My mission is to create a story in one brief sitting from random words.

Random words were generated by creativitygames.net

night…sardine…mess…parachute…bandit…cap

Here’s my story:

The feud between our families had gone on since before I was born. The Helmann family and my own family, the Wells , had disputed the right-of-way adjoining our properties on the quaint and quiet Maine lake. Both occupied part of the unused parcel and had become so comfortable, that they each felt entitled to it.

In Maine, folks hang their trash cans on chains with bungee cords. This keeps the “bandits of the night“,raccoons, from dumping the contents and creating the mess that most tourists find in the morning.

On one particular morning, my father came in to our cabin all red-faced with the morning paper tucked under his arm.

“Gosh darn ’em! Merle Helmann is up to his tricks again. There’s garbage all over the car port. Tin foil everywhere!”

“Chase, why would Merle do such a thing?”  My mother always played the peacemaker.

“That trash can could not have been taken down by coons unless they have started using a parachute to get at it!”

“How do you know that Merle did it?”

“There was one of those fancy imported sardine cans in the pile…that’s how. Helmann left it as a calling card. I’ll fix him.”

Dad stormed out with his Yankee cap pulled so tight that I couldn’t see his eyes. THIS was a bad sign. Merle Helmann was a Red Sox fan.

Merle denied any messing with garbage cans and called Dad a “kook”. Dad was silent all day but went to bed with an evil grin on his face.

Very early the next  morning, I was awakened by a fist pounding on our back door. There stood Merle in his boxer shorts and Red Sox cap.

“Chase Wells…you SOB! I’m going to report you to the government! Putting garbage in a mailbox is a federal offense. I know it was you ‘cuz the JC Penny flier had your name on it!

There came a screech from the car port that same instant. At first, I thought ole Merle had finally flipped his lid.

Dad and Merle both ran wide-eyed to the scene. I remember it was funny to see them running in identical blue plaid boxers.

They found a raccoon caught in our new trellis. Dad had put it up beside the garbage can for the clematis that I’d given Mom for Mother’s Day. Our garbage can was on the ground and yesterday’s trash too.

In the excitement, the animal broke free and raced off.

Dad apologized to Merle for the misunderstanding but I know he didn’t mean it.

“Well, now we know how the raccoons beat the bungee cord. Sorry Merle. Maybe I can stake out your yard with you tonight so we can figure out how they managed to get into that mailbox.”