Read the excerpt from “Street Cleaning Day.”An open space on the streetsnapped him out of his thoughtsand back to the wheel.He sped up a littleand moved close to the curb,pulling ahead of the space.Just as he shifted his carin reverse, a flashswooped in from behindand took from Squarewhat the morning had offered.

The excerpt shows Square preparing to park, only to have another driver swoop in and take the space. This creates the problem that drives the story forward, so it introduces the conflict. It is not falling action, which comes after the main problem has been addressed.

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