I really didn;t feel like being there. The office required a certain amount of these retreats every year, and it was nearly December. I had to get three more under my belt by the end of the year or face a demotion. So, i came here, to a "Improving Relationships, Adjusting Timelines, Efficiency" (IRATE) conference. It did get me out of the office, but I would still have to make up my work when I got back. Still, it was only a few hours away and at a fairly nice resort.
"So, you see by Chart A-17, Page 65 in your conference workbooks, that the main production line blah blah blah..." I kinda zoned out after the first few charts. They were all big colorful graphs and tables that showed a bunch of arbitrary information I' never use. I had people who did that for me, after all.
It was just after three when the meetings for the day ended, and I took my little notebook, filled with doodles and random thoughts I'd written to the bar. I got myself a Scotch and soda and went to stare out the big bay window that separated us civilized folk from the joys of nature. I missed the days camping with my family, back when we used to live in Montana. but, sending me and my sisters to college had left my family in a financial bind, and when the bank raised our mortgage on the ranch, we were forced to sell. that's why I'd gotten into business in the first place, and I'm working on a deal to get that ranch back. It had been several years since we'd even seen the place, but I wanted to give it to my parents for their retirement. I hoped to do so early.
"Pardon me, Mr. Coogan?"
I looked up, into the face of an absolute angel. She wore a cute little outfit, the kind you might find in a risque' stage show, her tight bluejean shorts hugging her hips, and her checkered shirt was about a size too small. A brown cowboy hat and slick leather boots finished out the outfit, and her beatific smile brought me right into comfort. I slid over on the bench but she just smiled and stood there, her bright blue eyes sparkling in the florescent lighting of the lounge.
She leaned up against the window, her long shapely legs crossed at the ankle and she removed her hat, letting long auburn hair fall over her shoulders. She never took her eyes off me.
I looked around a bit, but it seems that nobody else had noticed her. I was a little surprised, given how beautiful and out-of-place she seemed in a place like this.
She tossed her hat in my direction and it landed just to my left side on the arm of the couch.
"I hear you're looking to reacquire the ranch your family lost some years back. I figure I can help you out with that, if you're willing to do something for me that is."
I smiled and stood, finishing my drink.
"Depends on what it is you want," I said to her, giving her my best sly smile.
"Not a whole lot, really, when you think about it. You'll never even miss it."
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Diaphanous
The moonlight cut open Dave's eyelids and he sat up with a start, his room lit brightly in the midnight darkness by a strange sight. There before him was a woman, beautiful and fair, her eyes dark pools of starry sky, her hair long, and blonde, wafting gently in a breeze that wasn't there, and her gown was flowy, a diaphanous mesh that left just enough to the imagination to be provocative.
Dave slid backwards, resting his back against the wall as he pulled the covers up tight around his chin and watched the gorgeous figure before him gaze gracefully around, as if searching for something invisible. He studied her eyes when she happened to glance in his direction, and seemed drawn in by even the slightest catch of her eye. He slowly moved to the edge of the bed and slipped a foot onto the floor, cautiously standing up in his charcoal gray boxers and cleared his throat, immediately drawing the woman's attention.
"Um, hi. I'm not sure who you are or what you want, but, this is my house, and I'd appreciate it if you left."
She snaked her neck around a bit, her lithe movements slow and methodical, before in an instant she was upon him, with a strength hidden by her size. She held him against the wall and ran her eyes over him, briefly closing them and inhaling deeply just by his neck. He shivered slightly as her ice cold breath tickled his skin. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his bicep for a moment before she looked at him and smiled, revealing three rows of razor sharp teeth before flicking her tongue at him and letting him go. She sat down on his bed, the odd smile frozen on her face and watched him intently, waiting. He pulled himself up, rubbing his arm and the bruises she had given him. He once again sat on his bed as far from her as he could and continued to watch.
The odd woman reached to her back and with a gentle flick of her wrist undid a silver clasp that Dave hadn't noticed before, flinging the sheer garment she was wearing to the floor. With a long, lazy stretch she lay down on the bed, her body covered now with just the shadows that dared to creep back into the room. Her shimmering gown lay on the floor, glowing softly . Her attention seemed to be on something above her.
