DWP - Prompt : List

The Prompt : Select any three objects from the list below and include them in your writing today:


- air compressor
- black coffee
- white stuffed cat with a missing nose
- Koala shaped earmuffs
- blue bird stress ball
- metal lily pad dish with dancing frog on its edge

Here's My Response:

Daniel sat at his desk, printed copies of the quarterly sales laid out before him. Profits were nil, the figures highlighted by bold and red font clear evidence of that. The inventory balance sheets showed that there had been a considerable loss of inventory. Someone was stealing from the company, but who could it be? He kicked back in his office chair, and ran his fingers through his sweat laden hair. There had to be an explanation, the people he worked with were his friends, some he considered family.

Agitated, he picked up his blue bird stress ball and began pumping away. It had been a Christmas gift from his son, Gavin; he purchased it in the school book store and paid for it with his own money. Daniel smiled as he thought of it, and the little bird looked back at him, willing him to calm down.

From in the shop an air compressor began to fill. The noise was deafening which was why he insisted that everyone who worked for him wore protective ear covering. His four year old daughter Katie had initially refused, but when his wife Sarah offered to buy her special koala ear muffs she quickly changed her tune.

A sad smile crossed his face as he thought of his family. He had made a good go of it, put all they had into his business and now he had failed them. He would not be able to keep the business open, before long the bank would come to collect the mortgage and he had nothing to offer them. Angry now, he threw the ball and watched as it bounced off the wall and rolled to some unseen place.

Picking up the framed picture of his family, tears began to stream down his face. Just then Stan rapped twice on the door scaring Daniel half to death and causing him to knock the whimsical frog dish from his desk scattering paperclips across the desk and floor. “Sorry boss.” said Stan apologetically. “I’ve assembled the guys; they are waiting for you in the break room. Is there anything I can get you?”
Without turning around Daniel replied “Coffee….. Black.”