Extinction Studies<p>Four horsemen walk into a bar at a desert crossroads.</p><p>Famine walks in from the East. They're a little peckish.</p><p>War walks in from the South. He has an axe to grind.</p><p>Conquest strides in from the North. She has a high opinion of his horse, among other things.</p><p>Death walks in from the West. He knows how everything ends, and he's a card shark.</p><p>This bar is staffed by dancing girls and a stuffed rabbit. About the only thing they serve is tequila and cocktail peanuts. But if you pinch one of the girl's bottoms, you can get a knuckle sandwich.</p><p>Conquest pulls the rabbit's string.</p><p>"Hey watch out, that's my last bit of knitting," the speaker inside the rabbit says.</p><p>CONTINUE THIS STORY AT YOUR PERIL.</p><p><a href="https://hcommons.social/tags/collaborative" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>collaborative</span></a> <a href="https://hcommons.social/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writing</span></a> <a href="https://hcommons.social/tags/story" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>story</span></a></p>