text:
The River
Since I was young I had always found closure in the river next to my home.  I would always go and camp by the riverside whenever I had the chance.  The feeling was like no other to get away from the business of life and relax in the stillness that nature had to offer.
I recall one time I went camping.  The day started off like every other day, I woke up in my one man tent to the comfort of my Colman sleeping bag.  The crisp, morning air scorched my nostrils as I slowly rose from my slumber.  I exited my tent and stood still in my camp listening to the slow, rhythmic splashes of the river.  The sound put my mind into a trance as I tried to shake the sleepiness that the morning brings.  While standing still I heard the giggling of a group of girls.  An early morning tubing brigade was in the making.  One could tell just by looking at this group that this was not their first time around the bend.  There were about four of them, each with their individual coolers that were probably not filled with pop and bottled water.
Knowing the history of the Crow Wing River I assumed that these girls were going to slowly float down to the bridge trying to catch an early morning buzz.  With each empty beer they would gossip about boys and try to one up each other with their “personal” experiences.  I had to chuckle softly to myself, thinking of what those girls were going to talk about, and knowing that I was going to join them on the river in the hours to come.
I turned my back to the river and headed for my cooler, trying to find something to cure my morning hunger.  I opened the lid and found six beers, a loaf of wheat bread, some venison steaks, and a freezer bag of premade pancakes.  I pulled out the pancakes and opened the bag. A brief smell of stale bread brushed my nose, but I was too hungry to care.  I sat in my folding chair as I ate my breakfast.  While I sat and ate, I listened to the music of the woods.  The birds were singing their good morning song, the trees creaking to the light wind that wisped over the land.  I ate half of the bag of pancakes and threw the rest into the woods so the birds could have breakfast as well.
I started to clean up my camp a bit and get ready for the day’s activities.  I had planned on tubing the river that day, and that is what I was going to do.  I retrieved my tube from the back of my car and took out the cold Bud Light’s that were in my cooler.  Being only sixteen at the time I was at risk of getting caught, but the area was so remote that there was only a slight chance.  I made my way down to the river, slowly wading in to check the water.  The water was cold, but not shockingly cold.  I was only knee deep in the water and I threw my tube in.  With beer in hand I submerged my body underneath the water.  There was a momentary pain in my trunks, but it went away fast as my whole body was chilled.  I came up next to my tube and climbed in.  The sun was beaming down on my body and it felt good on my freshly chilled skin.  I started rowing with my hands trying to find the right spot in the river where I could just sit and let the current do all the work.
 I made my way down the river, sipping on my beer and lost in my thoughts.  My mind started running with all of my life’s stresses, school, grades, football and girls.  I, not knowingly, entered the first of many bends in the river and became stuck on the edge.  On one side there was a forest filled with brush and on the other was a small meadow where deer were known to bed.  I was brought back from my thoughts as I was stuck for a short while.  When I looked up I was presented with a picturesque scene.  A faun was jumping around in the meadow, happy to be alive.  I could tell it was young from the spots it still had.  The faun seemed to have not a care in the world, rolling in the grass that grew thick in the meadow.  I slowly pushed off from the shore, still looking at this being full of life.  I quietly passed by the faun, yet midway through I had to cough.  The noise shook the little deer and its ears perked up.  The faun found my position in the river and I froze solid, trying not to make it run away. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.  As I slowly moved with the river I lost contact with the faun, but heard it resume frolicking in its meadow.
I started to think of the faun, how it didn’t scare when it saw me, how it found me nonthreatening and how its will to play was greater than its will to run.  I pondered our meeting while the river swept me away.  The faun was stricken with fear when it saw me, yet it overcame that fear so it could play and be happy.  I was transfixed by this topic until the river brought me to a group of five children; all of them not older then thirteen.  They were swinging from a rope tied onto a tree that grew over the river.  They were taking turns grabbing onto the rope and swinging into the water.  Nothing could break their happiness.  They were laughing as each one hit the water and came up with a huge grin.  As I watched I thought how lucky they were, to be young and not care about the stresses that I had to endure.  All they knew was that swinging off the rope into the river was fun and that is all they needed to know.
I made my way farther down the river still thinking about the faun and the children when I came across a tree that had fallen into the river.  I put my hands in the water and maneuvered around the fallen tree.  As I passed I started wondering how that could be, how the tree was so tall and scraping the sky one day and the next it was dead in the water.  The idea hit me that all trees do is stay stationary in one spot all of their life, waiting for death to fall upon them.  They wait and watch as the world around them bustles with life, not able to do anything about it.  They wait for their roots to give out and just the right amount of wind to push them over.  All they can do is sit and wait for their demise.
The current then took me farther down the river and I could see my destination.  My destination was Mary Brown Bridge.  The bridge was covered in graffiti from each graduating class of the surrounding schools.  As I came closer I could hear the slurred yelling from the group of girls that left before me.  They were standing on the side of the bridge jumping into the river like it was their job.  After each one would jump they would whoop and holler, while they took another chug of beer.  I made it to the bank of the bridge and slowly rose from my tube, I didn’t realize how much I had actually drunk on the river, and I stumbled my way up onto the bridge.  The girls noticed my presence and beckoned me to join them in their end of float fun.  As I walked to the side of the bridge fear overcame my body.  The risk of drowning subdued me from jumping as I placed my hands on the wall and looked down at the water.  The river was high this year so the current was really strong, especially under the bridge.
My legs started to buckle in fear as the girls provoked me to jump.  I started thinking about the children that didn’t care if they got hurt jumping into the river; they were having too much fun.  I thought of the faun and how it overcame its fear so it could frolic around, not caring who was watching.  I thought about how the tree stood still its whole life, and then died without any accomplishments, how it was alive one day and gone the next.  The risk of drowning started to die down and courage arose within me.  Life is too short to not take risks, to not have fun.  I then got up on the edge of the bridge, the girls started to cheer, and I jumped.

title: I wrote this awhile back, hope you guys like it.

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

Why did the narrator find closure in the riverside?

answer: The narrator found closure in the river because it offered them time away from their hectic life. They were able to relax and unwind in a place that is quiet and peaceful and give themselves a moment to reflect on their life. They found solace in nature and in the connection with other beings they witnessed along the way. The risk of jumping into the water was at first scary, but they overcame their fear and jumped anyway in order to just have fun and make memories. This act of bravery gave them a feeling of accomplishment and peace.

text: Extra details in the answer distracts from the question.

refinement: The narrator found closure in the river because it offered them time away from their hectic life. They were able to relax and unwind in a place that is quiet and peaceful and give themselves a moment to reflect on their life. They found solace in nature and in the connection with other beings they witnessed along the way.

answer: Information can't be found.

text: There are a list of reasons why the narrator found closure in the riverside.

refinement: The riverside was a place the narrator could relax in its serenity. It was a peaceful place they could relax and unwind.

answer: He could get away from his one man tent and the "business of life"

text: It misses to mention that the narrator could relax in the stillness of nature.

refinement: He could get away from the "business of life" and relax in the stillness of nature.

answer: The narrator found closure in the riverside because of its simplicity and serenity. The beauty of the river and its surroundings allowed for reflection and relaxation, providing the narrator with an escape from the stresses of everyday life.

answer: Unclear.

text: There are a list of reasons why the narrator found closure in the riverside.

refinement: The riverside was a place the narrator could relax in its serenity. It was a peaceful place they could relax and unwind, getting away from the "business of life".

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

Why would the narrator join the girls?

answer: He wants to fit in with groups of girls.

text: It misses to mention that the narrator thinks that life is too short to not have fun or take risks.

refinement: He wants to fit in with groups of girls, thinking that life was too short to not have fun or take risks.

answer: The narrator joins the girls because they seemed to be having fun despite the risks and in spite of the stresses in their lives. The narrator became inspired by the faun and the kids to take a risk and jump off the bridge. This courage gives them a sense of freedom and adventure.

answer: Information can't be found.

text: It misses to mention that the narrator thinks that life is too short to not have fun or take risks.

refinement: He wants to fit in with groups of girls, thinking that life was too short to not have fun or take risks.

answer: The narrator joined the girls because they had fun doing something that he himself had been hesitant to do. The narrator realized that life is too short to not take risks and he decided it was worth the risk to join the girls and have fun jumping into the river.

answer: To just do the same with them?

text: It misses to mention that the narrator thinks that life is too short to not have fun or take risks.

refinement: To just do the same with them and have fun as life was too short.

