Rating: K+ (just in case)

Title: Scavenger Hunt

Word Count: 625

Time Limit: 20 minutes…not sure how long it took.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. What else do you want me to say?

Drabble challenge: Using the challenge word, create a short story. Write for the time limit which is usually 15 minutes and only you are allowed to edit your work. I hope you find some measure of enjoyment…

A crazy idea popped into my head. Not sure if it worked, but here is my attempt with the three word choices. The words were: woman, marijuana, and sheepskin.

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Twelve-year-old Donnie Eppes groaned, "Mom, a scavenger hunt? I'll be a laughing stock; no one does scavenger hunts anymore."

"No you won't. Scavenger Hunts are for all ages. If it will make you feel better, you can select the next activity. How does that sound? Your father and Charlie spent some major time in creating the list and I know you don't want to hurt your little brother's feelings…now do you?" She arched an eyebrow and then smiled sweetly at her son.

Don knew when he was beaten. "Fine, but I won't promise I'll like it!"

Margaret grinned as she continued to fix dinner. Oh, the joys of parenthood, you never could satisfy everyone, especially a young boy who had a definite picture of what was cool and what wasn't. At least little Charlie hadn't entered that stage yet.

She couldn't help but smirked as she remembered watching Charlie painstakingly copy the words down on his paper. The selection process had been complicated as well and had involved numbers to help pick the correct word to be added on to the list.

First, Charlie called out a number range from the dictionary, a very painful process, according to Alan. After finding the exact page number and then narrowing it down to the number of words on a given page and finally choosing the final word.

Alan's final job was to proof read the list to double check all the words and make sure that they were appropriate before he made copies of the list.

Since Alan had had a major construction project deadline, she had only given him one little assignment. Now that everything was ready, she could enjoy the rest of the evening and just do a little relaxing.

Her schedule had been extremely hectic as well, but luckily she was an excellent manager of time. Well, tomorrow would be Don's birthday and everything would go like clock work. Seeing her son's smile would be the final reward.

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Sometimes your best-laid plans go up in smoke. Alan had been preoccupied and had made copies thinking Margaret had doubled checked the list.

Don still didn't like the idea of the scavenger hunt, but when his friends has exclaimed this will be fun, Alan knew that everything would work out in the end. So imagine his surprise an hour later when the children returned and the boys started laughing and slapping Don on the back.

He wondered what the fuss was all about. Worse he couldn't figure out why Margaret was fuming and displaying a very red face.

"But Mom, I still need to get one more item on the list. See, I got the sheepskin slippers, you're my woman, and now all I need is some mar…mar-I-jua-na." As little seven-year-old Charlie struggled to pronounce the word. "So we can't quit yet. I need one more item to have all of my 32 items."

"ALAN!!!"

Alan covered his eyes as his wife screamed his name. He was in big trouble and tonight he would be lucky if he didn't have to sleep in the doghouse. Just one problem, no dog, so no doghouse.

This was one birthday party that no one would forget for a long, long time to come. "Now, honey…it will be alright, how about some cake…Charlie you do want some cake don't you?" He wondered if he would ever be able to live this one down.