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It’s Not What You Think it Is

Maybe it’s a Memorial After All (6 words)

The stone monolith stood like a lonely granite sentry overlooking the surrounding woods. It had appeared overnight and drew the attention of the Corps of Engineers.

“It’s new but constructed to look weathered. That’s not easy to do. We need to get this material to the lab to be analyzed.” (50 words)

The lab results were in.

“It’s not just a monument. First of all, it extends about a half mile into the earth’s core. And the material is like nothing we have ever seen. Especially the metal filament at the top. If is not any element from our periodic table. And it is very conductive. Highly, highly flammable. Incendiary even.”

“So what is it?”

“Well, we think it’s like a wick on a candle. A fuse. Something ignited for a detonation.”

“You mean to trigger like a bomb to explode?”

“I mean to trigger like the whole freakin’ planet to explode.” (100 words)

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6-WORD STORY

Gentle river meandered under the bridge.

50-WORD CONTINUATION STORY

The swollen river, now a roaring beast, swallowed the bridge whole.

Townsfolk watched in horror as the structure crumbled, sweeping dreams and connections into the relentless river.

Years passed. Thoughts of the bridge faded.

Nature danced around the site, vines creeping over the remnants, reclaiming what humanity had once birthed.

100-WORD CONCLUSION

Fifty years later, the area is a lush testament to nature’s resilience.

Ferns sway where gravel once lay, and trees twist around the remains of one cement pylon, standing tall like a monolithic offering to forgotten gods.

Children play in a nearby park, unaware of the flood, the bridge—stories lost to time.

The river sings a different tune now, a gentle lullaby paying homage to the past, yards away from the pylon.

In the stillness, the pylon seems to whisper secrets of connection and loss, a solemn reminder that even the strongest structures are vulnerable to the forces of nature.

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Monolithic Bridges (50 words)

Lemmuria, a lost continent, the cradle of civilization was submerged. The sun’s hot rays poisonous. Sea levels rose 100 meters, 4500 years ago. Continental drift swallowed land. Forty ton monoliths transported to Easter Island. A monolithic bridge constructed from India to Sri Lanka, now submerged in Ramayana folklore.

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