We’ve all seen starving dogs and cats wandering through our neighborhoods. We look, wondering if they might live in a nearby house but accidentally got away. And will soon be reunited with their loving owner.

            But what happens when that same pet is still wandering the next day? And the one after that? Maybe even a week later?

            What do you do?

            The temptation might be to keep driving by, pretending that the animal isn’t really lost. Or perhaps if you’ve taken a liking to the pet, you might try to lure it into your car or follow you home if you’re walking.

            Your task is to write a story in which you see what appears to be a lost or abandoned animal. Your character can be a softie who rescues the pet, or a grouch who chases it away from her house.

            Don’t begin with a detailed description of the pet, but rather work in the details slowly, one at a time. Bring in tension by making the animal less-than-perfect. It might poop in the house, claw the sofa or chew the expensive shoes.

            You can also through in a bit of comedy, for we all enjoy those videos of cats squeezing into tiny boxes and dogs trying to swallow all the water from a hose.

            Have fun with this one.