The transformation challenge is now closed. Thanks for a great topic suggestion, Deena.

This week's challenge is animated or automated. (please interpret that however you want)

Happy Feet

She heard the ball land on the floor with a wet smack. Turning around, she saw him standing there, hands spread across the lattice of the childproof gate like starfish crawling along the seafloor. Bouncing on his feet a little, he tipped his head back and gave her a wide, not-very-toothy, smile. This was a game they played whenever she washed the kitchen floor. He wasn’t allowed in while she cleaned, but when she was done he got a reward from the cookie jar. It had become automatic. She heard his squeal on her way to open the penguin, “Tookie!”

Very nice!

Heh. I couldn't disappoint Bev! Plus, it was nice to do a little cheerier drabble than what's been coming out of my pen up to now.

Automated Drabble

It was a

☐dark ☐wet ☐clear and

☐stormy ☐blue ☐shiny

☐night ☐sea ☐limo.

The ☐boy ☐model ☐dog

☐sat ☐idled ☐ ☐lay

on the ☐rocky ☐dangerous ☐empty

☐street ☐beach ☐runway.

There was the sound of far away ☐sirens ☐thunder ☐applause

and muffled ☐engines ☐screams ☐shots.

A man walking by threw a

☐sno-cone ☐gun ☐rose

☐into the water ☐at a girl ☐into the trash.

His shoes were caked with

☐dough ☐blood ☐tomato sauce

and he was singing

☐ Hallelujah ☐ show tunes ☐"Meet the Swinger. Polaroid Swinger."

The man

☐screamed ☐fainted ☐laughed

when he saw the ☐cookie jar ☐ pizza ☐body

lying in front of him.

The ☐boy ☐model ☐dog

ran to him and ☐licked ☐kicked ☐kissed him.

The sound of ☐sirens ☐thunder ☐applause

grew louder as they both ☐howled ☐ran ☐ate.

The sound of ☐applause

Hee.

Clever!

The animated or automated challenge is now closed.

This week's challenge is opening the box .

You've always taken as much care with the wrapping as with the contents: a pastry brush and wooden spoon crossed in the bow of an apron wrapped around the box containing a pretty ceramic pie plate. A pretty pebble twisted in tissue-foil, tied with tinsel, a tiny bottle full of sand with an hourglass drawn and "extra time" hand-lettered on the label, and a list of "things to do with your extra time" on parchment, rolled and tied, all tucked into a small white bag watercolored with sunset, or forest, or ocean.

Your mom always handed you a wrinkled brown paper bag, the top rolled over and crimped shut. Happy Birthday, she'd say. Merry Christmas.