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

Why was the narrator so intrigued by the faun?

answer: The narrator was intrigued by the faun because of its seeming lack of fear despite being face-to-face with a much larger, unfamiliar being. The faun seemed to be at peace, happy and unperturbed by the circumstances or environment it found itself in. The narrator wanted to understand this lightheartedness in the face of possible danger. The night also allowed opportunities to free the mind from all the stresses of day-to-day life--which was how the narrator found peace and relaxation when camping by the river.

text: Extra details in the answer distracts from the question.

refinement: The narrator was intrigued by the faun because of its seeming lack of fear despite being face-to-face with a much larger, unfamiliar being. The faun seemed to be at peace, happy and unperturbed by the circumstances or environment it found itself in.

answer: He was intrigued by how the faun overcame its fear of the narrator and continued jumping through the woods to have fun.

answer: The narrator was intrigued by the faun because it overcame its fear in order to enjoy life. The fact that the faun was living life unselfishly, even in the face of potential danger, made an impression on the narrator. Additionally, living its life in nature allowed it to appreciate smaller details, like the meadow grass.

answer: He thinks of how the faun found him nonthreatening and how its will to play was greater than its will to run.

answer: He was young and didn't have to care about the stress of the world yet.

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

Why was the narrator so fascinated by the children?

answer: The narrator was fascinated by the children because they were happy and without any stress. The narrator recognized that the children were blessed to not have to worry about school, grades, and relationships like he did. This lack of stress and worry allowed the children to just have fun and enjoy life. The simplicity that the children displayed made the narrator appreciate the moments of fun he had each day.

text: Extra details in the answer distracts from the question.

refinement: The narrator was fascinated by the children because they were happy and without any stress. The narrator recognized that the children were blessed to not have to worry about school, grades, and relationships like he did.

answer: It is unclear.

text: "Nothing could break their happiness" is evidence that suggests why the narrator was fascinated by the children.

refinement: Because they were happy and without any stress and seemed like nothing could break their happiness.

answer: The narrator was fascinated by the children because they were seemingly fearless and full of life. While the narrator typically took solace in nature when he needed to relax, the meeting with the children was particularly touching because of their refreshing innocence and playfulness. The children made the narrator rethink the way he approached life and made him realize what was really important.

answer:
Perhaps for the same reason that he felt he needed to be entering adulthood faster than he was; that he saw other children as carefree and happy in his daydreams.

It's also possible that the narrator was an outsider to this group, lacking friends, and felt a bit lonely.

and bored

text: It misses to mention that the narrator was fascinated by the children's lack of fear and full of life and nothing could break their happiness.

refinement: Perhaps for the children's lack of fear and full of life. Nothing could break their happiness. It's also possible that the narrator was an outsider, lacking friends, and felt a bit lonely.

answer: He was fascinated by how the children weren't worried about falling into the river because they were too busy having fun.

text: It misses to include how nothing could break their happiness on how full of life they were.

refinement: He was fascinated by how the children weren't worried about falling into the river because they were too busy having fun. Nothing could break their happiness and how full of life they were.

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

What did the fallen tree represent to the narrator?

answer: The tree represents the dreary banality of life. Their situation represents standing complacent, trying desperately to maintain life through trivial pursuits.

text: It misses to mention that for the narrator the fallen tree represented death and standing around waiting for its own demise.

refinement: The tree represents the dreary banality of life. Their situation represents standing complacent, trying desperately to maintain life through trivial pursuits. It helped the narrator decide to live life to the fullest and take risks.

answer: The tree represented aging and inevitability of death, yet even then, overcoming the fear of death had its rewards.

text: It misses to mention that for the narrator the fallen tree represented death and standing around waiting for its own demise.

refinement: The tree represented aging and inevitability of death, yet even then, overcoming the fear of death had its rewards. It also represented standing around waiting for its own demise which helped the narrator have fun and take risks.

answer: The tree represented a lack of courage. The narrator wishes they do not end up like the tree, just staying still without any accomplishments.

answer: The fallen tree represented death. The tree waited expectantly for its ultimate demise, while watching life surround it without being able to participate. The risk of drowning stopped the narrator from even considering jumping in the water at first, but after thinking about other examples of life and its risky nature, the narrator was able to muster up courage and jump in the river anyway. The tree represented a sort of demise, and as the narrator overcame his own fear and jumped in the river, he experienced joy similar to that of the faun and the children he watched earlier. The fallen tree ultimately represented something of fear and something to overcome in life - and it was overcome through being willing to take risks and enjoy life.

answer: The fallen tree represented the inevitability of death. The tree stood still for its whole life, just waiting for its moment to fall. The tree put everything else around it into perspective and made the narrator realize the importance of living life to its fullest, taking risks, and having fun.

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

What motivated the narrator to make the jump?

answer: He knew that life is short.

answer: He came to the realization that the world is too short not to have fun, not take risks and hang out with new people.

text: Correction that 'life is too short' instead of 'the world is too short'

refinement: He came to the realization that the world is too short not to have fun, not take risks and hang out with new people.

answer: He thought about the faun and the children who did not let fear stop them from enjoying the moment.

answer: The narrator was motivated by courage to take the jump into the river. They overcame their fear of drowning so they could have fun like the other children and faun in the river.

answer: The narrator was motivated to make the jump by the desire for fun and adventure. Fear of the risk of drowning ultimately gave way to courage.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator takes a stroll through the woods near the riverside. He comes across a faun, that was initially afraid of him. The narrator is fascinated by how fearless became, and how happy it was jumping around. The faun leads him to a group of children, happily swinging over the river. Eventually, the drunk narrator tries to jump across the river to get to a group of girls he'd spotted earlier. He builds up his courage by reminding himself of how courageous the faun and the children were and how life is too short not to take risks.

answer: The narrator waits for the "early morning tubing brigade", a group of four girls who had plenty of booze for getting drunk. An early morning river is where they had planned to be. He travels down to the river with beers, bread, meat, pancakes, and a tent; he camps along the river. He wakes up and is caught up in the beauty of nature. He paddles alone, pondering the wonderment of nature, and reaches Mary Brown Bridge where he plans to have fun with the girls. His idea of watching a group of children play and lie in tall grass after they reach the river soothes him. He sees fauns jumping over the meadows; the girls call him over, which also encourages him to jump into the river.

text: It misses to mention that the narrator realized that life was too short to not have fun or take risks after analyzing children playing fearlessly playing in the river and a faun without a care in the world.

refinement: The narrator waits for the "early morning tubing brigade", a group of four girls who had plenty of booze for getting drunk. An early morning river is where they had planned to be. He travels down to the river with beers, bread, meat, pancakes, and a tent; he camps along the river. He wakes up and is caught up in the beauty of nature. He paddles alone, pondering the wonderment of nature, and reaches Mary Brown Bridge where he plans to have fun with the girls. His idea of watching a group of children play and lie in tall grass after they reach the river soothes him. He sees fauns jumping over the meadows; the girls call him over, which also encourages him to jump into the river realizing that life was too short to not take risks.

answer: The protagonist recalls memories of camping by the Crow Wing River and encountering various creatures. While tubing one morning, the protagonist encounters a group of girls and a faun, and starts to think about death and risk in life. The protagonist eventually decides to take the plunge into the river and finds joy in the risk-taking. This event changes the way the protagonist perceives risk.

text: Misses to describe how the faun and the children helped the narrator become fearless and realize that life was too short.

refinement: The protagonist recalls memories of camping by the Crow Wing River and encountering various creatures. While tubing one morning, the protagonist encounters a group of girls and a faun, and starts to think about death and risk in life. The protagonist eventually decides to take the plunge into the river and finds joy in the risk-taking. This event changes the way the protagonist perceives risk. Seeing children play fearlessly and the faun jump around with a care in the world helped the narrator take those risks. He realized that life was too short to not have fun.

answer: The River serves as a source of peace and solitude for the narrator. One morning, while camped by the river, the narrator hears giggling coming from a group of teenage girls floating down the river on tubes. The narrator reflects on nature and the faun he finds in a meadow near the river. Later, the narrator comes across kids jumping off of the bridge into the river. Despite feeling afraid at first, he eventually finds courage to jump into the river too. He reflects on how taking risks and experiencing the joys of life, no matter how scary, can be important.

answer:
The narrator reminisces while on the river. The river calms the narrator. They listen to the birds and sips on some beer as they lay on the river.
Younger narrator has heard of the Crow Wing River since she was younger. She comes to the river to relax and escape the business of life. A group of girls comes along. She listens to them and sees them playing in the water, shoving each other and behaving like children.
The narrator thinks of how everyone is living life to the fullest.

text: There's no evidence to suggest the narrator is a girl.

refinement:
The narrator reminisces while on the river. The river calms the narrator. They listen to the birds and sips on some beer as they lay on the river.
Younger narrator has heard of the Crow Wing River since they were younger. They come to the river to relax and escape the business of life. A group of girls comes along. The narrator listens to them and sees them playing in the water, shoving each other and behaving like children.
The narrator thinks of how everyone is living life to the fullest.

text: It misses to mention the narrator's reflections towards taking risks and experiencing the joys of life

refinement:
The narrator reminisces while on the river and feels calm and relaxed in the peaceful setting. They come to the river to relax and escape the business of life. The narrator listens to children and sees them playing in the water, shoving each other fearlessly.
The narrator thinks of how everyone is living life to the fullest. Narrator reflects on the children  and the faun jumping around with a care in the world which helps the narrator realize that life was too short to not have fun and take risks.


split: train

text:
"What do we know about kittens?" Dr. Strong stroked the kitten in his lap.

