. Atom (from Pluto)
5. Rick Grimes (from The Walking Dead)
4. Tetsuo (from Akira)
3. Gesicht (from Pluto)
2. Tony Chu (from Chew)
1. Fone Bone (from Bone)

RYAN
10. Barbara Thorson (I Kill Giants)
9. Afrodisiac
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
7. Astro Boy/Atom (Pluto)
6. The Tick
5. Tony Chu (Chew)
4. Usagi Yojimbo
3. Pitt
2. Gesicht (Pluto)
1. Fone Bone (Bone)

STEEVEN
10. Rick Grimes (Walking Dead)
9. The Tick
8. Phoney Bone (Bone)
7. Allen the Alien (Invincible)
6. Marv (Sin City)
5. Invincible
4. Elvis Chestnut (Proof)
3. Atomic Robo
2. John Prufrock (Proof)
1. Frank Einstein (Madman)

The smell of grease consumed Arthur, blocking out everything but the heat that billowed up off the deep-fat fryers. He stared blankly into the four steaming vats of oil in the narrow cook aisle inside the Happy Hamburger Drive-In Restaurant.

On one side of the aisle was a large grill, bun preparation area, and condiment bar. On the opposite were the four fryers with french-fry scoop station. All done in gleaming stainless steel because it was easier to clean.

Arthur Hanrahan had the job of manning the fryers.

“Hanrahan!” A voice screamed from behind. “Fries! We need more fries!”

“Yes, Mr. Finklemeyer.” Arthur mumbled. He opened the freezer door and let out a sigh that ached of tedium. His movements were slow, robotic. Anyone watching would either assume that Arthur spent life moving through an atmosphere of jelly, or that he was just plain dead inside. In this case it was the latter. Working at the Happy Hamburger had killed Arthur’s spirit and general will to live.

Arthur placed a handful of frozen fries into a small, rectangular, steel mesh basket, and plunged the basket into the boiling vegetable oil. He stood, motionless, stoic, statuesque, gazing with feigned interest at the fries as they bubbled, popped, and hissed in the liquid fat.

Arthur could sense the frenzied activity going on behind him as F. Fredrick Finklemeyer, the manager of the Happy Hamburger, created hamburgers at supersonic speed. Arthur just stood and waited on the fries. Wishing, no praying, that there was more to life than the Happy Hamburger.

That’s when the penguin walked in. It waddled up the cook aisle, stopped at Arthur’s feet, and looked up at him expectantly.

Arthur blinked in disbelief.

The penguin blinked back.

Arthur gaped and shook his head.

The penguin gave Arthur a wink.

Arthur took a quick step back and nearly stumbled into the fryers.

The penguin flapped its flippers and squawked in a way that only penguins can.

Arthur looked from the penguin to his fellow co-workers. His skin began to crawl as he realized that only he noticed that there was a small, flightless waterfowl standing in their cook aisle.

The penguin gave Arthur another wink, motioned to the back door with a nod of the head, and waddled its way to the exit.

Arthur stood petrified.

The penguin turned, gave Arthur another wink and then waved it’s flipper in a way that told Arthur he wanted him to follow, then the penguin waddled out the back door.

Arthur used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, turned to look again at his co-workers, all of which were ignoring him, then tore off his apron, threw it to the grease covered floor, and followed the penguin.

Arthur found the penguin outside, leaning against the back wall of The Happy Hamburger.

“You’re wasting time,” the penguin said

“You can talk?” Arthur questioned.

“Of course I can talk”

“But, you’re a penguin.”

“And?” the penguin asked, cocking it’s head.

“Well, it’s just that,” Arthur paused, collecting his thoughts. “Penguins aren’t really known for their ability to speak.”

“Look, dude. Don’t worry about that right now, okay? It’s not important.”

“Okay.”

“I’m here to give you a gift.”

“Okay.”

“You have been chosen, Arthur Hanrahan.”

“Chosen?”

“That’s right. Arthur Hanrahan, come on down! You are the next contestant on the Price is Right!”

Arthur woke long enough to find the remote and turn off the television.

