I can't believe it's already April. And since it's the 1st of April, guess what that means? April Fools Day!!!! Anyone had any great pranks played on them so far today? Played any pranks on anyone else? What is the best prank that was ever played on you OR that you were a part of? Enquiring minds want to know!!!! While you think on that, I guess it's time to take a look at the prompts for this week!

Prompt 488 – Creative
Tag – First Line
“Please come quickly. I’m afraid to be here alone!”

Prompt 489 – Creative
Tag – Meteorite
It was a beautiful night, with a full moon shining bright. You lay on the blanket watching the meteor shower. Suddenly, you notice a red streak heading right for you. You stand up and begin to run, only to be knocked over by the blast from the meteorite crashing into the ground. You go back to look at the meteor only to be found by the police and many scientists will immediately quarantine you. What is up with the meteorite?

Today I decided to showcase all the responses to AC Benus' newest prompt series, O. Henry Short Story Prompt #1:

Holding the advertising card in his hand, Rudolf climbs the last stair and reaches the top floor. While he catches his breath, thinking maybe he should finally do something with his gym membership, he swivels his head around. Another regular door, this with a welcome mat saying: IN DOG WE TRUST. And on the other side... Is this the green door? He looks at the crumpled sheet of paper again. It still only says: THE GREEN DOOR.

 

Rudolf strains his ears. A TV murmurs in the background and the smell of fried bacon permeates the air. Quite normal. He scoffs. What did he expect? That a door would open magically and lead him into Narnia? He chuckles at his stupidity. Someone obviously played a practical joke and of course, he fell for it. Typical.

 

But there is a green door. “Yeah, and behind it lives some punk kid, who thought it funny to screw with the landlord.” And with me.

Rudy pressed the down button on the wall panel repeatedly, scowling at the numbers above the elevator doors. The arrow was on the lit-up two. He was on the top floor. The twentieth. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his tattered jeans and paced back and forth, muttering to himself.

 

So much for his little ‘adventure’. He’d have to have a word with the behemoth outside. Rudy pulled the crumpled business card out of his pocket and stared at it. The Green Door were the only words imprinted on it. A large African-American man had given it to him just outside the building. He had given him five, in fact. Each one bearing the same three words. Curious, he’d checked the cards discarded by others who took them from the man. Those advertised an investment company. He’d have thrown them out, too.
The Green Door intrigued him. Rudy longed for adventure. Something…anything….to take his mind off the dull drudgery of daily life.

Rudolf Steiner lifted the last forkful of Black Forest cake into his mouth, chewed briefly, and washed it down with a mouthful of black coffee. Elbows on the table, he held the now empty-cup by the fingertips of both hands. As he sat, Rudolf looked wistfully across the table at the empty seat. He wondered if that seat would ever be filled—he was so alone.

 

The waiter interrupted his reverie when he placed the check on the table. After leaving cash plus a ten percent tip, Rudolf slipped on his jacket and left the Black Kettle restaurant.

 

As he walked home down Jackson Street, Rudolf thought about his life. ‘Rudi, you need something to happen, there is no excitement, no adventure. God, I wish something—anything—would just happen to me. No, I lie, I want something romantic to happen to me.’

Rudolf lumbered, lost in thought on his way to the restaurant. For so long he had been content to just move along with his life without being a part of it. Never doing more than he had to.

 

Today he had awakened with a feeling he couldn't shake. All he knew was there was this inexplicable need to do something, change his life around somehow.

 

But what. Nothing exciting happened to him. For years he had worked the same job, ate the same dinner at the same restaurant. His home life was nothing special either.
As he followed the host to be seated he passed a laughing couple holding hands. He didn't even have love. Who would want him anyway?

Now, time for a quick question... How are you liking the new format? Do you like the showcasing of all the responses to a single prompt? If you do, like the blog entry, if you don't, comment and tell me why!