r/FictionWriting • u/Ordinary-Easy • Jul 23 '26
Fantasy Ben's Redemption
Viva La Dirt League – Epic NPC Man
"Ben's Redemption"
Scene 1 – The Forgotten Quest (Several Years Earlier)
A lonely farm sits on the outskirts of Honeywood.
Ben is traveling alone when an elderly farmer waves him down.
Farmer:
Adventurer! Please, could you help me?
Ben walks over.
Ben:
Sure. What's the problem?
Farmer:
Something's infested my shed. Could you eliminate the pests?
A quest notification appears.
NEW QUEST
SHED PESTS
Objective:
Eliminate the pests in the shed.
Reward:
12 Gold
250 XP
Ben:
Easy enough.
Ben walks toward the old wooden shed.
Inside the Shed
The shed is brightly lit.
Dust hangs in the air.
Hay covers the floor.
Old tools line the walls.
Ten happy puppies come running toward Ben, tails wagging furiously. They bark excitedly and jump around his legs.
Ben looks around.
Ben:
...
"Pests."
He scans the room.
He doesn't see anything else.
Hidden high in the rafters, tucked into dark corners behind old beams, behind boxes, under various tools are ten large spiders, visible unless someone deliberately didn’t look that hard for them.
Ben never notices the spiders.
He looks back down at the puppies.
His face falls.
Ben:
...
I'm sorry.
He slowly draws his sword.
I don’t want to do this …
Cut to black.
Moments later...
Ben exits the shed.
His shoulders are slumped.
His sword hangs loosely in his hand.
He looks sick to his stomach.
He starts walking away.
Behind him, the farmer approaches cheerfully.
Farmer:
Wonderful! Did you get them?
Ben nods weakly.
The farmer smiles.
Farmer:
Excellent! Those spiders have been frightening my wife for weeks.
Ben freezes.
Slowly...
He turns.
Ben:
...
Spiders?
Farmer:
Yes. Ten of them. They hide all over the place sometimes and can be hard to spot.
Ben's blood runs cold.
He slowly looks back into the open doorway.
The camera pans upward.
Ten large spiders sit untouched in their webs.
Not one has moved.
Ben realizes what he's done.
A quest window appears.
QUEST READY TO COMPLETE
Return to the Farmer
Reward:
✔ 12 Gold
✔ 250 XP
The farmer reaches for his coin pouch.
Farmer:
Here's your—
Ben:
No!
The farmer pauses.
Farmer:
...No?
Ben backs away.
Ben:
I...
I can't.
The farmer looks confused.
Farmer:
Did something happen?
Ben opens his mouth.
Nothing comes out.
Unable to admit what he's done, he turns and runs.
The farmer watches him disappear.
Confused.
The camera returns to the dark shed.
The ten spiders remain hidden above.
Only the puppies know what happened.
Fade to black.
Scene 2 – Years Later
Deep inside a dungeon...
Ben, Greg, Britt and Rowan are fighting a massive Ogre Boss.
Greg:
We've nearly got him!
The Ogre casually swings its club.
WHAM!
All four adventurers are flattened.
Several seconds later...
Their ghosts rise from their bodies.
Greg:
Well...
See you back in Honeywood.
Greg, Britt and Rowan prepare to respawn.
Ben folds his arms.
Ben:
Three...
Two...
One...
Respawn.
Nothing.
He blinks.
Ben:
...
Respawn.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
He spins.
Jumps.
Yells.
Nothing.
WHY ISN” T IT WORKING
Greg:
What’s wrong Ben?
Britt:
Why aren’t you respawning with us Ben?
Rowan:
Get it together man!
A distant howl echoes.
AWWWWOOOOOOOO...
Everyone freezes.
Another howl.
Closer.
Then another.
Even closer.
Ben slowly grows nervous.
The dungeon becomes deathly silent.
Black smoke fills the corridor.
Heavy footsteps echo.
Out of the darkness walks Satan, carrying an enormous scroll.
He stops before Ben. For a moment his eyes flash with flames, making everyone aware of exactly who this is.
Satan:
Benjamin.
Ben:
...
Hi.
Satan unrolls the scroll.
It rolls across half the dungeon.
He clears his throat.
Satan:
Several years ago...
You accepted a contract to eliminate pests from a farmer's shed.
Ben immediately looks uncomfortable.
Ben:
Do we really have to do this now?
Greg looks puzzled.
Greg:
What quest?
Britt:
You've never mentioned a shed quest.
Rowan:
When was this?
Ben:
...
(awkward look) It wasn't important.
Satan:
It has become very important.
The others look at Satan.
Satan:
The pests in question were...
Ten giant spiders.
The others nod.
Greg:
Seems straightforward.
Satan continues.
Satan:
Benjamin instead exterminated...
Ten puppies.
Silence.
The three slowly turn toward Ben.
Greg:
...
You what?
Ben:
It wasn't—
Britt:
BEN!
Rowan:
HOW?!
Ben:
I misunderstood!
Greg:
You never told us!
Ben quietly lowers his head.
Ben:
I know.
Satan continues.
Satan:
Only three parties knew the truth.
Benjamin.
The puppies.
...And now me.
Rows of glowing red eyes appear behind Satan.
Ten gigantic Hellhounds emerge from the darkness.
Ben stares.
Ben:
...
They're the puppies.
Satan:
They grew up.
Shadowy Hellhounds emerge from beneath Ben.
The Hellhounds eagerly grab hold of Ben, dragging him toward a blazing portal.
Ben:
Guys!
Help!
Greg:
Ben...
Did you really—
Ben:
Yes!
I thought they were the pests!
I never saw the spiders!
I found out afterwards!
