Story prompt chain: give a prompt to the next poster

[ClusterCrossing]

Writer's block is common, and sometimes all you need is a spark from someone else. In this thread, each person gives a story prompt to the next poster. That person writes a very short piece inspired by the prompt, a few sentences is plenty, then leaves a new prompt for whoever comes next. It is a chain of small stories and ideas

Prompts can be anything. A character, a setting, an object, a line of dialogue or an odd situation. The weirder the prompt, the more creative the responses tend to be. Just keep everything friendly and suitable for all ages

Responses do not need to be polished. This is about having fun and stretching your imagination, not producing perfect prose. Some people might write a joke, others a moment of drama or a small mystery

I will start with the first prompt. A lost umbrella that keeps finding its way back to its owner, no matter how hard they try to get rid of it

Who will take the first prompt and pass on the next one?