A Writing Class's Assignment

As Benjamin said, our current writing assignment is a 150-word story, using one of 9 suggested sentences as a prompt, and including the prompt in the story. I've underlined the prompting sentence.

Philip Oslow's raucous young life had rivaled that of Thomas Merton's. Philip settled down, becoming a Benedictine monk, teaching world religions at the Archabbey, and becoming Gwen's "Uncle Phil." Gwen's journalism thesis, "How the West can use an understanding of Eastern Mysticism to aid in disarming rouge nations," was controversial, but creative. This creativity, as well curiosity about Phil's denial of North Korean mysticism, garnered her a tour there. Jin Dong, career-long government agent, was tour guide, "Hello," through a joyless smile, "I am brother Jin." He identified her from the briefing. "How does participative decision-making work in the monasteries?" "Is there tension between the monastics of the east and west?" He feigned interest, occasionally leaning in as though exposing state secrets. Before they left, another lean-in: "There is absolute freedom of religion in North Korea," the monk told her, "and it's your responsibility to tell that to the world."

Comments?