13 April 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3072: a different kind of intelligence
Capt. Ludlow and Sgt. Vincent Trent picked up two different newspapers and broke out laughing at the same time, because that was really how to keep from crying at the state of things in Lofton County.
“You know, sometimes things taste like cardboard because they are, in fact, made with cardboard,” Mrs. Gladys Jubilee Trent remarked to her 18-year-old granddaughter Vanna. “This is why it doesn't pay to always be fixing up other people's problems. You did well with those chips and puffs, but it is definitely time to put your own snack line out there and end this.”
“Well, the tornado kinda ended them, but, yes, Grandma Jubilee, the time is definitely right,” Vanna said as she loaded up her large popcorn popper.
Capt. R.E. Ludlow called his entire family of eight little Ludlows and Mrs. Thalia Ludlow around.
“Sometimes, George 'Taking-All-Their-Money' and Edwina 'I-Don't-Play-About-Mine' Ludlow, you learn what your grandfather, old 'Hell-to-Pay' Ludlow, had to learn. It doesn't always pay to plot on people when God can get there so much faster.”
He then read the first paragraph of the news story: “Hurricane damage at the plant for D-Licious Foods reveals cellulose fiber as a secret ingredient for their chips and puffs.”
“What is cellulose fiber, though?” seven-year-old Amanda said.
“The main ingredient of cardboard,” Capt. Ludlow said. “The article here says that upon testing, some of the food products were found to be as much as 25 percent cardboard. In essence, one of the tornadoes from the hurricane ripped the roof off the ingredients room, and that's how the cardboard and the machine used to break it back down to fiber was discovered.”
The eight little Ludlows looked at each other.
“You know,” ten-year-old Andrew said, “it takes a different kind of intelligence to be that smart and that dumb at the same time.”
“I mean, I coulda built something like that with Legos, but, why?” six-year-old Grayson said.
“They wre literally feeding poor people cardboard,” eleven-year-old Eleanor said.
“Oh, it gets worse,” ten-year-old Glendella said. “My biological grandfather is a major investor, and he was sitting up talking about 'put the poors on the board diet' just last month, and laughing. So they know what they are doing.”
“Well, of course they know – you gotta know what you are doing when you buy a machine like that instead of a new cute wardrobe like sensible people!” Edwina said.
“I definitely feel more safe now that we know,” Amanda said.
“That's not even real food!” five-year-old Lil' Robert said.
“They need to be sued, like, quick, fast, and in a hurry – I gotta get some accelerated courses and get through law school this year,” nine-year-old George said.
“No need,” Capt. Ludlow said. “The state attorney general and five county attorneys general have already opened the case.”
“Oh, so, the lawsuit is already lawsuiting – great,” George said. “The other thing is, we gotta keep learning how to cook because we can't trust anybody out here that we can't see cooking. Like, Vanna's popcorn is great, but she doesn't mind you watching everything she puts in.”
“She's gonna start her popcorn company and we gotta invest,” Eleanor said.
“Well, the Trents invested with us on the bubbly, so, of course,” Capt. Ludlow said. “She may choose to keep it as a private placement, though – it is not like she needs outside funding.”
“Oh yeah, that's right – Papa Step is a billionaire,” Andrew said. “Not that I would trade you for a billionaire grandfather, Papa, but that is kinda different.”
“I'm glad I did trade my biological grandfather for you, Upgrade Papa,” Glendella said. “People are just doing everything to everybody out here – and Good Grandma, thank you for teaching us all how to cook, because, no!”