The Cookie Jar

Word Count: 417

The Cookie Jar

“I want a cookie,” Emma declared. “Ethan, help me reach it!” She pointed a chubby hand up at the cookie jar, which was sitting on a shelf above the kitchen counter, way out of her reach.

“No way!” Ethan said. “We’ll just get in trouble.”

Emma pouted for a moment before she brightened. Ethan watched her warily. He was old enough to know when Emma was planning something that he wouldn’t like. She had that look on her face now.

“C’mon, Ethan,” she wheedled. “You want a cookie, too, don’t you?”

Ethan wasn’t falling for that. He shook his head and turned back to his juice.

Emma stepped up to the kitchen table to glare at him. Ethan was aware of her out of the corner of his eye, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of paying attention to her. Emma had folded her small arms across her chest, just as Momma sometimes did. Whenever Momma did that, Ethan knew he was in trouble, but his twin sister wasn’t as intimidating.

A sly smile spread across Emma’s face, but since Ethan was ignoring her, he couldn’t see it.

“If you don’t give me a boost, I’ll tell Momma you lost Georgie.”

Ethan turned quickly in his chair, almost spilling his juice. “Emma! You wouldn’t!”

“You know how much Momma hates mice,” Emma continued, relentless. “She’d be so mad at you.”

The only reason Momma hadn’t noticed that Georgie was missing was because she hated mice. Georgie was Ethan’s responsibility, and his alone. Emma was right; Momma would be furious.

“All right, you little brat.” Ethan hopped out of his chair.

Emma’s grin was triumphant. “You kneel there,” she ordered. She had already piled up two stacks of magazines in an attempt to reach the cookie jar, but the height advantage they gave her wasn’t nearly enough.

Ethan sighed, but knelt down on all fours where she had indicated.

Once he was in position, Emma climbed up onto his back and hooked one leg up on the counter. Her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration.

“Almost got it,” she felt inclined to comment.

“Hurry up!” Ethan glanced toward the kitchen doorway nervously.

“Whoops!” was the next thing Ethan heard right before the cookie jar hit the floor in front of him with a resounding crash. Emma scrambled down from the counter and together, the twins stared at the wreckage of the cookie jar.

“Momma’s gonna be so mad,” Ethan moaned.

This story won first place in:

ID: 1101926   (Rated: ASR) A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words Contest  Write a story in 1000 words or less to a given picture prompt. [Hiatus!] by iKïyå§ama