The coffee is on its way. The machine lives up to the promise of a perfect cup. One sip, and it is clear why the addiction to caffeine is so strong. The senses sharpen, and the mind becomes razor-sharp. Each sip adds to the overall enhancement of the carbon unit. The nose takes in the coffee aroma and sends the signal to the brain. The brain immediately rejects the call and orders the carbon unit into action.
The brain screams the warning, “There is a skunk in the house, and it must be found.” The body is a little slower to respond. It is clear now that the nose might be the best tool to aid the search. The twin team of puma hunters, Twiggy and Lucy, are no help at all. Both seem to understand the risk of coming face-to-face with the critter. The expression on Lucy’s face says it all. “Never shall the twain of skunk and dog meet.”
On my own, to face the possibility tween getting sprayed and moving out of the house, it becomes crucial to find the beast. Having settled on the spray option, the search is done in earnest. All of a sudden, the music reaches my ears. Edith Piaf’s Non Je Ne Regrette Rein is clearly being played in the background. Pepe Le Peu is in my bathtub, surrounded by bubbles. He waves me in and points to an envelope sitting on the sink. Picking up the envelope, the question comes out with no filter. “When are you leaving my house?”
Pepe looks hurt, and guilt immediately grabs me by the throat. Bet to open the envelope, which contains two messages. The first is from Pepe. I can help with the rocket. The second is from Linda hill. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is twin/tween. Use twin or tween any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Enjoy!
If you would like to participate, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2022/12/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-dec-3-2022/
Twin/Tween by John W. Howell
“What was he doing in the bathtub?”
“Relaxing, I suppose.”
“Seems like a dumb thing for a skunk to be doing.”
“I thought the same.”
“Then why did you keep it in the start?”
“I thought it would be funny.”
“I think you missed the mark. It’s a fine line tween funny and dumb.”
“Those are twin feelings, I would agree.”
“I think you fell on the dumb side.”
“Well, that’s cold.”
“Just want to keep it real.”
“Real what?”
“Real. You know, authentic.”
“Thanks for the help.”
“Now you’re pouting.”
“Not really. Besides, when did I ever listen to you about dumb things.”
“Yeah, I would say never.”
“Right. Speaking of dumb, do you have money this week.”
“If I say yes, I have to buy, right?”
“Right.”
“Nope.”
“Figures. Call Uber.”
“You know you don’t ‘call’ Uber, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. It’s a figure of speech. hit the app.”
“Done. Fantasia will be here in five minutes.”
“Fantasia?”
“I’m betting phony name.”
“Like a driver name?”
“Yeh.”
“Let’s hope not.”
Fiction Favorites 
Aw, you’re not going to push Pepe out of the tub, are you?
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I think I’ll let him soak. Not sure I can handle wet skunk this time of day. Thanks, GP.
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😬
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😊
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Hard to choose who to hang out with. Pepe or someone calling themself Fantasia.
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I know right? Maybe both.
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Pepe helping with the rocket ? I smell trouble coming 😉 Good job on an interesting prompt, John.
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Thank you, Dan. I loved the statement ‘I smell trouble coming.’ 😁
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Had to see if skunks bathe themselves. They’re actually fairly clean from what I’m reading. Weird.
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Good to verify. Thanks, Charles.
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Glad to hear that the puma hunters have decided not to interact with Pepe. I know what a sprayed dog smells like!
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Yes I was glad too. Thanks, Noelle.
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Good job diving involuntarily into the snozola of danger. You might want to reinforce the outer perimeter of the defensive line with a continuous ring of catapults. Anything else and Pepe wins even when he looses. Another one of those Sean Bean moments. One does not simply uber out of a visit from Pepe. The bouncer won’t let you and your perfumed airs into the bar…
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🤣 Loved this, John.
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I’m picturing the girls cowering underneath the bed! Happy Saturday sung to the tune by Where Were You On Our Wedding Day? by Lloyd Price.
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Love the song, Jill. Happy Saturday to you* sung to the tune of Mule Skinner Blues by the Fendermen. https://youtu.be/_m5UGT3jOh4
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The girls are smart to avoid Pepe! I don’t know about his help with the rocket…as he’s easily distracted if you know what I mean.
