Prompt: 087. Sleeping Beauty

1. The story of the so-called “Sleeping Beauty” was an interesting one. A young woman dressed in a historically accurate medieval gown, surrounded by flowers, found unconscious in a city park.

A. The story of the so-called “Sleeping Beauty” was an interesting one. A young woman dressed in a historically accurate medieval gown, surrounded by flowers, found unconscious in a city park. People were interested.

Donations were gathered to pay for the woman’s medical care. Her image was spread far and wide as volunteers kept up the search for anyone that knew her identity. She was a beautiful mystery, one that people were desperate to solve.

2. Being a third grade teacher wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. Especially when it came time for the class play, a version of Sleeping Beauty that had been written by a previous teacher.

A. Being a third grade teacher wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. Especially when it came time for the class play, a version of Sleeping Beauty that had been written by a previous teacher. Just reading the script made her wince. The writing was terrible, and there were some problematic elements that she couldn’t believe existed in the first place.

She asked the principal if some changes could be made, and her request was denied. The play had been a yearly school tradition for close to twenty-two years. The play was to be performed as written.

3. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. It’s time to start your first day in hell.”

A. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. It’s time to start your first day in hell.”

Roland groaned and opened his eyes to slits. The last thing he remembered, he was in a bar with some friends, celebrating his cousin’s birthday. Now he was in what looked to be a large dormitory filled with cots, foot lockers, and what looked like a dozen other men dressing and making up their cots.

He sat up, glad to find that he was still fully dressed. He even had his shoes on. Someone had simply thrown a drab green blanket over him.

“Where am I?” he asked.

“You’re in the army. That’s where you are and where you’re going to stay.”

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Prompt: 086. dartboard

1. Someone had taped a picture of the deputy mayor to the dartboard.

A. Someone had taped a picture of the deputy mayor to the dartboard. There was a dart sticking out from between the grayish-blue eyes, one that had left streaks of what looked like blood to drip off the ends of the paper and puddle on the floor.

On seeing the dartboard, the mayor insisted that his deputy receive extra security. He was near panicked at the thought of his favorite employee being harmed. Everyone could tell that he was concerned.

2. Having drunk more alcohol than she ever had in her life, she somehow found herself throwing darts at a dartboard while a crowd of people cheered.

A. Having drunk more alcohol than she ever had in her life, she somehow found herself throwing darts at a dartboard while a crowd of people cheered. Or maybe they were jeering, she didn’t know anymore. She’d drunk several fruity cocktails before letting herself be talked into downing shots, and now she was having trouble getting her eyes to focus and her ears were ringing.

Her stomach felt warm with almost-indigestion and she had to catch herself several times to keep from listing to the left.

3. Pulling the metal-tipped dart out of the makeshift dartboard, he seethed on realizing he was going to lose his $800 security deposit because of Wayne.

A. Pulling the metal-tipped dart out of the makeshift dartboard, he seethed on realizing he was going to lose his $800 security deposit because of Wayne. The dart had gone through the dark wood of the door, taking out a thumb-sized chunk. There was no way he was going to be able to hide the damage.

“Dude, I’m sorry, man. I didn’t think it was going to go all the way through like that.”

“Really? You didn’t think a metal dart would go through a piece of printer paper glued to a cereal box?”

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Prompt: 085. forgot to set the parking brake

1. The car was already rolling by the time he realized he hadn’t set the parking brake. Then it was moving too fast for him to stop.

A. The car was already rolling by the time he realized he hadn’t set the parking brake. Then it was moving too fast for him to stop it.

All he could do was step out of the way and watch as it slammed into a tree with a horrifying crack of splitting wood and the shatter of tail lights.

He stood there, ashen-faced, as the door of the picturesque house slammed open and the owner came running out. “My tree! What happened? What did you do?!?”

2. The Chief yelled himself hoarse when he discovered that someone forgot to set the parking brake on the rig.

A. The Chief yelled himself hoarse when he discovered that someone forgot to set the parking brake on the rig. Alden was fired and Orlando was going to have his wages garnished. It was a disaster for them all though, as they were going to be one truck short for upcoming holiday deliveries.

They would either end up working extra shifts or some orders would have to be canceled. Either way, the likeliness of there being bonuses this year were going down.

3. The bed frame had scraped a furrow into the hardwood floor. She’d forgotten to set the parking brake when she’d set up the bed.

A. The bed frame had scraped a furrow into the hardwood floor. She’d forgotten to set the parking brake when she’d set up the bed and his jumping on the mattress had caused the frame to shift around.

She stared at the large marks dug into the floor. They were obvious to see and there wasn’t a chance the landlord would miss them. He would probably insist that she pay to have the flooring in the entire apartment replaced.

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Prompt: 084. invitation

1. The invitation was waiting in the mailbox.

A. The invitation was waiting in the mailbox. It was a deceptively innocent white greeting card envelope with the addresses written on the front in a flowing black script that took her memories straight back in time to Before.

“What’s wrong?” His hand came to rest on her shoulder as he peered at the invitation she held. “You got some bad mail?”

“The worst,” she said hoarsely. Her throat felt tight and dry. “It’s an invitation. It’s time for the Reunion. I knew this day would come, I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”

2. They’d told him he had an open invitation to drop by, but he made sure to call first.

A. They’d told him he had an open invitation to drop by, but he made sure to call first. He didn’t want to show up and find out they hadn’t really meant it. Or worse, he didn’t want to show up and find them mid-coitus, their faces passion flushed as they tried to pretend he hadn’t interrupted them.

Sometimes he looked at them together, the two people he loved the best in the world, and he hated them. For being happy. For having each other. For not realizing how they were killing him a bit at a time.

3. The whole afternoon was spent soothing her upset child. It seemed the entire class had received a birthday invitation–except her kid.

A. The whole afternoon was spent soothing her upset child. It seemed the entire class had received a birthday invitation—except her kid. She wasn’t sure who she should be angry at: the spoiled birthday brat or the brat’s parents.

All she knew was that she was angry and had to hide it. Because her kid was counting on her to be an example of a better person—a role she already struggled to perform.

Being nice was always something she had to put extra work into. Given her druthers, she was sour like wine left to vinegar; traces of sweetness and kindness spoiled by bad storage and time.

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