Martha responded "They are cute."

"Correct." Said Strong.

"They meow."

"Correct." Said Strong.

"That is all we know about kittens." Martha said as she looked at the floor.

"Damnit! We can not conquer this planet until we find out more. We have come 130 parsecs to find their home world in a ship built on science - how do we not know more about kittens! Tell me!"

"We're stupid." Jonas replied.

"We are not stupid. Sure, we ripped the spaceship off. And, sure, we don't know how to quote/unquote read - but we...we...we have these!" Strong produced a chili dog.

"Yes. Their only weakness. The chili dog. Dr. Strong, if we know their weakness, what more do we need to know?"

"Any good soldier will tell you to know your enemy. For instance - where do they vacation? Lime or lemon? Beatles or Stones? We cannot take over an entire planet with just these." Strong held up the chili dog which resembled a limp penis in his hand.

"We could go undercover." Martha said.

"Yes! Yes! I will venture down to the planet dressed in this!" Strong held out a fur coat.

"Where'd you get that?" Martha asked.

"I've been keeping it. For a special occasion. You know, like a ball or something." Strong responded.

"A ball in space?"

"Precisely!" Said Strong and he dropped the chili dog and put on the coat. "Where is the transporter?" Strong inquired.

"We have a transporter?" Jonas asked.

"Yes. I think. Maybe. Maybe not. OK. Do we have a landing craft?"

"A what?"

"Something that...OK, can we land the ship on the kitten planet?" Strong grabbed Jonas by the collar.

"Sure. I think. Maybe. I'll hit the down button."

Strong released him. "Yes. Hit the down button." He whispered and looked sinisterly about the ship.

---

"Hello. I'm a kitten." Strong said as the kitten opened the door to his little tiny kitten home.

"Meow. Meow. Meow." The kitten responded.

"Oh, yes, of course." Strong put the kazoos that translated Kittish to English and vice versa into his ears and mouth as documented in my other Kitten novellas found on this sub. "Hello! I am a kitten." Strong brought his arms up to show the fur coat he was wearing. It was mink, I believe.

"What you bringing that ruckus in here fo?" The kitten responded in a high pitched kitten voice.

"Pardon?" Strong replied.

"You better step that game back to the edge of doom." The kitten responded.

"I beg your pardon?" Strong then had an idea - the fourth in a line of ideas he had had from the beginning of his life. He adjusted the kazoos.

"Fuck off!" The kitten responded and slammed the door.

Strong pulled out a phone and called the ship. "Yes. It's Strong. Dr. Strong. The guy who was up in the ship. You pushed the down button. Remember? It was like an hour ago. Yes. That Strong. The kittens are not embracing me into their society. We need another plan. Really? Just knock on another door? OK. I will try that."

Strong walked next door to the next kitten house and rang the bell.

A kitten answered "Hello. Can I help you, fellow kitten?"

Strong spoke into the phone "This one thinks I'm a kitten."

The kitten slammed the door and then reopened with a shotgun leveled at Strong.

"Invader!" The kitten yelled.

"No. No. I'm - I'm here to bring you peace." And with that, Strong threw a chili dog at the kitten and the kitten blew up.

This aroused a posse of kittens to approach on horses from behind Strong. He whirled around and demanded "How did you get there so fast?"

The high, chief kitten announced in his little bitty kitten voice "Nevermind that! Put down the chili dog." The comma was intended. The posse of kittens were stoned to the bejesus.

Strong looked at his hand and realized he was holding another kitten exterminator. "Alright. You won this round." And Strong dropped the chili dog to the ground. It made a flapping noise as it hit the planet and resembled doo-doo.

"Are you an Earthling?" The kitten demanded.

"Yes - no. Kinda. We ripped off their spaceship. I'm from Jupiter. It's near Earth. Way bigger. You can fit...like....ten? Earths in it. Super huge."

"We respect super huge planets, for we are kittens." The chief explained. "We don't like Earthlings. They killed our kind with chili dogs when we tried to invade them. Then they tricked us into thinking we were at peace. Then, years later, after the hydrogen peroxide wars, they bombed us from dirigibles. All because we tried to kill everyone on their planet. They are dicks. It's all in the other stories this author submitted."

"Yes. I can respect that." Said Strong as he thought about how he was an Earthling and how he was going to continue the charade that he was from Jupiter. Following that, he wondered what people from Jupiter were like...if there were people on Jupiter...and what he would have for dinner that night. He had nachos the night before and he had a hotdog for lunch. That really only left pizza or burgers. These were hard choices. They may seem trivial, but when you're out in space, all choices are SPACE choices and, therefore, are really super fucking important.

"Well, what do you think of that story, Jupiter man?" The chief asked.

"I can't decide what kind of olives I want on my pizza." Strong replied.

"EARTHLING!" The kittens yelled and waved their authentic civil war muskets at Strong.

TO BE CONTINUED

title: [HM] KITTEN INVASION - PART 438

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

Describe the setting of this story.

answer: The story takes place in space.

text: The story begins in space but mostly takes place in the Kitten Homeworld.

refinement: The story starts in space. It continues in the Kitten Homeworld.

answer: The detail probably isn't needed; we can assume it's set in space.

text: The commentary about the details and the assumption isn't useful.

text: The story begins in space but mostly takes place in the Kitten Homeworld.

refinement: It's set in the Kitten Homeworld after the protagonist travels through space to get there.

answer: No answer

text: The question can be answered.

refinement: The story takes place on the Kitten Homeworld after the protagonist travels through space to get there.

answer: The story is part of a novella, so it may be implied it takes place in outer space.

text: The meta-commentary isn't helpful.

text: The story begins in space but takes place in the Kitten Homeworld.

refinement: It takes place on the Kitten Homeworld after the main characters traveled through space to get there.

answer: The story is set in space.

answer: The story is set in space, on a planet that is inhabited by kittens. The planet is described as having a lot of cats.

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

Explain how the Earthlings killed off kittens with chili dogs.

answer: It is likely that Dr. Strong commissioned a marketing strategy to use chili dogs to kill off kittens. This page satirizes the social idiocy of marketing consultants separate from a well placed joke about alien intelligence. Read more here: https://medium.com/@tomlinders/rants-n-scrambles-2/is-twitter-advertising-demeaning-234170bccc61.

text: The marketing strategy comment, alien intelligence joke, and the link are all made up.

refinement: Dr. Strong uses chili dogs to kill off kittens.

text: The answer should mention that the kittens have a weakness to chili dogs.

refinement: Dr. Strong uses chili dogs to kill off kittens. They have a weakness to chili dogs.

answer: The author doesn't explain.

text: The story mentions that the kittens have a weakness to chili dogs.

refinement: The kittens have a weakness to chili dogs.

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

answer: No answer


text:
This story is from a recent car crash I was a part of and the events leading up to it.

**Car crash from last night, as I remember it.**

Two thirty-two ounce Jeremiah Reds and we still looked sharper than a butcher's knife. It takes a real man to order a bottle of red, and even more so to take them as effortlessly as we did. It was quite a sight for the regular crowd. Three manly men enjoying their drink and catching up on some sports down at the, always welcoming, BJ's brew house.

As it turns out, and although it may seem like it, not everything always goes our way. The home team lost a crucial playoff game, beers were running low, and I hadn't been offered sex all night. This combination of unfortunate mishaps started giving me an odd feeling. I needed to shake off this funk, but I was out of smokes. My good friend Mauri sensed my discomfort, that or my childish fidgeting from craving a smoke. Whatever the case, it worked. He spotted a friendly, slanted eyed, sports fan that headed out for an opium break. Lucky for us he happened to smoke regular stuff as well. Our type of stuff. Some quick witted banter later and we were three cigarettes richer. We took care of the first two immediately.

Mauri put away our third friend for a later puff. Normally he'll do it with such elegance, I swoon. This time though, it strangely grazed his slightly large, but still handsome, earlobe. What normally wouldn't affect a frail or even a wet cigarette, this time destroyed our last piece of lung candy. Things were happening. Bad vibes were definitely out tonight. I decided at this point, it was up to me to keep bad shit from happening. I didn't mention any of these strange occurrences to Mauri or Mikey, I had to keep my composure. Lead by example and example the lead. It works.

