Story Prompts:
- Interview
- Travel agent was wrong
- Person with lots of stuffed animals
- Person who takes shortcuts
Story 1 by Rich Colon
I needed to travel to Egypt for a job interview; the most important interview of my budding career as an archaeologist. This assignment would be the experience of a lifetime, to research the pyramids of Giza.
The logistics of planning the trip were overwhelming, so I contacted my old college roommate, Tom, who I thought was a certified travel agent. The problems that arose were in some way my fault because in college I knew him to be the type of person who takes shortcuts. Yet I thought since we are now adults, he would be professional.
So, why am I now in Egypt (thank God), but thousands of miles away from the pyramids? All anyone says to me is that my travel agent was wrong; seemingly about everything. I am now in a small Egyptian town named Gizza (spelled with two z's), and not in the city of Giza. And the only pyramids here are a 10' tall replica tourist attraction.
Setup at a table nearby is a person with lots of stuffed animals for sale. As I try to walk by, toy stuffed camels are shoved in my face with cries of "great price, cheap, cheap!" Just then, during the confusion, someone puts a sack over my head, so that I could not see. Then I am restrained and shoved into some type of truck which races away.
After a long time we stop, I am dragged from the truck, then tied to a chair. My heart is pounding and I have trouble breathing, as I wait and wait, daring not to move or speak. Finally, the sack is removed, and bright lights blind me so that I still cannot see anything or anyone.
But then a deep ominous voice whispers, "Why did Tom send you? What do you know?"
Story 2 by Dave Gregory
Jack loved to travel, to wander, sometimes there was a specific destination other times he just wanted to get lost.
His business dealings took him all over the country and all over the world and this just continued his wanderlust.
Jack was not a person who took shortcuts, quite the opposite, he wanted to take the long way around and stop at important monuments, as well as little roadside attractions.
Once after an interview in San Francisco he took a ferryboat ride out to Alcatraz, the famous prison in the middle of the harbor. On his way back to his hotel he detoured through the famous “Fisherman’s Wharf” – he grabbed a great lunch involving huge shrimp and Sea Scallops – he was delighted – he was full –
He decided to walk a bit before finishing his trip back to the hotel. Turning down a side street he encountered a cluster of older shops, just off the beaten path – his kind of neighborhood – shops full of little tchotchkes – that reminded him of his years of being a willing tourist – all that was missing was his Hawaiian Shirt and his Bermuda shorts – oh yeah – sandals and white socks.
He remembered years ago – a travel agent suggesting a wonderful all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean – he had gone on her recommendation, and she was WRONG!
Lousy accommodations, lousy pool, no beach, in a bad neighborhood and a pathetic nighttime show – one man and his guitar singing familiar Island tunes – BADLY –
In honor of that never again used travel agent, he bought a shot glass with “San Francisco & The Golden Gate Bridge decaled on it and moved on –
The next shop was quite unique, Jack could not remember anything like it, in all his years of travel.
“Dolly’s” was its name and dolls were what inhabited the shop. The owner, Dolly had dolls, hundreds of dolls and lots of stuffed animals – on shelves, in little chairs around the shop –
Some Teddy Bears were suspended from the ceiling – some rare dolls were protected in glass cases – It was a fantasy world and he got lost in it – some were vintage and very valuable, protected in the case, with a card giving a brief history – and Dolly herself was an interesting character.
Jack was the only customer, Dolly liked to talk, and Jack had lots of questions – He was still a kid at heart – and he didn’t mind playing with dolls.
Story 3 by Roseanne Hoagland
Zoe was not a person to take shortcuts in anything she did. She always believed in doing everything correctly, no matter how many times she had to do the task. In her line of work, shortcuts could cost you or someone else their life. She was never willing to take that risk. Zoe lost a partner due to another’s mistakes and shortcuts. Now here she was conducting interviews for a new partner, and it was breaking her heart. Time was growing short and soon her boss would assign someone to her if she didn’t make up her mind soon.
The next candidate was a very tall young man, with blue eyes, sandy brown hair, muscular, wide smile and charming…. Too charming! She disliked him right away. Zoe opened his folder and read through all his qualifications; they were very impressive… too impressive!
“So, why do you want to work in our department?” she asked without looking up. “With your resume, you can work in any middle or upper management department. Have a nice office and not go into the field.”
He smiled at her, knowing what she was fishing for, “That won’t get the job done. There are too few field agents that know what they are doing and do it right.”
Zoe nodded her head in agreement, that fact was true. Before she could ask another question, her boss came into the room. “Sorry to interrupt but I have a special assignment that needs you now, Lieutenant Zoe.” He handed her a folder. “Here is the file.”
“But Captain,” she looked up at him. “I don’t have a partner."
He picked up the recruit’s folder from the table, signed the top page and handed it back to her. “Now you do! Get going and that’s an order.”
“Yes sir.” She turned to her new partner. “Well, what are you smiling for, let’s go!”
Zoe walked from the room, not looking back to see if he was following her or not. She went right for her desk area in the squad room and started to read over the file the captain gave her. The recruit sat on the chair next to her desk.
“My name is Luke, by the way.” He quietly told her with a smile.
“Yes, it was in your file,” she said with a sigh. “Do you always smile like that?”
“Yes, does it bother you?’” he chuckled before she could answer. “It keeps people off guard. Makes them think I am not that smart and can try to fool me.” Then his smile suddenly dropped, “I am a lot smarter than I let on,” he paused. “And I know you’re the same.”
Zoe just looked at him briefly, but her brain already registered the truth. She nodded “Let’s get to work.”
They worked through the night and figured out where and when the next heist would be. She called together her team.
It was a small alleyway in the old part of New York City, listed as a historic area. Now it is just a place for amusement, for thrill seekers and illegal imports. Luke checked his watch, any minute now. Before he could finish his thought there was a flash of green light in a doorway, two men appeared through the light. Right after it faded away, Luke and Zoe jumped out from their hiding places.
“Freeze! Put the cases down!” Zoe yelled. She raised her gun. "Hands on your heads! Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What the…. How”, one of the men stammered out. But he quickly complied as more officers arrived. “I don’t get it?”
He and his partner were quickly cuffed and led away. The Tech Crew were already dismantling the doorway portal.
“Let’s see what they brought back from the past.” Luke opened the suitcase, and it was stuffed full of stuffed animals. He was disappointed. “What! This was a waste of time.”
“No, don’t you see what they are. These are those small bean-filled toys that were a big deal a hundred years ago. It was a big craze in the 20th and 21st centuries, and people hoarded them. After that professor found them in that ancient store that was unearthed, the whole craze is starting all over again. They are a big business, bigger than drugs and jewels, but not by much.” Zoe shook her head at the thought.
“She’s right,” the captain stated as he walked up. “Being a Time-travel agent is to stop all imports from the past. To stop the flooding of ancient artifacts into our future and causing any kind of addiction. Remember what happen with those ‘vegetable, garden kid doll things’, and the problems they caused?”
Everyone there shuddered.
NOTE:
Using the same 4 prompts, different stories were generated by these writers. Now, what would you write given these same prompts? Give it a try yourself!