Dave's eyes traced her form, which was for all intents flawless. Her skin was sparkling when the light caught it just right, and Dave swore he could make out tiny scales covering her body. She suddenly sat up straight with a tense of her body and stared at him, sliding over the bed with inhuman flexing and stared into his eyes, all the while wearing that inhuman smile.
His attention squarely on the intruder, Dave failed to notice the shiny garment on the floor begin to stir...
Dave slid backwards, resting his back against the wall as he pulled the covers up tight around his chin and watched the gorgeous figure before him gaze gracefully around, as if searching for something invisible. He studied her eyes when she happened to glance in his direction, and seemed drawn in by even the slightest catch of her eye. He slowly moved to the edge of the bed and slipped a foot onto the floor, cautiously standing up in his charcoal gray boxers and cleared his throat, immediately drawing the woman's attention.
"Um, hi. I'm not sure who you are or what you want, but, this is my house, and I'd appreciate it if you left."
She snaked her neck around a bit, her lithe movements slow and methodical, before in an instant she was upon him, with a strength hidden by her size. She held him against the wall and ran her eyes over him, briefly closing them and inhaling deeply just by his neck. He shivered slightly as her ice cold breath tickled his skin. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his bicep for a moment before she looked at him and smiled, revealing three rows of razor sharp teeth before flicking her tongue at him and letting him go. She sat down on his bed, the odd smile frozen on her face and watched him intently, waiting. He pulled himself up, rubbing his arm and the bruises she had given him. He once again sat on his bed as far from her as he could and continued to watch.
The odd woman reached to her back and with a gentle flick of her wrist undid a silver clasp that Dave hadn't noticed before, flinging the sheer garment she was wearing to the floor. With a long, lazy stretch she lay down on the bed, her body covered now with just the shadows that dared to creep back into the room. Her shimmering gown lay on the floor, glowing softly . Her attention seemed to be on something above her.
Dave's eyes traced her form, which was for all intents flawless. Her skin was sparkling when the light caught it just right, and Dave swore he could make out tiny scales covering her body. She suddenly sat up straight with a tense of her body and stared at him, sliding over the bed with inhuman flexing and stared into his eyes, all the while wearing that inhuman smile.
His attention squarely on the intruder, Dave failed to notice the shiny garment on the floor begin to stir...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Schadenfreude
"We've got to get out of here, they'll be on us any second!"
The crumbling brick offered little protection from the sounds of gunfire and haze of smoke that covered the ruins of Berrington. The war had taken a long, deadly toll on the peaceful citizens, decimating most of the settlers before any of them could even grab what meager weapons they owned. It was hell to most of them. They'd come here for a new start, new worlds and a new opportunity to see what no one had ever seen. When the announcement had come, millions flocked to the recruitment centers, desperate to get out of the horrid conditions of the few remaining cities that littered the Dying Continents. SO many died in the last few wars over what remained, and even those that were left were scraping by.
The riots were bad in the beginning, until they started culling. Anyone caught fighting were taken to the Fields and left. Few returned and when they did, they never made it to the front of the line. Still it deterred few from trying to edge up a place in line. Ultimately, the culling got to the point that if you so much as jostled someone, you were taken away and not seen again.
There were only fifteen hundred spots on the First Flight. The colony had been established long ago as a simple exploratory outpost, but had been repurposed to hold more than its normal capacity. In theory, it would eventually hold over a billion, resources permitting. The rules were strict, and rationing was mandatory. Anyone caught taking more than his fair share was ejected to the harsh landscape- a death sentence. Still, after a few such incidents, the flow of normalcy established itself and the colony began to grow, adding land and new refugees in.
That was until they came. The colonists called them the "Schadenfreude", because they never killed any of the people , merely took them into their hovering platforms and did things. The truth about what was happening to the captured was a mystery. No one had escaped to confirm, so the stories that circulated amongst the terrified survivors weren't the truth. The horrors were whispered in secret meeting places, hiding from the prying senses of the unseen enemy.
