Twenty-five stars were neatly placed on the piece of paper.

There was room for

five more stars but they would be difficult ones to earn. It had taken years to
earn the first twenty-five, and they were considered the "easy" ones.

1.They had no proof. He knew that they knew he had done it but they didn't
have any proof. It was a huge distinction and it was the difference between him
keeping his freedom or being locked away for decades. They continued to
question him, probing him for information that they could use against him or
find the proof they needed to put him away. He smiled and continued to block
their every inquiry by feigning his innocence for a crime they all knew he
committed.

2.The boxed moved. That was a problem. Peter had packed the box three hours
before and there was nothing inside that should make it move. The question
now was whether or not Peter was going to open it up and look inside to see
why it had moved. The answer to that question was obvious. Peter dropped the
package into the mailbox so he would never have to see it again.

3.The clowns had taken over. And yes, they were literally clowns. Over 100 had
appeared out of a small VW bug that had been driven up to the bank. Now they
were all inside and had taken it over.

4.He walked down the steps from the train station in a bit of a hurry knowing
the secrets in the briefcase must be secured as quickly as possible. Bounding
down the steps, he heard something behind him and quickly turned in a panic.
There was nobody there but a pair of old worn-out shoes were placed neatly on
the steps he had just come down. Had he past them without seeing them? It
didn't seem possible. He was about to turn and be on his way when a deep chill
filled his body.

5.He heard the loud impact before he ever saw the result. It had been so loud
that it had actually made him jump back in his seat. As soon as he recovered
from the surprise, he saw the crack in the windshield. It seemed to be an
analogy of the current condition of his life.

6.What were they eating? It didn't taste like anything she had ever eaten before
and although she was famished, she didn't dare ask. She knew the answer
would be one she didn't want to hear.

7.I checked in for the night at Out O The Way motel. What a bad choice that
was. First I took a shower and a spider crawled out of the drain. Next, the towel
rack fell down when I reached for the one small bath towel. This allowed the
towel to fall halfway into the toilet. I tried to watch a movie, but the remote
control was sticky and wouldn’t stop scrolling through the channels. I gave up
for the night and crawled into bed. I stretched out my leg and felt something
furry by my foot. Filled with fear, I reached down and to my surprise, I pulled
out a raccoon skin pair of underwear. After my initial relief that it wasn’t alive,
the image of a fat, ugly businessman wearing raccoon skin briefs filled my brain.
I jumped out of the bed, threw my toothbrush into my bag, and sprinted towards
my car.

8.I'm going to hire professional help tomorrow. I can't handle this anymore. She
fell over the coffee table and now there is blood in her catheter. This is much
more than I ever signed up to do.

9.Sarah watched the whirlpool mesmerized. She couldn't take her eyes off the
water swirling around and around. She stuck in small twigs and leaves to watch
the whirlpool catch them and then suck them down. It bothered her more than a
little bit that this could also be used as a metaphor for her life.

10.It had been her dream for years but Dana had failed to take any action
toward making it come true. There had always been a good excuse to delay or
prioritize another project. As she woke, she realized she was once again at a
crossroads. Would it be another excuse or would she finally find the courage to
pursue her dream? Dana rose and took her first step.

11."It's never good to give them details," Janice told her sister. "Always be a
little vague and keep them guessing." Her sister listened intently and nodded in
agreement. She didn't fully understand what her sister was saying but that
didn't matter. She loved her so much that she would have agreed to whatever
came out of her mouth.

12.He ordered his regular breakfast. Two eggs sunnyside up, hash browns, and
two strips of bacon. He continued to look at the menu wondering if this would
be the day he added something new. This was also part of the routine. A few
seconds of hesitation to see if something else would be added to the order
before demuring and saying that would be all. It was the same exact meal that
he had ordered every day for the past two years.

13."Explain to me again why I shouldn't cheat?" he asked. "All the others do and
nobody ever gets punished for doing so. I should go about being happy losing to
cheaters because I know that I don't? That's what you're telling me?"

14.It was their first date and she had been looking forward to it the entire week.
She had her eyes on him for months, and it had taken a convoluted scheme with
several friends to make it happen, but he'd finally taken the hint and asked her
out. After all the time and effort she'd invested into it, she never thought that it
would be anything but wonderful. It goes without saying that things didn't work
out quite as she expected.

15.It was a concerning development that he couldn't get out of his mind. He'd
had many friends throughout his early years and had fond memories of playing
with them, but he couldn't understand how it had all stopped. There was some
point as he grew up that he played with each of his friends for the very last
time, and he had no idea that it would be the last.
16.Should he write it down? That was the question running through his mind. He
couldn't believe what had just happened and he knew nobody else would believe
him as well. Even if he documented what had happened by writing it down, he
still didn't believe anyone would still believe it. So the question remained. Was
it be worth it to actually write it down?

