Post by Elienp on Dec 17, 2011 0:27:17 GMT -8
Title: Many questions
Rating: T
Warning: none
Words: 1312
Challenge # 5
Midnight, silence reigned in the house, all its inhabitants having finally gone to bed. All? Not really, the exhaustion of the day had allowed two little boys to deceive their parents' and elders' attention.
They'd been waiting silently in their bed till they'd been certain everyone was in bed. Then they'd waited again for more time to fly to be sure not only everyone else was in bed but asleep too.
When they'd deemed it safe enough, they'd finally got out of their bedroom and were now standing at the top of the stairs, wondering how they'd go down without ruining all their efforts. They hadn't spent three hours under motionlessly laying under their covers to be sent back their without having fulfilling their goal.
Adults couldn't understand how difficult it was to keep quiet at such a time of the year!
“The third step always cracks.”
“And the fifth too.”
“We have to jump the first one.”
“But is the second safe?”
“How long has Mum been asleep? Can we take the risk?”
One of the little boy forcefully shook his head. “We can't make any sound.”
“But we have to get there! He'll be in the living-room! We can't fail Fred! We can't miss him!” whined his brother as low as he could.
Fred frowned. Of course they'd succeed in going near the Christmas tree, yet they had to be very careful not to wake up anybody, not to make any sound in fact for they wouldn't want to warm him of their presence either. This year they'd finally succeed in meeting him. Yeah, they'd definitely get to see him, to talk to him, they had so many questions to ask him!
As he turned his head around, Fred's attention was caught by the bannister and his eyes immediately lightened.
“I know!” he whispered. “We'll slide on that! No risk to make the wood crack!”
“Yeah but how do you plan to land?”
Fred twisted his mouth to the side. “Can't we try to jump on the armchair?”
George's eyes also lightened. “Let's do that!” He walked to the bannister, stopped in front of it, looked at his brother, back at the bannister, before finally asking: “Alone or together?”
“Together,” Fred decided.
“If we fall-”
“We'll fall together, not one after the other,” Fred cut him off while climbing.
“We should have taken a broom,” George sighed, putting his arms around his brother's waist. “It'd have been much simpler.”
“Next time!” Fred winked before letting go of the wall.
They started to slide slowly, then, as they were speeding up, George wondered if the armchair would really be able to muffle their landing. He bit his lower lip not to cry out when he didn't feel the bannister under him any more. There was not a long distance to fly before landing on the armchair, but it stayed long enough to scare him. Fred, on his side, was biting his lips to restrain himself from laughing out loud. It felt so good!
They didn't land smoothly, yet no noise was made and it was the essential.
“See! We did it!” Fred beamed.
His brother smiled back. They had overcome a first obstacle, but others were still on their path. They had to get to the living-room before him, they had to hide themselves and, once he'd have appeared, they'd have to be quick enough to successfully catch him before he had the smallest chance to escape.
The previous year, they'd have succeeded if Fred hadn't suddenly coughed, thus warming him of their presence and making him disappear on the spot. This time, no cough would betray them. No noise, no mistake, they'd definitely catch him!
“Don't you think we're late?”
“No,” Fred replied with certainty. “There is no way we've missed him. He wouldn't come as long as everyone isn't asleep.”
“But we are not-”
“It doesn't work the same for us!” Fred exclaimed. “He can't know we aren't asleep, can he? Parents wouldn't let their children out of bed at such an hour, would they?”
“Yes, but they don't-”
“We'll see him!”
George closed his mouth, convinced – or rather impressed – by his brother's determination. Fred was certainly the most determined about this mission of theirs. They'd waited for so long!
“Mum?” he simply asked as they walked slowly to the living-room.
Fred frowned. “Don't know. Hope not. We were nice all day, weren't we? There is no reason for her to be suspicious.”
George hoped his brother was right or else he couldn't imagine what would become of them. Their mother had been so angry the previous year to find them awake in the middle of the night. She had even threatened them to keep their presents for herself – fortunately she had given up that idea after two hours of their whining around her feet.