It was getting late and it began to feel as if we had overstayed our welcome, that or this one fat headed bartender felt threatened. He offered free beer in exchange for our absence. I'm no cheap man whore, but no man in their right mind would turn down free beer. As a matter of fact no man in any state of mind would. No man.

We left to resume our night. The feelings that manifested at the bar had followed to the parking lot. Maybe it just wasn't my night, maybe I was being a pussy, maybe fuck you reader, but I didn't even put up a fight for the front seat.

"Shotgun!" Mauri called enthusiastically.

I let out a quiet sigh, he rushed to the front. I'd usually sneak my way to passenger, tonight shotgun didn't appeal to me. I figured I should stop worrying and just enjoy my night. Mikey decided to play the classic sounds of our favorite trio, the Beastie Boys. With our last set of Reds in our hand and our heads boppin' he began to lay out the plan for the night.

"We're gonna head over to jack in the box to try that new jalapeno burger..." He said with such anticipation, and reassurance I had never heard from him. He was leading by example.

Just when I was starting to feel right for the night, my gut instinct struck again. I was nice and buzzed but these goddamn spidey senses were tingling. Before I knew it, everything slowed down. My senses were amplified. I had a moment of clarity in my drunken stupor. I looked around to see if the guys felt this moment of divine lucidity, but all I could make out was Mikey going on with the plans and Mauri trying to rap to the B-boys. I closed my eyes. This was it. Whatever bad energy that was following us, it was here and it was about to blow. It was up to me to try to decipher where it was going to come from. I presses my eyelids shut. And I knew.

"Holy shit!" Mauri yelled in the front.

I quickly fastened my seat belt and braced myself for impact. Some dumb bitch had made the roughest turn any of us had seen. Although alert Mikey reacted as fast as he cums, it wasn't fast enough for a clean escape. Mauri's glasses flew, Mikey's pride stung, and I had let them down. I should've said something. But men don't think in 'should'ves', we think for the moment and at that moment Mauri and I knew we had to dispose of any incriminating substance. We played the part.

"What the fuck?!" Mauri exclaimed as he stepped out.

"Ahh mah shoulder!" I played along.

"Are you guys ok?" A worried voice shouted from the other car. We had them.

I quickly grabbed my bottle of Red and made my way to some stairway away from the crash. Mauri followed, Mikey worked on damage control. Mauri and I did what we do best and chugged those big Reds until their last drop. No man wastes a free beer and we example by lead. I was clearly drunk after this. We found our way back to the mess. Scolded the girl on her driving skills, but there's only so much you can do for a woman driver, and I was glad the bad vibes ended with something so trivial as a car crash. We waited, smoked, took tourist pictures of the sight and decided it was as good moment as any to call it a night.

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

How does a passenger have time to fasten their seat belt when they see an accident about to happen.

answer: It is hard to say as it would depend on how fast the car actually crashed and how fast it took the passenger to react to the accident. The passage tells us he was awake enough to brace himself for impact. The car in the accident is in such a bad state that something bad can only happen to the passengers.

text: "The car in the accident is in such a bad state that something bad can only happen to the passengers" does not make sense

refinement: It is hard to say as it would depend on how fast the car actually crashed and how fast it took the passenger to react to the accident. The passage tells us he was awake enough to brace himself for impact.

answer: The passenger sees the accident coming just before it happens, but does not have time to fasten their seat belt before the accident occurs. Instead, they quickly brace themselves for impact.

text: The narrator says "I quickly fastened my seat belt and braced myself for impact."

text: Provide a response

answer: They don't

text: The narrator says "I quickly fastened my seat belt and braced myself for impact," but I agree it doesn't make sense

text: Provide a response

answer: The passenger was aware of the trouble before it happened, which gave them enough time to buckle their seat belt before the accident happened.

answer: The narrator fastens hers when she was trying to find the source of the strange feelings - these feelings and the crash co-occurred. It is not stated how others reacted.

text: This response doesn't answer the question (and the narrator is male)

text: Provide a response

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

Did Mauri drop the third fag into his beer?

answer: It is unclear what happened to the last piece of lung candy

answer: No.

text: My intuition is that he didn't but it's very unclear to me

answer: Yes, and the entire bottle was smashed.

text: Nothing is said about a bottle being smashed

text: Provide a response

answer: Yes, Mauri dropped the third cigarette into his beer.

text: It's unclear what happens to the third cigarette

text: Provide a response

answer: No, Mauri did not drop the fag into his beer.

text: I'm inclined to agree, but it's unclear

text: Provide a response

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

How had the narrator let them down?

answer: The narrator did not warn his friends about the bad energy preceding the car crash, which resulted in injury and damage. He should have said something about what he perceived before the crash.

answer: Unless he is a psychic he couldn't have known what was coming

text: Doesn't answer the question; he narrator hints that he has some kind of premonitory ability

text: Provide a response

refinement: The narrator says he has premonitions that something bad is about to happen, but he keeps that information from his friends. He feels he should have told them.

answer: The narrator failed to warn his friends about the bad vibes he felt leading up to the car crash.

answer: By allowing the last remaining cigarette to fall on the floor, he had to smother whatever anxieties and vibe-instincts had come to him in that moment.

text: The narrator's letting his friends down is unrelated to the cigarette

text: Provide a response

refinement: The narrator says he has premonitions that something bad is about to happen, but he keeps that information from his friends. He feels he should have told them.

answer: The narrator should have somehow called out the impending crash that was about to occur.

text: Note that the narrator felt that something was wrong all night but didn't share that feeling

refinement: The narrator should have shared that he felt that something was wrong and called out the impending crash that was about to occur.

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

Why was Mikey's pride stung?

answer: Because he wasn't fast enough to avoid the crash.

answer: The narrator and Mauri already had their drinks, but Mikey was still on his first, and Mauri's third. He dropped his.

text: Mikey's pride is stung during the crash; the drinks are irrelevant

text: Provide a response

answer: Mauri's cigarette grazed his ear lobe, destroying the final piece of their lung candy. As a result, Mikey's pride was stung by the car crash.

text: The cigarette is irrelevant

refinement: Mikey's pride was stung by the car crash.

text: Specifically, it's his inability to avoid the crash

refinement: Mikey's pride was stung because he couldn't avoid the car crash.

answer: he was the driver

text: And he couldn't avoid the crash

refinement: he was the driver and he couldn't avoid the crash

answer: Mikey's pride was stung because while he reacted quickly to the car crash, it was not fast enough to prevent Mauri's glasses from flying in the crash.

text: Mauri's glasses weren't the issue; it was that he couldn't avoid the crash

refinement: Mikey's pride was stung because while he reacted quickly to the car crash, it was not fast enough to prevent the crash.

question: Write a ~12 sentence summary.

answer:
They were three manly men and their names are "Mauri", "Mikey", and "me". They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator is in depression because of it. A friendly, sports-loving fan spots them and offers to light up their smokes with opium. He is also their type of cigarettes. Mikey offers to have his share. They share three cigarettes. Mauri discards the third one.

They're waiting to leave and Mauri suggests writing the driver of the car. The narrator was okay and shrugs it off, saying they were three good friends that had a mishap as they leave. Mauri got the front seat. Alone, the narrator breathes a sigh that he is thankful for not having to smoke with the crew that night. He sees Mikey's drunk back.

The crew was moving on to jack in the box when a bad-energy-followed car crashes into them. The narrator feels it was meant for them. The narrator keeps of smoking. The narrator feels the car beginning to spill about. Mauri jumps out and the narrator falls.

The narrator pulls Mauri's last but says they will still waiting for Mikey to come out which was the truth. Mauri drinks his Red.

The narrator and Mauri leave the crash site to go smoke all the evidence. The narrator is feeling drunk already, possibly because he has guzzled half a bottle of Red.

text: The narrator's name is not "me"

refinement:
They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator is in depression because of it. A friendly, sports-loving fan spots them and offers to light up their smokes with opium. He is also their type of cigarettes. Mikey offers to have his share. They share three cigarettes. Mauri discards the third one.

They're waiting to leave and Mauri suggests writing the driver of the car. The narrator was okay and shrugs it off, saying they were three good friends that had a mishap as they leave. Mauri got the front seat. Alone, the narrator breathes a sigh that he is thankful for not having to smoke with the crew that night. He sees Mikey's drunk back.

The crew was moving on to jack in the box when a bad-energy-followed car crashes into them. The narrator feels it was meant for them. The narrator keeps of smoking. The narrator feels the car beginning to spill about. Mauri jumps out and the narrator falls.

The narrator pulls Mauri's last but says they will still waiting for Mikey to come out which was the truth. Mauri drinks his Red.

