The cofee (whoops. A typo) machine stands like a beacon in the post-apocalyptic world of my head during caffeine withdrawal. The steady flow of soothing elixir brings appetizer-like aromas that promise relief. The first sip stops the zombie moans in my brain. The second is accompanied by the combination of the Westminster Chimes of the doorbell and the eardrum-puncturing baying of Igor’s hounds in Twiggy and Tempeste’s reaction to the chimes. A quick toss of two knuckle bones into the soundproof room, followed by the slamming of the door, brings a Deep Purple Hush back to the room.
A glance at the monitor shows Chip and Dale, the chipmunks, each holding either a clipboard or a letter. Since talking to them is futile, the security shutdown process begins.
The B-2 bomber squadron and the F-35 escort must be called off. One call does it. The tank corps and gunboats are told to stand by. The Apache helicopters are rerouted. The electric shock fence is turned off. The drawbridge over the quicksand is lowered. The robot attack dogs returned to their charging station. The laser-guided machine guns on the roof are set to caution. The nest filled with rattlesnakes put away. The bucket filled with 1000 marbles is locked down. The tear gas canisters shut off. The electrified welcome mat set to off. The fall-away sidewalk into the pit filled with spikes is locked. The hornet’s nest closed. The water cannons are set to safety. Bear traps are set to off. Peregrine Falcons perched on the roof above front door fed. The vat of boiling oil set to warm. Monty Python’s Harmless Little Rabbit’s cage is closed. The front door is opened.
Chip hands me the letter and Dale the clipboard. When signed, the clipboard goes back to Dale with a fiver under the clip. Thinking that they might have a problem with the money, a bag of unshelled peanuts follows the clipboard.
Once inside, the letter is opened, and it is from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “typo.” Use it any wya way you’d like. Have fun!
If you would like to see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2026/09/18/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-september-19-2026/
Typo by John W. Howell © 2026
“Chip and Dale? Where did you come up with them?”
“I was looking around for a character, and they just came to me.”
“I can see them trying to spend the five bucks.”
“That’s why I gave them the peanuts.”
“Yeah. Where did they come from?”
“This is fiction, remember.”
“Ah. Poetic license.”
“You got it.”
“Speaking of license.”
“Did you call Uber?”
“Right over there.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Okragly
“What the heck is that thing?”
“It’s a 1939 Buick sedan retrofitted for rail inspections.”
“How is that going to get us to the pub?”
“The pub is on the mainline.”
“Since when?”
“This is fiction, remember.”
“Stumbled onto my own patard.”
“What?”
“Never mind. So we just hop in there and go to the pub?”
“Well.”
“I knew it. A hitch.”
“A small one.”
“Okay, give it to me.”
“We have to take a ride on the Reading Railroad.”
“Why’s that?”
“The card said so. We landed on chance.”
“For heaven’s sake. You are taking this fiction thing a bit far.”
“Fun, though, right?”
“Okay, let’s get going. We might get there by tonight.”
“The Reading is in Pennsylvania ”
“And we are in Texas.”
“I hope you have some VooDoo Rangers.”
“You bet.”
“Let’s go then.”