“Do you think the potion we made is strong enough to stick him to the floor?”
Fred feared they weren't prepared enough to face him. They had had a whole year to think about their past mistakes and to find solutions to them, yet had it been enough? Had they been cautious enough? Fred wouldn't forgive himself if they failed again this time. They were big now – they were eight! - it was time their questions got some answers.
“It'll work Fred, I'm sure of it, it'll work.”
It'd always been thus between the twins, for a time Fred would be more determined than George, then it'd be the other way around. More complementary than then, it seemed impossible to be.
They moved stealthily to hide behind the cough. He hadn't appeared yet, that let them time enough to put their trap on. George quickly and precisely spread the potion where they had seen him standing the three previous years. Three years of failure, it wouldn't happen again.
“Everything is ready,” George murmured. “Do you think he'll come soon?”
“The time doesn't matter, we'll wait for him,” Fred answered in a yawn.
George held back one of his own. It was becoming harder and harder not to close their eyes. To be awake in the middle of the night had always been difficult, and even if they were older than the year before, they were still too young to last a whole day without sleeping.
“Perhaps we should have taken a nap.”
Fred was about to answer when then heard a sound coming from the entry. He was finally there! They came closer to each other, trying to be as small as they could not to be seen. At last they were going to meet him! They were so excited they could cry out if they weren't careful.
“What the-”
As soon as his protest reached their ears the twins jumped out of their hiding-place.
“Got you!” they screamed while grabbing his coat.
“What are you doing here?”
“It's us who ask the questions,” Fred retorted.
“Yes, it's us. It's our turn,” George agreed.
“But what do-”
“Say, say, how do you do every year? How do you do to enter the houses?”
“Say, say, how do you know what we want?”
“How do you make the toys?”
“How do you carry them?”
“How can you visit all the houses in one night?”
“Do you have people to help you?”
The twins were so excited they didn't care any more about waking up everybody.
“Say, Father Christmas, can we come with you next year?” they beamed at the man they had been waiting for all day no, all year in fact.
Edit: Awarded 5 Points by jesi, on 3/1/12.
Rating: T
Warning: none
Words: 1312
Challenge # 5
Midnight, silence reigned in the house, all its inhabitants having finally gone to bed. All? Not really, the exhaustion of the day had allowed two little boys to deceive their parents' and elders' attention.
They'd been waiting silently in their bed till they'd been certain everyone was in bed. Then they'd waited again for more time to fly to be sure not only everyone else was in bed but asleep too.
When they'd deemed it safe enough, they'd finally got out of their bedroom and were now standing at the top of the stairs, wondering how they'd go down without ruining all their efforts. They hadn't spent three hours under motionlessly laying under their covers to be sent back their without having fulfilling their goal.
Adults couldn't understand how difficult it was to keep quiet at such a time of the year!
“The third step always cracks.”
“And the fifth too.”
“We have to jump the first one.”
“But is the second safe?”
“How long has Mum been asleep? Can we take the risk?”
One of the little boy forcefully shook his head. “We can't make any sound.”
“But we have to get there! He'll be in the living-room! We can't fail Fred! We can't miss him!” whined his brother as low as he could.
Fred frowned. Of course they'd succeed in going near the Christmas tree, yet they had to be very careful not to wake up anybody, not to make any sound in fact for they wouldn't want to warm him of their presence either. This year they'd finally succeed in meeting him. Yeah, they'd definitely get to see him, to talk to him, they had so many questions to ask him!
As he turned his head around, Fred's attention was caught by the bannister and his eyes immediately lightened.
“I know!” he whispered. “We'll slide on that! No risk to make the wood crack!”
“Yeah but how do you plan to land?”
Fred twisted his mouth to the side. “Can't we try to jump on the armchair?”
George's eyes also lightened. “Let's do that!” He walked to the bannister, stopped in front of it, looked at his brother, back at the bannister, before finally asking: “Alone or together?”
“Together,” Fred decided.
“If we fall-”
“We'll fall together, not one after the other,” Fred cut him off while climbing.
