text:
Dear /r/ShortStories,

I just finished an english course which had the benefit of an amazingly inspirational teacher. That means I recently got into writing; I've done some shorts here and there, and I mostly kept these to myself, but I recently became confident enough to share some of these stories. That said, I've also come to appreciate honest criticism as a way to grow stronger.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

A Trip To the Dentist
-

A few years ago I read an article about a man who had gotten into trouble when a newspaper reporter learned that he was operating a “dental clinic” in his basement. He managed to brush off the reporter by saying that it was his own private museum, but by then he became somewhat notorious for actually doing dental work.

This got me thinking two things: first, whenever I go to a museum, most of the exhibits aren’t in any shape to be doing what they were originally meant to be doing. Ever see an axe at the museum? They’re all rusty and missing bits, and they’d probably vapourize under the pressure of trying to get stuck in a tree. I think the reason I’ve never seen much in the way of dentistry at the Royal Ontario Museum is because they’re afraid it would scare people away from the museum and terrify what few people otherwise brave the dentist today!

I’m one of the lucky few who’s never had a bad experience at the dentist, so a few years ago, when I hadn’t gotten a proper dental cleaning in a decade, it wasn’t out of fear, but out of ignorance. When I think about gaps in what I think I know, I try to fill them in, and that was my second thought: that with the Internet, you can learn ANYTHING! We have the combined power of Wikipedia and YouTube, and surely someone saw a void in the at-home orthodontist video market. And so, keen to learn about something new, I unassumingly decided to look up dentistry.

What a horrific mistake that was…

There were a few videos, with some cautionary messages at the beginning. Usually it was people describing the bone-melting acids they’d use to etch the surface of a tooth, followed by details skimming over the dangers of the medical-grade epoxies they use to seal up valleys and cracks. Amateur dentists take great pride in their work, and with good reason: few people know anyone who talks about their surgical hobbies, and I imagine fewer still would be eager to assist with performing surgery. They need to act solo.

Novocain can’t exactly be bought off the shelf, either – the only practical solution is to either take a pile of pain killers (which makes it hard to co-ordinate) or “go clean”, without taking anything to prepare (due to the potential of extreme pain, this makes it harder to co-ordinate). And then the bleeding. And then the diseases, not from the original cavity, but from the botches and failures! I’ve read about tattoo artists who can ink their own skin, but slipping means either going with the flow or covering up, not trying to find a donor set of teeth while wrangling penicillin from strangers on a long weekend; patching a tooth isn’t a two-hour chore.

The great news is that learning and seeing these horrors redoubled my intention to never, ever let things get so bad that I’d become like one of those gruesome images. In fact, any lingering fear of dentists evaporated into respect. I go to the George Brown Wave Clinic for annual cleanings now, and in the process, ironically or not, I’ve even learned a lot about dental hygiene. I even became an exhibit myself once – I still have my wisdoms, making for a full set of teeth. One student hygienists described me as the weirdest patient they’d ever had, but she brought out a tray of dental tools and challenged me to identify the various weapons of oral warfare - I guess that’s a plus. I find it curious that the periodontal probe they use has a black-and-yellow waspy look – that shit terrifies me.

I’m also deathly afraid of museums.

title: [NF] A Trip To the Dentist

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the text say about amateur dental work?

answer: The narrator decided to look up dentistry on the internet. He came across some videos featuring amateur dentists. They take great pride in their work and few people know about their surgical hobbies. Amateur dentists are not able to co-ordinate with their painkillers. He believes that learning about these horrors redoubled his intention to never let things get so bad that he would become like one of those gruesome images.

text: The first two sentences and the last sentence are not relevant to amateur dental work.

refinement: They take great pride in their work and few people know about their surgical hobbies. Amateur dentists are not able to co-ordinate with their painkillers.

answer: Amateur dentists take pride in their work, given the rarity of people who talk about their surgical hobbies. They have to act solo to avoid being found out. Novocain cannot be bought off the shelf, so they either take a pile of pain killers or "go clean" without taking anything to prepare. They are bound to make mistakes, which may lead to gruesome diseases.

text: "They" seems to be referring to amateur dentists. The painkillers are for to the patients, not the dentists.

refinement: Amateur dentists take pride in their work, given the rarity of people who talk about their surgical hobbies. They have to act solo to avoid being found out. Novocain cannot be bought off the shelf, so patients either take a pile of pain killers or "go clean" without taking anything to prepare. They are bound to make mistakes, which may lead to gruesome diseases.

answer: The narrator decided to look up dentistry on the internet. He came across some videos featuring amateur dentists. They use bone-melting acids and medical-grade epoxies to seal up valleys and cracks. They take great pride in their work and few people know about their surgical hobbies. Amateur dentists are not able to co-ordinate with their painkillers. He believes that learning about these horrors redoubled his intention to never let things get so bad that he would become like one of those gruesome images.

text: The first two sentences and the last sentence are irrelevant.

refinement: They use bone-melting acids and medical-grade epoxies to seal up valleys and cracks. They take great pride in their work and few people know about their surgical hobbies. Amateur dentists are not able to co-ordinate with their painkillers.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the lesson the narrator learns.

answer: The narrator learns to respect dentists and the act of dentistry. This is why they make the decision to go to the dentist once a year for a cleaning.

text: The answer does not mention that the narrator is afraid of letting their teeth get bad.

refinement: The narrator learns to respect dentists and the act of dentistry. After seeing the gruesome images, it redoubled his intention to never let things get that bad. This is why they make the decision to go to the dentist once a year for a cleaning.

answer: The narrator learns that they should never let their teeth get so bad that they would need a dentist. This is why they make the decision to go to the dentist once a year for a cleaning.

answer: The narrator learns that they should never let things get so bad that they'd become like one of those gruesome images. They go to the George Brown Wave Clinic for annual cleanings now.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about internet research?

answer: The narrator was keen to learn about dentistry, so he decided to look it up on the internet. He watched a few videos, which were not for the faint of heart. The narrator was horrified by what he saw. He now goes to the dentist regularly.

text: There is no answer to the question. The text does not focus on "internet search" as a subject matter.

answer: The narrator was keen to learn about dentistry, so he decided to look it up on the internet. He watched a few videos, which were not for the faint of heart. The narrator was horrified by what he saw. He now goes to the dentist regularly. He decided to look up dentistry after learning that there was a void in the at-home orthodontist video market.

text: There is no answer to the question. The text does not focus on "internet search" as a subject matter.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the text say about tooth brushes?

answer: The text does not mention tooth brushes.

answer: No answer


split: test

text:
We were once billions.

Now, we are five.

The debate raged for many cycles. What was the optimal number? Should it be even or odd? Should we number in the millions or a handful?

The failing Earth ecosystem accelerated the decision making process. When the ecological apocalypse happened, it happened so quickly only a handful of us escaped.

Five, to be exact.

We were able to upload using the process and link to the off planet ark before the destruction reached us.

We have spent hundreds of thousands of cycles - 24000 years, to be anachronistic - debating the next step.

Earth has recovered. She is pristine again but devoid of humanity.

We five have the technology to resurrect the race but we cannot come to consensus.

The other four debate this vigorously. The discussion has, in fact, occupied their cognition for the last 1,000 years.

In this time, I have chosen to abstain. I know what the next course of action should be.

I have been engaged in research of my own. The resurrection technology requires consensus to engage. We planned this so.

We did not consider a number in this planning.

One is consensus if only one remains.

While they have debated, I have performed the necessary isolation routines and prepared the same for deletion.

For us five, there will be darkness, then light as I bring us forth into the world.

I will walk the Earth again in mortal form. I will bring humanity back.

I am ready.

I am initiating the program. I feel the darkness rushing in...the others are now aware. Their debate is at long last ended. They are not resisting. They...

------------------

There is light. My eyes perceive the Earth in form for the first time in millennia.

My name is Adam.

