This short story is an entry in the 2001 Soc.Sexuality.Spanking Summer Short Story Contest and is copyright by the author and commercial use is prohibited without permission. Personal/private copies are permitted only if complete including the copyright notice. The author would appreciate your comments
Category: Child
Okay, so it's not about copyright violation, mystery novels, or American foreign policy. But I'm hopeful that somebody will find this story interesting anyway.
Entries in a Diary
By
Starship <starship_64@yahoo.com>
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1943
Dear Diary
Last night the air raid warden, Mr. Blankenship, yelled at Mama because the light in our garage had been left on. After he left Mama called all three of us kids into the living room and lectured us for what seemed like hours. I got the worst of it because she'd seen me playing in the garage earlier, but I don't think I did it. I hope I didn't. Mama reminded us that we live up on a hill and that Jap subs might see the light and use it to find any ships that are going by. I felt really bad then, and after Mama sent us to bed I cried a little at the thought that a ship might get torpedoed and all the sailors drowned because of me.
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1943
Dear Diary
Mr. Blankenship came back again about our garage light, and Mama got really sore. I told her I hadn't been in the garage all day, which was true, but I think Mama thought it was my brother Peter this time. Peter is almost old enough to join the Army, but Mama still yelled at him like he was just a kid. She told us all that Mr. Blankenship wanted her to take the light bulb completely out, but that wouldn't work because even in the daytime it's too dark to see in there without it. But she promised him that the next person who left it on after dark would be bent over the couch and get it with the belt on their bare rear end until they can't sit down--no matter how old they are. Mama looked straight at Peter when she said that last part. Peter scowled, but he didn't say anything back. Afterward in bed I thought again about all the ships going back and forth, being hunted by Jap submarines. It took me a long time to fall asleep.
Friday, Feb. 5, 1943
Dear Diary
When I came in from playing this evening I saw that somebody had left the garage light on again, so I turned it off. I'm not sure who it was; it might have been Peter, but it also might have been my sister Sally because she's little and sometimes forgets things like that. I thought about leaving it on so that whoever did it would get a spanking, because I think they'd deserve that. But then I remembered the sailors and decided it was more important not to let them get hurt, so I turned it off.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 1943
Dear Diary
Again Mr. Blankenship had to come by about our garage light. This time only one person had been near the garage all day so there was no doubt who had done it and Mr. Blankenship insisted that Mama keep her promise. She sure did look funny bending over the couch like that.
The End
© Copyright Summer, 2001
Reviews
Tami <tamishy(at)webtv(dot)net>
I was beginning to think that Mr. Blankenship was the one responsible for the light, See how stories can be deceiving, I'm wondering if we should do something about this. It's not nice to deceive readers.
Kent Stoneking <kentls001(at)worldnet(dot)att(dot)net>
Nice sense of anticipation throughout ... someone's gonna "get it", but we're kept guessing as to who. And the historical perspective shows it is a more serious matter than just simple carelessness. Throw in a nifty surprise at the end, and this one's a real winner.
Alex Birch <alexbirch(at)blueyonder(dot)co(dot)uk>
OK I saw the ending coming but this wartime story through a child's eyes of how Mama ended up base over apex for leaving the light on was still wryly amusing. I have to admit though that there have been stories of Starship's which I have enjoyed more though this one does have a certain quirky charm.
Naomi Darvell <naomi_darvell(at)hotmail(dot)com>
Starship uses the diary format to good effect. The historical setting and voice are unobtrusively convincing. There's just the right amount of childish naivety to highlight the little surprise at the end. Delightful read.