Ten Words Walked Into a Mall
CeCe’s Musings: A Silly Writing Prompt
(It is Friday, 15 days into my 40 day writing challenge. I’ve written consistently for the past two weeks, minus two days, and feeling a bit less blocked. This week I’ve even written two pieces that sprang from organic inspiration and not prompts from writing books. Today, though, I’m pulling out Write The Story, where I choose a story idea and include ten words in said story. It is a silly activity, but silly is a respectable way to welcome March.)
Write The Story
Piccadilly Inc., 2018
Prompt:
Write the Story: An Object Found
Include the following in your story: cobbler, umber, haunt, grumble, raincoat, unleavened, bravery, ray, toffee, imaginary
Jane rummages through her purse. Where is her car key? A moment of panic washes over her. Could it have fallen out in the dressing room when she was trying on jeans? Were they on the floor where she sat down to rest for a moment? What if she couldn’t find them? She only has one set. Her heart races as she turns around to retrace her steps through the mall.
She grumbles through the shoe department. Oh, those boots are cute. Burnt umber? Would they go with the new top she just bought? What happened to cobblers? Why do we just throw shoes away instead of getting them fixed?
Jane pushes her way through to the mall. The sweet smell of candy slows her pace. Pausing to look in the window, she eyes chocolate covered toffee, her favorite. What if she just bought a piece? No, she has to find her keys. Keep walking.
She has to find those keys. Oh, that’s a cute raincoat. She could use a new one, but instead channels Dory, quietly humming, “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.”
As she makes her way down the escalator, Jane’s brain is haunted with imaginary scenarios. What if her key has been picked up by a stranger who finds her car in the garage, and then steals it? Could it have been accidentally thrown away? How much would another set cost?
A yeasty aroma emanates from the food court bakery. Jane imagines the pastry chef kneading the unleavened loaves during her early morning shift. A loaf of wheat would go well with the pasta she was making for dinner. No, Jane thinks. Keep looking. She summons a bout of bravery and walks past the temptation.
Just as Jane is about to enter the store where she bought the jeans, she sticks her hand in her coat pocket. What’s this? Oh my goodness, her key. It was there all along. She glances at the ray of sun coming through the mall skylights. She turns around. Yes, chocolate covered toffee is a nice reward for discovering her lost key, and a new pair of boots sounds fun, too.
