So my muse hit me with a little bit of whimsy and out came Personal Protective Equipment. It was just a tiny bit of amusement in these strange times, or so I thought. But my muse didn't let up, and began expanding the idea in all directions. If I had tried to make a coherent story I could probably have stretched that 150 words to maybe 10 or twelve chapters. Unfortunately, I have too many balls already in the air to even consider that.

So I had an idea! There are so many possibilities here and in some respects I am surprised that people haven't made more of them already. I realized that it would be a suitable subject for a competition, and Erin has agreed. It will start immediately and run until the end of July. I'm sorry, at this point I haven't any prizes to offer or to fund. Maybe that will happen later.

The basic premise is that one party has to get the other into what might loosely be considered to be "Personal Protection Equipment", even though it might be nothing of the sort. The aim is for one partner to apparently try and keep the other one "safe", whatever that might mean.

• It might be accidental, comedy, revenge or horror. Accidental in that neither party realizes what's happening until too late. Comedy, well, that's straightforward enough. Revenge, where one party has it in for the other party. Horror, it will be interesting to see what our devious minds can come up with. Anything else? Why not?

• I naturally think of this as a two-hander, but it needn't be. For example: a harassed hospital director who can't get hold of regular PPE, but his Matron (sorry: Director of Nursing Services) has some alternative ideas. Her orders (accidentally or otherwise) overlook a men's option...

• Turn the idea on its head. Maybe the man is a closet CD and he cons his female partner into dressing him the way he wants.

• Turn it on its head again. This time it is the female who is vulnerable and he's a key worker. She dresses up the male to protect herself.

• It needn't be the present outbreak. It won't be the first time that humanity has done daft things like that, but obviously other outbreaks will introduce other problems.

• Fetish wear? That would be like shooting fish in a barrel. It would be more fun if anything that is to hand can be used, but a bit of mail order never did anyone any harm.

• Think about a possible category, but don't let that limit you.

  1. Maids, uniforms is what I went for in my short-short.

  2. Tricked, outsmarted is probably the most obvious one.

  3. Bets or Dares? Maybe, but it has to work in context - ie to provide protection.

  4. Bridemaids? Who hasn't got a long and totally unsuitable slinky dress gathering dust in the back of the closet?

  5. Historical costumes could be interesting, too. Maybe a Renfaire outfit belonging to the other party, or a Venetian plague costume - which they now use for carnivals, natch - or maybe an outfit for a Jane Austen re-enactment (we actually have one of those and it fits me!). Maybe someone works at a theatrical outfitters! The world - and history - is your oyster, although some periods work better than others.

  6. Physically forced - No. This contest is all about guile and gullibility - or just plain silliness.

  7. Bad boy to good girl? Distinct possibility, if handled subtly enough.

  8. Others? Why not, if you can find something that sparks a story?

I think it would probably be best to keep this as a single post story, though it can be as short or as long as you like. Breaking it into chapters will lose the tension of the gentle ratcheting as the victim gets all wrapped up. But I'll consider anything longer on its merits.