His last thought as slumber once more found him, was that he had to stop eating so much right before bed.

This comes from a story prompt from storydam.com which said: “In the spirit of the Wizard of Oz, write a piece in which your character gets whisked away to an alternate reality. Obviously be creative, but think outside the box: this can be a fictional piece or you can use a crazy dream that involved you. The weirder the better—remember, you aren’t in Kansas anymore!”

I didn’t necessarily follow the prompt 100%, but that’s just the way it has to be this week. I really struggled with time on this one, so I hate to write fast.

HAROLD
10. Captain America
9. Batman
8. Superman
7. Wonder Woman
6. Wildcat
5. Emma Frost
4. Cyclops
3. The Atom
2. Mr. Fantastic
1. The New Gods

KEITH
10. Dazzler
9. Red Hulk
8. Vixen
7. Medusa
6. Hawk and Dove
5. Sentry
4. The Eternals
3. Starfox
2. Thunderstrike
1. Daken

RYAN
10. Jubilee
9. Ghost Rider
8. Red She-Hulk
7. Daken
6. Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
5. Shadowhawk
4. Red Hulk
3. Superboy Prime
2. Hiro-Kala
1. Punisher

STEEVEN
10. Aunt May
9. All Robins but Tim Drake
8. Scarlet Spider
7. Ras Al Ghul
6. Wildcat
5. Supergirl
4. Nightwing
3. The Teen Titans
2. Most everyone in all of the X-Men books
1. The Legion of Super Heroes

That’s a significant amount more than 10, Steeven. There’s bending the rules and then there’s just being greedy!

Once upon a time, in the land of happy thoughts and sweet dreams, there was a badger named Harold. He was a mean badger with a nasty disposition. Harold’s idea of good fun was to find one of the kindest, gentlest, sweetest creatures in all the land, and just be generally mean to it until it cried great tears of pure sadness and misery.

One day, while Harold was out kicking over ant hills and stomping on daisies, he ventured deep into a dark forest and came across a tiny little bear cub named Steeven. Steeven was awful cute, and as sweet as could be. Never was a more innocent creature found in the whole entirety of the great, wide world.

And so Harold, being the mean little badger that he was, crept up on silent claws to where Steeven was sleeping peacefully and with great beauty upon a field of roses. So cute and perfectly pure was this little bear cub, that the roses drew their thorns into themselves so as not to poke such an adorable creature that was Steeven, the tiniest, fluffiest, most delightful bear cub in all the land.

Harold watched in anger at the perfection that was Steeven. Harold’s anger grew with each step and he slunk closer and closer to the sleeping, angelic bear.

Soon Harold was close enough to Steeven that he could have bit the small bear on its round little bottom, and so he did.

Steeven leaped into the air, his cherubic voice calling out in pain and great anguish. Harold just watched and laughed his wicked little laugh.

Satisfied that he had dealt a perfect being a painful blow, Harold left Steeven to cry amongst the roses and slunk away, his fiendish laugh echoing through the trees, drowning out the tear choked sobs that came from the adorable little bear cub.

Not long after, Harold came out of the forest and into a land that was flat and filled with fields of wheat. Harold took two steps into the wheat and was suddenly crushed by a grand piano that fell from the sky.

The End.

For Harold Jennett, because he’s all kinds of awesome and stuff.

Go look at his art at: http://haroldjennett.wordpress.com/

Dean, you silly!  Everyone knows that the REAL villain is DC’s new logo.  ;)

HAROLD
10. Crime Syndicate of America
9. Bizarro
8. Lobo
7. The Mist
6. Doomsday
5. Prometheus
4. Cyborg Superman
3. Despero
2. Black Adam
1. Amazo

KEITH
10. Larfleeze
9. Zoom
8. Darkseid
7. Clayface
6. Lex Luthor
5. Two-Face
4. Solomon Grundy
3. Mr. Freeze
2. Ra’s Al Ghul
1. Joker

RYAN
10. Two-Face
9. Vandal Savage
8. Gorilla Grodd
7. Deathstroke
6. Crime Syndicate of America
5. Amazo
4. Darkseid
3. Bizarro
2. Mirror Master
1. Joker

STEEVEN
10. Black Manta
9. Riddler
8. Sinestro
7. Black Adam
6. Onomotopia
5. Joker
4. Solomon Grundy
3. Lex Luthor
2. Darkseid
1. Deathstroke

Once upon a time, I lived on The Shelf. My life was fairly static. My home, my prison, was surrounded by a plastic bubble backed by cardboard that left little room to move. There I would sit with all the others, waiting for the time of the Choosing. Hoping beyond hope that I would become one of the Chosen.