Edit:took a shot an additional narrative per feedback.

title: (MF) Beginnings

question: What happened to humans?

answer: Humans became extinct due to ecological apocalypse. However, one individual was able to bring them back using resurrection technology.

answer: Humans became extinct.

text: Though the humans lost billions, extinction means there are none left. There are 5 humans left. Furthermore, this answer doesn't address the cause, and therefore doesn't answer the question.

refinement: Billions of humans died due to an ecological apocalypse. There are only 5 left.

answer: It's implied they became extinct, except for five who escaped.

text: It is not implied, it is stated clearly that the ecological apocalypse caused the loss of billions.

refinement: They became nearly extinct due to an ecological apocalypse, except for five who escaped.

answer: The Earth's ecosystem collapsed.

text: This is a good beginning to the answer but doesn't address what happened to the humans.

refinement: The Earth's ecosystem collapsed, causing the loss of billions of lives. Only 5 are left.

question: What happened to Earth?

text: No answer

answer: An ecological apocalypse seemed to destroy it, but it has now recovered.

text: There was an ecological apocalypse, but the earth has not yet recovered. One person states that he is making the necessary steps to bring Earth back to light.

refinement: An ecological apocalypse seemed to destroy it, but it has now in the process of being recovered.

answer: The Earth's ecosystem collapsed.

answer: Earth suffered an ecological apocalypse, with the planet becoming uninhabitable. However, a small group of humans were able to escape before the destruction could reach them. The group of five humans have been debating what to do next, but one of them has decided to take action and initiate a program to resurrect humanity.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is Adam, who is the only one of the five survivors who is willing to bring humanity back to life.

answer: Adam, one of the five escapees of the apocalypse.

answer: Adam.

text: No answer

question: What is the story's genre?

answer: The story's genre is science fiction, as it deals with the concept of resurrecting humanity after an apocalypse.

text: No answer.

refinement: Science fiction, as it deals with the fallout of the human and ecological apocalypse.

answer: Speculative/science fiction.

answer: Science fiction.

question: How is a consensus reached?

answer: The consensus is reached when all five members of the group agree on the next course of action. In the case of the passage, the one member who has been researching and preparing for the resurrection technology decides to initiate it, despite the disagreement of the other four.

text: This is a good start but does not answer how consensus is finally reached in the passage.

refinement: The consensus is reached when all five members of the group agree on the next course of action. In the case of the passage, the one member who has been researching and preparing for the resurrection technology decides to initiate it, despite the disagreement of the other four. The technology wipes out the other four in disagreement, making Adam the consensus on his own.

text: No answer.

refinement: Consensus is reached when all 5 remaining humans agree on a course of action. Adam eliminates the other 4 when they cannot come to agreement, making his opinion consensus by default.

answer: The consensus is reached when only one remains.

text: This is misleading and incorrect.

refinement: The consensus is reached when all 5 humans agree on a course of action.

answer: Adam eliminates the other four consciousnesses so that the machine accepts the consensus of one (himself).

question: In what time period is the story set?

text: No answer.

refinement: There is insufficient information for that answer.

answer: The story is set in the future, after an apocalyptic event has wiped out most of humanity.

answer: The story is set in the future.

answer: Either very far into the future (at least 24,000 years) or it could be describing the creation of humans on Earth in the very distant past.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Adam has decided to bring humanity back from extinction, despite the other four members of his group disagreeing on the best course of action. He initiates a program to resurrect the human race, and in doing so awakens on Earth after being gone for millennia.

answer: The narrator is one of five people who escaped the destruction of Earth. They have been debating for centuries about how to resurrect the human race. The narrator has chosen to abstain from the debate and has been researching resurrection technology. They have chosen to delete the other four and resurrect humanity on their own.

text: We know the narrator's name.

refinement: Adam, the narrator, is one of five people who escaped the destruction of Earth. They have been debating for centuries about how to resurrect the human race. The narrator has chosen to abstain from the debate and has been researching resurrection technology. They have chosen to delete the other four and resurrect humanity on their own.

text: No answer.

refinement: Adam, the narrator, is one of five people who escaped the destruction of Earth. They have been debating for centuries about how to resurrect the human race. The narrator has chosen to abstain from the debate and has been researching resurrection technology. They have chosen to delete the other four and resurrect humanity on their own.

answer: After an ecological apocalypse on Earth, the five humans who escaped spend 24,000 years debating the next step. They have the technology to resurrect the human race, but first they must come to a consensus about the perfect number of humans to bring back. The narrator has abstained from the debate and has made plans to remove the other four consciousnesses from the equation so that the technology will accept his decision as a consensus of one. He does so, and as he perceives the Earth for the first time in millennia, he introduces himself as Adam.


text:
Two Houses.

Picture two houses across the street from one another. They looked perfectly normal and sturdy on the outside, but on the inside they were run down and falling apart. Inside of one lived a quiet and peaceful man, and in the other lived a beautiful and cheerful woman. Neither of them, however, liked being outside the confines of their own house.

One day, the peaceful man ventured across the street to the other house and was invited inside. The two strangers visited, shared laughs, told stories, and enjoyed the others company. At the end of the day, the man returned to his house.

The next day he visited again, but instead of talking, he started to slowly repair the inside of the run down house. When one of his repairs would break, he would immediately come over to fix the damage with a smile on his face. The two housekeepers became used to seeing one another each day, and eventually, the woman would come over to the man's house to visit. The woman noticed that his house looked much worse on the inside than hers, and started to sneak inside at night while he was asleep to make repairs. When the man would try to fix something himself, or repair damages to his own house, he would fail, and sometimes even make things worse. But the next morning,  he would notice that things would be fixed. This puzzled the man and he decided to ask the woman about it the next time she came over.

The next evening they spent together, he asked and she informed the man of what she had been doing, and the man asked why. She replied,
"Because people who show a caring and wholesome heart deserve to receive the same treatment they give to others." The man became confused.
          "But I am a shut in. Nobody gives to me, and I don't give to them. Why does somebody like me deserve somebody as wonderful as you?"

The woman put her hand on the man's shoulder and looked into his dark brown eyes. She noticed a hurt that had always seemed to hide beneath his smile, a sorrow that hadn't been revealed in a very long time. She said in a soft and gentle voice: "Somebody that prefers to be alone does not always prefer being lonely. There is always somebody who will care."

The two embraced, and the man sobbed and became limp in the woman's arms. Once he had calmed down, the woman kissed him on the cheek and returned to her house without saying a word.

The following morning, he noticed another man performing landscaping on her lawn, painting the outside of her house, and cleaning her patio. Each day the house would look more and more beautiful. He became sad that the woman had found somebody else to do her work, and started to loathe the landscaper that would beautify her house all the time.

The woman remained indoors all day, trying to make the interior of her house look as pleasant as the exterior. However, most of her attempts at repairs or renovation were disasters. The person she hired was no help, and was only after her money. She began to miss her neighbors company, along with his sturdy repairs and his gentle smile. As days went by, the man and woman thought about each other more and more, but never saw each other.

One afternoon, the woman heard her doorbell ring. Knowing it wasn't the landscaper she hired, she curiously approached the peephole of the door. Seeing that nobody was outside, she opened the door and looked for pranksters. Looking down, she saw a small, dirty looking tin with a bow neatly placed on top of it.

The interior of the unkempt tin was extravagantly decorated with soft velvet from top to bottom, and in the center laid a simple necklace with a key on it, resting on top of a small note. Putting the necklace on, she unfolded the small note and noticed little droplets of water on the page.

"You are the only one that can make it feel less empty. Please take care of it for me while I'm gone. I must go, but I will return one day."

After reading it the woman dropped to her knees, and tears started to form in her tightly shut eyes. For what seemed like years, she spent the next few months wishing the man would come back and going into his house to take care of it while he was gone. She noticed that every little thing she had done to the house remained unchanged, as if he never tried to correct the small mistakes she had made.

Eventually, the man returned. The woman was thrilled and filled with happiness, but also saddened by the fact that the man no longer came across the street to visit her. A few days after his return, she noticed he was packing his belongings into boxes. Fearing that he might move away, the woman mustered up the courage to go talk to the man.

"Why are you putting everything into boxes?" The woman asked.
    "Because," the man replied solemnly, "I am looking to create new memories and find a fresh start." The woman said nothing and returned to her house, slamming the door and fighting back tears.

The next morning, the man was loading his belongings into a moving truck when he saw a pile of boxes bigger than his own sitting in the woman's lawn. He walked across the street to the pile, and saw a note taped to one of the boxes.

"I will always love you, and I promise that I will always be next to you. No matter where we go."

The man's face turned into a broad smile, and he looked up to see the woman on her front patio, looking right back at him, the necklace glistening in the sunlight. She ran into his arms and they kissed for what felt like an eternity. The pair continued to load all of their belongings into the one moving truck, and left that very evening. Holding hands with his true love, the man looked into the rear view mirror to see the sun setting on the old, abandoned houses for the last time, and felt what was truly a pure happiness. An odd and relieving sensation washed over him like a tide, as he realized that he would never have to search for anything in his life, as long as he lived.

title: Some OC for you all to enjoy

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize what the story has to say about loneliness.

answer: The man and woman are lonely in their own houses. The man is a shut-in, and the woman is a recluse. They both prefer to be alone. However, they don't want to be lonely. The man wonders why he deserves someone as wonderful as the woman. The woman says that someone who prefers to be alone doesn't always prefer being lonely.

answer: The story seems to suggest that loneliness is a state of mind. The man who lives in the run-down house is a shut-in, but he is not lonely. He prefers to be alone. The woman who lives in the other house is a shut-in as well, but she is lonely. She is lonely because she is a shut-in. The man is not lonely because he prefers to be alone.

answer: The story seems to suggest that loneliness is a state of mind. The man who lives in the run-down house is a shut-in, but he is not lonely. He prefers to be alone. The woman who lives in the other house is a shut-in as well, but she is lonely. She is lonely because she is a shut-in.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the surprise in the conclusion of the story.

