One Broken Wheel

The black car, however broken, was still playable. Caelan, as innocent as he was, knew his actions would soon be met with his father's choice of discipline. Number one rule: do not break your toys. He could protest by saying the toy was still in tact, but what use was there in arguing?

Lined up back to back along the far wall away from the dining table where his father was sat on a business call were all the cars from the toy box. Caelan, smarter than what people had first thought, chose to hide the broken wheel against the wall. No one would be the wiser.

Soon, his father had said his goodbyes to whoever he was talking to and made his way for his habitual check up on Caelan. The atmosphere grew tense as each footstep sounded. Closer and closer, his father became, and not just to Caelan but to the broken car as well.

"How are you doing, cutie?" asked his father. Caelan gave him a thumbs up. "Wow! Look what you did here." Leaning down with an arm outstretched, his father reached for a car. What specific car he had chosen, Caelan could not make out.

Rising from the line was the same black car with its dangling rear right wheel. Mumbling some nonsense, Caelan stood up to grab it away from his father. Unfortunately, he was too late, as it had become too high for him to reach.

Inspecting the toy, his father began to turning it around. From down the hall came a shriek, the shriek of a woman's fright. His father, without hesitation dropped the car from the height he was holding it and looked down the corridor.

Picking it up, Caelan grinned. "Dada!" he said, pointing to the broken wheel. "Look what you did!"On his face was a look of distress, but within was the screaming laughter of mischief echoing off the walls of his mind.