The machine waits patiently for me to pad over and touch the screen with my choice. Today feels like a Latte Macchiato. A touch of the button and here it comes. One sip and my caffeine-deprived brain reaches out to grab and chug the rest. Before that could happen, the doorbell expresses its familiar Westminster chime. The baying hounds are pacified with a knucklebone thrown into the soundproof room. The slammed door brings back the former peace of the morning. Checking the security feed, there is no one in sight. “Who’s there?” is the demand through the speaker. “Delivery for Howell,” the reply. “Just leave it.” Seconds pass. “Need signature.” More seconds pass. “Show yourself.”
The figure steps into camera range, and although fuzzy, the image is remarkably similar to Wile E. Coyote. With a sigh, the security shut down begins., 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 stand by and the nanorobots chained in the basement. The locks on the door are thrown. And the door opened.
No words are spoken, and the Coyote hands me a clipboard. I sign, and he gives me an envelope. His paw is outstretched in the classic tip request fashion. “Fall seven times. Stand up eight” is my tip of the day. The coyote seems displeased as I shut the door. My thought, given his challenges, the tip is a good one. The envelope has one note. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “pad.” Use it as a noun, use it as a verb, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
If you would like to see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2025/08/22/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-23-2025/
Pad by John W. Howell © 2025
“So, no clock, huh?”
“Nope, not much going on on the dates in question.”
“So we have the security cartoon backup.”
“You trying to tell me something?”
“Was hoping for a historical jaunt.”
“Maybe next week.”
“Fair enough.”
“I thought you would be dropping VooDoo Ranger hints.”
“No need.”
“Why?”
“You just did.”
“Uber?”
“Right over there.”
“Now we are talking.”
“Yup. Nice seat in the back of the coupe for the older folks.”
“Older folks?”
“I’m just sayin'”
“I suppose we’d better get going.”
“Just one thing.”
“Yes, of course.”
“We have to stop at the drag strip on the way.”
“To race?”
“No. Just to deliver some packages. The guy is a DoorDash driver.”
“Just the drag strip, right?”
“Maybe one or two others.”
“Sure. What is that smell?”
“One of the deliveries is corned beef.”
“Good grief.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“Or have an olfactory meltdown.”
“Yeah, that too. Let’s go.”
