Journal Prompt: Growing up, a rule at my house was to be on the front porch by the time the street lights came on. At the time, it seemed so arbitrary. Why then? Why not when the sun went down, or at a specific time? As an adult, it totally makes sense. The street lights come on when it’s getting dark out. And while creeps will get you at any time, after dark, there are many more dangers in our world than in the bright light of day. What rules did you have as a child that didn’t make sense then but make a ton of sense to you now?

Story Starter: During the summer storms three years ago, the neighborhood children disappeared. All at once, without a trace. People searched, posted flyers, and did national interviews to no avail. Every child between the ages of 5 and 10 just vanished, almost as though they never existed. Eventually, people gave up the search. Marriages ended, people moved, and the remaining youth were kept close to home. There hadn’t been storms like that again, until this year. Last night, as you watched the storm clouds gathering just after sunset, you looked down the street and saw one of the missing. Write the story.