1 original: Fragment IX
Sep. 1st, 2008 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amorphousTitle: Fragment IX
Rating: G
Author's Note: Another "fragment". I apologize in advance seeing that I'm not good at any kind of "humor" or "G-rated family fun".
The bowl was empty as he placed it back on the table. The sparkly blue gravel that normally littered the bottom of the bowl in a pretty layer was now scattered haphazardly. The little green, plastic tree that had been weighed down by the gravel was loose as it laid on its side. It took him a moment to notice that it was gone. He swore, looking over his shoulder to make sure his daughter's door was still tightly shut. Light didn't even peek through the cracks of the side and bottom, he sighed with relief, but as he turned to the empty bowl again, he groaned.
He had to find that fish.
Deftly and silently, he knelt down and checked under the shelf first. Nothing there. Water made the knees of his pants soaked and cold, but he only slid on the ground to check on places. He would clean the water up before she woke; no one, including his daughter, would know he had dropped the fish tank.
He moved in the water and felt himself shiver after ten minutes of searching. The fish couldn't have moved. It couldn't even breathe out of water. Groaning with frustration, he grabbed the empty bowl and took it the kitchen. There was only one thing left to do to cover his mistake.
He arranged the tree and gravel like it used to be and then filled the bowl with tepid water from the sink. He grabbed their bottle of… stuff to put in the water… the water treatment or whatever it was and added it to he water before setting the bowl aside.
"Honey, I have to run to the store for… drinks," he called up to his wife.
"Okay," her faint reply came down to him, but he didn't hear her. He nearly ran out the door to his car. He had to hurry or his wife would never believe he simply went out for drinks. The nearest store that sold fish that would be open this late wasn't too close. It would take ten minutes just to get there, and who knew if someone would be at the fish tanks when he got there or he'd have to wait.
He drove just above speed limit, slowing as he passed any speed traps he knew of. Sometimes it was really good to know the town so well. The town seemed to be growing sleepy as the night marched on as he drove them its quiet streets until he found the store he was looking for. Thank goodness they had a 24-hour superstore just outside of town. It was confident now, even though he wasn't too thrilled about the idea of something being open so late when it actually was built a year ago.
He went to the back of the store of the pets department and immediately flagged down an employee. "I need help at the fish tank."
The employee nodded, looking sleepy herself as she followed him to the back wall. The wall was lined with fish tanks for a few feet and he pointed to the third tank from the left, top shelf. "The red fish."
It took her a few minutes to pull out the fish with a net and put it in a bag with water from its tank. "You have to put the fish while—" she started, but he cut her off abruptly.
"Thank you, ma'am. I know how to do it." He flashed her smile as he grabbed the bag from her and sped toward the checkout. No one was in line and he walked straight up to the cashier, showing her the code for the fish. It took him barely a moment to pay and dash out the door.
He glanced at his watch. If he could drive the same speed back home, he might just make it in a reasonable time, even if he stopped at the gas station on his way to buy overpriced drinks as his alibi.
Ten minutes later, he slunk inside the door, smiling to himself. He heard the television's drone coming from their bedroom. Clearly his wife hadn't even came downstairs. He dropped the bag and fish into the water.
Running back upstairs, he went into his bedroom, kissed his wife then claimed he was going to watch television downstairs before disappearing again. Luckily, she was engrossed in a sappy, chick flick that he would hate anyway.
He checked under the shelf again. Sitting unmoving at the very back of the self was the fish. It was still, and obviously dead. He sighed. He grabbed a handful of tissues to use before he reached in the shadows to pull it out. Going to the restroom, he flushed the evidence of his mistake down the toilet.
He showered. Then went downstairs to pour the fish and the water into its new habitat.
The next morning, no one noticed that the fish was different, and the water had been cleaned (the towels were buried over dirty clothes in the hamper in the restroom).
He had gotten away with… He had gotten away with murdering his daughter's pet fish and replacing it with a new one.
Rating: G
Author's Note: Another "fragment". I apologize in advance seeing that I'm not good at any kind of "humor" or "G-rated family fun".
The bowl was empty as he placed it back on the table. The sparkly blue gravel that normally littered the bottom of the bowl in a pretty layer was now scattered haphazardly. The little green, plastic tree that had been weighed down by the gravel was loose as it laid on its side. It took him a moment to notice that it was gone. He swore, looking over his shoulder to make sure his daughter's door was still tightly shut. Light didn't even peek through the cracks of the side and bottom, he sighed with relief, but as he turned to the empty bowl again, he groaned.
He had to find that fish.
Deftly and silently, he knelt down and checked under the shelf first. Nothing there. Water made the knees of his pants soaked and cold, but he only slid on the ground to check on places. He would clean the water up before she woke; no one, including his daughter, would know he had dropped the fish tank.
He moved in the water and felt himself shiver after ten minutes of searching. The fish couldn't have moved. It couldn't even breathe out of water. Groaning with frustration, he grabbed the empty bowl and took it the kitchen. There was only one thing left to do to cover his mistake.
He arranged the tree and gravel like it used to be and then filled the bowl with tepid water from the sink. He grabbed their bottle of… stuff to put in the water… the water treatment or whatever it was and added it to he water before setting the bowl aside.
"Honey, I have to run to the store for… drinks," he called up to his wife.
"Okay," her faint reply came down to him, but he didn't hear her. He nearly ran out the door to his car. He had to hurry or his wife would never believe he simply went out for drinks. The nearest store that sold fish that would be open this late wasn't too close. It would take ten minutes just to get there, and who knew if someone would be at the fish tanks when he got there or he'd have to wait.
He drove just above speed limit, slowing as he passed any speed traps he knew of. Sometimes it was really good to know the town so well. The town seemed to be growing sleepy as the night marched on as he drove them its quiet streets until he found the store he was looking for. Thank goodness they had a 24-hour superstore just outside of town. It was confident now, even though he wasn't too thrilled about the idea of something being open so late when it actually was built a year ago.
He went to the back of the store of the pets department and immediately flagged down an employee. "I need help at the fish tank."
The employee nodded, looking sleepy herself as she followed him to the back wall. The wall was lined with fish tanks for a few feet and he pointed to the third tank from the left, top shelf. "The red fish."
It took her a few minutes to pull out the fish with a net and put it in a bag with water from its tank. "You have to put the fish while—" she started, but he cut her off abruptly.
"Thank you, ma'am. I know how to do it." He flashed her smile as he grabbed the bag from her and sped toward the checkout. No one was in line and he walked straight up to the cashier, showing her the code for the fish. It took him barely a moment to pay and dash out the door.
He glanced at his watch. If he could drive the same speed back home, he might just make it in a reasonable time, even if he stopped at the gas station on his way to buy overpriced drinks as his alibi.
Ten minutes later, he slunk inside the door, smiling to himself. He heard the television's drone coming from their bedroom. Clearly his wife hadn't even came downstairs. He dropped the bag and fish into the water.
Running back upstairs, he went into his bedroom, kissed his wife then claimed he was going to watch television downstairs before disappearing again. Luckily, she was engrossed in a sappy, chick flick that he would hate anyway.
He checked under the shelf again. Sitting unmoving at the very back of the self was the fish. It was still, and obviously dead. He sighed. He grabbed a handful of tissues to use before he reached in the shadows to pull it out. Going to the restroom, he flushed the evidence of his mistake down the toilet.
He showered. Then went downstairs to pour the fish and the water into its new habitat.
The next morning, no one noticed that the fish was different, and the water had been cleaned (the towels were buried over dirty clothes in the hamper in the restroom).
He had gotten away with… He had gotten away with murdering his daughter's pet fish and replacing it with a new one.
