Story Starters: Katherine Edition

Hello, Everyone!  Happy Thursday!  

It was my (Katherine's) turn to write this week's post and frankly I was lacking inspiration.  Then Grace had the wonderful idea to do a story starter!  Several story starters/writing prompts were then composed for me to write by Grace; a prospect she indulged in quite joyfully!  So below I've put her starters in bold and my continuation in cursive.  We hope you enjoy reading them!

#1. A Theft

"911 what is your emergency?"

"Hello, I want to report a theft."

"Can you tell me what has been stolen?"

"My heart."

911 Dispatcher Guy - Beg your pardon?

Girl - My heart (starts sobbing)

Dispatcher Guy- Uh, ma'am, we --

Girl- Oh, it's true - he stole it right out from under me!  I didn't even try to give it to him!  You'd think these cheesy hallmark love stories were just made up out of thin air and would never actually happen to you!  Oh, and he said all the right things....he.....(struggles to compose herself) he....s-said all the right things..and....a-and....(cries harder)

Dispatcher Guy- Uh, I --

Girl- I was JUST going to the drugstore!  (loudly sniffs) They were having this great sale on cosmetics and those fake eyelashes...and there he was picking up all those tubes of lip gloss when I tipped over that display!  H-He s-seemed so nice....(starts crying again)

Dispatcher Guy- Uh--

Girl- ALL I wanted was someone who didn't think I was crazy...

Dispatcher Guy- Crazy?

Girl- YES, CRAZY!  They all just ditch me on dates after spending 10 minutes at the table.  Ten minutes!  Am I that awful?  

Dispatcher Guy- .........

Girl- (sniffs again) And then on Valentine's day - a day before our 1 year anniversary, he took me to Olive Garden.  I- I thought he was going to propose to me. W-what else was I supposed to think after he said it was important I be there? B-but he..he...(cries again)...he b-broke up with me.  Said he needed to  move on.  And I come to find out that all along he was dating someone else at the same time.  I was just the side show. (starts to cry again)  You probrobly think I'm crazy too, for calling like this.  I just...didn't think I was this worthless...What do they want from me anyway?....All my life I've always been the second best....at proms, cheering squad, group projects.  (sniffs) I thought Derrick was someone who actually cared....(cries again)..

Dispatcher Guy- ......(sniff) You're not crazy.

Girl- (stops crying)....What?

Dispatcher Guy- Those people are the jerks, not you.

Girl- (absently) Really?...No, you're just saying that out of professional duty.

Dispatcher Guy- No, I'm not - it's true.  That guy Derrick was a no good louse who didn't deserve you.  

Girl- (listening)

Dispatcher Guy- Someday you'll meet the guy who will treat you as you should have been treated all along.  He'll stand by you through thick and thin and show you in a hundred ways how much you mean to him.

Girl- (sniffing) Really?

Dispatcher Guy- Really.  Don't ever believe a thing those guys said or did back there.  I mean it- not for a second.  You're a beautiful person and...and, I'm...really sorry.

*Silence*

Dispatcher Guy - Ma'am--

Girl- My name's Ellie. 

Dispatcher Guy- Ellie, you are worth so much more than what's been shown to you by this guy. 

*Silence*

Girl-..........(softly crying agian) Thank you, th-that means a lot. 

Dispatcher Guy- Your welcome.

Girl- What's your name?

Dispatcher Guy- I'm Justin.

Girl- Nice to meet you, Justin.

Disptatcher Guy- It's nice to meet you too, Ellie.

#2. He Slices He Dices

Customer- Excuse me miss? 

Waitress- Yes?

Customer- I'd like to speak to management about this meal. 

Waitress- oh uh... are you sure?

Customer- Very

Waitress- Well, you see, umm, the chef doesn't like it when people don't like his cooking and umm, I think it would be best for you, sir, to umm...

Customer- NO!  I demand to see the Chef NOW! If he can't take criticism,  he has no business in the consumer business world!

Waitress- Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you.

(Waitress adjurns to restaurant kitchen. Loud shouts erupt seconds later along with the clanging of pots falling to the floor.  A balding man, with a hawk-like face bangs open the kitchen swinging doors.   Regrettfully, the waitress points in the Customer's direction, and the chef storms to his table)

Chef- (fuming) Are you the stupido who sent back my spagetti?

