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Fandango’s FOWC is scorn, the Word of the Day Challenge is instant, Paula’s 3 Things Challenge words are Paris, question, glasses, and Teresa’s Story Starter Challenge phrase is “We the jury, find the defendant…..”

Ken rode an Uber home after his work trip to Paris. At the side door of his condo, Ken put his glasses on to see the keypad in order to punch in the numbers to get inside. Stepping through the doorway and reaching for the light switch to his right, an instant later, he felt a sharp poke in his neck (nod to Dexter) and felt himself crumbling to the floor.

Ken regained consciousness and felt pulling pain in his shoulders. As he attempted to move them from their fixed positions, he realized his arms were twisted behind him. Opening his eyes, he recognized his basement rec room and the chair he was bound into was his Victorian velvet-upholstered upright. The next thing he saw was his sectional L-shaped sofa full of women, all sitting silent, scorn written across each face. He tried to speak and realized a rag was duct-taped into his mouth.

Seeing he was awake, one of the women stood and approached him.

“Ah, Mr. Smith, we’ve been waiting for you. It’s time for your trial. We are all very busy individuals.”

A confused look crossed Ken’s face as he tried to speak again and failed.

The woman standing near him stated, “You, Mr. Smith, have been accused of using your power and authority as CEO of XYZ Inc. to engage in sexual harassment, date rape, nepotism, authorizing animal research instead of using computer-generated models, even though you know the results are more accurate with the computer models, willful approval of oil pipeline construction and massive environmental pollution as a by-product of fracking, and the approval of systematic assassination of all scientists, journalists, opponents, and witnesses or victims to your egregious actions.”

One by one, each woman got up and gave investigative details on one charge. After every woman explained the litany of charges, the woman standing near Ken asked, “Mr. Smith, do you have any questions?”

Ken, now struggling in his chair to free himself, tried to gasp and was forced to suck all air into his great nostrils. Again the duct-taped rag did its job.

“OK, Mr. Smith, no questions then. It is time hear the ruling. Ladies?”

Speaking in unison, “We the jury, find the defendant guilty on all counts.”

“Alrighty then, time’s a-wasting. Sentence shall be read and carried out now. You, Mr. Smith shall die a slow and painful death.”

The woman walked over to the bar in the corner. Ken hadn’t noticed a fairly large container with a cover on it until then, being preoccupied as he was. Carrying the container over, she set it on the ground. Pulling the cover off, Ken noticed it was a bird cage, modified with mesh, and now with a drop-floor for a human head to slip into, so the cage was worn almost like a space helmet. Inside the cage were the same number of brown recluse spiders as there were women sitting on the couch.

The helmet was carefully installed on Ken’s head. It was a perfect fit.