Prompt: 058. potpourri

1. The overwhelming scent of a floral air refresher.

A. The overwhelming scent of a floral air refresher made her want to gag. She waved her hands around in front of her face to disperse some of the smell and backed out of the room.

“Who sprayed all that potpourri? It’s overwhelming!” She began coughing uncontrollably, her throat and lungs burning.

2. The decision to order dried cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and flower petals online had been a spur of the moment one. When the package arrived, it seemed natural to mix together a batch of potpourri.

A. The decision to order dried cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and flower petals online had been a spur of the moment one. When the package arrived, it seemed natural to mix together a batch of potpourri.

He created two scents that he liked so much that he gave bags of potpourri away as gifts to friends and family members. For the next two months, everywhere he went smelled like one of the potpourris he’d made. It kept him energetic and enthusiastic, or at least enabled him to fake it as his life at work became stressful.

3. Someone had added sachets of potpourri to the cedar chests of winter clothes before they’d been put away.

A. Someone had added sachets of potpourri to the cedar chests of winter clothes before they’d been put away. With every opening lid, another memory of last year’s summer was relived, and the mood in the hall brightened as everyone breathed deep.

A woman’s voice rose in song and others quickly joined in with the jaunty tune. They could all feel the excitement of a new spring. They’d spent months locked away behind the Iron Gates, hiding from the Kings of Winter. It would be good to be able to breathe the open air again.

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Prompt: 057. gold chain

1. The chain may have been made of gold, but it still tethered him to the marble column.

A. The chain may have been made of gold, but it still tethered him to the marble column. Magic had been imbued in the links, each one painstakingly carved with a rune to keep him from shifting form and slipping free.

He’d never been helpless before. He didn’t like it.

2.”That baby is wearing a gold chain. I feel like saying something to his mother.”

A. “That baby is wearing a gold chain. I feel like saying something to his mother.”

“Please don’t.”

“Well, if I don’t say it, who will?”

“Anyone but you. Leave her alone. She’s not bothering anyone.”

“It bothers me.”

“I don’t care. Shut up and eat your food so we can go. If you say anything to her or do anything to terrify her child, I swear on everything that you hold holy that I will break something you love.”

“What if I love you?”

“Then I guess I’ll have to break up with you.”

3. Her grandmother’s cross dangled from a delicate gold chain.

A. Her grandmother’s cross dangled from a delicate gold chain around her neck in every photograph she’d been in since she was nineteen years old. So to notice it missing one day during her commute, she felt helpless and stressed.

She never took the necklace off, not even when she took a shower. It made her feel naked to not have it on. She didn’t even know where it might have fallen, but didn’t hesitate to take the return train and retrace her steps back to her apartment building, hoping she would see a glint of gold somewhere on the ground.

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Prompt: 056. chainsaw

1. There was something freaky about opening the tool shed and finding it full of chainsaws. There had to be a dozen of them, some hanging from the walls, others covering the workbench. All of them in working condition.

There was something freaky about opening the tool shed and finding it full of chainsaws. There had to be a dozen of them, some hanging from the walls, others covering the workbench. All of them in working condition.

To look from all those metal and blades to his proudly smiling face as he began to introduce each chainsaw by name, there was the sense that a bad decision had been made somewhere.

2. The sound of a chainsaw woke her at seven in the morning. She groaned and covered her head with her pillow. Why did she have to have the annoying neighbor?

A. The sound of a chainsaw woke her at seven in the morning. She groaned and covered her head with her pillow. Why did she have to have the annoying neighbor?

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep. But that sound–it went straight through her ears and into her brain, forcing her awake.

Finally she sat up with a huff, punched her pillow a few times to try and release some of her anger, then stomped out of bed toward the bathroom. She would take a shower, then go talk to her rude neighbor. Hopefully he wouldn’t decide to use that chainsaw on her.

3. Of course they’d been chainsaw jugglers. It was the only way to explain the amount of blood and mangled fingers in the warehouse.

A. Of course they’d been chainsaw jugglers. It was the only way to explain the amount of blood and mangled fingers in the warehouse.

He leaned against the wall outside, crossing his arms over his chest. Seeing the bodies wheeled out of the warehouse, and the evidence bags with their gruesome burdens, he desperately wanted a cigarette even though he’d quit five years ago.

It was hard to accept that he’d rented one of his buildings to a bunch of maniacs that played around with chainsaws. Chainsaws. Who even did that?

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Prompt: 055. khaki pants

1. The khaki pants she wore with her uniform polo were the least flattering things in her wardrobe.

A. The khaki pants she wore with her uniform polo were the least flattering things in her wardrobe. Which was why she’d chosen them from the discount rack.

She was hoping that her boss would finally lose interest in harassing her. She was tired of him constantly trying to cop a feel when she bent over or standing too close when he talked to her. It wasn’t like she’d ever done anything to encourage him in his pursuits; had in fact tried her best to get him to stop.

She really needed this job, otherwise she would have quit a long time ago.

2. It was picture day and his mom had threatened his life if the picture wasn’t a good one. She’d even chosen his outfit, which was why he was wearing khaki pants and a shirt with a collar when he’d rather be in a tee shirt and jeans.

A. It was picture day and his mom had threatened his life if the picture wasn’t a good one. She’d even chosen his outfit, which was why he was wearing khaki pants and a shirt with a collar when he’d rather be in a tee shirt and jeans.

The only relief he got was seeing all the other kids in their parent-chosen “best”. They looked as miserable as he felt, and some of them were wearing outfits much worse than his own.

3. The fire was caused by someone throwing a pair of khaki pants over the electrical wires hanging between their store and the pole. It knocked out the power for their half of the street.

A. The fire was caused by someone throwing a pair of khaki pants over the electrical wires hanging between their store and the pole. It knocked out the power for their half of the street and inconvenienced them for over two days.

By the time new wires had been strung and the pole had been repaired, all of the freezers had defrosted and they’d lost thousands of dollars of profits. The children enjoyed the impromptu barbecue and ice cream party, not noticing the stress their parents were under.

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