All day people would come and look at me. They would stare and point. Once and a while one would take me down and for a moment I would dare to hope that I had been chosen. The hope would rise from deep within and I would dream of living the life. We would all hear the stories from others who were chosen, chosen but returned. Stories of laughter, of joy, of belonging. The Returned were desperate to get back to it. They’ve been there. They’ve had what I wanted. Someone to play with. Someone who would love me unconditionally. It always seemed just out of reach. It was. The dream would die as I was placed back on The Shelf. There to remain. Unwanted.

Until today. A kindly looking old man took me from The Shelf and looked me over. He spent a lot of time scrutinizing me and my accessories. I tried not to let the hope build, but it was hard not to. I fought at it, pushing it down, desperate to avoid disappointment once again. Instead, I found myself being carried away. Images rushed past me as I was taken further and further from The Shelf. My heart soared. I was one of the Chosen.

At first life was a blur as I was taken from place to place. I went from warmth, to cold, then back to warmth. Then things began to slow. I was placed with care into a box. Lovingly cushioned amongst brightly colored tissue paper. I slept.

I woke to the sound of paper ripping and children squealing. Light spilled into the box, blues and reds and greens, blinking and dancing. I found myself in the hands of a small boy. If the stories were true, I would be freed from this prison and would be free to play. Free to love.

Instead, I was set aside. I watched the boy tear into other brightly wrapped boxes and bags. He laughed and clapped and sang as more of the Chosen were placed beside me. Soon, the boxes and bags were gone, leaving nothing but paper.

One by one, the other of the Chosen were freed from their cardboard and plastic prisons. But not me. Only I remained trapped. Only me.

I was taken from the room of lights and placed on another shelf in a small room full of shirts and pants that hung from a long pole. The door closed and I was alone in the dark. Why was I here? Why didn’t the boy free me? Was I not one of the Chosen?

Then I knew. I was to be returned. I wasn’t wanted. The boy didn’t want me. I was to be one of the Returned. I would go back on The Shelf. I would not be freed. I would not know joy, nor love. I would not know what it felt like to belong.

As I felt sleep take hold, as I thought of life back on The Shelf, I tried to reassure myself that this was all for the best. That I would be chosen one day. That I was wanted. I just had to be patient. My time would come.

After all, we were built to wait.

This comes from a story prompt from storydam.com which said: “Since many of you don’t appear to be being challenged enough, we’re going to step our game up a little for the Dam Burst prompts…starting today. You get to play the part of the gift (Mwah ha ha!) Write a piece in which you, the gift, have fulfilled your destiny—to be given to someone… only they don’t want you.”

HAROLD
10. Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt)
9. Aquaman
8. Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
7. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
6. Captain Atom
5. Nightwing
4. Flash (Wally West)
3. Martian Manhunter
2. The Ray (Ray Terrill)
1. Captain Marvel (aka Shazam)

KEITH
10. Arsenal
9. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
8. Superman
7. Flash (Wally West)
6. The Question (Vic Sage)
5. The Atom (Ryan Choi)
4. Stargirl
3. Robin/Red Robin (Tim Drake)
2. Sandman (Wesley Dodds)
1. Batman

RYAN
10. Damage
9. Nightwing
8. Lobo
7. Ragdoll
6. Booster Gold
5. Animal Man
4. Catman
3. Power Girl
2. Captain Marvel (aka Shazam)
1. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

STEEVEN
10. Black Lighting
9. Black Canary
8. Elongated Man
7. Wonder Woman
6. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
5. Mr. Miracle
4. The Question (Vic Sage)
3. Green Arrow
2. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
1. Superman

HAROLD
10. Doctor Doom
9. Abomination
8. Purple Man
7. Graviton
6. Taskmaster
5. Magneto
4. The Scourge
3. Scarlet Centurian (Squadron Supreme universe version)
2. Reed Richards
1. Tony Stark

Ooo! Controversy!

