Prompt: 044. a break in

1. There was supposed to be a fortune in gold bullion packed inside a safe somewhere in the house. All they had to do was break in and steal it.

A. There was supposed to be a fortune in gold bullion packed inside a safe somewhere in the house. All they had to do was break in and steal it.

Harold had been the one to come up with the plan. He’d actually worked for the reclusive millionaire as a caretaker before he’d been fired by “that bitch”, whoever she happened to be. He kept saying that he really liked the old man and didn’t want to harm him, but there was something about him that rubbed Leland the wrong way.

2. They broke into the store sometime before two in the morning. The first thing they did was take out the cameras and destroy the surveillance tapes.

A. They broke into the store sometime before two in the morning. The first thing they did was take out the cameras and destroy the surveillance tapes. Then they began loading everything they could carry into their unmarked van with its stolen license plates and makeshift ramp.

Once they’d taken everything they wanted, they went on a rampage of destruction. By the time they left, they’d stolen or damaged over $200,000 of merchandise.

3. Stealing uniforms and pretending to be members of the hotel staff was the easy part. Now they had to reach their target and secure the package.

A. Stealing uniforms and pretending to be members of the hotel staff was the easy part. Now they had to reach their target and secure the package.

The fact that the package was a ten-year-old girl was something Mike tried not to think about. He wanted to believe that everything was going to go according to plan, they’d get the ransom money, and nobody was going to be hurt. He didn’t want to consider that there was going to be a terrified preteen girl in the mix.

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Prompt: 043. monkey

1. The boys hooted and cavorted like a bunch of monkeys, and he was their monkey king.

A. The boys hooted and cavorted like a bunch of monkeys, and he was their monkey king. A little taller than the others, with broader shoulders and longer arms, there was a darkness to his expression that put her on edge.

She wrapped her coat tighter around her body and held her purse firmly under her arm in case one of them tried to snatch it and run. She kept walking forward, though she was careful not to get too close to the empty lot where the young men were loitering. If she could have, she would have crossed the street and walked on the other side, but they’d already seen her and she had a feeling that their leader might take offense to the perceived insult.

2. It should have been ludicrous to be eating animal crackers at his age, but all he could feel was happiness as he fished a monkey cracker out of the box and stuck it in his mouth. Monkeys had always been his favorite.

A. It should have been ludicrous to be eating animal crackers at his age, but all he could feel was happiness as he fished a monkey cracker out of the box and stuck it in his mouth. Monkeys had always been his favorite.

“Do you want some milk, Daddy?”

He smiled at the young child. “No, thank you, sweetheart. I’m perfectly fine with tea.” He picked up the empty plastic teacup and took a pretend sip, making a sound of deep satisfaction. “Delicious.”

3. The genetically modified capuchin monkey watched them from the enclosure with body language that screamed eagerness to be adopted.

A. The genetically modified capuchin monkey watched them from the enclosure with body language that screamed eagerness to be adopted. It knew that if it was taken home with them it would be given its own crate and toys, and there would be treats if it performed its job well.

“Are you sure it’s safe around children?” the woman asked fretfully.

“It’s perfectly fine,” the doctor assured, smiling down at the small child at her side. “All the animals here have been programmed not to harm humans.”

“What, like a robot?”

“Sort of, though not really. They’ve undergone behavior modification and personality conditioning, so you don’t have to worry about their Mods failing. They can’t harm humans.”

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Prompt: 042. bushmeat

From WIKIPEDIA: The term bushmeat, also called wildmeat and game meat, refers to meat from non-domesticated mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds hunted for food in tropical forests. Commercial harvesting and the trade of wildlife is considered a threat to biodiversity.

Bushmeat also provides a route for a number of serious tropical diseases to spread to humans from their animal hosts. Bushmeat is used for sustenance in remote areas, while in major towns and cities in bushmeat eating societies it is treated as a delicacy.

1. It had been the canned mystery sitting on the shelf for years: bushmeat. Something leftover from Uncle Andrew’s wild days.

A. It had been the canned mystery sitting on the shelf for years: bushmeat. Something leftover from Uncle Andrew’s wild days. They weren’t even sure if it was some kind of monkey meat or if he’d bought something cut off of a lizard or a bunch of frogs.

If the Old World was still intact and there were grocery stores they could buy food from, they never would have given the can a second look. But since everything had fallen apart and civilization was nothing more than a fond memory, the mystery meat had taken on real significance. Especially as they were only getting hungrier as the days went by and the snow continued to pile up outside.

2. The rumors were that the pandemic had begun with tainted bushmeat smuggled into the country.

A. The rumors were that the pandemic had begun with tainted bushmeat smuggled into the country. Someone with more money than brains had expanded their palate at the expense of the human race. It was infuriating, and not just because of all the deaths it caused.

“Who the hell wants to eat a monkey? That’s like eating a hairy little man. It’s just wrong.”

“We don’t know what really happened. The bushmeat thing is just a rumor. But wherever it came from, the Plague is here now and we have to be smart if we want to survive it.”

3. The chimpanzee screamed one last time before dying. It was with a sense of guilt that he stepped forward with his knife to butcher some of the world’s most illegal and expensive meat for sale.

A. The chimpanzee screamed one last time before dying. It was with a sense of guilt that he stepped forward with his knife to butcher some of the world’s most illegal and expensive meat for sale.

He still couldn’t believe that he’d accepted this job. But money was tight and his wife was ready to give birth at any moment.

The first cut was the hardest, not just because his hand was shaking and guilt was making his eyes water. The animal hadn’t completely stopped moving, and as he tried to slice, the left arm jerked and hit his shoe with an open-handed slap. As though the chimpanzee was admonishing him for its death, or pleading one last time even though it was already dead.