This is part of the #MAYnia challenge run by the Hive account@freewritehouse. Today I have written 480 words. Some of them were written using the following prompts

Today's Maynia prompt: draconian
@freewritehouse/maynia-day-sixteen
The Daily Freewrite prompt: chiseled
@mariannewest/day-937-5-minute-freewrite-friday-prompt-chiseled

_{_{If you have nothing better to do you can read my previous “chapters”: _{One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen}}}
…
Jeff reminded Mindy of some actor she had seen in a film recently. It wasn't a new film. Something she had seen on television, late one night. She couldn't remember the actor's name but he had the same chiseled appearance as Jeff. What was the name of the film?

Jeff was talking about how Humpbuckle-on-Sea had changed in the last few years. He said he didn't remember the murders, although of course he had only been five or so at the time.

What was the name of the actor? The film had been a science fiction story, Mindy thought. Not involving space travel or anything. It involved some lord of somewhere another who imposed rather draconian rules about how people should conceive. What was it called? She would have to ask Howard, later. He would know. He always remembered the names of films and the actors and actress’ too.

"Are you alright?" Jeff asked.

"What?"

"Sorry, you looked worried about something. Distracted."

"No. Not at all. You just got me thinking, that’s all."

“Right,” Howard said, throwing the empty chip wrapper in the bin. “Time to visit that bookshop.”

“Don’t buy any more books,” Mindy said. “You really have enough.” She could see Howard roll his eyes at Alba, but she pretended not to notice. “You know how most people have a to-read pile of books?” Jeff nodded. “Howard has a garage full of books he has bought and not read yet. I swear he could open a bookshop himself. I think it must be an addiction.”

“My collection isn’t that big,” Jeff said. “But I have to confess the pile by my bed has split into two.”

“Be careful,” Mindy said. “Don’t let it spread further. It’s like a disease with Howard. He only keeps them in the garage because I got sick of tripping over them.”

“Come on,” Howard said. “I can see it’s open. There are people standing there.” He darted across the road, hand in hand with Alba.

“You never see him move so fast,” Mindy said. “Unless it is to get to a bookshop or a pub
that might be almost ready to close.”

“Actually,” Jeff said. He used his hand to shield his eye and peered over the road at the handful of people standing by the bookshop. “I think that is the girl you wanted to talk to.”

Mindy looked more carefully. And her breath stopped. Just for a moment. It was the girl from her vision. The girl who had the encounter with the Shadow Man.

“So it is,” she said. She stepped out into the road without checking to see if it was clear. A horn blasted, tyres screeched, and Jeff grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her back onto the pavement.

“Watch where you’re going!” a pale-faced woman yelled from the window of the car that had nearly hit her.

…