17.The kids were loud. They were way too loud for Jerry, especially since this
was a four-hour flight. The parents didn't seem to be able, or simply didn't want,
to control them. They were yelling and fighting among themselves and it was
impossible for any of the passengers to concentrate or rest. He thought about
politely tapping on the parents' shoulders and asking them to try and get their
kids under a bit more control, but before he did he came up with a better idea.
Sure, it was a bit sinister, and he'd probably end p in a lot of trouble, but he
really didn't care at that point.

18.She glanced up into the sky to watch the clouds taking shape. First, she saw
a dog. Next, it was an elephant. Finally, she saw a giant umbrella and at that
moment the rain began to pour.

19.She had been an angel for coming up on 10 years and in all that time nobody
had told her this was possible. The fact that it could ever happen never even
entered her mind. Yet there she stood, with the undeniable evidence sitting on
the ground before her. Angels could lose their wings.

20.There was no ring on his finger. That was a good sign although far from proof
that he was available. Still, it was much better than if he had been wearing a
wedding ring on his hand. She glanced at his hand a bit more intently to see if
there were any tan lines where a ring may have been, and he's simply taken it
off. She couldn't detect any which was also a good sign and a relief. The next
step would be to get access to his wallet to see if there were any family photos
in it.

21.I haven't bailed on writing. Look, I'm generating a random paragraph at this
very moment in an attempt to get my writing back on track. I am making an
effort. I will start writing consistently again!

22.Barbara had been waiting at the table for twenty minutes. it had been twenty
long and excruciating minutes. David had promised that he would be on time
today. He never was, but he had promised this one time. She had made him
repeat the promise multiple times over the last week until she'd believed his
promise. Now she was paying the price.

23.I don’t like cats and they don’t like me. I used to be allergic to them and I
would get stuffed up and have hives. That doesn’t seem to happen anymore. But
I still don’t like them. I lived with 3 cats that were not good at peeing in the
litter box. They seemed to find something important to me and pee on it. Most
of the time they peed on photographs or papers that would be ruined. Cats also
bring fleas into the house. There is nothing worse than having to flea dip cats
and also flea bomb a home. That is why I don’t like cats.

24.There was something beautiful in his hate. It wasn't the hate itself as it was
a disgusting display of racism and intolerance. It was what propelled the hate
and the fact that although he had this hate, he didn't understand where it came
from. It was at that moment that she realized that there was hope in changing
him.

25.It was the first day of the rest of her life. This wasn't the day she was
actually born, but she knew that nothing would be the same from this day
forward. Although this was a bit scary to her, it was also extremely freeing. Her
past was no longer a burden or something that she needed to be concerned
about and defend. She threw off the covers keeping her warm in bed, placed her
feet over the side of the bed, slipped on her slipper, and took the first step of
the first day of her new life.

26.Frank knew there was a correct time and place to reveal his secret and this
wasn't it. The issue was that the secret might be revealed despite his best
attempt to keep it from coming out. At this point, it was out of his control and
completely dependant on those around him who also knew the secret. They
wouldn't purposely reveal it, or at least he believed that, but they could easily
inadvertently expose it. It was going to be a long hour as he nervously eyed
everyone around the table hoping they would keep their mouths shut.

27.Life isn't always beautiful. That was a lesson that Dan was learning. He also
realized that life wasn't easy. This had come as a shock since he had lived a
charmed life. He hated that this was the truth and he struggled to be happy
knowing that his assumptions weren't correct. He wouldn't realize until much
later in life that the difficult obstacles he was facing that were taking away the
beauty in his life at this moment would ultimately make his life much more
beautiful. All he knew was that at this moment was that life isn't always
beautiful.

28.He collected the plastic trash on a daily basis. It never seemed to end. Even
if he cleaned the entire beach, more plastic would cover it the next day after the
tide had come in. Although it was a futile effort that would never be done, he
continued to pick up the trash each day.

29.Devon couldn't figure out the color of her eyes. He initially would have
guessed that they were green, but the more he looked at them he almost
wanted to say they were a golden yellow. Then there were the flashes of red
and orange that seemed to be streaked throughout them. It was almost as if her
eyes were made of opal with the sun constantly glinting off of them and
bringing out more color. They were definitely the most unusual pair of eyes he'd
ever seen.
30.After hunting for several hours, we finally saw a large seal sunning itself on a
flat rock. I took one of the wooden clubs while Larry took the longer one. We
slowly snuck up behind the seal until we were close enough to club it over its
head. The seal slumped over and died. This seal would help us survive. We could
eat the meat and fat. The fat could be burned in a shell for light and the fur
could be used to make a blanket. We declared our first day of hunting a great
success.

31.It was difficult for him to admit he was wrong. He had been so certain that he
was correct and the deeply held belief could never be shaken. Yet the proof that
he had been incorrect stood right before his eyes. "See daddy, I told you that
they are real!" his daughter excitedly proclaimed.