A few of the demons -for that is truly what they felt like- had been wounded but a confirmed kill was never established. You could hear them if you really listened, chattering to each other and scratching the ground with claws that could tear a child from its mother's arms without her having to let go. They came through walls, cars, even fortified bunkers. If they found you, you belonged to them. They wouldn't snatch you away either, they would touch you, and slowly pull you away from your loved ones as they helplessly tried to hold you. That's how they got their name.
Gerard Holdsten described the incident where he lost his sister to me as we hunkered down in our temporary shelter..
"Like trying to grab a ghost, a ghost of the people you love, taken from yo right in front of you, sometimes as you held onto their hand you could feel them fading. And all the time, all you could see of them was that smile, that mock-human smile, the more you hurt, the more they smiled. I'll never shake that, not as long as i live."
The crumbling brick offered little protection from the sounds of gunfire and haze of smoke that covered the ruins of Berrington. The war had taken a long, deadly toll on the peaceful citizens, decimating most of the settlers before any of them could even grab what meager weapons they owned. It was hell to most of them. They'd come here for a new start, new worlds and a new opportunity to see what no one had ever seen. When the announcement had come, millions flocked to the recruitment centers, desperate to get out of the horrid conditions of the few remaining cities that littered the Dying Continents. SO many died in the last few wars over what remained, and even those that were left were scraping by.
The riots were bad in the beginning, until they started culling. Anyone caught fighting were taken to the Fields and left. Few returned and when they did, they never made it to the front of the line. Still it deterred few from trying to edge up a place in line. Ultimately, the culling got to the point that if you so much as jostled someone, you were taken away and not seen again.
There were only fifteen hundred spots on the First Flight. The colony had been established long ago as a simple exploratory outpost, but had been repurposed to hold more than its normal capacity. In theory, it would eventually hold over a billion, resources permitting. The rules were strict, and rationing was mandatory. Anyone caught taking more than his fair share was ejected to the harsh landscape- a death sentence. Still, after a few such incidents, the flow of normalcy established itself and the colony began to grow, adding land and new refugees in.
That was until they came. The colonists called them the "Schadenfreude", because they never killed any of the people , merely took them into their hovering platforms and did things. The truth about what was happening to the captured was a mystery. No one had escaped to confirm, so the stories that circulated amongst the terrified survivors weren't the truth. The horrors were whispered in secret meeting places, hiding from the prying senses of the unseen enemy.
A few of the demons -for that is truly what they felt like- had been wounded but a confirmed kill was never established. You could hear them if you really listened, chattering to each other and scratching the ground with claws that could tear a child from its mother's arms without her having to let go. They came through walls, cars, even fortified bunkers. If they found you, you belonged to them. They wouldn't snatch you away either, they would touch you, and slowly pull you away from your loved ones as they helplessly tried to hold you. That's how they got their name.
Gerard Holdsten described the incident where he lost his sister to me as we hunkered down in our temporary shelter..
"Like trying to grab a ghost, a ghost of the people you love, taken from yo right in front of you, sometimes as you held onto their hand you could feel them fading. And all the time, all you could see of them was that smile, that mock-human smile, the more you hurt, the more they smiled. I'll never shake that, not as long as i live."
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Referred
These kinds of things always made me nervous. I wasn't good with new people, and especially apprehensive when it came to doctors. But, i had been referred to a "specialist" after my last episode, so here i was,palms sweaty and heart racing as i approached the back alley door. The neighborhood was dingy and dirty and not the kind of place I'd expect a doctor, save maybe a seedy clinic that was a no-questions-asked kind of place. But, I was told that Doctor Forles was the best when it came to my...condition.
I knocked, and slid the small piece of paper i had been given through the slot in the dull gray door. Nothing. I waited a few moments and reached my hand up , but thought better of it, having being told to under no circumstances knock more than once. So, I stood there, feeling the dim light pressing down around me, each shadow feeling like it was going to at any moment dive at me, and take me away. Maybe it was part of the process, I thought, and laughed to myself, more a nervous sort of laugh, trying to calm down my overactive imagination than anything else. A few scuttling noises caught my attention, and i dismissed those -out of building terror- as a rat, or a cat in the garbage cans.