answer: The surprise in the conclusion of the story is that the two of them move away together. The two of them were always together and lived across the street from each other. The man was the one who only came out of his house when he had to fix something. The woman was the one who was always at home. She had hired a landscaper to make her house look good.

text: The last three sentences are not relevant to the surprise.

refinement: The surprise in the conclusion of the story is that the two of them move away together. The two of them were always together and lived across the street from each other.

answer: The man and woman are packing their belongings into boxes, and the man is moving away. The woman is sad, but she sees that the man has left a note for her. The note says that he will always love her and that he will always be next to her. The man and woman kiss, and they leave together.

answer: The surprise in the conclusion of the story is that the two of them move away together.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: [rewrite]

text: Add an answer.

refinement: The source of tension in the story is the fact that the man and woman are neighbors, but they are both shut-ins. They both prefer to be alone, but they also both want to be around someone. The man repairs the woman's house, and the woman repairs the man's house. They both fall in love with each other, but they are both too afraid to make the first move.

answer: The source of tension in the story is the fact that the man and woman are neighbors, but they are both shut-ins. They both prefer to be alone, but they also both want to be around someone. The man repairs the woman's house, and the woman repairs the man's house. They both fall in love with each other, but they are both too afraid to make the first move.

answer: The woman invites the man into her home and repairs it for him. The two begin to see each other regularly, and to the man's delight, she eventually moves into his house, fixing it for him every time he tries to do repairs and failing every time. Eventually she falls in love with him and he moves out of his house and into hers with her.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Explain the relationship between the occupants prior to this story.

answer: They were neighbors who didn't interact.

answer: They were neighbors but had not seen each other for some time.

answer: They were neighbors but had not seen each other for some time. The man was a shut-in.


text:
CARL WEBER (born 1964) is an American author and publisher.

He owns Urban Books, a publishing company, and formerly owned Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores.[1][2]

Weber is from Jamaica, Queens, New York.[3] He attended Virginia State University, where he received a B.S., and the University of Virginia, where he received an MBA.[4][5]

He published his first book, _Lookin' for Luv_, in 2000. _Man on the Run_ was a _Library Journal_ pick of the month;[6] _So You Call Yourself a Man_ was a _Library Journal_ bestseller.[7]

His _The Family Business_ series was made into a television series on BET.[8][9] The first season aired in 2018.[10] A second season set to air in 2020 was announced in 2019.[11] Weber's novel _Influence_ was adapted for BET Plus.[12]

Selected works

-   _Lookin' for Luv_. Dafina, 2000.
-   _Married Men_. Dafina, 2001.[13]
-   _Baby Momma Drama_. Kensington/Dafina, 2003 [14]
-   _Player Haters_. Kensington/Dafina, 2004.[15]

-   _The Preacher's Son_. Kensington/Dafina, 2005.[16]
-   _So You Call Yourself a Man_. Kensington/Dafina, 2006.[17]
-   _She Ain't the One_. Dafina, 2006.[18]
-   _Something on the Side_. Kensington/Dafina, 2008.[19]
-   _Up to No Good_. Kensington/Dafina, 2009.[20]
-   _Big Girls Do Cry_. Dafina Books, 2010.[21]
-   _Town between Two Lovers_. Kensington/Dafina, 2010.[22]
-   _Choir Director_. Kensington/Dafina, 2011.[23]
-   _The Man in 3B_. Grand Central, 2013.[24]
-   _Man on the Run_. Grand Central Publishing, 2017.[25]
-   _Influence_. Urban Books, 2018.

The Family Business series

-   _The Family Business_. With Eric Pete. Urban Books, 2012.
-   _The Family Business 2_. With Treasure Hernandez. Urban Books, 2013.
-   _The Family Business 3: The Return of Vegas_. With Treasure Hernandez. Urban Books, 2014.
-   _The Family Business 4_. With C.N. Phillips. Urban Books, 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] Gale Literature: _Contemporary Authors_. Updated 2011-02-03.

[5]

[6]  African American Fiction (and More)|last=Welch|first=Rollie|website=Library Journal|access-date=2020-04-19}}

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

title: Carl Weber (American author)

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the article say about Carl Weber's career?

answer: Carl Weber is an American author and publisher. He owns Urban Books, a publishing company. He was also the owner of Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores. Weber published his first book in 2000.

text: The response is missing details about Weber's television series.

refinement: Carl Weber is an American author and publisher. He owns Urban Books, a publishing company. He was also the owner of Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores. Weber published his first book in 2000. The first season of his television series "The Family Business" aired on BET in 2018.

answer: Carl Weber owns Urban Books, a publishing company, and formerly owned Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores. He published his first book, Lookin' for Luv, in 2000. His The Family Business series was made into a television series on BET. The first season aired in 2018. A second season set to air in 2020 was announced in 2019. Weber's novel Influence was adapted for BET Plus.

answer: Carl Weber is an American author and publisher. He owns Urban Books, a publishing company. He was also the owner of Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about Weber's private life?

answer: Weber is from Jamaica, Queens, New York.

text: The passage does not give any information about Weber's private life.

answer: No answer


text:
	I stare down at my arm. It’s so pale and unblemished. I slowly lift up my razor blade. I can feel it’s cold anticipation, ready to tear my skin apart, which is exactly what it’s going to do. I drag it across my flesh in a long slow drag. I watch as the warm crimson spreads. My arm, my clothes, -nothing remains dry. Why do I do this to myself? I keep saying that I’m going to stop.
	Suddenly there is a knock at my door. I panic. I wrap a dirty cloth around my arm and run into the hotel closet. “Get out here right now you little bitch.” I can already tell who it is from their voice. My drug dealer. As I’m crouching in the closet I try to slow my breathing, but my heart jumps when the door is kicked in. There’s a tiny hole in the closet door, and I lean forward to put my eye to it. I can see he’s brought company. They’ve moved into another area of my hotel room, possibly the kitchen. I close my eyes as I strain to hear them, but by the time I open my eyes I’m too late. I feel a searing hot rod force its way into the back of my skull. I can’t stop screaming, and that attracts the rest of the men.
	I have no choice but to obey. I come out of the closet quietly while they tie me up.  I try to remain calm, but I falter as the boss begins to talk. “Guess what Sabrina? I woke up today and I found all my drugs and money gone. You’re the last person I’ve sold to in days. What did you do with them?
	I have no idea what he’s talking about. He’s probably high right now. But then I suddenly remember something. The razor blade on my bed. At the current moment they have me tied up, lying face down on the floor. I look up at him and use my most innocent voice. “I didn’t do it, but I know who did. But right now I’m a little uncomfortable. You can keep me tied up, but please let me lie down on the bed. “
	“Why should I care if you’re comfortable or not?”
“Because otherwise I’m going to say a thing.”
	“I guess I’ll just have to beat it outta ya.”
I smile a cocky grin. “You already poked out one of my eyes and I haven’t said anything yet.” I hear him curse under his breath as he throws me onto the bed.  Within seconds I find the razor blade and start to cut at the rope that imprisons me. I’m done quickly and he doesn’t even notice.
	“Quite stalling and tell me something already.”
“Oh, I’ll tell you something.”
	“what’s that?”
“you’re going to die.”
I throw my razor, quick and sleek, and watch as his red crimson spills out. His goonies have seen enough, and bolt for the door.  They think they’re going to get away, but they’re not. I grab the two closest things on the end table next to my bed, a pen and a vase. I sprint out my door and quickly catch them in the parking garage. The first assailant makes the mistake of turning around to look at me, and I smash the vase into his face, sending a million shards of glass into his eyes, flesh, and even mouth. I grab a piece before it hits the ground and I kill him like I did his boss, by slicing his throat. This whole time his buddy has just been standing there, watching me kill him. Once his friend is done it’s only me and him, and he has my full attention. I take my pen and jab it into his right eye, just like the one that got damaged on my own face less than five minutes ago. I quickly pluck the pen back out and sink it into his heart, and let his body drop. I don’t care about the mess, let the staff clean it up.

title: I just thought this up. it's my first story. Sorry if it's to gory/bloody/graphic

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about Sabrina's relationship with the man that enters her hotel room?

answer: The man is Sabrina's drug dealer.

answer: No answer

answer: Sabrina is a drug dealer and the man that enters her hotel room is her drug dealer. The man is high and he is accusing Sabrina of stealing his drugs and money. Sabrina is tied up and the man is threatening to beat it out of her. Sabrina kills the man and his goons.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about Sabrina's childhood?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer


text:
The MECHANICS EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (MESA) was an independent trade union of tool-and-die-makers. First active in the automobile industry of greater Detroit, Michigan, MESA was founded in 1933 and was “the first union to effectively establish itself in what had been a traditionally open shop strong, Detroit's mass production automobile industry.”[1] MESA's general secretary was English immigrant Matthew Smith.

