--- In SkunkworksAMA_at_y..., "jmhcustomart" <jmhcustomart_at_y...> wrote:
> --- In SkunkworksAMA_at_y..., "jmhcustomart" <jmhcustomart_at_y...> wrote:
> >snip<
>
> > The girls looked at each other. Their faces were lined with
> worry.
> > "Oh fuck. We did it this time. Now we got 'em both mad at
us,"
> > sighed Lori nervously.
> > "Whaddaya think Des is gonna do?" asked Onyx.
> > "I dunno. And that's the part that scares me."
>
>
> Jim was seated at the kitchen bar, the contents of the box spread
> out before him. Fragments of what was once a ceramic figurine were
> organized in a haphazard manner, waiting to (hopefully) be
> reassembled. He let out a frustrated sigh and reached for the
> ceramic glue.
> "Fucking polecats, I swear," he muttered, "I can't believe Val
> actually raised them. There's just no way. Unless she kept them
in
> the basement or something."
> He applied a small bead of adhesive to one edge of a fragment and
> gently placed it against its counterpart. It fit nicely, with very
> little evidence it had ever broken.
> He had purchased the figurine for Desiree a few weeks earlier
> through the mail. It was a highly detailed sculpture of a dragon,
> curled around an egg. He had seen her looking at the figurine
> several times in the past, and had decided to buy it for her as a
> surprise. It was either that, or another sex toy. And Lord knows,
> she definitely had enough of THOSE.
> The door opened slowly, and the three skunks stepped into the
> house. Onyx and Natasha had grass stains on their clothes, and
Lori
> was rubbing the back of her head.
> Jim sighed again. It was going to be another week before the
> girls' mother returned from a business deal in New York, and Jim
was
> the unlucky soul who had been assigned to watch them. He had
argued
> with Val that the girls were far too old to be baby-sat, and she
> answered him with a stern look. "But they like to be with you,"
she
> had answered. Jim answered, "Yeah, like fleas like to be with a
> dog." That comment earned him an icy stare from Val, who then
> proceeded to finish packing her stuff for the trip as if the
> conversation had never occurred. She wsa a hard one to argue with,
> and Jim simply resigned himself to being the target of a limitless
> horde of pranks and jokes for the next week and a half.
> "What'cha got there?" asked Lori, standing beside Jim.
> "It WAS a figurine I bought for Des, but as you can see, it's now
a
> puzzle, thanks to you three."
> "We're really sorry, Jim," answered Natasha, brushing a few stray
> pieces of grass from her shirt.
> "Yeah, well, sorry isn't gonna get this thing fixed."
> The girls were silent for a moment. The ticking from the kitchen
> wall clock seemed too loud.
> "I don't know what to do with you three," spoke Jim suddenly, "I
> mean, you constantly get into trouble, you're always pulling jokes
> and shit, many of which I end up getting blamed for or involved in,
> and you think nothing of it."
> Onyx spoke, "Des had a little talk with us, Jim."
> He raised an eyebrow.
> "Really?"
> "Yeah," answered Lori, "she said we're in deep shit."
> "And that's why you came in to apologize, huh?"
> "Sorta," answered Onyx.
> "She told us to go to our room because she would be by later on.
> She was really pissed," said Natasha.
> "Do tell."
> "So, um, we just wanted to apologize and, uh, then I guess we'll
go
> to our room."
> Jim laughed.
> "You're serious?", he asked, "You're really just gonna go to your
> room and wait for her?" He couldn't believe they were actually
> following an order.
> "Yeah. She said we'd be dead meat if we didn't."
> Jim tried to stifle another laugh. This was just too good to be
> true. He still didn't know if Des had been joking or not when she
> had her conversation with the sisters. It was hard to tell
sometimes.
> "Well, I guess you three better get your furry butts in your
room,
> then. How'd Des look when you had your talk?"
> "She was pitch black," answered Natasha.
> "Ooh. Not good. But hey, you gotta reap what you sow." He
turned
> back to the figurine.
> The girls stood there a moment longer. They slowly looked at one
> another, then turned and began heading towards their room at the
rear
> of the house. Jim watched them go from the corner of his eye, and
> smiled to himself. Des's idea was working. Now he just had to
wait
> for her to show up.
>
> Less than an hour had passed when there was a sharp knock at the
> door. Jim stood up and walked towards the front of the house. He
> opened the door, and was greeted by Desiree. She had a large
duffel
> bag sitting on the ground beside her. He cracked a smile and
> asked, "You got everything?"
> "Of course," she answered quietly, in case the skunks were trying
> to eavesdrop.
> "Good. I'll be in the kitchen finishing up some stuff. You want
a
> drink?"
> "Sure. Make it a soda. One with caffeine in it."
> Des looked down at the bag, then back up at Jim. A smile crept
> across her face.
> "It's gonna be a LONG night, y'know."
>
> --Jim Hardiman, who is actually having fun writing this. Haven't
> written a story in about 9 years. Got through a bunch of e-mail
the
> other night, but still got a long way to go. I gotta do this in
> stages so I don't strain my eyes and get another headache. Anyone
> mind if I do more work on this story?
JIm, I had never sen the serious side of your humor before. I'd only
seen the snipets of your artwork. I Have enjoyed what you have
written thus far. Hopefully, one day, you'll include it with one of
you portfolios or perhaps as an inclusion in a release of one of your
comics. Take your time. Don't overtax yourself. We'll always be here
eagerly waiting for the next adventure. Tell LInda I say Hello, and,
as always, keep the faith , Brah.
Received on Mon Apr 29 2002 - 14:16:02 CDT