I stepped forward, rubbing my finger where the Machine had drawn blood, so it could determine how I would die.
The kiosk attendant handed me a folded paper. I stared at it.
It held a short message that would change how I lived my life. I would spend my days avoiding death, to no avail - the Death Machine was persistently and unfailingly correct. Would I die by choking? Drowning? Overdosing?
I slowly unfolded it.
It read, simply, “READING THIS DEATH MACHINE SLIP.”
I frowned, and promptly died.
The attendant retrieved my paper, read it, and shrugged.
“Next!”
Inspired by http://machineofdeath.net/a/archives/18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, which is detailed more specifically http://machineofdeath.net/guidelines.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . I was hoping to write a piece that would work well enough without knowing all that backstory - although I recognize that it would be better if I could assume the reader does know the backstory, as it would have saved me some exposition, leaving room for more drabbley detail (in this case more worried philosophical hand-wringing). Maybe I'll rewrite it as if it were in the anthology...
I'd certainly like to see what everyone else can cook up
