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Prompt: 026. wristwatch

1. She stared at the wristwatch with a sense of dread. Her ears filled with a buzzing sound as they spoke.

A. She stared at the wristwatch with a sense of dread. Her ears filled with a buzzing sound as they spoke. Trying to say that he was dead. That he was never coming back to her. That she would never get to say goodbye to him.

When the officer tried to hand it to her, she took a step back. She crossed her arms in front of her and shook her head back and forth. As though not accepting that the watch was his would somehow make everything all right again. He would come walking through the door, smile at her, and tell her that there’d been a big misunderstanding. He was fine.

2. “Somebody stole my grandfather’s watch. It was in my jewelry box and it’s gone.”

A. “Somebody stole my grandfather’s watch. It was in my jewelry box and it’s gone.” She looked around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of guilt on any of her three roommates’ faces. But she didn’t see anything but dim interest.

She could tell that they were already disregarding what she had to say. They didn’t even have enough respect for her to give her a minute of undivided attention. Her grandfather’s watch, an heirloom from her family, was missing and not a single one of them could even pretend to care.

It made her angry.

3. He checked his wristwatch one more time. There were only ten minutes left.

A. He checked his wristwatch one more time. There were only ten minutes left. It made him nervous. Things could go wrong so easily.

He stared through the windshield at the building across the street. He wasn’t sure what his contact looked like and he was worried that he was going to miss her.

Until he saw her.

And realized that anyone that missed her had to be blind.

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Prompt: 025. ants

1. After the death of the old queen, the worker ants broke into factions and fought to ensure the succession of their chosen queens.

A. After the death of the old queen, the worker ants broke into factions and fought to ensure the succession of their chosen queens. But in the course of fighting, they lost track of what they were protecting and all of the queens were killed.

The colony was left queenless and doomed to a gradual death.

2. There were little black ants all over the kitchen counter. Lines and lines of them marching back and forth with specks of sugar and other crumbs.

A. There were little black ants all over the kitchen counter. Lines and lines of them marching back and forth with specks of sugar and other crumbs.

For a long moment, she stood there and stared. Then the realization of what she was seeing broke through her shock and she hurriedly grabbed a paper towel and the spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner.

If the ants came into her home, then that was where they were going to die.

“Eat lemon scented chemicals, ants!”

3. ‘To my deer ants’ the card read, and the child looked so hopeful holding it up.

A. ‘To my deer ants‘ the card read, and the child looked so hopeful holding it up. What else was there to do but to smile and take the card?

“Oh, thank you so much. It’s wonderful,” she gushed, leaning down to give the kid a hug. “You’re a really good artist.”

“T’ank you!”

“It looks like you put a lot of work into this card. I think you deserve a reward.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” she said, popping the “P” a little to earn a giggle. “Would you like to help me bake some cookies?”

“Yeah.”

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Prompt: 024. wasps

1. There were wasps attacking the beehives. Decapitated heads and shredded wings were scattered everywhere.

A. There were wasps attacking the beehives. Decapitated heads and shredded wings were scattered everywhere. It was a disaster.

He picked through the wreckage, killing any wasps he found, but it was no good. The queen was dead, as were most of her workers, and the hope he’d put into having honey and beeswax for the future.

2. There was a wasp nest on the side of the house, hidden under the eaves. They could see them crawling in and out; flying around their nest as they enlarged it.

A. There was a wasp nest on the side of the house, hidden under the eaves. They could see them crawling in and out; flying around their nest as they enlarged it.

The wasps had had time to build their nest as it was out of the way. It probably would have continued to be overlooked if one of the wasps hadn’t stung two-year-old Charlotte on the cheek. Her howls of pain and fear as her face swelled up to twice its normal size wasn’t something any of them were going to forget any time soon.

It was a heck of a way to discover that she was allergic wasp venom.

3. The soldiers looked like wasps in human form–strict, stern, and highly aggressive. They wore their uniforms like the power and the threat they were.

A. The soldiers looked like wasps in human form–strict, stern, and highly aggressive. They wore their uniforms like the power and the threat they were.

People on the street stood aside when the soldiers passed through and were careful not meet their eyes. It was safer to seem unchallenging, especially as the soldiers’ were armed and looking for a fight.

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Prompt: 023. bees

1. It was a spur of the moment decision to take up beekeeping as a hobby.

A. It was a spur of the moment decision to take up beekeeping as a hobby, but one that ultimately brought the kind of personal fulfillment she’d only dreamed of as a child. It felt as though she’d finally found something she was good at.

2. There had to be a million bees inside the rotten tree trunk. The sound of buzzing was growing louder and louder as they noticed the interloper.

A. There had to be a million bees inside the rotten tree trunk. The sound of buzzing was growing louder and louder as they noticed the interloper.

“Buster, get over here!” Brian called, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

The white German shepherd glanced at him, then took a single step forward and stuck his muzzle into a hole in the tree. There was curiosity in every line of the young dog’s body–curiosity that quickly turned into yelping pain as he rolled on the ground and rubbed at his face.

3. The honey bees reacted to the smoker by becoming lethargic. There was no reaction as the beekeeper began gathering the full honeycombs into a large square bucket.

A. The honey bees reacted to the smoker by becoming lethargic. There was no reaction as the beekeeper began gathering the full honeycombs into a large square bucket. The small child watching him stayed close to his side and even dared to poke a finger into the honey for a quick taste.

4. As the bees died, the crops began to wither and people starved. It seemed like it was going to be the end of the world.

A. As the bees died, the crops began to wither and people starved. It seemed like it was going to be the end of the world.

Farmers hired men and women to manually pollinate their crops with small paintbrushes, which worked on the small scale, but did nothing for the other plants and trees that ceased to produce. The clovers, the dandelions, the carnations, and the roses; all were gone.

It was a whole new world: one without bees, wasps, hornets, or ants.

5. They were hiking one of the easier trails when Ginger put her foot through the beehive hidden in the underbrush.

A. They were hiking one of the easier trails when Ginger put her foot through the beehive hidden in the underbrush. The first warning was the sound of angry buzzing. Then Ginger was screaming as the stinging began.

“They’re in her pants!”

The nearest teacher quickly grabbed her up, ignoring the stings against his arms and neck, and got her away from the nest. Then he pulled her pants down her thin legs and threw them as far away as he could, the trail of bees following after it.

Ginger’s terrified screams turned to pained whimpers as she was doused in water and wrapped in a blanket.

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