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Prompt: 027. mount

1. The little girl looked equal parts terrified and exhilarated as the groom helped her mount the horse.

A. The little girl looked equal parts terrified and exhilarated as the groom helped her mount the horse. Her mother stood off to the side, her smile wide even as her fingers had a white knuckled grip on the fence post.

She’d vowed that her little girl would do all the things she’d only dreamed of growing up. It was why she’d striven so hard to succeed in her life and career–she’d gotten pregnant and realized that she needed to do better. She wasn’t alone anymore, there was someone counting on her.

They’d come so far, from living in a studio apartment that shared a bathroom to having their own house, bought and paid for. They never had to worry that paying the electric bill would short-change their grocery budget. They weren’t rich, but they were comfortable enough to afford a day trip to a local horse camp and one-on-one riding lessons for her daughter.

2. He mounted the stairs one at a time, pausing to catch his breath when he needed to. Cracking half his ribcage was the most painful thing he’d ever experienced, and even while healing his ribs still hurt.

A. He mounted the stairs one at a time, pausing to catch his breath when he needed to. Cracking half his ribcage was the most painful thing he’d ever experienced, and even while healing his ribs still hurt. He was lucky to be alive, and he knew it.

The unsub had had him dead to rights. But instead of killing him the creep had broken his ribs with a mallet, and while he’d laid there helpless on the floor, the unsub had leaned real close. And sniffed his hair.

Just thinking about it gave him the creeps.

3. Squaring her shoulders and putting a firm expression on her face, she preceded to mount the stage and approach the microphone. There was a whole roomful of people wanting to hear what she had to say.

A. Squaring her shoulders and putting a firm expression on her face, she preceded to mount the stage and approach the microphone. There was a whole roomful of people wanting to hear what she had to say.

She’d never felt so important or terrified before in her life.

“Hello, excuse me.” She tapped the microphone to test that it was working. It was, and her little taps sounded LOUD. She drew in a deep breath. “Welcome everybody. Unfortunately Mrs. Lanchester couldn’t be here this evening, but she asked that I take her place to introduce our talented young singers.”

The curtain lifted to reveal three bleachers full of young people dressed in white shirts and black pants. They were arranged by height with the tallest in the back row.

“First we’ll have a performance, and afterward we can begin the bidding.”

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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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