10 January 2026, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2978: in effect
“Look, Vanna, I need another chance – I realize I messed up – I just need one more chance – can't I get one more chance!”
“Oh no,” eleven-year-old Eleanor Ludlow said as she came out of her Lee cousins' home to see what was going on. “This is Charles and this isn't going to work.”
“Listen, my name ain't Bennett and I'm nosy so I'm in it,” her eight-year-old sister Edwina said, “but yeah, Gracie already told us this was going to happen and it was going to be bad and I am here for it!”
“No, you're not,” Eleanor said, and led Edwina back into the house. “We do not need to see people making a fool of themselves in the street and getting hurt for real.”
Days-from-18-year-old Vanna Trent came out of the house with a look of deep concern.
“Charles, you need to get up out of here – get back in the car and go, now.”
“Look, I know your grandfather is a billionaire and he's not happy with me, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do – I can't lose the best thing in my life!”
“It's not my grandfather you need to worry about today. Grandma Jubilee is here.”
Charles thought about this.
“And?”
“You know how your great-uncle Chez doesn't have an ear because he messed with the wrong woman in the mountains 50 years ago?”
“Yeah, so … .”
“Nobody ever told you about the Jubilees-of-the-mountain?”
“Oh, wait a minute … .”
“Yeah, Charles. You can't fix your mistake now. The Jubilee protection of me is now in effect. You're under a restraining order and you will probably need to get to the county line to be safe.”
“You're not serious – ain't no woman doing all that!”
“There are plenty of men in the family too, but, basically, with you out here running your mouth, that's giving Grandma Jubilee time to call them all to have you hunted out of the county. Go on and get on the road to New York and get a head start – go enjoy your life while you can.”
“You're not serious!”
There was the click of a shotgun being cocked.
“Well, I tried,” Vanna said. “It's above me now.”
Gladys Jubilee Trent stepped out of the house with the shotgun, and Charles took off running and was burning rubber down that street in five seconds flat … and missed the turn, and was off in the hay bales in the fields beyond in ten seconds.
“I told you he was going to get hurt,” Eleanor said as she and Edwina looked through the window while Mrs. Maggie Lee called 9-1-1 and Col. H.F. Lee and Capt. R.E. Ludlow next door ran down the street to help.
“Well, it could have been worse!” Edwina said.
“We don't know if he's alive yet,” Eleanor said.
“Yeah, but, he woulda definitely been gone if he hadn't run, and Grandma Jubilee does not play about her grandchildren!”
“And we didn't need to see that,” Eleanor said.
“Well, yeah,” Edwina said. “Thanks.”
Charles survived and so did his car with minimal damage; he was on his way the next day, and that was that.