A Booklight Story by Jaina (lhanson@bgnet.bgsu.edu)
Granny sighed and looked out the window at the west plains. There was still at least an hour until sunset, but already the light of the two suns had dimmed enough to make it difficult for her to read her book. The words seemed to blur together on the page. She sighed and rested her head against the wall. Her shortened evening reading time seemed like just another reason to settle into the gloomy mood that had surrounded her all day. She wasn't sure why. Nothing bad had happened, after all. Lina had behaved herself and Ericks hadn't even been to the hospital for a whole two weeks. And yet Granny was troubled, as if something upsetting was on its way that she couldn't quite figure out. She'd hoped to cheer herself up by settling down with the worn text for a while—it was one of her old favorites—but that idea was no longer feasible.
"Granny?" Ericks peeked around the corner, his usual wide smile firmly in place. "Having trouble reading?"
"You know my old eyes, dear," Granny sighed. "They just aren't what they used to be."
"I could read to you, if you'd like," he offered.
"Oh, thank you, but I'm afraid it just wouldn't be the same." She smiled at him fondly. "When I read myself, I can hear all the voices of the characters and really see the world I'm reading about. It's a little different when someone else is reading. I'll just have to continue tomorrow."
"All right," he said, frowning a little. "Unless…I know!" He snapped his fingers and ran out of the room and down the hall towards his room. Granny stared after him, perplexed, until he returned, triumphantly grasping an object in his hands. "Here," he said breathlessly. "This will help you read even when it's dark."
Hesitantly, Granny reached out to take the item. "Um…what is it, dear?" She held it up to her face to examine more closely. She thought she knew, but she'd never seen one quite like this before…
"It's a booklight!" He replied cheerfully. "Just attach it to your book and you'll have enough light to see. A friend of mine once left it with me, but I don't really need it."
"Oh, thank you, Ericks," Granny said, struggling to keep a pleasant smile on her face. "I'm sure it will be very helpful."
"I'm glad." He grinned at her once more, than departed. Granny waited until she was absolutely sure he was out of earshot before bursting into rather undignified giggles. That dear boy. She no longer felt any trace of melancholy, only amusement and a warm feeling inside when she thought of Ericks' eagerness to help others. Of course, he must have intended this when he brought her such an absurd thing, though he'd kept a straight face…but then, Ericks was such a bad liar…
She shrugged and turned to her book, the long, straight booklight lending a cheerful glow to the scene. The important thing was that she had a kind, wonderful young man as part of her family, a man who'd cared enough to help an old lady read. That was what really mattered.
Still, she couldn't help but wonder if Ericks realized that his booklight was shaped liked a penis.
Stay tuned for Booklights II: Electric Boogaloo
Coming soon to a crackhead near you