And A Couch That Opened Out
During October we will be sharing passages that we’ve written independently from the same prompt.
- and a couch that opened out
- don’t make it just a flesh wound
- Men’s wallets are like women’s purses
- stealing a hat was beneath contempt
- “Does that hurt?”
- the biggest frog
Jen’s Take
Yolanda was the reigning queen of the Times Square pickpockets. So far no one had been able to top her score from the previous spring when she managed to lift both a Gucci bag and a couch that opened out into a trampoline from the same unsuspecting socialite.
Today Yolanda had to make an example of Jimmy the Hat Thief. As every pickpocket knew, stealing a hat was beneath contempt. Men’s wallets are like women’s purses, though, in the respectability hierarchy.
“Does that hurt?” Yolanda asked Jimmy as she poked him with the hat pin from his latest prize.
“Don’t make it just a flesh wound,” Deak encouraged, “or he’ll never learn his lesson.”
Yolanda considered, then said with an evil grin, “Bring me the biggest frog you can find in Central Park.”
Kent’s Take
“Does that hurt?” Hackney twisted the hatchet.
“Yes, but keep going. Don’t make it just a flesh wound, it has to be convincing.” Simpson gritted his teeth.
Stealing a hat was beneath contempt, but still drew notice from the law. A pound of flesh, or the biggest frog in the county, those were the choices.
Men’s wallets are like women’s purses, as far as the penalties for misuse. Karaoke. Bad business.
Better to pass on the right. Just spend one fitful night — choose between a bathtub and a couch that opened out.
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What do you think? Who handled this prompt better?