Prompt: 105. cowbell

1. He was woken by the sound of a cowbell below his window. When he looked out, he wasn’t surprised to see one of his neighbor’s cows trampling his vegetable garden.

A. He was woken by the sound of a cowbell below his window. When he looked out, he wasn’t surprised to see one of his neighbor’s cows trampling his vegetable garden–the man refused to fix his fence. What he was surprised by was the young woman sitting atop the cow’s back, her red hair streaming loose around her as she silently laughed, kicking her bare heels against the sides of the cow’s neck.

2. She stared at her son, trying to figure out if he was joking or if he truly expected to play the cowbell in band class.

A. She stared at her son, trying to figure out if he was joking or if he truly expected to play the cowbell in band class. Finally she had to admit that he was serious, and she was going to have to play the supportive parent.

“Wow, that’s a really interesting instrument,” she said.

He beamed. “It’s the best. Listen.” He gave the cowbell a shake, causing the clapper inside to strike the bell with a rich–and loud!–sound.

She resisted the impulse to cover her ears and pasted a smile on instead. “Wow.”

3. Aware of the man lurking at his shoulder, he used his hand to shield the keypad as he entered the passcode: 2692355. Which spelled out “cowbell.”

A. Aware of the man lurking at his shoulder, he used his hand to shield the keypad as he entered the passcode: 2692355. Which spelled out “cowbell”, so it would be easy to remember.

The machine accepted his code and the food selection screen appeared. He fumbled out his grocery list and carefully matched the names to the pictures on the screen. His weekly foodcred balance was counting down in the corner as he made his purchases.

He was glad he’d researched his choices online before coming to the foodplex. By the time his order had been completed there were four people lined up behind him and more approaching down the street.

He quickly loaded the food into his backpack. It wouldn’t be a good idea to wave his purchases about. There were lots of hungry people around.

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Prompt: 104. broken windshield

1. There was a sharp ping! sound and a chip appeared in the windshield. Then more rocks were bouncing off the windshield and the hood, leaving behind pits and cracks.

A. There was a sharp ping! sound and a chip appeared in the windshield. Then more rocks were bouncing off the windshield and the hood, leaving behind pits and cracks. By the time he was able to get away from the big truck, he could tell that he was going to have to replace his windshield. One of the spiderweb cracks was directly in his line of sight, forcing him to sit up higher to see over the cracks.

At the next exit, he left the freeway and stopped at the first diner that caught his eye. Once he’d placed his order, he looked up a windshield repair service on his phone and made an appointment. They promised to show up within the hour.

2. Other than the broken windshield the van was perfect. And the price was well-within his budget.

A. Other than the broken windshield the van was perfect. And the price was well-within his budget.

He wanted it on first sight, but made sure to look at nearby cars and trucks before coming to it. Then he walked around the van, bending down to peer at the undercarriage, trying to appear as if he was still deciding. He could see the salesman approaching from his left.

He drew in a deep breath, telling himself that he would have to be calm and in control if he wanted to talk the price down.

3. She screamed as he swung the bat on her car, breaking the windshield without shattering the glass.

A. She screamed as he swung the bat on her car, breaking the windshield without shattering the glass. She didn’t hesitate anymore and stomped her foot on the accelerator.

The car clipped him. She felt it. But she didn’t stop.

Afraid she might crash, she let up on the gas without touching the brakes. She’d worry about filling out police reports and explaining her actions later, when she was far away from the warehouse party and the murder scene she’d barely escaped. For now she concentrated on getting away.

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Prompt: 103. ferry boat

1. She was running down the street to catch the bus when the car swerved around a garbage can and hit her. All she could think as she met the ground was that she was going to miss the ferry boat.

A. She was running down the street to catch the bus when the car swerved around a garbage can and hit her. All she could think as she met the ground was that she was going to miss the ferry boat.

Then there was a world of pain. It was bad enough that she barely knew what was happening as people gathered around her and an ambulance made an appearance.

She remembered moaning in answer to a question from one of the EMTs and having blood fill her mouth. It was then that she knew it was serious. But she was in such shock and pain that she didn’t have room to be scared.

2. “The 10:40 a.m. ferry boat crashed into the dock, which meant there was one less boat running when they were rushing to leave the island at 1:50 p.m. As a result, they attempted to get a ride from a fisherman, and that’s the last anyone saw of either of them.”

A. “The 10:40 a.m. ferry boat crashed into the dock, which meant there was one less boat running when they were rushing to leave the island at 1:50 p.m. As a result, they attempted to get a ride from a fisherman, and that’s the last anyone saw of either of them,” the serious young lieutenant said.

Captain Magraw sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired and his stomach felt sour from all the coffee he’d ingested. “A young mother and child are missing somewhere on our island. That’s what you’re saying?”

“Yes, sir. From everything we’ve dug up, she never left. She simply disappeared.”

“She didn’t disappear,” Magraw said. “She’s somewhere. And we’re going to find her and her child.”

3. He had his computer open and was finishing some last reports when he felt the gaze against the side of his face. Used to people behaving strangely on the ferry boat, he slowly lifted his head and tried not to be obvious as he glanced around.

A. He had his computer open and was finishing some last reports when he felt the gaze against the side of his face. Used to people behaving strangely on the ferry boat, he slowly lifted his head and tried not to be obvious as he glanced around. He kept his eyes moving even once he spotted who’d been staring at him, bringing his gaze back down on his computer screen.

He wore an inscrutable expression as he thought. The man staring at him had looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall where he knew him from. He couldn’t explain the sense of dread the man brought him.

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Prompt: 102. sledgehammer

1. It felt like a sledgehammer pounding in his head. Yet another debilitating headache to remind him that things had been going too well lately.

A. It felt like a sledgehammer pounding in his head. Yet another debilitating headache to remind him that things had been going too well lately. He pinched his lips together to hold in a moan of pain and kept his expression from crumbling through pure force of will.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out his sunglasses and put them on over his eyes. It felt better to have the light-level lowered even that little bit, though the headache was still there and signaling that it was going to stay a while.

2. There was a keen sense of satisfaction involved with smashing ceramic with a sledgehammer.

A. There was a keen sense of satisfaction involved with smashing ceramic with a sledgehammer. The impact and the followup crashing shatter made her laugh in glee. Who would have thought that breaking stuff would be so much fun? She’d been missing out her whole life.

Once she was done smashing all of his plates, bowls, and mugs, she tossed aside the sledgehammer and went for the lighter fluid and matches. She’d already tossed all of his clothes and shoes in a large metal garbage can. It was a matter of moments to get the fire blazing good and bright.

3. It felt ironic somehow that he had grown up to work at the same sledgehammer factory where so much traumatic history had gone down.

A. It felt ironic somehow that he had grown up to work at the same sledgehammer factory where so much traumatic history had gone down. There were ghosts around every corner and emotional triggers hidden in every room. Yet he was able to hold onto the secret of his past, compartmentalizing for everything he was worth. Not one of his coworkers had any idea who he used to be.

It was a relief that no one knew. He hated the pity he received from people once they learned his life history. The “Oh, so that explains it” follow-up look was the only thing worse.

He was glad to be another anonymous face in the crowd, judged only on what people could see of him. He didn’t want any of his coworkers to know who he used to be. Because he wasn’t that person anymore. He wasn’t.

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