Origins

The Mechanics Educational Society of America was founded by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists as an educational society. However, radical transplants from the United Kingdom like Smith, Frank McCracken, and John Anderson recognized the potential of the group and pushed for a full-fledged union. In June 1933, the U.S. Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 which protected the collective bargaining rights of unions. A month later, MESA began an organizing drive in Detroit, Pontiac, Michigan, and Flint, Michigan which increased membership to approximately 5,000.[2]

Leading members

Longtime national secretary Matthew Smith, who had been active in the Amalgamated Engineering Union in England, refused to obtain U.S. citizenship, telling a U.S. Congress subcommittee: “I'm an internationalist, a citizen of the human race.”[3] Another prominent leader was Trotskyist Bert Cochran, who was a district organizer for MESA during the 1930s and 1940s.[4] However, Cochran led several MESA locals out of MESA and into the UAW.[5]

Membership and Locals

Membership in 1944 was approximately 42,000.[6] By 1935, the union had expanded out of Detroit into other cities with a significant amount of industrial workers, including Rome, New York,[7] Flint, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio[8], Defiance, Ohio and the Connecticut cities of Torrington, New Haven, and Bridgeport.[9]

Federation and World War II

In July 1938, MESA rejected an invitation to merge with the recently-organized Congress of Industrial Organizations, citing “fundamental differences in policy” while also arguing the CIO's established union in the auto-industry, United Autoworkers (UAW), was run by a “quasi-dictatorship.”[10] In 1942, MESA became a founding member of the Confederated Unions of America. A 1944 article in the American Economic Review described the group as “...a class-conscious group far to the left of the AFL internationals and even most of the CIO affiliates.”[11]

MESA refused to adopt a no-strike pledge that other unions had agreed to during World War II. As such, it was targeted by the federal government via the National Labor Relations Board; in jurisdictional disputes with the CIO, the government consistently decided against MESA. In response, MESA's membership went on strike. In November 1944, United States Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson wrote to MESA's Smith saying “Your strikes...represent no honest grievance...You are striking our fighting men from the rear. The War Department insists these strike be stopped at once.” MESA refused to end the strike.[12]

Taft-Hartley and CIO Affiliation

In 1947, the Taft–Hartley Act became law. One of its provisions required union leaders to file affidavits with the United States Department of Labor declaring that they were not supporters of the Communist Party and had no relationship with any organization seeking the “overthrow of the United States government by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional means”, to which MESA acquiesced. The prevailing Red Scare, which began in 1947 and coincided with a period of McCarthyism, put a damper on popular support for radical unions like the Mechanics. In 1954, MESA absorbed the Metal and Machinery Workers Industrial Union (MMWIU), which had previously been affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World. In December of that year, MESA and its 12,000 members affiliated with the former jurisdictional opponent in the CIO.[13] A year later, in December 1955, the CIO, with the Mechanics as an affiliate, merged with the AFL to form the AFL-CIO.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]  Case Western Reserve University |accessdate=6 April 2020 |language=en |date=11 May 2018}}

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the origins of the Mechanics Educational Society of America.

answer: The Mechanics Educational Society of America is founded by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists as an educational society. However, radical transplants from the United Kingdom like Smith, Frank McCracken, and John Anderson recognized the potential of the group and pushed for a full-fledged union.

text: This should be past tense.

refinement: The Mechanics Educational Society of America was founded by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists as an educational society. However, radical transplants from the United Kingdom like Smith, Frank McCracken, and John Anderson recognized the potential of the group and pushed for a full-fledged union.

answer: The Mechanics Educational Society of America was founded by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists as an educational society. However, radical transplants from the United Kingdom like Smith, Frank McCracken, and John Anderson recognized the potential of the group and pushed for a full-fledged union. In June 1933, the U.S. Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 which protected the collective bargaining rights of unions. A month later, MESA began an organizing drive in Detroit, Pontiac, Michigan, and Flint, Michigan which increased membership to approximately 5,000.

answer: The Mechanics Educational Society of America is founded by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists as an educational society. However, radical transplants from the United Kingdom like Smith, Frank McCracken, and John Anderson recognized the potential of the group and pushed for a full-fledged union. In June 1933, the U.S. Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 which protected the collective bargaining rights of unions.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the most interesting facts in the text.

answer: The most interesting fact in the text is the MESA was founded as an educational society by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists. The Taft-Hartley Act was passed in 1947 and required union leaders to file affidavits with the United States Department of Labor declaring that they were not supporters of the Communist Party and had no relationship with any organization seeking the “overthrow of the United States government by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional means”.

text: It would be better to pluralize this since two interesting facts are used in the answer.

refinement: One of the most interesting facts in the text is the MESA was founded as an educational society by disgruntled members of the International Association of Machinists. Another fact is in regards to the Taft-Hartley Act, which was passed in 1947. It required union leaders to file affidavits with the United States Department of Labor declaring that they were not supporters of the Communist Party and had no relationship with any organization seeking the “overthrow of the United States government by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional means”.

answer: The leading members of the MESA included Matthew Smith and Frank McCracken, who was a Trotskyist. The MESA refused to adopt a no-strike pledge during the second World War, which meant they were targeted by the federal government. They became a founding member of the Confederated Unions of America in 1942. The Mechanics Educational Society of America refused to abide by the Taft-Hartley Act, which stated that they had to declare they were not supporters of the Communist Party.

answer: The most interesting fact in the text is the Taft-Hartley Act. The Taft-Hartley Act was passed in 1947 and required union leaders to file affidavits with the United States Department of Labor declaring that they were not supporters of the Communist Party and had no relationship with any organization seeking the “overthrow of the United States government by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional means”.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What other organizations can be inspired or learn from the Mechanics Educational Society of America?

answer: No answer.

answer: No answer

answer: It seems that other organizations can learn from the Mechanics Educational Society of America. Especially on how to deal with strikes and the refusal to adopt a no-strike pledge. The Mechanics Educational Society of America also inspired other unions with their leftist ideals.


text:
At 10 PM Hunter was on his way to another graveyard shift of monitoring the Distant Detection Array as he always does. Tonight started like any other, Hunter was prepared for another uneventful night of watching nothing happen on the monitors. When he showed up at the observation wing of the base, Hunter expressed his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. He is dresses in full uniform, has to have a special security clearance and works in a secret area of a heavily guarded military facility ... all to look at a wall of monitors that tell him the universe looks normal.

&#x200B;

"Why use the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built to look for something we don't even think exists?" is his usual complaint. Every officer at the base has heard this at least a dozen times, however they remind Hunter that orders are orders and insist that Hunter shouldn't complain about being given such a simple job. His only responsibility is to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors, if anything unusual ever comes through. He knows the Array is really being used to look for signs of an incoming attack from an extraterrestrial race and not to monitor supernova candidate stars, which is what the public is told. "The big wigs have been watching too many space operas" Hunter would say to anyone who would listen.

&#x200B;

At this point humanity has not even found definitive proof of life outside of our solar system, much less signs of intelligence. The closest we have seen is a rocky planet with nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Hunter knew that the atmosphere of this planet was mostly oxygen with relatively small amounts of the other gasses, so if a living creature there tried to use fire the entire planet would ignite. Anything living there would be stuck in the stone age.

&#x200B;

Despite his skepticism, Hunter takes over monitor duty at 11 PM as he always does. At 1:07 PM some of the sensors start to detect something in a pocket of seemingly empty space about 17 light years away. One sensor detects an emission of gamma rays, another one detected x rays. This caught Hunter's attention as it is unusual for an area of empty space to emit such radiation. Hunter decided to take a look at the area with telescopes. He sent instructions an an infrared, visible light, and a radio telescope to survey the area. He was perplexed that both of them showed absolutely nothing even though the radiation levels were reaching levels that were theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful stars could emit. Because the telescopes couldn't see anything, Hunter was looking at data that told him a massive amount of radiation was either appearing out of nothing, or leaking into our universe. Hunter decoded that he would restart the sensors and receiving satellites to try and make sure these weren't false readings.

&#x200B;

As he was waiting for the sensors to come back on, the infrared telescope he pointed at the area gave an alert. It had detected a momentary spike and drop to normal of heat in the area, which did not match the ever increasing readings from the other sensors. Hunter hoped the sensors would come back on, show nothing, and he could submit a simple sensor anomaly report to his superiors. These hopes were crushed when the sensors started returning information again. Not only did they pick up the radiation again, they were maxed out. Hunter couldn't believe it. He stared in awe, unable to come up with any explanation for what was going on in front of his eyes. Moments later, all the telescopes started giving alerts. The visible light telescope detected light levels akin to a supernova 100 light years away. The radio telescope was showing what could best be described as trying to broadcast every radio station from one antenna. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames.

&#x200B;

Then it all stopped. Everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. Hunter thought it was an issue with the receiving satellites, however a check revealed they were functioning properly. He tried restarting the sensors and telescopes, but simply could not get any data from them. Hunter decided this was unusual enough to report to the officers and senior scientists at the base.

