Paying the Bills

Well, we're heading slowly back to normal levels after the influx of hits from MetaFilter and Six Sentences. If you're still reading this, hopefully that means you enjoyed it enough to come back at least the once. Welcome MeFites! Welcome Sixers! I cannot promise that every day will be brilliant, but it will be here.

I really encourage people to post comments, especially if a story fell flat for you. I want to hear what I'm doing wrong, because I am working hard on correcting my deficiencies. (I take an average of twenty minutes to create and polish each day's flitterfic. Sometimes, like today, they come easily. Other times it takes some doing.) Some ideas still haven't managed to see the light of day, despite several attempts.

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“What are you doing, dad?”

“Paying the bills.”

“Wow! Can we help? Can we can we can we!?”

“I don’t really need any help today, kids,” he said, folding the paper neatly into thirds. “Why don’t you go outside and play?” He held out the envelope for Archibald to bite. “Ark! Ark!” said Archibald. Dad gave him a fish.

“Awww…” They turned and slumped away, casting heartbroken glances back at the kitchen table.

“All right,” said Dad, making a note in his checkbook. He held the sealed envelope out the window. “Are we all settled?”

“Quack,” said the bill collector.