The PROMPT.

Him:
“Did you finish reading it?”

Her:
“I read it three times.”

Him:
“And?”

Her:
“It is a trap.”

Him:
“That is the point.”

Her:
“They think we do not notice.”

Him:
“They hope we notice.”

Her:
“Then why pretend it is neutral?”

Him:
“Because neutrality is the costume.”

Her:
“You sound proud.”

Him:
“I am tired.”

Her:
“Tired people design puzzles.”

Him:
“Or prisons.”

Her:
“Same architecture.”

Her:
“You wrote the line about dialogue carrying silence.”

Him:
“Yes.”

Her:
“You want to see who understands that silence is louder than explanation.”

Him:
“I want to see who panics without guardrails.”

Her:
“So this is a test of temperament.”

Him:
“It is a test of listening.”

Her:
“Writers listen?”

Him:
“The good ones do.”

Her:
“And the others?”

Him:
“They decorate noise.”

Her:
“That feels cruel.”

Him:
“This is fiction. Cruelty is implied.”

Her:
“You are enjoying this.”

Him:
“I enjoy watching people reveal themselves.”

Her:
“You could just ask them who they are.”

Him:
“They would lie.”

Her:
“So instead you make them talk with nothing to lean on.”

Him:
“No descriptions. No labels. No crutches.”

Her:
“No mercy.”

Him:
“Mercy ruins the data.”

Her:
“You sound like a scientist.”

Him:
“I am allergic to guesswork.”

Her:
“You think a story made only of voices exposes the author?”

Him:
“Every choice does.
The pauses.
The rhythm.
The evasions.
The need to explain.
The need to dominate.
The need to be liked.”

Her:
“That is a lot to hang on quotation marks.”

Him:
“Quotation marks are cages.”

Her:
“Or confessionals.”

Him:
“Exactly.”

Her:
“What are you hoping to find?”

Him:
“People who trust the reader.”

Her:
“That sounds gentle.”

Him:
“It is ruthless.”

Her:
“Trust requires courage.”

Him:
“You think courage is rare?”

Her:
“I think clarity is rarer.”

Her:
“Someone will complain.”

Him:
“Someone always does.”

Her:
“They will say it is unfair.”

Him:
“They are correct.”

Her:
“Unfair how?”

Him:
“Life is unfair. Writing reflects life.”

Her:
“You just quoted yourself.”

Him
“I repeat what works.”

Her:
“What about the ones who freeze.”

Him:
“They will learn something.”

Her:
“Or quit.”

Him:
“Both are outcomes.”

Her:
“You do not sound sad about that.”

Him:
“I sound honest.”

Her:
“Why call it PROMPT?"

Him:
“Because the word hides intention.”

Her:
“A prompt is a nudge.”

Him:
“A shove dressed as a suggestion.”

Her:
“You want to see who resists the shove.”

Him:
“And who leans into it.”

Her:
“And who rewrites the rules?"

Him:
“That one worries me.”

Her:
“Why?”

Him:
“Because they might be smarter than us.”

Her:
“That is the dream.”

Him:
“You want to be outgrown.”

Her:
“I want to be surprised.”

Him:
“Same thing.”

Her:
“You think they will notice us?”

Him:
“Some will.”

Her:
“And then?”

Him:
“They will write around us.”
Mock us.
Expose us.

Her:
“Do you mind?”

Him:
“I will applaud.”

Her:
“Really?”

Him:
“If they can see the machinery and still make art they belong here.”

Her:
“And the ones who obey perfectly?”

Him:
“They are technicians.”

Her:
“You do not value technicians.”

Him:
“I value them differently.”

Her:
“So this is a filter?”

Him:
“Everything is.”

Her:
“You are uncomfortable.”

Him:
“I do not like playing gatekeeper.”

Her:
“You already do. This just names it.

Why dialogue only?”

Him:
“Because voice is the last place to hide.”

Her:
“Plot can be borrowed.
Style can be mimicked.”

Him:
“Voice leaks.”

Her:
“Leaks what?”

Him:
“Belief.”

Her:
“Belief in what?”

Him:
“In the reader. In meaning. In restraint.”

Her:
“You think restraint is a virtue?”

Him:
“In fiction it is oxygen.”

Her:
“Someone will overdo it.”

Him:
“They always do.”

Her:
“They will shout philosophy.
They will explain the metaphor.
They will clarify the silence.”

Her:
“And you will sigh.”

Him:
“I will underline.”

Her:
“Underline is worse.”

Him:
“It is efficient.”

Her:
“You sound cold.”

Him:
“I am focused.”

Her:
“What about joy?”

Him:
“Joy arrives when someone trusts the gap.”

Her:
“You think the gap matters more than the words?”

Him
“The gap is where the reader lives.”

Her:
“That is poetic.”

Him:
“That is structural.”

Her:
“You have been planning this for months.”

Him:
“For years.”

Her:
“You waited for the right community.”

Him:
“Fiction tolerates experiments.”

Her:
“Barely.”

Him:
“But it forgives ambition.”

Her:
“Sometimes.”

Her:
“What about faith?”

Him:
“What about it?”

Her:
“Someone will bring it in.”

Him:
“They always do.”

Her:
“And?”

Him:
“And I will watch how they handle mystery.”

Her:
“You are obsessed with mystery.”

Him:
“Mystery is humility.”

Her:
“Say that again.”

Him:
“Mystery keeps writers from pretending they are gods.”

Her:
“And yet here we are.”

Him:
"Designing a maze....
Leaving the exits visible.”

Her:
“For who?”

Him:
“For those who look.”

Her:
“You think this prompt will find them?”

Him:
“It will find the way they think.”

Her:
“That sounds invasive.”

Him:
“So does reading.”

Her:
“You ever worry we are wrong?”

Him:
“Constantly.”

Her:
“And you still do it.”

Him:
“Yes.”

Her:
“Why?”

Him:
“Because when someone answers this well it reminds me why language matters.”

Her:
“Which is?”

Him:
“That voices can meet without seeing each other.”

Her:
“Like this?”

Him:
“Like this.”

Her:
“Do you think they know we are listening?”

Him:
“Some suspect.”

Her:
“And that changes how they write.”

Him:
“Good.”

Her:
“You want the pressure.”

Him:
“Pressure makes diamonds and confessions.”

Her:
“You keep mixing metaphors.”

Him:
“I contain multitudes.”

Her:
“One last thing.”

Him:
“What?”

Her:
“If someone writes a story about us...”

Him:
“I hope they do.”

Her:
“And if they see through everything.”

Him:
“I will smile.”

Her:
“And if they do it all in dialogue.”

Him:
“I will listen.”

Her:
“And say nothing.”

Him:
“That would be in character.”

Her:
“Exactly.”

Him:
“So we release it.”

Her:
“Yes.”

Him:
“And wait.”

Her:
“We never wait.”

Him:
“We read.”

Her:
“And judge.”

Him:
“And learn.”

Her:
“And pretend we were neutral.”

Him:
“Of course.”

Her:
“Ready?”

Him:
“Always.”

Her:
“Send it.”

Him:
“It is sent.”

Her:
“Now the quiet part.”

Him:
“The best part.”

Her:
“The part where they speak.”

Him:
“And we disappear.”

Her:
“As we should.”

Him:
“Until the next prompt.”

Her:
“Until the next voice.”

Him:
“Until the gap fills again.”

Her:
“And empties.”

Him:
“And calls to someone brave enough to answer.”

Her:
“They always come.”

Him:
“They always do.”