Bennett Takes an Interest
This is post 13 of Section III. To begin at the beginning, go here. Section II begins here. Section III begins here.
There seemed no help for it. Bennett rose, sighed, hiked up his pants a little, and emerged into the hall. Fafnir immediately got to his feet, hoping for a walk, and Bennett could hear the click of Siegfried’s approaching claws as well. It came to him that children liked animals. He proceeded down the hall to Gwen’s study. Lizzy was there, hunched over tensely as she peered at the screen, moving the mouse with mechanical expertise. From time to time a burst of color and noise issued from the machine.
Watching her gave Bennett an eerie feeling. He cleared his throat. No response. “Uh—Lizzy.” Nothing. “Lizzy?” (louder).
“What?” (through gritted teeth).
“I’m going to take the dogs for a walk.”
Two tails thumped in the doorway behind him. Click, click, click went the mouse.
“Would you like to come?”
“No.” (Teeth still gritted. Click, click.)
Bennett hesitated, but the way Gwen was clashing pots together as she prepared dinner brooked no cold feet. He strode to the thing, pushed past Lizzy, and yanked all the plugs he could see. It made a dying cow noise and was quelled.
Not so Lizzy. “Hey! What are you doing? I was playing!” she yelled. She got down on her hands and knees and began re-plugging while he stepped out into the hall and attached the dogs’ leashes to their collars. “Gramma!” she yelled. “Grampa’s trying to bust up your computer.”
Continue
There seemed no help for it. Bennett rose, sighed, hiked up his pants a little, and emerged into the hall. Fafnir immediately got to his feet, hoping for a walk, and Bennett could hear the click of Siegfried’s approaching claws as well. It came to him that children liked animals. He proceeded down the hall to Gwen’s study. Lizzy was there, hunched over tensely as she peered at the screen, moving the mouse with mechanical expertise. From time to time a burst of color and noise issued from the machine.
Watching her gave Bennett an eerie feeling. He cleared his throat. No response. “Uh—Lizzy.” Nothing. “Lizzy?” (louder).
“What?” (through gritted teeth).
“I’m going to take the dogs for a walk.”
Two tails thumped in the doorway behind him. Click, click, click went the mouse.
“Would you like to come?”
“No.” (Teeth still gritted. Click, click.)
Bennett hesitated, but the way Gwen was clashing pots together as she prepared dinner brooked no cold feet. He strode to the thing, pushed past Lizzy, and yanked all the plugs he could see. It made a dying cow noise and was quelled.
Not so Lizzy. “Hey! What are you doing? I was playing!” she yelled. She got down on her hands and knees and began re-plugging while he stepped out into the hall and attached the dogs’ leashes to their collars. “Gramma!” she yelled. “Grampa’s trying to bust up your computer.”
Continue
posted by Hobbes at 5:12 AM
4 Comments:
Do the well-educated believe in corporal punishment? Just asking.
I think Bennett would if he thought about it. Gwen, Chloe and Gregory find it appalling.
Personally, I haven't seen a case when it was necessary yet, and I do not put up with badly behaved kids.
Good for him!
I hope there's a way for a "novella" to be published. I'm enjoying reading, even though it's not possible for me to comment on each chapter that I read. (Well, if you give me 4 hands ;).
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