KEITH
10. Rhino
9. Swarm
8. M.O.D.O.K.
7. Thanos
6. Doctor Octopus
5. Red Skull
4. Green Goblin
3. Galactus
2. Magneto
1. Doctor Doom

Swarm is an undead Nazi whose body is made of bees!

RYAN
10. Juggernaut
9. Taskmaster
8. Super Skrull
7. Maestro
6. Bullseye
5. Magneto
4. Thanos
3. Kraven the Hunter
2. Galactus
1. Dr. Doom

STEEVEN
10. Armadillo
9. Whiplash
8. Batroc the Leaper
7. Shocker
6. Absorbing Man
5. Crossbones
4. The Wrecker
3. Rhino
2. Taskmaster
1. Juggernaut

The mug was warm in my hands. Steam rose from the coffee within and left a stream of condensation on the window. I took a sip of the caffeinated joy and moaned slightly with pleasure as the heat seeped into me.

I smiled and looked out at the day through the kitchen window. A thick layer of new snow coated the world outside my house. All around me was white. Nothing moved. The sun was rising, shining onto the perfect stillness of the morning.

Nothing was more beautiful than a world resting beneath a blanket of untouched snow. I smiled again and pulled the robe tighter around me.

The robe was blue, plump, and comforting. It went with the slippers that hugged my feet in their thick and fluffy embrace.

More snow began to fall in large white clumps, like cotton balls falling slowly to the earth. Everything beyond the window was white, pristine, sterile … practically perfect in every way.

Inside I was warm and cozy. Cradled in the smell of newly brewed coffee. Swimming in the sounds of the Beatles playing softly on the stereo behind me.

Life was good. Nay, life was great. I lived for mornings like this. It was really all about moments when it came to life. That’s it. Just the moments. For me, the best moments happened as the day begun. When nothing stirred. These moments were great and were only made better in the dead of winter after a voluminous snowfall.

Mornings like this made me feel like I was the first one up and about. Not just in my house, but in the world. Everyone everywhere were all snug in their beds. Dreaming their little dreamy dreams. I, alone, was available to look on as the world slept. It was a special feeling.

Unfortunately, these moments are fleeting. They aren’t made to last. I suppose that’s precisely why they are called “moments”. So I finish my coffee and take one more look upon the unspoiled winter that lies just outside my kitchen window. I try to embed the picture on my mind. Hoping beyond hope to have something to carry with me, a fond memory to help get me through my day.

Because the fact is, regardless of the love I have for the perfect beauty of the landscape beyond my front door that lies still and silent and draped in white, I know that it won’t be long before I have to go out into it. Then the love will be lost as I dig my car out from what was once an object of peace. The air will thicken with curses as I shovel the snow, breaking my back and destroying my spirit. My heart will fill with fear each time I encounter another driver on the icy roads, which I’m sure will only result in more curses.

The best of winter happens indoors. Warm blankets. Snuggling with loved ones. Heating your insides with coffee, cocoa, or a big bowl of chili. It’s comfort. It’s pure and it’s simple. It’s wonderful. It’s perfection.

It’s when you’re forced to go out into it that you’re reminded that snow is ugly, indifferent, mocking, painful, but most of all, cold.

This comes from a story prompt from storydam.com which simply said: “Write a piece (fiction or non-fiction) in which your character is experiencing the worst part of winter.”

To me, the worst of winter is going out into it. I hope I conveyed that affectively.

Read more from Steeven at www.steevenorrelse.com

“Well, the solution is obvious. Stand them facing each other. Throw a knife on the floor between them. The one that lives gets to eat the other one.”

P.S. Happy sixth birthday Colin. Fighting your brother to the death in a cannibalistic knife fight is part of growing up.