Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Sleep”

~ John W. Howell

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

 

After a lousy night’s sleep, there is nothing better than a big cup of joe. It is always appreciated when the machine is ready to go and delivers that steaming cure for the firetruck siren in my head from caffeine withdrawal. The first sip turns the siren off. As we know, the second sip is accompanied by the sound of the doorbell’s Westminster chimes. This annoying intrusion is then followed by the “Bark them to St Louis” reaction of Twiggy and Tempeste.

The quiet is stunning. There are no chimes or baying of Igor’s hounds. Checked the security monitor in case something was missed, but there was nothing. After turning on the infrared laser and painting the porch area, the image of a visitor appears. It is Casper the friendly ghost. The security shutdown process is begun out of curiosity.

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.

Casper is standing in the glow of the laser, a clipboard and an envelope hovering near him. Taking both and returning the signed clipboard with a fiver,  a tip comes to mind. “When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” — William Arthur Ward. It is given to Csper, and he leaves.

Inside the envelope is a message from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “sleep.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

To see what others have done with the prompts, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link.

https://lindaghill.com/2026/08/28/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-29-2026/

Sleep by John W. Howell ©2026

“Man, I had a bad night’s sleep last night.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I kept thinking about our Uber ride today.”

“What about the ride?”

“I’m worried you won’t like it.”

“Since when does that even count?”

“You know I want you to enjoy your ride to the pub.”

“And yet I usually arrive needing a shower and an electroshock treatment.”

“Aw, it’s not that bad.”

“I’ve been in a neck brace all week from falling out of that 10-story car.”

“This week will be different. Look over there.”

Photo by Dan Antion

“I must say this is an improvement. I think it’s a 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack, 6.4-liter (392) HEMI V8, in Sublime Green.”

“Well, you would know.”

“What’s the catch?”

“Aw, come on.”

“There is always a catch.”

“There’s only a driver’s seat.”

“So we sit on the floor?”

“Cushions, actually.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I’m worried about you getting out.”

“Why’s that?”

“*Cough.* You are no spring chicken.”

“You worry about you. Ouch.”

“What was that?”

“I think I broke a fibula.”

“What?”

“Just kidding. Let’s go.”

63 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Sleep””

  2. Love Caspar and the lime green racing car. Very imaginative. Getting up and down can be difficult after age abit. Reminds me of the Dukes of Hazzard car where there we always saw people in the back seat but never saw how they got in or out.

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  7. I slept well last night, but wouldn’t you know our coffee machine broke this morning. Right after my husband finished his coffee. French coffee press to the rescue. Not a fan. Going coffee maker shopping this morning. Cool ride, though. That’d perk me up!

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  8. So Twiggy and Tempeste don’t ken to ghosts?

    Do those cushions have a seatbelt?

    We had a 1867 Dodge Charger slant back, the year before the Bullitt car. We took it to 110 mph, but you could watch the gas in the tank decrease.

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  11. LOL, well Casper was certainly unexpected.  And the non-detection is a fun twist.  Hmmm I guess the security measures wouldn’t have any effect on Casper, but no point in wasting all that ammo.  Besides, he’s the Friendly Ghost.    :o)   Excellent tip/quote too.   That is a VERY bright green car. I hope that driver obeys all the traffic (and other) laws, because it would draw attention for sure.  LOL.     .     I hope the lack of sleep is all fictional, although I can relate.  Big hugs.

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  13. One would think all the machinations of the shutdown would not be necessary for a ghost but I’m thinking one cannot open the front door without it!

    That is quite the colour… love the car, though. I’m at the point that too-low cars are a no-go for me. Getting in is one thing, getting out a whole ‘nother ballgame!

    Cheers ya later!

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  20. You’re right. Nothing settles me faster than a cup of Joe. Headache? Usually not a problem. Lack of sleep? No sweat. Java does the trick.

    And honestly, you ghosted Casper on the tip! Then again, that’s probably the only currency he can accept since he has no pockets.

    Cushions, body pillows, bean bags, who cares? That’s a sweet ride!

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  21. Nice ride!

    I understand why you gave Casper one of those word tips. After all, he is a friendly ghost, and it was a friendly tip.

    But the fiver… did it waft right through his hands? Did you reclaim it? when it hit the ground?

    What can a ghost do with a fiver?

    Why did I think a fiver is just 50 away from a flivver? (yes, a riddle)

    🐂 🐂 𝓞𝓧

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