32.The alarm went off at exactly 6:00 AM as it had every morning for the past
five years. Barbara began her morning and was ready to eat breakfast by 7:00
AM. The day appeared to be as normal as any other, but that was about to
change. In fact, it was going to change at exactly 7:23 AM.

33.It's an unfortunate reality that we don't teach people how to make money
(beyond getting a 9 to 5 job) as part of our education system. The truth is there
are a lot of different, legitimate ways to make money. That doesn't mean they
are easy and that you won't have to work hard to succeed, but it does mean that
if you're willing to open your mind a bit you don't have to be stuck in an office
from 9 to 5 for the next fifty years o your life.

34.Sometimes it's simply better to ignore the haters. That's the lesson that
Tom's dad had been trying to teach him, but Tom still couldn't let it go. He
latched onto them and their hate and couldn't let it go, but he also realized that
this wasn't healthy. That's when he came up with his devious plan.

35.He looked at the sand. Picking up a handful, he wondered how many grains
were in his hand. Hundreds of thousands? "Not enough," the said under his
breath. I need more.

36.There are only three ways to make this work. The first is to let me take care
of everything. The second is for you to take care of everything. The third is to
split everything 50 / 50. I think the last option is the most preferable, but I'm
certain it'll also mean the end of our marriage.

37.Was it enough? That was the question he kept asking himself. Was being
satisfied enough? He looked around him at everyone yearning to just be
satisfied in their daily life and he had reached that goal. He knew that he was
satisfied and he also knew it wasn't going to be enough.

38.The bowl was filled with fruit. It seemed to be an overabundance of

strawberries, but it also included blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and banana
slices. This was the meal Sarah had every morning to start her day since she
could remember. Why she decided to add chocolate as an option today was still
a bit of a surprise, but she had been in the process of deciding she wanted to
change her routine. This was a baby step to begin that start.

39.I inadvertently went to See's Candy last week (I was in the mall looking for
phone repair), and as it turns out, See's Candy now charges a dollar -- a full
dollar -- for even the simplest of their wee confection offerings. I bought two
chocolate lollipops and two chocolate-caramel-almond things. The total cost was
four-something. I mean, the candies were tasty and all, but let's be real: A
Snickers bar is fifty cents. After this dollar-per-candy revelation, I may not find
myself wandering dreamily back into a See's Candy any time soon.

40.He was after the truth. At least, that's what he told himself. He believed it,
but any rational person on the outside could see he was lying to himself. It was
apparent he was really only after his own truth that he'd already decided and
was after this truth because the facts didn't line up with the truth he wanted. So
he continued to tell everyone he was after the truth oblivious to the real truth
sitting right in front of him.

41.The box sat on the desk next to the computer. It had arrived earlier in the
day and business had interrupted her opening it earlier. She didn't who had sent
it and briefly wondered who it might have been. As she began to unwrap it, she
had no idea that opening it would completely change her life.

42.Twenty seconds were all that was left and Richard could hear each one tick
by. Fifteen seconds now remained and the panic began to fully set in. Ten
seconds and he wasn't sure he had enough time. Five seconds, four, three, two,
one...

43.The leather jacked showed the scars of being his favorite for years. It wore
those scars with pride, feeling that they enhanced his presence rather than
diminishing it. The scars gave it character and had not overwhelmed to the
point that it had become ratty. The jacket was in its prime and it knew it.

44.Sometimes it's the first moment of the day that catches you off guard. That's
what Wendy was thinking. She opened her window to see fire engines
screeching down the street. While this wasn't something completely unheard of,
it also wasn't normal. It was a sure sign of what was going to happen that day.
She could feel it in her bones and it wasn't the way she wanted the day to begin.

45.It's not his fault. I know you're going to want to, but you can't blame him. He
really has no idea how it happened. I kept trying to come up with excuses I
could say to mom that would keep her calm when she found out what happened,
but the more I tried, the more I could see none of them would work. He was
going to get her wrath and there was nothing I could say to prevent it.
46.There was a leak in the boat. Nobody had yet noticed it, and nobody would
for the next couple of hours. This was a problem since the boat was heading out
to sea and while the leak was quite small at the moment, it would be much
larger when it was ultimately discovered. John had planned it exactly this way.

47.The words hadn't flowed from his fingers for the past few weeks. He never
imagined he'd find himself with writer's block, but here he sat with a blank
screen in front of him. That blank screen taunting him day after day had started
to play with his mind. He didn't understand why he couldn't even type a single
word, just one to begin the process and build from there. And yet, he already
knew that the eight hours he was prepared to sit in front of his computer today
would end with the screen remaining blank.

48.He couldn't move. His head throbbed and spun. He couldn't decide if it was
the flu or the drinking last night. It was probably a combination of both.

49.There was something special about this little creature. Donna couldn't quite
pinpoint what it was, but she knew with all her heart that it was true. It wasn't a
matter of if she was going to try and save it, but a matter of how she was going
to save it. She went back to the car to get a blanket and when she returned the
creature was gone.