The klaxon low caffeine alarm in my brain is making me beg for a quicker process for the first cup of coffee. Along with the annoying sound is flashing red lights behind my eyeballs. Mornings are not usually this tense but it has been twenty four hours since my last hit of the nerve medicine. Finally the cup fills and the first gulp is on its way to quiet the noise in my head. The second sip is just swallowed when the familar but dreaded sound of the Westminster chimes tone of the doorbell means another idiot can’t read the DO NOT RING THE DOORBELL advice just above the button.
A toss of a ham bone followed by slamming the door on the sound proof room renders the crazed Pterodactyl like barking of Twiggy and Tempeste into silence. (Where would he get a ham bone? This is fiction and you’ll have to go with it.) Anoter sip and a check of the monitor reveals a scarecrow, a lion, and a tin man on the porch. “Who dares approach the great wizard of Oz?” is the high volume message out over the intercom. The answer comes back that an envelope is needing a signature in order to be delivered. With a prolonged sigh the security shut down process is begun.
The SWAT team needs to be put on standby. A quick text to the leader confirms that status. Also, the flight of A-10 Warthogs must be diverted. Another call to the commander puts that worry to rest. The SEAL team needs to be called off, and a call to the leader makes that possible. A call to the tow truck driver stops the deployment of an M1A1 Abrams Tank. The control panel simplifies the shutdown process of the security system. The boiling oil vats are put on standby, the turret mortars disengaged, the Trebuchet on safety, the concertina wire rolled, the Claymore mines reset, the tower Gatling guns on safety, the moat net dropped, the alligators fed, and the IEDs and shoulder-held rockets put away. The Proton torpedoes switched off. The gamma ray beams covered. The high-powered maser guns switched to standby, and the nanorobots were chained in the basement. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.
The tin man hands me a clipboard for a signature. After signing the scarecrow hands me an envelope. All three look like they want a tip.”If you pretend to be more confident, over time you’ll just become more confident and you won’t have to pretend anymore,” is my tip as the door slams.
The envelope has a message from Linda Hill. It reads:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “alarm.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb or an adverb or an adjective, use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
To see what others have done with the prompt visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2025/10/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-25-2025/
Alarm by John W. Howell © 2025
“So another day of no tipping.”
“I gave them a tip. Besides I thik it was three kids dressed up for Halloween.”
“Then you should have given them some candy.”
“If folks continue to push that doorbell button then they are on their own.”
“You make Scrooge look like a philanthropist.”
“Well maybe if one of those visitors would knowck it would be a different story.”
“By the way I keep getting asked if you have a soundproof room?”
“I would remind you that this is fiction.”
“You mean the turret machine guns aren’t real.”
“Of course they are. You think I’m going to sit her unprotected?”
“Okay. Just thought I would ask.”
“No harm done. Where’s the Uber?”
“Right over there.”
photo by Resa McConaghy
“Goodness where did that thing come from?”
“I figured for Halloween it would be fun.”
“Halloween is next week.”
“I know but your next Saturday post is after so I thought we would celebrate early.”
“What do you mean celebrate.”
“Oh that. We are going to drive around on the way to the pub and pass out candy.”
“Where’s the candy?”
“In the back.”
“What kind?”
“Two hundred pounds of Twix.”
“Just Twix?”
“Yup. They were the only one who offered to pay for the endorsement.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Yeah, I am. I got Twix cause they are my favorite.”
“Okay I like them too. They don’t go well with VooDoo Rangers though.”
“I got some pork rinds for that purpose.”
“You are da man.”
“Thanks. Let’s go.”
Fiction Favorites 
Why have a doorbell and a sign that states do not ring 🤔 My tip is usually horse 3 in the 4th race at Flemington. One day someone will thank me.
Trick or treat, I’ll take the trick and see what they have in their grubby little arsenal. If I were impressed, perhaps they will be rewarded with a banana or apple
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The doorbell is a Ring to keep watch on the porch so that the hot oil activation won’t be by mistake. I like your tip. Mine is usually “Stay away from black holes.” I used that one already.
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Very wise on both accounts John 😁
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You are too kind, Thank you.
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You could have given the Tin Man a can of 3-in-1 Oil. Good luck spreading the Twix. I hope I see you drive by, I like those.
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I’ll toss a few on the porch. You’ll have to beat Smokey and company to them.
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I hope the hawk doesn’t like them. He’d probably rather have the pork rinds.
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I could give a couple of those, too.
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Dear John
We don’t have a doorbell, so nobody rings. But we have a ship’s bell. People who don’t know us are hesitant to ring it.