I hope he leaves the house unscented when he’s done with his bath. 😂🦨
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He used several bath bombs so I suppose it will be okay.
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😂
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😊
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That was definitely not a stinker! And I do wonder what Pepe is up to next…
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You can bet he has something up his sleeve. Thanks, Pamela.
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Very entertaining, as always! I like that phrase, “twin feelings,” John. Do I have your permission to use it in conversation?
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You can use it, Barbara. All my stuff is available for reuse. Thanks for asking. 😁
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Interesting thought, Pepe taking a bath. Good that Lucy and Twiggy decided not to hunt him down, I think. Nice job, John. 🙂
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Thank you, Tim. Yes we don’t need these two smelling like skunk since they would naturally want to sit on us for comfort.
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🙂
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Poor Pepe! We had a dog that would always find the skunks and gerbsprayed. I became an expert at mixing the magic deskunker.
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I was sprayed once and never want to have that happen again. Thanks, Denise.
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Oh wow, I’ve avoided that. I can’t imagine.
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It was at midnight and when I came into the house my wife asked if I had been drinking. 🤣
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“Twin feelings”…good one, John. I wonder if I’ll ever unsee the skunk in the bathtub. 🤣
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At least he enjoyed it. For the rest of us not so much.
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John your posts get better every week. This one was really great fun 💜💜💜💜
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I’m glad you liked it, Willow. Thanks for letting me know. 😁
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I really enjoy reading each week
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❤️
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You thought right, it was funny. Glad you left that part in.
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Ha ha ha Thanks, Jill.
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Uber is kind of like a stage, so I guess Janet. . . I mean Fantasia is allowed to go with it.
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Yup. Including the earbuds and her own brand of music.
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I hear that! 😉
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😁
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OMG… John you totally outdid yourself with this intro. That was fabulous.
I met a Fantasia once. Ages ago. Real name. She had never seen the cartoon. Strange…
Hugs.
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That is strange for sure. I picture this one with rainbow colored hair and a sleeve tattoo depicting Micky Mouse waving his wand over the brooms filling the well.
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The mental image I have of Pepe taking a bubble bath in your house is quite charming–but I don’t have to smell him.
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I’ve never ‘ubered’, but if my driver was Fantasia, I might be enticed. Good one, John.
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Thanks, Steve.
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If Pepe was in my tub, I would assure him he could stay as long as he liked until the house sold. 🙂 Nice one, John.
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I’d like to see the declaration statement on the listing. “Comes with adorable mascot.” Thanks, Bruce.
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Pepe in the bathtub, what an image, John, and glad the girls avoided him. Fortunately, Copper has never met a skunk, and we hope he never does. Fun intro and dialogue. 🙂
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Yes a good thing to hope for for sure. Thanks, Lauren.
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What kind of bubble bath was PePe using? I might get some.
I suppose he’s going to spray/stink the rocket out of the yard?
Was he reading a tween novel while soaking?
Hope you had fun at the pub, seeing as you paid, again!
🐂🍷🐂🍷🐂🍷
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He used several bath bombs from Bed Bath and Beyond. I’m not sure how he is going to take care of the rocket. Yes the pub was fun. It seems I always pay so I’m used to it.🐂🥃🐂🥃🐂🥃🐂
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Hmm, perhaps he will use live Bath Bombs and blow the rocket to smithereens.
Geez, I got drunk just looking at your emoji message.
You have the whiskey? I’ll stick to wine.
🐂🥃 … 💋🍷… 🚀🛁💣
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I like the 🛁💣 emojisOkay I’ll finish the whiskey 🥃 and then go to wine.🍷
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OX 🍷
Whatever you want!
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Excellent. OX OX 🥃`
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OX OX OX OX
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😊
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Ha! Ha! Pepe relaxing in the tub had me giggling. 🙂 Good one, John!
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I’m glad, Jan
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The music playing in the bathroom- perfect!
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😊
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I’m rather surprised that the girls are smart enough not to approach Pepe… most dogs realise too late that they should not!
He eez so very confortable, non?
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They know bad juju when they smell it 😁
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They are smart!!!
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True.
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