Ever since I was small, I've had a knack for photography. It's fun, and it allows me to express myself in ways I never thought possible. I've entered loads of competitions, and won quite a few, but this one will truly show the world just how grand my photography skills are. If they are grand, that is.
 Tripod set up, camera positioned perfectly, it's time. This short little photoshoot will hopefully get me the perfect image for the contest, so I am determined to nail it.
 "Ready?" I ask myself, chuckling. "Yes, indeed I am."
 I take the first picture, but it's not quite right. I try adjusting the stand, and then take another. However, it's just as bad, if not worse. I sigh, taking the camera off the tripod. Then I grin. I hold the camera up to my eye, and position it just right. Then, just as I press the button to take the photo...
  My camera dies.

It's no secret that everyone who is part of the Hiltz family is insane. They never leave their plot of land, which is surrounded by a tall fence. The fence is thick and covered in spikes, and it is also electric. Seems a bit much, doesn't it?
 Ever since I first moved here, I've made it a priority to find out what is on the other side of that fence. Many have attempted it in the past, but all who go there never return. It's become a bit of an urban legend at this point.
 Whenever I tell someone that I'm planning to discover the Hiltz family's secrets, they just laugh at me and say, "That's impossible." However, I am still determined to do it.
 Now, camera around neck, and tough leather clothing donned to protect me from getting stabbed by the spikes, I'm ready. I climb up over the fence, but when I reach the top, I'm startled by what I see, and fall back down. Their garden is absolutely beautiful!
 I quickly climb back up, and gaze at their gorgeous garden. The grass is a bright shade of green, and is scattered with seemingly glowing flowers. A tall, strong apple tree is planted off to one side, and a raised garden is off to the other side. Looking at it, I can see tomatoes, strawberries, and other beautiful fruits and vegetables growing perfectly.
 Now, I know what they mean. The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

I look at the cake in front of me, tears in my eyes. The wounds in my legs and arms are bleeding out heavily, and the dizziness is building up. This is the end of humanity, no matter what. So, naturally, I take a slice of the cake, and bite into it.
 "Happy birthday to me," I say after swallowing the last bit of the slice. Then I look over at the zombie waddling over to me, and chuckle, "Hi there, friend."
 The zombie looks at me, then looks at the piece of cake, then back at me. Its face is deformed and broken, yet I can still see the man who used to be my best friend. Unfortunately, I'm the last surviving human on Earth. Everyone else has either died or been turned into a zombie.
 For months now, the apocalypse has been destroying the world. And now, it has succeeded, as the zombie comes towards me. There is no way for me to get away, so, I stay here.
 Best birthday ever.

There she is, the girl of my dreams, standing there with her hair flowing down her back beautifully. I've liked Alice for years now, and with the end-of-school dance coming up, I'm determined to ask her out. There's just one problem.
 "There is no way I'll ever have the courage to ask her out," I said to my friend, Samuel, who just chuckled.
 "Come on, it's not that hard to ask a pretty girl out. Take it from an expert," he laughs, nudging me annoyingly with his elbow. I glare at him, frustrated at the fact that he isn't taking this seriously.
 "You know me, Sam. I'm terrified of girls. They always travel in packs, anyway, so it's impossible to pull one to the side in order to ask her out. Honestly, if you're such an expert on this, then why do you act so stupid?" I spit at him. He stares at me for a moment, shocked at the outburst.
 "Tell you what. I'll tell her you want to go out with her for you," he suggests, but I shake my head.
 "She already thinks I'm a scaredy-cat as it is," I point out.
 "Write her a note, then. That's bound to get her attention," he says, shrugging. I laugh.
 "That is so cliche. No, I need to tell her to her face," I decide.
 "Alright, then, let's practice. I'll be Alice, and you be, well, you. Pretend I'm hanging out at my locker or something," he notes, before clearing his throat and nodding towards me.
 "Uh... Hi, Alice!" I choke.
 "Oh, hi Luke," Samuel says in a high-pitched, cringe-worthy voice.
 "I was wondering if you might want to go to the dance with me? I've liked you for ages and I really hope you feel the same way. If not, though, that's fine."
 "Oh, sure! That's so sweet of you."
 We both crack up laughing.

It's the year 3000, the turn of the millennium, and the sun has started to flicker. Everyone around me is panicking, and running around like crazy. However, I'm merely standing here, watching it.
 "Dude, are you insane? Hurry up!" I hear my best friend, Jerald, say in a frightened tone. I shift my gaze in his direction and smile pitifully.
 "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I chuckle. He grips his hair in a cliche way.
 "We don't have time for this, Max! The world is ending, for goodness sake," he stares at me, eyes wide. I laugh sadly, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. He glares at me angrily, and noticing just how mad he is, I sigh.
 "Alright, let's go," I say. He grabs my hand and we run with the crowd. Then, suddenly, I stop. Jerald looks at me and encourages me to move, but I just grin.
 "It's stopped flickering," I chuckle. People around me freeze and a murmur spreads. Everyone eventually stops, and Jerald looks at me with a look of absolute shock in his eyes. Then he laughs, and I laugh, and a laugh spreads.

 Suddenly, we both stop laughing.
 Don't celebrate too soon.

I've never really been one for superstition, or wishing. However, my friend and I have a bet. I wish upon a star, and we wait a few months. If it comes true, she wins. But if it doesn't, I win.
 Now, standing in the yard, I look up at the sky. One particularly bright star catches my attention, so I stare directly at it and sigh.
 "I wish... I wish for a puppy," I say honestly. Now all I have to do is wait. Good thing nobody actually heard me.

~Character Change~

"Aww, that's adorable," I say, laughing at the video clip, and turning to my head coworker. "You heard the girl. Get her a puppy!"
 Satellites - gotta love 'em.

"Thank you," I said as the waiter served me my dish. He smiled at me and I smiled back. Then he walked away, you know, like you do in that situation. Anyway, I grabbed the fortune cookie that was on my plate and broke into it. I pulled out the paper, and was shocked at what was written on it. I looked up at the waiter, and he grinned at me cheesily. I gave him a questioning look, and he nodded at me. Then I looked back down at the number written on the paper, then back up, then back down, then back up. Then I grinned. That's smooth.

Okay, so I was bored and decided to write some short stories. So, I looked up some prompts and found a site with loads of them. Anyway, if you guys like these short little stories then let me know and I might do more. Thanks for reading!!
Also, feel free to search the site to find the prompts I used. If you find them all, you get a shoutout and a character profile drawing request. :D
And yes, I ship the two dudes in story 5. :P
Prompts From Here