Megrim

The first bit of story practice using a random Magic the Gathering card. This one features Megrim -- a card that has some real flavor in its wording, art, and gameplay mechanics.

Fun fact: Megrim can be used for depression or migraines.

In magic, cards in hand, drawn, or discarded are often symbolized as memories or knowledge. So, having an opponent discard a card -- or lose memories -- ties the mechanics and flavor text (the italicized text) of this card together pretty well. Some other elements that stand out are the art and name of the card. Megrim can mean depression or migraines -- the art and the card mechanics most likely depict a migraine happening, which would explain the damage. That the card is an enchantment, and thus hangs around, could either mean a chronic migraine, a reference the depression angle, or some combination of the two.

Regardless, I chose a more modern setting for my (very) short story that may, or may not, be supernatural in nature.

Megrim

By Josh Thompson

    The cuts appeared at random. No pain. No memory. Zach would just look down and see thin lines of blood blossom through his clothes. His arms, legs, torso — they could appear any where at any time. And he never knew why. Should he go to a doctor? What would they think? That he was crazy. That he was self-harming. He wasn’t, but who would take his word for it? It all seemed insane, even to him.

    Despite all the wounds and the stress they were causing, there was more. He was forgetting things. Not small things — like his keys or where he left his wallet. He was forgetting entire days. Weeks. Long stretches of time were absent from his memory, but not all at once. It was always random. Or was it? Whenever he thought too deeply about his memory loss, the wounds he had, or got too close to… Something. Everything would just go away, leaving behind another injury.

    He tried not to think about it. How long had it taken for him to even gleam this much and to remember? Could it all be lost, like everything else? Could he ever stop it? 

    At the mere thought of defiance, he felt the darkness within his mind swarm over him. He tried to scream, to tear the darkness away, but it bound his arms and filled his lungs. He could only lay there, in his room, paralyzed as the grip it held him with cut into his chest and his arms. The darkness then went to work, clouding his thoughts, stripping them away until… No pain. No memory.