The Clicky Noise

Flash Fiction

The Clicky Noise

“Stop it!” James said loudly.

“Stop what?” Tom asked.

“Stop that clicky noise you’re making!

“What noise? I wasn’t making a clicky noise. I don’t even know what a clicky noise is…”

“Clicky. Like this…” he clicked.

“Oh, that’s cool! How’d you do that?”

“You must know, you were doing it!”

“How could I, I didn’t even know how?”

“This is a park; there are several gazillion people here…”

“Making clicky noises at total strangers?”

“Weird people, people trying to scare you, maybe trying to steal something from you…” James slowed down, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Sorry I thought it was you.”

“Well, I wish it was, I’d like to know how to make that kind of noise…’

“It’s easy, you just press your teeth together and blow air…. out of one side of your mouth… I think…”

James tried, got not much of anything.

“Try again” Tom said, “Once you get it to work, you’ll know what your mouth is looking for. It’s hard to explain…”

James tried again, and again. Pretty soon Tom was laughing his head off. James looked at him kind of angry at his laughing, but then the whole thing was so absurd, he burst out laughing too!

They both started making the noise, Tom still working well, and James starting to make a noise too. Finally, James got a good one out.

“I did it! I did it!” he yelled.

“Will you stop making that awful noise!” came a voice from behind them.

They both whipped around and there was their school teacher, Mr. Howard!

“I can do it better!” he said, and he blew out an incredible clicky noise!

“How did you do that so loud?”

“I have a big mouth?” he laughed.

And the walk went very, very well.