“We should have taken a broom,” George sighed, putting his arms around his brother's waist. “It'd have been much simpler.”
“Next time!” Fred winked before letting go of the wall.
They started to slide slowly, then, as they were speeding up, George wondered if the armchair would really be able to muffle their landing. He bit his lower lip not to cry out when he didn't feel the bannister under him any more. There was not a long distance to fly before landing on the armchair, but it stayed long enough to scare him. Fred, on his side, was biting his lips to restrain himself from laughing out loud. It felt so good!
They didn't land smoothly, yet no noise was made and it was the essential.
“See! We did it!” Fred beamed.
His brother smiled back. They had overcome a first obstacle, but others were still on their path. They had to get to the living-room before him, they had to hide themselves and, once he'd have appeared, they'd have to be quick enough to successfully catch him before he had the smallest chance to escape.
The previous year, they'd have succeeded if Fred hadn't suddenly coughed, thus warming him of their presence and making him disappear on the spot. This time, no cough would betray them. No noise, no mistake, they'd definitely catch him!
“Don't you think we're late?”
“No,” Fred replied with certainty. “There is no way we've missed him. He wouldn't come as long as everyone isn't asleep.”
“But we are not-”
“It doesn't work the same for us!” Fred exclaimed. “He can't know we aren't asleep, can he? Parents wouldn't let their children out of bed at such an hour, would they?”
“Yes, but they don't-”
“We'll see him!”
George closed his mouth, convinced – or rather impressed – by his brother's determination. Fred was certainly the most determined about this mission of theirs. They'd waited for so long!
“Mum?” he simply asked as they walked slowly to the living-room.
Fred frowned. “Don't know. Hope not. We were nice all day, weren't we? There is no reason for her to be suspicious.”
George hoped his brother was right or else he couldn't imagine what would become of them. Their mother had been so angry the previous year to find them awake in the middle of the night. She had even threatened them to keep their presents for herself – fortunately she had given up that idea after two hours of their whining around her feet.
“Do you think the potion we made is strong enough to stick him to the floor?”
Fred feared they weren't prepared enough to face him. They had had a whole year to think about their past mistakes and to find solutions to them, yet had it been enough? Had they been cautious enough? Fred wouldn't forgive himself if they failed again this time. They were big now – they were eight! - it was time their questions got some answers.
“It'll work Fred, I'm sure of it, it'll work.”
It'd always been thus between the twins, for a time Fred would be more determined than George, then it'd be the other way around. More complementary than then, it seemed impossible to be.
They moved stealthily to hide behind the cough. He hadn't appeared yet, that let them time enough to put their trap on. George quickly and precisely spread the potion where they had seen him standing the three previous years. Three years of failure, it wouldn't happen again.
“Everything is ready,” George murmured. “Do you think he'll come soon?”
“The time doesn't matter, we'll wait for him,” Fred answered in a yawn.
George held back one of his own. It was becoming harder and harder not to close their eyes. To be awake in the middle of the night had always been difficult, and even if they were older than the year before, they were still too young to last a whole day without sleeping.
“Perhaps we should have taken a nap.”
Fred was about to answer when then heard a sound coming from the entry. He was finally there! They came closer to each other, trying to be as small as they could not to be seen. At last they were going to meet him! They were so excited they could cry out if they weren't careful.
“What the-”
As soon as his protest reached their ears the twins jumped out of their hiding-place.
“Got you!” they screamed while grabbing his coat.
“What are you doing here?”
“It's us who ask the questions,” Fred retorted.
“Yes, it's us. It's our turn,” George agreed.
“But what do-”
“Say, say, how do you do every year? How do you do to enter the houses?”
“Say, say, how do you know what we want?”
“How do you make the toys?”
“How do you carry them?”
“How can you visit all the houses in one night?”
“Do you have people to help you?”
The twins were so excited they didn't care any more about waking up everybody.
“Say, Father Christmas, can we come with you next year?” they beamed at the man they had been waiting for all day no, all year in fact.
Edit: Awarded 5 Points by jesi, on 3/1/12.