What a great truck, full of Twix…
Happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I would be reluctant to ring it, too. It is like those bells on a counter that you ring for service. I always hate to ring for service, and unless it is something I really need, I usually go elsewhere..
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This is what we want: that only people who really want to see us will ring the bell.
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Good plan.
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Love the theme. Please don’t turn the two girls into flying monkeys. Happy Halloween, Allan
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Won’t happen. They hate dress-up
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🙊🙉🙈🐶
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😀
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Good tip for the tin man, John, even if it wasn’t what he wanted. It looks like a fun ride to the pub, and it will be productive.
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Thank you, Tim. I’m sure it will be. 😊
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We don’t have any security system and my neighbor was aghast, “How do you see who’s at the door?” I told her I looked out the window. 😂
Whew! For a minute there I thought you were going to say the boiling oil wasn’t real. Hey! The Tin Man could have stood there and….well, you get the picture…
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Yes, I get the picture. He would be in heaven for sure.
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I’ll be standing at the end of my driveway awaiting my delivery of Twix.
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Okay. Wear goggles. We’ll be moving pretty fast and don’t want you to get a Twixt in the eye.
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Thanks, will do!
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😊
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Wow. That really is going to be a wild car to see when drunk.
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Or late at night.
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You really got things going with this one! Great delivery of your prompt. Love Resa’s uber to distribute Twix.
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Thank you, Jo. It was fun to write. Happy Sunday to you.
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Wouldn’t even knocking on the door send them off on a crazed Pterodactyl like barking frenzy? Well done on the word challenge.
That truck is a sweet ride. Heading my way? I’ll be outside waiting for the Twix toss. 😊
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Oops! I’m sorry that Crazed Pterodactyl part should have been in quotes since I was quoting you there. I’m sorry, my brain needs more tea.
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😀
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Yes, knocking would do the same. I’m going to revise the sign to read, GO AWAY
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😂 You can try it, but I have a feeling even that won’t work.
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I feel the same.
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I’m not sure I like that uber on the basis of its looks, BUT I would have a lot of fun throwing Twixts out of the back!
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I think that would be fun, too.
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This made me think of that time period when the kids were little and napping in the afternoon. Had a piece of paper taped to the front doorbell saying “kids napping 2-4pm, PLEASE KNOCK, DO NOT RING DOORBELL”
You can imagine how much success I had with that 😑
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I love all the reminders that this is fiction. 🙂 What a cool Uber ride! Handing out Twix could be fun. Thanks for the grins, John!
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Glad you got some grins, Jn
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I zoned in on Twix & that’s all she wrote. Another great post John.
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Thanks, Jill.
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Looks like a fun day to me. put some recliners in the back and annoy.
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Love it. Thanks Craig.
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Enjoy. I don’t know what my fingers were thinking. Apple has been doing this to me lately.
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😊
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Wow that’s what I call an uber ride. Halloween is soon and Halloween is celebrated every day at the end of October. I put up my Halloween decorations twice but because yesterday’s thunderstorm destroyed it.
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That is a shame. I’ll bet they are better the second time around.
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The winds were very strong but I think I got it back to the way it is supposed to look.
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Excellent.
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Ooohhh… Twix. Can’t remember the last time I had one! Pass by my joint on your way, would you. Man… that ride would be difficult to look at on the morning after, tell you what!
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We’ll be coming by. Put on a helmet since the velocity might be a bit much. 😄
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Oh, good to know! I’ll be ready!!
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😀
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That’s what I call being prepared!!
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Ha ha ha. Thanks, GP.
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Nicely done, John. Twix…a good Halloween choice. I picked up a bag of chocolate treats thinking it was a combo of Twix and KitKat but alas, it was only the later. Worse, half of it was white chocolate, a blasphemous excuse for candy.
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White chocolate should be banned. Sorry about the Twix.
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I agree with you. It’s worse than kissing your brother!
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That is bad,
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Twix?
I know nothing, well not much, about candy bars, or any candy.
I have the opposite of a sweet tooth.
Still, sounds good flying out of the back of that VooDoo truck, for Halloween.
Your tips, although valid, leave one wanting. Still, better than monopoly money!
🎃X 🎃X 🎃X
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I think Monopoly money sounds like a good idea.😄X
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😄X
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😊X
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Well done, John. I like the Uber, and Twix, too.
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They seem to go together in a strange way.
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Yes!
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The tin man or the kids would do well to abide by the tip you gave them, just saying.
As for the Twix, I love those little buggers and unlike y’all, I WOULD eat them with a beer, which is something I’ve done a time or several. But yeah, the pork rinds work plenty fine too.
That Uber is something Resa woulda come across!
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Thanks, Pilgrim. I would join you in a Twix and beer.😀
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Salud!
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