Happy Monday everyone! I was away for a bit but I’m back now and ready to go with more writing challenges. As always, don’t forget the Summer 2021 Young Writers Contest going on right now until August 31. If you or someone you know are interested in entering, click here.

The challenge of Muse on Monday 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.

We have another picture prompt this week. Write whatever story you think of based on the picture. This picture was taken in the airport in Korea.

Story Prompt: June 28, 2021

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

• Characters: a cashier in a music store
• Tone: Light
• Other elements: coffee, an airplane

What?

It was a Saturday afternoon at Bad Time Records. The store was packed with shoppers and the speakers blared with the Best of Motörhead, played so loud that CD cases in the bargain bin cracked like popcorn. The planes taking off from runway 6 half a mile away just added to ambience.

So, when a girl came up to the counter and asked a question, Wes was not entirely sure what she had said.

“What?” he shouted, putting his ear closer to her.

“Do you have a copy of Nirvana’s Nevermind?”

“Never mind?”

“Yes!” the girl shouted back. “A copy of it?”

“Coffee?” He shook his head. “No, this is a music store!”

“Okay, so I can order it?”

“Exactly,” Wes said. He had no idea what she had said that time but she seemed to understand that they didn’t serve coffee.

“Perfect!” She grinned. “When will it arrive? When!” she shouted, seeing his look of confusion.

Oh, wow. Was she asking him out for coffee? This had never happened to Wes before. He thought quickly.

“I don’t know, tomorrow? Tomorrow?” he shouted again, pointing at the next day on the calendar. She looked surprised and pleased. Nice.

“Great! Can you call me when it’s in?” Seeing that Wes did not understand, she took out a pen and wrote her name and number on it and handed it to him with a smile.

“Wait, where you want to meet?” Wes shouted at her. “Maybe down in the city?”

The girl’s expression changed. “Which CD? I told you, Nirvana’s Nevermind.”

“What?”

“Nevermind!” the girl shouted. She turned and left. Wes sadly crumpled the girl’s number and tossed it in the trash. Girls were so fickle sometimes. To cheer himself up, he turned up the music.

Happy writing and have a wonderful week! Come back next Monday for another story prompt.