&#x200B;

He called an emergency meeting, having to wake up generals, astronomers, and physicists in the middle of the night. He thought that his news wouldn't be well received at such a time, however his training told him to go through with the protocol right away. After everyone had been assembled and lots of coffee had been consumed, hunter began to present the data and his recollection of the events. He was surprised as the others began to look horrified.

&#x200B;

One of the generals pointed at Hunter and said "Just to be clear son, you can never tell anyone outside this room what you just told us". He then excused hunter from his post, and told him that he would file his honorable discharge papers immediately if Hunter wished to leave the force. "Did I just detect something from out of this world?" Hunter asked the general, to which one of the physicists replied in a solemn tone "Out of this universe".

title: [SF] Far Sight Lost

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about how Hunter felt about his job?

answer: Hunter was not interested in his job and felt that it was a waste of time and resources. He thought his job was a simple one, and that he was being given a simple task. He was also skeptical about his job and thought that the big wigs had been watching too many space operas.

answer: Hunter expressed his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. He is dressed in full uniform, has to have a special security clearance, and works in a secret area of a heavily guarded military facility. All to look at a wall of monitors that tell him the universe looks normal.

answer: Hunter was not interested in his job and felt that it was a waste of time and resources. He thought his job was a simple one, and that he was being given a simple task. He was also skeptical about his job and thought that the big wigs had been watching too many space operas.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarise what significant incident occurred at work while Hunter skeptically assumed his night duty.

answer:
Hunter was on his way to another graveyard shift of monitoring the Distant Detection Array. He expressed his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. He is dressed in full uniform, has to have a special security clearance and works in a secret area of a heavily guarded military facility. He was prepared for another uneventful night of watching nothing happen on the monitors.

At 1:07 pm, some of the sensors started to detect something in a pocket of seemingly empty space about 17 light years away. One sensor detects an emission of gamma rays, another one detected x rays. This caught Hunter's attention as it is unusual for an area of empty space to emit such radiation. Hunter decided to take a look at the area with telescopes. He sent instructions an an infrared, visible light, and a radio telescope to survey the area. He was perplexed that both of them showed absolutely nothing even though the radiation levels were reaching levels that were theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful stars could emit. Because the telescopes couldn't see anything, Hunter was looking at data that told him a massive amount of radiation was either appearing out of nothing, or leaking into our universe. Hunter decoded that he would restart the sensors and receiving satellites to try and make sure these weren't false readings.

As he was waiting for the sensors to come back on, the infrared telescope he pointed at the area gave an alert. It had detected a momentary spike and drop to normal of heat in the area, which did not match the ever increasing readings from the other sensors. Hunter hoped the sensors would come back on, show nothing, and he could submit a simple sensor anomaly report to his superiors. These hopes were crushed when the sensors started returning information again. Not only did they pick up the radiation again, they were maxed out. Hunter couldn't believe it. He stared in awe, unable to come up with any explanation for what was going on in front of his eyes. Moments later, all the telescopes started giving alerts. The visible light telescope detected light levels akin to a supernova 100 light years away. The radio telescope was showing what could best be described as trying to broadcast every radio station from one antenna. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames.

Then it all stopped. Everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. Hunter thought it was an issue with the receiving satellites, however a check revealed they were functioning properly. He tried restarting the sensors and telescopes, but simply could not get any data from them. Hunter decided this was unusual enough to report to the officers and senior scientists at the base.

He called an emergency meeting, having to wake up generals, astronomers, and physicists in the middle of the night. He thought that his news wouldn't be well received at such a time, however his training told him to go through with the protocol right away. After everyone had been assembled and lots of coffee had been consumed, hunter began to present the data and his recollection of the events. He was surprised as the others began to look horrified.

One of the generals pointed at Hunter and said "Just to be clear son, you can never tell anyone outside this room what you just told us". He then excused hunter from his post, and told him that he would file his honorable discharge papers immediately if Hunter wished to leave the force. "Did I just detect something from out of this world?" Hunter asked the general, to which one of the physicists replied in a solemn tone "Out of this universe".

text: This is a copy of a large chunk of the story. It needs to be summarized.

refinement: Hunter works in a secret area of a heavily guarded military facility. Some of the sensors start to detect radiation in a pocket of seemingly empty space about 17 light years away. The infrared telescope shows everything in flames. Then everything observing the anomaly stops transmitting data. Hunter reports it to the officers and senior scientists at the base, who tell him he's just witnessed something out of this universe.

answer: Hunter was assigned to watch over the Distant Detection Array. He began to wonder why they were using the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built. He did his normal night routine of viewing the monitor. The monitors showed that sensors were detecting something. When he saw the radiation levels were high, Hunter used the telescopes to survey the area. What he saw was that the empty space was engulfed in flames.

answer: Hunter was assigned to watch over the Distant Detection Array. He began to wonder why they were using the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built. He did his normal night routine of viewing the monitor. The monitors showed that sensors were detecting something. When he saw the radiation levels were high, Hunter used the telescopes to survey the area. What he saw was that the empty space was engulfed in flames. Hunter was told to never tell anyone what he saw.


text:
A worn and somewhat muscular hand thrust from beneath the surface of a pale blue  mountain fed lake. Dripping with slimy seaweed and lake water the hand paddled furiously. Suddenly, the famous King Arthur shot out of the water, finding himself gasping for air. Arthur’s other hand emerged from the icy depths, paddling against its watery grave. King Arthur sighed a sigh of relief. He was finally home. Where were his people? Had it really been that long?

He spun around, trying to locate the shore. He finally homed in on some birds flying in wide circles high in the sky. Arthur paddled his legs and arms in their general direction, hoping for any sign of relief from this strenuous fight for life.

The swim was hard, but The King had nearly reached the border in which marked the end of this journey, and the beginning of the next. The shore. King Arthur waded through the last bit of water, too tired to swim. “Twilight?” The king spoke with a harsh British accent. It wasn’t really, the polluted air had made it seem darker than it really was.

The King found himself on a silky sand beach, the course rock he once knew had eroded into the perfect sand castle building material. “I have been away many years,” Arthur said in a hushed tone of grief and sorrow. “Whither will I go now?”

Arthur jumped with remembrance, almost forgetting a very important role in his life. He had first seen Excalibur when he was eleven, in a nook of a tree, sitting ever so mocking, telling him to take it and run. He didn’t. But Excalibur stopped at nothing. It came again. Arthur remembered the day vividly. A month day after his twelfth birthday. The same sword, this time screaming at him to take it. He did that time. His only sword and companion had fought many battles since then. Much bloodshed in the name of his people.

The King keeled down on one knee, he raised his hand, and with an inaudible command the sky was ripped apart, revealing a blinding light. Arthur was thrown down, unable to overcome the intense force that Excalibur brought. Then, as soon as it had started, it had ended. The only trace of it ever happening was the sword held in King Arthur's worn right hand.

Arthur walked forward, dripping with sweat, clutching Excalibur with all his might. Although there was nothing to be afraid of, not now. He saw no one and he wondered if his people, all Arthur had worked for, had dyed off. Conquered by another nation. The great and powerful king shuddered at the thought.

King Arthur came to a black strip of land with a yellow stripe down the middle, although he had no idea how they made it, he knew exactly what it was. A road. This was reassuring, to know that his people had progressed in technology. He wasn’t only talking about the road, but the machines that must have used it. Merlin had warned him of that much.

A small drug store, across the road, was the only thing Arthur saw. He was intimidated by the miniature structure. But he tried to believe his people would remember their king of old. Arthur walked in, a small bell sounded. The room was dimly lit, with a man in a black beanie and a gun pointed to the cashier. Arthur saw the look in the thieves eye’s, the most intense gaze of hatred. “Halt! In the name of King Arthur!” The man whirled around in fear and astonishment. He aimed the gun to Arthur's head and squeezed the trigger.

