astone2292

The question is whether these monsters will drag Michael away where no one will ever hear from him again.

It was a very vague linking. Nearly too vague, as I was contemplating whether to include it in this year's anthology. Because only a monster would tell that joke.

I won't worry if they say "buy." It's the ones that say "I'm just looking" you have to worry about. Now I wanna make Oreo pie. I also wanna go and watch Coach's Oreo rant from Letterkenny. I wasn't a fan of pimento loaf, but I would eat it if served to me. Now, ham & cheese or a dixie loaf? Gimme gimme gibbe gib--- *Cookie Monster eating impression*

Finally, Jenson was alone. Being bothered on the way to the cafeteria was unexpected. What were so many students doing out of their classes? He sighed. I can’t judge. I do the same. Although, he had a long-standing agreement with the principal. His parents explained the situation to the school board many years ago, and after some convincing, they all agreed. Well, they did after the incident when Jenson was in kindergarten. No one ever questioned why he did what he did. When a teacher would

As of late (in the past several years), it's like these customers have learned to clone themselves.

Oopsie daisies! Fixed the misspelling! Much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed the chapter, Danilo!! I could've included Anubis, is that close enough to Lucifer in a cat suit?

So, does that make you Gnomie's demon?

Adrian-Angrekan coming across a pair of talking squirrels... Huh... Sticking that in the back of my mind.

Three weeks had passed. Three agonizing weeks haunted Adrian’s every step. “Not so heavy, Meatsack!” Walking in the science building hallway, all he could do was roll his eyes. Twenty-two days ago, he encountered an otherworldly demon, Angrekan. Even now, the evening burned within his memory. The glowing red eyes embedded within the inky shadow kept him up at night. He longed for a chance to forget about— “Do humans no longer listen?” Sighing, he looked around for prying ear

In a sense, yes. Narcissism galore. Customers can believe they're royalty once they have spent a dollar [at any point in their lifetime] in an establishment. Some will dangle that fact like a carrot over a clerk's head, using it as a tool for them to do their bidding so they won't leave a negative Google review/survey (which, depending on the severity, will probably lead to a write-up and, in some cases, termination). Employees, if they feel undervalued for their effort, can develop a hero complex (akin to the belief of "this place would crumble without me"). I won't lie– I've been there countless times mentally. It flares up when my dailies (repeat shoppers) make the comment of, "You're here every day! Do you sleep here?" with their Goofy gawrsh, da'hyuck faces they make. So yeah. Narcissism and retail go hand in hand. It's kind of like the concept of incest. We try to keep it purged from our minds in order to make the world a better place. <insert happy music>

I'll be keeping this world in mind for the rest of the month. Who knows if I'll come across another prompt for the Pinoots...

Thanks for reading, Chris!! 💜

Sounds of doors opening and wheels spinning woke Billy. His frail body jostled. Vision blurry, he watched as blinding fluorescent lights passed one by one. An odor burned his nose. “Fresh off the ambulance,” a strange voice hollered. “Bruised hip, several burns across the chest and back. Book OR two, and get me Stafford and Camacho. Tell them to prep now!” What’s going on? I’m… I’m in the hospital, Billy thought. He strained to roll over. He needed to see his wife— “Sir, stay st

Or Susan. Nancy works, too. Maybe even a Linda.

The stage, as a whole, has become a dangerous place. Walk to the center, and be judged like never before. The tiniest of details are now up for interpretation. I always appreciate seeing your comments, Headstall 💜

And I quote the commentary from that day: "I'm so sorry." and... "Jesus Christ..."

Klaxon-like doorbell ringing. Endless scanner beeps. Drive-through bells clanging. The constant chatter digging into my soul. When will it end? Not for five more hours. I’ve endured three so far, and it’s not getting any easier. The people continued to come in relentless waves. One leaves, and three more enter. Would there be an end? Transaction after transaction, thin strands of my soul were sapped. I’m sure the customers absorbing them felt empowered every passing second. I thought

I haven't had the pleasure with airline food. My two flights were for a college fraternity conference, so we nabbed the absolute-cheapest options available. I did make the mistake of purchasing a $10 50mL bottle of Jack Daniels...

Thanks for reading, Bill!! I was concerned about this piece, particularly with the tie-in to this year's theme. But I'm happy I submitted it!

Glad ya liked it, Doc 💜

Can I just say, I love your profile picture. Like, two thumbs up. I wanted a healthy balance between political mockery and giving the readers emotional fuel to chuck a shoe at me for using a silly little line.

I have flown twice in my life. The loudest thing I've heard on a flight was a fart.

Monsters indeed. If I wasn't so exhausted from work, I'd try to think of a more suitable synonym. But as it stands...