Where Is The Good?

“Hon, did you check in the room behind the stairs?”

“Of course I checked there. That's the last place I put it, I think.”

“I realize that, but I had to ask.”

“Didn't we bring it to the the Fahertys' New Years party last year?”

“Did we? I guess we may have but we wouldn't leave it there, would we?”

“No, probably not. I remember having it at Molly's soccer tournament in June, I think?”

“Well, it couldn't have just disappeared.”

“Couldn't it?”

"Oh, God, stop! That's so depressing. It has to be here somewhere. Help me open the hatch to the attic. Maybe it's there with the Christmas boxes.”

“I'll go up. You stay here and make sure the ladder doesn't fold itself up. I don't want to get trapped up there.

Pause

“Did you find it, hon?”

“I found something.”

“What?”

“It's hard to explain. You should just come up.”

“What about the ladder?”

“F**k the ladder! I'll kick out a window if we get stuck. Just come up here.”

Pause

“What is it?”

“I don't know.”

“Have you ever seen it before?”

“Maybe. I'm not sure. It looks familiar, but not from here. I feel like I dreamed it or something.”

“Well, I don't recognize it. Does it open?”

“It has a bunch of knobs and latches on it so it must do something.”

“Press that button.”

“You press it!”

“Stop being a p***y and press it!”

Click

“Oh, s**t!”

“What is it?”

“I don't know! Lean over here and look at it!”

“BOOH!!!”

“God damn you! You scared the s**t out of me!”

“Ha! You should have seen your face! Classic!”

“Seriously, what's in it?”

“Nothing. It's empty.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I'm sure. Nothing there.”

“That's kinda depressing, don't you think?”

“Naw, it's fine. There doesn't have to be anything in it. It doesn't mean anything.”

“You're probably right. I was just hoping we'd find it in there.”

“Me too, but it's not there. We'll find it. C'mon, let's go check the kids' room again.”

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

And it's a search for? I'm not sure it matters, or does it? Hopefully, the ladder didn't collapse. A fun little piece, well-written.

[Phillip W Parsons]

Very good question Samuel. The title "Where Is The Good" was a prompt for a writers' group assignment. When I read it back it feels like a couple trying to rekindle some feeling that parenting makes so plentiful but, perhaps does not have a specific name or location. Something like that. Anyway, thanks for the feedback!