Prompt: 067. cheese and crackers

1. Lounging on the couch with a plate of cheese and crackers.

A. Lounging on the couch with a plate of cheese and crackers, she finally felt the tension in her shoulders releasing. There was a bottle of wine and a half-filled glass on the coffee table. It was a relaxing night in, something she needed after a terrible week at work.

Zoe sighed and relaxed further into the couch, wriggling her toes against the cushion. She figured it was going to be a night in with the three episodes of the show she’d been saving on the DVR.

She was just reaching for the remote control when there was a knock at the door.

2. “The food at this party is disgusting. All I’ve eaten is the cheese and crackers. I didn’t trust anything else.”

A. “The food at this party is disgusting. All I’ve eaten is the cheese and crackers. I didn’t trust anything else.”

She’d held her tongue through everything else, but she’d finally had enough. “Yeah, I guess they didn’t lay out any food for bitches.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to any bitches that felt like they were too good for the food my brother is providing them.”

3. The code phrase “I hope you like cheese and crackers” was harder to work into conversation than expected.

A. The code phrase “I hope you like cheese and crackers” was harder to work into conversation than expected. Especially as they’d run into each other in a public restroom.

There’d been some awkward maneuvering around the sink before he’d finally just given up on subtlety and leaned in close to the other guy. “Man, this event is kind of a drag. When they sent out the invites, they should have included a postscript that said something like ‘I hope you like cheese and crackers, because that’s all we serve.'”

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Prompt: 066. rice

1. It was his first attempt at making rice on the stove. How could he have known it would result in a fire?

A. It was his first attempt at making rice on the stove. How could he have known it would result in a fire? There was no reason for everyone–including the firefighters–to look at him as though he were an idiot. It wasn’t like he was the one that left the roll of paper towels so close to the open flame.

He’d been chopping vegetables while the rice simmered, and then there’d been fire climbing up the wall and the smoke detectors were blaring in every room. He’d tried to use the fire extinguisher, but some joker had used it to create a rollerskate rocket and it was empty.

He’d had no hope of stopping the fire himself.

2. All they had left were a few strips of dried meat and a cup of uncooked rice. They weren’t going to make it.

A. All they had left were a few strips of dried meat and a cup of uncooked rice. They weren’t going to make it. It was something she had to admit, if only to herself.

They’d left Mattonville too late in the year and without enough supplies. She’d tried to tell her husband that they needed more food as the game would be scarce, but he’d smacked her and told her to shut her mouth. So she had.

Now her children were going to die because she hadn’t been strong enough to stop their father from being a fool.

3. Tteokbokki simmered in the electric frying pan. The tube-shaped rice cakes looked and smelled deliciously spicy.

A. Tteokbokki simmered in the electric frying pan. The tube-shaped rice cakes looked and smelled deliciously spicy. It made her feel proud of herself.

She’d soaked the uncooked rice for a day, drained it, then ground it in the coffee mill to make her own Korean-style rice flour. And now she had her own homemade spicy rice cakes that were nearly ready to eat.

Her stomach gurgled at the smell and her mouth watered. She couldn’t wait for the tteokbokki to be done.

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Prompt: 065. bathrobe

1. Their elderly neighbor had forgotten to close his bathrobe again.

A. Their elderly neighbor had forgotten to close his bathrobe again. It was a battle not to look down, which was weird because he definitely didn’t want to see low dangling old man bits.

“Hey, Mr. Morton. It looks like you forgot to put on pants again.”

“Didn’t I? Oh dear. Excuse me just a moment.” Mr. Morton unhurriedly closed his robe. He didn’t show an ounce of discomfort. “Thank you. And how are you today?”

2. She wasn’t sure what to do when he answered his door in a silk bathrobe and seemingly nothing else.

A. She wasn’t sure what to do when he answered his door in a silk bathrobe and seemingly nothing else. It caused her to freeze for a moment, just long enough for his leer to become fully formed on his face.

“Well, hello sweetheart. What can I do for you?”

She swallowed and hefted the clipboard in her arms. “Excuse me, sir, but I’ve been hired to ask the people in your neighborhood if they would like to participate in a survey. Everyone who participates will be entered into a random drawing. First prize is $1000. Second prize is $500. And third prize is a tee shirt. Would you like to participate in our survey today?”

3. The insistent sound of the fire alarm urged her to move faster. She pulled on her bathrobe and clutched her laptop to her chest as she stumbled toward the door.

A. The insistent sound of the fire alarm urged her to move faster. She pulled on her bathrobe and clutched her laptop to her chest as she stumbled toward the door. Her heart was beating fast with terror and she was still half-asleep.

When she reached the hallway, she was surprised by the amount of smoke in the air. She coughed and pulled the front of the tee shirt she’d worn to bed up over her mouth and nose. She could see the elevator up ahead and knew that the stairs she’d never used were on the other side of it.

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Prompt: 064. flannel shirt

1. Haunted flannel shirt that was once the favorite of someone who was murdered or who committed suicide.

A. The flannel shirt had an irresistible pull. The cut and folds were meant to hug the wearer in flattering curves. The lingering scent of the previous owner still seemed impressed into the threads. No matter how many times it was washed, it held the traces of its first owner.

2. The last remnant of their relationship was an old flannel shirt she’d saved in a drawer.

A. The last remnant of their relationship was an old flannel shirt she’d saved in a drawer. She’d even forgotten that she had it until she was gathering things to donate to the local charity. And then she’d found it, and for a moment it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room.

There wasn’t a single trace of him left in the shirt. It had been washed since he’d last worn it and she had even worn it herself several times. But the instant her hand touched the age softened cotton, she felt nineteen again. Young and in love, with no idea how bad things were going to get.

3. The instant he began walking down the hallway he felt self-conscious about the way he was dressed. Everyone else had fashionable and expensive clothes, while he was wearing the best that he had and looked like a country bumpkin with his flannel shirt and jeans.

A. The instant he began walking down the hallway he felt self-conscious about the way he was dressed. Everyone else had fashionable and expensive clothes, while he was wearing the best that he had and looked like a country bumpkin with his flannel shirt and jeans. If he could have, he would have hidden his scuffed boots from view.

He was the new kid starting in the middle of the school year. Everyone had already made their friends, formed their cliques, and decided what was popular or not. And looking around, he could already tell that he didn’t fit in.

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