The narrator and Mauri leave the crash site to go smoke all the evidence. The narrator is feeling drunk already, possibly because he has guzzled half a bottle of Red.

text: They were "catching up on some sports"

refinement:
They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and getting caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator is in depression because of it. A friendly, sports-loving fan spots them and offers to light up their smokes with opium. He is also their type of cigarettes. Mikey offers to have his share. They share three cigarettes. Mauri discards the third one.

They're waiting to leave and Mauri suggests writing the driver of the car. The narrator was okay and shrugs it off, saying they were three good friends that had a mishap as they leave. Mauri got the front seat. Alone, the narrator breathes a sigh that he is thankful for not having to smoke with the crew that night. He sees Mikey's drunk back.

The crew was moving on to jack in the box when a bad-energy-followed car crashes into them. The narrator feels it was meant for them. The narrator keeps of smoking. The narrator feels the car beginning to spill about. Mauri jumps out and the narrator falls.

The narrator pulls Mauri's last but says they will still waiting for Mikey to come out which was the truth. Mauri drinks his Red.

The narrator and Mauri leave the crash site to go smoke all the evidence. The narrator is feeling drunk already, possibly because he has guzzled half a bottle of Red.

text: The narrator is not "in depression;" he gets an "odd feeling"

refinement:
They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and getting caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator gets an odd feeling because of it. A friendly, sports-loving fan spots them and offers to light up their smokes with opium. He is also their type of cigarettes. Mikey offers to have his share. They share three cigarettes. Mauri discards the third one.

They're waiting to leave and Mauri suggests writing the driver of the car. The narrator was okay and shrugs it off, saying they were three good friends that had a mishap as they leave. Mauri got the front seat. Alone, the narrator breathes a sigh that he is thankful for not having to smoke with the crew that night. He sees Mikey's drunk back.

The crew was moving on to jack in the box when a bad-energy-followed car crashes into them. The narrator feels it was meant for them. The narrator keeps of smoking. The narrator feels the car beginning to spill about. Mauri jumps out and the narrator falls.

The narrator pulls Mauri's last but says they will still waiting for Mikey to come out which was the truth. Mauri drinks his Red.

The narrator and Mauri leave the crash site to go smoke all the evidence. The narrator is feeling drunk already, possibly because he has guzzled half a bottle of Red.

text: Reduce the amount spent on the cigarettes; just note that they got some cigarettes from another person

refinement:
They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and getting caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator gets an odd feeling because of it. They get three cigarettes from another guy at the bar.

They're waiting to leave and Mauri suggests writing the driver of the car. The narrator was okay and shrugs it off, saying they were three good friends that had a mishap as they leave. Mauri got the front seat. Alone, the narrator breathes a sigh that he is thankful for not having to smoke with the crew that night. He sees Mikey's drunk back.

The crew was moving on to jack in the box when a bad-energy-followed car crashes into them. The narrator feels it was meant for them. The narrator keeps of smoking. The narrator feels the car beginning to spill about. Mauri jumps out and the narrator falls.

The narrator pulls Mauri's last but says they will still waiting for Mikey to come out which was the truth. Mauri drinks his Red.

The narrator and Mauri leave the crash site to go smoke all the evidence. The narrator is feeling drunk already, possibly because he has guzzled half a bottle of Red.

text: The details of the car crash are very unclear and confusing

refinement: They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and getting caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator gets an odd feeling because of it. They get three cigarettes from another guy at the bar.

text: Describe the car crash

refinement: They were three manly men: "Mauri", "Mikey", and the narrator. They were down at the BJ's brew house enjoying their drink and getting caught up on sports. The home team lost. The narrator gets an odd feeling because of it. They get three cigarettes from another guy at the bar. They leave the bar and are involved in a car crash with a woman. The narrator senses the accident beforehand and regrets not telling the others. They cover up the fact that they've been drinking and yell at the woman, blaming her for the accident.

answer: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, but everything goes smoothly until the car crash. While inebriated, the narrator realizes that the crash was inevitable. It is his duty to dispose of any evidence and the car crash ends up being harmless. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

text: Things don't go "smoothly" before the crash; in fact, they go rather poorly

refinement: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, and everything seems to go poorly during the evening. While inebriated, the narrator realizes that the crash was inevitable. It is his duty to dispose of any evidence and the car crash ends up being harmless. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

text: Note that they drive away from the bar and are involved in a crash

refinement: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, and everything seems to go poorly during the evening. While inebriated, they drive away from the bar and are involved in a car crash. The narrator realizes that the crash was inevitable. It is his duty to dispose of any evidence and the car crash ends up being harmless. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

text: The narrator sensed the crash before it happened and regrets not saying something to his friends

refinement: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, and everything seems to go poorly during the evening. While inebriated, they drive away from the bar and are involved in a car crash. The narrator realizes he sensed the crash before it happened and regrets not saying something to his friends. It is his duty to dispose of any evidence and the car crash ends up being harmless. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

text: The "evidence" the narrator disposes of is specifically covering up the fact that they were drunk

refinement: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, and everything seems to go poorly during the evening. While inebriated, they drive away from the bar and are involved in a car crash. The narrator realizes he sensed the crash before it happened and regrets not saying something to his friends. He covers up the fact that they were drunk driving. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

text: Note that they blame the woman in the other car

refinement: The narrator has a feeling something bad is going to happen at a bar, and everything seems to go poorly during the evening. While inebriated, they drive away from the bar and are involved in a car crash. The narrator realizes he sensed the crash before it happened and regrets not saying something to his friends. He covers up the fact that they were drunk driving, and they blame the woman in the other car. The guys assess the damage and call it a night.

answer: Two thirty-two ounce red beers and they still looked sharp as they took their drink and catches up in the always listening and welcoming BJ bar. The boys were relaxing and talking about football and hockey. He sheepishly asks if the game was still on as he was being the attentive friend who knows how to make a woman feel appreciated. They exchanged and traded knowing she had not had sex all night. They made the rounds of the bar and when they were heading to the exit, Mikey says they are going to go to Jack In the Box for the new jalapeno burger. He felt his gut again and then everything slowed down but the ominous feeling that they were being followed. They were good friends who laughed most things off but there was an extra joke going on with them. They try to not get distracted and my friend, Mauri, was in the front beating back the times his egotistical senses had kicked in. They had never driven in LA and this extra nerve racking piece of the journey had set Mauri on edge. In minutes, he would probably call it a night and escalate the nature of their night, he had to keep up the pace. The girls made a right and at the same time the driver hit the brakes, and she made a hard right, slamming into the side of this truck. For a moment it was as if the vehicle of his would tip over. He could see his buddies Mike and Mauri worriedly look at each other. Everyone was ok, but MIkie and Mauri were disoriented. Three of Mauri's cigarettes rolled out of his hand and felt the end of a bottle of red hit his ear. He had moved his head too fast. The accident could have been worse. Two minutes after the accident, Mike and Mauri were absorbed in a conversation about it when they arrived, and they both came to the same conclusion. They met up with the girls and settled on a mutual, playing the fools, mindset.

text: Very difficult to read and very unclear

text: Provide a response

refinement: A group of friends are out drinking at a bar, but the narrator gets an odd feeling that something is wrong. They leave the bar but are involved in a car crash. The narrator senses the accident before it occurs and regrets not saying something to his friends. The narrator covers up the fact that they were drunk driving, and they blame the woman in the other car for the crash.

answer: Three friends went out to BJ's for some drinks and conversation. However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had planned. First, they lost the home team's playoff game, followed by the beer running low and not getting any sex. The group noticed a slanted-eyed sports fan who smoked regular cigarettes. They managed to talk him into giving them three cigarettes. However, during the exchange one cigarette grazed Mauri's ear and destroyed it, leading to a car crash. The friends acted casual, and managed to dispose of any incriminating substances. The crash was minor and they all made it out mostly unscathed.

text: "the home team lost a crucial playoff game"

refinement: Three friends went out to BJ's for some drinks and conversation. However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had planned. First, the home team lost the playoff game, followed by the beer running low and not getting any sex. The group noticed a slanted-eyed sports fan who smoked regular cigarettes. They managed to talk him into giving them three cigarettes. However, during the exchange one cigarette grazed Mauri's ear and destroyed it, leading to a car crash. The friends acted casual, and managed to dispose of any incriminating substances. The crash was minor and they all made it out mostly unscathed.

text: The destroyed cigarette did not lead to the car crash

refinement: Three friends went out to BJ's for some drinks and conversation. However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had planned. First, the home team lost the playoff game, followed by the beer running low and not getting any sex. The group noticed a slanted-eyed sports fan who smoked regular cigarettes. They managed to talk him into giving them three cigarettes. However, during the exchange one cigarette grazed Mauri's ear and destroyed it. When they leave the bar, they are involved in a car crash. The friends acted casual, and managed to dispose of any incriminating substances. The crash was minor and they all made it out mostly unscathed.

answer:
The narrator and two friends are at BJ’s pub, enjoying a bottle of red ale. It is not a good evening. The home team lost and they’ve run out of smokes. They spot a sports fan who is headed out for an opium break. He helps them out with three cigarettes.
The bar tender offers the three of them free beer on condition that they leave the premises. They take their party out of the pub. Mikey suggests that they go for a jalapeno burger. The narrator has a feeling of impending doom. They’re in a car accident. They leave the accident to finish their beers. Then return to the scene to scold the girl who caused it, took some pictures and called it a night.


text:
This American Life recently had an episode featuring superheroes and superpowers. The first story debated the power of flight versus the power of invisibility. Which would you choose if you had the option and why? Between those two options, I choose the power to fly. Invisibility seems creepy to me and reminds me of that Clay Aiken song, Invisible. And yes, one of his lines in that song is, “If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room” (www.azlyrics.com). How was that song his one hit wonder? Pre-adolescent girls must fantasize about superhero stalkers using their powers for evil creeping . . .? Anyway, back to discussing the power of flight. I imagine that flying would be the ultimate freeing experience.

