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 Addendum                                      Issue# 22  -  4th April 2002
 URL: http://www.adden.tr.cx/
 Author : Phoenix
================================ Eggbeater =================================

Eggbeater
A Short story by phoenix




"C'mon, just give it to me. I only want to have
a look!"

"MUUMMM!!"

"No, no, be quiet or we'll get in trouble..."

"MUUUMM!!"

"Shh shh have it have your stupid doll oh now
you've done it."

Mum stood in the doorway glaring at the two.
Both son and daughter tried to talk at the same
time...

"Mum! He tried to snatch Susie..."; "I wasn't
doing anything she just started..."

"Quiet!" Mum grabbed Peter's ear and gave it
a nasty twist. "I have friends over, and we
DON'T wish to hear this horrific caterwauling.
Now I-told-you-to-be-on-your-best-behaviour,
didn't-I." It was not a question, and neither
answered her. "Get into the kitchen quicksmart
and start the washing up. NOW!"

Heads hung low the quarrelsome duo began their
reluctant trudge to the kitchen; by the time
they were crossing the living room they had
resigned themselves to the fact of hard labour.

"Well I bags the washing. Trace can dry."

"Noooo.... I want to do the washing." Tracey
stamped her foot.

"Uh-uh, I bagsed it first!"

"Muuuummmm...."

"Tracey-Alees, do the washing."

"But Mum! I bagsed it! That's not fair."

"Maybe I can find something else for you
to do..." Peter didn't take the matter any
further - the lawns hadn't been mowed for
two months.

As he settled down to the odious task of
drying sud-soaked dishes, Peter brooded
over the unfairness of life. I only wanted
to look at her stupid doll. If she had only
given it to him when he asked her he wouldn't
be stuck here now, doing these dumb dishes
with his stupid-head sister. Why does she get
to do the washing up? He had bagsed it! It was
all just unfair. Mum could have really hurt
me..."

For a while he thought of how sorry they'd be
if he suddenly died, then he thought about how
much they wouldn't care. To his surprise he found
this just as pleasurable a frame of mind. Soon
though he had traversed the spectrum of self-pity
and his mind turned to vengeance.

Immediately a thousand wicked ideas fought for
attention... he could put a worm, no, a snake in
her bed! Dog poo in her school shoes! Or he could
flick her with a wet tea towel or... or...

He looked briefly at the utensil he was supposed
to be drying, and immediately a most wicked and
satisfying plan materialised in Peter's mind.

He spun the handle of the manual egg-beater. Drops
of water flew off the blades.

"PEETTEER! You wet me," Trace squealed loudly.

"Shhh! Do you want to get us in trouble?"

On cue, Mum called out from the lounge room: "I hope
I don't hear any fighting, because there's lots of
chores that require doing."

Both children fell silent and worked fervently
for almost two minutes. Then Peter hissed: "You
tell on me again and I'll suck you right up with
the egg beater!"

"Uuuh! Spastic! You can't do that!" Trace garnished
her tone with all the contempt she could summon.

"Yeh? Wanna bet? I'd just suck you up and you'd be ALL...
MANGLED... UP..." He finished in a cold, evil whisper.

"I'll tell Mum if you do!!" Trace was trembling
ever so slightly..."

"Urrh!! Now who's spastic? How are you going to tell
on me if all that's left is a pile of red goo? I'll just
tell them you accidently got tangled up and they'll
never know!" Trace was really scared now - she scared hard
at the dish in front of her and scrubbed as if her life
depended on it. Peter was enjoying this immensely.

"I'll do it, you know," he whispered, holding the egg-
beater up and turning the handle slowly... "You know...
I'll... do it..." He inched the egg-beater closer, and
closer, just to scare her, you know, really he didn't
mean to hurt her, just scare her, and she deserved
it anyway, for she'd got him in trouble, hadn't she?

Trace was petrified - she had her eyes squeezed tight
and was trying to hold her breath. Peter savoured the
power he wielded as he leaned over to whisper in her
ear: "So-don't-ever-dare-tell-on-me-again..."

Suddenly the spinning blades of the egg-beater stopped,
having caught one of Trace's pig-tails. At first she
silent, then she screamed in the shrillest tone
imaginable.

"You two! STOP IT NOW!" Mum cried.

Peter was desperately trying to loosen the egg-beater,
but the handle wouldn't turn either way.

"Quiet. Be quiet and I'll get it out oh stand still
would you..." She kept trying to pull away, screaming
even louder. "I'll suck you up if you don't stop it
I mean it..." He heard Mum get up in the lounge-room
and walk towards the kitchen. Peter panicked, and gave
handle an extra hard tug. The handle gave after a
momentary resistance, and Peter was splattered with
sticky red globs.

Mum stood in the kitchen doorway, mouth and eyes wide.

"Look, Mum, it wasn't my fault, I was just spinning the
thing to dry it out and she kept on being silly..."


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 Addendum                                      Issue# 22  -  4th April 2002
 (C) Phoenix April 2002
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