Thirty minutes stretched into an hour, and i stood there, still waiting, not a sound coming to indicate that anyone was even there. Why was i here again? A back alley in the middle of the night, in a city I didn't know, waiting for a mysterious doctor that may or may not even exist.
I cleaned my glasses for the hundredth time and loosened my tie. I'd worn my sport jacket from work and that tie I got last year at the company Christmas exchange. Beth. She'd drawn my name for it, and thought i needed some color. SO the tie was a reproduction of some artist's work, all straight lines and colored squares. I didn't care for it at first, but it became my favorite the more I talked to Beth. She was nice, but not my usual type. We'd gone out socially a few times but nothing serious. Maybe after this visit we'd go do something together. I really don't go out on dates,but if we kept it casual, I think we'd have a good time.
Another hour passed, and the cold was starting to creep in. I put my jacket back on, and considered going back to the car for my overcoat. I thought better of it, not wanting to miss the one chance I might get to see this...person. I wasn't even sure if the Doctor was a guy or girl. I'd just been given a name, a time, and a place, and the paper.
The street noise was dying down by now, adding to the disquiet of silence that was creeping upon me from every shadow. My mind kept running through scenarios, and I shook them out as best i could, trying to keep my thoughts on other things. I wish I'd brought my phone out of the car. At least then i could play tetris.
I knocked, and slid the small piece of paper i had been given through the slot in the dull gray door. Nothing. I waited a few moments and reached my hand up , but thought better of it, having being told to under no circumstances knock more than once. So, I stood there, feeling the dim light pressing down around me, each shadow feeling like it was going to at any moment dive at me, and take me away. Maybe it was part of the process, I thought, and laughed to myself, more a nervous sort of laugh, trying to calm down my overactive imagination than anything else. A few scuttling noises caught my attention, and i dismissed those -out of building terror- as a rat, or a cat in the garbage cans.
Thirty minutes stretched into an hour, and i stood there, still waiting, not a sound coming to indicate that anyone was even there. Why was i here again? A back alley in the middle of the night, in a city I didn't know, waiting for a mysterious doctor that may or may not even exist.
I cleaned my glasses for the hundredth time and loosened my tie. I'd worn my sport jacket from work and that tie I got last year at the company Christmas exchange. Beth. She'd drawn my name for it, and thought i needed some color. SO the tie was a reproduction of some artist's work, all straight lines and colored squares. I didn't care for it at first, but it became my favorite the more I talked to Beth. She was nice, but not my usual type. We'd gone out socially a few times but nothing serious. Maybe after this visit we'd go do something together. I really don't go out on dates,but if we kept it casual, I think we'd have a good time.
Another hour passed, and the cold was starting to creep in. I put my jacket back on, and considered going back to the car for my overcoat. I thought better of it, not wanting to miss the one chance I might get to see this...person. I wasn't even sure if the Doctor was a guy or girl. I'd just been given a name, a time, and a place, and the paper.
The street noise was dying down by now, adding to the disquiet of silence that was creeping upon me from every shadow. My mind kept running through scenarios, and I shook them out as best i could, trying to keep my thoughts on other things. I wish I'd brought my phone out of the car. At least then i could play tetris.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Indefinitely
"But, Jim..."
I whined as my boss turned to exit my small office. He looked back over his shoulder.
"Sorry, Dan, but we don't really have the money to keep you right now. The cuts are hitting us all. My benefits have been suspended, and several of our managers are on unpaid leave. We're really just hemorrhaging money. The stock is in the toilet and we're just treading water right now. We can pay you through the end of the week, but after that, i don't know..."
He really was sorry for having to let me go, i could tell. Jim had always been a good guy, and i knew he wouldn't just be feeding me lies to cover his own ass.
"Okay. Maybe I can figure something out by then. Thanks, Jim."
I found out later that Jim had fought for me, to keep me there. He knew my skills, and if it hadn't been for him i would have been one of the first laid off. A few of my friends had already been put on leave indefinitely. I knew things were bad, but never really got it till i started looking at the numbers. I was always good with the numbers side of things, even though I'd been hired to do IT work. Maybe there was something I could do...
