A look out the back windows confirms the Mosler safe is still half buried in the backyard. For those of you in the dark, last week, a safe came out of the sky. Inside was someone who looked like Yosemite Sam in his underwear. Good, now we are all caught up. (Please don’t try to understand what a safe is doing falling from the sky. Just go with it.)
A hardy thump on the espresso machine brings it to life and produces a ten-ounce mug of soothing syrup before my hearing goes out. Before approaching the safe again, several long sips of the coffee takes priority over anything to follow.
Communing with my thoughts is suddenly disturbed by the shrill sound of the klaxon warning horn announcing someone at the front door. Having successfully gotten Lucy and Twiggy to stop throwing themselves at the door, my attention turns to the security control panel. I disengage the iron gate, concertina wire, bouncing betty land mines, stinger rocket launchers, tower machine guns, automatic boiling oil dispenser, and all double locks and bolts.
It is time to open the door. As it swings inside, the sight of an odd device is visible sitting on the drive. Looking right and left and deploying the heat-sensitive scanner, it appears no one is on the porch. Approaching the contraption brings into focus a label attached to one leg. The label reads Trebuchet -Acme Amalgamated Industries. Distributed by Daniel Conti Enterprises, Granger, Indiana.
Scratching my head, trying to figure out what the heck this thing is, my central nervous system takes a jolt from a piercing voice from the unexpected. “Dad gum it. What’s the matter, boy? Never seen a Trebuchet before?”
Aghast and Jumping almost out of my skin, I realize on the way down that the Yosemite Sam-looking character has snuck up behind me. “I didn’t see you on the scanner.” This was the best that could be said through my constricted throat. “You varment. I’m wagering that there machine doesn’t pick up figments of your imagination.”
Sam was right. It only picks up heat from living organisms, not some ghost from my imagination. Sam motions me to come closer and hands me an envelope. Before the question, “How long are you going to be here?” is asked, he disappears. Now the only things left are a safe in the back yead, this Trebuchet, and an envelope that must be from Linda Hill. Sure enough, when opened, the message reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a word that contains a silent letter.” Choose a word that contains a silent letter and use it in your post, or write about words with silent letters in general. Enjoy!
If you would like to enjoy visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/09/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-10-2022/
Silent H by John W. Howell © 2022
“I don’t see where you used the prompt.”
“Aghast and ghost? You missed those?”
“Okay. Pretty subtle, though.”
“Clever.”
“What?”
“Throwing in, though.”
“Wasn’t on purpose. What the heck is a Trebuchet?”
“It is a rock-slinging thing much like a catapult.”
“Why didn’t you just say catapult?”
“A friend of mine suggested a Trebuchet would be a nice addition to my security system. so I thought I would honor the suggestion.”
“Two more silent Hs. Thought and honor.”
“We are done with the prompt.”
“What was Sam wearing. Last week he was in his underwear.”
“Oh yeah. He had on long johns with a bum flap.”
“That sounds ghastly.”
“Let’s go get some beer before we lose any more readers than we already have.”
“You buying?”
“VooDooRanger. You bet.”
“Call Uber then. I’ve worked up a big ole thirst.”
“Done.”
Fiction Favorites 
Silent letters really show how insane our species is when it comes to language. I guess they’re around for aesthetics?
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I just love the shapely H don’t you?
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It says a lot about the human condition that our language plays hide and seek. Hey, at least we have a sense of humor.
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How very true, Pilgrim. 😁
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Another winner Boss
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Thak you, Marc. Have a great weekend
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Back atcha.
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Your story begs the question, If the H is silent so often, why do we even have it?
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🤔. This may take a while to answer. 😁
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🙄🤣
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😁
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As a child, I struggled with silent letters. “Oh yeah. He had on long johns with a bum flap.”
“That sounds ghastly.” LOL! Happy Saturday, John!
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Thank you, Jill. Happy Saturday to you *sung to the tune of Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool by Connie Francis
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Well-played! I thought Trebuchet was the main word with a silent letter. I just checked, and two different dictionaries pronounced it two different ways.
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That was the problem I found so I didn’t declare it. 🙄
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Ah, it’s not just me, then!
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Nope. Great minds think alike.
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Thank goodness for spell check and Grammarly, what would any of us do? Well done, John. Happy weekend to you and yours! 😊
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Thank you, Gwen. Happy Weekend to you and yours as well. 😁
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Wow. You have made Dan famous all over the globe. He will probably be inundated with cards, letters and requests for live on-air interviews.
