My flash fiction prompt about a vending machine got way deeper than I planned

I threw out a simple prompt about a vending machine that only dispenses objects people lost, thinking it'd be fun little 500 word stories. Instead I got like 30 replies about grief, dead pets, and old letters from exes. One person wrote about getting back their grandpa's watch and I almost teared up in my truck between deliveries. Guess simple prompts hit harder when people bring their own baggage to them. Anyone else have a low effort prompt that spun way out of control?

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schmidt.blake9d ago

Vending machines are basically tiny grief dispensers when you think about it, which is a weird realization to have at 2 AM eating a sad turkey sandwich. My dumb prompt about a talking toaster got people writing about their grandmother's kitchen and I had to put my phone down for a solid hour. Apparently every ordinary object is just a trapdoor to someone's feelings, including mine apparently.