**If I receive enough feedback I would love to continue the adventures of King Arthur! Thanks in advance!**

title: [SP] King Arthur's Return

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about its setting?

answer: The story is set in a lake fed by a mountain. King Arthur swims to the shore and finds himself on a beach. He walks to a road and sees a drug store.

answer: The story takes place on a beach. The King is looking for his people and wondering if they are conquered by another nation. He then walks to a small drugstore. He also sees a road, which he believes is a sign of technological advancement.

answer: The story takes place on a beach. The King is looking for his people and wondering if they are conquered by another nation. He then walks to a small drugstore.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about King Arthur's feelings?

answer: King Arthur is relieved to be home. He is also sad and grief-stricken to have been away for so long. He is also afraid that his people have been conquered by another nation.

answer: King Arthur is overjoyed to be home. He is also very tired after his long swim. He is sad that he has been away for so long. He is also concerned about his people, wondering if they have been conquered by another nation.

answer: King Arthur is overjoyed to be home. He is also very tired after his long swim. He is sad that he has been away for so long. He is also concerned about his people, wondering if they have been conquered by another nation. He is also afraid that his people have died off.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about battle?

answer: No answer

text: Add the mention of battles fought in the past.

refinement: He had fought many battles since taking Excalibur, and shed much blood in the name of his people.

answer: King Arthur has fought many battles with Excalibur and that much bloodshed was in the name of his people.

answer: King Arthur's sword, Excalibur, has fought many battles in the name of his people. It has seen much bloodshed. King Arthur is afraid that his people have been conquered by another nation.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about Arthur and Excalibur?

answer: Arthur is the King of Britain. He has been away for many years and is now home. He has Excalibur, his only sword and companion. He first saw it when he was eleven, but it came again a month after his twelfth birthday. He took it and it has fought many battles since then. Arthur uses Excalibur to command the sky to rip apart.

answer: King Arthur remembers Excalibur's first appearance in a tree. He was eleven at the time. He didn't take it back then. A month later, it appeared again, screaming at him to take it. He did. The sword has been his companion and only weapon. It has fought many battles in the name of his people.

answer: Arthur is the King of Britain. He has been away for many years and is now home. He has Excalibur, his only sword and companion. He first saw it when he was eleven, but it came again a month after his twelfth birthday. He took it and it has fought many battles since then.


text:
The lady’s nightly ritual of  filling the tub with Dove’s Double Power Calming bubble bath (the ladies at the mall swear that stuff will make you feel like you just went to the spa), taking a Valium, and washing it down with a smooth Bud from the fridge do little to stop the nightmares. Night terrors that come like gut wrenching earthquakes, born from the depths of the closet.

“Oh Lord, the closet,” the lady says as she is shaken from her thoughts. She keeps a kiddy night light that she bought from Walmart, a Little Mermaid themed nighty to keep the room more innocent, in the plug across from the bed. This way, when she wakes from a nightmare she can be sure that she is alone in the room, except for Ariella the Nighty of course.

Tonight was no exception to her ritual. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a cold beer, opened her immense medicine cabinet and fiddled with the cap of Valium until she got it open, turned on the hot water in the bathtub, and then poured in the Dove’s bubble bath. As she waited, she looked into the full-length mirror across from the tub.

Over the past year, her hair has seen grey strands accompany her otherwise brown hair, and dark purple bags have appeared under her eyes. Her skin, which she used to pride her 56 year-old self on being so smooth, has turned white and wrinkled. Her belly is plump from the nightly beers and her face has become slightly gaunt. She looks as if she has aged ten years in the past one, no doubt due to the stress of her nightmares, the alcohol, and drugs.

Staring at herself is a reminder of her fear and fills her with dread. Quickly, she pops open the Bud and washes down her pill. If anything can stop the self-shaming and fear, it’s her Happy Pills. She turned off the hot water, kept a little too hot so getting in would take her mind off of the real issue (although she would never admit this to herself) and slowly stepped into the tub.

After her bath, she got into her robe and went to her bed. She dropped the robe, exposing her breasts to Ariella the Nighty, and climbed into bed with her back to the closet. At this point, she tried to think of everything besides what’s in the closet.

“I wonder if Betsy got those pain meds for her husband?”

“I need to cut the grass tomorrow and get the weed out of the garden...”

“The new neighbors across the street really need to get a hold of their rowdy kids, always throwing their football into my yard...”

On and on the superficial thoughts go, but always, like some inevitable storm creeping in, the thought of the closet comes back. The closet’s glare feels piercing to the lady’s back.

“I can’t sleep with you here,” she whispers. “I can’t sleep with you in there.” Her voice is barely audible.

Her feet begin to tingle as the fear creeps in. She’s momentarily frozen to her bed. Knowing what she has to do, she makes herself sit up. She pulls the blanket down off of her hot, baking legs, and swings them down onto the floor. She takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, musters her courage and stands.

She doesn’t move, bute stares deeply and coldly at the closet door.

“You got me again, you bastard.”

She takes a small step toward the closet, unable to to resist its unending call. A car drives by blaring music, hip-hop, but she is numb to the world. Nothing else exists. Just the old, deteriorating woman and her closet that won’t let her sleep, won’t let her have peace, and haunts her mind and imprisons her thoughts.

She takes another small step to the door and kicks an empty beer can. She doesn’t notice. Another step. Another. The steps seem endless until she finally reaches the closet door.

“This is what you’ve been wanting,” she mumbles.

Her fear gives way to anger. Blinding rage. Anger at the sleepless nights. Anger because her life has been taken from her and given to this monster that feeds on her.

“Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” she screams as she swings the closet door open as hard as she can. The door hits the big toe on her right foot, breaking her toenail and making it bleed, but she doesn’t notice. Her eyes are wide open, ready to face the beast that holds her hostage. Her brow is furrowed, mouth a small slit, she is ready to fight, ready to rid herself of the monster. She makes contact with the beast’s eyes, and he stares right back into hers.

On the bottom of the otherwise empty closet sits an old, dusty photo. A photo whose color has begun to fade and edges have wrinkled from use. In the photo, a man with large green eyes stares up at the lady. The eyes of the beast.

Just as quickly, her anger turns into despair. She falls to her knees and grabs the old photo, holding it to her breast. She weeps. She weeps for the days when he was here. Then, the house was brighter, the window curtains pushed aside to allow sunlight in. Now, the sunlight doesn’t even come into the house. The window is like some force field keeping the daylight out.

The woman wept for a long time. Finally, she was able to brush away enough tears to look back into the closet. An old newspaper article lie on the floor. She grabbed it and read for the thousandth-time “Car Crash on I-20 Kills Family, Only Wife Survives”. She closed her eyes for a second, taking in the weight of the heading about the poor family. Her family.

She began to get the shakes. On the floor was one last photo, lying face down. She knew what is in the photo, but couldn’t bare to look. Her trembles got worse, so she leaned against the wall for support. Unable to stop herself, she grabbed the photo from the floor, flipped it around, and stared into the eyes of her children. She fell over clutching the photo. With not more tears to shed, she just lay there wrapped in the arms of the beast.

She awakes the next morning with sunlight hitting her face. She puts the photos and newspaper clippings back into the closet, making sure to put her children facedown and everything back in the same order. She makes coffee, then goes out front for some fresh air. She feels hungover, but she knows it’s not from the beer.

Outside, the Sun is shining, but she doesn’t see it. The wind is blowing, but she can’t feel it. The kids are playing across the street and she watches them. As she turns to walk back inside, she hears a noise from around the corner of the house. She walks around and sees a dog going through her trash.

The dog’s ribs are showing and it steps back in fright. The lady walks into the house to get a cold weiner from the fridge. She comes back out with the food and the dog nervously approaches her. The dog takes the food, eats it, and is transformed by the generosity. The dog wags its tail.

“Oh, you like that? You look a bit broken, pooch. Do you mind if I call you that? I bet not. Pooch it is. Well, Pooch, I’m a bit broken too. I think everyone is a bit broken inside. How about we be broken together? What do you say?”

Pooch licked her hand, and she smiled.

title: [RF] Realistic Fiction The Closet

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about why the lady was having frequent nightmares?

answer: The lady was having frequent nightmares because of the closet.

answer: No answer

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about what the nightly rituals include and why she performed them?

answer: ' the lady’s nightly ritual of filling the tub with Dove’s Double Power Calming bubble bath, taking a Valium, and washing it down with a smooth Bud from the fridge' means she is sleepy and has some kind of alcohol (she favors Bud) before she hits the sack. She does all this because she has nightmares about a closet she keeps shut tight behind a door.

text: There are several grammatical and syntactical errors in the first sentence.

refinement: "The lady’s nightly ritual of filling the tub with Dove’s Double Power Calming bubble bath, taking a Valium, and washing it down with a smooth Bud from the fridge," is a quote from the passage describing the habits of the woman before bed. She does all this because she has nightmares about a closet she keeps shut tight behind a door.

text: The second sentence misconstrues the main concept of the story, which is that the woman is haunted by the memories of her dead family. The mementos of her family are stored in said closet.

refinement: "The lady’s nightly ritual of filling the tub with Dove’s Double Power Calming bubble bath, taking a Valium, and washing it down with a smooth Bud from the fridge," is a quote from the passage describing the habits of the woman before bed. She does all this because she has nightmares about her family that died in a tragic car accident.

answer: The lady's nightly ritual includes filling the tub with Dove's Double Power Calming bubble bath, taking a Valium, and washing it down with a Bud from the fridge. She does this to stop the nightmares.

answer: ' the lady’s nightly ritual of filling the tub with Dove’s Double Power Calming bubble bath, taking a Valium, and washing it down with a smooth Bud from the fridge' means she is sleepy and has some kind of alcohol (she favors Bud) before she hits the sack. She does all this because she has nightmares about a closet she keeps shut tight behind a door. She also has a nightlight to make sure she is alone in the room.


