A/N: This is pure self-indulgence at its worst. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! I have the most ridiculous obsession with minesweeper, and I had to share it somehow.
Holmes Sweeps Up
"What are you doing?" Holmes demanded as he strode into the room.
With one click, the computer screen turned black. I grabbed some papers sitting nearby and began to write furiously, trying to hide my reddening face. I did not want Holmes to know I had spent an entire afternoon trying-and failing-to beat some silly game.
Holmes narrowed his cold grey eyes and stepped forwards. A hand reached out and pinched the power button. The screen flared to life.
"What is this?" he questioned me.
"It's… it's a game Holmes." At his disapproving glare, I pressed forwards. "It's actually an exercise in logic. Fiendishly difficult, you know"
His eyebrows rose, his curiosity piqued.
"You see, some of these squares have mines underneath them. The goal is to mark them and to uncover the rest of the squares as fast as possible. See look, I'm getting rather good. I nearly won last time" I clicked hastily to prove my point. I made it a few clicks, when in my hurry, I accidentally hit a mine. The board filled with red. "Well it isn't supposed to go like that exactly…" I trailed off.
"My turn." I felt a hand push me aside.
Holmes hunched over the machine, his eyes alight. He tongue flicked over his lips in anticipation. Hesitantly, he made the first click.
"Hmmm…" he pondered the move. I remained at his side and continued to watch him. After a minute I began to hear his cries of exclamation.
"Ahh, I see how this works. The numbers represent the number of mines present in the nine squares surrounding each box. Very clever."
"Well really! Why this is quite elementary, my dear Watson," he began to pick up speed, clicking more and more furiously. He shouted in excitement as he worked.
"Haha!"
"Oh yes, this one is easy. Elementary!"
"Eleme-Oh! Elementary for certain!"
A minute later, my friend turned to me. He had beaten the game. My mouth hung wide open. In only few short minutes he had succeeded. I spent several hours on the game with no such luck.
"Really, Watson," he said with a sneer "this exercise is much too simple. I thought it would prove to be at least a bit of a challenge."
I stared, dumfounded.
Silly, I know. Sometimes I just can't help myself :)