Written for Weekend Writing Prompt
where Sammi asks us to get creative
in exactly 88 words using the word
‘pristine’ and for Sue & Gerry’s
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge
and the prompt word ‘fastidious’.
Barry’s apartment was pristine: white couch, alphabetized record albums, a Roomba named Steve he loved more than his ex.
He was fastidious about one thing above all: nobody touched his gaming chair. Not friends. Not his mother. Nobody.
Then his date, Brenda, sat in it during game night to “reach the dice”.
Barry didn’t yell. He just stared, quietly recalculating whether love was worth this.
They broke up three days later.
Barry donated the chair to Goodwill out of spite. He missed it more than he missed Brenda.
NAR©2026
This is “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 