Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt- Draw

~ John W. Howell

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCS

The coffee machine is ready for me. A finger on the touchscreen is enough to draw a steaming 8-oz cup of soothin’ syrup. The first sip served to quell the shipyard riveting hammer noise in my head from the lack of caffeine. The second (as we know) is accompanied by the cacaphony of Twiggy and Tempest and their St. Louis-bound barking volume and the Westminster chime of the doorbell.

A sweet treat tossed into the soundproof room, and the slamming of the door brings the peace train back into the station. A look at the security monitor identifies the idiot who can’t read. It is none other than the wolf from the story of ” The Little Red Riding Hood. He is holding a clipboard, an envelope, and a handwritten sign. The sign reads “Open the door, or I’ll huff, and I’ll puff and blow your house down. ” My thought is fat chance, but with a sign, the security shutdown process is begun.

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. The front door is opened.

The wolf looks pleased and hands over the clipboard and envelope. The board is returned with a signature and a fiver clipped to the top. The wolf curls his lip, so a good word has to be shared before slamming the door. The words given to the wolf were by Victor Hugo: “Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.”

The envelope is from Linda Hill with a message inside. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “draw.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link https://lindaghill.com/2026/07/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-1-2026/

Draw by John W. Howell © 2026

“Did you do the prompt?”

“Of course. It’s in the second  line above.”

“That is very obscure.”

“Well, that is half the fun.”

“For you maybe.”

“I suppose you are right. What kind of Uber do we have today?”

“Today is a lucky draw. Look over there.”

Image by Tom Okragly

“What is that?”

“Tom says a 1910 Otto Speedster.”

“I see it has plenty of room for us.”

“All we need are goggles and a duster. Here’s yours.”

“Why do I need goggles and a duster?”

“You are sitting in the back.”

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause I have to navigate from the front.”

“Navigate? It’s not that hard to find the pub.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. We have to compete in the classic Grand Prix at the Austin Circuit of the Americas racecourse.”

“How long will that take?”

“We do just one lab. No more than three hours.”

“Three hours for one lap?”

“We are only doing 30 miles an hour.”

“I give up. Let’s go.”

“It will be fun.”

“They said.”

 

60 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt- Draw”

  3. John, I’ll get mine out of the garage. I’ll go pick up Jimbo and then swing by for you. If I leave now, I should be beeping my horn in front of your place about October 21st. Just wait out front. We can try to take the Producer and the pups as well. It will be tight. But it will be fun. See you “soon.”

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  21. LOL!

    The Red Riding wolf eats grandmothers. The 3 pigs wolf is the one draws and expels bad breath.

    So, nice car! Probably get you to the whole VooDoo thing by next weeks post, especially since you have to do one something at a lab.

    Enough of my joviality. Have wonderful days ahead, John!

    OX OX OX

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