During my walks I like to watch the ravens tease one another with small prey they capture in their talons. They flip, turn and free-fall along the cliff side, and it just seems in that moment that their worries fall away as they whole-heartedly play. Of course, the poor mouse that is repeatedly dropped in the sport is probably not describing the experience as playful or fun. But just think! Flying would save me money on gas, airfare and wasted time sitting in frustrating Bay Area traffic. It would provide me with the exhilarating sensation that I feel when running. That sensation that nothing is holding you back, and you can go it alone and be all right. Many of the interviewees on This American Life stated that they would not want to use their power of flight or invisibility to help others. I sheepishly admit that rescuing people was not the first idea that popped into my mind when I pictured myself capable of flying to Hawaii (for free) on a whim. However, I had a recent experience leave me with a different superpower that I would use for the aid of others.

First, I need to preface this story with a few important details. I have extremely limited knowledge about automobiles. My capabilities when it comes to fixing or addressing issues with my car include putting gas in the fuel tank and refilling the windshield washer fluid. Yes, it’s sad but true. I almost helped change a flat tire on my car, but then it turned out that my wheel lock key was missing. You pretty much get the idea that I'm a dunce when it comes to resolving automobile issues on my own. I drive a Honda Element for work, and one morning a light came on the dashboard. I went to the user manual to decipher the hieroglyphic looking symbol, and it turned out that this particular symbol indicates low tire pressure through the tire pressure monitoring system. Well, I addressed the problem like I do most of my automobile issues: I ignored it hoping that it would go away.

A few days passed by and the damn low tire pressure light was still lit on the dashboard. I made the executive decision to stop ignoring the problem and face it. I turned to my phone and looked up how to put air into a tire. I encourage you to laugh at me, because putting air in a tire is about as basic as refilling the windshield washer fluid. But I had never done it before, and I feared the tire exploding in my face. I did know through my law class that gas stations were ordered to provide air for free, so I knew that it wouldn't cost me anything. Well, I bought a tire pressure gauge and went around to all the tires trying to figure out which one was low. Before you judge me for not just using my eyes, I did look at the tires, and they all looked fine to me. So, I took my new tire pressure gauge and checked all the tires. Sure enough the driver’s side rear tire was low and you could not tell just by looking at it. Great! I successfully determined which tire was low, and now all I had to do was fill it up with some air. Sounds easy enough, but of course being a novice this task was daunting.

I pulled the hose for the air and squeezed the lever to emit the pressurized air. Nothing. I kept squeezing, because like the “door close” elevator button, the more you try the faster it will work . . . Still nothing. Then, I decided to read the directions. Clearly stated on the front of the machine it says that to use the air you just need to go inside to the front counter. I went inside and the nice gentleman turned the air on for me, and naturally when I returned outside it actually sounded like it was on. I squeezed the lever and a shot of air came out. After removing the cap, I held the end of the hose to the nozzle on the tire and squeezed air into the tire. I began panicking though, because I was worried that air wasn’t actually going into the tire, and I was just deflating the tire. I held the end on tighter and squeezed. Paranoid about exploding tires in my face, I stopped and decided to check the pressure with my gauge. Victory! I had successfully inflated the tire to the recommended tire pressure as per the user manual guidelines.

I felt invigorated! I stood a little taller and walked with my palms face out wearing my grease proudly. However, I knew that the real testament to my success depended on that little light on the dash. I turned the car on, the low tire pressure light came on and I started to drive away. Suddenly, the light turned off! At that moment, I was unstoppable. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. As I drove on, I noticed that I began obsessively focusing on every driver’s tires. Custom paint job, imported rims, 16 cylinder 1200 horsepower Bugatti Veyron Vitesse? Nah man, check out those properly inflated tires! Throughout the day I stared at every tire I walked past, and I began feeling the urge to check the tire’s pressure. I resisted the temptation, because I didn’t feel like being arrested. Then, I would have to explain to my arresting officer that I was not trying to steal the car’s wheels; “I swear officer I was only checking the tire pressure.” It did give me an idea though. In order to avoid conflicts with law enforcement I would have to choose the life of a vigilante. I could call myself the Psi Equalizer and rescue citizen’s cars from potential flat tires by warning them about the dangerous villain, low tire pressure. My other adversaries would include broken glass, latent nail and the always conniving, pothole. Flight might not instill a sense of humanitarianism, but my new, real super power has. Fear not humankind the Psi Equalizer is here to save the day!

title: The Psi Equalizer

question: What is the main conflict of the story?

answer: The main conflict of the story is the protagonist's lack of knowledge about cars and how to fix them.

text: "I have extremely limited knowledge about automobiles" is evidence that the protagonist is not knowledgeable about cars.

answer: The main conflict is the narrator's lack of knowledge about cars and how to fix them.

text: "I have extremely limited knowledge about automobiles" is evidence that the protagonist is not knowledgeable about cars.

answer: The main conflict of the story is the protagonist's lack of knowledge about fixing car problems, and her subsequent anxiety when faced with the task. However, she overcomes her fear and successfully fixes the problem.

text: The gender of the protagonist is not given.

refinement: The main conflict of the story is the protagonist's lack of knowledge about fixing car problems, and their subsequent anxiety when faced with the task. However, they overcome their fear and successfully fix the problem.

text: The fact that they overcome the problem is not relevant to describing the central conflict.

refinement: The main conflict of the story is the protagonist's lack of knowledge about fixing car problems, and their subsequent anxiety when faced with the task.

text: "I have extremely limited knowledge about automobiles" is evidence that the protagonist is not knowledgeable about cars.

answer: A man has to deal with a tire that is low on air, as well as the notion that the know-how for this task should be a commonly known thing (even though it is probably not as common as the narrator believes, but the narrator is highly conscious about it)

text: The gender of the narrator is not stated.

refinement: The narrator has to deal with a tire that is low on air, as well as the notion that the know-how for this task should be a commonly known thing (even though it is probably not as common as the narrator believes, but the narrator is highly conscious about it)

text: Does not mention the narrator's lack of knowledge.

refinement: The narrator has to deal with a tire that is low on air, as well as the notion that the know-how for this task should be a commonly known thing (even though it is probably not as common as the narrator believes, but the narrator is highly conscious about it). The narrator does not possess the knowledge necessary to fix the problem.

text: The musings about how commonly known this information is are not relevant.

refinement: The narrator has to deal with a tire that is low on air. The narrator does not possess the knowledge necessary to fix the problem.

question: What is the relevance of the prolonged discussion about the advantages of the power of flight?

answer: The long discussion about flight is not that relevant at all to the main point of the story -the narrator has simply set the foundation for conclusion of the narrative which is that they engaged in a mental exercise about turning into a vigilante that specialized in handling low pressure tires.

text: The discussion of flight is somewhat relevant in that it sets up the idea of what superpower the narrator would wish to have.

refinement: The long discussion about flight sets up the question of what sort of superpower the narrator would like to have. This lays the foundation for conclusion of the narrative which is that they engaged in a mental exercise about turning into a vigilante that specialized in handling low pressure tires.

text: Missing comma before "which".

refinement: The long discussion about flight sets up the question of what sort of superpower the narrator would like to have. This lays the foundation for conclusion of the narrative, which is that they engaged in a mental exercise about turning into a vigilante that specialized in handling low pressure tires.

answer: The author is trying to make a point about the power of flight being a more useful power than invisibility.

text: While this is true, it does not clarify the function that section serves in the context of the overall piece.

