[WP] You've been given 3 very simple tasks to do. However, you hear that nobody has ever been able to complete all 3 tasks.

( ) The walk down the sterile white hallway was longer than first anticipated. Coming to the only door at the end of the barren hallway, she pushed opened the door and was immediately drawn to the glitz and glamour that surrounded this new room, This was the World Leaders Office.

Once completely inside, the doors closing behind, she was alone in the room with her, Magnus. “I…I was told to come here to see you?” Liz stammered, still in awe of the sight of the room around her, the walls covered in dark browns and shiny gold hues. Pillows and throws covered the seating along the far wall, and a small crackling fire to the right of that with a black and gold door on the left hand side next to a blacked out window. “Ah yes! You must be Liz, you have come to accept this challenge?”, The voice came from the Monitor on the wall above the fireplace. “Seems typical….” Liz thought to herself, not even for this challenge would she have the honor of actually seeing Magnus in person. Rumors around say that not even Magnus’ own mother gets to see her in person, due to her busy work schedule, and having to run the entire world, Magnus could be anywhere i the world and still be able to broadcast to everyones screen.


“This task will not be hard, but more a matter of just following instructions verbatim.” Magnus seemed to have said this many times before, seeing as no one has been able to complete all three tasks, at least not that Liz knew about. “Upon completion will I finally get to meet you? like, in person? face to face.” Liz asked, walking slowly towards the monitor on the far wall, feeling the warmth of the fireplace on her cheeks. “Oh but of course, but that is if you can complete the tasks.” said Magnus. The three tasks have been passed down from generation to generation, it is something that everyone knows that people have tried, but haven't been able to succeed. No one knew what exactly the tasks were, because if people have tried and have been unable to complete them, they are exiled outside kingdom limits and have no way of entering back into the city.


“I am ready, what do I need to do?”  Liz said with such determination in her voice, she was ready to finally do what so many others were not able to do. “Simple, you need to go through that door there, and while in that room…” said Magnus while gesturing to the sturdy door next to the window which slowly was becoming illuminated from the light inside, “You need to go in there and complete the other two tasks which are given once inside.”. “Really? thats it?” said Liz, looking kind of puzzled from the door to the monitor showing Magnus. “That is it…” replied Magnus, “These tasks are simple but you will know why many people cannot complete them.”. Liz slowly walked towards the window showing the room inside. Inside was similar to the hallway before, cold, sterile, white. There was a single table with two circles on either side, shoulder length apart, with a chair pushed underneath. 


“Completing these tasks, I can have anything I ever wanted?” said Liz, prying herself away from the window leading into the room for the challenge, and walking towards the fire again to get warm. “You can have anything.” replied Magnus. Liz stood there thinking about her options. She could chicken out and just go back to her normal boring life of herding the livestock like her entire blood line has done for generations, or she could complete this challenge and have anything that she has ever wanted. “So… to start I just go into the room and await further instructions?” she asked. “This is correct. This is your chance to break the cycle and do something great!” exclaimed Magnus looking hopeful towards Liz, “Once inside I will tell you the next two steps.”


Looking back at the room, Liz knew what she had to do, she needed to complete this task so that her family wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore. She could finally provide for the family that has provided for her, her entire life. Walking towards the room, hand on the handle of the door, Liz looked back. “ I accept this challenge, and I WILL complete this.”. “Very well then, I will speak to you once inside.” Said Magnus with a smug tone.


Wrapping her hand around the knob, pulling the door open, Liz could feel the cold, wet air from the room pour into the cozy room she has been in the last half hour now. The door slowly coming closed behind her, Liz walks over to the table and looks at the window next to the door she just came through. The window, however, does not show the room she was just in talking with Magnus. The window shows Magnus, except this time it looks a lot more clear than before. “So…. what are the other two tasks that I'm needing to do in here?” said Liz from behind the table looking towards Magnus who was displayed on window screen. “ Now it is simple….” Magnus started, “Now that you have started, you must go forward, there is no going back. The challenge has started and if you choose to back out now you will be exiled.”. The cold of the room seemed to be getting to Liz, as she stood there and shivered, just wanting to get this task over with. “The final two tasks are to sit in the chair there at the table, and place your hands on the circles on the table.”. Liz looked at the table, confused. If this is all that it took to complete these tasks, then why hasn’t anyone been able to complete these before? “There has to be something she is not telling me.” Liz thought to herself as she pulled out the chair from the table and sat down. Looking towards Magnus, Liz put both hands on the circles of the table. Everything became cold.


The next morning, Magnus woke up to the sun creaking through the plants covering her window. Still covered in the plush down of the quilt on the bed, she threw it aside and went to look at herself in the mirror. She began to touch her face, “Way different than I remember….” she said to herself, as she walked out of the bathroom, and towards the kitchen. She chose to sleep in today. Her role as World Leader had really gotten to her, felt that now she could finally take a break and have some free time. Pouring herself a cup of milk, she turned on the screen to catch up on the morning news. Liz was on the screen with a caption at the top.

“Magnus Free, Liz New World Leader”

/r/WritingPrompts Thread