Customer- (taken aback) Ah, er...yes, I am.

Chef- What's wrong with it?

Customer- What's wrong with it?

Chef- SI, what's wrong with it??

Customer- The, the sauce...

Chef- WHAT about the sauce??

Customer- It-It's--

Chef- It's what?  WHAT??

Customer- Lacking flavor.

Chef- Lacking flavor- Bah!  Impossible!

Customer- It tasted watery.

Chef- Watery?  WATEREY??  Do you KNOW how I make my sauce??  I put in basil - fresh basil - from the garden.  Basil from plants all the way from my own Sicily.  Then I put in tomatoes - Romas - fresh off the vine!  FRESH OFF THE VINE!  I put in oregano leaves, rosemary, salt, and I cook all this till it is thick - very thick - luscious - bella!  And you - you call it WATERY AND WITHOUT FLAVOR??

Customer- Um, well, I ---

(Waitress and Busboy hurry up to table)

Chef- You what??  Do you know what I should do to an ungrateful customer like you?

Waitress- (urgently) Chef?

Chef- I should just throw you out of this restaraunt right now!

Waitress- (more urgently) CHEF!

Chef- (turning to her) What?

Waitress- It's the sauce.

Chef- I know- he hates my sauce!

Customer- I didn't say--

Waitress- No, he's right - we just tasted it in the kitchen and there's been a big mistake.

Chef- MISTAKE?  What do you mean mistake?  Speak, girl!

Waitress- Tommy here's been filling in for Mario tonight at his station with the sauces.

Chef- (incredulous) WHAT??....oh, yes I remember.  

Waitress- And he accidentally spilled the water to boil the shallots into the spagetti sauce.

Chef- HE DID WHAT??

Tommy (scared) It was totally an accident, Mr. Fendini!  After I'd turned back from cleaning the water off the counter, someone had already served up the spagetti for table 5 and left the kitchen!

Chef- (fuming again) Stupido!  How could you make such a mistake!  I should stuff you in tonight's special!

Tommy- I'm sorr---

Chef- Where is the sauce now??

Tommy- I dumped it.

Chef- (boiling) You DUMPED IT???

Tommy- It was no good!

Chef- NO GOOD?  WE COULD HAVE ADDED MORE ROMAS - NOW WE HAVE NO SAUCE FOR THE CANNELLONI!

(Chef runs back into kitchen, leaving a dumbfounded and speechless Customer, and an awkward looking Waitress and Tommy)

Tommy- (still frightened) I-I'm awfully sorry, Sir.

Chef- (from kitchen) WHERE ARE THE ROMAS??

Waitress- We will be more than happy to pay for your meal, Sir.  Can I get you a replacement order for that spagetti?

Customer- (still dumbounded) Um.....maybe I'll just get some....dessert.

Tommy (trying to help)- There's an excellant Tirimisu tonight, Sir!

Customer- (brightening) That's my favorite.

Waitress- (eagerly) Tommy, go get an extra large order of Tirimisu for our customer!

Tommy- (happy) Sure thing!

Waitress- Again, I'm sincerely sorry for the mistake, and that....outburst, Sir.

Customer (calm)-............You know, it's...alright, miss.  I'm sure I deserved that after my, uh, complaint.

#3. First Impressions

Come on Anna. You can do it. You will open the gate and tell it like it is! To his face! You have the blood of brave Scottish warrior ancestors rushing through your veins!! How ashamed they would be if they could see you now. COME ON!!!

She slowly opened the gate and came face to face, that is face to beak, with HIM! The rooster. She screamed and ran.

Ten feet up the sidewalk she came to a halt.

Oh, come on.  He's just a rooster.  A little, not so frightening rooster. A bird. I like birds. Birds are nice. They are fluffy.  They lay blue eggs in nests made of straw....ok, this is clearly not helping.  At this rate, I'll never get past that birdbrain to welcome the new neighbors.

