It’s Monday again and time for Muse on Monday, the time of the week when we give you a writing prompt. The challenge is to write a short story and use the elements listed below. If you’re 18 years old or younger, you can submit your story using this link for a chance to have it published next Monday when the new prompt comes out. You just need to submit it before 12:00pm EST next Sunday.

If you have an idea for a prompt for a future week, please send it to me at greenwalledtreehouse@gmail.com! It can be in this form or anything else.

(click the headings of each prompt for a description of it.)

Story Prompt: May 10, 2021

SETTING: any

CHARACTERS: any

CONFLICT: kidnapping a clown

GENRE: any

TONE: absurd

OTHER ELEMENTS: a pitchfork, black clouds

And now, a story based on last week’s prompt:

• Characters: a swimming star
• Genre: romance
• Tone: light

Swimming Practice

There he is.

Your heart beats faster and you pretend to study your phone, the screen black. You’re sweating in the humid air of the pool, the chlorine smell sticking to you.

There’s a splash as he dives into the far end of the pool and you risk a glance up. He moves like a merman through the water. No wonder he’s won ever swimming award in the district.

In no time, he’s at the far end. He lifts his swimming goggles.

Oh no, he’s looking this way!

You study the phone, pretending to be so interested in that black screen. You take a step and then there’s nothing under your foot. The next second, water closes over you and sharp, chlorinated water is sucked up your nose. You resurface, coughing and floundering.

He’s there in a moment, his strong swimmer arm around you, pulling you to the edge.

“Are you okay?”

You look through your sodden hair into his brown eyes and just nod. “I dropped my phone,” you say.

He grins and then he’s gone, diving straight down to the bottom to where that stupid square of black plastic is lying, probably totally destroyed.

I’m such an idiot.

But you still smile as you watch him retrieve it. For you.

Good luck and happy writing! Come back next Monday for another story prompt.