This week’s 33-word Trifecta Challenge was to rearrange words from the 33rd page of Trifecta’s favorite book: Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge.
Pushing Kevin’s Buttons
Dr. Goldstein peered carefully beneath his ribs. “No bicycle, no basketball-hoop — pine needles!
Kevin could not abide the thought of pine needles!
“Hackmatack needles?” Kevin shouted with panic.
“Never mind!” Dr. Goldstein said.
“Oh thank you . . . .wait a minute! Those aren’t Hackmatack needles are they? Because I take umbrage with Hackmatack needles!”
“No they’re just regular pine needles, Kevin.”
“Oh terrific! Thanks!”
Until next time . . . I love you
Linda Vernon Humor 
Terrific!
Thanks Deanabo! 😀
a sticky situation 🙂
It’s prickly too! 😀
lol
I always enjoy your humorous take on these challenges – had to come read you first. 🙂
Oh thank you so much Barbara. That is so nice to hear!:D
I was wondering how you would approach this with a limited vocabulary…You didn’t disappoint! (:
Thanks Draug. It was a very interesting prompt that’s for sure. 😀
You always make me smile with your creative use of the prompt. Today didn’t disappoint!
Thank you so much TM. So glad you enjoyed it.
I wanted to use hackmatack but couldn’t make it work. But you did a wondrous job with it! Love it!
Ha! Well I had to google it. Thank goodness for google, my brain’s other name! 😀
This took a while to sink in but was worth the wait..
Haha! Sam. Well don’t feel bad, it still hasn’t sunk in for me and I wrote it! 😀 (ps so glad you liked it!)
Hysterical. You didn’t seem constrained by the prompt!
Oh so glad you liked it Lumdog. So glad it turned out not to feel constrained. It was a very enlightening prompt, I thought. 😀
This is fantastic, Linda. I always love your take on any prompt! 😀
Oh thank you so much Dianne! :D!
hehehe i was wondering what you’d come up with! fantastic. ^^
Thanks kz! 😀
I think the needles are a metaphor for what Kevin is really pining for.
And only Elizabeth Strout knows for sure what that is…
I whole-heartedly concur with both yourself and Eliza!
Love it! I wanted to do a funny version a la ‘ “Hackamatack!” she squawked.’ But it ended up much darker.
Yours made me laugh 🙂
I love that!! You’ll have to write another story just so you can put that last line in. 😀 HA!
That would be fun 🙂
Very clever!
Thank you H.E.
Ha!ha!I hope the good Dr doesn’t make him sleep on that bed of pines ,you so “kindly” provided!U really know how to tickle my funny bone Linda-great job”:-)
Ah, thank you so much Atreyee! You always leave the nicest comments! So glad you liked this one. It was completely different, but I did enjoy it. 😀
:)It was fun to read.And yes,.it was different & difficult but as you said very enjoyable-am getting really addicted.
Who doesn’t take umbrage with hackmatack needles!? Well-written, laugh-inducing writing, as usual Thanks.
Thank you Cobbie. I think umbrage is my new favorite word! 😀
Hackmatack needle paranoia? Very funny!
Thank you Kymm!
So funny.
Thank you Sarah Ann, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 😀