refinement: The author is trying to make a point about the power of flight being a more useful power than invisibility. Ultimately, this section is meant to introduce the fact that the author has discovered a different superpower they would rather have.

answer: The author is discussing the power of flight because it is a power that he would like to have.

text: This is only half correct. While they would prefer the power of flight over invisibility, ultimately the power they wish to have is something else.

refinement: The author is discussing the power of flight because it is a power that he would like to have. This section is meant to serve as an introduction for the idea that there is an even less common power that the author believes they would rather have.

answer: The author uses the discussion about the power of flight as a way to explain why she chose that power over invisibility. She believes that flying would be the ultimate freeing experience, and that it would provide her with a sense of exhilaration that she feels when running. Additionally, she believes that using her power of flight to help others would be a rewarding experience.

text: The gender of the narrator is not confirmed.

refinement: The author uses the discussion about the power of flight as a way to explain why they chose that power over invisibility. They believe that flying would be the ultimate freeing experience, and that it would provide them with a sense of exhilaration that they feel when running. Additionally, they believe that using their power of flight to help others would be a rewarding experience.

text: Summarizing the section is not necessary.

refinement: The author uses the discussion about the power of flight as a way to explain why they chose that power over invisibility.

text: Answer doesn't highlight the overall purpose that section is serving.

refinement: The author uses the discussion about the power of flight as a way to introduce the idea of superpowers and set up the fact that they have discovered a superpower that they wish they had.

question: Why the the narrator's car have a tire with low pressure?

answer: The narrator's car has a tire with low pressure because the tire pressure monitoring system is not working.

text: This is unattested.

text: Empty answer.

answer: No direct information was given, but it is assumed from the story that the tire itself has not sustained any damage so it is likely that the loss of pressure is simply from day to day use and weathering.

answer: It is not stated.

answer: The narrator's car had a tire with low pressure because the tire pressure monitoring system indicated that the tire had low pressure. The narrator was able to fix the problem by filling the tire with air.

text: This is incorrect--the monitoring system did not cause the low pressure.

refinement: The narrator was able to fix the problem by filling the tire with air.

text: The second sentence is irrelevant.

text: Empty answer.

question: What is the narrator's car?

answer: The narrator drives a Honda Elements.

text: Incorrect spelling for the car.

text: "I drive a Honda Element for work" is evidence that the narrator's car is a Honda Element.

answer: The narrator drives a Honda Element.

text: "I drive a Honda Element for work" is evidence that the narrator's car is a Honda Element.

answer: Honda Element

text: "I drive a Honda Element for work" is evidence that the narrator's car is a Honda Element.

answer: The narrator's car is a Honda Element.

text: "I drive a Honda Element for work" is evidence that the narrator's car is a Honda Element.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The author discusses the power of flight and invisibility and why they would choose the power of flight. They then go on to talk about their experience with their car and how they would use their power of flight to help others.

text: The answer is not specific about what their experience with their car was.

refinement: The author discusses the power of flight and invisibility and why they would choose the power of flight. They then go on to talk about their experience struggling to fix the low air pressure in their tire and how they would use their power of flight to help others.

text: The answer gets they'd use to help people wrong.

refinement: The author discusses the power of flight and invisibility and why they would choose the power of flight. They then go on to talk about their experience struggling to fix the low air pressure in their tire and how they wish they had the power to repair low tire pressure.

answer: The narrator discusses the power of flight versus the power of invisibility and how they would use their powers.

text: The merits of flight over invisibility is not the main focus of the piece.

text: Empty answer.

refinement: The narrator discusses their experience struggling to fix low tire pressure in their car and wishes they were a superhero who could rescue other people from low tire pressure.

answer: The author describes how they overcame a fear of changing tires and successfully inflated a tire, gaining a new superpower in the process - the ability to help others with their car troubles.

text: The narrator has not necessarily gained a superpower, but they imagine themselves as a hero.

refinement: The author describes how they overcame a fear of changing tires and successfully inflated a tire, and decides the superpower they would want to have is the ability to help others with their car troubles.

answer: Man feels extra proud of himself for handling a low pressure tire in his car and has decided that if he were a superhero, he would help other motorists with their low pressure tires.


text:
I can feel his eyes watching me, the warmth from his gaze sends tingles all over my body. It's not normal to feel this way about him, and I never have before. So why do I? Must be the alcohol. I sit back down next to him. My eyes are shut tight, trying not to break into tears but I know he is still looking at me. Up and down my body. I take a peek and there he is practically drooling with a grin on his face. The way his eyes light up made me chuckle. I take a hit and blow the smoke from my cigarette in his face. We start talking, about us. We met in high school. We became best friends right away, we did everything together. Shared secrets and homes. He saved me from myself, you may think it's a cheesy thing to say but damn, it's true. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not.

My husband and I met my last year of high school. I was a party girl, he was a calm stay at home boy. We barely shared anything in common, but we were close in a way hard to explain. Or so, it felt like that for a good two years. After those two charming years, I began to feel lonely again. He wasn't giving me what I needed in my life. Not any attention, love, care, or hope. I yearned for prince charming, but he never arrived. I brought up the subject or leaving him. He begged me no, so I stayed.

We shortly eloped and moved in together. Then the abuse began, and no, he did not abuse me. I was always drunk. I was always high. I had a bad temper and a loud mouth. I would leave scars on him, but he always forgave me right away, held me tight and kissed me. I went insane because I felt no emotions for this man and I wanted him to exit my life but it never happened. I started to tell him I suspected foul play. Cheating, lying, hiding things from me.

One day, I limped home on a twisted ankle from falling at the bar. It was snowing and I was crying. Imagine my pain, how depressed I was. I make my way inside. I strip down to my tank top and panties. I call out for my husband but no answer. I make my way to the basement, and there he is. Sitting on our couch, having drinks with another female. I'm sorry to say I interrupted the conversation by yelling his name and throwing an old remote at him. It was the nearest object near me. My heart sunk and I finally realized how terrible it was to be cheated on. Boy, was I stupid. Wrong assumption. I walk over to the couch where he lays on the floor bleeding from his nose. The woman sits in fear, looking at me, waiting for me to explode. That's exactly what I do.

I jumped on top of her and began pulling her hair. I soon have all of her hair wrapped in my fist and I slam her head on the concrete floor. She cries, screaming and shouting words I can barely make out, "STOP! NO! BROTHER! HELP!" I puke from the alcohol on her and she gets up and runs. I lay down next to my unconscious husband and kiss him. I wrap his arm around me and fall asleep.

The next day I was arrested, and I found out the woman was his sister. They were planning a trip for vacation. If only I wasn't such a neurotic person, if only jealousy didn't drive me mad. My husband would still be alive. I wouldn't be looking out of prison bars, crying and planning suicide.

title: Murder in the basement

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

Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is a woman.

text: Insufficient details about the narrator.

refinement: The narrator is a jealous woman who is going insane, thinking her husband is cheating and kills him by mistake.

answer: An unnamed, alcohol-induced wife who has abused her husband while he suffered her instability in silence and then killed the sister of his wife by mistake.

text: There's no evidence to suggest that the narrator killed the sister, she kills the husband by mistake.

refinement: An unnamed, alcohol-induced wife who has abused her husband while he suffered her instability in silence and then killed him by mistake.

answer: The narrator is a betrayed and jealous woman who murders her husband's sister.

text: There is no evidence to suggest that the woman is betrayed.

refinement: The narrator is a jealous woman who murders her husband's sister.

text: The woman does not murder the husband's sister. She accidentally murders her husband

refinement: The narrator is a jealous woman who murders her husband by mistake.

answer: The narrator is a woman who realizes she was going insane due to jealousy. She murdered her husband after catching him cheating.

text: Incorrectly mentions the woman's husband was cheating. He ended up being his sister despite the narrator thinking he was cheating at first.

refinement: The narrator is a woman who realizes she was going insane due to jealousy. She murdered her husband after thinking he was cheating.

answer: That information can't be found.

text: There is some evidence in the text of who the woman is.

refinement: The narrator is a jealous woman who is going insane, thinking her husband is cheating and kills him by mistake.

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

Whose gaze is she talking about?

answer: The gaze referred to in the passage is her husband's.

text: "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not" is evidence that he is not the husband.

refinement: The gaze referred to in the passage is a man the narrator met in high school.

answer: She is talking about the gaze of her husband while they were still in high school.

text: "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not" is evidence that he is not the husband.

refinement: She is talking about the gaze of a man she met in high school.

answer: She means her current husband.

text: "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not" is evidence that he is not the husband.

answer: she's talking about her husband's gaze

text: "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not" is evidence that he is not the husband.

refinement: she's talking about the gaze of a man she met in high school.

answer: The gaze mentioned in the passage is the gaze of the cheating husband.

text: There is no evidence to suggest the husband is cheating.

refinement: The gaze mentioned in the passage is the gaze of the husband.

text: "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. I wish I could say some of the credit goes towards my husband, sadly it does not" is evidence that he is not the husband.

refinement: The gaze mentioned in the passage is the gaze of a man she met in high school.

