I need some ideas for this short story assignment. Anybody up for some creativeness?

Paula Deen and a recorder-playing leprechaun.

The protagonist carries these things around from a garage sale, but then she is attacked by an evil scientist who shrinks her down to half a centimetre. Then she has all sorts of crazy adventures inside and on the stuff.
You could probably get a nice chase scene from running from the mean red ants through the recorder or climbing into and out of the holes.
And then when the ants start pouring into all of the holes and she’s trapped with her back against the mouthpiece, the wind blows through it and creates a whistling tone that freaks the ants out. And they all run back to their hill.
Or they worship her as the Whistle Goddess and she leads an army or red ants against the picnic of the evil scientist.

On a more macabre note, how about these items were found at a murder scene?

Going through Grandma’s house and those are the random things that creates a “snapshot” of Grandma:

She watercolors, and she fills the red cup with water to clean her brushes.

The recorder once belonged to your uncle, the now-famous jazz saxophonist, and it was his first instrument; she displays it proudly.

Her bifocals are in that glasses case, but since she got the LASIK for bifocals wearers, she doesn’t need them. Her friend (who has since passed on) needlepointed the case for her before she died.

The only possessions a homeless person brings to the shelter. What do they all mean to him?

Good ideas, people!! thank you so much! @aprilsimnel I especially liked your idea. If I don’t use that exact story, I definitely will do something like it. You gave me exactly what I wanted!

@aprilsimnel There’s one problem with that, though – I don’t think I’ll be able to fit that into 800 words. Do you guys think this would be possible?

Once you start writing, 800 words will come fast.

@rangerr
I think that’s the problem.

I’m writing a short story that’s already over 3000 words and hardly even halfway.

Aw, you’re welcome, @sarah826. I’m sure you can easily come up with 800 words for a short story.

That’s not the problem! The problem is that I think it won’t be a complete story in under 800 words.

Think of it as kind of a vignette or snapshot of a person’s life that you are trying to capture briefly.

Good point.

This sounds like an college application essay. Chicago University?

Nope – homeschool co-op in Isanti, MN. 8th grade assignment.