“I’m In Charge” - A Satirical, Short Story

One afternoon I was hanging out with my little brother. Mom and Dad were leaving for date night, and for the first time ever, I was gonna be in charge.

“Tonight will redefine what it means to be ten years old,” I said facing my mirror. In the other room, my little brother Peter sat sucking on his matchbox car.

Mom and Dad eventually left for their dinner. Petey was watching Barney or some stupid kiddy show on the living room TV. Since I was the man of the house, I decided to treat myself to a cold drink and take a layoff.

“Move idiot.” I shoved Petey aside, snatching the TV remote from his fist. I cracked open my soda and plopped down on the couch.

“Hey! I want some!” Peter cried.

“No way, this is for grown-ups only. Are you a grown-up?” I asked.

He shook his head no.

“Well…can you at least count to ten?” I said.

He shook his head no again.

“Sorry buddy, grow up a little and maybe you can have some.” I gauged my attention back to the TV.

It took me a second to realize that my lap felt lighter. I looked back toward where my little brother was sitting.

The runt stole my soda and by the time I realized it, he had finished the whole can. I clocked him over the head, hard. He started tweaking out. For a second I thought I rattled his fragile, growing brain.

“Hey dummy! I told you that you couldn’t have any! Go get me another one!” I yelled at him.

In a trice, Peter was gone. He vanished. Then, something startled me - a hot flash of light shot out into view and scratched the side of my face.

“Ouch!” I quickly slapped the burn, hitting myself in the process, hard. The flash of light rang around the room again. I carefully scanned the living space to see what was going on.

What the hell was in that soda pop? Little Petey was having a sugar rush like no other.

Quite like a cyclone, my little brother Petey was moving at MACH-5 speed, his body moving around in a winding motion; barreling across the floor, up the walls, and across the ceiling. You could compare him to a juiced-up tinker toy, with no sign of stopping.

“Pete! What’s going on!” I screamed over the roaring chaos. Petey was gradually picking up more and more speed. The house walls began to crack and a crevice began forming in the ground. Peter kept making his revolutions.

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” He cried with joy.

I didn’t have a clue for what to do. Who do I even call? The government?

Two minutes have passed, and Petey has been moving so fast that he has abandoned his physical form. Before, I was barely able to make out his shadow. As of now, he’s nothing but an intense vibration in the air.

I’m scared to move because I can’t see anything but an invisible crater steadily becoming deeper and larger at my feet. The air has grown hot. Mom and Dad are gonna kill me.

“I LOVE THIS!!!!” My little brother said as he morphed into an unidentifiable being.

I stand frozen in place. Petey telepathically switched the TV channel back to Barney.