I kissed my wife Alison when i got home, and asked for her help. She wasn't great with the technical stuff, but she was creative and often saw new things I would miss with my clinicallity.
Jim had gotten me copies of the office's financial records, and they were as expected a mess.
I saw a few areas we could cut, a few minor details, but nothing that would really help the company as a whole. Sure, we had a few promising projects that would keep us afloat-if we could get them to the marketplace. I sighed and turned to Ally.
"I have to."
She knew exactly what i meant when i said it, and her eyes started to tear up.
"you swore you wouldn't. We've come so far from that. I know you care about this company and these people, but you ..."
The realization crossed over her face and she nodded.
"Just, let me go to my mother's first, okay? i don't want to be here for it."
I told her okay, and helped her pack. It would take a few days to get prepared, so she needed enough to get through a week. We held each other for a while, and she kissed me, before heading out the door.
I got my things from where I'd hidden them. I never thought I'd have to use them again, but this would be helping so many people, I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
It took a while to get the feel for them again, but soon i was wearing the devices like they were old friends. It wouldn't be long till i got them working again, then a few days to power up. After that, I'd be able to do what I should have done months ago..."
I whined as my boss turned to exit my small office. He looked back over his shoulder.
"Sorry, Dan, but we don't really have the money to keep you right now. The cuts are hitting us all. My benefits have been suspended, and several of our managers are on unpaid leave. We're really just hemorrhaging money. The stock is in the toilet and we're just treading water right now. We can pay you through the end of the week, but after that, i don't know..."
He really was sorry for having to let me go, i could tell. Jim had always been a good guy, and i knew he wouldn't just be feeding me lies to cover his own ass.
"Okay. Maybe I can figure something out by then. Thanks, Jim."
I found out later that Jim had fought for me, to keep me there. He knew my skills, and if it hadn't been for him i would have been one of the first laid off. A few of my friends had already been put on leave indefinitely. I knew things were bad, but never really got it till i started looking at the numbers. I was always good with the numbers side of things, even though I'd been hired to do IT work. Maybe there was something I could do...
I kissed my wife Alison when i got home, and asked for her help. She wasn't great with the technical stuff, but she was creative and often saw new things I would miss with my clinicallity.
Jim had gotten me copies of the office's financial records, and they were as expected a mess.
I saw a few areas we could cut, a few minor details, but nothing that would really help the company as a whole. Sure, we had a few promising projects that would keep us afloat-if we could get them to the marketplace. I sighed and turned to Ally.
"I have to."
She knew exactly what i meant when i said it, and her eyes started to tear up.
"you swore you wouldn't. We've come so far from that. I know you care about this company and these people, but you ..."
The realization crossed over her face and she nodded.
"Just, let me go to my mother's first, okay? i don't want to be here for it."
I told her okay, and helped her pack. It would take a few days to get prepared, so she needed enough to get through a week. We held each other for a while, and she kissed me, before heading out the door.
I got my things from where I'd hidden them. I never thought I'd have to use them again, but this would be helping so many people, I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
It took a while to get the feel for them again, but soon i was wearing the devices like they were old friends. It wouldn't be long till i got them working again, then a few days to power up. After that, I'd be able to do what I should have done months ago..."
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Intoxicate
"I really can't help but drink" Adam whined into his glass as his friends once again slid him another cup of their special Moonshine.
"it's really hard when you're trying to get over comething not to try andintoxicate your cares into oblivion."
He downed the glass once again and tapped the cup on the bar.
"let';s get another one over here, i'm still alive."
He said slurring his words, before his eyes fluttered and he fell face first into the bar, then slid onto the floor with a sickening thump. his buddies laughed and nudged him with their feet before sighing and lifting his limp form into the safety of a nearby booth.
"Let's draw on him."
"What are we, five?"
"Come on, it'll be awesome!"
So, they got a few markers used to put up the signs on the bar's whiteboard and plied their artistic experience to draw all over the poor unconscious Adam.
Adam came to with a huge head of pain and a feeling in his gut that told him that the toilet was about to get fed like a baby bird. he ran into the bathroom and hwarked up the last bit of his last night's party.