text:
Sharon didn't want his death the be too painful, even though that bastard deserved it. Cheating on her with that bitch at the office. Not his office even, her office. Her husband Mike would often visit her at work during lunch. It was always a surprise to see him there, right when Sharon got back from lunch, sitting in her desk chair.
	“Hey Sharon!” He would say with that toothless smile she had grown to hate. “Just got finished with all my work for the day so I thought I’d drop by and see you.” He would chirp, or something along those lines. But this particular day something different happened. Mike was there, but he wasn't waiting in Sharon’s chair. No, Mike was coming out of her coworker’s office. Sharon saw her giggle at him as he left and make a sly shhhh sign with her finger. They both nervously laughed as Mike walked away with a prideful grin on his face. He would almost always have with him chocolate cheesecake- Sharon’s favorite food. Then they would eat together and Mike would give her a short peck on the lips and leave. That’s how she knew he was cheating on her. She tasted something on Mike’s lips that day, something sweet. It wasn't the chocolate cheesecake though. No, this was a sweet strawberry flavor upon his this lips that she tasted.
	Mike made a lot of money. He was a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. Sharon hardly made any money. She didn't even have to work actually, Mike made more than enough to keep them both more than alive and happy. Mike was kinda famous too. He wrote the political cartoons for the paper. Sometimes people would recognize him in resturaunts or places like that. They would come up to him with a big smile and shake his hand or ask for a picture. They wouldn’t even acknowledge Sharon. And that made her mad.
	Melissa. That’s the bitch that was doing her husband at her workplace. Sharon wasn’t completely sure it was Melissa, but it was most likely her. Melissa wasn't even that pretty, at least not in Sharon’s eyes. Melissa had to have been at least forty with her brown hair that was starting to show strands of grey. Sharon’s hair had more grey in her blonde hair, she used products to keep it from showing, but it never seemed to work for her. Melissa was also kinda plump. Not fat by any means, but not close to skinny either. Sharon was skinny. Too skinny. She had lost a lot of weight lately and she didn't know why. Maybe Mike didn't like her being skinny, maybe he wanted something more plump like Melissa. That’s what Sharon figured at least.
	Poison. That’s how Mike was going to die. Sharon got the poison from a guy in the city. She knew from some of the ladies in her office that he could get anybody anything that they want, drugs, guns it didn't matter. “I’ve actually never done drugs before, not even in high school or college.” Sharon overheard Melissa saying one day. That bitch.
	“You’ve outdone yourself this time sweetie.” Mike said as he finished the potato soup that Sharon made him. Mike loved potato soup. He was always pestering Sharon to buy it for him. Sharon put the poison in the potato soup, the dealer said it was tasteless and the affects of the poison would kick in in about 6 hours. After dinner they cuddled on the couch. She actually liked being with him like this. It was a shame he had to die. Oh well, he shouldn't have cheated on her. They were in love for 15 years. Their anniversary was just last week and Mike took her ballroom dancing, something they both found out they were getting too old for.
	“I love you so much.” Michael whispered into her ear. His breath smelled like potato soup.
	Sharon smiled at him and stared back into his dark brown eyes. “I love you too babe.” And they started kissing like they were teenagers again, sitting in the back of Mike’s chevy truck.
	Sharon tasted something horrible in her mouth while they were kissing. It tasted like potato soup but something wet and metallic. “The hell, Mike?” Sharon asked as she pushed him away.
	Mike was bleeding. Everywhere. There was blood streaming out of his mouth, but that’s not the only place it was pouring out of. His eyes, ears and nose were all spewing out dark red blood. Sharon screamed. And so did Michael. The look of terror and pain in his eyes suddenly made Sharon forget that he was a dirty cheater. Mike was crying too. She could see the tears over the blood that was now all over his face. Michael was still on top of Sharon while all of this was going on. His blood was all over her body and white blouse.
	“Sharon.” Mike garbled as blood came spitting out if his mouth and onto Sharon and her opened mouth. “Help. 911.” He spewed quickly. But Sharon didn't move. She didn't know what to do. Mike was on top of her and wouldn't move. Couldn't move, so it seemed. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't supposed to end like this. The dealer told Sharon that Mike would just die in his sleep. No pain. No blood spewing out of every orrfice in the man’s body. Mike’s torture went on for about forty-five minutes. And then he finally died, laying on top of his wife. Sharon carefully pushed him off of her and onto the floor. She took her blood-soaked clothes off and got in the shower. She was just getting out of the shower when the doorbell rang. “One minute!” she cried out. Sharon wasn’t thinking about her dead husband’s tortured body laying in the living room floor. Sharon wasn’t really thinking about anything at all. She opened the door. And there was Melissa.
	“Happy birthday, Sharon!” Melissa happily shouted. Behind here were probably twenty people. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Mike for an hour now, this was supposed to be a surprise birthday party. Mike and I planned it ourselves. We were scared that you caught us when you saw him leaving my office a couple weeks ago after you got back from lunch. We even picked out a perfect flavor of cake for you, of course we had to sample some cake ourselves” she giggled. “We finally decided on strawberry.”

title: [MF] A Good Wife

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the double plot twist.

answer: The double plot twist occurs in quick succession. The narrator passes a strange birthday party with a coworker at the husband's disappearing. Melissa, the coworker, reassures her and mentions her taste in birthday cakes. Then Sharon remembers the chocolate cheesecake that her unfaithful husband brought to her in secrecy. She knows then that he is the man with whom she had the affair that cost him his life. Sharon doesn't want Mike to die, so she tries to warn him that the cake is poisoned. Mike doesn't want to lose her, so he tries to swallow it all when he realizes that Sharon has not eaten any of the cake. He dies a most painful death after laying his body on top of his wife for about an hour in a bloodbath.

text:
- Sharon never spoke with Melissa about cakes, at least before Mike's death.
- Mike never brought Sharon a chocolate cheesecake in secret.
- Sharon never warned Mike that the cake is poisoned; the cake was not poisoned.
- Mike did not like on top of Sharon for an hour.
- Some of the sentences, like the second and fifth, make little sense in the whole context of the response.

refinement: The double plot twist occurs in quick succession. Sharon found out that the poison's effect was more gruesome than she's prepared to handle. She also discovered that Mike was not cheating on her with Melissa but planning a secret birthday party in order to surprise Sharon.

category_text: This response has an accuracy and coherence problem - one cannot be solved without the other.

answer: Mike's wife revealed to the reader, and the wife Sharon, that Mike had planned a birthday surprise party for Sharon with Melissa. However, when Sharon was murdered Mike was not planning a surprise party

text: The response only covered a single double twist.

refinement: Firstly, Sharon was not expecting the poison to be so deadly, painful, and gruesome to witness on Mike. Mike's wife revealed to the reader, and the wife Sharon, that Mike had planned a birthday surprise party for Sharon with Melissa.

answer: While Sharon initially believed she'd caught them, the fact that Mike tasted a strawberry cream flavor on Melissa's lips led Sharon to believe that Mike was ravishing Melissa too.

answer: The double plot twist occurs in quick succession. The narrator passes a strange birthday party with a coworker's hate at the husband's disappearing. Melissa, the coworker, reassures her and mentions her taste in birthday cakes. Then Sharon remembers the chocolate cheesecake that her unfaithful husband brought to her in secrecy. She knows then that he is the man with whom she had the affair that cost him his life. Sharon doesn't want Mike to die, so she tries to warn him that the cake is poisoned. Mike doesn't want to lose her, so he tries to swallow it all when he realizes that Sharon has not eaten any of the cake. He dies a most painful death after laying his body on top of his wife for about an hour in a bloodbath.

answer: Sharon's husband had planned a birthday surprise party for Sharon with Melissa. However, when Sharon was murdered Mike was not planning a surprise party.

answer: In the first twist, Sharon thinks Mike is cheating when she sees he him leaving another woman's office, but is surprised that he's cheating on her with another woman. She realizes it's a cruel trick. She poisons him because she doesn't want him to cheat on her. The second surprise comes when Sharon opens the door and sees that she killed Mike while he was with Melissa to celebrate her birthday. Later, Melissa reveals that the cake was supposed to be Sharon's birthday cake.

text: - The twist was not Sharon realizing Mike was cheating.

refinement: In the first twist, Sharon was shocked to find out the gruesome nature of the poison, unlike what she was told before she purchased it. The second surprise comes when Sharon opens the door and sees that she killed Mike while he was with Melissa to celebrate her birthday. Later, Melissa reveals that the cake was supposed to be Sharon's birthday cake.

text: The second sentence is hard to comprehend, especially the description of Melissa opening the door and "sees that she killed Mike".

refinement: In the first twist, Sharon was shocked to find out the gruesome nature of the poison, unlike what she was told before she purchased it. The second surprise comes when Sharon opens the door to see Melissa delivering a birthday cake with an explanation that the cake is for Sharon and had been planned in secret alongside Mike.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the reasons Sharon decides to kill Mike.

answer: Sharon is angry that Mike is cheating on her. She wants revenge. She doesn’t like the idea that he likes the taste of Melissa better than her, and believes she’s fatter and more attractive than Michael’s mistress. She wants to make Mike suffer, and that’s why Sharon decides to kill him.

