Fandango’s Story Starter #260: Vertical Enrichment

This week’s Story Starter teaser is:

“Some people thought he was too intense for his own good.“

Vertical Enrichment

Some people thought he was too intense for his own good. I didn’t see it until the afternoon Cody decided the neighbor’s goat needed a new hobby. He’d been watching it pace along the fence line, muttering something about restless energy and poor enrichment, and before I could talk him out of it, he was already dragging the trampoline into the middle of the yard.

Cody stepped onto the trampoline with the kind of confidence that suggested he’d done this before. The springs groaned under his weight, but he didn’t seem bothered. He bounced once, slow and steady, testing the frame like he was evaluating its potential for whatever plan he’d built in his head.

The goat watched him from the other side of the fence. The animal held its ground, unblinking, studying him with a level of judgment I could feel from where I stood. Cody waved at it like he was inviting a colleague to join a demonstration. The goat didn’t move.

I knew this wasn’t going to end well. He was already explaining the benefits of “controlled vertical movement” to an animal that had never asked for his input. He hopped off the trampoline and patted the mat, encouraging the goat to give it a try. The goat sniffed the edge, unimpressed, then backed away.

A moment passed. Cody climbed back onto the trampoline and bounced a little higher, hoping enthusiasm would translate across species. The springs protested. The goat took a step forward, then another, then hopped onto the mat with a confidence that didn’t match its earlier hesitation.

The trampoline didn’t appreciate the new participant. The frame shuddered under the combined weight, wobbling in a way that made me take a step back. Cody tried to steady the rail, but the goat had already committed to the experience. It bounced once, landing heavy. The springs screamed, and the frame tilted.

Cody reached for the opposite rail, but the goat chose that moment to attempt a second bounce. The trampoline surrendered. One leg folded inward, and the mat dipped. The goat slid sideways and landed in the grass, completely unfazed.

Cody stood there, staring at the collapsed trampoline like it had betrayed him. The goat wandered off, chewing calmly, as if the whole thing had been part of its afternoon schedule.

He looked at the collapsed frame like it had failed a test he’d been sure it would pass, and that was when it clicked for me: the goat wasn’t the problem.

Thank you, Fandango, for such a great story starter! This one grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Ben Cody is one of the characters in my upcoming book Door 17, and he’s the kind of person who turns ordinary moments into stories without trying. His intensity pushes him into situations no one asked him to solve, and that’s exactly why I enjoy writing about him. He lets me play with quiet humor, small disasters, and the way people react when someone like him shows up with too much confidence and not enough caution.

Thank you for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting. You are important!

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