A few hours later he was back down on his sofa, head adorned with a nice flowery towel full of ice. he'd not looked in the mirror so he was unaware of the amazing work of art that covered his face and neck.
A knock on his door woke him up just as the sun was going down, and he groggily got up to answer it. he winced as the last bit of sunlight burned into his retinas when the door opened and he could barely make out a figure in front of him.
"yeah?"
"Um..Mister...Taconti? "
the female voice sounded quite confused, and if he could see straight he would see a lovely young woman. She eyed the strange markings on his head and had to smile.
"I obviously have the right place. Here."
She held out a large envelope, much heavier than it should have been, and left. leaving Adam to squint, trying to get a good look at her. the only thing he could really make out was the way her hips moved, and a strange sort of part in her skirt. He shrugged and went inside.
He dropped the envelope on the kitchen table and poured himself a nice, non-alcoholic drink, foregoing any food for fear of his stomach's unending wrath once again visiting him. he downed the nice glass of lemonade and eyed the manilla intruder to his otherwise happy kitchen.
He grabbed it and tore thorough the paper as if it were...slightly weaker paper.
Inside was a small chalice, made of gold with gemstone inlay. Its weight made him pretty sure that it truly was gold, but who sent it? he checked the envelope for a return address.
There was no writing on it, not even his address, name, nothing. he turned it over and even checked the part he'd ripped off, but there was simply no indication from where it had come or who it came from. He sat the cup down and looked at it curiously.
"it's really hard when you're trying to get over comething not to try andintoxicate your cares into oblivion."
He downed the glass once again and tapped the cup on the bar.
"let';s get another one over here, i'm still alive."
He said slurring his words, before his eyes fluttered and he fell face first into the bar, then slid onto the floor with a sickening thump. his buddies laughed and nudged him with their feet before sighing and lifting his limp form into the safety of a nearby booth.
"Let's draw on him."
"What are we, five?"
"Come on, it'll be awesome!"
So, they got a few markers used to put up the signs on the bar's whiteboard and plied their artistic experience to draw all over the poor unconscious Adam.
Adam came to with a huge head of pain and a feeling in his gut that told him that the toilet was about to get fed like a baby bird. he ran into the bathroom and hwarked up the last bit of his last night's party.
A few hours later he was back down on his sofa, head adorned with a nice flowery towel full of ice. he'd not looked in the mirror so he was unaware of the amazing work of art that covered his face and neck.
A knock on his door woke him up just as the sun was going down, and he groggily got up to answer it. he winced as the last bit of sunlight burned into his retinas when the door opened and he could barely make out a figure in front of him.
"yeah?"
"Um..Mister...Taconti? "
the female voice sounded quite confused, and if he could see straight he would see a lovely young woman. She eyed the strange markings on his head and had to smile.
"I obviously have the right place. Here."
She held out a large envelope, much heavier than it should have been, and left. leaving Adam to squint, trying to get a good look at her. the only thing he could really make out was the way her hips moved, and a strange sort of part in her skirt. He shrugged and went inside.
He dropped the envelope on the kitchen table and poured himself a nice, non-alcoholic drink, foregoing any food for fear of his stomach's unending wrath once again visiting him. he downed the nice glass of lemonade and eyed the manilla intruder to his otherwise happy kitchen.
He grabbed it and tore thorough the paper as if it were...slightly weaker paper.
Inside was a small chalice, made of gold with gemstone inlay. Its weight made him pretty sure that it truly was gold, but who sent it? he checked the envelope for a return address.
There was no writing on it, not even his address, name, nothing. he turned it over and even checked the part he'd ripped off, but there was simply no indication from where it had come or who it came from. He sat the cup down and looked at it curiously.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Behavior
"Now children, do be on your best behavior. You know how your uncle gets when you don't act properly."
The three precocious children nodded and nudged each other. Mrs. Berrington knew that this was a fruitless pursuit, but she had to at least try. The most she could do now was damage control.
The last visit had ended in abject disaster, with several hospital visits and more than a few harsh words.
The children were now older, but still much too young to be expected to be perfect angels all the time, and the Barrington's annual visit from their esteemed uncle Weston was the one time a year they were even expected to try. Still, it was a fruitless effort that usually ended with uncle storming out in a huff and the family having to scrape by for another year on their meager earnings.