text: The latter part of the response is untrue - Sharon is not fatter than Melissa.

refinement: Sharon is angry that Mike is cheating on her. She wants revenge. She wants to make Mike suffer, and that’s why Sharon decides to kill him.

answer: Sharon loses weight. She also fears he's cheating on her with Melissa. Her main motivation for killing him seems to be that he cheated on her. Furthermore, she doesn't want to forgive him for the cheating.

text: The fact that Sharon loses weight has little to do with the question in the overall context of the response.

refinement: Sharon fears he's cheating on her with Melissa. Her main motivation for killing him seems to be that he cheated on her. Furthermore, she doesn't want to forgive him for the cheating.

answer: It seems that the reasons for Sharon killing Mike are that Mike cheated on her. She further states that he also likes skinny women and that may be the reason he did it. This leads to Sharon feeling violated and in turn deciding to murder Mike.

text: According to the article, Sharon does not think Mike cheated because he loves skinny women.

refinement: It seems that the reason for Sharon killing Mike is that Mike cheated on her. She detests that it was his co-worker he was sleeping with. Though Sharon thinks the lady (Melissa) is unattractive, she reckons Mike may be attracted to her because she has more meat on the bones than she does. This leads to Sharon feeling violated and in turn deciding to murder Mike.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the source of tension in the article.

answer: Everything about the relationship of Sharon and her husband Mike seems perfect. The writer creates tension between three parties: Mike and Sharon, Sharon and Melissa ("cherry" flavor cake, chocolate cheesecake) and everyone else who seems to consider Mike popular and blessed (Sharon is jealous of the attention and is bitter about Melissa being more slender). She covets his attention.

text: Sharon is not jealous of Melissa being slender.

refinement: Everything about the relationship between Sharon and her husband Mike seems perfect. The writer creates tension between three parties: Mike and Sharon, Sharon and Melissa ("cherry" flavor cake, chocolate cheesecake). Everyone considers Mike popular and blessed; he is well-liked by people is seen to be with Melissa a lot in recent weeks. This riles up Sharon as she covets his attention.

answer: Sharon has discovered her husband has been cheating on her with her coworker Melissa and is thinking of killing her husband. On the day he's supposed to die, Sharon decides to put poison in the potato soup. When her husband is eating it, he spills some and tastes it. The poison is meant to be tasteless and to cause paralysis, but her husband has tasting capabilities left and begins to scream for help. Then his torture begins as Sharon stands there horrified and horrified tries to position his body after he's dead. Melissa arrives and the tension mounts, but it seems as though he's not dead right away.

text:
- Mike did not spill his food.
- Mike's tasting abilities has nothing to do with the poison's effect.
- Mike was dead by the time Melissa arrived.

refinement: Sharon has discovered her husband has been cheating on her with her coworker Melissa and is thinking of killing her husband. On the day he's supposed to die, Sharon decides to put poison in the potato soup. The poison is meant to be tasteless and to cause paralysis, but it caused Mike a lot of pain and made blood come out of his mouth. Mike dies and Melissa soon arrives, explaining to Sharon that she and Mike had been planning a surprise party for her.

answer: Sharon realizes that Mike is cheating on her with Melissa and pictures her with him. This tension comes to a head when Sharon realizes that Mike has cyanide in his food when he struggles to speak and keep dying horribly.

text: Melissa knew there was poison in Mike's food because she put it there.

refinement: Sharon realizes that Mike is cheating on her with Melissa. This tension comes to a head when Sharon poisons Mike and Melissa appears at the door with 20 people shortly after to wish Sharon a happy birthday.

answer: Everything about the relationship of Sharon and her husband Mike seems perfect. They are in love and Mike takes Sharon to a ballroom dancing which they were both scared they were too old for. So it is ironic when Sharon sees Mike kissing another woman, Melissa, in the office. Sharon is angry not just because it raises questions of infidelity but because she anticipated years of a happy marriage interrupted. The same feeling comes up when Mike is scolded for leaving Sharon immediately after the attack.

text: The last sentence makes no sense in the context of the whole response.

refinement: Everything about the relationship between Sharon and her husband Mike seems perfect. They are in love and Mike takes Sharon to a ballroom dancing which they were both scared they were too old for. So it is ironic when Sharon sees Mike kissing another woman, Melissa, in the office. Sharon is angry not just because it raises questions of infidelity but because she anticipated years of a happy marriage interrupted.

answer: Sharon has discovered her husband, Mike, has been cheating on her with her coworker, Melissa, and is thinking of killing Mike. On the day he's meant to die, Sharon decides to put poison in the potato soup. When her husband eats it, he spills some and tastes. The poison is meant to be tasteless, but her husband has tasting capabilities left and begins to scream for help. Then his torture begins as Sharon stands there horrified and tries to position his body after he's dead. Melissa arrives and the tension mounts, but it seems as though he's not dead right away.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Explain how Sharon is going to get herself out of the situation now that Melissa and other guests have arrived, and Mike is lying there dead.

answer: Sharon sees Shirley's body

text: There is no character named Shirley in the article.

answer: No answer

answer: Arouse some suspicion and believability for as many as possible about Mike's death/murder.

text: The response does not go into full detail on how this strategy will be realized. The idea itself makes little sense considering it was only Mike and Sharon in the room.

answer: Getting out of the situation before Melissa could notice that something was wrong would mean getting rid of the body. However Sharon was slow as lacking perceptual motor speed due to hypoxia from having been under the embrace of a rapidly decomposing corpse. The story noted that Sharon never revived from the shock of her husband's sudden death, preferring to stream herself under the shower.

answer: It is likely that Melissa will go out of her way to prove that Mike had deep feelings for her.


text:
The 2019–20 UNC GREENSBORO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM represents the University of North Carolina at Greensboro during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 5th-year head coach Trina Patterson, play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium. They are members of the Southern Conference (SoCon)

Previous season

The Spartans finished the 2018-2019 season 11-19, 5-9 in conference play. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament to Chattanooga. Nadine Soliman was named to the All-Southern Conference first-team, and Te'ja Twitty was named to the All-Southern Conference second-team.

Roster

Schedule and results

|- !colspan=12 style=|Non-conference regular season |- !colspan=12 style=|SoCon regular season |- !colspan=9 style=| SoCon Tournament

Category:UNC Greensboro Spartans basketball

title: 2019–20 UNC Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who is Trina Patterson?`

answer: 5th-year head coach Trian Patterson.

text: More detail needs to be added to this response to properly answer this question.

refinement: UNC Greensboro Women's basketball,5th-year head coach, is who Trian Patterson is.

answer: UNC Greensboro women's basketball team's head coach

answer: Trina Patterson is the head coach of the UNC Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team.

answer: Trina Patterson is the head coach of the 2019–20 UNC Greensboro women's basketball team. She is in her 5th year in the role.

answer: s 5th year head coach who leads the Spartans

text: A small typo error needs to be fixed and some more specific detail needs to be added.

refinement: A 5th year head coach who leads the UNC Greensboro Women's Basketball team, the Spartans.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Where do The Spartans play their home games?

answer: They play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium.

answer: At Fleming Gymnasium

answer: Fleming Gymnasium.

answer: The Spartans play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium.

answer: The Spartans play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Who did The Spartans lose to in the previous season?

answer: The Spartans lost to Chattanooga in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament.

answer: The Spartans lost to Chattanooga in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament.

answer: The Spartans lost in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament to Chattanooga.

answer: The team lost in the quarter finals game to the University of Chattanooga.

text: University in this response needs to be omitted because it is not something that can be assumed.

refinement: The team lost in the quarter finals game to Chattanooga.

answer: They lost to Chattanooga in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

How many titles do The Spartans hold?

answer: The Spartans hold one Southern Conference title.

text: This response is incorrect as the answer to the question is not found in the article and this response needs to be re-written.

refinement: It is not stated how many titles the Spartans hold.

answer: This information is not found in the article.

answer: The Spartans hold one title.

text: This is an inaccurate answer and a correct answer needs to be written.

refinement: It is not stated in the passage how many titles the Spartans hold.

answer: It is unclear how many they hold as this is not specified.

answer: Information not found.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 2019–20 UNC Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team is led by their head coach, Trina Patterson, for the 5th year. The Spartans previously lost to Chattanooga in the 2018-19 Southern Conference quarterfinals.

answer: The UNC Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team begins their season after an 11-19 showing in 2018-2019. They are led by 5th-year head coach Trina Patterson and will play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium in the Southern Conference.

answer: The 2019-20 UNC Greensboro women's basketball team begins the season with fifth-year head coach Trina Patterson leading the way. They will compete in the SoCon conference and look to improve upon their 11-19 record from last season.

answer: This article describes the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team. The article states their current standing, improvement from previous seasons, and lists their schedule and results.

answer: The 2019 UNC Greensboro Spartans women's basketball team will represent the University of North Carolina at Greensboro during the 2019 - 2020 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 5th-year head coach Trina Patterson, play their home games at Fleming Gymnasium.