It was a sunny day, and a perfect one in which to make new friends.  Anna Breville had lived on Sunshine Street for years, keeping company with the other four vacant, but pleasant houses.  At the shocking sight of the deeply imbedded "For Sale" sign being dismantled by the ancient real estate agent last month, Anna's curiosity had been peeked.  The idea of having a neighbor at last on Sunshine Street was a notion so foreign, it was just exciting!  

Oh, man, I've got to try again!  I baked these cookies three days ago, and if I don't deliver them today, I'll have to bake a new batch altogether.  That rooster has to just give up after three tries to get rid of me.

Picking her way back down to the wooden gate, she looked around for a stick to defend herself with.  Finding a suitable one in the gutter, she timidly opened the gate again.  As it closed behind her, she looked around, ready to whack the daylights out of that chicken if it appeared again, but it was no where to be seen.  

Hmm, maybe it's gone back to it's house.

Careful not to spill the plate of cookies in her hands, she ascened the front steps of the red brick house. She rang the doorbell and waited.  Just when she was about to ring it again, the rooster, in his full glory suddenly rounded the side of the house and started up the steps towards her!  Surprised and panicked, she screamed and turned the knob of the door.  It opened too quickly, causing her to trip and fall right into the room!  She screamed again, and crashed onto the floor, the jelly filled cookies flying in all directions.  "Oh, my goodness, are you alright," asked a surprised voice?  Anna quickly looked up to see a man holding the other side of the doorknob and looking at her.  He wore a wrinkled plaid shirt and worn jeans and looked about her age.  "Oh, where is he,"she asked, nervously, clutching the now empty plate? 

"He," the man asked, confusedly, his blond, tousled hair blowing in the breeze from the still open door?  "The rooster," she clarified, feeling totally embarrassed," He-he was chasing me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry.  He get's overly protective whenenver we move it seems.  Here, let me help you,"he closed the door and offered a hand to help her up.  "Thank you," she said, taking his hand and standing," Oh, and I've spilled your cookies.  I -I came to welcome you into the neighborhood."

"Oh, how nice of you," he said, bending down to pick up the scattered confections," Mmm, these look delicious.  Will you be upset if I eat these anyway?"

"Not at all," Anna said, relieved they'd be recieved after all the trouble she'd gone through.  

"Are you sure you are all right," he asked again, retrieving the last cookie from behind a stack of boxes," I'd hate to think you got hurt because of my ornory rooster?"

Anna laughed nervously.  "No, I'm fine, really.  I-I'm- my name is Anna, by the way.  I-I live 2 doors down," she extended her hand to the man.  "I'm Kyle," he smiled,"  I live here.  Nice to meet you."

"You as well."  She struggled to recover herself. "I'm so sorry to make such a scene as this - you probrobly think I'm some crazy city girl who's never seen a living animal in her life."

"Oh, don't worry about it.  Clyde even goes after my Mom if she hasn't been over in a while," he reassured her.

"Really? Well, that makes me feel a bit better."

"So you said you live 2 doors down," he asked,"How long have you lived here?

"About five years now," Anna replied," I moved from Rolling Springs."

"Oh, really?  That's where my brother lives.  I lived with him for a month while looking for this place."

"Oh, nice.  My folks live in Rolling Springs....Oh, is that really what time it is," she looked at the clock,"I'm going to be late.  I'm babysitting my sister's kids and I was supposed to be there in 10 minutes."

"Well, here I'll get the door and ward off Clyde," he opened the door and looked out on the porch.  "Looks like the coast is clear.  He must be in the coop by now."

"Thank you so much," she walked out onto the porch," And if you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask.  I'm just 2 doors down."

"Same goes for me," he grinned." Nice to meet you, Anna."

"You too, Kyle," she smiled and stepped down onto the walk

," See ya."

"Bye."

~ ~ ~

This was such a fun creative writing exercise!  Didn't Grace write some great story starters?   We think we might do a post like this once a month!  So next month, I'll be writing the starters for Grace to continue!  (I confess I already have three or four ideas).  

What's a fun writing prompt/story starter that you've seen or written?  How would you have finished these story starters?  Feel free to complete the exercise yourself in the comments below!

See you next week!

Katherine & Grace