William, the youngest, was the best behaved. he was now only six, and was beginning to pick up his brother and sister's bad habits. He was still too small to cause any real damage, though.
Elise was the middle, and usually instigated most of the trouble. She was the mastermind between the boys, and her skills at cunning were legendary throughout the city. Thanks to her coaching, the name Barrington was top of the constable's watch list. She took a special kind of pride in it, and would giggle gleefully as the boys took their punishments.
Edgar, the eldest kept to himself until his sister planted ideas within his head, and being a bit dull, he would always follow along with her wishes. He was less than the sharpest knife, but he knew how to cause some damage when he put his lack of a mind to it.
So, the visit was scheduled, and soon, Uncle would be here. Elise was already prepared, and several traps had been set. Nothing truly injury inducing, but mostly embarrassing. they delighted in the senseless torment of visitors. Their parents had even learned early that even pets were out of the question.
A final glance of warning was the best Mrs. Barrington could muster as she sighed heavily and went to answer the doorbell.
"Uncle Weston! how wonderful to see you! Let me take your coat!"
She offered him a smile, too nervous for his liking.
"Where is that nephew of mine? Out gallivanting at the tavern again?"
The bespectacled walrus of a man entered, taking off his coat and tossing it unceremoniously to the pre-offered arm. He shifted his girth into a too-small chair which creaked as his weight pressed itself upon it, and let out a long, tobacco scented sigh.
"I don't know why I even bother coming into this rathole of a house anymore. You never impress me enough to merit my favor."
He let out a huff and took out an old pipe, tapping the burnt tobacco onto the floor, and refilling it from a pocket pouch, before lighting it and taking a long drag, exhaling the stale smelling smoke which quickly fouled the air.
"So, where are the kids?"
The three precocious children nodded and nudged each other. Mrs. Berrington knew that this was a fruitless pursuit, but she had to at least try. The most she could do now was damage control.
The last visit had ended in abject disaster, with several hospital visits and more than a few harsh words.
The children were now older, but still much too young to be expected to be perfect angels all the time, and the Barrington's annual visit from their esteemed uncle Weston was the one time a year they were even expected to try. Still, it was a fruitless effort that usually ended with uncle storming out in a huff and the family having to scrape by for another year on their meager earnings.
William, the youngest, was the best behaved. he was now only six, and was beginning to pick up his brother and sister's bad habits. He was still too small to cause any real damage, though.
Elise was the middle, and usually instigated most of the trouble. She was the mastermind between the boys, and her skills at cunning were legendary throughout the city. Thanks to her coaching, the name Barrington was top of the constable's watch list. She took a special kind of pride in it, and would giggle gleefully as the boys took their punishments.
Edgar, the eldest kept to himself until his sister planted ideas within his head, and being a bit dull, he would always follow along with her wishes. He was less than the sharpest knife, but he knew how to cause some damage when he put his lack of a mind to it.
So, the visit was scheduled, and soon, Uncle would be here. Elise was already prepared, and several traps had been set. Nothing truly injury inducing, but mostly embarrassing. they delighted in the senseless torment of visitors. Their parents had even learned early that even pets were out of the question.
A final glance of warning was the best Mrs. Barrington could muster as she sighed heavily and went to answer the doorbell.
"Uncle Weston! how wonderful to see you! Let me take your coat!"
She offered him a smile, too nervous for his liking.
"Where is that nephew of mine? Out gallivanting at the tavern again?"
The bespectacled walrus of a man entered, taking off his coat and tossing it unceremoniously to the pre-offered arm. He shifted his girth into a too-small chair which creaked as his weight pressed itself upon it, and let out a long, tobacco scented sigh.
"I don't know why I even bother coming into this rathole of a house anymore. You never impress me enough to merit my favor."
He let out a huff and took out an old pipe, tapping the burnt tobacco onto the floor, and refilling it from a pocket pouch, before lighting it and taking a long drag, exhaling the stale smelling smoke which quickly fouled the air.
"So, where are the kids?"
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