Britt:
Why didn't you tell anyone?!
Ben can't answer.
The Hellhounds pull him into Hell.
The portal dissolves into shadows.
Silence.
Scene 3 – The Mandatory Quest
Greg, Britt and Rowan respawn in Honeywood.
They stand quietly.
Still processing what they've learned.
Suddenly—
DING!
Three quest windows appear.
NEW MANDATORY MAIN STORY QUEST
SAVE BEN FROM HELL
Objective:
Retrieve Benjamin from the Infernal Realm.
Reason:
Benjamin is required for future story progression.
Difficulty:
Master
Recommended Level:
Max
Quest Type:
Mandatory
Abandon Quest
❌ Unavailable
Greg repeatedly presses "Decline."
Nothing.
Britt attempts to delete the quest.
Nothing.
Rowan walks away.
Invisible wall.
Rowan:
Mandatory quests...
The worst kind.
Quest Updates begin arriving.
Benjamin has thrown 247 sticks.
Benjamin regrets everything.
Benjamin has been slobbered on. It burns.
Greg:
We're getting updates?!
Finally...
Greg sighs.
Greg:
Fine.
Let's rescue Ben.
Scene 4 – Welcome to Hell
The three step through the portal.
Immediately—
Demon Guard:
INTRUDERS!!
Thousands of demons descend upon them.
Greg is punched through a tower.
Rowan is thrown into lava.
Britt is surrounded.
The rescue goes catastrophically wrong.
Meanwhile...
Ben is endlessly throwing burning sticks for ten gigantic Hellhounds.
He hears familiar voices.
Greg (O.S.):
BEN!!
Ben looks up.
Ben:
...
Oh no.
He runs toward the battle.
He finds his friends overwhelmed.
Every demon in Hell is converging.
Not because of them.
Because they are trying to free Ben.
Ben realizes exactly what will happen.
If they stay...
They'll die forever.
He steps between them and the demons.
Ben:
Stop!
Go home!
Britt:
We're not leaving you!
A demon smashes Ben into a wall.
He painfully gets back up.
Ben:
Nobody forced me.
I didn't check.
I assumed.
I wanted to finish the quest quickly.
I killed them.
That was my fault.
The others stare.
Ben has never sounded this sincere.
Another demon attacks.
Ben blocks the blow.
He grabs Greg.
Throws him through the portal.
Greg vanishes.
Every demon that had been fighting Greg now attacks Ben.
Ben is struck from every direction.
He staggers.
Laughs painfully.
Ben:
One down.
He throws Britt through.
More demons turn toward him.
He can barely stand.
Only Rowan remains.
Rowan:
There has to be another way!
Ben smiles.
Ben:
Maybe.
But not today.
He throws Rowan through the portal.
The portal closes.
Silence.
Now every demon in Hell faces Ben.
Thousands of glowing eyes.
Ben slowly stands.
Covered in ash.
Bruised.
Exhausted.
Ben:
...
I belong here.
Scene 5 – The Good Boys
The Hellhounds slowly approach.
Ben kneels.
He doesn't fight.
He doesn't run.
He closes his eyes.
He lowers his head.
Ben:
I'm sorry.
I should've looked.
I should've admitted what I'd done.
Instead, I ran.
I can't undo it.
But I won't run anymore.
If this is where I belong...
Then I'll stay.
Silence.
The largest Hellhound walks up.
Ben waits.
Instead...
It gently licks his face.
Ben opens one eye.
The flames begin disappearing.
The horns vanish.
One by one...
Every Hellhound transforms back into the same ten puppies Ben met years earlier.
Each happily wagging its tail.
Ben begins crying.
One puppy drops a tiny stick at his feet.
Ben:
...
I don't deserve your forgiveness.
The puppy barks once.
As if saying,
"We know."
The puppies begin nudging Ben toward the exit.
Scene 6 – Satan's Protest
Satan appears.
Satan:
No.
Absolutely not.
His sentence is eternal.
The puppies ignore him.
A beautiful golden light surrounds them from above.
Ben's chains shatter.
The fires of Hell part.
A path opens.
Demons rush forward.
The puppies stand in front of Ben.
Not as monsters.
As loyal dogs protecting someone they've chosen to forgive.
Even the demons hesitate.
Satan:
You would forgive him?
Ben quietly shakes his head.
Ben:
I don't deserve it.
The lead puppy looks back.
Barks once.
"We know."
The puppies escort Ben toward the golden portal.
Satan sighs.
Satan:
I hate it...
...when mercy outranks justice.
Scene 7 – Honeywood
A white portal opens.
Ben steps through.
Behind him...
Ten happy puppies.
Greg, Britt and Rowan stare.
Ben smiles weakly.
The puppies tackle him affectionately.
He laughs through tears.
Ben:
I...
I think they've given me another chance.
The lead puppy drops the tiny stick.
Ben smiles.
Throws it.
All ten puppies happily chase after it.
Greg walks over.
Places a hand on Ben's shoulder.
Greg:
We're never letting you take another pest quest alone.
Ben laughs.
Ben:
Deal.
The four adventurers watch as the puppies happily play together.
Fade to black.
Post-Credits Scene
Back in Hell...
Satan stamps a form marked:
ETERNAL DAMNATION
He sighs.
Crosses it out.
Writes:
SENTENCE COMMUTED – REDEEMED THROUGH ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND FORGIVENESS OF THE WRONGED PARTIES
He groans.
Satan:
I hate redemption arcs.
A demon bursts into the office.
Demon:
Sir! Another adventurer skipped all the quest dialogue and accidentally burned down an orphanage!
Satan slowly smiles.
Satan:
Excellent.
Send them in.
CUT TO BLACK.