Here’s your Thursday story challenge:
Can you tell a story in 51 words using the following words in it somewhere:
- ROADWORKS
- MILLIPEDE
- BEER
- WI-FI
- TAROT
- SCARF
Last week’s challenge was to write a story in 46 words using the following three words in it somewhere:
- DUMBFOUNDED
- VITAMINS
- WATERFALL
- THUMB
- GARLIC
Here are your entertaining stories:
Dumbfounded, I looked at Esther’s latest ”Can you tell a story in” posts. I was so lost that I cut my thumb while chopping garlic. I then took my vitamins instead of painkillers. I had that feeling I was paddling on a river towards a waterfall.
Nicola Daly:
‘Goodness. Why is there a waterfall of blood pouring from your thumb?’
‘Cut it trying to open that new bottle of garlic vitamins. Damn vampire-proof lid – impossible for us humans. I wanted one before dusk.’
‘I’m… dumbfounded… you’ve just made this vampire’s night…. SLURP SLURP SLURP.’
Dennis was dumbfounded as a waterfall of rainwater plummeted through a hole in his newly plastered ceiling. The hole was bigger than his thumb. Instead, he tried to stem the flow with a rolled up healthy-living catalogue. He didn’t need any vitamins or garlic tablets anyway.
Kate in Cornwall:
A legendary healer dwelt beyond the Mystic Waterfall. Desperate, Pete travelled thence.
“Vitamins C and D,” the crone advised, “and these garlic capsules thrice daily.”
The capsules were the size of his thumb!
“Not to be taken orally,” the crone warned.
Dumbfounded, Pete staggered homeward, sweating.
A thumbnail:
The Vampires sought multi-vitamins for their well-being; had banned any garlic-heavy dishes from their weekly menus; and, to avoid a waterfall of protests, discouraged day-time bathing.
They were dumbfounded when Vlad the Ridiculous did totally the opposite – didn’t he realise what was at stake?
As I thumbed the garlic flavored vitamins out of the bottle I contemplated the picture on the label. It was showing a waterfall. I was dumbfounded when I realized it was the only direction for taking the pills, meaning take with plenty of water. I giggled.
Everybody who was anybody attended the midnight opening. I was dumbfounded by the banality. Waterfalls, rainbows and unicorns in simple brushstrokes, it was thumb-sucking captured in paint.
I stopped, stunned. “The Nightcrawler” had steroids and vitamins in its blood. Only garlic could keep me from biting.
Vampire Hunter
I was thumbing a ride, got picked up by a waterfall. The car was full of vitamins and cloves of garlic. I was dumbfounded. “Eat this,” the driver said, shoving a garlic my way, “I’ll make you a necklace later. We’re going to hunt vampires.”
The Waterfall Clinic promised results within ten days.
He took the vitamins prescribed, little yellow smarties but was dumbfounded when there was no change.
Old remedies work best and he remembered the rule of thumb from his grandmother: garlic oil for maintaining good blood pressure worked!
Murray Clarke:
Saffy tip-toed down the garden to feed Lucy her daily vitamins. Instead of a dragon, she was dumfounded to see a drunken-looking gnome no bigger than her thumb, sitting by the waterfall.
“I’m Tom,” he slurred. “Do try some magic mushrooms – much more fun without garlic!”
I was standing at the top of a mountain waterfall twiddling my thumbs when I spotted some wild garlic growing. I was completely dumbfounded by this discovery and quickly picked some to take home, where I ground it up and added it to my vitamin intake.
I was sitting on my back porch swing watching birds frolicking in our waterfall when I asked my wife to bring me my vitamins. I was dumbfounded when she returned, a large garlic between her thumb and forefinger, and said we are totally out of vitamins.
Dumbfounded, Mia found her lost vitamins floating near the base of the roaring waterfall.
She reached in, slipped, and cut her thumb on a hidden rock.
The scent of garlic from her lunchbox wafted up, oddly comforting amid the wild chaos.
Anne is Writing:
My old schoolteachers would be amazed at me now. Dumbfounded even. Here I am running a business making vitamins out of garlic. I wish I didn’t keep sucking my thumb though. Yuck. I look out the window and contemplate the big fake waterfall in the foyer.
The Halitosis Blues (Or how I nearly picked up a 6 fingered freak)
Out for a drive to buy vitamins, I saw her thumb out, some gorgeous babe hitchhiking by the waterfall.
I said get in, when she spoke I was dumbfounded, she reeked of garlic.
I told her to get the hell out. Nope sorry, I hate garlic !!!!
The garlic press crushed her thumb. Dumbfounded by the pain she couldn’t cry out.
Instead a waterfall of tears splashed down her cheeks. Her cat knocked over the vitamins bottles as it jumped up to lick her face dry.
She smiled through her pain, comforted.
I was dumbfounded. How could a waterfall be contaminated? Thumb-ing through the box I found the pill and some vitamins. Also a piece of garlic to gulp on the safer side. They call me a hypochondriac. But I am just being cautious you see.
Always Check the Ingredients!
The old ugly witch swallowed the mixture of garlic, a drop from the secret waterfall and the thumb of a believed to be extinct dragon and transformed into a beautiful girl right in front of dumbfounded Anna, but her stubborn husband scoffed: “Without vitamins that’s unhealthy!”
The Real Story…
Moriarty was on the edge of the Reichenbach Falls.
‘You’ll never catch me, Holmes!’
Sherlock stood, dumbfounded. ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ he muttered, popping a garlic vitamin into his mouth. With a dramatic gesture, Moriarty flicked the thumb at Sherlock, with such force that… splash!
Poor Excuse
She wanted to see the waterfall up the road, but the walk was wearying. Standing roadside, she stuck her right thumb straight up and smiled. Dumbfounded at how fast cars whizzed past, she began to wonder if she accidentally took garlic instead of vitamins that morning.
Completely dumbfounded by the luck I had by the waterfall. I saw a boulder that had an etching that said, ‘imprint thumb here’. How intriguing. I placed my thumb in. Out popped what appeared to be a bottle of vitamins labelled, Ancient Garlic for All Ailments.
I was dumbfounded to find out the vitamins in garlic can lower blood pressure, cure a common cold, and lower cholesterol levels, which is useful.It was a nice day, so I took my vitamins, held out my thumb, and hitched a ride to the waterfall.
My tears fell like a waterfall. I had banged my thumb with a hammer and was screaming in agony. Dumbfounded, not knowing what to do, my sister grabbed a box of vitamins.
“Take one of these, and rub your thumb with garlic. You’ll soon feel better.”
Reading the How Places Got Their Names article in the monthly Archeology Digest almost made him spit the garlic vitamins out.
“Dumbfounded Waterfall! That is not the correct name!” He bellowed.
He had his grandfather‘s journals, the dig sight’s registered name was Found Thumb Waterfall.
Denny stood dumbfounded at the waterfall, holding the vitamins and a garlic clove. “Best combination for superpowers.” Thumb up, he popped both into his mouth expecting transformation. Instead, he sneezed violently, slipped, and splashed into the water. Fish fled. Denny drifted downstream. A vampire costume floated.
Clyde was out of his favorite vitamins. He decided to thumb a ride to Waterfall Township to buy some. When a car stopped to give him a ride, he was dumbfounded to see Dracula was the driver! Good thing Clyde always carried garlic in his pocket.
***
Esther Chilton 
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