I can’t wait for his next idea/contraption for your home defense.
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Knowing my readers, he should soak any correspondence in water before opening.
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Well done, John. I was awakened this morning by the low paper alarm on my antique fax machine. It was swamped with orders for trebuchets. Thanks to you I have a lock on the Trebuchet Distributer of Year award.
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Excellent. I hope a trop comes with that.
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Good one, John. I learned what a trebuchet is. 🙂 Thanks for your great posts.
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Good for sending bolders into pesky neighbor’s yards
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🙂
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😁
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Great stuff. I’m sure Charles has a shop that can sell you upgrades for your trebuchet. I saw a meme somewhere that said, “Queue is just the letter Q, followed by a bunch of random letters.”
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Ha ha ha. I like the definition of queue. I’m sure Charles could supply something.
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The nice thing about trebuchet is they can launch any letter into the silent zone spontaneously and at a whim too… It is rumored that Yosemite Sam can make all letters silent when he is testing the perimeter of one’s personal safety zone. And still the scream lingers. Just have another java until the nerves stop triggering the little surges of adrenaline. And on a closing note being a life long resident if not expert of the double silent letter adieu…
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Thank you, John. I recorded your comment to study it after three fingers. I’m almost sure it will mean more after.
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I am glad I suited up in my body armour before reading this one. Nice job with those silent letters, John.
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Thank you, Maggie. Always wear armor at my house.
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I can see that is good advice! You’re a great storyteller, John.
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Thank you, Maggie.
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Haha, John, this is getting wilder and wilder. What great fun!
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It does seem that way doesn’t it. Thanks, Robbie.
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Well I just went with it & I loved it. Excellent post John!
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Thanks, Jill. 😁
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Silence is golden!
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It certainly can be for sure. Thanks, Pamela.
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Ahh, Voodoo Ranger, the beer of imperial skulls and their associates in old style pilot hats w/goggles.
Not a great look, but sounds like a bitter beer….erm better.
Okay, so what is Yosemite wearing now? His usual, or?
I see him in a gown, long spiked tail and bum flap with rhinestones. A great design idea in my books.
Will you be selling the Mosler for Voodoo Ranger $?
It’s probably a dumb idea.
Yet, I can’t help but be fascinated with Yosemite in a gown.
Still, don’t let me palm my damn lame idea off on you.
I wracked my brain for a decent comment, but this is all I could come up with.
x🐂o
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Ha ha ha A delightful comment Resa. No, Yosemite Sam is in his long johns with bum flap. You cannot put lipstick on that pig.
❤️🐂❤️
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I’m blinded!!!!!!
Yosemite in lipstick……Help ME!!!
❤️🐂❤️❤️🐂❤️
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Ha ha ha ha 🤣🐂🤣❤️🤣
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💋 However, I look a lot … much …. a certain degree better in lipstick, than Yosemite. I don’t have a beard, yet! 💋
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I think you and Yosemite Sam have nothing in common. (Thank heavens 🤗)
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xoxoxoxoxo
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💋🤗
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John, your intros to these posts just keep getting better. Yosemite Sam in his underwear… an ACME Trebuchet… You slayed me before I even got to the prompt. I was about to congratulate you on “voodoo ranger,” when something made me look to see if it was a real thing. I would certainly give it a try. New Belgium also makes my favorite, Fat Tire ale. Hugs on the wing.
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I like fat tie too but VooDoo Ranger has a few more aromatics and a higher ABV. Fat tire is 5% VooDoo Ranger 8.5% Yowzaa
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Love the intro, as always! You did a great job with the prompt and I cracked up at Yosemite Sam’s response to your heat-seeking security system. 🙂
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Thank you so much , Jan
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John (that word was made for your silent posts, your stories are terrific. You ought to write a book, I bet you could make lots of dough. Nice work!
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Thanks Steven. Maybe some day I’ll write a book. 😊
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Now that I think about it, the ‘h’ is always silent in my name, too, except for the times in Miss O’Shaughnessy’s 2nd Grade class when the class bully called me ‘step-hen’. I avoided her as much as I could. I look for that book.
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I have six others you can glance through while you are waiting. 🤣 I would have avoided her too.
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Another reason why non-native speakers must find English nonsensical.
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I’m sure it is tough. Thanks, Pete.
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This was a fun one 🙂
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Glad you liked it. 😁
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This was really good, John. Trebuchet. Very impressive. 🙂
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Trebuchet and away.
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Hahaha!!!
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