Disrupted Plans and Thwarted Strategies
Thunder rolled. Renee pressed her nose to the window, a groan fogging the glass. “So much for biking this afternoon. I thought you said the forecast was sunny.”
Wendy shrugged, a little too pleased. “Weather can be unpredictable.”
I bit my tongue.
While our plans had been discomfited, my sister’s were on schedule. Nothing else could explain her need to clear the table of plates asap, or for the presence of her DnD case outside her room. Even the pantry was suspiciously stocked with Renee and Trevor’s favorite guilty pleasures. All she needed were my famous fresh-baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. And I’d played into her plot.
No wonder she enjoyed these strategy games; she knew how to win.
Nolstalgic Movie for Your Thoughts
“How could you not like Arrival? It’s as sci-fi as sci-fi can be.”
Renee shrugged at Trevor’s question, tossing a fresh handful of Skittles into her mouth. “I hate paradoxes. Have Hawkeye blow the ship up and it’s a better movie.”
Returning the DVD case to the shelf, I glanced over my shoulder. “So Empire Strikes Back or Independence Day.”
She nearly fell out of the plastic chair while slapping the small table. “Heck yeah! We should get one of those.”
Constant Complaints About Well-Meaning Friends
I tuned out her jeremiad while spooning liquid chocolate. Swinging the utensil over a bowl of popcorn, satisfying dark drizzles covered the fluffy treat. A handful of crushed peppermint made the mixture drool-worthy.
“Are you listening?”
“Absolutely,” I said while sneaking a taste. Oof, Trevor and Renee couldn’t come soon enough. Cooled popcorn was never as good.
“William.” I lifted my eye to my red-faced sister, her posture quirked awkwardly. “Stop obsessing over your popcorn and listen to my rant.”
Overextended Sequence for Simple Play
“Fine, we’ll follow the creepy old guy.”
“Thank you!” Wendy cleared her throat, collecting herself with a calming hum. She lifted her worn notebook, the many rules of the game scribbled within. They picked up where they’d left off, Trevor and Renee transported mentally into the fantasy carnival.
Renee’s femme fatale Iris took the lead, white knuckling her blade as she descended into the darkened cellar. Trevor’s peg-legged hunter Paladin followed close, ducking in order to fit.
Promoting Daring Fantasies as Reality
“Come, adventurers! Try your hand.”
He approached the jovial shill and his questionable shell game. Six glittery red bowls, a green ball dead center on the table. The gamemaster balanced on a three-legged stool, garish grin highlighting crooked yellow teeth, patchy stubble, and a glass eye.
The man rolled up his sleeves, spindly fingers dancing innocently. “Find the ball and win a prize. Fail, and I take a reward. Accept my terms?”