Today's #flashfiction #TheVortexSurpriseShow

“And you can quote me on that one.”

The Raven*

Today's story is a special one. I decided to write a random story today. So this story is improvisational with some words in it created by a random noun generator I found on the Internet. So during several parts I had no idea what was going to happen next. The randomly generated words are in italics.

The Vortex Surprise Show

      Steve Wandgone was a simple wizard down on his luck. He needed some quick cash and a game show was a way to get it. When he was selected he felt happier than he ever had in years. He thought that there were a lot more contestants than there actually were. Not many people had the guts to sign up for The Vortex Surprise Show.

     He already stood in the massive, cavernous room that The Vortex Surprise Show's main part took place in. He had no competition. The host spoke to him through speakers. He got money based on how long he stayed in there without going to towards the exit or dying. The money would be sent to his inheritors. He signed all the paperwork. People have died on the show before and the studio didn't have a problem. In the wizard world the laws worked like that, sign enough paperwork and anything was fine. People signed magical deals with demons after all. This show wasn't as bad as a some of their contracts.

     How could such a show be dangerous enough that people died? That the prize was based on how long you lasted? In the room vortexes opened and would unleash totally random objects into the room. Unpredictable to even the producers of the show. And whatever it was the person had to deal with it. At least the wizards were allowed their wands to defend themselves.

       The host explained the rules to the audience and it was projected over the speakers in the room to Steve. It served as a reminder what he had gotten himself into. But he needed the money badly. The stroke of bad luck got him in debt to all the wrong kinds of people.

      “Okay contestant! Enjoy your Vortex Surprises!” The host yelled. That was the last thing he yelled to contestants. Everything else that would be said during the show was edited in later as commentary post-written by the producers.

      Steve began to sweat. He looked at his wand. It looked fine but his hands had gotten pale in fear. He was glad that he wore his street clothes of jeans and a simple red t-shirt instead of wizard robes since that may allow him to run faster. A vortex opened and its powerful light shined into his black eyes. Yet, nothing happened. He scratched his brown hair in confusion.

     Then, doodled on a piece of paper, came Capricorn, the tenth astrological sign. Steve watched The Vortex Surprise Show before. But an abstract concept emerging from the vortex was pretty strange, even if it was written on a piece of paper. It does show that anything can come out.

     Before he could give much more thought to this a tablecloth along with America emerged from the vortex. But this was a miniature America from an alternate universe where everything was smaller. The vortex would only summon things that would fit into the room. America was transported into the room on the tablecloth that was pulled from a normal sized universe. Steve calmed down. None of these objects proved threatening so far. He wasn't sure what to do with the America.Or how the studio would dispose of it later.

     The vortex then widened to allow a ferry to launch through it. It flew like a missle and Steve barely managed to jump out of the way in time to avoid being crushed. It's wooden bottom broke to pieces on the hard, metal floor of the Vortex Room. A floor especially designed to make sure that whatever came out stayed with the contestants and didn't leave. The ferry came from the mundane world, the 19^th century era.  The place being England and it was full of British people who were just minding their own business. Out of the vortex next came doubt. In the form of psychic waves. It made Steve doubt he was going to live, it made the British people doubt they were in Britain, and it made all the tiny people in the tiny America on the tablecloth doubt that their satellite TV wasn't working because of bad weather. They started to think maybe something weird had happened.

       Steve got a break as the next thing to come out was a slip of paper.

       But next came out a person who walked up to Steve and said, “Hi, my name is Brian.” Steve didn't like this. On the Vortex Surprise Show people could be bad news. He thought of the British people but this man just walked up and introduced himself after being dragged through a vortex. How could he go through such an experience unphased? Just who is this man? What are is motives? Is he a powerful wizard? Who is Brian?

      Pop! A cymbal and pike then fell out of the vortex. Brian then picked them up.

      “Good. Weapons. Now I can kill you and take your soul. For I am a Wizard Hunter from the Dark Dimension!”

       Suddenly Uganda came from the vortex. This also from a miniature universe. But one not as miniature as the one the America came from. Uganda was flung out of the vortex as a landmass and fell on Brian squishing him. To add insult to injury the vortex then shot out a grape on top.

Steve wished he was allowed some sort of clock in the room. Had enough time elapsed to get him out of his debt with the dangerous people? What would he do? If he wasn't so panicked he could have asked the confused British people on the ferry for a watch. The next item to come out of the vortex was a chunk of lyocell in a neat little sheet. A clarinet soon followed.

      It took a moment for Steve to follow the next train of logic. Next what came out of the vortex was a trip. Which is why next the room suddenly transformed into a simulated version of Hawaii. It filled with sand, trees and everything. And in the middle of the Hawaii the vortex spat out was a hyacinth plant it spat out as well. Steve didn't realize it but the British people succumbed to a vortex influence. It send out another psychic wave, creating trade and a ferry society had been born as they assumed a sort of tribal mentality.

Steve looked around confused then felt a massive pain in his back. A hammer had flown out of the vortex.  He dropped his wand. He saw where it was and went to grab it. But then one of the British people took it and ran off to the ferry. It became part of the trade and difficult to find. And when he tried to get it back the British person who traded for it considered it his property. The ferry people already formed a pack and he couldn't get his wand back. He was thrown out.

     Steve found something to get his wand back with. Lasagna came out of the vortex. He was ready to get it back. Food would be more valuable then some stick that they couldn't use. But to his surprise the ferry people just beat him up and took the lasagna from him.

      Next what came out of the vortex was a test. From Mr. Smith's 3^rd period 6^th grade science class. From the grade it looks like Susie didn't study much. Steve pitied the poor girl and hoped she would get her grades up.

      Venezuela shot out of the vortex next. From another miniature universe. Not as miniature as the one as the first America universe but more miniature than the one where Uganda came from. Here Venezuela was the size of a large pizza. It spun out of vortex with frightening speed and hit Steve in the legs. He fell over, confident one of his legs was broken. He knew he had to get to the exit before something more dangerous came out of the vortex.

      He hoped he stayed in the room long enough to get the money he needed to pay off his debts. He started crawling towards the door to exit the Vortex Room. From watching the show he knew that when a contestant headed for the exit the producers forced the vortex to spit out even more objects to up the drama.

So all at once out came lettuce, a theory jotted down on paper, a mosquito, a bit of gold, a flare, a condor, a blob of custard, a face preserved in a jar, and a caravan full of antelopes. Some of the items weren't dangerous but the condor and face scared the antelopes into a stampede. The stampede rumbled through the vortex room. It even went to the ferry and killed all the British people.

      Steve managed to escape the room. He did well. He lasted longer than most in the vortex room. He managed to get enough money to pay off his debts, so he didn't need to worry about them. Money for his medical bills though was another matter.