Okay, the prompt was: You have two characters, A and B, who have never met before. They are in a crowded space (a bar, a bus, a subway, a concert – whatever you like!) and A has bumped into B by accident. What happens next?
“Excuse me, sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? I bumped into you.”
“Uh-”
“Seriously, think about it. What’s wrong with your life that you feel the need to apologize to strangers who knock into you?”
“…”
“Like what, are you a terrible person or something? Do you just need to apologize for everything? Do you murder little kids? Do you torture adorable kittens? Do your parents wish they’d never had you? What?”
“I’m actually going somewhere, I gotta-”
“You gotta listen to me is what you gotta do. You handed me your will the second you thought it was your fault that I bumped into you. So now stand there and listen to me, fool. Just wait right where you are and get to wherever you’re going late, and hate me. Hate me a little more every second.”
“…”
“What are you gonna do, huh? Are you going to push me? Go ahead, push me. Get me out of your way. Achieve bullyhood. Just do it. Who knows what’ll happen. Maybe it’ll feel good, ever thought of that? Maybe it feels awesome to just get someone out of your way. Why do you think I do it? Why do you think I shove people away? Think I’m just rushing? What if I don’t have anywhere to go? What if it’s just the best way to get around?”
“It’s rude.”
“It speaks! The mouse opened its little mouth. Want to yell at me? Tell me off? Come on, let’s see if you can actually muster up the energy and the vocabulary to do it.”
“…”
“Blushing really isn’t as endearing as people make it out to be. You look stupid, red and flushed like a balloon. This has been fun, but I really should get going, but you know what? We should do this again sometime.”
I wasn’t sure if the “Bumper” had a good point or was only worthy of a punch in the face. I guess this is because I have a habit of apologizing to people who bump into me—especially if it was an accident. God knows I wouldn’t particularly enjoy a lecture coming out of it though. You do raise some valid points! Interesting take on the prompt!
Thank you! I don’t know where it came from, but it seems like the kind of thing that goes totally wrong.
You are absolutely breath-taking, my darling. I’ve sat here fully enthralled in your work for the past 15 minutes. More, I demand! More. I hunger for these eloquent marvels of English.
Wow, thank you so much!