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

Who was the abusive partner?

answer: The husband was the abusive partner. He was the one who was cheating on the protagonist, so he was abusing her emotionally and physically.

text: "Then the abuse began, and no, he did not abuse me" is evidence that the husband did not abuse her.

refinement: The narrator was the abusive partner. She was the one who abused him emotionally and physically.

answer: The narrator was the abusive partner.

text: "he did not abuse me. I was always drunk. I was always high. I had a bad temper and a loud mouth. I would leave scars on him" is evidence that the narrator was the abusive partner.

answer: It was the narrator's husband.

text: "Then the abuse began, and no, he did not abuse me" is evidence that the husband did not abuse her.

answer: It is the wife who is the abusive partner. She physically attacks her husband's sister after discovering her husband has been cheating on her.

text: "I found out the woman was his sister" is evidence that he was not cheating. She thought he was cheating.

refinement: It is the wife who is the abusive partner. She physically attacks her husband's sister after thinking her husband has been cheating on her.

text: "and throwing an old remote at him" is evidence that she attacks him.

answer: Her husband; an unnamed alcoholic.

text: "Then the abuse began, and no, he did not abuse me" is evidence that the husband did not abuse her.

refinement: The narrator was the abusive partner; an unnamed alcoholic.

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

Does the narrator eventually leave her husband?

answer: Yes, the narrator eventually leaves her husband after she kills him.

answer: The narrator ends up killing her husband.

text: "My husband would still be alive" is evidence she kills her husband

answer: Yes.

text: It misses to also mention that she kills him.

refinement: Yes, she accidentally kills her husband.

answer: Yes, the narrator is eventually arrested.

answer: Yes, the narrator ultimately leaves her husband after he is found with another woman.

text: It misses to mention that she leaves him because she is arrested for killing him

refinement: Yes, the narrator ultimately leaves her husband after he is found with another woman and she is arrested for killing him.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator and her husband fell in love while in high school.

They eventually got married but things didn't go quite well. He stopped giving her attention and she turned to alcohol.

One day, the narrator comes home to her husband drinking with another woman. Fuming at the sigh of it, she attacks the woman. It soon turns out that that was her sister-in-law.

The narrator was arrested for killing her husband.

text: grammar correction in "sigh"

refinement:
The narrator and her husband fell in love while in high school.

They eventually got married but things didn't go quite well. He stopped giving her attention and she turned to alcohol.

One day, the narrator comes home to her husband drinking with another woman. Fuming at the sight of it, she attacks the woman. It soon turns out that that was her sister-in-law.

The narrator was arrested for killing her husband.

answer: A woman becomes jealous of her husband's sister when she catches them drinking together one night. She lashes out with violence, causing her husband to bleed from his nose. The next day, she discovers they were siblings and she is arrested for manslaughter. She regrets her unbridled jealousy, realizing she'd taken her husband's life.

text: Misses to mention that the narrator thought he was cheating on her with another woman.

refinement: A woman becomes jealous of her husband's sister when she catches them drinking together one night. The woman thinks the husband was cheating on her, making her furious. She lashes out with violence, causing her husband to bleed from his nose. The next day, she discovers they were siblings and she is arrested for manslaughter. She regrets her unbridled jealousy, realizing she'd taken her husband's life.

text: It misses to mention that the narrator is now crying behind bars, planning suicide.

refinement: A woman becomes jealous of her husband's sister when she catches them drinking together one night. The woman thinks the husband was cheating on her, making her furious. She lashes out with violence, causing her husband to bleed from his nose. The next day, she discovers they were siblings and she is arrested for manslaughter. She regrets her unbridled jealousy, realizing she'd taken her husband's life. She is now crying behind bars, planning suicide.

answer: In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman watches her childhood friend turn from friend into murderer. The woman's husband was cheating with his sister, and the woman goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her best friend's death.

text: The woman is actually the murderer, not her childhood friend.

refinement: In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman turns into a murderer. The woman's husband was cheating with his sister, and the woman goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her best friend's death.

text: The husband wasn't actually cheating, narrator later finds out it was his sister.

refinement: In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman turns into a murderer. The woman thinks her husband was cheating and she goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her best friend's death.

text: She causes her husband's death.

refinement: In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman turns into a murderer. The woman thinks her husband was cheating and she goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her husband's death.

text: It misses to mention that the narrator is now crying behind bars planning suicide.

refinement: In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman turns into a murderer. The woman thinks her husband was cheating and she goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her husband's death. The woman is now crying behind bars planning suicide.

text: It misses to mention that the woman was an abusive, jealous person that drove herself insane.

refinement: The woman suffered of jealousy which drove her insane. She became abusive and physically abused her husband. In an alcohol-fueled haze, a woman turns into a murderer. The woman thinks her husband was cheating and she goes into a blind rage, attacking his sister violently. She is caught and goes to jail, realizing that she caused her husband's death. The woman is now crying behind bars planning suicide.

answer: The narrator is in prison on murder charges. She tells the story of how her husband died. Her husband hated her and she was cheating on him. Her husband was a terrible person. One day she came home from an outing at the bar. Her husband was there with another woman. She confronts them, breaking her husband's nose. The woman runs away and the cops arrive to arrest the narrator. The narrator curses herself for killing her husband.

text: There's no evidence to suggest that her husband hated her or that he was cheating.

refinement: The narrator is in prison on murder charges. She tells the story of how her husband died. The narrator thinks her husband was cheating on her. Her husband was a terrible person. One day she came home from an outing at the bar. Her husband was there with another woman. She confronts them, breaking her husband's nose. The woman runs away and the cops arrive to arrest the narrator. The narrator curses herself for killing her husband.

text: It misses to mention that the woman suffered from jealousy and became abusive.

refinement: The narrator is in prison on murder charges. She tells the story of how her husband died. The narrator thinks her husband was cheating on her. She suffered from jealousy which drove her insane and physically abused her husband. One day she came home from an outing at the bar and her husband was there with another woman. She confronts them, breaking her husband's nose. The woman runs away and the cops arrive to arrest the narrator. The narrator curses herself for killing her husband.

text: It misses to mention that the other woman was the husband's sister.

refinement: The narrator is in prison on murder charges. She tells the story of how her husband died. The narrator thinks her husband was cheating on her. She suffers from jealousy which drove her insane and physically abuses her husband. One day she came home from an outing at the bar and her husband was there with another woman. She confronts them, breaking her husband's nose. The woman runs away and the cops arrive to arrest the narrator. The narrator curses herself for killing her husband and realizes that the other woman was her sister-in-law.

answer: The narrator recounts how she met her husband during her last year of high school. They didn't have a lot in common, but they were close. She depended on him, even if he didn't reciprocate that. Four years later, she wants a divorce (her husband doesn't). She's treats him awfully, and drinks a lot - she's an alcoholic. One night in a drunken and angry rampage, she beats up her husband's sister and he intervenes.  She finds him with his sister and brutally attacks her. He gets between them, and this results in his death.

text: It was actually two years later that she wanted to leave him, not four.

refinement: The narrator recounts how she met her husband during her last year of high school. They didn't have a lot in common, but they were close. She depended on him, even if he didn't reciprocate that. Two years later, she wants a divorce (her husband doesn't). She's treats him awfully, and drinks a lot - she's an alcoholic. One night in a drunken and angry rampage, she beats up her husband's sister and he intervenes.  She finds him with his sister and brutally attacks her. He gets between them, and this results in his death.

text: It fails to mention that the narrator thought the husband was cheating on her with the sister.

refinement: The narrator recounts how she met her husband during her last year of high school. They didn't have a lot in common, but they were close. She depended on him, even if he didn't reciprocate that. Two years later, she wants a divorce (her husband doesn't). She's treats him awfully, and drinks a lot - she's an alcoholic. One night in a drunken and angry rampage, she beats up her husband's sister thinking he was cheating on her. He also attacks her husband, and this results in his death.

text: it misses to mention that the narrator was arrested and is now behind bars planning suicide.

refinement: The narrator recounts how she met her husband during her last year of high school. They didn't have a lot in common, but they were close. She depended on him, even if he didn't reciprocate that. Two years later, she wants a divorce (her husband doesn't). She's treats him awfully, and drinks a lot - she's an alcoholic. One night in a drunken and angry rampage, she beats up her husband's sister thinking he was cheating on her. He also attacks her husband, and this results in his death. The woman is arrested and is now behind bars planning suicide.