sorry i didnt get a chance to do this i got home late from work and spend the night with my kiddo next time you throw something like this up ill make sure im able to

This one took a bit longer to figure out...


The fork picked at the lasagna, layers revealing themselves like an archaeological dig. The hand holding the fork was attached to an arm, leading up to Daniel Parson's lanky, 15 year old form. His eyes stared at the food, lost in thought.

"Danny!" his father's voice interrupted the excavation on his plate.

"Huh?" he replied, blinking rapidly and sitting up slightly.

"Your mother asked you a question. What happened in your day?"

Daniel put his fork down, and wiped his lips with the napkin that was in his lap as he turned to his mom. She was on his right, turning away from his infant sister. Her food seemed to be anywhere but her mouth. His mom waited, her blue eyes open, waiting to see if her son will add more conversation to her life than what she had with her daughter during the day.

"What happened in my day? Well..." Danny paused and opened his mouth to reply, thinking back to relay the day.

Images fly past in his head. Nodding hello to his friends. Getting shoulder-slammed into a set of lockers in the hall way. Getting a test paper back with a "C-" in big red letters. Smiling to the librarian as she checked out his book. Scarfing through his lunch food to the dismay of his friends. Propping his head up in the Lit class afterwards as his teacher read off some passage from some author who is listed on the syllabus which is good because he'd never remember the name otherwise.

And gym class. Getting divided up into teams to play dodge ball. (Weren't there rules against that?) Lasting about 8 minutes before getting hit in the face which sent him spinning around and to the floor. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes to find a pair of pink shoes in front of him.

"What are you doing?" the voice asked, the condescension in the tone unmistakable, despite the noise level in the gymnasium.

Daniel stood up quickly and found himself looking down, as he was just a few inches taller, at Linda Carlson. She had brown eyes, and brown hair that was tied back to a tight pony tail and she was just starting to grow in all the right places and he could just barely see through her white t-shirt which clung to her in just the right

"Are you still staring at me?" she asked again. Her friends, which came in to view behind her, sneered and scoffed at him.

"No. Sorry Linda." Daniel managed to get out.

Rolling her eyes, Linda turned to her friends letting out a "whatever", and walked to his left. They didn't participate in the activities in gym class when they didn't want to, but still managed to pass the class.

Daniel turned to his left, trying to get back into the game despite only about 5 seconds having passed.

"LOOK OUT!"

Through the air came a fireball, the ball coming just within 2 feet of him. Daniel looked at the ball, and to his right where Linda's head was.

His right arm came up in a pico-second, the hand open -- catching the ball dead. His fingers gripped the edges as tightly as his hand could as the impact noise echoed through the gym. Linda yelped and jumped, turning left to find Daniel's hand closer to her face than she would ever want.

The gym was silent.

Linda followed the hand, up the arm (which looked quite tone and muscular at the moment which is kind of odd considering ) to see who held the item that nearly hit her.

Her eyes met his, turned to the hand still holding the ball, and then back to his eyes. Her lips turned up just for a bit, and she mouthed out a 'thanks' before turning away to her friends walking off the floor again.

Daniel swallowed.

The noise in the gym came rushing back, as well as another ball hitting the left side of his face knocking him over again.


Daniel closed his mouth, and tilted his head to the right and then straightened it out again.

"Sorry mom. Nothing exciting happened."

"Oh, " was her only reply, disappointed.

"Yeah" Daniel said, picking up his fork, finishing the arranging of a noodle in the lasagna. The edge of the noodle matched, at least it did somewhere in the back of his head, the smile he saw that over took the rest of his day.

"Well, I'm a little surprised that nothing exciting happened." his mom said again, trying to get another bite in to her daughter's mouth.

Daniel stabbed the lasagna with a little more force, taking a piece of the noodle smile into his mouth. After chewing it in to pieces and swallowing, he turned to his mom.

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."


--ten min is just not enough

I shall try now...
and yes, I have the timer set next to me.


"Yes, yes. Honey. Honey! Stop. Ok, look I know I have to get -- no, I do realize that this is my first Black Friday. You pointed that out to me last night."

"<sigh> honey -- i haven't had enough coffee, no, strong enough coffee to get all that. No I don't want to get a cart, I want to get in and out... quit laughing."

"Really, quit laughing, I know what I'm -- oh, they're opening up i gotta go. Why? Cause I need to focus, that's -- 'scuse me -- I -- sorry."

