Author's Note:
Here it is! A new Mummy fic! This one has no real serious plot, but it's fun.
Enjoy!
The "Pleasure God" Fiasco and Other Bedtime Stories
Part Un: Day
Chapter 1
Shattered Dreams
Rick O'Connell:
It all started as a normal day in the O'Connell homestead. Normal for this family that is.
I was reading in the library when my son came in and started bouncing a ball on the floor. It wasn't really bothering me. When you live with the likes of my brother-in-law you learn to tune these things out. After much nagging from my wife, Alex was still up to his old tricks. Ardeth's little sister, Kamaria, came in and started tossing the ball around with him. She's a hoot. When Kam joined in, I think Evy just figured she was beat, rolled her eyes and walked off.
I feel bad when Evelyn just doesn't get through to Alex. Then, I remember how much like me he is.
Oh well. Kids can't be perfect can they?
Since their game started to bother my thought process, I decided to put my book down and go outside to the rare, sunny, English afternoon. I went out to the shed and unlocked my artillery cabinet. Yeah. I know. Every home should have one.
I took out a rifle, a few bullets and a wooden target. Picking out a tree to hang it on, I saw my brother-in-law driving his car out of the drive. Funny as it sounds, it looked like Ardeth was with him. I smiled and waved as he turned onto the road. Well, the house will be quieter with him gone. He's probably going to his damned casino to brag about it. Poor Ardeth. Doesn't know what he's getting into, I mused as I proceeded to hang the target on a low-hanging branch of a large tree.
I turned around a few paces and found a position. I loaded the barrel and raised my gun to aim, cocked back the hammer and pulled the trigger. Bulls eye. Not bad considering I haven't had to use a gun in a while. I repeated the process a few more times until on the fifth shot, immediately following my hit, I heard the distinct sound of breaking glass.
I looked behind me, my eyes instinctively going to the library window.
Sure enough, The window was shattered. Glass and a round shape that looked suspiciously like my son's football was scattered on the lawn underneath it.
"AAAAALEEEEX!" I heard my wife scream from somewhere in the house.
I shook my head. "Here we go again," I said out loud. I could hear my wife scolding him from my position on the lawn. Yep. That was definitely coming out of his allowance. I was getting ready to shoot again when I heard a familiar voice screaming at me.
"Richard James O'Connell! How could you be out there playing with your gun while your son is in here destroying the house!" I swear, those vocal lessons she's taking aren't just helping her breathing to sing. She's gotta set of lungs on her, that's for sure.
I sighed, lowered my gun and started heading towards the shed. "Be there in a minute, hon," I yelled back.
After safely securing my rifle in it's rightful place, I trudged back into the house. Evelyn was waiting at the base of the stairs, a sour look on her face. Even when she's ticked she's still gorgeous.
"Hey beautiful," I said, walking toward her.
"Don't you 'Hey beautiful' me, mister. Your son just took out the entire library window," she said, punctuating each syllable with her finger.
"My son? I seem to remember you being there-"
"Oh! Rick, this is the second time he's broken something playing ball in the house! I don't understand why he can't play outside! It's a perfect day. How could he could be so reckless?" She placed her hand on the banister to the stairwell.
"Well, like you said, he is my son," I replied.
She rolled her eyes and turned to walk upstairs.
"Where do you think your going?" I asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and twirling her around to face me.
She smiled and shook her head. "Ever the charmer, as always. How is it, that whatever mood I'm in, you still manage to push my buttons just the right way?"
"I dunno. Maybe I'm just so handsome…" She cut me off with a kiss, turned and trotted up the stairs, seductively. I grinned and shook my head.
I waited a few minutes and ascended the stairs after her. As I walked down the hall, I noticed that Alex's bedroom door was closed. His mom must have shoved him in there. He almost never closes the door.
I stopped and wrapped gently on the wood. "Alex?"
"Wot?" Came the sulky reply.
"Can I come in a minute?"
"Fine."
Oh boy. He was upset, alright. He's usually a lot more vocal than this.
I opened the door and stepped into his room. He was sitting on his bed, looking at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.
Now, usually, I'm the disciplinarian in the household, but today, I just wasn't feeling very authoritarian.
"Hey," I said, approaching him and ruffling the hair on his head. He looked at me and rolled his eyes. He hated being treated like a kid. "What's gotten into you today?"
"Nothing! I was just playing with my ball!" He looked at me with big blue eyes. "It was Cleo!" He exclaimed.
"Heh. Right. I don't believe that for a second." I sighed. "Seriously, Alex. You've got to stop breaking things. Your mother's going to have an aneurysm one of these days. Where was Kam when this happened?"
"In the bathroom."
"Oh. Figures. No witnesses, huh?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm telling you dad! It was mum's stupid cat!"
"Uh, uh. I'm not buying it this time." I got down on my knees in front of him. "Listen, bud, you can't just kick the football around the house like you can outside…"
"But dad-!"
"No buts. You're going to have to pay for this out of your allowance."
"Awwwww Daaaad," He pouted.
"Yes, Alex."
"Fine." He glared at me but changed his expression when he noticed I was looking. "Can I at least come out of my room?"
"Sure. I don't see why not." I turned to leave. "No more ball. I mean it. You play with it outside."
I figured I'd better find my wife and inform her of his sentence. I went to our bedroom but she was nowhere in sight.
"Evelyn?" I called.
No answer. I called a little louder and still no answer.
I headed downstairs and through the kitchen. The back door was open. That's curious. Curious? God, I've been in England too long, I thought. I walked out the door, the curtains that surrounded it flailing in the wind behind me.
