The Omniscrolls

While other noble children her age took great care of their appearances, Ansul danced in the rain and ran through fields, often coating her fine clothes in mud and dust. She would avoid playing with other girls her age because of their fixations; and they, too, disliked Ansul because she paid no mind to how she looked. Ansul would often spar with peasant boys and girls, who welcomed her with open arms whenever she wished to play with them. As Ansul grew older, however, her parents grew tired of this behaviour and often reprimanded her, but Ansul did not let them control her every move. She pushed forward with her free spirit and found herself sparring even with the knights of the city. One day, Ansul’s father threatened her, saying that he would give her in marriage soon if she didn’t change her ways. Ansul was defiant, but knowing how stubborn her father was, she knew he would keep his word. And so she devised a plan to ensure her freedom. That weekend, a farmer saw Ansul being led ou...

As a standup comedian, I attracted many haters as much as I did fans with my political and religious commentary. Those were topics in which I often pointed out the hypocrisies of the people in charge, who consistently masked their cruel actions with a veil of benevolence. This was something certain zealots could tolerate; they often targeted my shows and vandalised surrounding property. I’d often see messages saying I’d soon go to hell, and that I’d suffer at the hands of the devil. I found it amusing. A man who seemed relatively tame with his threats one day attended one of my shows and asked me if I truly didn’t believe in god. I said no and came up with a joke that made the entire room roar with laughter. He said I would burn in hell, and I said I’d choose hell over heaven any day with all the atrocities god would be responsible for if they existed. The man looked displeased. He got up and left without another word. I didn’t think much of the incident, but maybe I should have. Once ...