"Yes, it's a good thing I can -- whoop! what? No, it was some divider item used for herding shoppers. What's with all the runners, is there only one of a certain shoe on the shelf? Yes it is handy to have this earpiece on attached to the phone."

"Hut. <grunt>. Huh? No, i'm dodging clothing racks. Yeah I'm cutting through kids clothing -- aaaggh! No, almost got run over by a cart and the brontosaur guiding it. WHAT? I am being nice!"

"Hi. What? No, I"m standing in line in the electronics area. Just saying hi to the person behind me -- Why? No, I don't want anything here -- I just want to see the looks on others when they hear me say that. Bye!"

"Not here - not here - not here. ...... huh? That conversation? No, that was two women in the sporting goods department. Yeah, they were debating the size of weights to get. No -- aum... no, they didn't really need to work out. Well -- they just didn't. I didn't look at them for that long -- not longer than any other guy who's married and has a beautiful wife like I do."

"Oh, now you want to hang up? Hold on -- hut. oof. excuse me. pardon me. <gasp> huh. what? Nothing had to back track and look down an aisle. What? No I didn't see anyone I knew -- just had to rewind and look at something again. Like on the tivo -- you know?"

"Ok, now I really have to go. Yes I'm at the register. Yes. Yes. I told you I could get through in record time. Yes, I got it. Yes. I did. I'm pretty sure it will work. Yes, I know. Well, she's also been forgetful of a few things, rude to both of us, and just plain ornery. I think this heart rate monitor will tell us if our teenage daughter does have a heart beat or not."




Sorry, I went over by 2 minutes.

Five friends in a kitchen. Five air popcorn makers going full blast. Five black garbage bags half full of popcorn waiting for more. The sixth member of the group and the only woman walks around checking progress. She looks up at one of the guys and smiles an evil smile. She knew this was an awesome idea.

earlier that day the woman was waiting outside her apartment complex for a ride to work. Her brother was late as usual. After calling him for the fifth time, she decided the bus would be her best option. She called into work to let them know she'd be late, again. It’s a good thing she's the only one who can do her job. She’d make up the late start by staying late.

On the bus, ear buds in, she starts to think about how her brother just keeps screwing with her. She paid for half his car with the understanding that he would take her where she needed to go, when she needed to go. She had to get him back. She had to figure out a way to really get his attention.

They were always close siblings. She was two years older, and he always looked up to her. Since they were in high school they always loved to play practical jokes on each other. It’s started simply enough, a pie in the face, some silly string, then one time on a family camping trip she found herself set adrift in the lake. Well things when downhill from there.

Now they were 22 and 20. She had to think of something spectacular. And it had to include that god damn car! It was his baby. An older model Acura, blue, 5spd. He drove it like a race car driver. Yes it had to be about the car.

Once at work she was talking to her two coworkers. Popcorn, one of them said. Enough popcorn to fill the car. It will take him hours to get it out; it will be stuck in the air vents for years. Yes! Popcorn!

She conspires with her coworkers all through their break. Then she gets on the phone to a few more friends. They meet at her apartment that night. It takes forever to fill the bags. The power in the kitchen trips twice. They end up making popcorn in the living room and bathroom to save the circuit. But they make their goal, 8 big bags of popcorn.

She grabs her spare keys, they load the popcorn into 4 cars and head over to her brothers place. It’s after midnight, so very quietly they open the car, turn it on, open the sun roof and close the doors back up. Then the fun begins. As they're filling the car, they notice a rumbling sound. Thinking nothing of it, they continue.

On their last bag, with the car almost filled, her brother comes crashing out of the house yelling "what are you doing!" she laughs at him and says, "Just a little pay back".

"No you don’t understand, I’ve been meaning to call you, I’m not ignoring you, this car has issues, issues I just don’t know how to explain"

"What are you talking about’ but just then it becomes clear.

The growling sound gets louder, only it’s not so much growling, but more like gears grinding. Steam starts to pour from the engine compartment. The grinding gets louder, almost like a scream. All of a sudden the doors and back hatch blow open and the popcorn comes flying out.

Everyone hits the deck. Popcorn is pouring down on them like rain; the ground is covered in it. The lights on the car are flashing, the grinding sound is screaming, the popcorn is flying.

She rises up enough to see her brother, "what the hell is going on!"

"I have no idea; I think the car is alive."

"No *kitten*! How did this happen."

"Well I did get it from a Haitian priest."